Patent Publication Number: US-2021186462-A1

Title: Air filled chamber in an ultrasound probe

Description:
FIELD 
     Certain embodiments relate to an ultrasound probe. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to air filled chamber providing support in an ultrasound probe. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Medical imaging machines such as, for example, an ultrasound scanner, may be used for imaging at least a portion of a patient&#39;s body as part of diagnostic procedures. The ultrasound scanner may comprise a probe that emits, for example, sound waves. 
     Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Air filled chamber(s) in an ultrasound probe, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. 
     These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary ultrasound system, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an exemplary probe for an ultrasound system, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a receiving assembly for a transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of an air chamber and the transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate motion of the transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate a side cross-section view of an exemplary air chamber for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 7A-7B  illustrate a front cross-section view of the exemplary air chamber for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a front cross-section view of an upper portion of the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a side cross-section view of an upper portion of the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments may be found in air filled chamber(s) in an ultrasound probe. The air filled chamber(s) (air chamber(s)) may also comprise structural support against external force when the ultrasound probe is pushed against, for example, a body part to form an image of a target. 
     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. The figures provided illustrate diagrams of the functional blocks of various embodiments, and the functional blocks are not necessarily indicative of the division between mechanical parts. 
     It should be understood that the various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings, and that various embodiments may be combined. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. For example, different types of materials with similar mechanical properties may be used in various embodiments of the disclosure. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “an exemplary embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “a representative embodiment,” and the like are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising,” “including,” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements not having that property. 
     Also, as used herein, the term “imaging machine” broadly refers to an ultrasound scanner. However, other devices and/or structures that need transmit and/or receive sound energy may also use an embodiment of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary ultrasound system  100 , in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an ultrasound system  100 . The ultrasound system  100  comprises a transmitter  102 , an ultrasound probe  104 , a transmit beamformer  110 , a receiver  118 , a receive beamformer  120 , A/D converters  122 , a RF processor  124 , a RF/IQ buffer  126 , a user input device  130 , a signal processor  132 , an image buffer  136 , a display system  134 , and an archive  138 . 
     The transmitter  102  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to drive an ultrasound probe  104 . The ultrasound probe  104  may comprise a two dimensional (2D) array of piezoelectric elements. The ultrasound probe  104  may comprise a group of transmit transducer elements  106  and a group of receive transducer elements  108 , that normally constitute the same elements. In certain embodiment, the ultrasound probe  104  may be operable to acquire ultrasound image data covering at least a substantial portion of an anatomy, such as the heart, a blood vessel, or any suitable anatomical structure. 
     The transmit beamformer  110  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to control the transmitter  102  which, through a transmit sub-aperture beamformer  114 , drives the group of transmit transducer elements  106  to emit ultrasonic transmit signals into a region of interest (e.g., human, animal, underground cavity, physical structure and the like). The transmitted ultrasonic signals may be back-scattered from structures in the object of interest, like blood cells or tissue, to produce echoes. The echoes are received by the receive transducer elements  108 . 
     The group of receive transducer elements  108  in the ultrasound probe  104  may be operable to convert the received echoes into analog signals, undergo sub-aperture beamforming by a receive sub-aperture beamformer  116  and are then communicated to a receiver  118 . The receiver  118  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive the signals from the receive sub-aperture beamformer  116 . The analog signals may be communicated to one or more of the plurality of A/D converters  122 . 
     The plurality of A/D converters  122  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to convert the analog signals from the receiver  118  to corresponding digital signals. The plurality of A/D converters  122  are disposed between the receiver  118  and the RF processor  124 . Notwithstanding, the disclosure is not limited in this regard. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the plurality of A/D converters  122  may be integrated within the receiver  118 . 
     The RF processor  124  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to demodulate the digital signals output by the plurality of A/D converters  122 . In accordance with an embodiment, the RF processor  124  may comprise a complex demodulator (not shown) that is operable to demodulate the digital signals to form I/Q data pairs that are representative of the corresponding echo signals. The RF or I/Q signal data may then be communicated to an RF/IQ buffer  126 . The RF/IQ buffer  126  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to provide temporary storage of the RF or I/Q signal data, which is generated by the RF processor  124 . 
