Dual-mode piezocomposite ultrasonic transducer
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, said at least one therapeutic transducer element being one of a multiplicity of therapeutic transducer elements electrically connected in parallel to one another and having respective resonance frequencies different from one another so as to permit selective activation of said therapeutic transducer elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact, high power, dual mode, emitting and receiving ultrasound transducer and method for applying ultrasonic energy within a living subject and for monitoring the effects it induces in tissue comprises a set of piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements and a set of piezoelectric ceramic elements, bonded together. The polymeric transducer elements have electrodes enabling their use for low power diagnostic imaging interrogation of the tissue and the ceramic transducer elements have electrodes enabling their use for high power therapy applications.
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Citations
27 Claims
- 1. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, said at least one therapeutic transducer element being one of a multiplicity of therapeutic transducer elements electrically connected in parallel to one another and having respective resonance frequencies different from one another so as to permit selective activation of said therapeutic transducer elements.
- 13. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein said at least one therapeutic transducer element is one of a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements, said ceramic transducer elements being embedded in said imaging transducer element so that each of said ceramic transducer elements is spaced from the others of said ceramic transducer elements by said piezoelectric polymeric material.
- 17. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein said at least one imaging transducer element is one of a plurality of piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements, said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements being embedded in said therapeutic transducer element so that each of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements is spaced from the others of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements by said piezoelectric ceramic material.
- 21. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein said at least one imaging transducer element is one of a plurality of piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements and wherein said at least one therapeutic transducer element is one of a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements, said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements and said piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements being bonded to one another so that each of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements is spaced from the others of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements by one or more of piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements and so that each of said piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements is spaced from others of said piezoelectric ceramic transducer elements by one or more of said piezoelectric polymeric transducer elements.
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23. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein said at least one imaging transducer element includes a plurality of first finger parts and wherein said at least one therapeutic transducer element includes a plurality of second finger parts, said first finger parts and said second finger parts being interdigitated or interleaved with one another so that each of said first finger parts is partially spaced from the others of said first finger parts by one or more of said second finger parts and so that each of said second finger parts is partially spaced from others of said second finger parts by one or more of said first finger parts.
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24. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, one of said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element constituting a first transducer component made of a first material, the other of said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element constituting a second transducer component made of a second material, wherein said first transducer component includes a plurality of recesses, grooves, holes, cuts, dimples, or indentations filled with said second material.
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25. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein:
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said at least one imaging transducer elements and said at least one therapeutic transducer element constitute a dual-mode transducer module, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being electrically and acoustically independent of one another; said dual-mode transducer module includes at least one layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one layer of piezoelectric ceramic substantially overlapping in a direction of ultrasound propagation; and said layer of piezoelectric polymeric material and said layer of piezoelectric ceramic are mechanically held together by means of an open cell metallic foam structure that permits water flow and efficient cooling.
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- 26. An ultrasonic transducer device comprising at least one imaging transducer element made of a piezoelectric polymeric material and at least one therapeutic transducer element made of a piezoelectric ceramic material, said at least one imaging transducer element and said at least one therapeutic transducer element being bonded to one another, wherein said at least one imaging transducer elements and said at least one therapeutic transducer element are integral parts of a unitary transducer module, further comprising means in contact with said module for deforming said module to thereby alter a focal point of said at least one therapeutic transducer element, said means for deforming including at least one bladder member.
Specification