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:
Aug. 10, 1993
Filed:
Nov. 22, 1991
George F Garlick, Kennewick, WA (US);
Victor I Neeley, Kennewick, WA (US);
Advanced Imaging Systems, Richland, WA (US);
Abstract
A preferred embodiment of a large diameter solid ultrasonic imaging transducer is illustrated in FIG. 5 with alternate embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6-9. The large diameter solid ultrasonic imaging lens 100 has a diameter preferably greater than six inches with a focal length-to-diameter ratio of between 1 and 2. The lens 100 has concave surfaces 108 and 110, and is composed of a homogenous material that has an ultrasonic impedance of less than twice that of water and has a density less than the water. Preferably, the velocity of the ultrasonic sound through homogenous plastic material is less than twice that of water. One or both of the concave surfaces 108 and 110 have surfaces that are without a constant radius and curvature, but however are composed of separate radius of curvatures for each small increment of lens surface to properly focus the ultrasound at a desired focal length 'L'. An alternate embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6 which has two exterior solid rigid lens elements that are of a concaval-convex nature forming a liquid lens 126 therebetween that has a double convex arrangement for accurately focusing the ultrasound rays to the desired focal length. Preferably, the solid lens surfaces are coated with a one-quarter wave length reflection reduction layer for reducing even further any ultrasonic reflection or energy loss.