A device for reducing foreign body response in a subject caused by an electrode implanted in a subject's tissue. A base is secured to the subject, having a base aperture in proximity to the target site. The base can receive and align a body thereon. A body contains a chamber extending between a chamber aperture, aligned with the base aperture, at one end and a chamber opening at an opposite end. The chamber contains an acoustic coupling medium, such as polyvinyl alcohol cryogel, transmits acoustic vibrations from a transducer without altering their frequency. The transducer is mounted to the device and is configured to transmit acoustic vibrations into the chamber and through said acoustic coupling medium to the subject tissue at the target site, creating an acoustic field in the target site sufficient to reduce foreign body response in the subject where the electrode contacts the target tissue.

An ultrasonic dry coupled wheel probe with radial transducers emit ultrasound in substantially all radial directions relative to a longitudinal axis. The probe does not require normalization and is efficient in directing ultrasound to a surface being inspected. The probe has a wheel composed of rubber or other materials for acoustically dry coupling the transducer to the surface. A first transducer is composed of a piezoelectric material so that the transducer receives an electrical signal, vibrates, and generates and transmits sound, such as ultrasound. Similarly, a second transducer receives sound such as ultrasound, vibrates, and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The transducer arrangement both transmits ultrasound to the surface and receives the reflection of the ultrasound from the surface. An acoustic barrier separates the transmitting component from the receiving component. The transducer has annular electroplates adjacent to the piezoelectric material. The two transducers can comprise a single, integrated transducer module.

A vibration structure is provided that includes a vibration member including a frame having a first opening, a vibrator disposed inside the first opening and having a second opening, and one or more supports that support the vibrator to the frame; and a piezoelectric member disposed inside the second opening and having a first end and a second end, and expanding and contracting in a first direction connecting the first end and the second end when voltage is applied. Moreover, a first part and a second part of a first connection member are provided that connect the first end of the piezoelectric member to the frame; and a first part and a second part of a second connection member are provided that connect the second end of the piezoelectric member to the vibrator. At least the first connection member is an elastic body.

The object of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic transducer for a measuring device capable of widening a frequency band suitable for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves while reducing the manufacturing cost. The ultrasonic transducer for a measuring device includes a substantially disc-shaped base material that serves too as an acoustic-matching layer and substantially disc-shaped piezoelectric element that is joined to the base material. The piezoelectric element is formed with grooves extending in the planar direction so that they do not cross one another, and the plurality of strip-shaped vibration units are arranged through the grooves. The length of the vibration unit becomes shorter as the distance from the center of the piezoelectric element increases. Then, the piezoelectric element vibrates in the thickness direction in the first-frequency band and vibrates in the radial direction in the second-frequency band, which is lower than the first-frequency band.

The present invention relates to an implantable ultrasonic transducer comprising a first device for generating ultrasound, a second device for receiving ultrasound, and a circuit board, wherein the device for generating ultrasound is formed from a piezoelectric polymer, which is integrated in the circuit board. The invention also relates to a medical device which can be introduced into the body and comprises an ultrasonic transducer of this type.

A tissue treatment catheter and system include a catheter shaft sized and shaped for delivery through a radial artery to a blood vessel of a patient. The catheter shaft has several lumens, including a guidewire lumen, a cable lumen, and one or more fluid lumens. A stiffening web extends from the guidewire lumen and is thicker than an outer wall of the catheter shaft. The tissue treatment catheter and system include an ultrasound transducer, a balloon surrounding the ultrasound transducer, and a single electrical cable electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer to deliver sufficient electrical energy during sonication to the transducer such that the transducer thermally induces modulation of neural fibers surrounding the blood vessel sufficient to improve a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to a diagnosed condition of the patient. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

An acoustic transducer, in particular for an ultrasonic sensor, is proposed. The acoustic transducer has a functional group, the functional group encompassing a diaphragm cup and at least one electroacoustic transducer element. The acoustic transducer furthermore has a housing. The diaphragm cup encompasses a vibration-capable diaphragm and an encircling wall, as well as at least one electroacoustic transducer element, the transducer element being embodied to excite the diaphragm to vibrate and/or to convert vibrations of the diaphragm into electrical signals. The diaphragm cup is constituted from a plastic material, the at least one transducer element being integrated into the vibration-capable diaphragm, the transducer element having an electrically active polymer.

A sound transducer, in particular, for an ultrasonic sensor, includes a functional group, the functional group including a diaphragm cup and at least one electroacoustic transducer element. The sound transducer also includes a housing. The diaphragm cup includes a vibratory diaphragm and a circumferential wall, and at least one electroacoustic transducer element, the transducer element being configured to stimulate the diaphragm to vibrate and/or to convert vibrations of the diaphragm into electrical signals. The diaphragm cup is formed from a plastic material, the at least one transducer element being integrated into the vibratory diaphragm, in particular without an additional adhesive layer, the transducer element including a piezoceramic element.

The object of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic transducer for a measuring device capable of widening a frequency band suitable for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves while reducing the manufacturing cost. The ultrasonic transducer for a measuring device includes a substantially disc-shaped base material that serves too as an acoustic-matching layer and substantially disc-shaped piezoelectric element that is joined to the base material. The piezoelectric element is formed with grooves extending in the planar direction so that they do not cross one another, and the plurality of strip-shaped vibration units are arranged through the grooves. The length of the vibration unit becomes shorter as the distance from the center of the piezoelectric element increases. Then, the piezoelectric element vibrates in the thickness direction in the first-frequency band and vibrates in the radial direction in the second-frequency band, which is lower than the first-frequency band.

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.