Patent ID: 8277380
Filing Date: 2012-10-02
Classification: B06B,G01S

Abstract:
1. In an ultrasound transducer array for medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging, an improvement comprising: an element having a piezoelectric transducer layer and a capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer layer. wherein the ultrasound transducer array comprises a multi-dimensional array of elements including the element, the elements of the multi-dimensional array having the piezoelectric transducer and capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer layers with each of the layers including a plurality of the elements, wherein the piezoelectric transducer layer has a first multi-dimensional array with a greater spatial distribution than a second multi-dimensional array of the capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer layer, and wherein the second multi-dimensional array has a rectangular circumference and the first multi-dimensional array has an elliptical circumference; where the element comprises a backing layer, the piezoelectric transducer layer, at least one matching layer, and the capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer layer, the at least one matching layer between the piezoelectric transducer layer and the capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer layer.