An ultrasound transducer array is provided that comprises a plurality of CMUT (capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer) cells (100), each CMUT cell comprising a substrate (300) carrying a first electrode (110) of a first electrode arrangement, the substrate being spatially separated from a flexible membrane including a second electrode (120) of a second electrode arrangement by a gap (130), at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode being electrically insulated from said gap by at least one dielectric layer (311, 313), wherein at least one of the first electrode arrangement and the second electrode arrangement is partitioned into a plurality of sections interconnected by respective fuse portions (112, 122). An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound system comprising such an ultrasound transducer array are also disclosed.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to driving a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) with a pulse train of unipolar pulses. The CMUT may be electrically excited with a pulse train of unipolar pulses such that the CMUT operates in a continuous wave mode. In some embodiments, the CMUT may have a contoured electrode.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) with a contoured electrode. In certain embodiments, the CMUT has a contoured electrode. The electrode may be non-planar to correspond to a deflected shape of the outer plate. A change in distance between the electrode and the plate after deflection may be greater than a minimum threshold across the width of the CMUT.

Ultrasonic transmitting elements in an electroacoustical transceiver transmit acoustic energy to an electroacoustical transponder, which includes ultrasonic receiving elements to convert the acoustic energy into electrical power for the purposes of powering one or more sensors that are electrically coupled to the electroacoustical transponder. The electroacoustical transponder transmits data collected by the sensor(s) back to the electroacoustical transceiver wirelessly, such as through impedance modulation or electromagnetic waves. A feedback control loop can be used to adjust system parameters so that the electroacoustical transponder operates at an impedance minimum. An implementation of the system can be used to collect data in a vehicle, such as the tire air pressure. Another implementation of the system can be used to collect data in remote locations, such as in pipes, enclosures, in wells, or in bodies of water.

A capacitive vibrating-membrane ultrasonic transducer includes a carrier with a cavity, a vibrating membrane fastened to the carrier and covering the cavity, and a conductive element separated from the membrane by the cavity. The vibrating membrane has a resonant frequency in membrane mode fm and a resonant frequency in plate mode fp according to the relationship fm>fp. An exciting circuit has terminals connected to the vibrating membrane and the conductive element, and is configured to apply, across its terminals, an electrical signal the maximum frequency fo according to the relationship fm>1.5*fo; or a measuring circuit is connected to the vibrating membrane and the conductive element and configured to measure capacitance variations up to a frequency fo.

An ultrasound imaging system has an array of ultrasound transducers comprising a set of sub-arrays of transducers. Each transducer (100) has an analogue buffer (106). Each sub-array of transducers has a signal path (102, 104) from within the array of ultrasound transducers to outside the array of ultrasound transducers which comprises one or more hops between the buffers (106). To reduce the signal line length from inside the array of ultrasound transducers to the periphery, at least some multiple hops between buffers (106) are provided. Each buffer hop introduces a delay, but prevents signal degradation so that a large number of analog signals can be transmitted across the large area ASIC of the transducer array.

A capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) device in which integrated probe circuitry includes both the ultrasound transmission and reception circuitry and a DC-DC converter for generating a bias voltage for the CMUT cell. The high voltage pulses of a pulser circuit and a high voltage DC bias voltage are both generated by a single probe circuit, which is local to the CMUT cell.

An ultrasound device comprises an ultrasound head at a distal end of the shaft. Electrical circuitry for driving the ultrasound head includes circuit components mounted on a flexible carrier so that they do not require a fully rigid part of the device. The transducer aperture can then be made as large as possible for a given size of rigid substrate. A reduced rigid substrate length improves maneuverability of the device. The flexible component carrier is bendable in all planes parallel to the length direction so that it forms an end section of the shaft, and which can follow any desired path.

A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer having a wide reception band is provided. The capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer includes an element including a first sub-element and a second sub-element each including a cell. The cell includes a vibrating membrane that includes one of two electrodes formed with a spacing therebetween and that is vibratably supported. The capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer further includes a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit, and a combining circuit that combines a signal from the first detection circuit and a signal from the second detection circuit. The first sub-element is electrically connected to the first detection circuit, and the second sub-element is electrically connected to the second detection circuit. The first detection circuit and the second detection circuit have different cut-off frequencies.

For transducer connection to an integrated circuit, a silicon or other wafer-based chip is processed to provide signal routing, such as altering the pitch using wafer process deposited conductors. This chip or silicon interposer may be more simply re-designed to relate the pitch of an array to the integrated circuit I/Os, avoiding redesign of the integrated circuit.