6155results about "Material analysis using sonic/ultrasonic/infrasonic waves" patented technology

Methods for manufacturing ultrasonic waveguides having improved velocity gain are disclosed. Additionally, methods for manufacturing ultrasonic medical devices including the ultrasonic waveguides are disclosed. Specifically, the ultrasonic waveguides comprises a first material having a higher acoustic impedance and a second material having a lower acoustic impedance.

A system for measuring a biological parameter, such as blood glucose, the system comprising the steps of directing laser pulses from a light guide into a body part consisting of soft tissue, such as the tip of a finger to produce a photoacoustic interaction. The resulting acoustic signal is detected by a transducer and analyzed to provide the desired parameter.

A system for measuring a biological parameter, such as blood glucose, the system comprising the steps of directing laser pulses from a light guide into a body part consisting of soft tissue, such as the tip of a finger to produce a photoacoustic interaction. The resulting acoustic signal is detected by a transducer and analyzed to provide the desired parameter.

Fabrication methods for capacitive-micromachined ultrasound transducers (“cMUT”) and cMUT imaging array systems are provided. cMUT devices fabricated from low process temperatures are also provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a process temperature can be less than approximately 300 degrees Celsius. A cMUT fabrication method generally comprises depositing and patterning materials on a substrate (400). The substrate (400) can be silicon, transparent, other materials. In an exemplary embodiment, multiple metal layers (405, 410, 415) can be deposited and patterned onto the substrate (400); several membrane layers (420, 435, 445) can be deposited over the multiple metal layers (405, 410, 415); and additional metal layers (425, 430) can be disposed within the several membrane layers (420, 435, 445). The second metal layer (410) is preferably resistant to etchants used to etch the third metal layer (415) when forming a cavity (447). Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

This invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer array for non-destructive imaging and inspection of materials, suitable for applications such as bio-medical imaging. According to the invention, the transducer has at least one electrode comprising an array of electrode elements, wherein the elements are not separated by a grooves or kerfs. The grooveless transducer design simplifies transducer construction and permits very high operating frequencies, and hence very high resolution. In one embodiment suitable for producing real-time high resolution 3-dimension images, the invention provides a hybrid transducer comprising two opposed electrodes, one electrode being a grooveless linear array and the second electrode being a grooved linear phased array.

The present invention comprises methods and systems that use acoustic radiation pressure.

To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in operation vibrated by an excitation assembly. Inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations of the flow tube are sensed by means of a sensor arrangement. To produce shear forces in the fluid, the flow tube is at least intermittently excited into torsional vibrations about a longitudinal flow-tube axis. An internal portion of the transducer, formed at least by the flow tube, an antivibrator, the sensor arrangement, and the excitation assembly and mounted at least on the inlet and outlet tube sections, has a centroid which is located inside the flow tube. The transducer is suitable for use in viscometers or Coriolis mass flowmeter-viscometers. In spite of using only a single straight flow tube, it is dynamically well balanced in operation, and the development of bending moments by the torsionally vibrating flow tube is largely prevented. This also effectively prevents the transducer case or the connected pipe from being excited into sympathetic vibration. Measurement signals representative of mass flow rate are readily distinguishable from measurement signals representative of viscosity, particularly if the sensors used for the viscosity measurement are also used for the mass flow measurement.

An FPC is constructed of two FPC branches, and a connection line that connects to a controller. Printed wiring of the connection line includes ten printed wires. The central four printed wires are signal reception wires, which are connected to two converters (sensors). Grounding wires are provided on both sides of the four signal reception wires. Two outer signal wires are provided adjacent to the grounding wires, respectively toward the outsides thereof. Further, two more grounding wires are provided adjacent to the outer signal wires, respectively on the outsides thereof. This construction results in shielding of all of the signal wires. This relationship is maintained in the FPC branches as well.

In embodiments of the present invention, a system and method of cytometry may include presenting a single sperm cell to at least one laser source configured to deliver light to the sperm cell in order to induce bond vibrations in the sperm cell DNA, and detecting the signature of the bond vibrations. The bond vibration signature is used to calculate a DNA content carried by the sperm cell which is used to identify the sperm cell as carrying an X-chromosome or Y-chromosome. Another system and method may include flowing cells past at least one QCL source one-by-one using a fluid handling system, delivering QCL light to a single cell to induce resonant mid-IR absorption by one or more analytes of the cell, and detecting, using a mid-infrared detection facility, the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light, wherein the transmitted mid-infrared wavelength light is used to identify a cell characteristic.

