Ultrasound Transducer Slip Ring Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound systems for medical imaging within small body areas, such as blood vessels, face challenges including non-uniform rotational distortion (NURD), blockage of viewing areas due to structural components, and high costs associated with rotary transformers, while also being bulky and difficult to integrate with therapeutic catheters for simultaneous imaging and procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical ultrasound device with a microminiature motor and slip ring assemblies that maintain electrical conduction during rotation, allowing for a compact, cost-effective design that minimizes NURD artifacts and blockages, by using a piezoelectric motor and slip ring assemblies to ensure uniform rotation and maintain electrical connectivity without the need for torque cables or bulky transformers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a torque cable is used to rotate the ultrasound element, then the transducer assembly can be positioned one meter from the driving end, but the rotation rate becomes non-uniform due to elastic energy storage and release in the cable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the torque cable mechanical system with an electromagnetic motor system. The motor directly drives the transducer assembly through a shaft, eliminating the elastic torque cable that caused non-uniform rotation. The motor's electromagnetic field provides precise, uniform rotational control without the elastic energy storage and release problems of mechanical cables.
2Ease of operation
If a microminiature motor is positioned near a stationary transducer assembly with a rotating reflector, then rotation is achieved, but additional space is required and control wires block the acoustic window
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the motor and transducer assembly into a single integrated rotating unit. The motor is positioned on the rotating transducer assembly itself rather than being stationary, allowing the entire imaging component to rotate without requiring separate space for the motor. This eliminates control wire blockage of the acoustic window since all necessary components rotate together.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having a stationary motor rotate a reflector off-axis, the patent inverts the approach by placing the motor directly on the transducer assembly and rotating the entire assembly. This direct rotation method eliminates the need for off-axis reflectors and control wires that would block the acoustic window.
3Reliability
If a rotary transformer is used to connect stationary electrical wires to a rotating ultrasound element, then electrical connectivity is maintained, but the device becomes costly and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rotary transformer electromagnetic system with a direct electromagnetic motor system. The motor's stator and rotor windings provide both the electromagnetic field for rotation and the electrical connectivity pathway. This eliminates the need for separate rotary transformer components, reducing both cost and device size while maintaining reliable electrical connection during rotation.
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 solution provides clear, distortion-free ultrasound images within small body areas, enabling simultaneous imaging and therapeutic procedures while reducing the device's size and cost, and ensuring proper registration of images without NURD artifacts.
Implementation Method 1
using a piezoelectric motor and slip ring assemblies to ensure uniform rotation
Implementation Method 2
slip ring assemblies that maintain electrical conduction during rotation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2a
Figure 3~3a
AI summary
A device for internal ultrasound imaging including a micro-motor rotates a drive shaft and ultrasound transducer. Conductors attach between the transducer and slip ring assemblies. The slip ring assemblies conductively couple the transducer conductors to a set of conductors extending toward a console.