An ultrasonic wave generation apparatus that includes an ultrasonic wave generation element having an inner space formed by bonding first and second vibrators so as to close off a through-hole or a groove provided in a frame body, and a connecting member that is bonded to the second vibrator supports the ultrasonic wave generation element and is electrically connected to at least one of the first and second vibrators. A ventilation hole that opens into a first side surface of the frame body and that allows the inner space to communicate with the exterior is provided in the frame body. When a direction parallel to the first main surface or the second main surface is a lengthwise direction, an outer side end portion of the ventilation hole in the lengthwise direction and an inner side end portion in the lengthwise direction of the connecting member do not match.

An ultrasonic surgical handpiece comprising a thermal diffuser that includes a thermal conductive layer and an electrical insulating layer. The thermal diffuser reduces hot spots that are objectionable to the user. The handpiece may also comprise an anti-rotation feature which distributes force of the metal horn applied to the polymer housing by increasing applied area under torque.

An acoustic transmitter includes: an acoustic diaphragm configured to transmit acoustic waves into a medium; a piezoelectric actuator assembly configured to deform in an axial direction in response to an applied electrical signal; and a highly incompressible elastic material disposed between the piezoelectric actuator and the acoustic diaphragm and configured to transmit pressure waves to the acoustic diaphragm in response to motion of the piezoelectric actuator.

Some implementations provide a high-powered compact ultrasonic transducer having an integral piezoelectric ceramic force sensing element utilized to enable enhanced tissue selectivity with a piezoelectric based transducer. Some implementations additionally or alternatively relate to methods and apparatus for driving ultrasonic surgical devices, such as methods and apparatus that modulate an amplitude of a drive signal, provided to an ultrasonic surgical device, in accordance with a selected tissue selectivity level. For example, the amplitude of the drive signal for a given tissue selectivity level can be varied with time in accordance with amplitude modification parameters that are particularized to the given tissue selectivity level. Some of those implementations additionally implement a corresponding duty cycle, for the drive signal, that corresponds to the selected tissue selectivity level.

An ultrasonic generation device including an ultrasonic generation element having a frame, a first piezoelectric vibrator, and a second piezoelectric vibrator and configured to emit ultrasonic waves in a buckling tuning-fork vibration mode in which the first piezoelectric vibrator and the second piezoelectric vibrator vibrate in mutually opposite phases at the same frequency. Further, a housing receives the ultrasonic generation element and has ultrasonic emission ports, a first acoustic path extending from a vicinity of a vibration surface of the first piezoelectric vibrator to a vicinity of the ultrasonic emission ports, and a second acoustic path extending from a vicinity of a vibration surface of the second piezoelectric vibrator to the vicinity of the ultrasonic emission ports.

A piezoelectric element includes an element layer, an electrode layer including one or more positive electrode layers and one or more negative electrode layers repeatedly stacked to alternate with each other on the element layers in a vertical direction, a primary positive electrode connection member connecting the positive electrode layers, a primary negative electrode connection member connecting the negative electrode layers, at least one secondary positive electrode connection member, at least one secondary negative electrode connection member, and a primary electrode connected to the primary positive electrode connection member and the primary negative electrode connection member and configured of a pair of electrodes, and at least one secondary electrode spaced apart from the primary electrode and configured of a pair of electrodes.

An electroacoustic transducer array 110 is described. The electroacoustic transducer array 110 comprises a first electroacoustic transducer 40A comprising a first active element 41A and a second electroacoustic transducer 40B comprising a second active element 41B. The electroacoustic transducer array 110 comprises an acoustic coupling layer 43 arranged to acoustically couple, in use, the first active element 41A and the second active element 41B to a transmission medium. The electroacoustic transducer array 110 comprises a first cavity 42A arranged between the first active element 41A and the acoustic coupling layer 43 to receive a first fluid; and/or a second cavity 42B arranged between the second active element 41B and the acoustic coupling layer 43 to receive a second fluid. In this way, acoustic coupling of the electroacoustic transducer array 110 and the transmission medium is improved.

A piezoelectric element includes an element layer, an electrode layer including one or more positive electrode layers and one or more negative electrode layers repeatedly stacked to alternate with each other on the element layers in a vertical direction, a primary positive electrode connection member connecting the positive electrode layers, a primary negative electrode connection member connecting the negative electrode layers, at least one secondary positive electrode connection member, at least one secondary negative electrode connection member, and a primary electrode connected to the primary positive electrode connection member and the primary negative electrode connection member and configured of a pair of electrodes, and at least one secondary electrode spaced apart from the primary electrode and configured of a pair of electrodes.

Disclosed is an integrated modular multi-tone piezoelectric element driver for pressure generation comprising a first layer and a second layer. The first layer comprises analog oscillators, a first voltage-controlled amplifier, a first lever shifter and a summer to generate a multi-tone waveform. The second layer comprises a second voltage-controlled amplifier, a second level shifter, one or more operational amplifiers, a third level shifter, a fourth level shifter, one or more high impedance amplifiers and a high impedance amplifier to generate four amplified signals for controlling a pressure.

A sonar transducer includes an acoustic radiating piston, a piezoelectric stack, and a non-uniform central fastener. The acoustic radiating piston emits and receives acoustic waves. The piezoelectric stack includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements. The piezoelectric stack converts output electrical signals into mechanical vibrations and converts received mechanical vibrations into input electrical signals. The non-uniform central fastener has a body extending from a first end to a second end to define a fastener length. The non-uniform central fastener extends through the piezoelectric stack and applies a pre-stress to the piezoelectric stack. The non-uniform central fastener has a non-uniform profile along the fastener length.