362 results about "High frequency ultrasound" patented technology

The present invention provides an imaging probe for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes structures using high resolution imaging use combined high frequency ultrasound (IVUS) and optical imaging methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to accurate co-registering of images obtained from ultrasound image signals and optical image, signals during scanning a region of interest.

The present invention provides scanning mechanisms for imaging probes using for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and/or optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes include adjustable rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to an imaging assembly containing either optical or ultrasound transducers which emit energy into the surrounding area. The imaging assembly includes a scanning mechanism having including a movable member configured to deliver the energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward and side viewing capability of the imaging assembly. The movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of the angular velocity of the imaging assembly.

A non-invasive ultra-high frequency ultrasound treatment method and system are provided. An exemplary method and system comprise a high-frequency ultrasound transducer system configured for providing ultrasound treatment to a patient such that the superficial and/or subcutaneous regions of the patient can be treated. An exemplary high-frequency ultrasound transducer system comprises a control system and a transducer configured to provide treatment to the superficial and/or subcutaneous regions of interest. The high-frequency ultrasound transducer may be configured to operate at higher frequencies and controlled power levels to provide treatment to the superficial and/or subcutaneous regions of interest. For example, higher frequencies within the range from approximately 20 MHz to 500 MHz or more may be utilized.

A high frequency ultrasonic transducer may include a plurality of adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements. The adjacent transducer elements may be sized and configured so as to resonate at a frequency that is at least 15 MHz. The adjacent transducer elements may collectively form an aperture that is substantially convex along a lateral dimension spanning the cascaded width of the adjacent transducer elements. The aperture may be substantially concave along an elevation spanning the height of each of the transducer elements. The ultrasonic transducer and an associated transmitter system may be configured so as to enable ultrasound that is radiated from the plurality of the transducer elements to be focused on and to scan across locations that are no more than 30 millimeters from the aperture and that span across a field of view of at least 50 degrees without movement of the ultrasonic transducer or tissue during the scanning.

A method for generating an enhanced ultrasound image comprises intravenously administering to a subject a plurality of microbubbles of sufficient diameter to lodge in the microvasculature of a subject. An ultrasound image of a portion of the subject is generated wherein the image is enhanced by one or more of the administered microbubbles that has lodged in the microvasculature of the imaged portion. An ultrasound contrast media composition comprises a plurality of gas filled microbubbles. At least about 5% of the microbubbles have a diameter of at least about 4 microns (μm), and wherein the composition is suitable for intravenous administration. The administered microbubbles are of sufficient diameter to lodge in the microvasculature of a subject and can be used enhance ultrasound images small animal subjects including mice, rats and rabbits. The described methods and compositions can be used to enhance ultrasound images produced using high frequency ultrasound.

A nebulizer for atomizing a high-temperature liquid includes a truncated, conical concentrator that defines a vertex and that has a small-diameter end and a large-diameter end. The small-diameter end has a spherical-shaped, concave surface and the large-diameter end has a spherical-shaped, convex surface. A piezoelectric transducer has a spherical-shaped, concave surface that is attached to the convex surface of the concentrator. A cylindrical-shaped droplet manifold is positioned over the small-diameter end of the concentrator to create a liquid chamber in the manifold with the vertex inside the liquid chamber. A feeding tube introduces the high-temperature liquid into the liquid chamber until the surface of the liquid reaches the vertex. With an activation of the transducer, acoustic waves that have spherical wavefronts are launched away from the concave surface of the transducer. The concentrator propagates and directs the spherical wavefronts for convergence at the vertex to nebulize the liquid.

A method for displaying scanned ultrasound images of tissue employs an apparatus including an ultrasound probe mounted to a mechanical head. A three-dimensional positioning system mounts the head for positioning the probe in proximate orthogonal relation to the tissue. A computer controls the three-dimensional positioning system thereby moving the probe during a scan. The probe transmits high frequency ultrasound waves whose nominal frequency is included within the range from 30 to 100 MHz and with a large pass band, adapted to frequencies reflected by the tissue. The beams of ultrasound transmission are focused in a given zone of the tissue over a vertical penetration distance of between 20 and 30 mm. Reflected signals are acquired and processed for display.

The present invention is directed an ultrasonic frequencies fault detecting apparatus. The present invention uses high frequency ultrasonic energy signals to analyze bearings and determine the presence of faults therein. The ultrasonic return signals are heterodyned (by amplitude demodulation) into the audio spectrum for purposes of audio detection. In addition, a FFT spectrum of the signal is displayed on a monitor for more accurate results. According to the present invention software is used to automatically analyze the FFT spectrum by comparing the current spectrum with stored spectrums of known bearing conditions as modified based on the rotary speed of the bearing and the number of balls. Once a defect in a bearing has been located in this manner using automated FFT analysis, an operator can then use a device, such as a calibrated lubricant dispenser, to effectuate maintenance and/or repair.

