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US 5,398,689 AGranted
Ultrasonic probe assembly and cable therefor
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsBrian G. Connor, Thomas P. Stephens, David P. Dolan, Thomas A. Shoup
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic probe including a sensor head having an array of ultrasonic transducer elements is disclosed. The sensor head is located at the tip of a flexible shaft. The flexible shaft houses a flex circuit which is electrically connected directly to the transducer elements. The flex circuit transmits electrical signals from the transducer elements to the handle of the probe. The flexible shaft is bendable in all directions and can bend in a sharp radius in the region near the tip of the flexible shaft.
Claims11
An ultrasonic probe comprising:
- a sensor head having an array of ultrasonic transducer elements therein;
- and
- a flexible cable connected to the sensor head at an end thereof for enabling placement of the sensor head relative to a patient, the cable comprising a planar flex circuit having conductor traces leading through the flexible cable to the transducer elements, the conductor traces of the planar flex circuit connecting the transducer elements to a connector remotely located away from the sensor head, and a sheath surrounded the flex circuit along at least a portion of a length of the cable, at least a portion of the flexible cable being configured such that it is bendable in all directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.