Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging Apparatus, Interface, Architecture, and Method of Manufacturing

• US 20140187960A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Corl, Paul Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 10,555,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/466
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• 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 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0207 Driving circuits specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0633 Cylindrical array
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental

Abstract

Sold-state intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly directed to compact and efficient circuit architectures and electrical interfaces for an ultrasound transducer array used in a solid-state IVUS system. In one embodiment, an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) device includes: a flexible elongate member; an ultrasound scanner assembly disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, the ultrasound scanner assembly including an ultrasound transducer array; an interface coupler disposed at a proximal portion of the flexible elongate member; and a cable disposed within and extending along a length of the flexible elongate member between the ultrasound scanner assembly and the interface coupler. The cable includes four conductors electrically coupling the ultrasound scanner assembly and the interface coupler.

Claims

1. An intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, comprising:

a flexible elongate member;

an ultrasound scanner assembly disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, the ultrasound scanner assembly including an ultrasound transducer array;

an interface coupler disposed at a proximal portion of the flexible elongate member; and

a cable disposed within and extending along a length of the flexible elongate member between the ultrasound scanner assembly and the interface coupler, the cable including four conductors electrically coupling the ultrasound scanner assembly and the interface coupler.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cable further comprises a ground shield.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the ground shield circumscribes at least one of the four conductors

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the four conductors is not circumscribed by the ground shield.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly further includes a logic device and a voltage divider.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the voltage divider is arranged to supply an operating voltage to the logic device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein a first pair of conductors of the four conductors is electrically coupled to the voltage divider, the first pair of conductors arranged to supply an input voltage to the voltage divider.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly further includes an amplifier electrically coupled to the first pair of conductors.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first pair of conductors is arranged to transmit a signal from the amplifier to the interface coupler.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly further includes an interface decoder electrically coupled to the first pair of conductors.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first pair of conductors is arranged to transmit a control signal from the interface coupler to the interface decoder.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the four conductors are arranged in a star quad configuration.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the four conductors are arranged to include a pair of balanced signal leads.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the four conductors are arranged to include a pair of unbalanced signal leads.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the pair of balanced signal leads are diagonally opposed to one another and wherein the pair of unbalanced signal leads are diagonally opposed to one another.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the four conductors are arranged to include two pairs of balanced signal leads.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly further includes a transducer control circuit, wherein the transducer control circuit is electrically coupled to the cable and the ultrasound transducer.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the ultrasound transducer and the transducer control circuit are electrically and physically coupled to a flex circuit.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a patient interface module (PIM) coupler coupled to a proximal portion of the flexible elongate member.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly includes:

a controller portion including a plurality of transducer control circuits, the controller portion disposed adjacent a proximal portion of the ultrasound scanner assembly;

a transducer portion including a plurality of ultrasound transducers, the transducer portion disposed adjacent a distal portion of the ultrasound scanner assembly; and

a transition portion disposed between the controller portion and the transducer portion.

21. The device of claim 20,

wherein the controller portion has a first longitudinal length,

wherein the transition portion has a second longitudinal length, and

wherein the second longitudinal length is less than or equal to the first longitudinal length.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the controller portion has a cross-sectional shape that is substantially circular.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of transducer control circuits includes at least nine transducer control circuits.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the plurality of transducer control circuits consists of nine transducer control circuits.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein one of the nine transducer control circuits is a master controller and the remaining eight transducer control circuits are slave controllers.

26. An ultrasound scanner assembly comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of ultrasound transducers disposed on the substrate in an annular configuration; and

a plurality of transducer control circuits disposed on the substrate, wherein a transducer control circuit of the plurality of transducer control circuits includes a first edge configured to interface with a second edge of an adjacent transducer control circuit of the plurality of transducer control circuits.

27. The scanner assembly of claim 26, wherein the first edge is configured to maintain an alignment between the transducer control circuit and the adjacent transducer control circuit.

28. The scanner assembly of claim 26, wherein the first edge includes a projection configured to align with a recess of the second edge and further includes a recess configured to align with a projection of the second edge.

29. A method of manufacturing an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, the method comprising:

providing a semiconductor device having a controller, a sacrificial region, and a reserved region;

removing a portion of the sacrificial region to define one or more recessed sections;

introducing a resilient material into the one or more recessed sections;

forming a circuit structure on the semiconductor device, the circuit structure contacting the resilient material and the controller such that the controller is electrically coupled to the circuit structure;

removing the resilient material from the circuit structure; and

attaching an ultrasound transducer to the circuit structure.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the removing of the resilient material from the circuit structure includes removing the sacrificial region of the semiconductor device from the circuit structure.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the forming of the circuit structure includes:

performing metallization on the semiconductor device to form interconnects; and

forming a pliable film on the semiconductor device, the pliable film joined to the interconnects.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the forming of the circuit structure further includes:

performing a second metallization on the pliable film to form a ground layer; and

depositing an outer insulator on the ground layer.

33. The method of claim 29,

wherein the recessing of the sacrificial region further forms an alignment structure;

and

wherein the attaching of the ultrasound transducer to the circuit structure is performed utilizing the alignment structure.