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US 5,844,349 AGranted
Composite autoclavable ultrasonic transducers and methods of making
AssigneeTetrad Corporation
InventorsClyde G. Oakley, Stephen J. Douglas
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTetrad Corporation
InventorsClyde G. Oakley, Stephen J. Douglas
Estimating the term…
An improved composite ultrasonic transducer, and elements therefor, which may be made autoclavable, and a method of making these elements. A number of planar precursors comprising strips of piezoelectric ceramic material separated from one another by a polymer material are stacked one above another with the ceramic strips aligned with one another, and with electrical conductors disposed between each of the planar precursors. These precursors are then bonded to one another, to form a bonded assembly. The bonded assembly is then slit along parallel lines perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the ceramic strips, subdividing the strips into individual ceramic members and also subdividing the planar conductors, forming ribbon-like conductors extending between opposite sides of the array. The saw kerfs are filled with a hardening polymer material. The ribbon-like conductors reaching the edges of the assembly are then connected electrically in parallel, reducing the capacitance of the individual emitters. Criteria for selection of the materials of the ceramic members, the conductors, and other components of the transducer, and their relative proportions are given which allow the transducer to be steam-autoclavable.
A transducer for emitting and detecting ultrasonic energy, comprising:
An element for an ultrasonic transducer, wherein a plurality of said elements may be arranged in a row extending in a first dimension with a polymer layer between adjacent elements to form a tranducer, said element comprising an array of individual piezoelectric emitters spaced from one another in at least a second dimension by a polymer matrix, each emitter comprising a number of individual ceramic members stacked upon one another in a third dimension, juxtaposed individual ceramic members of each emitter being connected to one another by being bonded on opposite faces of strip-like electrical conductors extending continuously between opposed edges of said array in said second dimension, such that each of said members of said element can be excited simultaneously by a drive signal applied to said conductors by connections made at the edges of said array.
A steam-autoclavable ultrasonic transducer comprising a number of elements arranged in a row extending in a first dimension, and each element comprising at least two composite layers each including a plurality of individual ceramic members spaced from one another in at least a second dimension by a polymer matrix, strip-like front and rear conductors extending substantially continuously across said composite layers from one side to the other in the direction of said second dimension and electrically connected to front and rear surfaces of said individual members, adjacent ones of said elements and said conductors being separated from one another in said first dimension solely by planar polymer members extending transverse to said first dimension, wherein said ceramic members are formed from a piezoelectric ceramic material which does not lose its piezoelectric property when exposed to autoclaving temperatures, the material of said polymer matrix is epoxy and/or silicone rubber, and the material of said conductors is one or more of gold, silver, chromium, copper, or nickel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.