Multiple electrode element capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (“cMUT”) devices and fabrication methods are provided. A cMUT device generally comprises a top electrode disposed within a membrane, a bottom electrode disposed on a substrate, and a cavity between the membrane and the bottom electrode. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a plurality of electrode elements. The electrode elements can be positioned and energized to shape the membrane and efficiently transmit and receive ultrasonic energy, such as ultrasonic waves. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.

The transducer (1) has at least one at least temporarily vibrating flow tube (101) of predeterminable lumen for conducting a fluid. The flow tube (101) communicates with a connected pipe via an inlet tube section (103), ending in an inlet end, and an outlet tube section (104), ending in an outlet end, and in operation performs flexural vibrations about an axis of vibration joining the inlet and outlet ends. The flow tube (101) has at least one arcuate tube section (101c) of predeterminable three-dimensional shape which adjoins a straight tube segment (101a) on the inlet side and a straight tube segment (101b) on the outlet side. At least one stiffening element (111, 112) is fixed directly on or in close proximity to the arcuate tube segment (101c) to stabilize the three-dimensional shape. By means of the at least one stiffening element (111, 112), the cross sensitivity of the transducer (1) is greatly reduced, so that cross talks from pressure to mass flow signals are minimized and the accuracy of the transducer is improved.

The present invention provides a long-range, untethered, live, in-pipe inspection system that includes a self-propelled train having a plurality of modules; joint members for interconnecting adjacent modules, data collection components, and wireless communication components for transmitting collected data and receiving control messages. The module-train includes, generally, at least one, and preferably two drive modules, at least one power module and an electronics module. The train may additionally include at least one support module, which may be interposed between the power and electronics modules. In one embodiment of the invention, there are two drive modules, one at each terminal end of the train, two power modules, one adjacent to each drive module, two support modules, one adjacent to each power module, and one central electronics and computing module.

A method and apparatus for sensing and measuring stress waves. The method comprises the steps of: a.) sensing motion, where the motion comprises a stress wave component and a vibration component; b.) separating the stress wave component from the vibration component with a high pass filter to create a signal proportional to the stress wave; c.) amplifying the signal to create an amplified signal; d.) processing the amplified signal with a sample and hold peak detector over a predetermined interval of time to determine peaks of the amplified signal over said predetermined period of time; e.) creating an output signal proportional to the determined peaks of the amplified signal; and, f.) repeating steps d.) and e.). The invention also includes an apparatus for implementing the method of the invention.

A photoacoustic imaging apparatus is provided for medical or other imaging applications and also a method for calibrating this apparatus. The apparatus employs a sparse array of transducer elements and a reconstruction algorithm. Spatial calibration maps of the sparse array are used to optimize the reconstruction algorithm. The apparatus includes a laser producing a pulsed laser beam to illuminate a subject for imaging and generate photoacoustic waves. The transducers are fixedly mounted on a holder so as to form the sparse array. A photoacoustic (PA) waves are received by each transducer. The resultant analog signals from each transducer are amplified, filtered, and converted to digital signals in parallel by a data acquisition system which is operatively connected to a computer. The computer receives the digital signals and processes the digital signals by the algorithm based on iterative forward projection and back-projection in order to provide the image.

A triboelectric power system includes a triboelectric generator, a rechargeable energy storage unit and a power management circuit. The rechargeable energy storage unit is associated to the triboelectric generator. The power management circuit is configured to receive an input current from the triboelectric generator and to deliver an output current corresponding to the input current to the rechargeable battery so that the output current has a current direction and a voltage that will recharge the rechargeable battery.

A method for assaying a component of a localized region of interest in a body comprising: illuminating the region with at least one pulse of radiation having a wavelength at which the radiation is absorbed by the component to generate a change in an acoustic property of the region; transmitting ultrasound so that it is incident on the region; measuring at least one effect of the change on the incident ultrasound; using the measured at least one effect to determine an absorption coefficient for the radiation in the region; and using the determined absorption coefficient to determine concentration of the component in the region.

A system and method for controlling the heat of an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. In the presently preferred embodiments, the system and method controls the temperature of the transducer by changing operating system parameters based on feedback from temperature sensing elements placed in the transducer. The chosen mutable system parameters may be preset by the construction of the ultrasonic system, under the control of the ultrasonic system user, or a combination of the two. In several exemplary embodiments, the one or more mutable system parameters are altered by an amount proportionate to the difference between the current temperature and a preferred operating temperature. In another exemplary embodiment, the system switches to a lower power imaging mode when the temperature feedback indicates a threshold temperature has been reached.

A method of making a capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer cell is provided. The method includes providing a carrier substrate, where the carrier substrate comprises glass. The step of providing the glass substrate may include forming vias in the glass substrate. Further, the method includes providing a membrane such that at least one of the carrier substrate, or the membrane comprises support posts, where the support posts are configured to define a cavity depth. The method further includes bonding the membrane to the carrier substrate by using the support posts, where the carrier substrate, the membrane and the support posts define an acoustic cavity.

