Apparatus and method for manipulating acoustic pulses
AssigneeDornier MedTech Systems GmbH
InventorHarald Eizenhofer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for manipulating acoustic pulses is provided. The apparatus includes a wave-path with an acoustic network suspended within it, and the acoustic network includes at least one acoustic lens and at least one acoustic plate. The acoustic lens is structured to convert a plane pulse into a converging pulse, and the acoustic plate is structured to convert a single pulse into a split converging pulse. The method includes providing the foregoing wave-path and acoustic network, and converting a plane pulse to a split converging pulse by transmitting the plane pulse along the acoustic wave-path through the acoustic network.
Claims23
An apparatus for manipulating acoustic pulses, comprising:
- an acoustic wave-path having at least a first acoustic impedance, including a first sound velocity component, and structured to allow the travel of acoustic pulses;
- and
- an acoustic network suspended within the acoustic wave-path, comprising:
- at least one acoustic lens having at least a second acoustic impedance, including a second sound velocity component, and structured to convert an acoustic plane pulse into an acoustic converging pulse when at least part of the acoustic plane pulse travels through the at least one acoustic lens;
- and
- at least one acoustic plate having at least a third acoustic impedance, including a third sound velocity component, and structured to convert an acoustic converging pulse into a split acoustic converging pulse having at least two components when at least part of the acoustic converging pulse travels through the at least one acoustic plate.
12 The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic wave-path is a volume of a liquid, gas, or solid.
A method for manipulating acoustic pulses, comprising:
- providing an acoustic wave-path having at least a first acoustic impedance, including a first sound velocity component, and structured to allow the travel of acoustic pulses;
- providing at least one acoustic lens, suspended within the acoustic wave-path, having at least a second acoustic impedance, including a second sound velocity component, and structured to convert an acoustic plane pulse into an acoustic converging pulse when at least part of the acoustic plane pulse travels through the at least one acoustic lens;
- providing at least one acoustic plate, suspended within the acoustic wave-path, having at least a third acoustic impedance, including a third sound velocity component, and structured to convert an acoustic converging pulse into a split acoustic converging pulse having at least two components when at least part of the acoustic converging pulse travels through the at least one acoustic plate;
- transmitting an acoustic plane pulse along the acoustic wave-path;
- converting the acoustic plane pulse into an acoustic converging pulse by transmitting at least part of the acoustic plane pulse through the at least one acoustic lens;
- and
- converting the acoustic converging pulse into a split acoustic converging pulse by transmitting at least part of the acoustic converging pulse through the at least one acoustic plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.