Ultrasound transducer devices and methods

Abstract

To provide an ultrasound transducer and a method.SOLUTION: An ultrasound transducer may include: a plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducer elements; and a base having a maximum dimension sized and shaped to be disposed within an external ear canal, the plurality of capacitive ultrasound transducers being mounted on the base. Each capacitive ultrasound transducer element and the ultrasound transducer are specifically constructed to achieve select desired performance characteristics. The ultrasound transducer may have an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of greater than 10 dB measured at a distance 12.5 mm to 25 mm along a primary transmission axis of the ultrasound transducer. The ultrasound transducer may be particularly useful for characterizing fluid behind an ear drum to diagnose otitis media.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 892,930, filed Aug. 28, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] The determination of the elasticity of a membrane or the viscosity of a fluid can be of interest in various fields, including medical diagnosis, medical imaging, manufacturing quality control, food property evaluation, industrial process analysis, etc. In many of these applications, it can be beneficial to use small - sized air - coupled transducers to measure reflected ultrasonic signals. However, the small size can pose significant challenges to transducer performance.

[0003] In embodiments, it can be beneficial to characterize the fluid adjacent to a biological membrane. Physical access to the biological membrane can be limited. In addition, a coupling gel may not be feasible to use on certain biological membranes. In view of the above, improved systems, devices, and methods for small - form - factor air - coupled ultrasonic devices are desired.

[0004] This application may be related to co - owned U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2018 / 0310917 and 2017 / 0014053, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0005] The following references, namely, U.S. Patent Nos. 7,545,075, 8,531,919, 9,925,561, 9,925,561, 7,545,075, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2014 / 0265720, 2010 / 0173437, 2014 / 0265720, and 2012 / 0068571, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be of interest.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] Conventional ultrasonic transducers may have an acoustic impedance between a material such as air and the transducer that involves a significant mismatch to the transducer and / or the material to be measured. Therefore, it may be necessary to use a coupling fluid in combination with the ultrasonic transducer to match the impedance of the material to be characterized. An air-coupled transducer device may thus be desired for certain applications. In an example, it may be desirable to use air-coupled ultrasound to characterize the fluid on the opposite side of the eardrum of the ear rather than filling the ear canal with an ultrasonic gel. Similarly, in this example, it may be simultaneously desirable to make the device smaller in order to reduce the scattering and loss of coherence of the ultrasound with air. One or more than one of sufficient strength, spatial coherence, low divergence, and / or phase stability, which can be difficult to obtain for air-coupled transducer devices and systems, may additionally be affected by making the transducer device smaller.

[0008] The present disclosure provides ultrasonic transducer elements, ultrasonic transducers, and systems and methods for their use and manufacture.

[0009] Disclosed herein is an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements and a base sized and shaped to be disposed within the ear canal, the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers being mounted on the base. The ultrasonic transducer has an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through a gaseous medium measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the ultrasonic transducer greater than 10 dB. The maximum dimension of the base can be less than 3 mm. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have a resonant frequency of 1.0 MHz to 3.0 MHz. Each capacitive ultrasonic transducer element can have a working surface with a diameter of 10 to 100 microns. The ultrasonic transducer can have an edge length of less than 1.5 mm. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can comprise at least 20 capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers can have an average capacitance of 2.5 pF to 10.0 pF. The ultrasonic transducer can be configured to be disposed within the otoscope of an otoscope. One or more of the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have a plurality of openings on the working surface of one or more of the transducer elements. The plurality of openings can be arranged in a circle with a diameter of at least 10 microns. The plurality of openings can comprise at least 3 emission holes per capacitive ultrasonic transducer element. The plurality of openings can be circular in shape. The plurality of openings can be curved in shape. The plurality of openings can comprise an emission slit with a slit width of at least 0.4 microns and a spring length of at least 2 microns. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements can be arranged on the base with a hexagonal closest packing structure. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements can be arranged on the base within a circular area with a diameter equal to the edge length. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements can be arranged on the base within a rectangular area with the longest side equal to the edge length.

[0010] The ultrasonic transducer can further include a plurality of pads, and the pads form a plurality of electrical contacts. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have an average cavity height of less than 1,500 nm. The ultrasonic transducer can have an 80% pull-in voltage of less than 85 V. The ultrasonic transducer can have a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 15 dB, measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer. The ultrasonic transducer can have a fractional bandwidth of greater than 10%. The ultrasonic transducer can have a projection intensity of about 10 Pa or greater, measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer. The ultrasonic transducer can have a frequency bandwidth of ±25% of the center frequency at the full width at half maximum.

[0011] Disclosed herein is an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements and a base sized and shaped to be disposed within the ear canal, the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements being mounted on the base. The ultrasonic transducer has a fractional bandwidth exceeding 10%, a projection intensity of about 10 Pa or greater, and a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 15 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm perpendicular to the primary transmission axis of the ultrasonic transducer. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have a resonant frequency of 1.0 MHz to 3.0 MHz. The ultrasonic transducer can have an average capacitance of 2.5 pF to 10.0 pF. The ultrasonic transducer can have a pull-in voltage of less than 85 V. The ultrasonic transducer can have an edge length of less than 1.5 mm. The ultrasonic transducer can have an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of less than 30 degrees and an attenuation loss through a gaseous medium of less than 45 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm perpendicular to the working surface of the transducer element. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can comprise at least 20 capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements. Each capacitive ultrasonic transducer element can have a device radius of 30 microns to 100 microns. The ultrasonic transducer can be configured to be disposed within an otoscope's viewing piece. One or more of the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have a plurality of openings on the working surface of one or more of the transducer elements. The plurality of openings can be arranged in a circle with a diameter greater than 5 microns. The plurality of openings can comprise at least 3 emission holes per capacitive ultrasonic transducer element. The plurality of openings can be circular in shape. The plurality of openings can be curved in shape. The plurality of openings can comprise an emission slit with a slit width of at least 0.4 microns and a spring length of at least 2 microns. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements can be arranged with a hexagonal closest packing structure.The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged within a circular area with a diameter equal to the edge length. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements can be arranged within a rectangular area with a longest side equal to the edge length. The ultrasonic transducer can further include a plurality of pads that form a plurality of electrical contacts. The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements can have an average cavity height of less than 1,500 nm. The ultrasonic transducer can have an 80% pull-in voltage of less than 85 V. The ultrasonic transducer can have a frequency bandwidth of ±25% of the center frequency at the full width at half maximum. What is disclosed herein is a system comprising a capacitive ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1-46 and an endoscope, wherein the capacitive ultrasonic transducer is arranged with the endoscope, and the endoscope is configured to be removably coupled to an otoscope. What is disclosed herein is a method of measuring a fluid, the method comprising providing a capacitive ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1-46, applying an air pressure load to the surface of the fluid, and observing a perturbation in a waveform reflected from the surface in response to the air pressure load using the capacitive ultrasonic transducer. What is disclosed herein is a method of characterizing a fluid, the method comprising providing an ultrasonic transducer and directing an ultrasonic beam generated by the ultrasonic transducer towards the surface of the fluid through a gaseous medium, wherein the fluid is at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm from the working surface of the ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic beam has an angular beam spread through the gaseous medium of more than 15 degrees, and the ultrasonic beam has an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of more than 10 dB.Disclosed herein is a method for characterizing a fluid behind the eardrum within the ear canal. The method includes receiving a set of data from an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer being disposed within the ear canal of a subject, the ultrasonic transducer having an edge length of less than 1.5 mm; determining from the set of data a first subset of data corresponding to a response to an air pressure load and a second subset of data corresponding to an unloaded data set; determining the viscosity of the fluid; and classifying the fluid.

[0012] Disclosed herein is a disposable otoscope and a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers disposed within the otoscope. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements form an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer being disposed within the otoscope tip, the ultrasonic transducer having an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through a gaseous medium measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer greater than 10 dB. The otoscope further includes a base having a maximum dimension of less than 2.5 mm, the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers being disposed on the base.

