Hand-held ultrasound imaging device and techniques

• US 20090216129A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imperium Partners Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Imperium Partners Group LLC
• Inventors: Lasser, Marvin E., Kula, John P., Lasser, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0825 for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties

Abstract

An acoustic imaging arrangement is disclosed including a longitudinal axis defining an imaging path; a source transducer configured and arranged for producing a beam of acoustic energy, the source transducer comprising a piezoelectric polymer-based material, the source transducer disposed along the imaging path; and at least one sensor disposed along the imaging path, the sensor constructed and arranged to produce electrical signals in response to acoustic energy incident thereon. Related methods are also described.

Claims

1. An acoustic imaging arrangement comprising:

a longitudinal axis defining an imaging path;

a source transducer configured and arranged for producing a beam of acoustic energy, the source transducer comprising a piezoelectric polymer-based material, the source transducer disposed along the imaging path; and

at least one sensor disposed along the imaging path, the sensor constructed and arranged to produce electrical signals in response to acoustic energy incident thereon.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a housing, and the source transducer, the at least one acoustic lens, and the at least one sensor are arranged within the housing.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein the housing contains a fluid which is transmissive to acoustic energy.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the fluid comprises water.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the polymer-based material comprises polyvinylidene difluoride.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the polymer-based material comprises a copolymer of polyvinylidene difluoride.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises a first end formed at least in part from a flexible material.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the at least one source transducer is located proximate to the first end.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, the arrangement further comprising at least one acoustic lens disposed along the imaging path constructed and arranged to focus acoustic energy upon the at least one sensor, the at least one source transducer is mounted to a surface of the at least one acoustic lens.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one source transducer emits a band of acoustic energy of about 2 MHz-6 MHz within a broader range of approximately 0.5 MHz-25 MHz.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises a plurality of acoustic lenses in the series along the imaging path.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the acoustic lenses are movably mounted within the housing such that their longitudinal position along the imaging path can be changed.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the arrangement does not include a beam splitter.

14. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric polymer-based material acts as both the source transducer and the sensor.

15. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one source transducer is provided with a non-planar shape that conforms to the shape of the object being imaged.

16. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an imaging array.

17. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the imaging array comprises a two-dimensional array of acoustic to electrical transducers which produce electrical signals in response to acoustic energy incident thereon.

18. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sheet of piezoelectric polymer-based material disposed along the imaging path.

19. The arrangement of claim 2, further comprising a second housing in signal communication with the first housing.

20. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the second housing contains at least one of:

a display and a mechanism for inputting commands to be sent to the first housing.

21. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein signals are transmitted between the first and second housing via a wired or wireless connection.

22. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a shear wave adapter provided at a first end of the housing.

23. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the arrangement is constructed to provide both A-scan and C-scan output.

24. The arrangement of claim 23, wherein the A-scan and C-scan output is provided simultaneously.

25. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing having a first and defining a first area; and

the source transducer defining a second area;

wherein the second area is larger than the first area; and

wherein the housing and the source transducer are relatively moveable.

26. A method of imaging a target using acoustic energy, the method comprising:

generating acoustic energy with a source transducer comprising a piezoelectric polymer-based material;

directing at least a portion of the beam of acoustic energy such that it is incident upon the target;

receiving at least a portion of the incident beam which has been reflected off or passed through the target onto at least one sensor; and

producing electrical signals in response to the acoustic energy received upon the at least one sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the source transducer generates acoustic energy emitting from the source transducer in opposing longitudinal directions therefrom, the emitted acoustic energy traveling toward the target in a first longitudinal direction, and toward the least one sensor in a second opposing longitudinal direction.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising disregarding electrical signals produced by the acoustic energy emitted in the second longitudinal direction and incident upon the least one sensor.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the acoustic energy is generated and received after being reflected off or passed through the target by the same piece of piezoelectric polymer-based material.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the polymer-based material comprises polyvinylidene difluoride.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the polymer-based material comprises a copolymer of polyvinylidene difluoride.

32. The method of claim 26, comprising producing output based on the electrical signals, and wirelessly transmitting the output to a remote location for at least one of observation and analysis.