An ultrasonic probe includes: a piezoelectric element; and a backing material including a matrix resin and thermally conductive particles, arranged on one direction side with respect to the piezoelectric element, wherein a ratio of thermal conductivity of the backing material in a thickness direction to the thermal conductivity of the backing material in a horizontal direction is 3 or more.

An ultrasonic sensor which includes a substrate where an opening section is formed, a vibration plate that is provided on the substrate so as to close the opening section, and a piezoelectric element that is layered on a surface of the vibration plate on an opposite side to the opening section and includes a first electrode, a piezoelectric element, and a second electrode, includes a reflection layer that is provided in a space around the piezoelectric element on the surface of the vibration plate on an opposite side to the opening section, to reflect other ultrasonic waves which are transmitted in a different direction from a transmitted ultrasonic wave transmitted to a measuring target side on an interface between the piezoelectric element and the reflection layer, and has a thickness so as to superimpose other ultrasonic waves on the transmitted ultrasonic wave.

Assemblies for an ultrasonic probe and manufacturing methods are presented. In one example, the method includes additively forming first portions of the assembly using a first material with first acoustic properties and second portions of the assembly using a second material with second acoustic properties, the first and second acoustic properties being configured to modify ultrasonic signals of the ultrasonic probe. In another aspect, a housing for an ultrasonic probe is presented. The housing includes additively-formed portions, a fluid channel, and at least one cavity. The first additively-formed portions include a first material with first acoustic properties. The second additively-formed portions include a second material with second acoustic properties. The first and second acoustic properties are configured to modify ultrasonic signals of the ultrasonic probe. The fluid channel is for receiving fluid within the housing of the ultrasonic probe.

Systems and methods are provided whereby a directional property of an ultrasound transducer element, such as a steering direction, is controlled according to a first driving waveform that is delivered to opposing propagation electrodes and a second driving waveform that is delivered to opposing lateral electrodes. The directional property may be controlled according a phase difference and/or relative amplitude between the first and second driving waveforms, and/or the selective actuation of one or more lateral electrodes when the lateral electrodes are defined in an array. The ultrasound transducer element may be a ring-shaped transducer element and a directional property associated with a focal region may be controlled. In some example embodiments, array elements of an ultrasound transducer array may each include propagation and lateral electrodes, with each array element being driven by respective first and second driving waveforms to focus the ultrasound energy emitted by the ultrasound transducer array.

Systems and methods are provided whereby a directional property of an ultrasound transducer element, such as a steering direction, is controlled according to a first driving waveform that is delivered to opposing propagation electrodes and a second driving waveform that is delivered to opposing lateral electrodes. The directional property may be controlled according a phase difference and/or relative amplitude between the first and second driving waveforms, and/or the selective actuation of one or more lateral electrodes when the lateral electrodes are defined in an array. The ultrasound transducer element may be a ring-shaped transducer element and a directional property associated with a focal region may be controlled. In some example embodiments, array elements of an ultrasound transducer array may each include propagation and lateral electrodes, with each array element being driven by respective first and second driving waveforms to focus the ultrasound energy emitted by the ultrasound transducer array.

A method for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid is disclosed. The method includes flowing the mixture through an acoustophoretic device comprising an acoustic chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber. A voltage signal is sent to drive the ultrasonic transducer in a displacement profile that is a superposition of a combination of different mode shapes that are the same order of magnitude 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 method for separating a second fluid or a particulate from a host fluid is disclosed. The method includes flowing the mixture through an acoustophoretic device comprising an acoustic chamber, an ultrasonic transducer, and a reflector. The transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber. A voltage signal is sent to drive the ultrasonic transducer in a displacement profile that is a superposition of a combination of different mode shapes that are the same order of magnitude 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.

An ultrasonic transducer device including a substrate, an edge support structure connected to the substrate, and a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane includes a structural layer, a piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first electrode placed on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer, wherein the first electrode is located at the center of the membrane, a second electrode placed on the first surface of the piezoelectric layer, wherein the second electrode is a patterned electrode comprising more than one electrode components that are electrically coupled, and a third electrode coupled to the second surface of the piezoelectric layer and electrically coupled to ground.

An ultrasonic transducer array including a substrate, a membrane overlying the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, and a plurality of anchors connected to the substrate and connected to the membrane. The membrane includes a piezoelectric layer, a plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of second electrodes, wherein each ultrasonic transducer of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers includes at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode. The plurality of anchors includes a first anchor including a first electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one first electrode to control circuitry and a second anchor including a second electrical connection for electrically coupling at least one second electrode. The ultrasonic transducer array could be either a two-dimensional array or a one-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers.

A downhole ultrasonic transducer (10) used to transmit and/or receive ultrasonic waves in a hydrocarbon well where a fluid is present comprises: a metal housing (11) defining an internal cavity (12) isolated from the fluid of the hydrocarbon well (100) by a membrane wall (13) made of metal or metal alloy; a piezoelectric element (14) mounted inside the internal cavity (12), the piezoelectric element (14) having a front side (20) mechanically coupled on the membrane wall (13);

wherein: the internal cavity (12) is at a pressure unrelated to a hydrocarbon well pressure; a back side (21) of the piezoelectric element (14) is arranged to be free to oscillate in the internal cavity (12) so as to generate a high acoustic impedance mismatch between the piezoelectric element (14) and the internal cavity (12) at the back side (21) and to maximize acoustic transmission at the front side (20); and a thickness (ei) of the membrane wall (13) is such that there is a common resonance between the membrane wall and the piezoelectric element thereby achieving high acoustic transmission through the membrane wall (13), and such that the membrane wall (13) is suitable to resist to the hydrocarbon well pressure.