[0013] Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a fluid measurement device. The method includes forming a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements having a device radius of 10 microns to 100 microns on a wafer surface, the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements being arranged in a hexagonal closest packing structure, one or more of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements having a plurality of openings in a working surface of one or more of the transducer elements, the plurality of openings including 4 to 20 openings; cutting the wafer into a plurality of individual capacitive ultrasonic transducers; and mounting a single ultrasonic transducer within the otoscope tip of an otoscope. The method can further include removably coupling the otoscope tip to the otoscope. The present invention provides, for example, the following. (Item 1) An ultrasonic transducer, comprising a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements, a base having a maximum dimension sized and shaped to be disposed within the ear canal, the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers being mounted on the base, base and comprising the ultrasonic transducer having an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the ultrasonic transducer greater than 10 dB. Ultrasonic transducer. (Item 2) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the maximum dimension of the base is less than 3 mm. (Item 3) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements have a resonance frequency of 1.0 MHz to 3.0 MHz. (Item 4) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein each capacitive ultrasonic transducer element has a working surface with a diameter of 10 to 100 microns. (Item 5) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer has an edge length of less than 1.5 mm. (Item 6) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements comprise at least 20 capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements. (Item 7) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers have an average capacitance of 2.5 pF to 10.0 pF. (Item 8) The ultrasonic transducer according to Item 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to be disposed within an otoscope's examination lens. (Item 9) One or more than one of the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements has a plurality of openings within the working surface of one or more than one of the transducer elements, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 10) The plurality of openings are arranged in a circle with a diameter of at least 10 microns, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 9. (Item 11) The plurality of openings include at least three discharge holes per capacitive ultrasonic transducer element, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 9. (Item 12) The plurality of openings are circular in shape, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 9. (Item 13) The plurality of openings are curved in shape, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 9. (Item 14) The plurality of openings include a discharge slit with a slit width of at least 0.4 microns and a spring length of at least 2 microns, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 9. (Item 15) The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged on the base with a hexagonal closest packing structure, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 16) The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged on the base within a circular area with a diameter equal to the edge length, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 17) The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged on the base within a rectangular area with the longest side equal to the edge length, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 18) Further comprising a plurality of pads, the pads forming a plurality of electrical contacts, the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 19) The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements have an average cavity height of less than 1,500 nm, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 20) The ultrasonic transducer has an 80% pull-in voltage of less than 85 V, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 21) The ultrasonic transducer has a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 15 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 22) The ultrasonic transducer has a fractional bandwidth of more than 10%, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 23) The ultrasonic transducer has a projection intensity of about 10 Pa or more measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 24) The ultrasonic transducer has a frequency bandwidth of ±25% of the center frequency at the full width at half maximum, and the ultrasonic transducer according to item 1. (Item 25) An ultrasonic transducer, a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements, and a base having a maximum dimension sized and shaped to be disposed within the ear canal, and the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are mounted on the base, the base and comprising, the ultrasonic transducer has a fractional bandwidth of more than 10%, a projection intensity of about 10 Pa or more, and a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 15 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm perpendicular to the primary transmission axis of the ultrasonic transducer. Ultrasonic transducer. (Item 26) The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements are the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having a resonance frequency of 1.0 MHz to 3.0 MHz. (Item 27) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having an average capacitance of 2.5 pF to 10.0 pF. (Item 28) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having a pull-in voltage of less than 85 V. (Item 29) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having an edge length of less than 1.5 mm. (Item 30) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of less than 30 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium of less than 45 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm perpendicular to the working surface of the transducer element. (Item 31) The plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements are the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, comprising at least 20 capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements. (Item 32) Each capacitive ultrasonic transducer element is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having a device radius of 30 microns to 100 microns. (Item 33) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, configured to be disposed within the otoscope's viewing mirror. (Item 34) One or more of the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements have a plurality of openings within the working surface of one or more of the transducer elements, which is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25. (Item 35) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 34, wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in a circle with a diameter greater than 5 microns. (Item 36) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 34, wherein the plurality of openings include at least three emission holes per capacitive ultrasonic transducer element. (Item 37) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 34, wherein the plurality of openings are circular in shape. (Item 38) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 34, wherein the plurality of openings are curved in shape. (Item 39) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 34, wherein the plurality of openings have emission slits with a slit width of at least 0.4 microns and a spring length of at least 2 microns. (Item 40) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged with a hexagonal closest packing structure. (Item 41) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged within a circular area with a diameter equal to the edge length. (Item 42) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are arranged within a rectangular area with the longest side equal to the edge length. (Item 43) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, further comprising a plurality of pads, wherein the pads form a plurality of electrical contacts. (Item 44) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, wherein the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements have an average cavity height of less than 1,500 nm. (Item 45) The ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, wherein the ultrasonic transducer has an 80% pull-in voltage of less than 85V. (Item 46) The ultrasonic transducer is the ultrasonic transducer according to item 25, having a frequency bandwidth of ±25% of the center frequency at the full width at half maximum. (Item 47) A system comprising the capacitive ultrasonic transducer according to any one of items 1 - 46 and an endoscope, wherein the capacitive ultrasonic transducer is arranged together with the endoscope, and the endoscope is configured to be removably coupled to an otoscope. (Item 48) A method for measuring a fluid, the method comprising: providing a capacitive ultrasonic transducer according to any one of items 1 - 46; applying an air pressure load to the surface of the fluid; observing perturbations in a waveform reflected from the surface in response to the air pressure load using the capacitive ultrasonic transducer. The method includes. (Item 49) A method for characterizing a fluid, the method comprising: providing an ultrasonic transducer; directing an ultrasonic beam generated by the ultrasonic transducer towards the surface of the fluid through a gaseous medium, wherein the fluid is at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm from the working surface of the ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic beam has an angular beam spread through the gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees, and the ultrasonic beam has an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium greater than 10 dB. The method includes. (Item 50) A method for characterizing a fluid behind the eardrum in the ear canal, the method comprising: receiving a set of data from an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer being disposed within the ear canal of a subject, the ultrasonic transducer having an edge length of less than 1.5 mm. Determining a first subset of data corresponding to a response to an air pressure load and a second subset of data corresponding to a no-load data set from the set of data; Determining the viscosity of the fluid; Classifying the fluid A method comprising. (Item 51) An otoscope comprising A disposable examination mirror, A plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers disposed within the examination mirror, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements form an ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the tip of the examination mirror, and the ultrasonic transducer has an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees and an attenuation loss through the gaseous medium greater than 10 dB measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer. A plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers; A base, the base having a maximum dimension of less than 2.5 mm, and the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers being disposed on the base, the base An otoscope comprising. (Item 52) A method of manufacturing a fluid measurement device, the method comprising Forming a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements having a device radius of 10 microns to 100 microns on a wafer surface, the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements being arranged in a hexagonal closest-packed structure, and one or more of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements having a plurality of openings in a working surface of one or more of the transducer elements, the plurality of openings comprising 4 to 20 openings; Dicing the wafer into a plurality of individual capacitive ultrasonic transducers; Mounting a single ultrasonic transducer within an examination mirror of an otoscope A method comprising. (Item 53) The method of item 52, further comprising removably coupling the endoscope to the otoscope.

[0014] (Incorporation by reference) All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] The novel features of the present disclosure are described in detail in the appended claims. A further understanding of the features and advantages of the present disclosure will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description, which describes illustrative embodiments in which the principles of the present disclosure are utilized, and the accompanying drawings.

[0016]

Figure 1A

[0017]

Figure 1B

[0018]

Figure 2A

[0019]

Figure 2B

[0020]

Figure 3A

[0021]

Figure 3B

[0022]

Figure 4A

[0023]

Figure 4B

[0024]

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 5C

Figure 5D

[0025]

Figure 6A

[0026]

Figure 6B

[0027]

Figure 7A

[0028]

Figure 7B

[0029]

Figure 8

[0030]

Figure 9

[0031]

Figure 10

[0032]

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

[0033]

Figure 12

[0034]

Figure 13A

Figure 13B

Figure 13C

[0035]

Figure 14

[0036]

Figure 15

[0037]

Figure 16

[0038]

Figure 17

[0039]

Figure 18

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0040] Detailed Description Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an ultrasonic transducer. An exemplary ultrasonic transducer may include a plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements and a base, and the plurality of capacitive ultrasonic transducers are mounted on the base. The capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements may be a plurality of capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) elements. The cMUT may form an ultrasonic transducer configured to direct ultrasonic energy through air.

[0041] Each capacitive ultrasonic transducer element and the ultrasonic transducer may be specifically constructed to achieve a selected desired performance characteristic. For example, the base may be small. In some cases, the base may have a maximum dimension sized and shaped to be disposed within the ear canal. A plurality of capacitive ultrasonic elements including the transducer may be mounted on the base. The ultrasonic transducer may have an angular spread of its main lobe in a gaseous medium greater than 15 degrees. Further, the diverged ultrasonic wave may have an attenuation loss through a gaseous medium measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the ultrasonic transducer greater than 10 dB. The ultrasonic transducer may be particularly useful for characterizing the fluid behind the eardrum and diagnosing otitis media.

[0042] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer measures the dynamic displacement characteristics of a membrane or a surface adjacent to the membrane in response to an air pressure load on the membrane or the surface. The ultrasonic transducer transmits and receives ultrasonic energy through a medium such as air to a surface or membrane to be characterized. Thus, the ultrasonic energy may comprise a plane wave with a spatial extent sufficient to match the material to be characterized, which may be strong enough, and / or have sufficient phase stability across the spatial extent of the plane wave for measurement of the reflected phase to be measured.

[0043] Other design considerations may include size. For example, the base may be small. For example, the base may be small enough to be positioned within a body lumen such as the ear canal. The base may be mounted within an endoscope or other delivery device to be disposed within the body lumen. In some embodiments, the plurality of transducers mounted on the base are small enough to be disposed within the ear canal. In some embodiments, the base has a maximum dimension of less than 10 millimeters (mm), 3 mm, 1 mm, or less. In addition to small size, the ultrasonic transducer may be configured to direct an ultrasonic beam through a gaseous medium with an appropriate angular beam spread, attenuation, and / or loss of coherence.

[0044] In an embodiment, the material may be characterized by the application of a load displacement force, such as by an air puff, in parallel with the measurement of the reflected ultrasonic signal from the material. The material may be a membrane. The material may be the material under the membrane. In some cases, the membrane may provide a physically permeable barrier to the material to be characterized and may not significantly change the properties of the material on the opposite side of the membrane as seen by the ultrasonic transducer.

[0045] The transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used in combination with methods for characterizing ductile membranes, surfaces, and subsurface properties such as those described in commonly owned U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2018 / 0310917 and 2017 / 0014053, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention and the described embodiments. However, the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

[0047] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term "and / or" refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and is to be understood to encompass such combinations. Further, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", when used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0048] As used herein, the term "if" optionally, depending on the context, is interpreted to mean "when" the stated precondition is true, or "in response to" or "in response to determining" or "in accordance with the determination" or "in response to detecting" the stated precondition. Similarly, the phrases "if [it is determined that] the stated precondition is true", or "if the stated precondition is true", or "when the stated precondition is true" are optionally, depending on the context, interpreted to mean "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting" or "in accordance with the determination" or "in response to detecting" the stated precondition. Ultrasonic transducer

[0049] FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer element in a transmission mode according to some embodiments. In some cases, the ultrasonic transducer may be a capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT). Instead of a piezoelectric transducer, the cMUT can be driven by a change in capacitance between the working surface of the transducer, such as a membrane, plate, etc., and the substrate. The transmission waveform supplied to the transducer element by a digital processing device can be converted into an ultrasonic signal by the oscillation of the working surface. The working surface may be electrically connected to a first electrode. The substrate may be electrically connected to a second electrode. The transducer element may include a drive circuit that can control the capacitance of the transducer element, such as by applying a voltage or current between the first electrode and the second electrode. The applied voltage may include a voltage offset from system ground and a drive signal. The drive signal may include a voltage that varies with time according to a drive waveform. The drive waveform may be an analog output from a digital / analog converter in response to a digital signal from a digital processing device, as described elsewhere in this specification. The drive circuit may include additional components not shown, such as amplifiers, filters, mixers, etc. These additional components may themselves be analog or digital elements. In some embodiments, digital components, such as digital amplifiers, digital filters, or digital mixers, may be implemented by a digital processing device as described herein.

[0050] Figure 1B illustrates a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer element in a receiving mode according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the illustrated embodiment of Figure 1B is the same ultrasonic transducer as in Figure 1A. In other embodiments, individual transducer elements may be specifically configured as receiving elements and transmitting elements. The ultrasonic transducer of Figure 1B may comprise elements similar to the transducer of Figure 1A. For example, the ultrasonic transducer may be a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT). The transducer may be driven by a change in capacitance between the working surface of the transducer, such as a membrane, plate, etc., and the substrate. The received ultrasonic signal may be detected by the transducer element and supplied to a digital processing device. The received signal may be converted into an electrical signal by oscillation of the working surface that changes the capacitance of the transducer element. The working surface may be electrically connected to a first electrode. The substrate may be electrically connected to a second electrode. The transducer element may comprise a drive circuit that can detect a change in the capacitance of the transducer element, such as by detecting a change in voltage or current between the first electrode and the second electrode. The varying voltage or current may be instructed to a digital / analog converter to generate a digital signal that can be received by a digital processing device as described elsewhere in this specification. The drive circuit may comprise additional components not shown, such as amplifiers, filters, mixers, etc. These additional components may themselves be analog or digital elements. In some embodiments, digital components such as digital amplifiers, digital filters, or digital mixers may be implemented by a digital processing device as described herein.