The invention discloses a laser acoustic surface wave stress test system, which is mainly comprises an ultrasound surface wave excitation part composed of a short-pulse laser, a spectroscope, a triple prism and a cylindrical convex lens, and an ultrasound surface wave detection part composed of a PVDF piezoelectric film and a high-frequency pre-amplifier. The invention uses the short-pulse laser to generate a high-frequency ultrasound surface wave on the surface of the samples to be tested, a stress value is obtained according to the principle of acoustic elasticity, the PVDF piezoelectric film is served as the receiver of the ultrasound surface wave, fast two-dimensional scanning is realized on the surface of the samples in the way that the PVDF piezoelectric film is fixed, the excitation source and the samples to be tested are in two-dimensional translation motion, the obtained ultrasound surface wave signals are transmitted to an electronic computer, and the measurement of the stress distribution on the surface and the sun-surface of the samples is realized through fast computing and processing by programming according to the principle of acoustic elasticity. The system has the advantages of simple structure and low cost, which can be widely used in the stress distribution measurement on the surface and the sun-surface of metal materials.

An example ultrasound device, such as a transducer array, includes a plurality of ultrasound transducers, each ultrasound transducer having a first electrode, a second electrode, a thin piezoelectric film located between the electrodes, and a substrate supporting the plurality of ultrasound transducers. In some examples, the electrode separation is less than 10 microns, facilitating lower voltage operation than conventional ultrasound transducers.

An ultrasound ellipse vibration milling knife handle device comprises a power supply box, an ultrasound ellipse vibration milling knife handle, a sealing ring and a protective cover. The upper end surface of the power supply box is connected with the lower plane of a cutter disk of a tool through bolts, a small circular shaft of the ultrasound ellipse vibration milling knife handle is connected with the cutting disk through a spring collet, the upper end surface of a large cylinder is connected with the lower end surface of the power supply box in a screw mode, the sealing ring is arranged on the lower end surface of the large cylinder, and the sealing ring is connected with the protective cover through bolts. The ultrasound ellipse vibration milling knife handle device can be flexibly connected with a traditional processing center in a butted mode, high frequency ultrasound ellipse vibration milling is achieved, and the effects of titanium alloy and composite material milling with high accuracy and high efficiency are achieved. The ultrasound ellipse vibration milling knife handle device has a wide application prospect in the technical field of ultrasound vibration processing devices.

Methods and apparatus to measure physical parameters such as density and porosity of the rock matrix in a near wellbore area are provided. A borehole tool having a number of transducer elements in a transducer array is placed at an outermost surface of the borehole tool and is capable of emitting focused high frequency ultrasound beams into the rock matrix in the near wellbore area. The transducer array may be placed on the ribs or stabilizers of the borehole tool, and/or on a sleeve with a lower rotational speed, and may include a fronting material with similar acoustic impedance as the rock matrix. A method for measuring physical parameters of the rock matrix in a near wellbore area is also provided where a focused high frequency ultrasound beam is emitted into the rock matrix in the near wellbore area from one or more transducer arrays on a borehole tool.

A polymer waveguide resonator device for high-frequency ultrasound detection having a optical resonator coupled to a straight optical waveguide which serves as input and output ports. Acoustic waves irradiating the waveguide induce strain modifying the waveguide cross-section or other design property. As a consequence, the effective refractive index of optical waves propagating along the ring is modified. The sharp wavelength dependence of the high Q-factor resonator enhances the optical response to acoustic strain. High sensitivity is demonstrated experimentally in detecting broadband ultrasound pulses from a 10 MHz transducer.

Methods and devices for producing cavitation in tissue are provided. In one embodiment, a low-frequency ultrasound pulse is transmitted into tissue, a high-frequency ultrasound pulse is transmitted into tissue, and a composite waveform is formed in the tissue that has a peak negative pressure value that exceeds an intrinsic threshold for cavitation in the tissue. In some embodiments, the peak negative pressures of the individual ultrasound pulses do not exceed the intrinsic threshold for cavitation. In another embodiment, a plurality of ultrasound pulses at various resonant frequencies are transmitted into tissue, and the time delays between these transmissions are adjusted to allow the ultrasound pulses to align temporally and form a monopolar pulse having a compound peak negative pressure that exceeds an intrinsic threshold for cavitation in the tissue. Systems for performing Histotripsy therapy are also discussed.