     The receive beamformer  120  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to perform digital beamforming processing to, for example, sum the delayed channel signals received from RF processor  124  via the RF/IQ buffer  126  and output a beam summed signal. The resulting processed information may be the beam summed signal that is output from the receive beamformer  120  and communicated to the signal processor  132 . In accordance with some embodiments, the receiver  118 , the plurality of A/D converters  122 , the RF processor  124 , and the beamformer  120  may be integrated into a single beamformer, which may be digital. In various embodiments, the ultrasound system  100  comprises a plurality of receive beamformers  120 . 
     The user input device  130  may be utilized to input patient data, scan parameters, settings, select protocols and/or templates, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the user input device  130  may be operable to configure, manage and/or control operation of one or more components and/or modules in the ultrasound system  100 . In this regard, the user input device  130  may be operable to configure, manage and/or control operation of the transmitter  102 , the ultrasound probe  104 , the transmit beamformer  110 , the receiver  118 , the receive beamformer  120 , the RF processor  124 , the RF/IQ buffer  126 , the user input device  130 , the signal processor  132 , the image buffer  136 , the display system  134 , and/or the archive  138 . The user input device  130  may include button(s), rotary encoder(s), a touchscreen, motion tracking, voice recognition, a mouse device, keyboard, camera and/or any other device capable of receiving a user directive. In certain embodiments, one or more of the user input devices  130  may be integrated into other components, such as the display system  134  or the ultrasound probe  104 , for example. As an example, user input device  130  may include a touchscreen display. 
     The signal processor  132  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to process ultrasound scan data (i.e., summed IQ signal) for generating ultrasound images for presentation on a display system  134 . The signal processor  132  is operable to perform one or more processing operations according to a plurality of selectable ultrasound modalities on the acquired ultrasound scan data. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal processor  132  may be operable to perform display processing and/or control processing, among other things. Acquired ultrasound scan data may be processed in real-time during a scanning session as the echo signals are received. Additionally or alternatively, the ultrasound scan data may be stored temporarily in the RF/IQ buffer  126  during a scanning session and processed in less than real-time in a live or off-line operation. In various embodiments, the processed image data can be presented at the display system  134  and/or may be stored at the archive  138 . The archive  138  may be a local archive, a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), or any suitable device for storing images and related information. 
     The signal processor  132  may be one or more central processing units, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and/or the like. The signal processor  132  may be an integrated component, or may be distributed across various locations, for example. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal processor  132  may be capable of receiving input information from a user input device  130  and/or archive  138 , generating an output displayable by a display system  134 , and manipulating the output in response to input information from a user input device  130 , among other things. The signal processor  132  may be capable of executing any of the method(s) and/or set(s) of instructions discussed herein in accordance with the various embodiments, for example. 
     The ultrasound system  100  may be operable to continuously acquire ultrasound scan data at a frame rate that is suitable for the imaging situation in question. Typical frame rates range from 20-120 but may be lower or higher. The acquired ultrasound scan data may be displayed on the display system  134  at a display-rate that can be the same as the frame rate, or slower or faster. An image buffer  136  is included for storing processed frames of acquired ultrasound scan data that are not scheduled to be displayed immediately. Preferably, the image buffer  136  is of sufficient capacity to store at least several minutes&#39; worth of frames of ultrasound scan data. The frames of ultrasound scan data are stored in a manner to facilitate retrieval thereof according to its order or time of acquisition. The image buffer  136  may be embodied as any known data storage medium. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an exemplary probe for an ultrasound system, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown an exploded view of an ultrasound probe  200 , where the ultrasound probe  200  may be similar in functionality to the ultrasound probe  104 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , there is a nut  202 , a handle  204 , a receiving assembly  206 , an air chamber unit  208 , transducer assembly  210 , and a transducer cap  212 . 
     The receiving assembly  206  is inserted in the handle  204 . It should be noted that while the nut  202  is depicted as coupling the receiving assembly  206  to the handle  204 , various embodiments of the disclosure may use any of a number of different methods to couple the handle  204  to the receiving assembly  206 . For example, the receiving assembly  206  may be snapped into the handle  204 , the receiving assembly  206  may be coupled to the handle  204  with adhesive(s), the receiving assembly  206  may be screwed onto the handle  204 , the receiving assembly  206  may be pressure fitted to the handle  204 , etc. 