[0051] FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cMUT transducer element according to some embodiments. The illustrated embodiment may be an embodiment, variation, or example of the transducer element of FIG. 1A or FIG. 1B. As shown, the transducer element 100 may include a substrate 102, a first isolation layer 104, a bottom electrode 106, a second isolation layer 108, a plate layer or top electrode 110, a pad contact 112, an oxide layer 114, and a hydrophobic protective layer 116.

[0052] In some cases, the substrate may be silicon, gallium nitride, silicon carbide, etc. The substrate can be single-crystalline or amorphous. The substrate may be single-side polished silicon. The substrate may be double-side polished silicon. The substrate may be glass. The substrate may be provided with a range of thicknesses. The substrate may have a thickness in the range of 200 microns to 5,000 microns. The substrate may have a thickness in the range of 650 microns to 700 microns. The substrate may have a thickness of about 675 microns. The substrate may be part of a wafer or carrier. The substrate may be part of a base.

[0053] The substrate may be electrically isolated from the drive circuit or the working surface of the transducer element. The substrate may be isolated by a first isolation layer. The first isolation layer may be made of silicon dioxide. The first isolation layer may be provided with a range of thicknesses. The first isolation layer may have a thickness in the range of 990 to 1,100 nanometers (nm). The first isolation layer may have a thickness of about 1,000 nm.

[0054] The transducer element may include a bottom electrode. The bottom electrode can be conductive. The bottom electrode may be made of titanium and aluminum. The bottom electrode may be made of TiAl or a similar material. The bottom electrode may be provided with a range of thicknesses. The bottom electrode may have a thickness in the range of 180 to 220 nm. The bottom electrode may have a thickness of about 200 nm. The bottom electrode may be electrically isolated from the substrate and the working surface of the transducer. The bottom electrode may be electrically connected to the drive circuit by an exposed electrical contact (e.g., a "pad").

[0055] The transducer element may comprise a second isolation layer that can isolate the bottom electrode from the working surface of the transducer element. The second isolation layer may additionally isolate the top electrode from the bottom electrode and the substrate. The second isolation layer may be made of silicon dioxide or a similar insulating material. The second isolation layer may comprise a plasma-enhanced oxide layer. The second isolation layer may be provided with a thickness range. The second isolation layer may have a thickness in the range of 180 - 220 nm. The second isolation layer may have a thickness of about 200 nm.

[0056] The transducer element may comprise a plate layer. The plate layer may be conductive. When the plate layer is conductive, the plate layer may be the top electrode. The plate layer may comprise the top electrode. The plate layer may be electrically connected to the top electrode. The plate layer may comprise the working surface of the transducer, which may be referred to as a film or a plate. The top electrode may be electrically connected to the drive circuit by an electrical contact (e.g., a "pad"). The plate layer may be provided with a thickness range. The plate layer may have a thickness in the range of 450 - 550 nm. The plate layer may have a thickness of about 500 nm. The plate may be made of titanium and aluminum. The plate layer may be made of TiAl or a similar material.

[0057] The plate layer may be temporarily separated from the second isolation layer by the sacrificial layer. The thickness of the sacrificial layer may be related to the height of the cavity between the working surface and the second sacrificial layer. The cavity may be formed with a range of heights. In some cases, the height of the cavity may exceed any height within a range defined by about 50 nm, 100 nm, 200 nm, 500 nm, 1,000 nm, 2,000 nm, or any two of the foregoing values. In some cases, the average cavity height may be less than about 1,500 nm, less than about 1,000 nm, or less. In some cases, the height of the cavity may be about 350 nm, about 850 nm, or about 1,100 nm.

[0058] The exposed surface of the cMUT may be coated with silicon dioxide or other suitable oxides having a thickness of 2 to 100 nanometers (nm). The exposed surface of the cMUT can be coated with silicon dioxide or other suitable oxides having a thickness greater than 100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 nm. The exposed surface of the cMUT can be coated with silicon dioxide or other suitable oxides having a thickness less than 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 nm.

[0059] The exposed surface of the cMUT may be coated with a hydrophobic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene or perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane having a thickness of 1 to 200 nm. The exposed surface of the cMUT can be coated with a hydrophobic material having a thickness of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, or greater than 200 nm.The exposed surface of the cMUT can be coated with a hydrophobic material having a thickness of 200, 199, 198, 197, 196, 195, 194, 193, 192, 191, 190, 189, 188, 187, 186, 185, 184, 183, 182, 181, 180, 179, 178, 177, 176, 175, 174, 173, 172, 171, 170, 169, 168, 167, 166, 165, 164, 163, 162, 161, 160, 159, 158, 157, 156, 155, 154, 153, 152, 151, 150, 149, 148, 147, 146, 145, 144, 143, 142, 141, 140, 139, 138, 137, 136, 135, 134, 133, 132, 131, 130, 129, 128, 127, 126, 125, 124, 123, 122, 121, 120, 119, 118, 117, 116, 115, 114, 113, 112, 111, 110, 109, 108, 107, 106, 105, 104, 103, 102, 101, 100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or less than 2 nm.

[0060] FIG. 2B illustrates a top view of a transducer element according to some embodiments. In some cases, the plate layer may comprise a circular working surface. The working surface can be circular within a 10% variation in diameter. In some cases, the working surface is polygonal. For example, the working surface may be hexagonal, octagonal, decagonal, dodecagonal, etc. The working surface may be provided with a diameter range. In some cases, the element has a working surface with a diameter ranging from 30 microns to 100 microns. The maximum dimension across the working surface of the transducer may be about 10 microns, about 20 microns, about 50 microns, 100 microns, about 200 microns, less than about 500 microns, or within a range defined by any two of the foregoing values.

[0061] The plate layer may comprise one or more holes or openings within the working surface of the transducer element. The release holes may facilitate movement of the working surface. The release holes may change the characteristics of the movement of the working surface, such as frequency, operating voltage, operating impedance, operating capacitance, etc. In some cases, the element comprises a plurality of openings in the working surface. In some cases, there may be at least about 2 holes, about 5 holes, about 10 holes, about 20 holes, about 50 holes, about 100 holes, or any number of holes within a range defined by any two of the foregoing values. In some cases, there may be at least 3 release holes per capacitive ultrasonic transducer element. In the illustrated embodiment, the transducer element has six round holes that are angularly and uniformly spaced on a 40-micron circle centered within the working surface of the transducer element.

[0062] The holes may be arranged in a regular geometric pattern within the surface of the transducer or may be irregularly spaced. In some cases, the holes are arranged in a circle. In some cases, the openings are arranged in a circle with a diameter greater than 5 microns. The holes may be angularly uniformly spaced within a circle with a diameter of about 5 microns, 10 microns, 20 microns, 50 microns, 100 microns, less than 200 microns, or any diameter within a range defined by any two of the foregoing values. The holes within the working surface may be round or may be cut as flaps. In some cases, the holes are cut as slits. In some cases, the openings are circular. In some cases, the openings are curved.

[0063] The slit-shaped opening may have a slit width. The flap may have a slit width and a spring length. The slit width may be any length of about 1 micron, about 2 microns, about 5 microns, about 10 microns, about 20 microns, about 50 microns, about 100 microns or less, or within a range defined by any two of the foregoing values. The spring length may be any length of about 0.2 microns, 0.5 microns, 1 micron, 2 microns, 5 microns, 10 microns, 20 microns or less, or within a range defined by any two of the foregoing values. In some cases, the opening may be formed as a release slit with a slit width of at least 0.4 microns and a spring length of at least 2 microns. In some cases, there are no etched holes on the working surface of the device. The size, shape, and placement of the holes within the working surface of the transducer element may adjust the bandwidth and sensitivity of the transducer element.

[0064] Figure 3A illustrates a schematic top view of an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements 301, according to some embodiments. The plurality of transducer elements 301 may be arranged together to form an ultrasonic transducer 300. The ultrasonic transducer 300 may comprise electrical connections 305 that can provide a controllable drive current or voltage to the top 303 and bottom electrodes 304 of each transducer element. The ultrasonic transducer may comprise a plurality of pads 303, 304, which form a plurality of electrical contacts. As shown, the top electrode of each transducer element may be electrically connected to one or more top drive pads 303. As shown, the bottom electrode of each transducer element may be electrically connected to one or more bottom drive pads 304. The bottom drive pads 304 and the top drive pads 303 may each be connected to a control circuit, such as a digital / analog converter, a digital processing device, etc., as discussed elsewhere in this specification.

[0065] The ultrasonic transducer may comprise from 10 to 1,000 transducer elements. In some cases, the ultrasonic transducer comprises from 50 to 200 transducer elements. The ultrasonic transducer may comprise about 10, about 20, about 50, about 100, about 200, more than about 500, or more transducer elements. The ultrasonic transducer may comprise about 80 transducer elements. In some cases, the ultrasonic transducer comprises at least 20 capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements.

[0066] The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements may be arranged in a pattern for forming an ultrasonic transducer. The pattern may be a regular pattern. The pattern may be an irregular pattern. The transducer elements may be arranged in a hexagonal closest packing structure. The transducer elements may be arranged in a rectangular closest packing array. The transducer elements may be arranged in a non-geometric pattern. The elements of the ultrasonic transducer may be arranged within a circular area with a diameter equal to the edge length. The elements of the ultrasonic transducer may be arranged within a rectangular area with the longest side equal to the edge length. The ultrasonic transducer may have a maximum dimension across the surface of the ultrasonic transducer. The maximum dimension may be the farthest distance between the farthest two working edges of the two farthest transducers in the array. The ultrasonic transducer may have a maximum dimension that can be, for example, less than about 1 mm, about 2 mm, about 5 mm, etc. The maximum dimension may provide a lower threshold for the minimum surface dimension of the base. Thus, the maximum dimension should be smaller than the diameter of the body lumen, such as the ear canal, in which the transducer can be placed.

[0067] The elements of the ultrasonic transducer may be electrically connected to each other by one or more conductors that connect an element to a second element. In some cases, each top electrode of each element may be connected to each other top electrode of the ultrasonic transducer. In some cases, each bottom electrode of each element may be connected to each other bottom electrode of the ultrasonic transducer. There may be a single electrical contact for the top electrodes of the ultrasonic transducer and a single electrical contact for the bottom electrodes. There may generally be two contacts for the generally wired top electrodes and two contacts for the generally wired bottom electrodes. In other cases, the elements may be electrically controlled independently or in groups. Each element or group of elements may be controlled by its own contact. In an embodiment, all the transducer elements are generally controlled using a single drive waveform.

[0068] When the upper and bottom electrodes are commonly connected, all or most of the elements of the transducer may operate in concert. For example, when a voltage is applied, all or most of the elements of the transducer may move synchronously. Elements on the outer edge of the transducer may exhibit a phase offset (e.g., may deflect either earlier or later than the element at the center of the transducer). In some cases, individual elements may exhibit a phase offset due to manufacturing irregularities. A transducer that operates closer to having its elements operate in the same phase may exhibit improved performance compared to a transducer that has its elements operate further from the same phase. Similarly, a transducer that has its elements operate with more similar amplitude deflections may exhibit improved performance.

