Integrated impedance matching layer to acoustic boundary problems for clinical ultrasonic transducers

• Main Author: SEYED-BOLORFOROSH; MIR S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.06.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEAF-AID SETS; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; MEASURING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; PHYSICS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; SURGERY; TESTING

An ultrasonic probe for providing efficient and controlled acoustic coupling to a desired medium under examination by the probe. The ultrasonic probe of the present invention employs one or more ultrasonic transducers substantially surrounded by a fluid. The ultrasonic transducer is acoustically coupled to the fluid for transmitting the beam of acoustic signals therethrough. A housing that is acoustically coupled with the fluid substantially encloses the fluid and the transducer. The housing comprises a layer portion of a material contiguous with a bulk remainder portion of the material. Additionally, an impedance matching means is integral with the housing for controlling an acoustic impedance of the layer portion of the housing.