Patent ID: 9504446
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: A61B,A61N

Claim Text:
1. A method of sensing coupling of an ultrasound source to a target, the ultrasound source comprising a transducer, an acoustically transparent standoff, an acoustic window at a bottom surface of the standoff, and a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller configured to execute a frequency sweep over time function, the method comprising: emitting an ultrasound energy from the transducer by frequency sweeping over time the transducer using the frequency sweep over time function; in response to the emitted ultrasound energy, receiving a reflected energy from the acoustic window; determining, using the reflected energy, a feedback from the frequency sweep; comparing the feedback with a threshold level; and determining, based on the comparison, if the ultrasound source is coupled with the target.