Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Nxp B.v.

Other

Asm Lithography B.v.

Koninklujke Philips N.v.

Technische Universiteit Delft

Peter Dirksen

Marcel Mulder

Jan E Van Der Werf

Casparus Anthonius Henricus Juffermans

Ronald Dekker

Johan Hendrik Klootwijk

Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens

Lucas Johannes Anna Maria Beckers

Nico Maris Adriaan De Wild

Ruediger Mauczok

Bout Marcelis

Sergei Shulepov

Mark Kroon

Manfred Gawein Tenner

Petrus Henricus Maria Timmermans

Adriaan Leeuwestein

Ralph Kurt

Willem Franke Pasveer

Koray Karakaya

Vincent Adrianus Henneken

Michael Cornelis Van Beek

Cassandra May Owen

Johannes Van Wingerden

Casparus A H Juffermans

Helmar Van Santen

Aleksey Yurievich Kolesnychenko

Mareike K Klee

Paulus Cornelis Duineveld

John Douglas Fraser

Olaf Wunnicke

David Van Steenwinckel

Biju Kumar Sreedharan Nair

Antonius Maarten Nuijs

Henri Marie Joseph Boots

Marc Godfriedus Marie Notten

Yuri Aksenov

Elisabeth M L Moonen

Gerben Doornbos

Mark Van Dal

Josephus Arnoldus Henricus Maria Kahlman

Johannes Wilhelmus Weekamp

Reinhold Wimberger-Friedl

Martinus Bernardus Van Der Mark

Hans-Peter Loebl

Wojtek Sudol

Klaus Reimann

Antonia Cornelia Van Rens

Jeroen Herman Lammers

Hans Willem Van Kesteren

Derk Reefman

Franciscus Paulus Maria Budzelaar

Max Oskar Köhler

Engel Johannes Knibbe

Marius Iosif Boamfa

Roger Peter Anna Delnoij

Christianus Martinus Van Heesch

Cornelis M Van Uijen

Erik Martinus Hubertus Petrus Van Dijk

Marcus Cornelis Louwerse

Shunmugavelu D Sokka

Twan Van Lippen

Geert Langereis

Christina Adriana Renders

Edward Theodorus Maria Berben

Peter Zandbergen

Augustus Josephus Elizabeth Maria Janssen

Kevin Grayson Wickline

Rene Johan Gerrit Elfrink

Casper Juffermans

Frank Pasveer

Anja Vanleenhove

Remco Alphonsus Hendrikus Breen

Frits Jurgen Van Hout

Martijn Schellekens

Erik M H P Van Dijk

Sjoerd Hesdahl

Fredericus Christiaan Van Den Heuvel

Johannes Arnoldus Jacobus Maria Kwinten

Anthonie Van Der Lugt

Harry Van Esch

Marco De Wild

Pawel Michalski

Chris Van Heesch

Robert Duncan Morton

Laurent Marinier

Josephus Antonius Maria Van Bommel

Renatus Maria Adrianus Mathias Van Den Eijnden

Franciscus Theodorus Agricola

Martinus Gernardus Van Der Mark

Rüdiger Günter Mauczok

Dirk Van De Lagemaat

Ruediger Günther Mauczok

Hendrik Drenth

Antonia Cornelia Rens

Max Oskar KÖHLER

Shunmugavelu Sokka

The invention provides an ultrasound imaging system, comprising an array of transducer elements grouped into element groups, wherein the element groups comprise a plurality of first element groups (having a first orientation) and a plurality of second element groups (having a second orientation different from the first orientation). A first conductor is connected to each of the elements in each first element grouping and a second conductor is connected to each of the elements in each second element grouping. Each element group is adapted to be activated for transmission or reception by the application of a bias voltage, by way of a plurality of bias voltage circuits, and controlled by a plurality of transmit and receive circuits. The system is adapted to acquire first ultrasound data, wherein the bias voltage is applied to the first conductors of the array (or a sub-array) and the transducers receive a signal from a transmit and receive circuit. The system is further adapted to acquire second ultrasound data, wherein the bias voltage is applied to the second conductors of the array (or a different sub-array) and the transducers receive a signal from a transmit and receive circuit. Thus, the ultrasound system is adapted to acquire two separate ultrasound data (such as ultrasound images) corresponding to different views without requiring any physical movement of the array.

