Ultrasound transducer array probe for intraluminal imaging catheter
First Claim
1. An ultrasound transducer array probe for an imaging catheter, the probe being generally cylindrical and defining an interior direction towards an axis and an exterior direction away from the axis, the probe comprising:
- a flexible circuit substrate having connecting means to physically and electrically receive a plurality of coaxial cables including at least some power supply cables, the flexible circuit substrate supporting two metal layers, each of the metal layers having traces thereon;
a plurality of micro-capacitor structures in electrical communication with at least some of the coaxial cables that are power supply cables;
a plurality of multiplexer/pre-amplifier integrated circuits in electrical communication with the micro-capacitor structures;
a piezoelectric layer comprising a plurality of ultrasound array elements in electrical communication with the integrated circuits, the electrical communication being through at least some of the traces on the metal layers; and
an acoustic backing layer acoustically engaged with the piezoelectric elements, the acoustic backing layer being interior with respect to the piezoelectric elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound transducer array probe for intraluminal ultrasound imaging is situated on a distal end of a catheter. The probe has a flex circuit that accepts terminations from a plurality of coaxial cables admitted through the catheter, and electrically conveys these signals to integrated circuits and an ultrasound array acoustic stack, preferably having seventy-two elements. The circuit has more than one layer of metal tracings to support complicated electrical interconnections. The acoustic stack preferably includes two quarter-wave matching layers and an acoustic backing layer composed of urethane, AIN3, tungsten trioxide, and micro-balloons. The flex circuit can be formed of two sections that are joined during manufacture.
122 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An ultrasound transducer array probe for an imaging catheter, the probe being generally cylindrical and defining an interior direction towards an axis and an exterior direction away from the axis, the probe comprising:
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a flexible circuit substrate having connecting means to physically and electrically receive a plurality of coaxial cables including at least some power supply cables, the flexible circuit substrate supporting two metal layers, each of the metal layers having traces thereon; a plurality of micro-capacitor structures in electrical communication with at least some of the coaxial cables that are power supply cables; a plurality of multiplexer/pre-amplifier integrated circuits in electrical communication with the micro-capacitor structures; a piezoelectric layer comprising a plurality of ultrasound array elements in electrical communication with the integrated circuits, the electrical communication being through at least some of the traces on the metal layers; and an acoustic backing layer acoustically engaged with the piezoelectric elements, the acoustic backing layer being interior with respect to the piezoelectric elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A composition of matter having utility as an acoustic backing layer comprising:
- a filled urethane compound having an acoustical impedance of between 2.5-6 Mrayl, wherein the urethane is filled with material selected from the class consisting of tungsten trioxide powder, micro-balloons, and combinations thereof.
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32. A composition of matter having utility as an acoustic backing layer comprising:
- a filled urethane compound having an acoustical impedance of between 2.5-6 Mrayl, wherein the compound is filled with tungsten trioxide powder, micro-balloons, and AIN3.
- View Dependent Claims (33)
Specification