Ultrasonic emulsion fluids
AssigneeTechnicare Corporation
InventorsClyde G. Oakley, Joe F. Guess, Cheston W. Robbins, Robert M. Kelly, Dean N. Skaar, Stephen D. Walker
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Abstract
An ultrasonic emulsion fluid is provided for use in ultrasonic probes of medical ultrasonic diagnostic systems, in which the fluid couples ultrasonic energy between a transducer and human tissue. The emulsion outer phase is a water and velocity enhancer mixture. Suitable enhancers include alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or glycerol. The suspended phase of the emulsion is an oil phase such as a silicone fluid. The silicone fluid droplets in the emulsion exhibit an average size which provides the emulsion with desired attenuation characteristics over a given band of ultrasonic frequencies.
Claims16
An ultrasonic emulsion fluid suitable for use in an ultrasonic probe for coupling ultrasonic energy between an ultrasonic transducer and human tissue comprising:
- a suspended oil phase of droplets exhibiting an average diameter in the range of 0.15 microns to 1.5 microns for providing a given attenuation characteristic to ultrasound over a predetermined band of ultrasonic frequencies;
- and
- an emulsion outer phase of water and a velocity enhancer, said velocity enhancer being chosen so that the velocity of ultrasound in said fluid will closely approximate the velocity of ultrasound in human tissue.
An ultrasonic emulsion fluid suitable for use in an ultrasonic probe for coupling ultrasonic energy between an ultrasonic transducer and human tissue comprising:
- a suspended oil phase of droplets exhibiting an average diameter chosen to provide said fluid with an attenuation characteristic which varies approximately in proportion to f.sup.1/2 as a function of frequency (f) over the band of frequencies of said ultrasonic energy;
- and
- an emulsion outer phase of water and a velocity enhancer, said velocity enhancer being chosen so that the velocity of ultrasound in said fluid will closely approximate the velocity of ultrasound in human tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.