Fujifilm Sonosite, Inc.

Visualsonics Inc.

Guofeng Pang

Nicholas Christopher Chaggares

Oleg Ivanytskyy

Robert Kolaja

Desmond Hirson

Marc Lukacs

Hossein Amini

Marius Moszczynski

Chris Chaggares

Alexander Burhoe

Planar phased ultrasound transducer including a first layer including a sheet of piezoelectric material, a piezo frame surrounding an outer perimeter of the sheet of piezoelectric material, and an epoxy material placed between the piezo frame and the sheet of piezoelectric material. The transducer includes a flex frame secured to a back side of the first layer.

Planar phased ultrasound transducer array

The disclosed technology features methods for the manufacture of electrical components such as ultrasound transducers. In particular, the disclosed technology provides methods of patterning electrodes, e.g. in the connection of an ultrasound transducer to an electrical circuit; methods of depositing metal on surfaces; and methods of making integrated matching layers for an ultrasound transducer. The disclosed technology also features ultrasound transducers produced by the methods described herein.

Methods for patterning electrodes of ultrasound transducers and other components

A dual frequency ultrasound transducer includes a high frequency (HF) transducer and a low frequency (LF) transducer that is positioned behind the high frequency transducer. An intermediate layer is positioned between the low frequency transducer and the high frequency transducer to absorb high frequency ultrasound signals. An alignment feature on the low frequency transducer is positioned with respect to a fiducial that is marked at a known position with respect to high frequency transducer elements of the HF transducer to align low frequency transducer elements of the LF transducer with the HF transducer elements.

Dual frequency ultrasound transducer

A high frequency ultrasound array having a number of transducer elements that are formed in sheet of piezoelectric material. A frame having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is similar to that of the piezoelectric material surrounds the piezoelectric material and is separated from the piezoelectric material by a filling material. Kerf cuts that define the individual elements in the sheet of piezoelectric material extend across a full width of the sheet. In some embodiments, sub-dice kerf cuts that divide a single transducer element into two or more sub-elements also extend all the way across the width of the sheet. A lens positioned in front of the transducer elements can have a radius machined therein to focus ultrasound signals.

High frequency ultrasound transducer

A hydrophone used for measuring acoustic energy from a high frequency ultrasound transducer, or a method of manufacturing the membrane hydrophone. The membrane assembly is supported by the frame and comprises a piezoelectric. The hydrophone also includes an electrode pattern formed within the piezoelectric to define an active area. In addition, the hydrophone includes a built in-situ coaxial layer connected to the active area.

Membrane hydrophone for high frequency ultrasound and method of manufacture

A high frequency ultrasound array having a number of transducer elements that are formed in sheet of piezoelectric material. A frame having a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the piezoelectric material surrounds the piezoelectric material and is separated from the piezoelectric material by an epoxy material. Kerf cuts that define the individual elements in the sheet of piezoelectric material extend across a full width of the sheet. In some embodiments, sub-dice kerf cuts that divide a single transducer element into two or more sub-elements also extend all the way across the width of the sheet. A lens positioned in front of the transducer elements can have a radius machined therein to focus ultrasound signals. The frame, transducer elements and lens are bent or curved with the desired radius to focus ultrasound signals.

Ultrasound transducer with curved transducer stack

A dual frequency ultrasound transducer includes a high frequency ultrasound array and a low frequency transducer positioned behind or proximal to the high frequency ultrasound array. In one embodiment, a dampening material is positioned between a rear surface of the high frequency array and the a front surface of the low frequency array. The dampening preferably is high absorbing of signals at the frequency of the high frequency array but passes signals at the frequency of the low frequency transducer with little attenuation. In additional, or alternatively, the low frequency can angled with respect to the plane of the high frequency transducer to reduce inter-stack multipath reflections. Beamforming delays compensate for the differences in physical distances between the elements of the low frequency transducer and the plane of the high frequency transducer.

Dual frequency ultrasound transducer including an ultrahigh frequency transducer stack and a low frequency ultrasound transducer stack

An ultrasound transducer has an array of transducer elements that are electrically coupled to electrical conductors. In one embodiment, the conductors are included in a flex circuit and engage a conductive surface formed on a number of outwardly extending ribs on a frame that holds the ultrasound array. In one embodiment, the flex circuit includes an alignment feature that engages a corresponding registration feature on the frame so that the traces on the flex circuit align with the ribs on the frame.

High frequency ultrasound transducer and method for manufacture

Disclosed is a medical device that includes a phased array ultrasound transducer. The transducer includes a number of transducer elements that are electrically coupled to corresponding electrical conductors. In one embodiment, the conductors are included in a flex circuit and engage corresponding transducer elements though a conductive surface formed on outwardly extending ribs of a frame that holds the ultrasound array. In one embodiment, the phased array is forward facing in the medical device and has an element pitch of 0.75 lambda or less and more preferably 0.6 lambda or less. In one embodiment, the transducer is rotatable over an angle of +/&#x2212;90 degrees to provide a 360 degree view of tissue surrounding the distal end of the device.

Medical instrument including high frequency ultrasound transducer array

Methods for manufacturing ultrasound transducers and other components

A membrane hydrophone for analyzing high frequency ultrasound transducers has a piezoelectric membrane with electrode patterns created on the surface of the membrane. In one embodiment, the electrode patterns are doubled on each side of the membrane except for an active area of the hydrophone. In one embodiment, the electrodes are formed by removing a conductive coating on the membrane with laser pulses. The laser is set to remove the conductive coating from the piezoelectric membrane from the same side of the membrane in order to accurately align the electrodes in the active area. In one embodiment, the active area of the hydrophone has an area in a range of 900-10,000 square microns.

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Ajax, Canada

Guofeng Pang