Ultrasound Sensors and Transducers
Precision matters when patient lives are at stake. CeramTec develops and manufactures fully assembled ultrasound sensors and transducers used in the most demanding medical devices worldwide – from infusion pumps to hemodialysis. Our off-the-shelf sensors and transducers are engineering platforms – proven building blocks that accelerate your development, not off-the-shelf volume products. They are designed to shorten design lead times, integrate seamlessly into your development phases, and serve as technology demonstrators to validate your application before volume production.
Our vertical integration – from in-house piezoceramic manufacturing through engineering to the assembled unit – enables a level of quality control that no pure assembler can offer.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Fully integrated partner: CeramTec develops, manufactures and assembles ultrasound sensors and transducers from a single source – from in-house piezoceramic manufacturing to the assembled unit. Unique in Europe.
- Certified for critical applications: Production in the ISO 13485-certified facility in Southampton, UK as well as in Germany; suitable for regulated medical devices in accordance with MDR.
- Tailor-made rather than off-the-shelf: All sensor and transducer solutions are developed on a customer-specific basis – with over 20 different piezoceramic materials, including lead-free alternatives based on BNT-BT.
- Engineering samples ready to supply: Key medical sensors and transducer solutions are ready to supply your development teams to demonstrate both technical capability and form the basis of your tailor-made solution. Accelerating your access to market in partnership with CeramTec.
Sensors & Transducers for Medical Technology
The sensors and transducers shown here represent our engineering platform portfolio. They are proven technology demonstrators that align with your development phases – helping you gain application knowledge early, reduce design iteration cycles, and shorten the path to a validated, production-ready solution. Contact us to discuss how we can adapt these platforms to your exact requirements.
Level Sensors
The housing geometry, materials and performance of our level sensors are optimized for the respective application. This includes the integration of a combination of sensors in one module to reduce overall costs and complexity.
Typical applications: infusion pumps, hemodialysis, transfusions and fluid delivery.
Key Advantages:
- Dry coupling to rigid or flexible, single-use or reusable chambers
- Multiple levels can be detected in chambers of any size, with minimum and maximum values as close as 4 mm apart
- Pulse-echo or through-transmission technology (send and receive), depending on the complexity of the chamber
- Multiple levels can be monitored with a single sensor block
- Detects foam as air, unlike capacitive sensors which detect foam as liquid
- Not affected by liquid or chamber color
- High-temperature stable
Bubble and Occlusion Sensors
Our custom ultrasonic air-in-line sensors can be designed for a wide range of plastic tubing commonly used in medical devices. The quality of our designs and the high performance of our piezoceramic materials enable the detection of bubble sizes down to four microliters in volume or two millimeters in diameter.
Typical applications: Volumetric infusion pumps, hemodialysis devices, instruments for blood collection and component separation, and heart-lung bypass systems.
Key Advantages:
- Dry-coupled (no acoustic gel required)
- Suitable for pulsed wave or continuous wave measurement
- Custom-tailored to our customers' requirements
- Compatible with existing electronics in the customer's device
Therapy Transducers
Our ultrasound therapy transducers deliver ultrasound waves at 1 MHz and 3.3 MHz. The material that comes into contact with the skin can be certified as biocompatible, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The transducer heads can be configured for a range of frequencies depending on the application, with a broad selection of housing materials available for a variety of treatment modalities.
Typical applications: Bone healing, blood-brain barrier therapies and cosmetic therapies.
Key Advantages:
- Dual-frequency operating modes
- Transducer design using FE modeling
- Acoustic power and beam profile testing
- Wide selection of piezo materials
- Custom housing design
Langevin Transducers
We offer stacked transducer heads (Langevin transducers) for a wide range of surgical, arthroscopic and diagnostic applications.
Typical applications: Phacoemulsification, ablation, liposuction, cell lysis, ultrasonic mixing, dental scaling and cutting (tissue and bone).
Key Advantages:
- Standard 40 kHz product including remote control electronics
- Custom-tailored to your exact requirements
- Made from high-efficiency piezoceramic PZT807
Tonpilz Transducers
In addition to our standard range, we offer custom-designed tonpilz transducers in a range of frequencies, power ratings and mounting configurations.
Typical applications: Ultrasonic cleaning baths, degassing, liquid mixing and sonar applications.
Key Advantages:
- Standard operating frequencies of 27 kHz and 40 kHz
- Dual-mode operation based on harmonics
- Custom adaptation, including double-ended operation and specific frequencies
- Tight electrical and mechanical tolerances
Why CeramTec?
| Feature | CeramTec Advantage |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing Depth | Full vertical integration: Powder → Piezoceramic → Sensor Module |
| Locations | ISO 13485-certified production in Southampton (UK) & Germany |
| Material Variety | Over 20 piezoceramic materials, incl. lead-free alternatives (BNT-BT) |
| Development Methodology | FE multiphysics modeling for fast and precise design |
| Biocompatibility | Certifiable materials for skin and body contact |
| Experience | 45+ years of medical technology expertise, 100+ years of ceramics know-how |