[0069] Figure 3B is an image of ultrasonic transducer 300 on base 306 according to some embodiments. Base 306 may comprise a substrate as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, the substrate may be disposed on a carriage material and may be part of the base. Base 306 may enable mounting of an ultrasonic transducer on a device of the present disclosure. For example, base 306 may be mounted on the tip of inspection lens 307 as described elsewhere herein. Base 306 may comprise wiring, electrical connections such as VIAs (vertical interconnect access), necessary to conduct electrical signals from the ultrasonic transducer to a digital processing device. Base 306 may comprise wiring, electrical connections such as VIAs, necessary to conduct electrical signals to an analog front end that both drives the ultrasonic transducer to produce an acoustic output and listens to the ultrasonic transducer to capture acoustic echoes from an object / interface within the transducer's beam path. Base 306 may protect the ultrasonic transducer. Base 306 may stiffen and / or provide additional support to the substrate of the ultrasonic transducer. Base 306 may comprise a portion of the wafer on which the ultrasonic transducer was fabricated.

[0070] A transducer element and a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, each comprising a plurality of transducer elements, may be manufactured simultaneously. FIG. 4A is an image of a plurality of cMUTs 400 on a wafer 401 according to some embodiments. The ultrasonic transducers may be individually separated from the wafer by cutting the wafer (e.g., dicing) or by lift-off. FIG. 4B is an image of a plurality of cMUTs 400 after being separated from the wafer 401 according to some embodiments. As shown, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers may further comprise a portion of the wafer or a sacrificial material disposed on a wafer 402 that may assist in mounting the transducer. All or part of the base 403 may be manufactured on the wafer.

[0071] Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate a method 500 for manufacturing one or more cMUT elements according to some embodiments. In operation 502, a silicon wafer 503 may be provided. The silicon wafer 503 may be cleaned. The silicon wafer 503 may comprise a substrate as disclosed elsewhere herein. In operation 504, layers of a first isolation material 501 and a bottom electrode material 507 may each be deposited. A protection plate 505 may be placed over a portion of the bottom electrode material 507. Lithography for the bottom electrode 507 is shown. In operation 506, a second electrode material may be etched and a second isolation material 509 may be deposited on the surface. In operation 508, a first sacrificial layer 511 may be deposited. In operation 510, lithography for the sacrificial layer 511 is shown. A protection layer 513 may be placed over a portion of the sacrificial layer. In operation 512, a portion of the sacrificial layer may be etched, thereby initiating the structure of the sacrificial layer 511. In operation 514, a second sacrificial layer 513 may be added to the first one. The second layer may thereby form sloped sidewalls. In operation 516, lithography for the second sacrificial layer is shown. A protection layer 515 may be placed over a portion of the second sacrificial layer. In operation 518, a portion of the sacrificial layer 513 may be structured via plasma etching. In operation 520, a plate layer 517 may be deposited. In operation 522, lithography for the plate layer is shown. A protection layer 519 may be placed over a portion of the plate layer. In operation 524, a portion of the plate layer may be etched to structure the plate layer 517. In operation 526, lithography for the plate layer is shown. A protection mask 521 may be placed over the isolation material layer 509 and the plate layer 517. Also shown is an etching to open the contact pad 523 by etching the isolation material layer 509. In operation 528, deposition of a contact pad material 525 may be performed. In operation 530, lithography for the contact pad 523 is shown. A protection layer 527 may be applied over the contact pad 523.In operation 532, wet etching of the excess contact material is shown. In operation 534, lithography and plasma etching for the release holes 531 are shown using the protection mask 529. In operation 536, lithography and etching for the die cut lane 533 using the protection mask 535 are shown. In an optional operation 538, a lithography cover 537 for the die cut lane 533 is shown. In an optional operation 540, xenon difluoride etching of the sacrificial layer 513 is shown. In an optional operation 542, a thin oxide layer 541 is applied over all exposed surfaces using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In operation 544, either a physical vapor deposition process of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 543 or ALD of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) is applied over all exposed surfaces. The transducer element may be die cut along the die cut lane 533. Operation parameters

[0072] The ultrasonic transducers described herein generally have operation parameters such that ultrasonic energy can be transmitted and received through a gaseous medium such as air to a material or surface whose properties are to be evaluated. Thus, the ultrasonic energy delivered to the material or surface whose properties are to be evaluated may comprise a plane wave with a spatial extent sufficient to match the material whose properties are to be evaluated and which may be strong enough, and / or may have sufficient phase stability across the spatial extent of the plane wave for measurement of the reflection phase to be measured. Another consideration may be size. Intensity, spatial coherence, divergence, and phase may each be affected by making the device smaller.

[0073] An ultrasonic transducer may be electrically connected to a digital processing device as described herein. The digital processing device may control various aspects of the transducer element and the ultrasonic transducer as disclosed herein. For example, the system may include a digital processing device, an analog / digital converter, an analog “front end,” and a transducer. Sometimes, the system may further include a mechanical layer between the transducer and the object to be interrogated ultrasonically, such as a quarter-wavelength matching layer. The digital processing device may provide a drive waveform for the ultrasonic transducer. For example, the digital processing device may provide a drive waveform for the excitation device. For example, the digital processing device may receive from the transducer a waveform corresponding to the reflected ultrasonic signal from the device.

[0074] Communication between the transducer and the digital processing device may be mediated by a digital / analog converter (DAC). The ultrasonic transducer may have sufficient average capacitance and resistive voltage to couple to the DAC. For example, the capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer may be from 2.5 picofarads (pF) to 10.0 pF. For example, the capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer may be less than 50 pF, less than 20 pF, less than 10 pF, less than 5 pF, less than 2 pF, less than 1 pF, or any capacitance within the range given by any two of the foregoing values.

[0075] For example, the resistance of an ultrasonic transducer at a frequency of 0 to 10 kHz may be from 1 to 150 megaohms (MΩ). For example, the resistance of the ultrasonic transducer may be less than 10 MΩ, less than 5 MΩ, less than 2 MΩ, less than 1 MΩ, less than 0.5 MΩ, less than 0.2 MΩ, less than 0.1 MΩ, less than 0.05 MΩ, less than 0.02 MΩ, less than 0.01 MΩ, or any resistance within the range given by any two of the foregoing values.

[0076] The drive waveform may be electrically transmitted from the DAC to the ultrasonic transducer via the contact pads of the transducer. In cases where transducer elements are commonly connected to the same pads, the drive waveform may be transmitted via the pads to the top or bottom electrodes of each element. Each ultrasonic transducer element may respond to the drive waveform based on the physical characteristics of the element itself and the fidelity of the waveform transmitted to the transducer. Each element may transmit an ultrasonic signal in response to the drive waveform. The transducer may transmit an ultrasonic signal corresponding to the sum of the ultrasonic signals transmitted by the elements.

[0077] The application of voltage to each ultrasonic transducer element may deflect the working surface of the transducer element. In some cases, a bias voltage is maintained. In some cases, the bias voltage may not exceed the pull-in voltage. With sufficient voltage, the working surface may deflect to the bottom surface of the transducer cavity, which may damage the transducer. The ultrasonic waveform may be an oscillating voltage at a carrier frequency and may be generated by a second signal that enhances the bias voltage. When the duty cycle is low, the oscillating voltage may exceed the maximum pull-in, sometimes without consequences, together with the bias voltage. In some cases, a large oscillating voltage that is unipolar may be used. A unipolar oscillating voltage with bias may result in a lower net voltage.

[0078] The voltage may be within the operating range deliverable by the drive circuit of the ultrasonic transducer. For example, the ultrasonic transducer may have an 80% pull-in voltage of about 60V, less than 50V, or less than that. For example, the ultrasonic transducer may have an 80% pull-in voltage of less than about 45V.

[0079] The deflection degree per element per unit voltage may be controlled by the material of the plate layer, the thickness of the plate layer, the radius of the plate layer, the holes in the plate layer, the gap height below the plate layer, etc. The response time between voltage application and deflection may be affected by the distance between the transducer and the DAC, the frequency bandwidth of the transducer, etc.

[0080] The operating frequency of the cMUT can be varied using a drive circuit. However, the operable range of the operating frequency may be determined by the geometry and composition of the transducer element itself. For example, the operating frequency may be affected by the size of the working surface of the transducer element, the geometry of the release holes, the material used to form the individual elements, etc. Each transducer element may have a resonant frequency at which the transducer responds more. Each transducer element may also respond over a certain range of frequencies. The range of frequencies over which the ultrasonic transducer is operable can be referred to as the bandwidth.

[0081] The bandwidth of an ultrasonic transducer can be related to the response time of the transducer up to the application of a drive voltage. For example, in the case where the applied voltage is a square wave excitation. A transducer with a larger bandwidth can better reproduce the higher frequency components of the square wave, leading to a more square transmission waveform. The bandwidth of an ultrasonic transducer can be an important factor when constructing an air-coupled cMUT. In an embodiment, if the spread of the frequency components is too large, beating oscillation can result in a tail of the received signal. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer has a frequency bandwidth of ±5% of the center frequency at the full width at half maximum. In some cases, the bandwidth of the transducer may be characterized by frequency sweep measurement. In an embodiment, the specific bandwidth of the ultrasonic transducer can exceed 10%. The specific bandwidth of the ultrasonic transducer can be related to the range of frequencies that can be generated by the transducer. A transducer with a higher bandwidth can be tunable over a larger frequency band. The phase characteristics can impose functional upper and lower limits on the transducer frequency for a particular transducer configuration. In some cases, a high ultrasonic frequency can be correlated with a lower beam spread. The transducer of the present disclosure may have a center frequency of 1 MHz to 3 MHz. The transducer of the present disclosure may have a center frequency greater than 1 MHz. The transducer of the present disclosure may have a center frequency greater than 2 MHz.

[0082] A functional transducer can have sufficient reflection intensity in the transducer to measure the oscillation of the eardrum while remaining below the threshold for damaging the eardrum. In other cases, a functional transducer can have sufficient reflection intensity in the transducer to measure the oscillation of the surface to be characterized while remaining below the threshold for damaging the eardrum. A particular medium or the reflective surface itself can be more absorptive, for example. Significant ultrasonic absorption (e.g., tissue and air) can occur when there is a significant impedance mismatch between the reflective surface and the propagation medium. The intensity of the ultrasonic beam can be attenuated, for example, due to diffraction loss. The diffraction loss can be reduced with better phase coherence by the transmitted ultrasonic beam.