Ultrasound imaging system using an array of transducer elements and an imaging method

The invention provides a handheld imaging device capable of performing biplane imaging, wherein a first image plane or a second imaging plane (having different orientations) may be selected for image capture based on a motion characteristic of the device as determined by a sensor.

Systems and methods for performing bi-plane imaging

An intraluminal ultrasound imaging device includes a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient. An ultrasound imaging assembly is disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The ultrasound imaging assembly includes a plurality of acoustic elements and an acoustically-transparent window disposed over the plurality of acoustic elements. The acoustically-transparent window comprising a plurality of layers formed on top of one another. The plurality of layers includes an innermost layer directly contacting the plurality of acoustic elements, an outermost layer opposite the innermost layer, and an adhesive layer. The outermost layer includes a tubing. A hardness of the innermost layer is less than hardnesses of every other layer of the plurality of layers. A hardness of the outermost layer is greater than the hardnesses of every other layer of the plurality of layers.

Acoustically transparent window for intraluminal ultrasound imaging device

Disclosed are systems and methods of operation for capacitive radio frequency micro-electromechanical switches, such as CMUT cells for use in an ultrasound system. An RFMEMS may include substrate, a first electrode connected to the substrate, a membrane and a second electrode connected to the membrane. In some examples, there is a dielectric stack between the first and second electrodes. The dielectric stack design minimizes drift in the membrane collapse voltage. In other examples, a voltage supply coupled to an ultrasonic array compressing the CMUT cells is adapted to provide a sequence of voltage profiles to the electrodes of the CMUT cell, wherein each profile includes a bias voltage and a stimulus voltage, and wherein a polarity of each subsequent voltage profile in the sequence is opposite to the polarity of the preceding profile. In another example, there is a capacitance sensing circuit provided, which is arranged to determine a drift voltage of the CMUT cell.

Systems and methods of operation of capacitive radio frequency micro-electromechanical switches

A transducer array () is disclosed comprising a plurality of CMUT cells (&#x2033;), each CMUT cell comprising a first electrode () supported by a substrate () and a second electrode () supported by a membrane suspended over a cavity () between the first electrode and the second electrode, the plurality of CMUT cells comprising a first group of CMUT cells () each having a membrane comprising a first layer stack (); and a second group of CMUT cells (') each having membrane comprising a second layer stack (&#x2032;), the second layer stack including a layer () of a material having a higher density than any of the layers in the first layer stack. Also disclosed is a device comprising such a transducer array, an ultrasound imaging system including such a transducer array and a method of operating such an ultrasound imaging system.

Broadband ultrasound transducer

An acoustic lens suitable for a CMUT array () is provided. The acoustic lens comprising: a first layer () comprising a thermoset elastomer having a polymeric material selected from hydrocarbons, wherein the first layer has an inner surface () arranged to face the array and an outer convex shaped surface () arranged to oppose the inner surface; and a second layer () coupled to the outer surface of the first layer and comprising thermoplastic polymer polymethylpentene and an elastomer selected from the polyolefin family (POE) blended therein, wherein the outer layer located at the outer surface of the acoustic window layer, wherein the first layer has a first acoustic wave velocity (v) and the second layer has a second acoustic wave velocity (v), said second velocity is larger than the first acoustic wave velocity.

Acoustic lens for an ultrasound array

An ultrasound array for acoustic wave transmission comprising at least one capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) cell (), wherein the CMUT cell comprises a substrate (); a first electrode (); a cell membrane () having a second electrode ('), which opposes the first electrode and the substrate with a cavity () there between, wherein the membrane is arranged to vibrate upon the cell activation; and an acoustic window layer (), overlaying the cell membrane, and having an inner surface opposing the cell membrane and an outer surface. The acoustic window layer comprises a first layer comprising molecules of antioxidant and a polymeric material () with insulating particles () embedded therein, wherein the polymeric material consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms and has a density equal or below 0.95 g/cmand an acoustic impedance equal or above 1.45 MRayl. This acoustic window layer provides an improved acoustic performance, such as wide bandwidth and low attenuation, in application with the CMUT based array.

CMUT array comprising an acoustic window layer

An acoustical lens () for an ultrasound probe () is disclosed. The acoustical lens comprises an inner surface () for facing an emission surface () of an ultrasound transducer () and for receiving ultrasound waves from the ultrasound transducer. The acoustical lens further comprises an outer surface () for emitting the ultrasound waves received at the inner surface, wherein the inner surface is formed as a convexly curved surface and wherein at least one recess () is associated to an edge of the inner surface for capturing mold material.

