High frequency ultrasound transducer and method for manufacture
AssigneeFujifilm Sonosite, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Christopher Chaggares, Oleg Ivanytskyy, Guofeng Pang, Robert J. Kolaja
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Abstract
An ultrasound transducer has an array of transducer elements that are electrically coupled to electrical conductors. In one embodiment, the conductors are included in a flex circuit and engage a conductive surface formed on a number of outwardly extending ribs on a frame that holds the ultrasound array. In one embodiment, the flex circuit includes an alignment feature that engages a corresponding registration feature on the frame so that the traces on the flex circuit align with the ribs on the frame.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer, comprising:
- forming an array of transducer elements in a sheet of piezoelectric material;
- attaching a frame to the array, the frame including an open bottom surface such that an upper surface of the array of transducer elements is accessible through the open bottom;
- applying an epoxy material to the frame;
- forming a plurality of raised ribs in the epoxy material;
- and
- forming a conductive path between the top surface of each transducer element and a respective rib.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.