Acoustic waveguide plate
AssigneeUltra-Scan Corporation
InventorsJohn K. Schneider, Jack C. Kitchens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An acoustic (sound or ultrasound) wave transmitter having a plurality of waveguides is described, and a method of making such a transmitter is described. Each waveguide may have a cladded core. The cladded core is capable of transmitting acoustic wave energy from a first end surface to a second end surface of the cladded core. The waveguides may be substantially fixed relative to each other by a binder. The binder may be formed by fusing the claddings together, potting a material between the waveguides and/or mechanically holding the waveguides.
Claims18
An acoustic wave transmitter, comprising:
- a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a core and cladding, the core having (a) a first end surface, (b) a second end surface, and (c) a longitudinal surface extending between the first and second end surfaces, the longitudinal surface being substantially surrounded by the cladding to form a cladded core, wherein the core is a material having a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”) and the core is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate, and the cladding is a material having a second shear-wave propagation velocity and the cladding is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polycarbonate and glass, and wherein the second SWPV is greater than the first SWPV;
- a binder holding the waveguides so as to substantially fix each waveguide relative to the other waveguides.
A method of making an acoustic wave transmitter, comprising:
- providing a plurality of waveguides each having a core and cladding, wherein,
- (a) the core has (a) a first end surface, (b) a second end surface, and (c) a longitudinal surface extending between the first and second end surfaces, the core having a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”) and the core is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate;
- (b) the cladding substantially surrounds the core to form a cladded core, the cladding having a second SWPV and the cladding is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polycarbonate and glass, wherein the second SWPV is greater than the first SWPV;
- binding the waveguides so as to substantially fix each waveguide relative to the other waveguides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.