Elevation steerable ultrasound transducer array

Claim 2

An ultrasonic transducer array comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction, said transducer elements arranged to form a cylindrically concave shape along the elevation direction for elevation steering; a plurality of azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; and a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 further comprising: a switching circuit coupled to the elevation electrodes to enable selected sets of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction via the elevation electrodes.

Claim 4

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction, said transducer elements comprising a relaxor ferroelectric, material; a focusing system coupled to the transducer elements and operative to focus ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction, said focusing system comprising a backing element shaped to hold the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; and a switching circuit coupled to the transducer elements, said switching circuit operative to enable selected sets of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction, said switching circuit cooperating with said focusing system to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction.

Claim 5

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction, said transducer elements comprising a relaxor ferroelectric, material; a focusing system coupled to the transducer elements and operative to focus ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction, said focusing system comprising a backing element shaped to hold the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; and a switching circuit coupled to the transducer elements, said switching circuit operative to enable selected sets of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction, said switching circuit cooperating with said focusing system to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 3 further comprising: a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; and a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 4 wherein the switching circuit comprises a voltage source and a plurality of switches, each switch interconnected between the voltage source and a respective one of the elevation electrodes, said voltage source providing a bias voltage to the transducer elements via the elevation electrodes when the respective switches are closed.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 4 wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of voltage sources, each voltage source supplying a respective bias voltage; and a plurality of switches, each switch interconnected between the voltage sources and a respective one of the elevation electrodes, said switches providing selected ones of the bias voltages to selected ones of the transducer elements via the elevation electrodes to enable and apodize the selected transducer elements.

Claim 9

An ultrasonic transducer/beamformer system comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction; a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction; a focusing system coupled to the transducer elements and operative to focus ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction, said focusing system comprising a backing element shaped to hold the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; a switching circuit coupled to the elevation electrodes, said switching circuit operative to activate selected adjacent ones of the elevation electrodes to enable sets of the transducer elements coupled to the selected elevation electrodes, and thereby to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction; and beamformer supplying beamforming signals to the azimuth electrodes, said beamforming signals effective to operate the transducer elements in both a two dimensional imaging mode and a three dimensional imaging mode without alteration of the beamforming signals.

Claim 10

An ultrasonic transducer/beamformer system comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction; a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction; a focusing system coupled to the transducer elements and operative to focus ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction, said focusing system comprising a backing element shaped to hold the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; a switching circuit coupled to the elevation electrodes, said switching circuit operative to activate selected adjacent ones of the elevation electrodes to enable sets of the transducer elements coupled to the selected elevation electrodes, and thereby to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction; and beamformer supplying beamforming signals to the azimuth electrodes, said beamforming signals effective to operate the transducer elements in both a two dimensional imaging mode and a three dimensional imaging mode without alteration of the beamforming signals.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 7 or 2 wherein the transducer elements comprise a relaxor ferroelectric material, and wherein the switching circuit comprises a voltage source and a plurality of switches, each switch interconnected between the voltage source and a respective one of the elevation electrodes, said voltage source providing a bias voltage to the transducer elements via the elevation electrodes when the respective switches are closed.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 7, 2 or 4 wherein each set of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction is associated with a plurality of adjacent elevation electrodes.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 9 further comprising a control circuit coupled to the switching circuit, said control circuit sequentially controlling the switching circuit to enable a plurality of said sets, each set associated with a respective elevation steering direction.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 7 or 2 wherein the transducer elements comprise a relaxor ferroelectric material; and wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of voltage sources, each voltage source supplying a respective bias voltage; and a plurality of switches, each switch interconnected between the voltage sources and a respective one of the elevation electrodes, said switches providing selected ones of the bias voltages to selected ones of the transducer elements via the elevation electrodes to enable and apodize the selected transducer elements.

Claim 15

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction; means for holding the transducer elements in a cylindrically concave shape along the elevation direction for elevation steering; and means for enabling selected ones of the transducer elements to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the selected transducer elements in the elevation direction.

Claim 16

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction; means for holding the transducer elements in a cylindrically concave shape along the elevation direction for elevation steering; and means for enabling selected ones of the transducer elements to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the selected transducer elements in the elevation direction.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 12 further comprising: a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevation direction; and a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 1 or 3 or 7 or 12 wherein the transducer elements comprise a relaxor ferroelectric material.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 14 wherein the transducer elements comprise a 1-3 composite array.

Claim 20

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction, said transducer elements comprising a relaxor ferroelectric material; a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction; means for holding the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; and means for activating selected adjacent ones of the elevation electrodes to enable the transducer elements coupled to the selected elevation electrodes and thereby to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction.

Claim 21

An ultrasonic transducer comprising: a plurality of transducer elements distributed in both an azimuth and an elevation direction, said transducer elements comprising a relaxor ferroelectric material; a plurality azimuth electrodes, each azimuth electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the elevational direction; a plurality of elevation electrodes, each elevation electrode coupled to a respective plurality of the transducer elements extending along the azimuth direction; means for holding the transducer elements in a concave shape along the elevation direction; and means for activating selected adjacent ones of the elevation electrodes to enable the transducer elements coupled to the selected elevation electrodes and thereby to steer ultrasonic energy radiated by the transducer elements in the elevation direction.