Apparatus for ultrasound testing
AssigneeAbbott Laboratories
InventorsJianjun Wang, Billy D. Cornelius, Lonnie R. Drayer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The need for a highly viscous couplant gel or water spray to form an acoustical couple for ultrasound testing is eliminated by employing an ultrasound probe module. A porous membrane and an ultrasound probe cooperate to define a chamber which contains a liquid acoustical couplant. When pressure is applied to the liquid acoustical couplant it passes through the porous membrane. The porous membrane and chamber are disposed such that ultrasound signals going to or away from the ultrasound probe pass through the liquid acoustical couplant and porous membrane.
Claims23
An ultrasound probe module comprising:
- (a) an ultrasound probe;
- (b) a porous membrane which cooperates with the ultrasound probe to define a chamber for containing a liquid ultrasound couplant, said chamber being located such that ultrasound waves traveling to or from the ultrasound probe travel through the chamber and porous membrane, said membrane being flexible and comprising a material having acoustical wave transmission characteristics which are similar to those of a liquid couplant which is passable therethrough and said membrane having a rigid pressure resistant structure so as to behave like a tight-meshed multi-layered sieve;
- and
- (c) means for applying pressure to a liquid ultrasound couplant in said chamber to force the liquid ultrasound couplant through said porous membrane.
An assembly comprising:
- (a) an ultrasound probe;
- and
- (b) a cartridge attached to the ultrasound probe comprising a porous membrane connected to a second membrane to form a chamber containing a liquid acoustical couplant which will pass through the porous membrane when subjected to pressure, the cartridge being attached to the ultrasound probe such that ultrasound waves traveling to or away from the ultrasound probe will pass through said chamber and porous membrane and that when the porous membrane is placed against the surface of an object or animal pressure may be exerted upon the liquid acoustical couplant by pushing on the ultrasound probe.
A method of performing an ultrasound test comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an ultrasound probe module comprising (i) an ultrasound probe, and (ii) a porous membrane, said membrane being flexible and comprising a material having acoustical wave transmission characteristics which are similar to those of a liquid couplant which is passable therethrough and said membrane having a rigid pressure resistant structure so as to behave like a tight-meshed multi-layered sieve, the porous membrane cooperating with the ultrasound probe to define a chamber, said chamber being located such that ultrasound waves traveling to or from the ultrasound probe will travel through the chamber and porous membrane;
- (b) introducing a liquid acoustical couplant into the chamber in said ultrasound probe module;
- (c) applying pressure to the liquid acoustical couplant which causes the liquid acoustical couplant to pass through the pores of said porous membrane;
- (d) placing the porous membrane against a surface;
- and
- (e) activating the ultrasound probe.
A method of performing an ultrasound test comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an assembly comprising:
- (i) an ultrasound probe and (ii) a cartridge attached to the ultrasound probe comprising a porous membrane attached to a second membrane to form a chamber containing a liquid acoustical couplant, the cartridge being attached to the ultrasound probe such that ultrasound waves traveling to or away from the ultrasound probe will pass through said chamber and porous membrane;
- (b) placing the porous membrane against a surface;
- (c) pressing on the ultrasound probe to force the liquid acoustical couplant to pass through the porous membrane;
- and
- (d) activating the ultrasound probe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.