Ultrasonic probe

Abstract

A tunable ultrasonic probe of the that provides efficient electrical coupling of probe control lines to imaging system components and further provides for variable control over size of an effective acoustic aperture of the probe. The ultrasonic probe includes a body of a piezoelectric material that has a first surface and an opposing surface. A first set of electrodes is coupled with the first surface of the body. A second set of electrodes is also coupled with the first surface of the body and arranged so that each electrode of the second set substantially overlaps at least a respective one electrode of the first set. A third set of electrodes is coupled with the opposing surface of the body. At least one bias voltage source is coupled with the electrodes for substantially polarizing ceramic material within selected regions of the body. Switches are coupled with the first and second set of electrodes for changing an acoustic aperture of the probe by varying size of the selected polarized regions. The polarization of the selected regions of the piezoelectric material is controlled so as to variably tune a frequency of the beam of acoustic signals while controlling the acoustic aperture of the probe.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.