# US 9,517,053 B2 · Dual-mode piezocomposite ultrasonic transducer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,053 B2 - Document ID: US9517053B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/192,489 - Filed: 2014-02-27 - Published: 2014-06-26 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-21 - Assignees: Misonix, Incorporated - Applicants: Misonix, Incorporated - Inventors: Yegor Sinelnikov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517053B2 ## CPC - A61B 8/4483: {characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer} - A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements} - A61B 8/485: {involving measuring strain or elastic properties} - A61N 7/00: Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) - A61N 7/02: Localised ultrasound hyperthermia - B06B 1/0629: {Square array} - H10N 30/20: with electrical input and mechanical output, e.g. functioning as actuators or vibrators - A61B 2018/0016: {Energy applicators arranged in a two- or three dimensional array} - A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation} - A61B 2090/378: {using ultrasound} - A61N 2007/0078: {with multiple treatment transducers} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A compact, high power, dual mode, emitting and receiving ultrasound transducer and method for applying ultrasonic energy within a living subject and for monitoring the effects it induces in tissue comprises a set of piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements and a set of piezoelectric ceramic elements, bonded together. The polymeric transducer elements have electrodes enabling their use for low power diagnostic imaging interrogation of the tissue and the ceramic transducer elements have electrodes enabling their use for high power therapy applications. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasonic transducer device comprising a plurality of first transducer elements all of a first type and at least one second transducer element of a second type different from said first type, said first type being one of an imaging transducer made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and a therapeutic transducer made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said second type being the other of said imaging transducer and said therapeutic transducer, said first transducer elements and said second therapeutic transducer element being connected to one another, said first transducer elements having different geometrical configurations taken from the group consisting of different sizes and shapes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first transducer elements are piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements, said second transducer element being an imaging transducer element made of said piezoelectric polymeric material, said ceramic transducer elements being embedded in said second transducer element so that each of said ceramic transducer elements is spaced from the others of said ceramic transducer elements by said piezoelectric polymeric material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device defined in claim 2, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting said ceramic transducer elements in parallel to said imaging transducer element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device defined in claim 2, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting each of said ceramic transducer elements to an alternating voltage source. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The device defined in claim 2 wherein said piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements are electrically independent from each other and at least a subset of said piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements can be operated as a phased array while cross talk between members of said subset is minimized. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first transducer elements are piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements, said second transducer element being a therapeutic transducer element made of said piezoelectric ceramic material, said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements being embedded in said therapeutic transducer element so that each of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements is spaced from the others of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements by said piezoelectric ceramic material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device defined in claim 6, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements in parallel to said therapeutic transducer element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device defined in claim 6, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements to an ultrasound signal processor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The device defined in claim 6 wherein said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements are electrically independent from each other and at least a subset of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements can be operated as a receiving array while acoustical and electrical cross talk between members of said subset is minimized. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one second transducer element is one of a plurality of second transducer elements all of said second type, said first transducer elements and said second transducer elements being bonded to one another so that each of said first transducer elements is spaced from the others of said first transducer elements by one or more of said second transducer elements and so that each of said second transducer elements is spaced from others of said second transducer elements by one or more of said first transducer elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device defined in claim 10 wherein said first transducer elements are piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements and said second transducer elements are piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting each of said ceramic transducer elements to an alternating voltage source, also comprising an electrical circuit connecting each of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements to an ultrasound signal processor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one second transducer element is a therapeutic transducer element that is made of a piezoelectric ceramic material and that includes a plurality of recesses, grooves, holes, cuts, dimples, or indentations filled with said piezoelectric polymeric material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one second transducer element is an imaging transducer element that is made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and that includes a plurality of recesses, grooves, holes, cuts, dimples, or indentations filled with said piezoelectric ceramic material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first transducer elements and said at least one second transducer element constitute a dual-mode transducer module, said first transducer elements and said at least one second transducer element being electrically and acoustically independent of one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device defined in claim 14, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting the elements of said dual mode transducer module, further comprising means for operating the elements of said module as an emitting and receiving array. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device defined in claim 14 wherein said first transducer elements are therapeutic transducer elements made of piezoelectric ceramic material and electrically connected in parallel to one another and having respective resonance frequencies different from one another so as to permit selective activation of said therapeutic transducer elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device defined in claim 14 wherein said first transducer elements are imaging transducer elements made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and electrically connected in parallel to one another and having respective frequency envelopes different from one another so as to permit selective processing of received ultrasound signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The device defined in claim 14 wherein said dual-mode transducer module includes at least one layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one layer of piezoelectric ceramic substantially overlapping in a direction of ultrasound propagation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device defined in claim 18 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are separated by a water layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The device defined in claim 18 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic collectively have a substantially planar or concave shape to produce a geometric focusing of ultrasound beam. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The device defined in claim 18 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are mechanically held together by means of an open cell metallic foam structure that permits water flow and efficient cooling. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The device defined in claim 18 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are poled in the same direction that permits an emission and reception of substantially unidirectional ultrasonic waves. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The device defined in claim 22 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are both poled in the direction normal to a surface comprising individual emitting and receiving element surfaces. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The device defined in claim 18 wherein said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are poled in different directions to enable a simultaneous emission and reception of substantially different ultrasonic waves to simultaneously monitor and induce the lesion formation. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The device defined in claim 24 wherein said layer of piezoelectric ceramic material is poled in the thickness mode normal to a surface comprising individual emitting and receiving elements surfaces and said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material is poled in a perpendicular direction radial to the center of said device in order to maximize the ability to perform multiwave imaging. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The device defined in claim 1 wherein said first transducer elements and said at least one second transducer element are integral parts of a unitary transducer module, further comprising means in contact with said module for deforming said module to thereby alter a focal point of transducer elements of said module that are therapeutic transducer elements made of said piezoelectric ceramic material. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The device defined in claim 26 wherein said means for deforming includes at least one bladder member. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The device defined in claim 26, further comprising an electrical circuit connecting to an alternating voltage source those transducer element of said module that are therapeutic transducer elements made of said piezoelectric ceramic material, also comprising an electrical circuit connecting said to an ultrasound signal processor those transducer element of said module that are imaging transducer elements made of said piezoelectric polymeric material. ### Claim 29 A medical method comprising: providing an ultrasonic transducer device comprising a plurality of first transducer elements all of a first type and at least one second transducer element of a second type different from said first type, said first type being one of an imaging transducer made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and a therapeutic transducer made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said second type being the other of said imaging transducer and said therapeutic transducer said first transducer elements and said second therapeutic transducer element being connected to one another to form a dual mode transducer module; placing said transducer module into effective wave-transmitting contact with a patient; energizing at least one of said first transducer elements and said second transducer element to produce an ultrasonic scanning waveform in a patient; monitoring signals produced by said at least one of said first transducer elements and said second transducer element in response to incoming ultrasonic pressure waves that are reflected and scattered by internal tissue structures of the patient, thereby detecting the incoming ultrasonic pressure waves; and energizing at least one of said first transducer elements and said second transducer element to treat organic tissues.