[0083] In addition, the intensity of the ultrasonic beam may be adjusted according to the application. For example, the intensity of the ultrasonic wave should be small enough so as not to pose a safety risk to the eardrum or the auditory mechanism. For example, the intensity of the ultrasonic wave should be large enough so that the reflected ultrasonic signal can be measured. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer has a projected peak acoustic pressure of about 40 Pa or less, or 20 Pa or less, measured at a distance of 15 mm from the transducer along the axis of the main lobe of the ultrasonic beam. The ultrasonic transducer can have a peak acoustic pressure of about 40 Pa to 250 Pa, measured at a distance of 25 mm from the transducer along the axis of the main lobe of the ultrasonic beam. The ultrasonic transducer can have a peak acoustic pressure of about 20 Pa to 120 Pa, measured at a distance of 12.5 mm from the transducer along the axis of the main lobe of the ultrasonic beam.

[0084] It may be advantageous for the ultrasonic transducer to be operable in an absorptive medium. For example, the transducer of the present disclosure may be operable when the diffraction loss can be 20 to 40 dB (round trip) with respect to a target at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm from the transducer along the axis of the main lobe of the ultrasonic beam. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer has an attenuation loss (round trip) through a gaseous medium of greater than 45 dB, measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm from the transducer along the axis of the main lobe of the ultrasonic beam.

[0085] It may be advantageous for the ultrasonic beam to diverge sufficiently to illuminate the target. Also, it may be advantageous for the ultrasonic transducer to be sufficiently narrow (directional) to avoid attenuation losses. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer may produce an angular beam spread through a gaseous medium of less than 15 degrees. In an embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer may produce an angular beam spread of 10 to 20 degrees with respect to a transducer edge length of 0.6 to 1.0 mm within a 1.2 to 1.8 MHz bandwidth. The angular beam spread may be affected by the phase characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer elements relative to each other. For example, diffraction losses may occur when one or more transducer elements are out of phase or partially out of phase with respect to the average of all the elements of the transducer.

[0086] It may be advantageous for the ultrasonic transducer to have a signal-to-noise ratio sufficient to detect the phase of the reflected waveform from the target tissue. The signal-to-noise ratio may decrease with an increase in the distance traveled by the ultrasonic waveform. For example, the detected signal may decrease due to losses through a gas-permeable medium. Such decreases can be due to diffraction, absorption, etc. For example, when the ultrasonic beam diverges, the detected reflected ultrasound can be similarly decreased. The devices disclosed herein may exhibit a signal-to-noise ratio (round trip) of greater than 30 dB, measured at a target distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm along the primary transmission axis of the transducer. Surface characteristic evaluation

[0087] The transducers described herein may be used to characterize surfaces and materials adjacent to the surfaces. The transducers can be configured to operate in many modes, such as any one of the following ultrasonic modes: namely, A-mode, B-mode, M-mode, or Doppler mode. The A-mode is the simplest type of ultrasound. The transducer scans a line through the target using echoes that are plotted on the screen as a function of depth. The B-mode requires a linear array of transducers that simultaneously scan a plane through a target that can be viewed as a two-dimensional image. In some embodiments, multiple transducer devices may be provided and arranged in a linear array for B-mode operation. The M-mode requires a high-speed sequence of A- or B-mode scans that are compiled into a plot to enable the user to view and measure the range of motion of the target. The Doppler mode utilizes the Doppler effect in measuring visible fluid flow. By calculating the frequency shift of the target volume, the velocity and direction can then be determined and graphically visualized using spectral Doppler as an image using either directional Doppler or non-directional power Doppler. In some embodiments, one or more of the transducer devices described herein may be placed adjacent to a moving object or fluid, such as a blood vessel with circulating blood therein, in Doppler mode to determine movement-related characteristics and / or properties.

[0088] In particular, referring to surface property evaluation, a low-frequency excitation source can generate movement of the surface or film over a certain interval. This interval can coincide with the acoustic wave delivered to the surface or film by an ultrasonic transmitter. This excitation can be continuous, pulsed, etc. The ultrasonic wave reflected from the surface may be received by a transducer. This transducer may be the same transducer that generated the incident acoustic wave. The displacement of the surface or film may be related to the phase change of the received signal when compared with the transmission signal. The movement of the film can affect the phase change. This displacement can vary with time. Analysis of the temporal displacement of the surface or film, as measured by the phase shift of the reflected ultrasonic wave in response to pneumatic excitation coupled to the surface or film, may be used to determine the mechanical properties of the surface or film, or the underlying material on the other side of the surface. This information may be used in combination with the temporal displacement measured from templates of other film responses to generate a comparison. This information may also be used in combination with other metrics associated with the delay and amplitude of the response of the surface or film to the low-frequency excitation source. The measured mechanical properties may include non-contact measurement of mechanical properties, and the fluid below the surface or film may be determined.

[0089] In some embodiments, the surface elasticity may be measured. The phase and / or amplitude of the reflected ultrasound may be analyzed to generate an elasticity metric. The elasticity measurement may characterize a series of measurements in response to an applied excitation. The elasticity metric may be derived from the surface response and may provide an indication of one or more of several different phenomena. For example, the elasticity metric may indicate whether the surface adjacent to the membrane has a gaseous boundary (in which case the reflection is from the membrane itself) or a fluid boundary (in which case the reflection is from both the membrane and the fluid adjacent to the membrane). In an example, the elasticity metric may indicate the extent or characteristics of the fluid with respect to characterizing the fluid behind the membrane-fluid boundary. In some examples, the elasticity metric may be used to measure the properties of an elastic fluid, regardless of the presence or absence of a hysteresis response. In a fluid with a hysteresis response, the fluid may exhibit an offset or “memory” of the displacement response such that the response behavior in one direction is only after a specific displacement distance has progressed, but is similar to the response behavior in the opposite direction. With respect to the hysteresis response, it may be necessary to characterize the linear behavior of the response after a specific measured displacement associated with the hysteresis of the system. The fluid elasticity metric may be determined from the characteristic response of the surface or membrane to surface excitation and reflected ultrasound characterization. Also, there may be an asymmetry in the response of the surface to a low-frequency stimulus. When the fluid in the underlying layer of the membrane exceeds its normal volume, the membrane is in an expanded state and may have less tendency to move in the direction towards the transducer compared to movement away from the transducer. In contrast, when the fluid in the underlying layer of the membrane is below its normal volume, the membrane is in a retracted state and may have less tendency to move in the direction away from the transducer compared to movement towards the transducer.

[0090] In some embodiments, the surface deflection may be estimated. For example, the estimated value of the surface deflection may be derived from the measured estimated values of the velocity, acceleration, or any other metric that is associated with the deflection over time. For example, the displacement of the surface may result in a shortened path from the transducer to the surface, and the reflected signal returning from the surface to the transducer will return with a phase shift. The phase shift of the reflected ultrasonic wave with respect to the excitation thus provides information about the amount of deflection. Using the estimated value of the force applied by the excitation, an estimated value of the elasticity of the membrane can be estimated.

[0091] In one example, the excitation is a step or impulse response with a rising edge, a falling edge, or an impulsive excitation. The impulsive excitation initiates the oscillatory deflection of the membrane. The reflected ultrasonic wave can be measured from the time of excitation through the decay period of the oscillation of the membrane. In some embodiments, the estimation of elasticity or viscosity may be performed by investigating the ring-down characteristics. For example, the ring-down characteristics may comprise at least one of an exponential decay time such as the decomposition of the response to the following ring-down characteristics, a ring cycle interval, or a frequency. φ(t)=e -t / τ cos(2π∫t) where φ(t) is the captured phase for a series of measurements, τ is the exponential decay coefficient, f is the ring cycle frequency, t is time.

[0092] The decay constant of the oscillator may relate to the energy lost from the membrane into the surrounding environment. In an example, when the membrane is adjacent to a fluid, the fluid may damp the oscillation of the membrane. The viscosity of the fluid may be related to the damping of the oscillator. The ring cycle frequency may be related to the restoring coefficient of the elastic membrane. The restoring coefficient may be related to the elasticity of the membrane. The restoring coefficient may be related to the viscosity of the fluid adjacent to the membrane. The ring cycle frequency may be higher as the viscosity of the fluid adjacent to the membrane is lower.

[0093] Each excitation event may initiate a new deflection of the membrane. For example, an impulse excitation may pull or push the membrane in or out over a limited time period. For example, a square wave excitation may pull or push the membrane in or out over a longer time. For example, a sine wave or other more complex excitation may be applied, and the observed ringdown in the transducer may be the cross-correlation of the excitation field with the response field. Use

[0094] Transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used to characterize various biological tissues and provide various findings indicative of medical diagnoses. The biological tissue may comprise a patient organ. The endoscope may position one or more transducers and be disposed within a body cavity to characterize the patient tissue. Once in position, the transducer may be operated in any of the modes described herein to characterize the patient tissue. The patient organ or body cavity may comprise, for example, the ear canal, muscle, tendon, mouth, tongue, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestine, anus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, nose, larynx, trachea, lungs, kidneys, bladder, urethra, uterus, vagina, ovaries, testes, prostate, heart, arteries, veins, spleen, gland, brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc.

[0095] In an example, the transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used to characterize animal or human organs such as the ear. For example, the transducer may be provided on an endoscope and positioned within the ear canal. An excitation generator may apply an impact pressure to the tympanic membrane, the transducer may direct ultrasonic waves at the tympanic membrane, and the reflected ultrasonic energy may be measured from the surface of the tympanic membrane. The phase change of the reflected ultrasonic waves during and / or after the application of non-contact excitation may be indicative of elasticity and may correlate to the type of fluid behind the tympanic membrane, for example, air indicating a healthy ear, a clear fluid indicating a viral infection, or an opaque fluid indicating a bacterial infection, as further described herein.

[0096] In another embodiment, the transducer, the transducer element, and methods of using and manufacturing the same may be used to characterize animal or human organs such as the eye. For example, the excitation generator may apply an impact pressure to the eye, the transducer may direct ultrasonic waves at the eye, and the reflected ultrasonic energy may be measured from the surface of the eye. The phase change of the reflected ultrasonic waves during and / or after removal of the non-contact excitation may exhibit elasticity that may correlate to the intraocular pressure for glaucoma measurement or diagnosis.

[0097] In another embodiment, the transducer, the transducer element, and methods of using and manufacturing the same may be used to characterize animal or human lungs. For example, audio sounds from the chest (e.g., at frequencies of, for example, 3 - 20 Hz) may be demodulated from the transducer. The transducer may be integrated into a stethoscope-like device that may be moved above the chest during "knock testing" (auscultation) to identify changes in the reflected ultrasonic waves where the transducer may indicate the presence of fluid (e.g., mucus or water) within the lungs. In some embodiments, a plurality of transducers or an array thereof may be provided and placed or worn on the chest. The phase change of the reflected ultrasonic waves during application may exhibit a change in fluid viscosity that may correlate to lung diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), etc.

