Miniature, high efficiency dual frequency ultrasonic transducer with selectable beamwidth

• US 6,025,670 A
• Filed: 02/18/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cardiometrics, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Chechelski, Victor, Pao, Michael C., Barletta, Vincent A., Corl, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUDD, MARK OSBORNE
• Application Number:
  US09/025,540
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 310/334-337, 310/369
• US Class Current: 310/369
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• 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: B06B 1/0644 using a single piezoelectric element B06B1/0688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0655 of cylindrical shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

Ultrasonic transducer with a selectable beamwidth comprising a body of piezoelectric material in the form of an annulus having an outer diameter D and a thickness T. The body has proximal and distal generally planar parallel surfaces and a centrally disposed hole extending therethrough. The body has a cylindrical wall with a width W extending from the hole to the outer diameter. The transducer is capable of operating at low and high resonance frequencies with the low frequency resonance being determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio of D/T and the high frequency resonance being determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio of W/T.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer capable of operation at a low frequency resonance and at a high frequency resonance, comprising an annular body of piezoelectric material with an axially extending hole, an outer diameter D, a thickness T, and a width W extending from the hole to the outer diameter, the low frequency resonance being determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio D/T, and the high frequency resonance being determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio W/T.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the body has a generally cylindrical outer surface and generally planar proximal and distal end surfaces the hole extends in a direction perpendicular to the proximal and distal generally planar surfaces.

3. The transducer of claim 2 wherein the generally cylindrical outer surface and the hole are tapered.

4. The transducer of claim 3 wherein the distal surface has a diameter of approximately 10.2 mils, the proximal surface has a diameter of approximately 9.4 mils, and the thickness of the body is approximately 3.8 mils.

5. The transducer of claim 4 wherein the hole has a diameter of approximately 2.5 mils at the distal end surface and a diameter of approximately 3.3 mils at the proximal end surface.

6. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the low resonance frequency is approximately one-half of the high resonance frequency.

7. The transducer as in claim 6 wherein said low frequency resonance is at 6.5 MHz and the high frequency resonance is at 15.0 MHz.

8. The transducer of claim 7 wherein the transducer produces a beam having a width of approximately 60°

at the low frequency resonance and a width of approximately 30°

at the high frequency resonance.

9. The transducer of claim 1 wherein piezoelectric material has a high dielectric content, low aging characteristics, excellent coupling characteristics and a high strain constant.

10. The transducer of claim 9 wherein the piezoelectric material is EC-98.

11. A transducer assembly comprising a cylindrical tip of 0.018" or less in diameter and having an outwardly facing cup-shaped recess provided therein, an ultrasonic transducer formed of a piezoelectric material disposed in the recess, said body being in the form of an annulus having a centrally disposed hole extending therethrough and an outer diameter and proximal and distal parallel, generally planar surfaces and having a thickness of T extending from the proximal to the distal surfaces and a wall width of W extending from the outer margin of the hole to the outer diameter, adhesive means securing said body in said recess, a first conductor extending through the hole and being bonded to the distal surface, and a second conductor bonded to the proximal surface, the transducer being capable of operating at a low resonance frequency determined by the diameter D and an aspect ratio D/T and at a high resonance frequency determined by the thickness T and an aspect ratio W/T.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the aspect ratio W/T is equal to approximately 0.6.