Modular piezoelectric sensor array with co-integrated electronics and beamforming channels

An array module including:

• a three dimensionally (3D) patterned interposer with two or more shelves;
• one or more transducer arrays in direct electrical contact with the 3D patterned interposer, wherein each of the one or more transducer arrays comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements;
• and
• Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips assembled to the shelves of, and in direct electrical contact with, the 3D patterned interposer.

A modular ultrasound system comprising:

• at least two piezoelectric sensor modules, each comprising multiple piezoelectric elements arranged in groups of piezoelectric elements;
• and
• a multi-channel processing unit;
• wherein a first element in a first of the groups in a first piezoelectric sensor module is coupled with a first interconnect bus line through a first interface unit, and a second element in the first group in the first piezoelectric sensor module is coupled with a second interconnect bus line through a second interface unit;
• wherein a first element in a first of the groups in a second of the piezoelectric sensor modules is coupled with the first interconnect bus line through a third interface unit;
• wherein the first interconnect bus line is further coupled to a first channel in the multi-channel processing unit, and the second interconnect bus line is further coupled to a second channel in the multi channel processing unit;
• and
• wherein the multi-channel processing unit is operable to transmit ultrasound pulses to the elements of the piezoelectric sensor modules in a first operating mode and receive sensor signals from the elements of the piezoelectric sensor modules in a second operating mode.