Method of making an ultrasound transducer assembly

A method of making an imaging catheter, comprising the steps of:

• forming a catheter shaft;
• attaching an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, the ultrasound transducer assembly formed by the steps of:
• manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
• reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape;
• and
• partially filling the cylindrical shape with a backing material.

A method of making an imaging catheter, comprising the steps of:

• forming a catheter shaft;
• attaching an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, the ultrasound transducer assembly formed by the steps of:
• manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
• reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape;
• filling partially the substantially cylindrical shape with backing material;
• and
• providing an electronics carrier for supporting at least one integrated circuit which is electrically coupled to the set of transducer elements, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.

An ultrasound transducer assembly, comprising:

• an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements;
• a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the ultrasound transducer elements are fixed;
• and
• the substantially cylindrical shaped substrate layer is at least partially filled with a backing material.