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.

Disclosed is an ultrasound probe that includes an array of CMUT (capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer) cells. Each cell includes a substrate carrying a first electrode of an electrode arrangement. The substrate is spatially separated from a flexible membrane by a gap. The flexible membrane includes a second electrode of the electrode arrangement. The ultrasound probe also includes an acoustic window over the array of CMUT cells. The ultrasound probe further includes a data storage element accessible to an external control module of the ultrasound probe. The data storage element stores configuration information for configuring an operation of the array of CMUT cells in pre-collapse or collapse mode with the external control module to optimize the effective bandwidth of the array. Also disclosed is a calibration method of the ultrasound probe, an ultrasound system and a method of operating the ultrasound system.

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 system has a set of CMUT ultrasound transducer devices and a drive circuit for operating the ultrasound transducer devices, for delivering an AC drive signal and receiving a reflected signal. An intermediate circuit is between the drive circuit and the set of ultrasound devices in the form of an array of coupling circuits, each coupling circuit between the drive circuit and an associated at least one ultrasound transducer device. Each coupling circuit comprises a buffer element connected between a bias voltage and a device terminal and as series capacitor. The intermediate circuit serves as a connection link between the set of CMUT transducer elements and the driving/sensing electronics, and is formed as a passive integrated technology circuit. The buffer element prevents a low-impedance short between the CMUT cell bias node and the counter electrode in the case of a CMUT cell drum short circuit. In this way, failure of an individual cell will not cause a breakdown of the whole CMUT array nor a breakdown of the driving electronics.

An ultrasonic imaging system is described in which a column-row-parallel architecture is provided at the circuit level of an ultrasonic transceiver. The ultrasonic imaging system can include a NM array of transducer elements and a plurality of transceiver circuits where each transceiver circuit is connected to a corresponding one transducer element of the NM array of transducer elements. A shared pulser gate driver and a shared VGA is provided for each row and column. Selection logic includes row select, column select, and per-element bit select. Through the column-row-parallel architecture, a variety of aperture configurations can be achieved.

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 signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

A signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

Provided is a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) including a substrate, a top electrode provided on the substrate to be spaced apart from the substrate, a supporter made of an insulating material and coupled between the substrate and an edge of the top electrode to support and fix the edge of the top electrode and to define a gap between the substrate and the edge of the top electrode, and a plurality of nanoposts having both ends coupled and fixed to the substrate and the top electrode in the gap, and being compressible and stretchable in a longitudinal direction to at least vertically move the top electrode when power is applied to the top electrode.

Micromachined ultrasonic transducers formed in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafers are described, as are methods of fabricating such devices. A metallization layer of a CMOS wafer may be removed by sacrificial release to create a cavity of an ultrasonic transducer. Remaining layers may form a membrane of the ultrasonic transducer.