A piezoelectric film includes a substrate having flexibility, and at least two piezoelectric elements provided to the substrate so as to be arranged at intervals of a first dimension along a first direction, the piezoelectric elements are each configured by stacking a first electrode film, a piezoelectric film made of an inorganic material, and a second electrode film along a thickness direction of the substrate, and an area between the piezoelectric elements adjacent to each other along the first direction forms a vibrational region which can be displaced in the thickness direction.

A vibration type motor relatively moves, in a first direction, a vibrator whose vibration is excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element and a contact member configured to contact the vibrator, and includes a vibrator holder configured to hold the vibrator, a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator holder so as to restrict a displacement of the vibrator holder in the first direction and to enable the vibrator holder to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, a press mechanism configured to press the vibrator against the contact member in a second direction, and a damper configured to contact a plurality of components among the vibrator holder, components of the holding mechanism, and components of the press mechanism.

Some embodiments relate to an energy transduction device or apparatus. An example device or apparatus includes: a piezoelectric transducer; electrical conductors electrically coupled to the piezoelectric transducer; and an axially aligned magnet assembly arranged to apply static compressive force to the piezoelectric transducer, the magnet assembly being coupled to a base at one end and having a free opposite end. The magnet assembly is coaxial with the piezoelectric transducer and at least part of the magnet assembly is concentric with the piezoelectric transducer. The magnet assembly defines a gap between axially adjacent parts of the magnet assembly, wherein the gap is dimensioned to be sufficiently small that the magnet assembly applies a static compressive force to the piezoelectric transducer while being sufficiently large to allow for axial movement of the piezoelectric transducer without closing the gap.

An ultrasound transducer assembly that includes a piezoelectric layer configured to resonate and generate ultrasound signals around a predetermined ultrasound frequency in which the piezoelectric layer has a width to thickness ratio of at least about 0.6. A conductive matching layer is connected to the top surface of the piezoelectric layer to condition the ultrasound transducer for broad frequency bandwidth operation. A conductive backing layer is connected to the bottom surface of the piezoelectric layer. The ultrasound transducer assembly further includes a rigid body over which the conductive backing layer is positioned, the rigid body assembled for encompassing a central longitudinal axis of a catheter body. A signal and ground electrode may form a metallic layer over the top of or below each of the piezoelectric layers. Electrical waveguides may be connected to corresponding signal and ground electrodes of the transducers.

A Transducer in a downhole environment with an increased amplitude of the transducer output at lower frequencies. A transducer may include a bender bar, wherein the bender bar may include a first piezoelectric layer disposed on one surface of the bender bar, a second piezoelectric layer disposed on the opposite surface of the bender bar, and a metallic substrate disposed between the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer. The transducer may further include a first fixed end is attached to the bender bar and connects the bender bar to a base, a second fixed end opposite the first fixed end that attaches the bender bar to the base, and a compartment disposed within the base.

Provided is a composition for an acoustic wave probe including a polysiloxane mixture containing at least polysiloxane having a vinyl group and a phenyl group, polysiloxane having two or more Si—H groups in a molecular chain, and zinc oxide, a silicone resin for an acoustic wave probe, the acoustic wave probe, an acoustic wave measurement apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound probe, a photoacoustic wave measurement apparatus, and an ultrasound endoscope.

An actuator includes a piezoelectric element, a vibration plate, and a support. The vibration plate has the piezoelectric element joined thereto and vibrates in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The support supports the vibration plate. A holder is disposed on the vibration plate. The holder is configured to join the vibration plate to an object of vibration. The vibration plate and the support are integrally molded.

The present invention is a piezoelectric actuator drive method, a piezoelectric actuator drive circuit, and a piezoelectric actuator drive system capable of causing a piezoelectric element to vibrate in a maximum amplitude state. The piezoelectric actuator drive circuit includes: an obtainment unit that obtains operation information pertaining to operation of the piezoelectric element in a period that is a part of one cycle of a drive cycle in which the piezoelectric element is driven; and a control unit that performs feedback control of a drive parameter for driving the piezoelectric element based on the operation information.

Described herein is mechanically decoupling of an electromechanical transducer from a common substrate, enabling multiple transducers to be surface mounted to a common substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) without experiencing mechanical cross-coupling. The decoupling of the transducer from the substrate enables the transducers to be attached without reducing the efficiency of acoustic transduction. The design of the mount enables it to be assembled in an automated manner with pick and place tools.

A system and method for detecting an anomaly in a structure using an adaptive filter to compensate for variations in piezoelectric transducer performance due to environmental factors such as temperature. A first voltage signal having a first amplitude is sent to a reference piezoelectric actuator. Thereafter, a first reference voltage signal is received from a reference piezoelectric receiver which is acoustically coupled to detect the guided wave generated by the reference piezoelectric actuator. A second amplitude is determined using an optimization algorithm of an adaptive filter to compensate for nonlinear behavior of the reference piezoelectric actuator and receiver based on the first reference voltage signal. Then the adaptive filter sends a second voltage signal having the second amplitude to the reference and test piezoelectric actuators. Reference and test voltage signals are received from the reference and test piezoelectric receivers in response to the second voltage signal. A difference voltage signal representing differences between the reference and test voltage signals received is then recorded.