The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 19, 1984
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1982
Paul D Sorenson, Blaine, MN (US);
Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
An ultrasonic imaging module including a housing having an internal fluid-filled chamber, and an ultrasonic transducer producing a beam of ultrasonic energy. The transducer includes a piezoelectric transducer element and a ball-shaped ultrasonic window rotatably mounted in a bearing in one wall of the chamber for transmitting the beam of ultrasonic energy to the object to be ultrasonically scanned while rolling on the object. A source of pressured fluid is connected to the chamber and the relative size of the bearing and roller-ball window are such that a film of ultrasonic coupling fluid is applied from the chamber to the surface of the object to be scanned as the roller-ball window turns in the bearing during the scanning process. An ultrasonic lens mounted in the chamber between the transducer element and the ball-window compensates for the effect of the sphericity of the window on the ultrasonic beam.