Ultrasonic imaging and energy delivery device and method
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Publication Number
US-11623243-B2
Publication Date
2023-04-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
An ultrasonic device includes a driving circuit to provide drive power, a first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves, the first transducer array being connected to receive power from the driving circuit, and a second transducer array to detect reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves incident on the device from a target and generate a signal based on those waves, the second transducer array being acoustically transmissive and disposed over the first transducer array such that the generated ultrasonic waves pass through the second transducer array. The second array is tuned to operate on top of the first. The functions of the two arrays may be reversed and the array tuned to operate with the first array receiving and the second array transmitting.
Core Innovation
An ultrasonic device includes a driving circuit, a first transducer array that generates ultrasonic waves toward a target, and a second transducer array disposed over the first transducer array. The second transducer array is acoustically transmissive such that ultrasonic waves generated by the first transducer array pass through the second transducer array, and it detects reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves traveling toward the ultrasonic device from the target and generates a signal based on the detected ultrasonic waves.
The device further includes receive electronics configured to process the signal generated by the second transducer array. The receive electronics are substantially acoustically transparent and disposed between the first transducer array and the second transducer array. This stacked arrangement enables ultrasonic wave detection using an acoustically transmissive second transducer array while placing the receive electronics in an acoustically transparent location between the two arrays.
A method is provided for conducting ultrasonic therapy or ultrasonic imaging using the ultrasonic device. The method includes disposing the acoustically transmissive second transducer array over the first transducer array so ultrasonic waves generated by the first transducer array substantially pass through the second transducer array, disposing receive electronics between the arrays, powering the first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves toward a target, detecting reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves with the second transducer array, generating a signal and processing it with the receive electronics.
The method includes creating a digital image of the target region based on the signal or determining a material property of the target based on the signal.
Claims Coverage
The provided material describes two independent claims: one for an ultrasonic device and one for a method for ultrasonic therapy or ultrasonic imaging. The independent claim inventive features focus on a stacked acoustically transmissive second transducer array, substantially acoustically transparent receive electronics positioned between arrays, detection of reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves, and signal processing for imaging or material-property determination.
Stacked acoustically transmissive receive array over transmit array
A first transducer array generates ultrasonic waves toward a target, and a second transducer array disposed over the first transducer array is acoustically transmissive such that generated ultrasonic waves pass through the second transducer array while the second transducer array detects reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves traveling toward the ultrasonic device from the target.
Receive electronics substantially acoustically transparent between arrays
Receive electronics are substantially acoustically transparent and disposed between the first transducer array and the second transducer array, and are configured to process the signal generated by the second transducer array.
Method using transmissive receive array and transparent receive electronics
The method disposes an acoustically transmissive second transducer array over a first transducer array such that ultrasonic waves generated by the first transducer array substantially pass through the second transducer array, disposes receive electronics between the first transducer array and the second transducer array such that the receive electronics are substantially acoustically transparent, powers the first transducer array to generate ultrasonic waves toward a target, detects reflected or elicited ultrasonic waves with the second transducer array, generates a signal based on the detection, processes the signal with the receive electronics, and creates a digital image of the target region based on the signal or determines a material property of the target based on the signal.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage is the combination of a second transducer array disposed over the first transducer array and configured to be acoustically transmissive for pass-through of generated ultrasonic waves while detecting reflected or elicited waves, together with receive electronics disposed between the arrays that are substantially acoustically transparent for processing the detected signal, supporting creating a digital image or determining a material property.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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