In a method for transmit beamforming of a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, a beamforming pattern to apply to a beamforming space of the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers is defined. The beamforming space includes a plurality of elements, where each element of the beamforming space corresponds to an ultrasonic transducer of the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, where the beamforming pattern identifies which ultrasonic transducers within the beamforming space are activated during a transmit operation of the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, and wherein at least some of the ultrasonic transducers that are activated are phase delayed with respect to other ultrasonic transducers that are activated. The beamforming pattern is applied to the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers. A transmit operation is performed by activating the ultrasonic transducers of the beamforming space according to the beamforming pattern.

In a method of using an ultrasonic sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of ultrasonic signals are transmitted according to a beamforming pattern at a position of the two-dimensional array. The beamforming pattern focuses the plurality of ultrasonic signals to location above the two-dimensional array, wherein the beamforming pattern identifies ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array that are activated during transmission of the ultrasonic signals, and wherein at least some ultrasonic transducers of the beamforming pattern are phase delayed with respect to other ultrasonic transducers of the beamforming pattern. At least one reflected ultrasonic signal is received at the position according to a receive pattern, wherein the receive pattern identifies at least one ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array that is activated during the receiving. The transmitting and the receiving are repeated at a plurality of positions of the two-dimensional array.

MEMS ultrasonic transducer, MUT, device, comprising a semiconductor body with a first and a second main surface and including: a first chamber extending into the semiconductor body at a distance from the first main surface; a membrane formed by the semiconductor body between the first main surface and the first chamber; a piezoelectric element on the membrane; a second chamber extending into the semiconductor body between the first chamber and the second main surface; a central fluidic passage extending into the semiconductor body from the second main surface to the first chamber and traversing the second chamber; and one or more lateral fluidic passages extending into the semiconductor body from the second main surface to the second chamber. The one or more lateral fluidic passages, the central fluidic passage and the second chamber define a fluidic recirculation path that fluidically connects the first chamber with the outside of the semiconductor body.

A body-cavity-insertion-type probe wherein an internal unit (internal assembly) has an oscillator unit, a relay board, and electronic circuit board, and a backing member. The backing member is retained in a state of being housed inside a backing case, and the backing case is retained by two recesses formed in an inside surface of a heat dissipation shell as a probe head case. An exhaust heat sheet is joined to a peripheral region of a back surface of the electronic circuit board. A rear wing and a front wing of the exhaust heat sheet are joined to the backing case.

In a method for receive beamforming using an array of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of array positions comprising pluralities of ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers is defined. A pixel capture operation is performed at each array position of the plurality of array positions. The pixel capture operation includes transmitting ultrasonic signals using a transmit beam pattern comprising ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers, the transmit beam pattern for forming an ultrasonic beam toward a region of interest, and receiving reflected ultrasonic signals using a receive beam pattern comprising at least one ultrasonic transducer of the array of ultrasonic transducers. Received reflected ultrasonic signals are combined for a plurality of array positions overlapping the region of interest in a receive beamforming operation to generate a pixel for a reference array position of the plurality of array positions.

According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a first substrate, and a plurality of electronic circuit modules. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers equally spaced and aligned at least in one direction. The first substrate to which the ultrasonic transducers are coupled. The plurality of electronic circuit modules provided at predetermined intervals one the first substrate and coupled to the first

An ultrasonic element includes an element substrate including a first surface, a second surface having a front-back relation with the first surface, an opening section piercing through the element substrate from the first surface to the second surface, and a partition wall section surrounding the opening section, a supporting film provided on the first surface of the element substrate to cover the opening section and including a third surface facing the opening section and a fourth surface having a front-back relation with the third surface, a piezoelectric element provided on the fourth surface of the supporting film and disposed in a region overlapping the opening section of the supporting film in a plan view from a film thickness direction extending from the third surface to the fourth surface, a sealing plate provided to be opposed to the fourth surface of the supporting film and joined to the supporting film by an adhesive member via a beam section projecting toward the supporting film, and a wall section provided on the fourth surface of the supporting film and provided to project toward the sealing plate between the beam section and the piezoelectric element.

An ultrasonic transducer and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are provided. An ultrasonic transducer includes a substrate including a trench formed in a lower surface of the substrate; and a first element and a second element formed on an upper surface of the substrate and are located adjacent to each other, wherein the trench is positioned between the first element and the second element, wherein the first element and the second element each include a plurality of ultrasonic cells that are two-dimensionally arranged; wherein a first contour line of the first element and a second contour line of the second element, which are adjacent to each other, each form a zig-zag line which are complementary with each other, and the trench is formed in a zig-zag pattern between the first contour line and the second contour line.

An acoustic matching layer is formed on individual ultrasonic transducer elements on a base. Electric conductors are arranged between adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements, the electric conductors being connected to electrodes of the ultrasonic transducer elements. Protective films overlap the electric conductors. The protective films have smaller moisture permeability than the acoustic matching layer. Wall portions are arranged on the protective films, the wall portions separating portions of the acoustic matching layer that are respectively located on adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements from each other at least in a part of a height range with respect to a height direction from the base, and having an acoustic impedance that is different from the acoustic impedance of the acoustic matching layer.

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.