Ultrasonic transducer for three dimensional imaging

• Main Author: SEYED-BOLORFOROSH; MIR S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.10.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: DEAF-AID SETS; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL; GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICALVIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; SURGERY; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

A method and apparatus for three dimensional ultrasonic scanning with reduced electronic switching and cabling requirements. The invention includes a body including a relaxor ferroelectric ceramic material and electrodes coupled to opposing surfaces of the body. Electronic switches select electrodes so as to select column regions of the body that are arranged adjacent to one another in a row extending radially outward from a central axis of the body. A bias voltage source is coupled with the electronic switches for substantially polarizing ceramic material within the selected column regions of the body. A sector controller dynamically configures the electronic switches to rotationally vary a position of the row arrangement of selected column regions. An oscillating voltage source excites the row of selected column regions to emit an acoustic beam, so that the beam rotationally scans the medium as the sector controller rotationally varies the position of the row arrangement.