Stripe electrode transducer for use with therapeutic ultrasonic radiation treatment
AssigneeRiverside Research Institute
InventorFrederic Lizzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spherical cap transducer is provided with at least one electrode formed as segments. The segments are selectively driven to provide asymmetrical ovoid effective radiation patterns for treatment of tissue with ultrasonic radiation.
Claims10
Apparatus for providing therapeutic ultrasonic radiation for treatment of tissue, comprising:
- a transducer in the shape of a partial sphere formed of piezoelectric material having first and second radially separated surfaces;
- a conductive electrode on each of said surfaces, at least one of said electrodes being segmented into electrode segments said electrode segments including segments on opposite sides of a central plane;
- and a circuit for selectively providing electrical signals to said electrodes to provide ultrasonic radiation patterns at a focal plane of said transducer which provide a narrow beam width of thermal effect in said central plane and a broad beam width of thermal effect in a plane which is perpendicular to said central plane.
A multimode ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus comprising a transducer comprising a spherical segment of piezoelectric material, having inner and outer spherical surfaces, and first and second electrodes on said spherical surfaces, one of said electrodes comprising electrode segments, including segments on opposite sides of said spherical surface, and circuits for driving said electrode segments of said transducer in at least a first mode providing an ovoid effective radiation beam shape at the focal plane of said transducer and a second mode providing a substantially round effective radiation beam shape at the focal plane of said transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.