Systems and methods for controlling directional properties of ultrasound transducers via biphasic actuation

An ultrasound system comprising:

• an ultrasound transducer element comprising a piezoelectric material, said ultrasound transducer element further comprising a pair of propagation electrodes respectively contacting first opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to a first direction and a pair of lateral electrodes respectively contacting second opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to said first opposing surfaces;
• and
• control circuitry operatively coupled to said ultrasound transducer element, said control circuitry comprising at least one processor and associated memory, said memory storing instructions executable by said at least one processor for performing operations comprising:
• actuating said ultrasound transducer element according to a first driving waveform and a second driving waveform, the first driving waveform and the second driving waveform having a common frequency, such that the first driving waveform is applied to said propagation electrodes and the second driving waveform is applied to said lateral electrodes;
• and
• controlling a directional property of ultrasound energy emitted by said ultrasound transducer element according to at least one of (i) a phase difference between the first driving waveform and the second driving waveform and (ii) an amplitude ratio between the first driving waveform and the second driving waveform.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• an ultrasound transducer array, said ultrasound transducer array comprising ultrasound array elements, each ultrasound array element comprising a piezoelectric material, each ultrasound array element further comprising a pair of propagation electrodes respectively contacting first opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to a first direction and a pair of lateral electrodes respectively contacting second opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to said first opposing surfaces;
• and
• control circuitry operatively coupled to said ultrasound transducer array, said control circuitry comprising at least one processor and associated memory, said memory storing instructions executable by said at least one processor for performing operations comprising:
• while performing transmit beamforming with said ultrasound transducer array:
• actuating at least one ultrasound array element with a first respective driving waveform and a second respective driving waveform, the first respective driving waveform and the second respective driving waveform having a common frequency, such that the first respective driving waveform is applied to said propagation electrodes and the second respective driving waveform is applied to said lateral electrodes;
• and
• wherein at least one of (i) a respective phase difference between the first respective driving waveform and the second respective driving waveform and (ii) a respective amplitude ratio between the first respective driving waveform and the second respective driving waveform is employed to control a respective directional property of ultrasound energy emitted by said at least one ultrasound array element.

A method of directionally controlling an ultrasound transducer element, the ultrasound transducer element comprising a piezoelectric material and further comprising a pair of propagation respectively electrodes respectively contacting first opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to a first direction and a pair of lateral electrodes respectively contacting second opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to the first opposing surfaces, wherein the second opposing surfaces are a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, and wherein at least one of the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface has at least one additional lateral electrode provided thereon, the method comprising:

• actuating the ultrasound transducer element according to a first driving waveform and a second driving waveform, the first driving waveform and the second driving waveform having a common frequency, such that the first driving waveform is applied to the propagation electrodes, and such that at least one lateral electrode on the first lateral surface and at least one lateral electrode on the second lateral surface are employed to apply the second driving waveform as a potential difference between the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface;
• and
• controlling a directional property of ultrasound energy emitted by the ultrasound transducer element, at least in part, by dynamically selecting the lateral electrodes that are employed to apply the potential difference.

An ultrasound system comprising:

• an ultrasound transducer element comprising a piezoelectric material, said ultrasound transducer element further comprising a pair of propagation electrodes respectively contacting first opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to a first direction and a pair of lateral electrodes respectively contacting second opposing surfaces that are perpendicular to said first opposing surfaces, wherein said second opposing surfaces are a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface, and wherein at least one of said first lateral surface and said second lateral surface has at least one additional lateral electrode provided thereon;
• and
• control circuitry operatively coupled to said ultrasound transducer element, said control circuitry comprising at least one processor and associated” memory, said memory storing instructions executable by said at least one processor for performing operations comprising:
• actuating said ultrasound transducer element according to a first driving waveform and a second driving waveform, the first driving waveform and the second driving waveform having a common frequency, such that the first driving waveform is applied to said propagation electrodes, and such that at least one lateral electrode on said first lateral surface and at least one lateral electrode on said second lateral surface are employed to apply the second driving waveform as a potential difference between said first lateral surface and said second lateral surface;
• and
• controlling a directional property of ultrasound energy emitted by said ultrasound transducer element, at least in part, by dynamically selecting the lateral electrodes that are employed to apply the potential difference.