A method is provided for generating ultrasound transmission waves comprising: a) providing an array of electroacoustic transducer elements each one being connected to an electric excitation signal generator by a dedicated feeding channel; b) feeding at least a part of the electroacoustic transducer elements with a pulsed electric signal having a predetermined frequency, a predetermined amplitude, a predetermined length or duration and a predetermined phase or a predefined delay with respect to the pulsed electric signals fed to the adjacent transducer elements, the said pulsed electric excitation signals comprising a sequence of pulses; c) modulating each or at least part of the pulsed electric signals by feeding to the transducer elements only a predetermined portion of the pulses of the said pulsed electric signals. Modulating is carried out by cutting the duration of each pulse of the pulsed electric excitation signal according to a predetermined time period.

Various methods and systems are provided for an ultrasound transducer structure for an ultrasound probe and methods of manufacturing thereof. In one example, the ultrasound transducer structure may include a lens, an acoustic stack disposed on the lens, and an acoustic backing material bonded to a side of the acoustic stack facing away from the lens without any intervening layer between the acoustic backing material and the acoustic stack, such that the acoustic backing material is in face-sharing contact with the side of the acoustic stack, wherein the acoustic backing material is composed of a solidified blend comprising a backing polymer.

Disclosed is a driver stage for activating a first ultrasonic transducer and a method for the operation thereof. The driver stage comprises a first charge pump or power source and a first capacitor. The driver stage also comprises first means for charging the first capacitor with electrical energy from the charge pump and second means for connecting the first capacitor and ultrasonic transducer to different polarities. The first means do not charge the first capacitor with energy from the charge pump or power source when the first capacitor is connected to the ultrasonic transducer by the second means.

Apparatus for controlling bio-organisms in bodies of water. The algae control system includes a power unit and a transducer unit that radiates in multiple directions. The transducer unit includes a variable power driver and a transducer subassembly. The power from the driver varies to maintain a maximum, constant transducer sonic output over its bandwidth. The transducer assembly includes at least one transducer that includes a pair of blocks with at least one piezoelectric element therebetween. One embodiment has a single, disc-shaped element adhesively secured between said blocks. The transducer is excited by applying power to the pair of blocks. Another embodiment has at least one ring-shaped elements compressed between the two blocks by way of a fastener. The transducer is excited by applying power, in one embodiment, between the blocks and a conductor between a pair of ring-shaped elements, or in another embodiment, between the pair of blocks.

An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided. The ultrasound system includes a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction. A bipolar transmit circuit is configured to generate a transmit signal having first and second polarity segments. The first and second polarity segments have corresponding first and second peak amplitudes. A bias generator is configured to generate a bias signal in a direction of the poling direction. The bias signal is combined with the transmit signal to form a biased transmit signal that is shifted in the direction of the poling direction and still includes both of positive and negative voltages over a transmit cycle.

An ultrasound medical device and an ultrasound diagnostic imaging device are provided that allow orally-fed fluid food, etc. to pass through the esophagus of the subject. The ultrasound medical device includes a capsule-type main body configured to incorporate ultrasound transducers, so that the ultrasound transducers in the capsule-type main body, which has been inserted in a tubular body part of a subject, send ultrasound waves to the subject's interiors and receive reflected waves. The ultrasound medical device further includes a support configured to be incorporated in the capsule-type main body and to have a form of tube with a through-hole axially passing through the tube. The ultrasound transducers are arranged external to the tube.

Circuitry for ultrasound devices is described. A multi-level pulser is described, which can support time-domain and spatial apodization. The multi-level pulser may be controlled through a software-defined waveform generator. In response to the execution of a computer code, the waveform generator may access master segments from a memory, and generate a stream of packets directed to pulsing circuits. The stream of packets may be serialized. A plurality of decoding circuits may modulate the streams of packets to obtain spatial apodization.

An industrial process field device includes a piezoelectric transducer, a sensor circuit, a test circuit, a controller and a communications circuit. The sensor circuit generates a sensor signal indicating a process variable based on a voltage across the piezoelectric transducer. The test circuit is configured to apply a voltage pulse having a pulse voltage to the piezoelectric transducer that induces a response signal, and capture peak positive and negative voltages of the response signal. The controller calculates a current condition value of the piezoelectric transducer based on the peak positive voltage, the peak negative voltage and the pulse voltage, and generates a diagnostic test result based on a comparison of the current condition value to a reference condition value corresponding to a properly operating piezoelectric transducer. The communications circuit communicates the process variable and the diagnostic test result to an external control unit over a process control loop.

Apparatus for controlling algae and bio-organisms in bodies of fluids, such as water. The algae control system includes a power unit and a transducer unit that includes a sonic head that radiates in multiple directions. The power unit connects to various power sources, including a mains supply connection, a solar panel array, and/or a battery. The power unit is electrically connected to the transducer unit. The sonic head includes a driver and a transducer subassembly. The driver excites the transducer assembly to emit ultrasonic waves at various frequencies with varying durations of on/off periods. Emissions at a high density of frequencies are enabled by the transducers. The frequencies include the critical structural resonant frequency for each microorganism to be controlled. The power unit and driver each include a processor in communication with each other. The processors store and execute a program for a selected application configuration.

In the system, two ultrasonic transducers, which form a pair and each have a piezoelectric ceramic plate-shaped element with a rectangular geometry, can be fastened to a surface of a component. The two ultrasonic transducers are arranged at a distance from one another such that there is no direct mechanical contact and they are arranged beside one another with a parallel orientation of their central longitudinal axes. The two elements have a different polarization along their width and are connected with the same polarity to an electrical voltage source. The two plate-shaped elements can also have an identical polarization along their width and can be connected in this case with opposite polarity to an electrical voltage source. At least one ultrasonic transducer and/or at least one further ultrasonic transducer is/are designed to detect ultrasonic waves reflected by defects and/or shear waves simultaneously emitted by the two ultrasonic transducers.