Textured Ultrasound Transducer Stack for IVUS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current single-element ultrasound transducers for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) systems have limitations in sensitivity and bandwidth, and are designed for single use, which restricts the choice of materials and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A transducer stack design featuring a backing layer, an active layer with textured surfaces, and a matching layer with varying thickness regions to enhance frequency matching, allowing for improved sensitivity and bandwidth, and a manufacturing method involving wafer formation and segmentation to create cost-effective single-use transducers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a single-element transducer design is used to fit within coronary arteries, then the transducer size is reduced to fit small vessels, but the sensitivity and bandwidth performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The active layer surface is textured with local variations in height (peaks and valleys) to create different acoustic impedance zones. This local quality variation enhances bandwidth and sensitivity without increasing overall transducer size, resolving the contradiction between small form factor and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The matching layer transitions from a traditional single-plane interface to a multi-dimensional structure with vertical height variations. By adding the height dimension to the matching layer, the patent achieves improved acoustic coupling and bandwidth while maintaining the same lateral footprint, thus preserving small size while enhancing performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If single-use transducers are designed for cost constraints, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the choice of materials and processes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transducer is designed as a stack of discrete layers (backing layer, active layer, matching layer) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This segmentation enables cost-effective single-use design while allowing optimization of each layer's material and process selection, overcoming the limitations of monolithic single-use transducers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the thickness of matching layer regions (first thickness region vs. second thickness region) to optimize performance for different frequency components. This parameter variation within the matching layer enables broad bandwidth operation while maintaining a simple, cost-effective single-use structure that can be manufactured using standard processes.
3Reliability
If a matching layer with varying thickness regions is used to enhance frequency matching, then bandwidth is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The matching layer incorporates local thickness variations (first thickness region and second thickness region) to create different acoustic path lengths for different frequency components. This local quality differentiation enables broad bandwidth operation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using standard deposition processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves increased sensitivity and bandwidth, and reduces manufacturing costs by optimizing the transducer stack's performance and efficiency, particularly for IVUS systems.
Implementation Method 1
The matching layer has a first thickness region and a second thickness region, wherein the first thickness region has a larger thickness than a thickness of the second thickness region. The first thickness region extends into the plurality of textures and the second thickness region does not extend into the plurality of textures.
Data Source
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AI summary
Certain embodiments provide an ultrasound transducer stack. The ultrasound transducer stack includes a backing layer, an active layer overlying the backing layer, and a matching layer overlying the active layer. The active layer has a surface comprising a plurality of textures. The matching layer has a first thickness region and a second thickness region, wherein the first thickness region has a larger thickness than a thickness of the second thickness region, wherein the first thickness region extends into the plurality of textures and the second thickness region does not extend into the plurality of textures.