Hex packed two dimensional ultrasonic transducer arrays
First Claim
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1. A two dimensional ultrasonic array transducer comprising:
- a plurality of rectilinear ultrasonic transducer elements exhibiting side faces which are substantially orthogonal to adjoining side faces, the elements extending in at least two dimensions and having top faces which define a transmitting surface, said elements being separately actuateable in said at least two dimensions, and wherein said elements are organized as a hexagonal packing of elements.
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Abstract
A two dimensional ultrasonic transducer array suitable for three dimensional phased array scanning is formed of hexagonally close packed transducer elements. In a preferred embodiment the transducer elements have a rectilinear shape, allowing the array to be fabricated with conventional dicing saw processes.
31 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A two dimensional ultrasonic array transducer comprising:
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a plurality of rectilinear ultrasonic transducer elements exhibiting side faces which are substantially orthogonal to adjoining side faces, the elements extending in at least two dimensions and having top faces which define a transmitting surface, said elements being separately actuateable in said at least two dimensions, and wherein said elements are organized as a hexagonal packing of elements. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 7, 16)
wherein said kerf cuts comprise straight line kerf cuts extending across said array in two orthogonal directions. -
16. The ultrasonic array transducer of claim 1 or 2, wherein said transducer elements are operated in the k31 mode.
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2. An ultrasonic array transducer for scanning three dimensional volumes comprising:
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a two dimensional array of a plurality of rows of rectilinear transducer elements exhibiting side faces which are substantially orthogonal to adjoining side faces, said elements being separately actuateable in said two dimensions, wherein odd-numbered rows are aligned with each other, even-numbered rows are aligned with each other, and adjacent rows are offset from each other. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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8. An ultrasonic array transducer for scanning a three dimensional volume comprising:
an array of piezoelectric transducer elements operating in the k31 mode and extending in at least two dimensions, ones of said elements being individually actuateable and forming a polygonal transducer aperture of six or more sides. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
- 13. A two dimensional ultrasonic array transducer comprising a plurality of rows of rectilinear transducer elements which are separately actuateable in said two dimensions and which exhibit side faces that are substantially orthogonal to adjoining side faces, the transducer elements in each row being staggered in position with respect to the transducer elements in adjacent rows, with the centers of two elements in one row and the center of an adjacent element in an adjacent row forming a plurality-of triangles extending in said two dimensions.
Specification