General Electric Company

Robert Stephen Lewandowski

Charles Edward Baumgartner

Douglas Glenn Wildes

Lowell Scott Smith

Bruno Hans Haider

David Martin Mills

George Charles Sogoian

Charles Gerard Woychik

Venkat Subramaniam Venkataramani

Robert Gideon Wodnicki

Rayette Ann Fisher

John Eric Tkaczyk

Kevin Matthew Durocher

Warren Lee

Reinhold Bruestle

Steinar Bjaerum

Tunc Icoz

Joseph Edward Piel, Jr

Frederic Lanteri

Geir Ultveit Haugen

Jean-Francois Gelly

David A Chartrand

Henry H Woodbury

Chester Frank Saj

Svein Bergstoel

Brady Andrew Jones

Christopher Stephen Yetter

Stephen Royal Kaiser

Stephen Edwardsen

A method for forming a tileable detector array is presented. The method includes forming a detector module, where forming the detector module includes providing a sensor array having a first side and a second side, where the sensor array includes a first plurality of contact pads disposed on the second side of the sensor array, disposing the sensor array on an interconnect layer, where the interconnect layer includes a redistribution layer having a first side and a second side, where the redistribution layer includes a second plurality of contact pads disposed on the first side, an integrated circuit having a plurality of through vias disposed therethrough, where a first side of the integrated circuit is operationally coupled to the second side of the redistribution layer, where the sensor array is disposed on the interconnect layer such that the first plurality of contact pads on the second side of the sensor array are aligned with the second plurality of contact pads on the first side of the redistribution layer, operationally coupling the first plurality of contact pads on the second side of the sensor array to the second plurality of contact pads on the redistribution layer to form a sensor stack, coupling the sensor stack to a substrate to form the detector module, and tiling a plurality of detector modules on a second substrate to form the tileable detector array.

Tileable sensor array

An ultrasound system is provided for imaging an object. The ultrasound system includes an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound data and a cooling subsystem for actively removing heat from the ultrasound probe. The cooling subsystem includes a pump disposed within a reservoir containing a coolant and configured to circulate the coolant through the ultrasound probe via a conduit.

System and method for actively cooling an ultrasound probe

A system for improving the acoustic performance of an ultrasound transducer by reducing artifacts within the acoustic spectrum is disclosed. The system includes an acoustic layer having an array of acoustic elements, a dematching layer coupled to the acoustic layer and having an acoustic impedance greater than an acoustic impedance of the acoustic layer, and an interposer layer coupled to the dematching layer and comprising a substrate and a plurality of conductive element. The interposer layer is formed to have an acoustic impedance lower than the acoustic impedance of the dematching layer. The ultrasound transducer also includes an integrated circuit coupled to the interposer layer and electrically connected to the array of acoustic elements through the dematching layer and the interposer layer.

Ultrasound transducer with improved acoustic performance

According to embodiments of the present technique, a system and a method for addressing transducers in a two-dimensional transducer array is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present technique, the transducers are arranged in rows and columns, and the columns are coupled to a shared transmit and receive circuitry while the rows are coupled to a row selection circuitry. In another embodiment, each transducer is coupled to a separate, dedicated transmit circuitry and the columns are coupled to a shared receive circuitry.

Systems and methods for operating a two-dimensional transducer array

An ultrasonic imaging system wherein an exemplary system includes an array of transducer elements arranged along a first plane for transmitting first signals and receiving reflected signals for image processing. Circuit structures each have a major surface positioned in a co-planar orientation with respect to a major surface of another of the circuit structures to provide a sequence of the structures in a stack-like formation. Electrical connections are formed between adjacent circuit structures in the sequence. A connector region on each circuit structure includes a distal portion extending away from the major surface-with distal portions of connector regions of adjacent structures spaced apart from one another. A first wiring pattern extends from the major surface to the distal portion of the connector region. The plurality of circuit structures are configured to provide a second wiring pattern including at least some of the electrical connections formed between the circuit structures, extending from one or more of the first wiring patterns to multiple of the transducer elements.

Ultrasound probe assembly and method of fabrication

A composite structure of a z-axis interconnect is presented. The composite structure includes a plurality of layers of backing material alternatingly arranged between a plurality of interconnect layers, where the plurality of interconnect layers is configured to facilitate coupling the composite structure of the z-axis interconnect to a transducer array, where the composite structure of z-axis interconnect is configured for use in an invasive probe.

