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Publication Number
US-12365007-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
An ultrasound transducer assembly includes a housing; a wedge-shaped acoustic modal convertor (AMC) in the housing with a first surface exposed by an opening in the housing, and a second surface that meets the first surface at a tip located in the housing, and extends from the tip at an angle into the housing, wherein the second surface has a recessed portion formed therein, wherein the second surface of the AMC is oriented at a specific oblique angle to the first surface of the AMC; and a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer disposed in the recessed portion of the second surface of the AMC, wherein the piezoelectric ultrasound transducer is connected to an electrically tuned circuit that resonates at a specific frequency and has a finite bandwidth.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly for bone fracture healing that uses a wedge-shaped acoustic modal convertor (AMC) having a recessed portion on a second surface. The second surface of the AMC is oriented at a specific oblique angle to the first surface, with a tip located in the housing and extending from the tip at an angle into the housing. A piezoelectric ultrasound transducer is disposed in the recessed portion of the second surface of the AMC and is connected to an electrically tuned circuit that resonates at a specific frequency and has a finite bandwidth.
The piezoelectric ultrasound transducer includes a back surface electroded with a metal plating in a uniform or elliptical pattern and protruding from the recessed portion. The protruding back surface is loaded with a material that controls a forward scattering amplitude and an absorption cross-section, and the front surface inside the recessed portion is also electroded. The front surface establishes a ground plane and includes a matching layer over the ground plane of one or more materials.
The disclosed acoustic concept is oriented toward bone fracture healing using oblique acoustic waves and a tuned resonant electrical signal with finite bandwidth. The document further characterizes delivery and performance using beam-nonuniformity ratio, mechanical index limits, tuned frequency ranges, and amplitude and phase coherence concepts for the transducer operation. The assembly is also described with verification and sensing concepts including measurement of transmitted acoustic power and detection of air bubbles to indicate non-transmission.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim includes inventive features centered on the mechanical AMC geometry with an oblique recessed surface, the tuned finite-bandwidth electrically resonant drive for a piezoelectric transducer, the electroding and loaded back-surface functionality controlling forward scattering amplitude and absorption cross-section, and the front-surface ground plane with a matching layer for tuned oblique acoustic-wave transmission designed for bone fracture healing.
Wedge-shaped acoustic modal convertor with oblique recessed surface
A housing includes a wedge-shaped acoustic modal convertor (AMC) with a first surface exposed by an opening in the housing and a second surface meeting the first surface at a tip located in the housing, wherein the second surface has a recessed portion and is oriented at a specific oblique angle to the first surface.
Recessed piezoelectric transducer with electrically tuned resonant circuit
A piezoelectric ultrasound transducer is disposed in the recessed portion of the second surface of the AMC and is connected to an electrically tuned circuit that resonates at a specific frequency and has a finite bandwidth.
Electroded back surface loading controlling scattering and absorption
The piezoelectric ultrasound transducer includes a back surface electroded with a metal plating in a uniform or elliptical pattern, protruding from the recessed portion and loaded with a material that controls a forward scattering amplitude and absorption cross-section, with a front surface inside the recessed portion also electroded.
Ground plane with matching layer for tuned oblique acoustic-wave transmission
The front surface establishes a ground plane and includes a matching layer over the ground plane of one or more materials, and the tuned piezoelectric ultrasound transducer transmits oblique acoustic waves of an electrical signal designed for bone fracture healing.
Across the independent claim, the core inventive coverage is an AMC/wedge geometry with an oblique recessed surface that positions a piezoelectric ultrasound transducer, where the transducer is driven by an electrically tuned finite-bandwidth resonant circuit and is configured with an electroded, loaded back surface and a front-side ground plane with a matching layer to enable tuned oblique acoustic-wave transmission for bone fracture healing. Dependent claims further constrain quantitative ultrasound delivery and performance metrics and add coupling/bubble sensing and beam-uniformity or electrode-pattern refinements.
Stated Advantages
Superiority over an FDA-approved device is described in the disclosed proof-of-concept animal torsional testing.
Documented Applications
Bone fracture healing using oblique acoustic waves transmitted by a tuned piezoelectric ultrasound transducer in a wedge-shaped AMC assembly.
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