Transient elastography probe with sealing membrane integrated to the ultrasound transducer

A transient elastography probe comprising:

• a probe body;
• an ultrasound transducer configured to generate an ultrasound beam along an axis, the ultrasound beam being generated from a face of the ultrasound transducer;
• a vibrator located inside the probe body and arranged so as to induce a movement of the ultrasound transducer along a predefined axis;
• and
• the ultrasound transducer being mounted on the vibrator so that the predefined axis and the axis of the ultrasound beam coincide with each other,
• a sealing membrane hugging outer contours of the ultrasound transducer and covering the face of the ultrasound transducer, wherein a portion of the sealing membrane that covers the face of the ultrasound transducer forms a distal end of the transient elastography probe and is adapted to be positioned against a body of the patient,
• wherein a part of the sealing membrane covering the face of the ultrasound transducer forms an acoustic lens configured to focus the ultrasound beam to probe propagation of a shear wave that is generated in the body of the patient by the movement of the ultrasonic transducer against the body of the patient, and
• wherein said sealing membrane is a deformable sealing membrane that deforms during said movement of the ultrasound transducer induced by the vibrator along the predefined axis.