System, method, computer-accessible medium and apparatus for flexible two-dimensional ultrasound phased array

An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:

• a flexible printed circuit board (PCB);
• a plurality of slave complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips disposed on the flexible PCB;
• a plurality of ultrasound transducer arrays, wherein each of the ultrasound transducer arrays is mounted on, and controlled by, at least one of the slave CMOS chips;
• and
• at least one master CMOS chip configured to control excitation phases of the slave CMOS chips based at least in part on a shape or a dimension of the flexible PCB,
• wherein:
• the plurality of ultrasound transducer arrays includes (i) at least one first transducer array, and (ii) at least one second transducer array,
• the slave CMOS chips include (i) at least one first slave integrated chip (IC), and (ii) at least one second slave IC,
• the at least one first transducer array is mounted on the at least one first slave IC,
• the at least one second transducer array is mounted on the at least one second slave IC, and
• the at least one first slave IC and the at least one second slave IC are controlled by the at least one master CMOS chip, and
• wherein the at least one master CMOS chip is provided separately and at a distance from the plurality of ultrasound transducer arrays.

An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a plurality of ultrasound transducers mounted to the flexible substrate;
• and
• at least one integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the substrate to drive and control the ultrasound transducers,
• wherein the at least one IC is a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip,
• wherein the at least one IC is a thinned and flexible CMOS chip,
• wherein the at least one IC is configured to control an excitation phase of the ultrasound transducers based at least in part on a shape or a dimension of the flexible substrate,
• wherein the at least one IC includes an array of at least some of the ultrasound transducers which are configured to receive and transmit ultrasound energy,
• wherein the ultrasound transducers are mounted on the thinned and flexible CMOS chip,
• wherein:
• the plurality of ultrasound transducers include (i) at least one first transducer array, and (ii) at least one second transducer array,
• the at least one IC includes (i) at least one first slave IC, (ii) at least one second slave IC, and (iii) at least one master IC,
• the at least one first transducer array is mounted on the at least one first slave IC,
• the at least one second transducer array is mounted on the at least one second slave IC, and
• the at least one first slave IC and the at least one second slave IC are controlled by the at least one master IC, and
• wherein the at least one master IC is provided separately and at a distance from the plurality of ultrasound transducers.