Acoustical lens and ultrasound transducer probe

A large aperture CMUT transducer array is formed of a plurality of adjacently located tiles of CMUT cells. The adjacent edges of the tiles are formed by an anisotropic etch process, preferably a deep reactive ion etching process which is capable of cutting through the die and its substrate while maintaining vertical edges in close proximity to the CMUT cells at the edge of the tile. This enables the CMUT cells of continuous rows or columns to exhibit a constant pitch over multiple CMUT cell tiles. The tiles also contain interconnect electrodes along an edge for making electrical connections to the tiles with flex circuit.

Tiled CMUT dies with pitch uniformity

An acoustic window layer for an ultrasound array, which layer has an inner surface arranged to face the array and an outer surface arranged to face a patient, and comprising an outer layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer selected from a polyolefin family (TPO) and an elastomer selected from the polyolefin family (POE) blended therein, wherein the outer layer located at the outer surface of the acoustic window layer. In a preferred embodiment the blend comprises a copolymer of ethylene-octene and polymethylpentene. The thermoplastic polyolefin provides the blend with mechanical, chemical stability and low acoustic wave attenuation; whilst the polyolefin elastomer provides a possibility to tune the acoustic impedance of the blend and to further improve its acoustic wave propagation properties.

Acoustic window layer for an ultrasound array

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) device comprising a first electrode () on a substrate () and a second electrode () embedded in an electrically insulating membrane, the first electrode and the membrane being separated by a cavity () formed by the removal of a sacrificial material () in between the first electrode and the membrane, the method comprising forming a membrane portion () on the second electrode and a further membrane portion () extending from the membrane portion towards the substrate alongside the sacrificial material, wherein the respective thicknesses the membrane portion and the further membrane portion exceed the thickness of the sacrificial material prior to forming said cavity. A CMUT device manufactured in accordance with this method and an apparatus comprising such a CMUT device are also disclosed.

CMUT device manufacturing method, CMUT device and apparatus

A CMUT transducer cell suitable for use in an ultrasonic CMUT transducer array has a membrane with a first electrode, a substrate with a second electrode, and a cavity between the membrane and the substrate. The CMUT is operated in a precollapsed state by biasing the membrane to a collapsed condition with the floor of the cavity, and a lens is cast over the collapsed membrane. When the lens material has polymerized or is of a sufficient stiffness, the bias voltage is removed and the lens material retains the membrane in the collapsed state.

Pre-collapsed CMUT with mechanical collapse retention

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a capacitive micro-machined transducer (), in particular a CMUT, the method comprising depositing a first electrode layer () on a substrate (), depositing a first dielectric film () on the first electrode layer (), depositing a sacrificial layer () on the first dielectric film (), the sacrificial layer () being removable for forming a cavity () of the transducer, depositing a second dielectric film () on the sacrificial layer (), and depositing a second electrode layer () on the second dielectric film (), wherein the first dielectric film () and/or the second dielectric film () comprises a first layer comprising an oxide, a second layer comprising a high-k material, and a third layer comprising an oxide, and wherein the depositing steps are performed by Atomic Layer Deposition. The present invention further relates to a capacitive micro-machined transducer (), in particular a CMUT, manufactured by such method.

Capacitive micro-machined transducer and method of manufacturing the same

A catheter () includes a shaft with distal () and proximal ends (). The distal end comprises at least one array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers () with an adjustable focus for controllably heating a target zone (). A connector () at the proximal end supplies the at least one array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers with electrical power and controls the adjustable focus.

Catheter comprising capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers with an adjustable focus

The present invention relates to a wafer () being subdivided and separable into a plurality of dies. Each die () comprises an array of capacitive micro-machined transducer cells (). Each cell comprises a substrate () comprising a first electrode (), a membrane () comprising a second electrode (), and a cavity () between the substrate () and the membrane (). Each cell () of at least a part of the dies () comprises a compensating plate () on the membrane (), each compensating plate () having a configuration for influencing a bow (h) of the membrane (). The configurations of the compensating plates () vary across the wafer (). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a wafer and a method of manufacturing such a die.

Wafer and method of manufacturing the same

Growing community of inventors

Valkenswaard, Netherlands

Peter Dirksen