The invention discloses a method and a device for measuring accumulated liquid of a natural gas pipeline. The method comprises the following steps of: vertically transmitting high-frequency ultrasonic wave into the pipeline by an ultrasonic probe coupled to the outer wall of the measured pipeline, wherein the energy of reflection echo has great difference due to different properties of gas and liquid media; judging that the pipe inner wall is contacted with gas or liquid at the position of the probe according to the characteristic of echo received by the ultrasonic probe and reflected by the pipe inner wall; gradually adjusting the measurement position of the ultrasonic probe on the pipe outer wall along the circumferential direction; and recording a circumferential angle of the ultrasonic probe by a circumferential angle ruler when the echo has mutation, and further calculating the height of the accumulated liquid. The method is a non-intrusive accumulated liquid measurement method, does not change the structure of the conventional pipeline, has no medium leakage risk, does not affect the operation such as cleaning the pipeline and the like, meanwhile is not affected by the composition of gas and liquid phase media in the pipeline and parameters such as temperature, pressure and the like, overcomes the defect that the conventional ultrasonic technology needs complex sound velocity correction, and is particularly suitable for measuring the accumulated liquid inside the pipeline for conveying corrosive and toxic media.

The invention discloses a fully-automatic optical element cleaning device with an ultrasonic-megasonic composite frequency. The ultrasonic-megasonic composite frequency covers low/intermediate/high ultrasonic frequencies and low/intermediate/high megasonic frequencies. Particularly, an appropriate program and process parameters are selected to aim at super-clean washing requirements for an optical element, and pollutants from a micron scale to a nanometer scale on the surface of the optical element can be effectively removed. The fully-automatic optical element cleaning device with the ultrasonic-megasonic composite frequency has the main characteristics that an ultrasonic solution soaking cleaning tank, a megasonic cleaning tank and a spraying tank are designed; different frequency ultrasonic and megasonic waves are adopted, and cleaning requirements from a micron size to a nanometer size are covered; a workpiece is driven by a cylinder to reciprocate up and down in a tank body, a wave node of a standing wave field is prevented from being generated in a fixed area of the surface of the workpiece by virtue of a frequency sweeping function of an ultrasonic-megasonic generator, and the surface damage is avoided; the tank body adopts overflow cycle heating filtration; the total length of an overflow front edge is increased by using a trapezoidal saw-tooth type overflow edge design to obtain uniform and stable overflow; an inclined workpiece clamping device cooperates with an air knife and a slow lifting mechanism to dry the workpiece.

The invention discloses a high frequency ultrasound elliptic vibration cutting device which comprises an ultrasound vibration unit and a casing unit. The ultrasound vibration unit is arranged in the casing unit. The casing unit comprises a base, A cover plate, B cover plate and an upper cover plate. The ultrasound vibration unit comprises an amplitude transformer, a vibrating body, A excitation source, B excitation source and C excitation source. The amplitude transformer is installed on the vibrating body. The end part of the amplitude transformer is provided with a cutting tool. The A excitation source and the B excitation source are arranged in parallel way and are adhered on the lateral side of the vibrating body. The C excitation source is installed on the lower part of the vibrating body. The A excitation source and the B excitation source form the driving power in horizontal direction. The C excitation source forms the driving power in vertical direction. The phase separation between two mutually vertical high frequency vibrations is applied for compounding an elliptic vibration at the point of the cutting tool. Thus, the processing surface roughness is lowered effectively. The cutting device works at the high vibration frequency of 100 kHz-200 kHz, so that the vibration chipping critical speed of the cutting tool is improved, and the processing efficiency is improved obviously. The amplitude transformer is adopted to be inserted in the vibration body, so that the installation is easy, and the practicality of the ultrasound elliptic vibration cutting can be promoted.

An apparatus, system, and method for neurostimulation by high frequency ultrasound. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a pulse generator, an ultrasound transducer coupled to the pulse generator, and an implantable stimulator. The implantable stimulator may include a piezoelectric element configured to convert ultrasound signals from the ultrasound transducer into electrical signals, a rectifier configured to convert alternating current from the piezoelectric element to a monophasic current, a capacitor coupled to the rectifier, and a first electrode and a second electrode coupled to the rectifier and capacitor and configured to transmit the monophasic current to body tissue. In addition, the apparatus may include a current-limiting circuit configured to limit the amount of current transmitted to the body tissue.

The invention provides an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic array probe and an ultrasonic imaging system, and belongs to the technical field of ultrasonics. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a piezoelectric plate group, wherein the piezoelectric plate group comprises at least two piezoelectric plates which are superposed in a thickness direction, and the polarization directions of every two adjacent piezoelectric plates are reverse. According to the ultrasonic transducer provided by the invention, two or more piezoelectric plates which are different in polarization directions are stacked, so that the ultrasonic transducer further has a plurality of synthesized resonant frequencies in addition to the reference frequencies of the piezoelectric plates which form a working layer of the ultrasonic transducer, and therefore, high-frequency ultrasonic imaging and multi-frequency ultrasonic imaging can be realized, and the bandwidth and imaging resolution of the transducer are improved.