B06B1/0622

UNIVERSAL ULTRASOUND DEVICE AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS

A processing device is coupled to a single ultrasound device having a single array of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs). The processing device generates a graphical user interface (GUI) having user selectable GUI menu options corresponding to respective ultrasound operating modes for the single ultrasound device having the single ultrasound transducer array. The user-selectable GUI menu options include GUI menu options labeled as representing an ultrasound operating mode for musculoskeletal imaging, breast imaging, carotid imaging, vascular imaging, and abdominal imaging, respectively. The processing device further receives, via the GUI, user input indicating selection of one of the ultrasound operating modes, and in response to receiving the user input, provides an indication to the single ultrasound device having the single array of CMUTs to operate in the selected ultrasound operating mode.

FLEXIBLE VARIABLE FREQUENCY ULTRASONIC THERAPEUTIC PROBE BASED ON THERMOACOUSTIC EFFECT OF CARBON NANOTUBE FILM

A flexible variable frequency ultrasonic therapeutic probe based on thermoacoustic effect of a carbon nanotube film comprises an ultrasonic sound production element, and a heat dissipation layer and an acoustic matching layer located on both sides thereof. The sound production element comprises a carbon nanotube film, metal electrodes and wires, and the shape and size of the sound production element can be adjusted according to the actual functional requirements. When a signal is accessed into the sound production element, the carbon nanotube film produces a corresponding temperature change, which causes the surrounding media to expand and contract and to excite ultrasonic waves. The present invention greatly improves the coupling efficiency between the probe and the subject, reduces the energy loss of ultrasonic waves, and enhances the uniformity of the sound intensity distribution in the affected part.

Electrical contact arrangement for microfabricated ultrasonic transducer

An ultrasound-on-a-chip device has an ultrasonic transducer substrate with plurality of transducer cells, and an electrical substrate. For each transducer cell, one or more conductive bond connections are disposed between the ultrasonic transducer substrate and the electrical substrate. Examples of electrical substrates include CMOS chips, integrated circuits including analog circuits, interposers and printed circuit boards.

ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICE
20230168371 · 2023-06-01 ·

An ultrasound imaging device includes an assembly of ultrasound transducers. The ultrasound transducers are divided into a plurality of sub-assemblies each having P ultrasound transducers. The ultrasound imaging device further includes, for each sub-assembly, K transceiver circuits and a configurable routing circuit coupling the P ultrasound transducers of the sub-assembly to the K transceiver circuits where P and K are integers greater than or equal to 2, with K smaller than P. Each sub-assembly further includes at least one mobile transducer capable of being, via the routing circuit, disconnected or connected to any one of a plurality of predefined transceiver circuits among the K transceiver circuits of the sub-assembly.

ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER OPERABLE IN A SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVE (SAW) MODE
20170326590 · 2017-11-16 · ·

A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) device is provided. The PMUT includes a substrate and an edge support structure connected to the substrate. A membrane is connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, where the membrane is configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer and first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer. The PMUT is also configured to operate in a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) mode. Also provided are an integrated MEMS array, a method for operating an array of PMUT/SAW dual-mode devices, and a PMUT/SAW dual-mode device.

SENSING DEVICE WITH A TEMPERATURE SENSOR

An electronic device including an array of ultrasonic transducers, a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the array of ultrasonic transducers, and a control module communicatively coupled to the array of ultrasonic devices and the temperature sensor. The control module is for receiving the temperature and for controlling operation of the array of ultrasonic transducers based at least in part on the temperature.

PHASED ARRAY ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

A phased array ultrasonic transducer includes a bonding wire structure, a damping material, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and a printed circuit board. The bonding wire structure includes a plurality of bonding wire elements. The damping material surrounds the bonding wire structure and is interposed with the plurality of bonding wire elements. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers is arranged in a matrix beneath a membrane, each of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers being coupled to a corresponding bonding wire element of the plurality of bonding wire elements. The printed circuit board includes a plurality of circuits. Each of the plurality of circuits is coupled to a corresponding bonding wire element of the plurality of bonding wire elements.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ULTRASOUND PULSE GENERATION USING GALLIUM NITRIDE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS
20170326588 · 2017-11-16 ·

Circuits, devices and methods generating an ultrasound pulse are provided herein. An ultrasound probe includes an array of transducer elements configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward a target structure in a region of interest, and an array of pulse generators for driving a respective transducer element. Each of the pulse generators are coupled to a respective transducer element and include a driver circuit configured to receive a control signal and to output a driving signal, a switching element coupled to the driver circuit, and a resonant circuit coupled to the switching element and the respective transducer element, wherein the resonant circuit is configured to provide a transmit pulse to the respective transducer element based on the driving signal. The switching element may comprise a gallium nitride field effect transistor (GaN FET).

UNIVERSAL ULTRASOUND DEVICE AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHODS

A system comprising a multi-modal ultrasound probe configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes associated with a respective plurality of configuration profiles; and a computing device coupled to the handheld multi-modal ultrasound probe and configured to, in response to receiving input indicating an operating mode selected by a user, cause the multi-modal ultrasound probe to operate in the selected operating mode.

Zero vergence ultrasound waves for sonodynamic therapy

Disclosed are methods of obtaining zero vergence ultrasound waves for providing sonodynamic therapy with ultrasound waves that do not converge and do not diverge. The method includes coupling a sonodynamic therapy device with an array of flat piezoelectric transducers to a skin surface. A controller is configured to generate an electrical drive signal at a frequency, modulate the drive signal, and drive the transducer with the modulated drive signal at the frequency to produce a zero vergence ultrasound wave to produce an average acoustic intensity sufficient to activate a sonosensitizer in a treatment region without damaging healthy cells in the treatment region.