An acoustic lens to steer an acoustic beam includes a first structure, a second structure spaced from the first structure, an array of projections disposed between the first and second structures, each projection of the array of projections extending from the first structure toward the second structure to define a respective gap between the projection and the second structure, and an actuator configured to move the first structure, the second structure, or the array of projections for collective adjustment of the respective gaps of the array of projections. Each projection is configured to define one or more respective unit cells, each unit cell having a sub-wavelength size relative to the acoustic beam to establish an effective refractive index profile for the acoustic beam between the first and second structures. The actuator is configured such that the collective adjustment of the respective gaps varies across the array of projections to spatially modify the effective refractive index profile to steer the acoustic beam.

A transducer probe includes a transducer array with rows of transducer elements that each extend in an elevation direction and is transverse to an azimuth direction, a matching layer disposed adjacent to the transducer array, and a focusing layer disposed adjacent to the matching layer. The focusing layer includes a first material with a first refractive index and a second material with a second refractive index, and the first refractive index is less than the second refractive index. The first and second materials are distributed in an alternating pattern with the first material at edges of the rows. First widths of the first material decrease from the edges towards a center of the rows, and second widths of the second material increase from the edges towards the center.

An ultrasound probe including a probe body having a mounting area and a flexible lip around said mounting area for sealing a space between the mounting area and a subject contacted by the ultrasound probe; and a number of ultrasound transducer elements mounted in the mounting area. The probe body further includes an inlet to said space and an outlet from said space for facilitating a fluid flow through said space when sealed. Also included are an ultrasound system including such an ultrasound probe and a method of subjecting a subject to ultrasound waves generated with such an ultrasound probe.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for coupling a flexible circuit to a printed circuit board (PCB) with an interposer in an ultrasound probe are disclosed. A bolster plate configured to compress the PCB, interposer, and flexible circuit against a transducer mount is disclosed. A method of coupling a bolster plate to a transducer mount with fasteners is disclosed. Fasteners that do not pass through the PCB, interposer, and flexible circuit are disclosed.

Some disclosed implementations include an ultrasonic sensor stack and an acoustic resonator. The acoustic resonator may be configured to enhance ultrasonic waves transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor stack in an ultrasonic frequency range that is suitable for ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. In some examples, the acoustic resonator may include one or more low-impedance layers residing between a first higher-impedance layer and a second higher-impedance layer. Each of the one or more low-impedance layers may have a lower acoustic impedance than an acoustic impedance of the first higher-impedance layer or an acoustic impedance of the second higher-impedance layer. At least one low-impedance layer may have a thickness corresponding to a multiple of a half wavelength at a peak frequency of the acoustic resonator. The peak frequency may be within a frequency range from 1 MHz. to 20 MHz.

An ultrasonic probe according to one embodiment comprises: a plurality of sound absorbing bodies that form a sound absorbing layer; at least one ground connection part that is joined between the sound absorbing bodies; at least one center connection part that is joined between the sound absorbing bodies and has an electrode; a plurality of side connection parts that are joined between the sound absorbing bodies and disposed outside the center connection part and have an electrode; and a plurality of piezoelectric bodies that are disposed in front of the sound absorbing layer to be electrically connected to the ground connection part, the center connection part, and the side connection parts.

A digital transmit beamformer for an ultrasound system has a waveform sample memory which stores sequences of samples of different pulse transmit waveforms of differing pulse widths. The memory is shared by a plurality of transmit channels, each of which can access its own selected sample sequence, independent of the selections by other channels. Waveform sample readout by the channels occurs substantially simultaneously during a transmit event, producing a transmit beam from a transmit aperture with different pulse waveforms applied to different elements of the transmit aperture. Higher energy waveforms with wider pulse widths are applied to central elements of the aperture and lower energy waveforms with narrower pulse widths are applied to lateral elements of the aperture to produce an apodized transmit beam.

An apparatus (100, 300) includes a transducer assembly; a bending neck (106, 206, 306) connected to a proximal end (104, 204, 304) of the transducer head; and an insertion tube (103, 203, 303) disposed in tandem with the bending neck (106, 206, 306) and comprising a distal end (105, 205, 305) connected to a proximal end (104, 204, 304) of the bending neck (106, 206, 306), and a proximal end (104, 204, 304) for manipulation of the transducer head. The insertion tube (103, 203, 303) has a first durometer value at a first section (310), and second durometer value at a second section (312). The first durometer value is greater than the second durometer value.

Ultrasound imaging tools are configured with rotation and deflection control. Methods of controlling an ultrasound imaging transducer may include advancing a distal end region of a catheter assembly to an anatomical region of interest, the catheter assembly may include a rotatable shaft carrying an ultrasound imaging transducer; and a deflectable shaft. Actuating a first actuator of a handle assembly may cause rotational movement of the rotatable shaft relative to the deflectable shaft, which thereby causes rotational movement of the ultrasound imaging transducer; and actuating a second actuator of the handle assembly to cause deflection of the deflectable shaft, where the handle assembly includes a handle body with an outer surface that can be gripped by a user, and where the first actuator and the second actuator are circumferentially disposed about a longitudinal axis of the handle body.

An ultrasonic imaging system has a bias-switchable, ultrasonic transducer array and a bipolar voltage source. The array has a dielectric layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; top and bottom electrode strips in electrical contact with the top and bottom surface of the dielectric layer, the bottom electrode strips being oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the top electrode strips. There is an acoustic matching layer or multiplicity of matching layers on the front-side of the array and a leakage-current mitigation layer. The bipolar voltage source is connected to each of the top and bottom electrode strips to induce a polarization in the dielectric layer, the bipolar voltage source being capable of switching between a high voltage state and a low voltage state. A controller controls the bipolar voltage source, and pulsing to and receiving signals from the top and bottom electrode strips.