Optimisation of a Cymbal Transducer for Its Use in a High-power Ultrasonic Cutting Device for Bone Surgery

The class V cymbal is a flextensional transducer commonly used in low-power ultrasonic applications. The resonance frequency of the transducer can be tailored by the choice of end-cap and driver materials, and the dimensions of the end-caps. The cymbal transducer has one significant limitation which restricts the operational vibration amplitude of the device. This is the limit imposed by the mechanical strength of the bonding agent between the metal end-cap and the piezoceramic driver. Therefore, when there is an increase in the input power or displacement, the stresses in the bonding layer can lead to debonding, thereby rendering the cymbal transducer ineffective for high-power ultrasonic applications. In this paper, several experimental analyses have been performed, complemented by the use of Abaqus/CAE finite element analysis, in order to develop a high-power ultrasonic cutting device for bone surgery using a new configuration of cymbal transducer, which is optimised for operation at high displacement and high input power. This new transducer uses a combination of a piezoceramic disc with a metal ring as the driver, thereby improving the mechanical coupling with the metal end-cap.