Ultrasound Scanner Built with Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUTS)

• US 20100262014A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Achieva Medical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Kolo Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Achieva Medical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Yongli
• Application Number:
  US12/745,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262014A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/466
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0292 Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0651 of circular shape
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

Ultrasonic scanners and methods of manufacturing ultrasonic scanners. One embodiment of a method includes integrating a flexible electronic device (e.g. an IC) and a flexible ultrasonic transducer (e.g. a portion of a circular CMUT array) with a flexible member. The IC, the transducer, and the flexible member can form a flexible subassembly which is rolled up to form an ultrasonic scanner. The integration of the IC and the transducer can occur at the same time. In the alternative, the integration of the electronic device can occur before the integration of the transducer. Moreover, the integration of the transducer can include using a semiconductor technique. Furthermore, the rolled up subassembly can form a lumen or can be attached to a lumen. The method can include folding a portion of the flexible subassembly to form a forward looking transducer. The flexible member of some subassemblies can include a pair of arms.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a catheter-based medical device comprising:

integrating an electrical circuit with a flexible member;

integrating an ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member, the integrated electrical circuit, the ultrasonic transducer, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly;

shaping the flexible subassembly to be the ultrasonic scanner; and

attaching the ultrasonic scanner to the catheter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is flexible.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is flexible.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer on a device layer of a substrate before integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising forming a least a patterned opening through a device layer of a substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising forming the device layer with at least one embedded cavity.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising forming the device layer on a SOI wafer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising integrating the electronic device and the ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member at the same time.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrating the ultrasonic transducer includes using a semiconductor technique.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the shaped flexible member defines at least a portion of a lumen.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrating of the flexible transducer is from the side of the ultrasonic transducer which includes an active surface of the flexible ultrasonic transducer.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching the shaped flexible member to a lumen.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes at least one capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT).

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising folding a portion of the flexible member which hosts the flexible ultrasonic transducer wherein the folded portion of the flexible member and the flexible ultrasonic transducer form a forward looking ultrasonic transducer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes at least a portion of a circular CMUT array.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible member includes a pair of arms.

17. A catheter-based medical device comprising:

an electronic circuit;

an ultrasonic transducer;

a flexible member with the electronic circuit and the ultrasonic transducer integrated there with, the integrated electronic circuit, the ultrasonic transducer, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly, the flexible subassembly being shaped to be the ultrasonic scanner; and

a lumen to which the ultrasonic scanner is attached.

18. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the ultrasound transducer is a flexible ultrasound transducer.

19. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the shaped flexible subassembly defines a portion of a lumen.

20. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the flexible ultrasonic transducer includes a through wafer interconnect.

21. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the ultrasonic transducer includes at least one CMUT element.

22. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a CMUT array including at least two CMUT elements.

23. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 further comprising one of a temperature sensor or pressure sensor integrated with the flexible member.

24. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the ultrasonic transducer includes at least a portion of a circular CMUT array.

25. The catheter-based medical device of claim 17 wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a forward looking ultrasonic transducer.

26. A catheter-based medical device comprising:

an integrated circuit;

a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT); and

a flexible member with the integrated circuit and the CMUT integrated there with, the integrated circuit, the CMUT, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly, the flexible subassembly being shaped to function as an ultrasonic scanner and at least a portion of a lumen, the CMUT being positioned on the distal end of the ultrasonic scanner and being a forward looking ring shaped ultrasonic transducer.

27. A method of fabricating a catheter-based medical device comprising:

fabricating the semiconductor device on a substrate which defines a separation layer adjacent to the semiconductor device;

separating the semiconductor device from the substrate by forming a pattern of openings in the substrate, around the semiconductor device; and

to a depth sufficient to reach the separation layer;

integrating an electrical circuit with a flexible member;

integrating an ultrasonic transducer with the flexible member, the integrated electrical circuit, the ultrasonic transducer, and the flexible member being a flexible subassembly, wherein the semiconductor device includes at least one of the electrical circuit or the ultrasonic transducer;

shaping the flexible subassembly to be an ultrasonic scanner; and

attaching the ultrasonic scanner to the catheter.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the semiconductor device is selected from the group consisting of a CMUT element, a CMUT array, an integrated circuit (IC), or a combination thereof.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the separation layer defines an embedded cavity.