Patent ID: 6102865
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: A61B,G01S,G06T

Abstract:
An ultrasonic transducer comprising:a support element;a first transducer phased array coupled to move with the support element and comprising a plurality of first transducer elements arranged along an azimuthal axis, said first transducer array comprising first and second ends spaced along the azimuthal axis and a first central image plane;a second transducer phased array coupled to move with the support element and comprising a plurality of second transducer elements, said transducer array positioned near the first end of the first transducer array and comprising a second central image plane;a third transducer phased array coupled to move with the support element and comprising a plurality of third transducer elements, said third transducer array positioned near the second end of the first transducer array and comprising a third central image plane;said first and second central image planes being non-parallel, and said first and third central image planes being non-parallel, anda transmit beamformer and a receive beamformer coupled to the first second and third transducer arrays.