A method for locating gas leaks from underground gas pipelines in which a first acoustic sensor having a first signal output is positioned in ground disposed substantially above or at a distance from the underground gas pipeline. At least one second acoustic sensor having a second signal output is positioned in the ground at a plurality of locations substantially above the underground gas pipeline. The output signals from the acoustic sensors are measured for each location of the second acoustic sensor and the signals are adaptively filtered to remove common noise signal components. The statistical minima of these rms voltages are determined for both the first output signal and the adaptively filtered second output signals and the differences determined. The location of the second acoustic sensor corresponding to the largest positive said difference is the location closest to the leak site.

Apparatus is provided for calibrating a probe having a position sensor and an ultrasonic transducer. The apparatus includes a test fixture, which includes an ultrasonic target disposed therein at a known position. A computer is adapted to receive a position signal generated by the position sensor while the transducer is in alignment with the ultrasonic target, determine an orientation of the probe in a frame of reference of the test fixture, and determine calibration data for the probe responsive to the orientation of the probe.

An ultrasonic probe assembly comprises a housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a linear motor assembly, a swivel base, and an extension arm disposed therewithin. An imaging transducer is mounted on a free end of the extension arm and is specifically adapted to be moved along an arcuate path as a result of mechanical interconnection of the swivel base to the linear motor assembly. The swivel base upon which the extension arm is mounted is configured to be pivotable about a pivot axis oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal axis such that reciprocative motion of the linear motor assembly is converted in swiveling motion of the swivel base and oscillating translation of the transducer along an arcuate path such that the transducer axis is oriented generally perpendicularly relative to an anatomical structure having a convexly shaped outer surface.

An acoustic sensor for use in a downhole measurement tool is provided. The acoustic sensor includes a piezo-composite transducer element. In various exemplary embodiments, the acoustic sensor further includes a composite backing layer, at least one matching layer, and a barrier layer deployed at an outermost surface of the sensor. Exemplary embodiments of this invention may advantageously withstand the extreme temperatures, pressures, and mechanical shocks frequent in downhole environments and thus may exhibit improved reliability. Exemplary embodiment of this invention may further provide improved signal to noise characteristics. Methods for fabricating acoustic sensors and downhole measurement tools are also provided.

A method and system for measuring time variations of a response of a blood perfused fleshy medium to an external electromagnetic field is provided. The response of the medium to the external electromagnetic field can be a photo-acoustic signal, obtained in response to the exciting light, and / or impedance of the medium, in response to the applied ac electromagnetic field. Measurements of the time variations of the response of the medium are carried out when the condition of artificial kinetics is created and maintained over a certain time period by applying primary over-systolic pressure to a certain location at the medium with normal blood flow, so as to achieve a state of temporary blood flow cessation at the medium downstream of the certain location. When required, the control of the condition of the artificial kinetics can be further achieved by applying a perturbation of secondary pressure to the fleshy medium.

Ultrasound bulk wave transducers and bulk wave transducer arrays for wide band or multi frequency band operation, in which the bulk wave is radiated from a front surface and the transducer is mounted on a backing material with sufficiently high absorption that reflected waves in the backing material can be neglected. The transducer is formed of layers that include a high impedance section comprised of at least one piezoelectric layer covered with electrodes to form an electric port, and at least one additional elastic layer, with all of the layers of the high impedance section having substantially the same characteristic impedance to yield negligible reflection between the layers. The transducer further includes a load matching section comprised of a set of elastic layers for impedance matching between the high impedance section and the load material and, optionally, impedance matching layers between the high impedance section and the backing material for shaping the transducer frequency response. For multiband operation, the high impedance section includes multiple piezoelectric layers covered with electrodes to form multiple electric ports that can further be combined by electric parallel, anti-parallel, serial, or anti-serial galvanic coupling to form electric ports with selected frequency transfer functions. Each electric port may be separately transceiver-connected to obtain parallel, anti-parallel, serial or anti-serial port coupling for multi-band transmission, and extremely wide-band reception.

The embodiments of the present invention provide a CMUT array and method of fabricating the same. The CMUT array has CMUT elements individually or respectively addressable from a backside of a substrate on which the CMUT array is fabricated. In one embodiment, a CMUT array is formed on a front side of a very high conductivity silicon substrate. Through wafer trenches are etched into the substrate from the backside of the substrate to electrically isolate individual CMUT elements formed on the front side of the substrate. Electrodes are formed on the backside of the substrate to individually address the CMUT elements through the substrate.