Ultrasonic transducer

A method of fabricating an ultrasound transducer, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate that includes a piezoelectric layer;
• forming a plurality of kerfs in the substrate to define a plurality of piezoelectric elements that are separated by the kerfs;
• filling the kerfs with an isolating material to form a composite layer having a first surface, the composite layer including the plurality of piezoelectric elements, each of the piezoelectric elements being separated from adjacent piezoelectric elements by the isolating material;
• and
• forming a plurality of electrodes on the first surface of the composite layer, the electrodes being defined so that each piezoelectric element is directly coupled to no more than one electrode.

A method of treating a patient with ultrasound, the method comprising:

• generating a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) focal zone with a transducer;
• scanning the HIFU focal zone across a treatment region to provide a therapeutic dose of ultrasound energy to a portion of the treatment region;
• generating an ultrasound imaging beam with the transducer;
• scanning the ultrasound imaging beam across the treatment region;
• receiving echoes of the ultrasound imaging beam with the transducer;
• and
• generating an image of the portion of the treatment region from the received echoes.