Method of manufacturing an improved coupling of acoustic window and lens for medical ultrasound transducers

• US 6,182,341 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wilser, Walter T., Sliwa, John William Jr., Talbot, Jim, Shelley, Oren, Camacho, Marilou F., Ayter, Sevig
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US09/188,762
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 29/253.5, 361/816, 361/818, 361/800, 428/418, 174/35.R, 174/35.MS, 174/35.TS, 174/52.1, 600/459, 310/334-336
• US Class Current: 29/25.35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0082 Mechanical anchoring B29C66/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/14 by plasma treatment plasma tubes per se H01J
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/16 by wave energy or particle radiation , e.g. infrared heating B29C59/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

A method for improving the coupling of an acoustic window or lens to a RFI shield by modifying the surface of the shield to promote adhesion. The surface of the shield can be chemically modified with an epoxy and/or mechanically modified by creating an unsmooth top surface.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer having a shield for reducing radio frequency interference on the ultrasound transducer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an acoustic stack;

providing a shield substructure over a portion of said acoustic stack so that a top surface of said shield substructure faces an object to be imaged;

depositing a layer of epoxy on said top surface, said epoxy layer promoting adhesion with an adjacent covering to be subsequently added;

curing said layer of epoxy prior to providing the adjacent covering; and

providing the adjacent covering directly onto the cured epoxy layer adjacent to said top surface of said shield substructure.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of priming said top of said shield substructure with a liquid silane primer prior to depositing said layer of epoxy.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a low loss acoustic window.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said covering is a RTV silicone lens.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said shield substructure comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, and alloys thereof.

6. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer having a shield for reducing radio frequency interference on the ultrasound transducer, the method comprising the steps of

providing an acoustic stack;

providing a shield substructure over a portion of said acoustic stack so that a top surface of said shield substructure faces an object to be imaged;

depositing a layer of liquid silane primer on said top surface, said liquid silane layer promoting adhesion with an adjacent covering to be subsequently added; and

providing the adjacent covering directly onto the silane layer adjacent to said top surface of said shield substructure.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said covering is a low loss acoustic window.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein said covering is a RTV silicone lens.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein said shield substructure comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, and alloys thereof.