Transducer assembly with z-axis interconnect

An ultrasonic transducer device comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array micromachined on a substrate; flexible electrical connections connected to the transducer array; and a body of acoustically attenuative material that supports the substrate and the flexible electrical connections. The acoustic backing material may contain additional features, such as tabs or notches, for use in positioning the transducer on fixtures during manufacturing or positioning the transducer within a housing during final assembly. Tabs or other features that are used only during manufacturing may be subsequently removed from the device. The MUT device itself may also be thinned so as to provide flexibility as desired. The backing material is preferably matched in acoustic impedance to the silicon wafer so as to prevent reflection at the interface of any acoustic energy propagating rearward, i.e., in the direction away from the device front surface. The backing material may also possess a high thermal conductivity to assist in removal of heat from the device.

Method of manufacturing ultrasound transducer device having acoustic backing

A curved sensor device, such as an ultrasonic transducer array, is fabricated from a flat micromachined sensor (such as cMUT or pMUT) array constructed using micromachined electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) techniques. The device comprises: a support structure comprising a spine having a profile that is generally curved and a multiplicity of teeth extending from one side of the curved spine; and a multiplicity of sensors built on the support structure. The spine can be bent forward or backward and attached to a curved front face of a support member, thereby causing the sensors to adopt a curved array.

Curved micromachined ultrasonic transducer arrays and related methods of manufacture

An interconnect assembly is presented. The assembly includes an interconnect structure including a plurality of interconnect layers disposed in a spaced relationship, where each of the plurality of interconnect layers comprises a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon. Furthermore, the assembly includes a redistribution layer disposed proximate the interconnect structure, where the redistribution layer is configured to facilitate coupling the interconnect structure to the one or more transducer elements on the transducer array.

Interconnect structure for transducer assembly

Methods for preparing a multi-layer acoustic transducer with reduced total electrical impedance. The methods are based on the stacking of individual piezoelectric layers with metallized surfaces to form a plate in which the metal layers are electrically connected to form interdigitated electrodes. The total electrical impedance of a multi-layer stack comprised of piezoelectric layers connected in this manner is inversely related to the square of the number of layers in the stack. This provides for better matching of the acoustic stack impedance to that of the electrical cable and improved acoustic element sensitivity.

Method for making multi-layer ceramic acoustic transducer

A method for manufacturing a multi-layer acoustic transducer with reduced total electrical impedance. The method is based on the bonding of two piezoelectric ceramic layers with confronting metallized surfaces to a thin electrical conductor, then electrically connecting the top and bottom surfaces to form a wrap-around electrode while a center conductor forms a second electrode. The total electrical impedance of a two-layer ceramic stack comprised of piezoelectric layers connected in this manner is one-fourth that of a solid ceramic element of the same size. This provides for better matching of the acoustic stack impedance to that of the electrical cable, increased penetration depth for imaging within the body, and improved acoustic element sensitivity.

Multi-layer ceramic acoustic transducer

In an ultrasonic transducer, the transducer elements are electrically connected to the pulsers via throughholes in an acoustic backing layer. Electrically conductive material is deposited on the front face of the acoustic backing layer and later diced to form conductive pads, and on the walls of the throughholes or vias to form conductive traces having exposed ends that will be connected later to a printed circuit. The holes in the acoustic backing layer are then filled with acoustic attenuative material. The signal electrodes on the rear faces of the transducer elements are electrically connected to the printed circuit via the conductive pads and the conductive traces of the acoustic backing layer. A common ground connection is disposed between the front faces of the transducer elements and the acoustic impedance matching layer, which ground connection exits the transducer pallet from the side.

Method for making electrical connection to ultrasonic transducer through acoustic backing material

A high-density connection of multiple circuit boards having overlapping ends arranged in a stack. The metal traces on the stacked circuit boards are electrically connected by contact of the ends of the traces, which ends may be pads. The stacked circuit boards can be clamped, soldered or bonded together. Multiple circuit boards may be connected to a single circuit board. In one embodiment, double-sided circuit boards are stacked so that a first circuit board connects to a second circuit board through a third circuit board disposed intermediate the first and second circuit boards. The circuit boards may be flexible or rigid.

High-density connection between multiple circuit boards

RD-28,709 22An ultrasonic transducer device comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array micromachined on a substrate; flexible electrical connections connected to the transducer array; and a body of acoustically attenuative material that supports the substrate and the flexible electrical connections. The acoustic backing material may contain additional features, such as tabs or notches, for use in positioning the transducer on fixtures during manufacturing or positioning the transducer within a housing during final assembly. Tabs or other features that are used only during manufacturing may be subsequently removed from the device. The MUT device itself may also be thinned so as to provide flexibility as desired. The backing material is preferably matched in acoustic impedance to the silicon wafer so as to prevent reflection at the interface of any acoustic energy propagating rearward, i.e., in the direction away from the device front surface. The backing material may also possess a high thermal conductivity to assist in removal of heat from the device.

Growing community of inventors

Amsterdam, NY, United States of America

Robert Stephen Lewandowski