Ultrasound transducer for improving resolution in imaging system

• US 6,666,825 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lu, Xuan-Ming, Tea, Nim Hak, Rhyne, Theodore Lauer, Smith, Lowell Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/898,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20030032884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/443, 600/447, 600/459, 736/25--26, 736/31, 29/253.5, 310/334-336
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/485 involving measuring strain or elastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0421 Longitudinal waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/245 Ceramic probes, e.g. lead zirconate titanate [PZT] probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/06 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

An ultrasound transducer employs a silicon acoustic matching layer closest to the piezoelectric layer in order to achieve improved resolution. A silicon wafer, ground to an appropriate thickness, is included in the acoustic stack with other matching layer materials during transducer construction. The exact thickness is determined by the details of the design, but is nominally a quarter wavelength in the silicon.

Claims

1. An ultrasound transducer array comprising a multiplicity of elements, each of said elements comprising:

a layer (2) of piezoelectric material having a first metallized surface;

a first acoustic matching layer (26) adjacent said first metallized surface of said layer of piezoelectric material, wherein said first acoustic matching layer is comprised of silicon; and

a second acoustic matching layer (18) adjacent said first acoustic matching layer, wherein said second acoustic matching layer comprises material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer.

2. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second acoustic matching layer adjacent said first acoustic matching layer, wherein said second acoustic matching layer comprises material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer.

3. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third acoustic matching layer (20) adjacent said second acoustic matching layer, said third acoustic matching layer comprising material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said second acoustic matching layer.

4. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 3, wherein said third acoustic matching layer is comprised of Rexolite.

5. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 3, further comprising an acoustic lens adjacent said third acoustic matching layer.

6. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1 wherein said piezoelectric material comprises a ceramic.

7. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 6, wherein said ceramic comprises lead zirconate titanate.

8. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1, wherein said second acoustic matching layer is comprised of antimony-graphite composite material.

9. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1, wherein said layer of piezoelectric material includes a second metallized surface, and further comprising a mass of acoustic absorbing material adjacent said second metallized surface.

10. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 1, wherein said silicon has a single-crystal structure oriented so that said first acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance of about 19.6 Mrayls.

11. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer array, comprising the steps of:

(a) metallizing a surface of a piezoelectric layer;

(b) applying a first acoustic matching layer to said metallized surface of said layer of piezoelectric material to form a stack of layers;

(c) applying a second acoustic matching layer to said first acoustic matching layer so as to enlarge said stack;

(d) applying a third acoustic matching layer to said second acoustic matching layer so as to further enlarge said stack; and

(e) dicing said stack to form an array of separate elements, wherein said first acoustic matching layer comprises a silicon wafer, said second acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer, and said third acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said second acoustic matching layer.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said silicon wafer has a single-crystal structure oriented to have an impedance close to an optimum value for a Chebyshev bandshape and said first acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance of about 19.6 MRayls.

13. An ultrasound transducer array comprising a multiplicity of elements, each of said elements comprising:

a layer of piezoelectric material having first and second surfaces;

a first electrode electrically coupled to said first surface of said layer of piezoelectric material; and

a first acoustic matching layer having first and second surfaces, said second surface of said first acoustic matching layer being acoustically coupled to said first surface of said layer of piezoelectric material;

wherein said first acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance in the range of about 18.6 to 19.6 MRayls and is comprised of a non-composite material.

14. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 13, wherein said first acoustic matching layer comprises silicon.

15. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 14, wherein said silicon has a single-crystal structure oriented to have an impedance close to an optimum value for a Chebyshev bandshape and said first acoustic matching layer has an acoustic impedance of about 19.6 MRayls.

16. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 13, further comprising a second acoustic matching layer having first and second surfaces, said second surface of said second acoustic matching layer being acoustically coupled to said first surface of said first acoustic matching layer.

17. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 16, further comprising a third acoustic matching layer having first and second surfaces, said second surface of said third acoustic matching layer being acoustically coupled to said first surface of said second acoustic matching layer.

18. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 17, wherein said third acoustic matching layer comprises Rexolite.

19. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 17, further comprising an acoustic lens adjacent said third acoustic matching layer of said transducer elements.

20. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 16, wherein said piezoelectric material comprises a ceramic.

21. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 20, wherein said ceramic comprises lead zirconate titanate.

22. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 16, wherein said second acoustic matching layer comprises antimony-graphite composite materials.

23. The ultrasound transducer array as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a second electrode electrically coupled to said second surface of said layer of piezoelectric material; and

a mass of acoustic absorbing material acoustically coupled to said second surface of said layer of piezoelectric material.

24. A method of transmitting ultrasound we energy into human tissue, comprising the steps of:

electrically activating a layer (2) of piezoelectric ceramic material to generate ultrasound wave energy; and

passing said ultrasound wave energy through a first acoustic matching layer (26) adjacent to a metallized surface of said layer of piezoelectric material, wherein said first acoustic matching layer is comprised of silicon; and

passing said ultrasound wave energy through a second acoustic matching layer (18) adjacent said first acoustic matching layer, wherein said second acoustic matching layer comprises material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer.

25. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

an array (30) of transducer elements;

a beamformer (32) including a multiplicity of pursers (12) for activating said transmitter elements to transmit ultrasound wave energy and further including a multiplicity of receive channels for receiving electrical receive signals from said transducer elements generated in response to ultrasound wave energy returning to said transducer elements;

a signal processor (34) for processing said receive signals to form image data; and

a display subsystem (36, 38) for displaying an image which is a function of said image data,

wherein each of said transducer elements comprises;

a layer (2) of piezoelectric ceramic material having first and second surfaces;

an electrode (6) electrically coupled to said first surface of said layer of piezoelectric material;

a first acoustic matching layer (26) having first and second surfaces said second surface of said first acoustic matching layer being acoustically coupled to said first surface of said layer of piezoelectric ceramic material, wherein said acoustic matching layer is comprised of silicon; and

a second acoustic matching layer (18) adjacent said first acoustic matching layer, wherein said second acoustic matching layer comprises material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer.