Systems and methods for non-invasive fat reduction can include targeting a region of interest below a surface of skin, which contains fat and delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest. The ultrasound energy generates a thermal lesion with said ultrasound energy on a fat cell. The lesion can create an opening in the surface of the fat cell, which allows the draining of a fluid out of the fat cell and through the opening. In addition, by applying ultrasound energy to fat cells to increase the temperature to between 43 degrees and 49 degrees, cell apoptosis can be realized, thereby resulting in reduction of fat.

A control console for a powered surgical tool. The console includes a transformer that supplies the drive signal to the surgical tool. A linear amplifier with active resistors selectively ties the ends of the transformer primary winding between ground and the open circuit state. Feedback voltages from the transformer windings regulate the resistances of the active resistors.

A circuit for driving ultrasound transducers uses a sample-and-hold circuit to sample multiple sample periods of a transducer driving waveform, and uses the samples to modify drive parameters. Use of multiple sample periods enables independent measurement and adjustment of different portions of the transducer driving waveform to ensure mirror symmetry.

A method of operating electro-acoustical transducers such as PMUTs involves applying to the transducer an excitation signal over an excitation interval, acquiring at the transducer a ring-down signal indicative of the ring-down behavior of the transducer after the end of the excitation interval, and calculating, as a function of said ring-down signal, a resonance frequency of the electro-acoustical transducer. A bias voltage of the electro-acoustical transducer can be controlled as a function of the resonance frequency. An acoustical signal received can be transduced into an electrical reception signal and a damping parameter of the electro-acoustical transducer can be calculated as a function of the ring-down signal so that a cross-correlation reference signal can be synthesized as a function of the resonance frequency and the damping ratio of the electro-acoustical transducer. Such a cross-correlation reference signal can be used for cross-correlation with the electrical reception signal to improve the reception quality.

A multifunctional haptic actuator (1) having a plurality of functional actuation modes, comprising an actuation arrangement (2) and at least one moveable energy storage (3). The actuation arrangement (2) provides and/or facilitates movement of the energy storage (3) along and/or around a plurality of actuation axes. The energy storage (3) is adapted for supplying electric charge to drive the actuation arrangement (2), and storing electric charge generated by the actuation arrangement (2). A first functional actuation mode comprises generating mechanical vibrations by supplying electric charge from the energy storage (3) to the actuation arrangement (2), the electric charge generating movement of the energy storage (3). A second functional actuation mode comprises generating electric charge by means of mechanical vibrations of the energy storage (3), the vibrations generating electric charge in the actuation arrangement (2), the electric charge being stored in the energy storage (3). This solution provides an actuator the components of which can be used in several different actuation modes such as for providing haptic feedback and harvesting energy, hence reducing the need for separate components for each mode.

An ultrasonic actuation apparatus includes a piezoelectric transducer producing a first ultrasonic signal; a second transducer; and a platen, the platen being directly and/or acoustically coupled to the piezoelectric transducer and the second transducer. The second transducer may be a MEMS microphone. The second transducer is configured to receive the first ultrasonic signal at a first time, and a second ultrasonic signal at second time. The second ultrasonic signal has been modified from the first ultrasonic signal in correspondence with an object being in contact with the platen.

Provided is an automated analyzer comprising an ultrasonic cleaner capable of obtaining a consistent cleaning effect regardless of the operating temperature environment. This automated analyzer comprises: a dispensing mechanism having a nozzle for dispensing a sample or reagent; an ultrasonic cleaner 26 for cleaning the nozzle; and a control unit 28. The ultrasonic cleaner comprises: a cleaning tank 206; an ultrasonic vibrator 205; and a vibration head 209 that extends from the ultrasonic vibrator to the cleaning tank and has a distal end part that is inserted into the cleaning tank. The control unit inserts the nozzle into the cleaning tank and carries out a heating operation for heating the ultrasonic vibrator by driving the ultrasonic vibrator according to a driving condition different from that for a cleaning operation for cleaning the nozzle by driving the ultrasonic vibrator.

An electronic device (1) includes a touch panel display (2), a speaker (3), and a piezo actuator (4). The speaker (3) outputs a sound based on a first sound signal corresponding to a range of a prescribed frequency or more. The piezo actuator (4) is provided on the touch panel display (2), and is deformed in response to at least one of a second sound signal corresponding to a range of less than the prescribed frequency and a control signal for haptics feedback based on a predetermined vibration pattern to vibrate the touch panel display (2).

The present disclosure provides an ultrasonic drive and driving method configured for driving an ultrasonic tool. The ultrasonic drive includes a switch module, a sensing element and a control element. The sensing element senses the voltage and current of the ultrasonic tool and generates a sensing signal accordingly. The control element receives the sensing signal and outputs a control signal. The switch module outputs an ultrasonic signal according to the control signal for controlling the vibration of the ultrasonic tool. When the ultrasonic drive operates a frequency sweep function, the control element determines an operating interval and an operating frequency of the ultrasonic signal. When the ultrasonic drive operates a frequency following function, the control element adjusts the operating frequency according to the sensing signal for keeping the impedance of the ultrasonic tool consistent.

A method for producing an ultrasonic transducer including an arrangement determination step of determining an arrangement of piezoelectric elements in a stack on the basis of mechanical quality factors of the respective piezoelectric elements; and an assembly step of assembling the stack in which the piezoelectric elements are arranged according to the arrangement determined in the arrangement determination step, a horn, and a back mass. In the arrangement determination step, the arrangement of the piezoelectric elements is determined so that the difference in mechanical quality factor between the piezoelectric elements adjacent in the longitudinal direction is within 5% of a mean value of the mechanical quality factors of the piezoelectric elements.