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 can include a transducer that includes an array of piezoelectric elements formed on a substrate. Each piezoelectric element can include 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 can be configured to be isolated acoustically from each other. The device is utilized to measure flow or flow along with imaging anatomy.
Claims21
(canceled)
An imaging device comprising:
- a transducer comprising an array of piezoelectric elements that are formed on a substrate and acoustically isolated from each other by at least one channel positioned between adjacent piezoelectric elements, each piezoelectric element comprising a diaphragm suspended from the substrate, a bottom electrode disposed on the diaphragm, a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer;
- and
- impedance matching first and second materials covering the substrate and the diaphragm, the first material beneath the diaphragm having a different acoustic impedance compared to the second material in a remainder of the substrate.
An image device comprising;
- an acoustic transducer comprising an array of transducer elements that are formed on a substrate and acoustically isolated from each other, each transducer element comprising a diaphragm suspended from the substrate, a bottom electrode, a top electrode disposed over the diaphragm and the bottom electrode, and sub-elements that can be programmed to (i) transmit and then subsequently receive or (ii) transmit and receive simultaneously;
- and
- at least two trenches, wherein each trench is located on opposite sides of the substrate and configured to provide crosstalk isolation between the sub-elements.
An imaging method, comprising selecting a first plurality of piezoelectric elements and a second plurality of piezoelectric elements from an array of piezoelectric elements, wherein:
- the first and second pluralities of piezoelectric elements are formed on a substrate and comprise a diaphragm suspended from the substrate, a bottom electrode disposed on the diaphragm, and a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode,
- each piezoelectric element is acoustically isolated from adjacent piezoelectric elements and is interconnected with control circuitry configured to control various imaging modes in an imaging device;
- at least two trenches are located on opposite sides of the substrate and configured to provide crosstalk isolation between at least one piezoelectric element of the first plurality of piezoelectric elements and at least one piezoelectric element of the second plurality of piezoelectric elements,
- the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the array comprise a first top electrode that is disposed on the piezoelectric layer and connected to a receive circuit, and
- the piezoelectric elements in a second column of the array comprise a second top electrode that is disposed on the piezoelectric layer and connected to a plurality of respective transmit drivers or a single transmit driver;
- and
- performing ultrasound imaging by:
- transmitting transmit signals with a first plurality of piezoelectric elements;
- receiving received signals with a 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;
- and
- forming a frame from a plurality of scan lines obtained during ultrasound imaging, wherein the frame is one of an imaging mode of A-scan, B-scan, C-scan, or doppler imaging, and the imaging mode is switched to a different imaging mode or remains the same after the frame is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.