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US 2015/0032002 A1Published application
Interconnectable ultrasound transducer probes and related methods and apparatus
AssigneeButterfly Network, Inc.
InventorsJonathan M. Rothberg, Keith G. Fife, Nevada J. Sanchez, Tyler S. Ralston, Gregory L. Charvat, Gregory Corteville
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Abstract
Ultrasound devices and methods are described, including a repeatable ultrasound transducer probe having ultrasonic transducers and corresponding circuitry. The repeatable ultrasound transducer probe may be used individually or coupled with other instances of the repeatable ultrasound transducer probe to create a desired ultrasound device. The ultrasound devices may optionally be connected to various types of external devices to provide additional processing and image rendering functionality.
Claims191
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the substrate;
- control circuitry on the substrate, coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and configured to control operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
- a first interface, the first interface being of a first type;
- and
- a second interface, the second interface being of a second type, the first and second interfaces being individually configured to transfer electronic signals between the control circuitry and an external device.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a single substrate ultrasound-on-a-chip imaging device comprising multiple different interface types supporting different data transfer rates.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate including a plurality of ultrasound elements;
- a first interface of a first type on the substrate;
- and
- a second interface of a second type that is different than the first type on the substrate.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- forming a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on a substrate;
- forming control circuitry on the substrate, coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
- forming a first interface of a first type on the substrate and a second interface of a second type on the substrate, the first and second interfaces individually configured to provide an electrical connection between the control circuitry and an external device.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the substrate;
- and
- control circuitry on the substrate, coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and configured to control operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers,
- wherein the control circuitry comprises a waveform generator coupled to at least one ultrasonic transducer of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the waveform generator being configurable to generate different kinds of waveforms.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate having a width and height, the width being at least twice as large as the height;
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the substrate;
- and
- control circuitry on the substrate, coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and configured to control operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of ultrasound transducer probes tiled and interconnected to form an ultrasound imaging device,
- each ultrasound transducer probe of the plurality of ultrasound transducer probes including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and control circuitry coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and configured to control, at least in part, operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers,
- wherein the control circuitry includes interface circuitry configured to interface the ultrasound transducer probe to an external device.
An apparatus, comprising:
- at least one substrate having a first dimension and a second dimension that is perpendicular to the first dimension, wherein the first dimension is at least twice as great as the second dimension;
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the substrate, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers being arranged along the first dimension and the second dimension of the substrate;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers and configured to control operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
1 more element
A method of forming an ultrasound device, comprising:
- dicing at least first and second ultrasound transducer probes of a plurality of ultrasound transducer probes on a wafer;
- and
- tiling and interconnecting the at least first and second ultrasound transducer probes.
A device comprising:
- a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ultrasound transducer elements;
- and
- CMOS control circuitry coupled to the plurality of CMOS ultrasound transducer elements and configured to control the CMOS ultrasound transducer elements to support one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging.
A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit (IC) comprising:
- an array of ultrasound transducer elements;
- and
- CMOS control circuitry coupled to the array of ultrasound transducer elements and configured to control operation of the array of ultrasound transducer elements to support both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging.
An apparatus, comprising,
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate;
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on the CMOS substrate;
- and
- a CMOS integrated circuit (IC) on the CMOS substrate and coupled to the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the CMOS IC is configured to support a voltage signal that is greater than approximately 20 V.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate having a top metal layer configured to conduct a power signal;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer disposed above the top metal layer and including an electrode, wherein the electrode is connected to the top metal layer by an electrically conductive via.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate having a top metal layer having a thickness between approximately 0.5 microns and approximately 10 microns;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer disposed above the top metal layer.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate having a metal layer having a thickness between approximately 0.5 microns and approximately 10 microns;
- an ultrasonic transducer having an electrode;
- and
- a via connecting the electrode to the metal layer of the CMOS substrate.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate comprising a metallization layer and a wiring line;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer on the CMOS substrate,
- wherein the metallization layer is configured to distribute a power signal and is configured as an electrical shield between the ultrasonic transducer and the wiring line.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer on the CMOS substrate, the ultrasonic transducer comprising a membrane sealing a cavity in the CMOS substrate and further comprising a thin film electrode, wherein the cavity is between the thin film electrode and the membrane.
A method of fabricating an ultrasonic transducer, comprising:
- forming the ultrasonic transducer above a top metal layer of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate;
- and
- connecting the ultrasonic transducer to the top metal layer with at least one electrically conductive via.
A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer, comprising:
- forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) substrate, the CMOS substrate including a metal layer;
- forming an electrically conductive via through a portion of the CMOS substrate;
- forming the ultrasonic transducer above the CMOS substrate, wherein at least a portion of the ultrasonic transducer is electrically coupled to the CMOS substrate through the electrically conductive via.
A method, comprising:
- printing a photolithography pattern on a wafer;
- rotating the wafer by approximately 180 degrees after printing the photolithography pattern on the wafer;
- and
- printing a copy of the photolithography pattern on the wafer after rotating the wafer by approximately 180 degrees such that the pattern on the wafer and the copy of the pattern on the wafer are aligned with each other.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- printing a photolithography pattern on a wafer;
- rotating the wafer after printing the photolithography pattern on the wafer;
- and
- printing a copy of the photolithography pattern on the wafer after rotating the wafer such that the pattern on the wafer and the copy of the pattern on the wafer are aligned with each other.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- illuminating a reticle having a pattern thereon to print a pattern on a wafer, the pattern on the reticle having a first side substantially opposite a second side, and the pattern on the wafer having a first side substantially opposite a second side;
- rotating the wafer approximately 180 degrees;
- aligning the second side of the pattern on the reticle with the second side of the pattern on the wafer;
- and
- subsequent to aligning the second side of the pattern on the reticle with the second side of the pattern on the wafer, illuminating the reticle.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- scanning a first portion of a reticle with a photolithographic scanner to print a first pattern on a wafer, the first portion being less than the entire reticle;
- stepping the wafer;
- and
- subsequent to stepping the wafer, scanning a second portion of the reticle with the photolithographic scanner to print a second pattern on the wafer in alignment with the first pattern, the second portion being less than the entire reticle and being different than the first portion.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- tiling ultrasound transducer probes on a wafer by printing different patterns from one or more reticles on the wafer, wherein printing different patterns comprises using a blade to obstruct at least a portion of at least one reticle during tiling.
A method comprising:
- scanning a first portion of a pattern mask with a scanner to print a first pattern on a wafer, the pattern mask including a first, second, third, and fourth alignment mark thereon, the first portion including an area between the first alignment mark and the third alignment mark;
- moving the wafer;
- and
- scanning a second portion of the pattern mask with the scanner to print a second pattern on the wafer in alignment with the first pattern, the second portion including an area between the second alignment mark and the fourth alignment mark.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.