Piezoelectric transducer device with lens structures
AssigneeFUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
InventorArman Hajati
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an embodiment, a probe device includes a portion having a curved surface and a plurality of tiles variously coupled to the curved surface. The tiles each include a plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements and a base adjoining and supporting the plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements. The probe device further comprises curved lens portions each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of tiles, wherein for each of the tiles, the plurality of piezoelectric transducer elements of the tile are to propagate a wave toward the respective curved lens portion. In another embodiment, the probe device further comprises a sheath material surrounding the curved lens portions.
Claims11
A probe device comprising:
- a main body portion including a convex surface formed in a cross-sectional plane which extends through the probe device;
- a plurality of tiles each coupled to the main body portion via the convex surface, wherein, in the cross-sectional plane, the plurality of tiles are distributed around the main body portion, the plurality of tiles each including:
- a plurality of microelectromechanical piezoelectric transducer elements;
- and
- a base including a first flat side adjoining and supporting the plurality of microelectromechanical piezoelectric transducer elements, wherein the first flat side faces away from the convex surface;
- and
- a lens structure which extends around the main body portion in the cross-sectional plane, the lens structure including curved lens portions each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of tiles, wherein, in the cross-sectional plane, the curved lens portions are distributed around the main body portion and each of the curved lens portions adjoins a respective other of the curved lens portions, wherein, for each tile of the plurality of tiles, the plurality of microelectromechanical piezoelectric transducer elements of the tile are to propagate a wave away from the convex surface and toward the respective curved lens portion;
- wherein, for each of the curved lens portions, a concavity of the lens portion or a convexity of the lens portion ends in a region between the respective tile and a corresponding other tile closest to the respective tile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.