Back to results
US 8,911,376 B2Granted
Array of electroacoustic transducers and electronic probe for three-dimensional imaging
AssigneeEsaote S.p.A.
InventorMarino Cerofolini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electroacoustic transducer assembly and probe for emitting and receiving acoustic radiation beams. The transducer assembly comprising an array of electroacoustic transducers composed of a plurality of individual transducer elements each one being composed of an electroacoustic element. A means for defocusing a radiation pulse emitted from the transducer element is associated with each transducer element. The defocusing means is constructed and arranged to cause the radiation pulse to generate a substantially cylindrical or spherical acoustic field.
Claims29
An electroacoustic transducer assembly for emitting and receiving acoustic radiation beams, the assembly comprising:
- an array of electroacoustic transducers composed of a plurality of individual transducer elements each one being made of an electroacoustic element;
- a contact electrode associated with each transducer element, the contact electrodes are constructed and arranged to input an excitation signal to excite the transducer element corresponding to the emission of an acoustic signal and to receive an electric reception signal corresponding to an acoustic signal impinging on the corresponding transducer element;
- a connection line connected to each contact electrode, the connection line is constructed and arranged to transmit/receive the electric excitation signal or the electric reception signal, respectively;
- a ground electrode connected to each transducer element, the transducer elements are supported by an acoustically and electrically insulating material into which the transducer elements are at least partially embedded;
- and
- a plurality of defocusing elements, there being a separate defocusing element associated with each transducer element of said plurality, each defocusing element is constructed and arranged for defocusing a radiation pulse emitted from its corresponding transducer element to cause the radiation pulse to generate a substantially cylindrical or spherical acoustic field.
3 more elements
An ultrasound probe comprising:
- a casing enclosing a head constructed and arranged for transmitting/receiving acoustic radiation beams or pulses, the head comprising an array of electroacoustic transducers composed of a plurality of individual transducer elements each one being made of an electroacoustic element;
- a contact electrode associated with each transducer element, the contact electrodes are constructed and arranged to input an excitation signal to excite the transducer element corresponding to the emission of an acoustic signal and to receive an electric reception signal corresponding to an acoustic signal impinging on the corresponding transducer element;
- a connection line connected to each contact electrode, the connection line is constructed and arranged to transmit/receive the electric excitation signal or the electric reception signal, respectively;
- a ground electrode connected to each transducer element, the transducer elements are supported by an acoustically and electrically insulating material into which the transducer elements are at least partially embedded;
- and
- a plurality of defocusing elements, there being a separate defocusing element associated with each transducer element of said plurality, each defocusing element is constructed and arranged for defocusing a radiation pulse emitted from its corresponding transducer element to cause the radiation pulse to generate a substantially cylindrical or spherical acoustic field.
3 more elements
An electroacoustic transducer assembly for emitting and receiving acoustic radiation beams, the assembly comprising:
- an array of electroacoustic transducers composed of a plurality of individual transducer elements each one being made of an electroacoustic element;
- a contact electrode associated with each transducer element, the contact electrodes are constructed and arranged to input an excitation signal to excite the transducer element corresponding to the emission of an acoustic signal and to receive an electric reception signal corresponding to an acoustic signal impinging on the corresponding transducer element;
- a connection line connected to each contact electrode, the connection line is constructed and arranged to transmit/receive the electric excitation signal or the electric reception signal, respectively;
- a ground electrode connected to each transducer element, the transducer elements are supported by an acoustically and electrically insulating material into which the transducer elements are at least partially embedded;
- a plurality of defocusing elements, there being a separate defocusing element associated with each transducer element of said plurality, each defocusing element is constructed and arranged for defocusing a radiation pulse emitted from its corresponding transducer element to cause the radiation pulse to generate a substantially cylindrical or spherical acoustic field;
- and
- wherein each transducer element is constructed and arranged with a plurality of transducer element sections, said transducer element sections are acoustically and electrically insulated one with respect to the other, the transducer element sections are each electrically connected to a corresponding excitation signal, the excitation signal to each transducer element section has a predetermined time delay for the different sections constituting the transducer element relative to each other and according to an excitation order defined by a predetermined time sequence.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.