[0098] Transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used, for example, to characterize food products. For example, an excitation generator may apply an impact pressure to the surface of a food product such as a vegetable or fruit, and ultrasonic energy may be applied to the food product to measure the time-dependent surface response of the vegetable or fruit and determine an elasticity or other physical property that may correlate to the ripeness of the vegetable or fruit. For example, the food product may be placed in a holder and the surface may be excited using a gas blow such as air, and the surface deflection response may be used to estimate ripeness or other properties. For example, the excitation may be a gas that can be delivered at supersonic speeds and / or at an angle of incidence to the surface of the food product, or one or more food products may be placed in a chamber having a variable pressure to measure a low-frequency surface response to pressure such as a deflection-to-pressure. For example, the excitation may be applied to one surface and the response, such as the measurement of a propagating surface wave or shear wave that travels through the item being characterized, may be measured on different surfaces of the same item.

[0099] Transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used to characterize industrial processes. For example, the small size of the transducers disclosed herein can be applied to any industrial process where larger transducers, other modalities such as ultrasound, or LIDAR are prohibited due to their large size. The high resolution achieved by the disclosed transducers in a short range, e.g., less than a range of 25 - 35 millimeters, with a movement of 10 - 20 micrometers (e.g., via Doppler integration), enables the present invention to be applied to numerous industrial processes where an analysis that does not physically touch the analyte is required. For example, an excitation generator may apply an impact pressure to the surface of a manufactured part to determine the consistency of a viscous fluid such as a lubricant, and ultrasonic energy may be applied to the part to measure the time-dependent surface response of the viscous fluid and determine an elasticity or other physical property that may correlate with the quality of the lubricant. The transducer may be used to measure the thickness of a paint by comparing the painted section of an object to the unpainted section. The transducer may be used to measure whether a painted object is dry by comparing the painted object to a similar object recently painted with the same paint. The transducer may be used as part of a manufacturing process to identify objects as part of counting the objects being manufactured. The transducer may be used to measure changes in the density or composition of an object by comparing the object that has undergone a process to the object before the process (e.g., cooked food, curing process, etc.). Other industrial examples may include distance measurement applications, ultrasonic transit time gas flow meters for measuring dynamic gas flows, wind measurement applications, and various other ultrasound-based sensing applications. Otoscope device

[0100] Transducers, transducer elements, and methods of their use and manufacture may be used to characterize the eardrum. For example, the membrane may be characterized to determine ear conditions such as acute otitis media (AOM). The characterization that the ear exhibits AOM may include detection of the presence of exudate and characterization of the type of exudate as one of serous, mucous, purulent, or a combination thereof. In AOM, middle ear effusion (MEE) can be induced by infectious agents, may be thin or serous in the presence of a viral infection, and may be thicker and purulent in the presence of a bacterial infection. Thus, determining the viscosity of the fluid adjacent to the eardrum can provide information that can be used to characterize the membrane.

[0101] FIG. 6A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the otoscope 650 disposed within the ear 651 according to some embodiments. FIG. 6B illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the otoscope 650 of the present disclosure according to some embodiments. Region 150 (shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6A) illustrates a cross-sectional view of the middle ear and the eardrum 130 of the subject being examined. The eardrum 130 may be interrogated by an ultrasonic beam 128 from an ultrasonic transducer. The transducer may be mounted on the inner surface of the otoscope tip 124. The otoscope tip may be removable from the otoscope 650 via the otoscope mounting adapter 126. The otoscope tip may be operably coupled to or include an excitation generator. In some cases, the excitation generator may generate a pressure excitation. In some cases, the excitation generator may generate a pressure excitation that is sonic, subsonic, or supersonic. The pressure excitation generated by the excitation generator may be an impact step or delta (impulse) generation, a sine wave pressure excitation, a square wave excitation, or any combination thereof, and the excitation may be gated burst or continuous. The pressure excitation may be provided with or without a static positive or negative pressure bias.

[0102] In some embodiments, the excitation generator generates a pressure excitation such as an air puff. For example, the otoscope-mounted adapter 126 and the examination tip 124 may have a common internal volume. The common internal volume may provide a coupling of the dynamic pressure from the excitation generator through the coupling 122 to the ear canal where the air pressure causes displacement of the eardrum 130. The excitation generator may generate pressure fluctuations that are coupled into the ear canal through the examination tip 126.

[0103] In some embodiments, the excitation generator may be an air displacement generator that generates an air bladder, alternating pressure, step pressure, or air puff that is operated by an operator to apply a force to a membrane or surface. The excitation generator output may be sealed to the peripheral region of the surface or unsealed using the blowing of a gas such as air or another suitable gas.

[0104] In some embodiments, the excitation generator may generate sonic excitation, subsonic excitation, or supersonic excitation. For example, the excitation generator may generate sub-audible frequencies below 20 Hz, audible frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, or ultra-audible frequencies above 20 kHz. In embodiments, the sonic excitation, subsonic excitation, or supersonic excitation may be generated by a piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer may convert an electrical signal into a physical displacement, which in turn can induce a pressure wave. In embodiments, the sonic excitation, subsonic excitation, or supersonic excitation may be generated by a cMUT transducer. In embodiments, an audio speaker with a voice coil actuator may be used to generate the excitation.

[0105] An ultrasonic transducer may be provided within the otoscope in addition to and distinct from the excitation generator. The ultrasonic transducer may comprise any transducer element or a variant, embodiment, or configuration of an ultrasonic transducer disclosed herein. In some cases, the ultrasonic transducer and the excitation generator may be the same element.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 6B, the otoscope may include a handle 601 for positioning the examination mirror 602. The otoscope may include a video display 603. The display may display an optical image of the membrane to be characterized to the user. The display 603 may show an ultrasonic image. The display 603 may provide a user interface for controlling various aspects of the analysis of the otoscope 650 and / or the ultrasonic data. The otoscope may include a built-in digital processing device, for example, within the handle 601 of the device. The otoscope may be connected to a remote device such as a server, remote memory, or remote processing device. The analysis of the ultrasonic data may be performed either built-in or remotely.

[0107] FIG. 7A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of an examination mirror 701 according to some embodiments. FIG. 7B illustrates a front cross-sectional view of the tip of an examination mirror 702 according to some embodiments. In some examples, the ultrasonic transducer 703 is disposed within the examination mirror 701. The examination mirror may be disposable. The examination mirror may include an ultrasonic transducer 703 disposed in the vicinity of the tip region 702 of the examination mirror 701. The examination mirror may include a lens assembly 704 that can assist in providing an optical image to the user and guiding the positioning of the ultrasonic transducer. In some examples, the ultrasonic transducer 703 may be at the center of the examination mirror, and as a result, optical sensing is performed around the ultrasonic transducer 704. The ultrasonic transducer may be supported by a mesh 705. The mesh 705 may enable the transmission of electrical signals to a digital processing device.

[0108] The ultrasonic transducers described herein may include a base 706. The base may be mounted within the otoscope via a plate 704. The plate 704 may enable the transducer to be centered or substantially centered within the opening of the otoscope. The plate 704 may be optically transparent. In an embodiment, the plate 704 is glass. The plate 704 may include one or more openings that may enable pressure excitation to be transmitted from the interior to the exterior of the otoscope tip. The plate 704 may include one or more conductive portions to enable a drive voltage and / or current to be supplied to the transducer. The plate 704 may include one or more insulating layers. The plate 704 may itself include conductive or insulating portions. The plate 704 may be insulating with conductive portions mounted thereon.

[0109] A method of using the ultrasonic transducer of the present disclosure may include providing an ultrasonic transducer, directing a tip of an otoscope within a lumen adjacent to a membrane, directing a perturbation toward a surface of the membrane, measuring a reflected ultrasonic signal from the surface of the membrane, and characterizing a viscosity or elasticity of the membrane in response to the perturbation and the reflected ultrasonic wave.

Example

[0110] (Example 1) Otoscope test data

[0111] Figures 8A and 8B show exemplary data traces showing pseudocolor contour plots of membrane motion in response to perturbations, according to some embodiments. Figure 8A shows distance versus time from the transducer on the axis, and the brightness of the display is the echo signal intensity. At a depth of about 13 mm, which is the eardrum, there is a bright echo. The bright echo at 5 mm depth is part of the ear canal. Figure 9A shows the pressure applied in a phasic pattern corresponding to the observed ultrasonic data (black) of Figure 8A in the ear canal as detected by a pressure sensor. The pressure axis is on the left side and the units are not normalized in this case. Figure 9A also contains the observed displacement of the eardrum when the right axis explains the gray displacement profile, and the units (microns) are not normalized in this case. Since the position scale of Figure 9A is greatly enlarged compared to Figure 8A, motion on the order of tens of microns is observed based on the applied low-frequency square wave pressure stimulus. Similarly, Figures 8B and 9B also show the correlation of eardrum displacement in response to the same square wave pressure perturbation.

[0112] Figures 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D show exemplary viscosity measurements for the membrane in the absence of middle ear effusion (MEE) and for various viscous effusions, according to some embodiments. Figure 10 shows a greatly enlarged time axis on a desktop model of the eardrum. In the four panels, it is observed that there are different oscillatory responses to a step change in pressure based on the ringing component frequency and duration. The panels progress from air to thin fluid, thick fluid, and "glue" ear. As shown, the increase in the decay term of the ringdown correlates with the increasing MEE viscosity. Also, as shown, the increasing frequency of the ringdown correlates with the decreasing MEE viscosity. In the case of acute otitis media (AOM), MEE can be induced by infectious agents. MEE can be thin or serous in the presence of a viral infection and thicker and purulent in the presence of a bacterial infection. Characterization of the type of effusion as serous, mucinous, purulent, or one of these combinations may be inferred based on the measured viscosity.

[0113] (Example 2) cMUT test data

[0114] The following comparative examples relate to variations in various design elements of the ultrasonic transducers and elements disclosed herein. The following are provided as only one example and are not intended to be limiting. The following shows a first set of comparative example specifications for cMUT elements (Table 1). In addition, the output specifications for the first comparative exemplary set are also shown (Table 2).

Table 1

[0115] The following shows a second set of comparative example specifications for cMUT elements.

Table 2-1

Table 2-2

[0116] The following shows a third set of comparative example specifications for cMUT elements.

Table 3

[0117] Figures 11A and 11B show top views of exemplary working surface designs for transducers according to some embodiments. For each of Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the working surface designs of Figure 11A were implemented and tested on separate wafers. Comparative Example 2 was implemented and tested on a first wafer and a second wafer so as to duplicate the experiment. No significant variations were found between the first wafer and the second wafer.

[0118] The columns of FIG. 11A show the processed and tested transducer working surface diameters (50 microns, 60 microns, and 70 microns). The rows show the discharge hole configurations processed for each working surface diameter. Exemplary discharge hole arrays include 6 holes equally spaced radially on a 42 micron ring centered on the working surface, 6 holes equally spaced radially on a 52 micron ring centered on the working surface, 6 holes equally spaced radially on a 62 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 42 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 52 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 62 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 16 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 30 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 34 micron ring centered on the working surface, 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 52 micron ring centered on the working surface, and 12 holes equally spaced radially on a 62 micron ring centered on the working surface.

