High resolution intravascular ultrasound transducer assembly having a flexible substrate

An ultrasound transducer assembly for facilitating providing images from within a cavity, the ultrasound transducer assembly comprising:

• integrated circuitry;
• an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements, each element comprising transducer material, and a first electrode formed on at least a first surface and a second surface of the transducer material and a second electrode formed on at least the second surface of the transducer material;
• a flexible circuit to which the ultrasound transducer array and the integrated circuitry are attached during fabrication of the ultrasound transducer assembly, the flexible circuit comprising:
• a flexible substrate, providing a re-shapable platform, to which the integrated circuitry and transducer elements are attached;
• transducer signal lines on an inner surface of the flexible substrate, the transducer signal lines facilitating an electrical signal path between the integrated circuitry and the set of transducer elements;
• and
• a ground line connection on the inner surface of the flexible substrate;
• and
• wherein a first contact surface on the first electrode and a second contact surface on the second electrode for each transducer element are arranged upon the second surface of the transducer material and upon substantially a same physical plane as the inner surface of the flexible substrate.