Patent ID: 6126619
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
Ultrasound medical apparatus comprising:a plurality of ultrasound transducers, each of the transducers including a housing, piezoelectric means continued in the housing for generating ultrasonic waves, and front mass means, disposed in the housing for radiating the ultrasonic waves into a medical target in a patient, each front mass means having an arcuate surface area, each arcuate surface area comprising concavity means, including a concavity apex, for enabling gasses expelled from the fluid conductive medium to accumulate at the concavity apexes;reservoir means, including a flexible membrane, for containing a fluid conductive medium between the plurality of ultrasound transducers and the flexible membrane to thereby provide an interface between said fluid conductive medium and a body surface of the patient and for coupling the radiated ultrasonic waves into the body surface;a fluid conductive medium contained in the reservoir means; andflow management means, defining an outlet through each front mass means, for removing accumulated expelled gasses from the fluid conductive medium in order to enhance transmission of the ultrasonic waves into the medical target; said flow management means further defining inlet means for directing fluid conductive medium into the reservoir means adjacent a perimeter of each front mass means, and wherein the outlets are disposed generally at the concavity apexes in order to facilitate removal of accumulated expelled gasses in the fluid conductive medium.