Back to results
US 7,066,887 B2Granted
Bi-plane ultrasonic probe
AssigneeVermon
InventorsAimé Flesch, An Nguyen-Dinh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ultrasonic probe devices are provided which are particularly suitable for use as invasive imaging probes such as endocavity probes and endoscopic probes. The probe devices include a dual cross-scanning bi-plane array transducer formed by a pair of orthogonal, intersecting transducer arrays. The probe devices are capable of providing, either simultaneously or alternately, crossing scanning through a single symmetrical scanning axis.
Claims17
An ultrasonic bi-plane imaging probe for invasive medical applications, said probe comprising:
- at least one ultrasonic bi-plane transducer mounted at a distal part of the probe and comprising a piezoelectric member and a combination of a first sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a first surface of the piezoelectric member and a second sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a second surface of piezoelectric member, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes intersecting each other and being rotated by 90 degrees with respect to each other, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes being superimposed on the first and second surfaces of the piezoelectric member so as to have a common transducer footprint or a common axis of symmetry;
- first and second flexible interconnection circuits for providing electrical interconnections to said first and second sub-arrays wherein at least one of said interconnection circuits is folded such that the first and second interconnection circuits extend in a common direction;
- and
- a transducer tip located at the distal part of the probe at which the bi-plane transducer is mounted.
1 more element
An ultrasonic bi-plane combined imaging probe for medical invasive applications, said imaging probe comprising:
- a piezoelectric member;
- an ultrasonic bi-plane transducer comprising a combination of a first sub-array of transducer electrodes on a first surface of said piezoelectric member and a second sub-array of transducer electrodes on a second surface of piezoelectric member, the first and the second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes intersecting each other and being rotated by 90 degrees with respect to each other, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes being superimposed on the first and second surfaces of the piezoelectric member so as to have a common transducer footprint or a common axis of symmetry;
- first and second flexible interconnection circuits for providing electrical interconnections to said first and second sub-arrays wherein at least one of said interconnection circuits is folded such that the first and second interconnection circuits extend in a common direction;
- and
- a linear phased array transducer for transmitting high intensity ultrasonic energy to biologic tissue of interest, the linear phased array transducer being disposed on the probe in the vicinity of the bi-plane transducer;
- the bi-plane and the linear phased array transducers being mounted such that the respective acoustic patterns produced thereby intersect at a predetermined distance from the surfaces of the bi-plane and linear phased array transducers.
3 more elements
An ultrasonic bi-plane imaging probe for invasive medical applications, said probe comprising:
- at least one ultrasonic bi-plane transducer mounted at a distal part of the probe and comprising a piezoelectric member and a combination of a first sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a first surface of the piezoelectric member and a second sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a second surface of piezoelectric member, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes intersecting each other and being rotated by 90 degrees with respect to each other, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes being superimposed on the first and second surfaces of the piezoelectric member so as to have a common transducer footprint or a common axis of symmetry;
- and
- a transducer tip located at the distal part of the probe at which the bi-plane transducer is mounted,
- the probe including a longitudinal axis, the bi-plane transducer having an acoustic propagation axis and the bi-plane transducer being mounted so that the acoustic propagation axis thereof is co-linear with the longitudinal axis of the probe.
1 more element
An ultrasonic bi-plane imaging probe for invasive medical applications, said probe comprising:
- at least one ultrasonic bi-plane transducer mounted at a distal part of the probe and comprising a piezoelectric member and a combination of a first sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a first surface of the piezoelectric member and a second sub-array of transducer electrodes disposed on a second surface of piezoelectric member, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes intersecting each other and being rotated by 90 degrees with respect to each other, the first and second sub-arrays of transducer electrodes being superimposed on the first and second surfaces of the piezoelectric member so as to have a common transducer footprint or a common axis of symmetry;
- and
- a transducer tip located at the distal part of the probe at which the bi-plane transducer is mounted,
- said at least one bi-plane transducer comprising a first said bi-plane transducer, and a second said bi-plane transducer mounted in the vicinity of the first said bi-plane transducer, and the second said bi-plane transducer being rotated with respect to the first said bi-plane array transducer through an angle of between 30 and 60 degrees.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.