Ultrasound probes and apparatuses for ultrasound imaging including such

An apparatus for ultrasound imaging of a sample comprising:

• an ultrasound probe, wherein the ultrasound probe comprises:
• a connector;
• a probe head comprising:
• a mount located in a tip part of said probe head;
• a plurality of linear matrices of transducers configured to emit acoustic waves with a central wavelength and detect backscattered acoustic waves, said linear matrices being electrically connected to said connector,
• wherein each linear matrix from said plurality of linear matrices of transducers comprises a first side along a first direction and a second side along a second direction, said second side being smaller than said first side,
• wherein said plurality of linear matrices of transducers are fixed to said mount and juxtaposed on the mount with the first sides of the plurality of linear matrices of transducers being adjacent,
• wherein each linear matrix from said plurality of linear matrices of transducers is covered with a single cylindrical acoustic lens from a plurality of cylindrical acoustic lenses, each cylindrical acoustic lens configured to focus said acoustic waves emitted by each linear matrix, each cylindrical acoustic lens of each linear matrix comprising a cylindrical axis substantially parallel to said first direction,
• wherein each linear matrix from said plurality of linear matrices of transducers together with each cylindrical acoustic lens of each linear matrix provides an ensemble allowing for imaging of a section of the sample, the plurality of linear matrices of transducers together with the plurality of cylindrical acoustic lenses providing a plurality of ensembles,
• wherein the plurality of ensembles comprise two juxtaposed ensembles that provide an inter-distance between the two juxtaposed ensembles, and
• wherein the inter-distance is less than 30 times the value of said central wavelength;
• and
• a translation stage configured to translate said mount of the ultrasound probe in a third direction substantially parallel to said second direction, by a distance less than or equal to the sum of the inter-distance between the two juxtaposed ensembles and a length of a transducer along the second direction.