Hewlett-Packard Company

Larry A Ladd

Wojtek Sudol

Francis E Gurrie

Turukevere R Gururaja

An acoustic transducer includes a support structure which holds an acoustic pulse generator having both a front application face and a rear face. An acoustic absorber is attached to the rear face of the pulse generator. An acoustic isolator is positioned between the acoustic absorber and a support structure/heat sink. A preferred embodiment of the acoustic isolator includes at least a first material layer exhibiting a first acoustic impedance value, and a second material layer exhibiting a second acoustic impedance value. The second acoustic impedance value is substantially different from the first acoustic impedance value. A boundary between the first material layer and the second material layer causes multiple acoustic reflections of an acoustic pulse emanating from the rear face of the pulse generator. The first material layer and second material layer both exhibit substantial heat transfer capabilities. The acoustic isolator acts as a multiple reflective layer and prevents a substantial percentage of rear propagated acoustic energy from entering and being reflected by the support structure, thereby greatly reducing ultrasound display artifacts. A further embodiment of the acoustic isolator includes a single acoustic isolator layer and employs the support structure as a second layer.

Ultrasonic transducer

A multilayer composite transducer is disclosed. The multilayer composite transducer comprises a plurality of layers wherein a piezoelectric material is dispersed periodically within a polymer matrix. The piezoelectric material is typically formed into columns or slabs, and these columns and slabs need to be aligned from one layer to the next. As this alignment can be difficult to perform, the present invention teaches a first method for fabricating the multilayer composite transducer which allows the alignment to be easily accomplished and a second and third method which reduce or eliminate the need for the alignment.

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Lawrence, MA, United States of America

Larry A Ladd