Amplifying ultrasonic waveguides

• US 8,033,173 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dukane IAS, LLC, Piezo Innovations
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Stegelmann, Norman R., Bromfield, George, McNichols, Patrick Sean, Ehlert, Thomas David
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Samir M
• Application Number:
  US11/301,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20070131034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 736/17, 735/87, 736/44, 367/151, 367/162, 367/176
• US Class Current: 73/644
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00964 composite
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22015 with details of the transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22018 segmented along its length
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators

Abstract

Ultrasonic waveguides having improved velocity gain are disclosed for use in ultrasonic medical devices. Specifically, the ultrasonic waveguides comprises a first material having a higher acoustic impedance and a second material having a lower acoustic impedance.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic waveguide comprising a hot isostatically pressed component body comprising a first material and a second material, wherein the first material has a higher acoustic impedance as compared to the second material, wherein the entire hot isostatically pressed component body has a substantially uniform cross-section.

2. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first material is a metal and the second material is a metal.

3. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of copper, gold, iron, molybdenum, nickel-copper alloy, nickel, platinum, steel, stainless steel, tungsten, and uranium.

4. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first material is tungsten.

5. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, beryllium, brass, cadmium, lead, magnesium, mercury, silver, tin, titanium, and zinc.

6. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second material is aluminum.

7. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 is capable of producing a velocity gain of from about 1.5 to about 6.0.

8. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 having an internal stress of less than about 1500 MPa.

9. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hot isostatically pressed component body comprises a microstructure characterized by isotropically random directional grain alignment.

10. The ultrasonic waveguide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first material is tungsten and the second material is aluminum.