Two-dimensional ultrasonic transducer array having transducer elements in a non-rectangular or hexagonal grid for medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging and ultrasound imaging system using same

• US 6,503,204 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Sumanaweera, Thilaka S., Dreschel, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/540,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/440-441, 600/443, 600/447, 600/459, 736/25--26
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8925 the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

Two-dimensional transducer arrays used for one-, two- and three-dimensional medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging. The transducer arrays have transducer elements that are arranged in a non-rectangular, and preferably hexagonal grid. In a preferred embodiment, the transducer array has hexagonally shaped transducer elements. The transducer arrays may be fabricated as single or multiple layer structures. Sparse transducer arrays may be fabricated in a hexagonal grid by connecting selected transducer elements to the imaging system. Also, the transducer array may comprise random, vernier and spiral arrays fabricated in a hexagonal grid.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic ultrasonic transducer array comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of transducer elements disposed in a non-rectangular grid on the substrate; and

a plurality of interconnections routed to the plurality of transducer elements;

wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize an arbitrary distribution pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

2. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein the non-rectangular grid of transducer elements is hexagonal.

3. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize a sparse transducer element pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

4. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein the transducer elements each have a hexagonal shape.

5. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

6. The transducer array recited in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of interconnected substrates that form a multiple layer transducer array.

7. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein all of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

8. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein randomly selected ones of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

9. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize a vernier transducer element pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

10. The transducer array recited in claim 2 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize a spiral transducer element pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

11. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein the transducer elements each have a hexagonal shape.

12. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

14. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein all of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

15. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein randomly selected ones of the transducer elements are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

16. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize a vernier transducer element pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

17. The transducer array recited in claim 1 wherein selected ones of the transducer elements that characterize a spiral transducer element pattern are electrically interconnected to an ultrasound system.

13. A medical diagnostic ultrasonic transducer array comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of transducer elements disposed in a non-rectangular grid on the substrate;

a plurality of interconnections routed to the plurality of transducer elements; and

a plurality of interconnected substrates that form multiple layers of transducers.

18. A medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a transducer array including a substrate having a plurality of transducer elements disposed in a non-rectangular grid on the substrate, and a plurality of interconnections routed to the plurality of transducer elements;

a transmit beamformer coupled to the transducer array;

imager electronics electrically coupled to the plurality of plurality of interconnections of the transducer array for generating an ultrasound image; and

a display coupled to the imager electronics for displaying an ultrasound image.

19. The imaging system recited in claim 18 wherein the non-rectangular grid of transducer elements is hexagonal.

20. The imaging system recited in claim 18 wherein the imager electronics comprises:

a receive beamformer coupled to the transducer array;

a filter block, comprising a fundamental band filter and harmonic band filter, coupled to the receive beamformer;

a signal processor, comprising a Doppler processor and a B mode processor, coupled to the filter block;

a scan converter coupled to outputs of the Doppler processor and B mode processor;

a three-dimensional reconstruction computer coupled to the scan converter; and

an image data storage coupled to the three-dimensional reconstruction computer.

21. The imaging system recited in claim 20 wherein the transducer array, the Doppler processor, and the B mode processor are coupled to the three-dimensional reconstruction computer, which receives data therefrom and reconstructs a three-dimensional image.

22. A method of fabricating a two-dimensional medical diagnostic ultrasonic transducer array comprising the steps of:

dicing a piezoelectric transducer substrate in three directions angled 120 degrees relative to each other to produce triangular posts; and

connecting six posts together using bumps of a flex circuit to form transducer elements that are hexagonal in shape.