[0119] The columns also include discharge slits. Exemplary discharge slit arrays include slits with a 0.8 micron width and 4 micron length, and slits with a 0.8 micron width and 8 micron length. In each of the illustrated embodiments, the slits may be located 4 microns radially inward from the edge of the working surface of the transducer.

[0120] Figures 12A and 12B show a table of tested exemplary ultrasonic transducer designs according to some embodiments, namely, Design I: 0.9 mm × 0.9 mm, Design II: 1.2 mm × 0.9 mm, Design III: 1.4 × 0.9 mm layouts. Figures 12A and 12B show the working surface designs tested for each ultrasonic transducer design. The shading indicates the internal characteristics of the cavity. The internal characteristics being tested include A: insulator inside the cavity, B: no insulator inside the cavity, C: 0.8 micron pillars inside the cavity. Figures 12A and 12B each show a single layout repeated several times for a single wafer, taking into account the variations across the surface of the wafer. The layout may be repeated on a single wafer 26.

[0121] Figures 13A, 13B, and 13C show schematic diagrams of ultrasonic transducer configurations tested for each diameter of the transducer element being tested according to some embodiments. The ultrasonic transducer designs include Design I: 0.9 mm × 0.9 mm, Design II: 1.2 mm × 0.9 mm, Design III: 1.4 × 0.9 mm. For each of Design I, Design II, and Design III, slight variations are shown for each transducer working surface diameter. For each design, electrical contact pads and electrical connections are shown. The electrical connections and pads to the upper electrode are shown in dark gray. The electrical connections and pads to the bottom electrode are shown in light gray.

[0122] Figure 13A shows three variations of a 0.9 mm × 0.9 mm ultrasonic transducer. In the first variation, 119 transducers with a 50 micron working surface diameter are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal close-packed structure. In the second variation, 85 transducers with a 60 micron working surface diameter are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal close-packed structure. In the third variation, 64 transducers with a 70 micron working surface diameter are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal close-packed structure.

[0123] Figure 13B shows three modified examples of a 1.2 mm × 0.9 mm ultrasonic transducer. In the first modified example, 146 transducers with a working surface diameter of 50 microns are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure. In the second modified example, 102 transducers with a working surface diameter of 60 microns are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure. In the third modified example, 79 transducers with a working surface diameter of 70 microns are arranged within a circular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure.

[0124] Figure 13B also shows a modified example of a 1.4 × 0.9 mm ultrasonic transducer. In the first modified example, 156 transducers with a working surface diameter of 50 microns are arranged within a rectangular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure. Figure 13C shows two more examples of a 1.4 × 0.9 mm ultrasonic transducer. In the second modified example, 110 transducers with a working surface diameter of 60 microns are arranged within a rectangular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure. In the third modified example, 85 transducers with a working surface diameter of 70 microns are arranged within a rectangular area with a hexagonal closest packing structure.

[0125] For each transducer of each copy of each layout of each wafer, "pass" or "no pass" is assigned based on the following parameters measured at the functional bias voltage. For example, the "pass" assignment may be based on the following table of measured frequency, capacitance, and resistance. [Table 4]

[0126] Figures 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, and 14F show plots of frequency sweep measurements of the phase and impedance of the ultrasonic transducers tested herein, according to some embodiments. The fractional bandwidth of the ultrasonic transducers can be extracted from the measurements of FIGS. 14A-14F. The frequency sweep measurements are performed at 80% of the pull-in voltage for the relevant ultrasonic transducers. The pull-in voltage can vary for each type of ultrasonic transducer being tested. FIG. 14A shows the frequency sweep measurement of the phase of a 50 micron transducer element. FIG. 14B shows the frequency sweep measurement of the impedance of a 50 micron transducer element. FIG. 14C shows the frequency sweep measurement of the phase of a 60 micron transducer element. FIG. 14D shows the frequency sweep measurement of the impedance of a 60 micron transducer element. FIG. 14E shows the frequency sweep measurement of the phase of a 70 micron transducer element. FIG. 14F shows the frequency sweep measurement of the impedance of a 70 micron transducer element. As shown, each ultrasonic transducer may have a characteristic resonant frequency. The bandwidth can also vary between each ultrasonic transducer.

[0127] Figures 15A and 15B show plots of normalized signal amplitude versus time and ultrasonic transducer dimensions using laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 15A, LDV may be used to confirm the functionality of each element of the ultrasonic transducer. These measurements may indicate that each transducer element, represented by the peak of the signal amplitude, is vibrating. The LDV measurements may also be used to determine various operating parameters of the ultrasonic transducer. Additionally, as shown in Figure 15B, LDV may be used to characterize the frequency and phase of each element within the ultrasonic transducer relative to each other. Figure 15B shows normalized signal amplitude versus time for a single transducer element. From these plots, the oscillation frequency of each element at a particular drive voltage may be measured. The phase of oscillation from each element may be compared to each other to analyze the spatial coherence of the transmitted ultrasonic waves.

[0128] Figures 16A and 16B show contour plots of beam spread and ultrasonic loss for a set of operable ultrasonic transducers according to some embodiments. The devices shown have an angular beam spread of 10 - 20 degrees for edge lengths of 0.6 - 1.0 mm within a 1.2 - 1.8 MHz bandwidth. Similarly, the diffraction loss is 20 - 40 dB, measured at distances of 12.5 mm - 25 mm perpendicular to the working surface of the transducer element.

[0129] Figure 16A shows the relationship between ultrasonic transducer edge length, center frequency, and beam spread. As shown, higher frequencies correlate with lower beam spreads, such as for larger ultrasonic transducer sizes. The size of the ear canal may impose a functional upper limit on the ultrasonic transducer size. The phase characteristics shown in Figures 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, and 14F may impose functional upper (and lower) limits on the transducer frequency for a particular transducer configuration. A functional transducer will have an ultrasonic beam in a membrane that is approximately the size of the membrane or smaller and should be characterized as such.

[0130] Figure 16B shows the relationship between ultrasonic transducer edge length, center frequency, and beam attenuation / diffraction loss. As shown, higher frequencies correlate with lower losses, such as for larger ultrasonic transducer sizes. The size of the ear canal can impose a functional upper limit on ultrasonic transducer size. The phase characteristics shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, and 14F can impose functional upper (and lower) limits on transducer frequency for a particular transducer configuration. A functional transducer will have sufficient reflection intensity at the transducer to measure oscillation of the tympanic membrane while remaining below the threshold for damaging the tympanic membrane.

[0131] Optimal transducers can be subject to multiple constraints. The beam "spot" size should not be too large (e.g., such that SNR is lost) or too small (e.g., such that sensitivity to targets and difficult aiming can occur). The spot size can be affected by frequency (lower frequencies can produce larger spots and higher frequencies can produce smaller spots). The spot size can be affected by transducer edge length (higher is for smaller spots and lower is for larger spots). There is a combination of these two parameters (frequency and edge length). The combination of these factors is shown in FIG. 16A.

[0132] In combination with adjusting the spot size, these factors can be related to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The higher losses in FIG. 16B relate to lower SNR. As shown, an improved transducer can operate near the 15-degree contour of FIG. 16A, for example, towards the upper right of FIG. 16B.

[0133] FIG. 17 shows a plot of signal-to-noise ratio versus distance for a set of operable ultrasonic transducers, according to some embodiments. As shown, the signal-to-noise ratio decreases with increasing distance traveled by the ultrasonic waveform for all ultrasonic transducer configurations. As shown, 50 and 60 micron transducers with larger diameter emission hole arrays have a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio. As shown, the device can exhibit a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 15 dB at 80-90% pull-in, measured at a distance of 12.5 mm to 25 mm perpendicular to the working surface of the transducer element. Digital processing device

[0134] In some embodiments, the imaging components, systems, and methods described herein include the use of a digital processing device or the same device. For example, a digital processing device may be used to control various aspects of the transducer elements and ultrasonic transducers described herein. For example, a digital processing device may be used to store ultrasonic waveforms transmitted or received, analyze received data, apply current and / or voltage to a transducer, convert an analog signal from a transducer to a digital signal, etc. For example, a measurement device such as an otoscope device may include a digital processing device built into the device. The digital processing device may control various aspects of the otoscope, such as controlling the operation of the ultrasonic transducer, analyzing data, transmitting data to a remote device, etc.

[0135] In further embodiments, the digital processing device includes one or more hardware central processing units (CPUs), general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs), or field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that execute the functions of the device. In still further embodiments, the digital processing device further comprises an operating system configured to execute executable instructions. In some embodiments, the digital processing device may optionally be connected to a computer network. In further embodiments, the digital processing device is optionally connected to the Internet to access the World Wide Web. In still further embodiments, the digital processing device is optionally connected to a cloud computing infrastructure. In other embodiments, the digital processing device is optionally connected to the Internet. In other embodiments, the digital processing device is optionally connected to a data storage device.

[0136] According to the description set forth herein, suitable digital processing devices include, by way of non-limiting example, server computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, subnotebook computers, netbook computers, netpad computers, set-top computers, media streaming devices, handheld computers, Internet appliances, mobile smartphones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, video game consoles, and vehicles. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many smartphones are suitable for use in the systems described herein. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that select televisions, video players, and digital music players with optional computer network connectivity are suitable for use in the systems described herein. Suitable tablet computers include those with convertible, slate, and booklet configurations known to those skilled in the art.

[0137] In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes an operating system configured to execute executable instructions. The operating system is software, including programs and data, that manages the device's hardware, for example, and provides services for the execution of applications.

