# US 7,745,522 B2 · Acoustic waveguide plate with nonsolid cores > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,745,522 B2 - Document ID: US7745522B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/055,174 - Filed: 2008-03-25 - Published: 2008-09-11 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-06-09 - Assignees: Ultra-Scan Corporation - Inventors: John K. Schneider; Jack C. Kitchens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745522B2 ## CPC - G10K 11/24: for conducting sound through solid bodies, e.g. wires - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## 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 core may be a liquid such as water, alcohol or mineral oil. Alternatively, the core may be a colloidal gel, such as gelatin dissolved in at least one of water, vinyl plastisol or silicone gel. 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic wave transmitter, comprising: a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a core and cladding, the cladding 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 substantially surrounding the core to form a cladded core, wherein the core is a liquid material having a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”) and the core is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol and mineral oil, 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; and a binder holding the waveguides so as to substantially fix each waveguide relative to the other waveguides. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wave transmitter of claim 1, wherein the waveguides are substantially the same length. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wave transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wave transmitter of claim 1, wherein the second end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wave transmitter of claim 1, wherein the binder is a material substantially the same as the material used for the cladding. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The wave transmitter of claim 5, wherein the cladding material also serves as the binder, and the binder has been formed by fusing the cladding of a first waveguide to the cladding of a second waveguide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wave transmitter of claim 1, wherein the binder has been potted to interstices between the waveguides. ### Claim 8 A method of making an acoustic wave transmitter, comprising: providing a plurality of cladding tubes, the tubes being a material selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polycarbonate and glass; binding the cladding tubes so as to substantially fix a position of each cladding tube relative to the other cladding tubes; filling the cladding tubes with liquid selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol and mineral oil; sealing ends of the cladding tubes so as to provide a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a liquid core; and wherein the liquid cores have a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”), and the claddings have a second SWPV, wherein the second SWPV is greater than the first SWPV. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the cladding tubes are made substantially the same length by cutting the cladding tubes to a desired length. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein binding is carried out by heating the cladding tubes to fuse at least one cladding tube to another cladding tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein binding is carried out by placing a potting material between the cladding tubes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein binding is carried out by placing a band around the plurality of cladding tubes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising cutting the bound cladding tubes so that the first end surfaces of the cladding tubes lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising cutting the bound waveguides so that the second end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 15 An acoustic wave transmitter, comprising: a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a core and cladding, the cladding 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 substantially surrounding the core to form a cladded core, wherein the core is a colloidal gel having a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”) wherein the core is a gelatin dissolved in at least one of water, vinyl plastisol or silicone gel, 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; and a binder holding the waveguides so as to substantially fix each waveguide relative to the other waveguides. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The wave transmitter of claim 15, wherein the waveguides are substantially the same length. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The wave transmitter of claim 15, wherein the first end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The wave transmitter of claim 15, wherein the second end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The wave transmitter of claim 15, wherein the binder is a material substantially the same as the material used for the cladding. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The wave transmitter of claim 19, wherein the cladding material also serves as the binder, and the binder has been formed by fusing the cladding of a first waveguide to the cladding of a second waveguide. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The wave transmitter of claim 15, wherein the binder has been potted to interstices between the waveguides. ### Claim 22 A method of making an acoustic wave transmitter, comprising: providing a plurality of cladding tubes, the tubes being a material selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polycarbonate, and glass; binding the cladding tubes so as to substantially fix a position of each cladding tube relative to the other cladding tubes; filling the cladding tubes with a colloidal gel, wherein the core is a gelatin dissolved in at least one of water, water and alcohol, vinyl plastisol or silicone gel; sealing ends of the cladding tubes so as to provide a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a colloidal gel core; and wherein the colloidal gel cores have a first shear-wave propagation velocity (“SWPV”), and the claddings have a second SWPV, wherein the second SWPV is greater than the first SWPV. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the cladding tubes are made substantially the same length by cutting the cladding tubes to a desired length. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein binding is carried out by heating the cladding tubes to fuse at least one cladding tube to another cladding tube. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein binding is carried out by placing a potting material between the cladding tubes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein binding is carried out by placing a band around the plurality of cladding tubes. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising cutting the bound cladding tubes so that the first end surfaces of the cladding tubes lie substantially in a plane. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, further comprising cutting the bound waveguides so that the second end surfaces of the waveguides lie substantially in a plane.