Ultrasound transducer assembly
AssigneeCordance Medical Inc.
InventorsBhaskar S. Ramamurthy, Daniel E. Need, John D. Marshall, Jonathan B. Hofius, Mallika S. Keralapura
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Abstract
An ultrasound transducer assembly is connectable to an ultrasound system and comprises one or more ultrasound transducer elements supported by a cap. The ultrasound transducer elements are operable to direct ultrasound energy toward brain tissue of a subject and/or to receive echo ultrasound energy when the ultrasound transducer assembly is mounted on the head of the subject. Some embodiments include a fillable jacket coupled to the inner surface of the cap and in acoustic contact with the one or more transducer elements.
Claims28
An ultrasound transducer assembly connectable to an ultrasound system, the assembly comprising:
- a mechanical substructure having an inner surface shaped to define a cavity for receiving a head of a subject;
- one or more ultrasound transducer elements supported by the mechanical substructure;
- and
- a fillable jacket detachably coupleable to the inner surface of the mechanical substructure to be in acoustic contact with the one or more transducer elements, the fillable jacket comprising:
- a deformable receptacle for receiving acoustic transmission fluid in a chamber of the receptacle, such that, when the acoustic transmission fluid is introduced into the chamber, the deformable receptacle deforms to line the inner surface and to conform to the shape of a head of a subject.
An ultrasound transducer assembly connectable to an ultrasound system, the assembly comprising:
- a mechanical substructure having an inner surface;
- one or more ultrasound transducer elements supported by the mechanical substructure;
- and
- a fillable jacket coupled to the inner surface and in acoustic contact with the one or more transducer elements, the fillable jacket comprising:
- a deformable receptacle for receiving acoustic transmission fluid in a chamber of the receptacle, such that, when the acoustic transmission fluid is introduced into the chamber, the deformable receptacle deforms to line the inner surface and to conform to the shape of a head of a subject;
- wherein the fillable jacket further comprises an O-ring extending around a perimeter of the deformable receptacle and wherein the fillable jacket is mechanically coupled to the mechanical substructure by insertion of an edge portion of the fillable jacket including the O-ring into a channel of the mechanical substructure;
- and
- wherein the O-ring comprises segments of an electrically conductive material, the segments in electrical contact with corresponding electrically conductive portions of the channel when the O-ring is inserted in the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.