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US 2021/0278530 A1Published application
Ultrasonic imaging device with programmable anatomy and flow imaging
AssigneeExo Imaging, Inc.
InventorsYusuf Haque, Sandeep Akkaraju, Janusz Bryzek, Brian Bircumshaw
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Abstract
An imaging device includes a transducer that includes an array of piezoelectric elements formed on a substrate. Each piezoelectric element includes at least one membrane suspended from the substrate, at least one bottom electrode disposed on the membrane, at least one piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, and at least one top electrode disposed on the at least one piezoelectric layer. Adjacent piezoelectric elements are configured to be isolated acoustically from each other. The device is utilized to measure flow or flow along with imaging anatomy.
Claims21
A portable imaging device comprising:
- a portable housing;
- an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) within the housing;
- a transducer within the housing, the transducer comprising an array of piezoelectric elements formed on a substrate, each piezoelectric element comprising:
- at least one membrane suspended from the substrate;
- at least one bottom electrode disposed on the membrane;
- at least one piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode;
- and
- at least one top electrode disposed on the at least one piezoelectric layer, wherein adjacent piezoelectric elements are isolated acoustically from each other, and
- a controller connectively coupled to the ASIC, wherein the controller is to implement an imaging mode by:
- selecting a predetermined first plurality of piezoelectric elements from the array of piezoelectric elements to transmit signals to form a transmit channel associated with the imaging mode;
- selecting a predetermined second plurality of piezoelectric elements from the array of piezoelectric elements to receive signals to form a receive channel associated with the imaging mode;
- and
- forming a frame from a plurality of scan lines obtained with the imaging mode, and wherein the imaging mode remains same or is switched to a different mode after the frame is completed.
10 more elements
(canceled)
An imaging device, comprising:
- a transducer;
- a 2D array of piezoelectric elements arranged in rows and columns on the transducer, each piezoelectric element having at least two terminals,
- at least a first column of the piezoelectric elements, each piezoelectric element having a first top electrode connected to a respective receive amplifier or a transmit driver under programmed control, and
- at least a second column of the piezoelectric elements, each piezoelectric element having a first top electrode connected to a respective receive amplifier or a transmit driver under programmed control, the piezoelectric elements having sub-elements to be programmed either to transmit and then subsequently receive or programmed to simultaneously transmit and receive;
- and
- at least two trenches, each trench located on opposite sides of the substrate and configured to provide crosstalk isolation.
3 more elements
(canceled)
A method of imaging, comprising:
- selecting a first plurality of piezoelectric elements and a second plurality of piezoelectric elements form a two-dimensional (2D) array of piezoelectric elements within a housing, the piezoelectric elements arranged in rows and columns, wherein each piezoelectric element is interconnected with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is housed adjacent the piezoelectric elements to control various imaging modes in a portable imaging device, wherein:
- piezoelectric elements in a first column of the array comprise a first top electrode connected to a respective receive amplifier, each of the piezoelectric elements to be electronically programmed as if connected together to form a first column, and
- piezoelectric elements in a second column of the array comprise a second top electrode connected to a respective transmit driver, each of the piezoelectric elements to be electronically programmed as if connected together to form a second column;
- performing ultrasonic imaging by:
- transmitting signals with the first plurality of piezoelectric elements;
- receiving signals with the second plurality of piezoelectric elements;
- adjusting the received signals such that the received signals are in phase;
- forming a scan line from the received signals;
- forming a frame from a plurality of scan lines obtained during ultrasonic imaging wherein the frame is one of an imaging mode of an A scan, B scan, C scan, or Doppler imaging, and an imaging mode remains the same or is switched to a different imaging mode after the frame is completed.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.