[0138] In some embodiments, the device includes a storage device and / or a memory device. The storage device and / or the memory device are one or more physical devices used to store data or programs either temporarily or permanently. In some embodiments, the device is volatile memory and requires power to maintain the stored information. In some embodiments, the device is non-volatile memory and retains the stored information when the digital processing device is not powered. In further embodiments, the non-volatile memory comprises flash memory. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory comprises dynamic random access memory (DRAM). In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory comprises ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM (registered trademark)). In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory comprises phase change random access memory (PRAM). In other embodiments, the device is a storage device including, as non-limiting examples, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, magnetic disk drives, magnetic tape drives, optical disk drives, and cloud computing-based storage devices. In further embodiments, the storage device and / or the memory device are a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

[0139] In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes a display for sending visual information to the user. In some embodiments, the display is a cathode ray tube (CRT). In some embodiments, the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD). In further embodiments, the display is a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). In some embodiments, the display is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. In various further embodiments, the OLED display is a passive matrix OLED (PMOLED) or an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display. In some embodiments, the display is a plasma display. In other embodiments, the display is a video projector. In still further embodiments, the display is a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

[0140] In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes an input device for receiving information from the user. In some embodiments, the input device is a keyboard. In some embodiments, the input device is a pointing device including, as non-limiting examples, a mouse, trackball, trackpad, joystick, game controller, or stylus. In some embodiments, the input device is a touch screen or multi-touch screen. In other embodiments, the input device is a microphone for capturing voice or other audio input. In other embodiments, the input device is a video camera or other sensor for capturing motion or visual input. In further embodiments, the input device is a Kinect, Leap Motion, or the like. In still further embodiments, the input device is a combination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 18, in certain embodiments, an exemplary digital processing device 1801 is programmed or otherwise configured to control imaging components and / or instruments as described herein. The device 1801 may, for example, coordinate various aspects of the imaging components and / or instruments of the present disclosure, such as performing processing steps. In this embodiment, the digital processing device 1801 may include a central processing unit (CPU, also referred to herein as a “processor” and a “computer processor”) 1805, which may be a single-core or multi-core processor, or multiple processors for parallel processing. The digital processing device 1801 also includes a memory or memory location 1810 (e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), an electronic storage unit 1815 (e.g., hard disk), a communication interface 1820 (e.g., network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 1825 such as a cache, other memory, data storage devices, and / or an electronic display adapter. The memory 1810, storage unit 1815, interface 1820, and peripheral devices 1825 communicate with the CPU 1805 via a communication bus (solid lines), such as a motherboard. The storage unit 1815 may be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The digital processing device 1801 can be operably coupled to a computer network (“network”) 1830 using the communication interface 1820. The network 1830 can be the Internet, the Internet and / or an extranet, or an intranet and / or extranet that communicates with the Internet. The network 1830 can be a telecommunications and / or data network in some cases. The network 1830 can include one or more computer servers that enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing.In some cases, network 1830 can implement a peer-to-peer network using device 1801, enabling devices coupled to device 1801 to act as clients or servers.

[0142] Continuing to refer to FIG. 18, CPU 1805 can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location such as memory 1810. The instructions can be directed to CPU 1805, which can then program or otherwise configure CPU 1805 to implement the methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by CPU 1805 can include fetch, decode, execute, and write-back. CPU 1805 can be part of a circuit such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of device 1801 can be included within the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0143] Continuing to refer to FIG. 18, storage unit 1815 can store files such as drivers, libraries, and saved programs. Storage unit 1815 can store user data, such as user preferences and user programs. Digital processing device 1801 can include one or more additional data storage units external to it, such as located on a remote server communicating through an intranet or the Internet. Digital processing device 1801 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through network 1830. For example, device 1801 can communicate with a user's remote computer system.

[0144] Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers (e.g., portable PCs), slates or tablet PCs (e.g., Apple® iPad®, Samsung® Galaxy Tab, etc.), phones, smartphones (e.g., Apple® iPhone®, Android®-compatible devices, etc.), or personal digital assistants.

[0145] The methods as described herein can be implemented using, for example, machine (e.g., computer processor) executable code stored on an electronic storage location of a digital processing device 1801, such as on memory 1810 or electronic storage unit 1815. The machine executable or machine readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by processor 1805. In some cases, the code can be read from the storage unit 1815 and stored on memory 1810 for rapid access by processor 1805. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 1815 can be excluded and the machine executable instructions can be stored on memory 1810.

[0146] The digital processing device 1801 can include, or be in communication with, an electronic display 1835 that includes a user interface (UI) 1840. Examples of UIs include, but are not limited to, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and web-based user interfaces. In some cases, the electronic display 1835 can be connected to the computer system 1801 via a network, such as via network 1830.

[0147] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a program that includes instructions executable by an operating system of a networked digital processing device, optionally. In further embodiments, the computer-readable storage media are tangible components of the digital processing device. Still further, in some embodiments, the computer-readable storage media are optionally removable from the digital processing device. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage media include, by way of non-limiting example, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, solid state memories, magnetic disk drives, magnetic tape drives, optical disk drives, cloud computing systems and services, and the like. In some cases, the program and instructions are encoded on the media permanently, substantially permanently, semi-permanently, or non-transitorily.

[0148] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include at least one computer program or use of the same computer program. The computer program includes a sequence of instructions executable within a CPU of a digital processing device, written to perform a specified task. The computer-readable instructions may be implemented as program modules such as functions, objects, application programming interfaces (APIs), data structures, and the like that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the computer program may be written in various versions of various languages.

[0149] The functionality of the computer-readable instructions may be combined or distributed as desired in various environments. In some embodiments, the computer program comprises one sequence of instructions. In some embodiments, the computer program comprises multiple sequences of instructions. In some embodiments, the computer program is provided from one location. In other embodiments, the computer program is provided from multiple locations. In various embodiments, the computer program includes one or more software modules. In various embodiments, the computer program includes, in whole or in part, one or more web applications, one or more mobile applications, one or more stand-alone applications, one or more web browser plugins, extensions, add-ins, or add-ons, or combinations thereof.

[0150] In some embodiments, the computer program includes a web application. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that web applications utilize one or more software frameworks and one or more database systems in various embodiments. In some embodiments, the web application is generated on a software framework such as Microsoft®.NET or Ruby on Rails (RoR). In some embodiments, the web application utilizes one or more database systems, including, by way of non-limiting example, relational, non-relational, object-oriented, associative, and XML database systems. In further embodiments, suitable relational database systems include, by way of non-limiting example, Microsoft® ( SQL Server, mySQL TM, and including Oracle (registered trademark). Those skilled in the art will also recognize that web applications may be written in one or more languages and one or more versions thereof in various embodiments. A web application may be written in one or more markup languages, presentation definition languages, client-side scripting languages, server-side scripting languages, database query languages, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the web application is written to some extent in a markup language such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), or Extensible Markup Language (XML). In some embodiments, the web application is written to some extent in a presentation definition language such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). In some embodiments, the web application is written to some extent in a client-side scripting language such as Asynchronous Javascript (registered trademark) and XML (AJAX), Flash (registered trademark) Actionscript, Javascript (registered trademark), or Siliverlight (registered trademark). In some embodiments, the web application is written to some extent in a server-side scripting language such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ColdFusion (registered trademark), Perl, Java (registered trademark), Java (registered trademark) Server Pages (JSP), Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Python TMIt is written in a server - side coding language such as Ruby, Tcl, Smalltalk, WebDNA (registered trademark), or Groovy. In some embodiments, the web application is written, to some extent, in a database query language such as Structured Query Language (SQL). In some embodiments, the web application integrates enterprise server products such as IBM (registered trademark) Lotus Domino (registered trademark). In some embodiments, the web application includes a media player element. In various further embodiments, the media player element utilizes one or more than one of many suitable multimedia technologies including, by way of non - limiting examples, Adobe (registered trademark) Flash (registered trademark), HTML 5, Apple (registered trademark) QuickTime (registered trademark), Microsoft (registered trademark) Silverlight (registered trademark), Java (registered trademark), and Unity (registered trademark).

[0151] In some embodiments, the computer program includes a mobile application provided to a mobile digital processing device. In some embodiments, the mobile application is provided to the mobile digital processing device at the time it is manufactured. In other embodiments, the mobile application is provided to the mobile digital processing device via the computer network described herein.

[0152] In light of the disclosure provided herein, the mobile application is generated by those skilled in the art using techniques known to those skilled in the art and using hardware, languages, and development environments known in the art. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the mobile application can be written in several languages. Suitable programming languages include, by way of non - limiting examples, C, C++, C#, Objective - C, Java (registered trademark), Javascript (registered trademark), Pascal, Object Pascal, Python TM , Ruby, VB.NET, WML, and XHTML / HTML with or without CSS, or combinations thereof.

[0153] Suitable mobile application development environments are available from several sources. Commercially available development environments include, by way of non-limiting examples, AirplaySDK, alcheMo, Appcelerator®, Celsius, Bedrock, Flash Lite, .NET Compact Framework, Rhomobile, and the WorkLight mobile platform. Other development environments, including, by way of non-limiting examples, Lazarus, MobiFlex, MoSync, and Phonegap, are also available at no cost. Also, mobile device manufacturers distribute software developer kits that include, by way of non-limiting examples, the iPhone® and iPad® (iOS) SDK, the Android® SDK, the BlackBerry® SDK, the BREW SDK, the Palm® OS SDK, the Symbian SDK, the webOS SDK, and the Windows® Mobile SDK.

[0154] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that several commercial forums, including, by way of non-limiting examples, the Apple® App Store, the Google® Play, the Chrome WebStore, the BlackBerry® App World, the App Store for Palm devices, the App Catalog for webOS, the Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, the Ovi Store for Nokia® devices, the Samsung® Apps, and the Nintendo® DSi Shop, are available for the distribution of mobile applications.

[0155] In some embodiments, the computer program includes a stand-alone application that is not an add-on on an existing process, e.g., not a plug-in, and is a program that is launched as an independent computer process. One skilled in the art will recognize that stand-alone applications are often compiled. A compiler is a computer program that converts source code written in a programming language into binary object code such as assembly language or machine code. Suitable compiled programming languages include, by way of non-limiting example, C, C++, Objective-C, COBOL, Delphi, Eiffel, Java®, Lisp, Python TM , Visual Basic, and VB.NET, or combinations thereof. Compilation is often performed, at least in part, to produce an executable program. In some embodiments, the computer program includes one or more executable compiled applications.

[0156] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include the use of software, servers, and / or database modules, or the like. In light of the disclosure provided herein, software modules are generated by techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art using machines, software, and languages known in the art. The software modules disclosed herein are implemented in a number of ways. In various embodiments, a software module comprises a file, a section of code, a programming object, a programming structure, or a combination thereof. In further various embodiments, a software module comprises a plurality of files, a plurality of sections of code, a plurality of programming objects, a plurality of programming structures, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, one or more software modules comprise, by way of non-limiting example, web applications, mobile applications, and stand-alone applications. In some embodiments, a software module is within one computer program or application. In other embodiments, a software module is within more than one computer program or application. In some embodiments, a software module is hosted on one machine. In other embodiments, a software module is hosted on more than one machine. In further embodiments, a software module is hosted on a cloud computing platform. In some embodiments, a software module is hosted on one or more machines in one location. In other embodiments, a software module is hosted on one or more machines in more than one location.

[0157] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include the use of one or more databases, or the same database. In light of the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many databases are suitable for storing and retrieving information. In various embodiments, suitable databases include, by way of non-limiting example, relational databases, non-relational databases, object-oriented databases, object databases, entity-relationship model databases, associative databases, and XML databases. Further non-limiting examples include SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, DB2, and Sybase. In some embodiments, the database is Internet-based. In further embodiments, the database is web-based. In still further embodiments, the database is cloud-computing-based. In other embodiments, the database is based on one or more local computer storage devices.

[0158] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described herein, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, modifications, and substitutions will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the disclosure herein. It is understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. The following claims define the scope of the invention, and it is intended that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

Claims

[Claim 1] The invention described in this specification.

Images