System and method for continuous non-invasive ultrasonic monitoring of blood vessels and central organs

Abstract

A method for monitoring a patient using an ultrasonic probe includes attaching a conformable two-dimensional piezoelectric transducer array having a plurality of phased array piezoelectric transducer elements on an epidermal surface of a patient so that the conformable two-dimensional piezoelectric transducer array conforms to a shape of the epidermal surface. The conformable two-dimensional piezoelectric transducer array is attachable to the epidermal surface by van der Waals forces alone. The plurality of phased array piezoelectric transducer elements is operated as a phased array to transmit a focused ultrasonic beam to a specified location in the patient to be monitored. Ultrasound waves are received from the patient using the array. An indication of the received ultrasound waves is displayed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.