An imaging device includes a two dimensional array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric layer; a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer and configured to receive a transmit signal during a transmit mode and develop an electrical charge during a receive mode; and a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and a first conductor, wherein the first top electrodes of a portion of the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the two dimensional array are electrically coupled to the first conductor.

A driving circuit and a driving method are provided. The driving circuit includes an energy-storage capacitor, a charging circuit and a discharging circuit. The energy-storage capacitor is coupled between a piezoelectric load and the charging circuit. Operation states of the charging circuit and the discharging circuit are controlled, so that the charging circuit charges the energy-storage capacitor during a first operation interval of an operation period, to adjust a power supply voltage signal provided to the piezoelectric load to change with a reference voltage in a first interval, and at least the piezoelectric load discharges electricity through the discharging circuit during a second operation interval of the operation period, to adjust the power supply voltage signal to change with the reference voltage in a second interval. The driving circuit according to the present disclosure requires a few switches, thereby facilitating circuit integration.

A driving circuit and a driving method are provided. The driving circuit includes a charging circuit and a discharging circuit. The charging circuit is configured to receive an input voltage to charge the piezoelectric load. The piezoelectric load discharges electricity through the discharging circuit. Operation states of the charging circuit and the discharging circuit are controlled. During a first operation interval of an operation period, the charging circuit charges the piezoelectric load so that a power supply voltage signal provided to the piezoelectric load corresponds to the reference voltage in a first interval. During a second operation interval of the operation period, the piezoelectric load discharges electricity through the discharging circuit so that the power supply voltage signal corresponds to the reference voltage in a second interval. The driving circuit according to the present disclosure requires a few switches, thereby facilitating circuit integration.

An acoustophoretic device is disclosed. The acoustophoretic device includes an acoustic chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber emanating from a non-planar face of the piezoelectric material. A method for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid is also disclosed. The method includes flowing the mixture through an acoustophoretic device. A voltage signal is sent to drive the ultrasonic transducer to create the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber such that the second fluid or particulate is continuously trapped in the standing wave, and then agglomerates, aggregates, clumps, or coalesces together, and subsequently rises or settles out of the host fluid due to buoyancy or gravity forces, and exits the acoustic chamber.

A vibration signal generation apparatus includes an absolute value signal generator configured to generate an absolute value signal by detecting an absolute value of amplitude of an acoustic signal, an envelope signal generator configured to generate an envelope signal by detecting an envelope of the absolute value signal, a differentiator configured to differentiate the envelope signal, an amplitude limiter configured to generate an amplitude-limited signal by limiting amplitude of the envelope signal so that an amplitude value of the differentiated envelope signal becomes zero or greater, and a vibration signal generator configured to generate a vibration signal by multiplying the amplitude-limited signal by a reference signal having a frequency that allows a human to perceive a vibration.

An imaging device includes a two dimensional array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric layer; a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer and configured to receive a transmit signal during a transmit mode and develop an electrical charge during a receive mode; and a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and a first conductor, wherein the first top electrodes of a portion of the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the two dimensional array are electrically coupled to the first conductor.

Provided in accordance with the herein described exemplary embodiments are piezo micro-machined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) each having a first electrode that includes a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion. The second electrode portion is separately operable from the first electrode portion. A second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode and defines a space between the first electrode and the second electrode. A piezoelectric material is disposed in the space. Also provided are arrays of pMUTs wherein individual pMUTs have first electrode portions operably associated with array rows and second electrode portions operably associated with array columns.

An ultrasound energy delivery system is provided that includes a transducer and a housing.

A droplet deposition apparatus includes a standing wave generator including ultrasonic wave oscillators, a droplet supplier to supply a droplet, a workpiece retainer to retain a workpiece in a predetermined space, and a controller configured or programmed to execute causing the standing wave generator to form a standing wave in the space, causing the droplet supplier to supply the droplet to a node of the standing wave generated in the space, and bringing close to each other a predetermined position on the workpiece retained by the workpiece retainer and the node of the standing wave to which the droplet is supplied, to cause the droplet retained at the node of the standing wave to be deposited onto the workpiece.

An ultrasonic signal detecting circuit, an ultrasonic signal detecting method, and a display panel. The ultrasonic signal detecting circuit includes a control sub-circuit and a sensing sub-circuit. The sensing sub-circuit detects an ultrasonic echo signal, and generates a piezoelectric signal, which includes a first sub signal and a second sub-signal, according to the ultrasonic echo signal, the voltage value of one of the first and second sub-signals are higher than the value of a reference voltage signal, and that of the other one of the first and second sub-signals are lower than the reference voltage signal. The control sub-circuit is electrically connected to the sensing sub-circuit. Under control of the first sub-signal, a first power supply end and an output end of the control sub-circuit are turned on; and under control of the second sub-signal, the first power supply end and the output end of the control sub-circuit are turned on.