Ultrasonic probe with back and forth sweeping ultrasonic source

A method of making an ultrasonic probe for imaging tissues from inside a patient's body cavity having a wall, the ultrasonic probe having a distal end suitable for inserting into the body cavity, comprising:

• (a) forming a generally rectangular transducer block with a backing layer, a transducer layer on said backing layer, a matching layer on said transducer layer, a first electrode to connect electrically a bottom face of the transducer layer to a conductor which is on a first face of the block, a second electrode to connect electrically a top face of the transducer layer remote from the bottom face of the transducer layer to a conductor on another face of the block for activating the transducer layer;
• (b) attaching said block to a support slab with the matching layer facing away from the slab, the slab having a transducer-support layer, ferromagnetic material on top of the transducer-support layer, and a substrate layer below said transducer-support layer and ferromagnetic material;
• (c) after attaching said block to said slab, etching away a portion of the substrate layer chemically to create a cavity which is defined between said transducer-support layer and unetched material of the substrate layer, said transducer-support layer having been formed to have one or more deformable links supporting the block on a portion of the transducer-support layer such that the block can pivot back and forth on said one or more links at the cavity;
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• (d) operatively and electrically connecting the substrate-etched slab with the block thereon to an elongated body with a driver proximate to the distal end, thereby forming the ultrasonic probe, the driver being capable of driving the block to pivot back and forth.

A method of making an ultrasonic probe usable as a guidewire capable of imaging tissues from inside a patient's body cavity having a wall, the ultrasonic probe having an distal end suitable for inserting into the body cavity, comprising:

• (a) forming a generally rectangular transducer block with a backing layer, a transducer layer on said backing layer, a matching layer on said transducer layer, a first electrode connecting electrically a bottom face of the transducer layer and a second electrode connecting electrically a top face of the transducer layer remote from the bottom face, the forming process including:
• (i) providing a large plate of said backing layer, transducer layer and matching layer, said plate having a top surface remote from backing layer, a bottom surface remote from the matching layer, and side surfaces encircling said plate between the top surface and the bottom surface;
• (ii) cutting a first set of parallel channels on the backing layer to reach the bottom face of the transducer layer and curing a second set of channels on the matching layer to reach the top face of the transducer layer;
• (iii) depositing a conductive material on said first and second sets of channels;
• (iv) dicing the plate on planes perpendicular to the plate's top surface to form blocks each of which having conductive material from a channel of said first set to result in said first electrode and each of the block having conductive material from a channel of said second set to result in said second electrode in the block, each block having corresponding side surfaces;
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• (v) for each block providing an electrically insulating coating on the block side surfaces such that at least a portion of each of the first and second electrodes is exposed, each on a different side surface for electrical connection to activate the transducer layer;
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• (b) attaching said block to a support slab with the matching layer facing away from the slab, the slab having a transducer-support layer, ferromagnetic material on top of the transducer-support layer, and a silicon substrate layer below said transducer-support layer and ferromagnetic material;
• (c) after attaching said block to said slab, etching away a portion of the silicon substrate layer chemically with tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide to create a cavity which is defined between said transducer-support layer and unetched silicon material of the substrate layer, said transducer-support layer having been formed to have two torsion arms supporting the block on a portion of the transducer-support layer such that the block can pivot back and forth on said support arms at the cavity;
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• (d) operatively and electrically connecting the substrate-etched slab with the block thereon to an elongated body with a driver proximate to its distal end to form the ultrasonic probe, said elongated body being of a size such that its distal end is insertable into the patient's blood vessel and having a surface effective for guiding a sheath when the sheath is slid thereon, said electrically connecting including electrically connecting an electrical conductive core to an electromagnet and the same electrical conductive core to the transducer layer via one of the links such that the electrical conductive core while providing electrical current of relatively high voltage and low current activates the transducer layer to emit ultrasonic energy and while providing electrical current of relatively low voltage and high current activates the electromagnet to drive the transducer block's pivotal motion, such that the driver is capable of driving the block to pivot back and forth.