Patent ID: 7878977
Filing Date: 2011-02-01
Classification: A61B,G10K

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound transducer for imaging, the transducer comprising: a transducer housing; at least first and second sub-arrays each having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements on a fully sampled grid, the first and second sub-arrays within or on the transducer housing and adjacent to each other on first and second segments, respectively; and at least first and second position sensors adjacent to the at least first and second sub-arrays, respectively, wherein the transducer housing is configured to allow the first sub-array to change position relative to the second sub-array in response to the transducer housing conforming, at least in part, to fit a body contour of the patient, the change in position being by an amount that is a function of the body contour, the transducer housing conforming to fit the body contour during scanning with the ultrasound transducer elements for imaging, the amount different for different body contours, the change in position occurring between the first and second segments where the first and second sub-arrays are relatively rigid.