Patent ID: 8764665
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: G10K

Abstract:
1. An acoustic imaging apparatus, comprising: an acoustic probe including an acoustic transducer, and a plurality of variably-refracting acoustic lens elements coupled to the acoustic transducer, each variably-refracting acoustic lens element having at least a pair of electrodes operably configured to adjust at least one characteristic of the variably-refracting acoustic lens element in response to a selected voltage applied across the electrodes thereof; an acoustic signal processor coupled to the acoustic transducer; a variable voltage supply operably configured to apply selected voltages to the pair of electrodes of each variably-refracting acoustic lens element; and a controller operably configured to control the variable voltage supply to apply the selected voltages to the pairs of electrodes, wherein the acoustic transducer comprises a plurality of acoustic transducer elements, and wherein the variably-refracting acoustic lens elements are each coupled to a corresponding one of the acoustic transducer elements.