     An air chamber frame  207  in the receiving assembly  206  is configured to receive the air chamber unit  208 . The air chamber unit  208  is configured to receive the transducer assembly  210  in the transducer slot  209 , and the transducer cap  212  is configured to cover at least the transducer assembly  210 . Accordingly, when assembled, the ultrasound probe  200  shows the handle  204  and the transducer cap  212 , where a cable (not shown) may exit the handle  204 . The cable may electrically connect the ultrasound probe  200  to provide power and to communicate signals to and from the ultrasound probe  200 . The transducer assembly  210  may be swiveled to allow the transducer assembly  210  to transmit ultrasound waves at different directions and receive the echoed ultrasound waves from different directions. The transducer cap  212  may serve to protect the transducer assembly  210  from the environment external to the transducer assembly  210 . 
     When the ultrasound probe  200  is pressed against, for example, a body part, various components of the ultrasound probe  200  may be under stress. For example, transducer assembly  210  may be forced against the air chamber unit  208 . In order to prevent the air chamber unit  208  from deforming, the air chamber unit  208  may need to have structural strength to prevent deforming due to external forces. Deformation of the air chamber unit  208  may point the transducer assembly  210  in a direction that is not desired. 
     Accordingly, the air chamber unit  208 , at least a portion of which comprises a sealed cavity filled with one or more gases such as, for example, air, may be designed to withstand an application force as well as impact and drop forces during handling or potential misuse of the product. The greatest forces may arise from drop of the product during use or transport. For example, regulatory standards may require the ultrasound probe  200  to be able to remain electrically safe after a drop of 1.22 meters on a tiled concrete floor. 
     Therefore, the air chamber unit  208  may be designed structurally to withstand a requisite amount of force. This may be done by using a certain type of material and a corresponding thickness of that material to withstand a predetermined force, or structural designs to withstand a predetermined force by dissipating force through various support structures. For example, at least a portion of the walls may be corrugated, there may be braces for at least a portion of the walls, there may be support(s) inside the sealed cavity, etc. 
     The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a plurality of molded parts that are bonded and sealed (joined together) using laser welding and/or ultrasound welding. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a plurality of molded parts that are bonded and sealed (joined together) with one or more adhesives. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed from foamed material, where the foamed material is molded or machined. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by an additive process of one or more material, which may include 3-dimensional printing. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by formed by gas injection molding. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by rotational molding. 
     While various examples are given for forming the air chamber unit  208 , various embodiments of the disclosure need not be limited to these examples. Additionally, any part of the air chamber unit  208  may comprise multiple materials of different type, and different parts of the air chamber unit  208  may be formed by a different process and/or from different materials. 
     The directional control of the transducer assembly  210  may be provided by, for example, the RF processor  124 , the signal processor  132 , and/or the user input device  130  controlling a drive assembly of the ultrasound probe  200 . For example, the drive assembly may comprise a stepper motor (not shown) in the ultrasound probe  200  that may rotate the transducer assembly  210  by means of a gear. However, various embodiments may use other processors/devices to control the direction of the transducer assembly  210 . 
     Various parts of the ultrasound probe  200  may be coupled together. In some cases, the coupling may be removable coupling, while in other cases, the coupling may be permanent coupling. Removable coupling may allow, for example, two parts to be uncoupled from each other without functional damage to the parts so that the parts can be removably coupled together again. Permanent coupling may be, for example, when two parts cannot be uncoupled without performing functional damage to the parts. As an example, removable coupling may be with nuts and bolts, while permanent coupling may be by welding or with a very strong adhesive such that trying to separate two parts result in damage to one or both of the parts. 
       FIG. 3  is a receiving assembly for a transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown the receiving assembly  206  comprising the air chamber frame  207 . The air chamber frame  207  may comprise coupling points  302 . The air chamber unit  208  may be received by the air chamber frame  207  and supported by the coupling points  302  such that the air chamber unit  208  can swivel about, for example, an axis formed along the coupling points  302 . It may be noted that while an embodiment of the disclosure describes a gas filled cavity, other embodiments may use a vacuum in the cavity, where the level of vacuum may vary. Alternatively, composite material such as, for example, a closed cell foam or composite material from hollow structures may be used to fill the cavity in entirety or in part. For example, the cavity may comprise composite material with gas filled glass micro bubbles. The composite material may also, for example, provide structural support. 
     Accordingly, an ultrasound probe  200  with the air chamber unit  208 , whether provided with vacuum, filled with air, and/or composite material, may be reduced in weight compared to other probes that may use coupling fluid. The reduced weight for the ultrasound probe  200  provides for reduced momentum of the rotating parts, such as, for example, the transducer assembly  210 , reduce turbulence of the fluid that may be used otherwise, reduce the fluid quantity and resistance to movement by the fluid, etc. 
     Additionally, a lighter ultrasound probe  200  may provide easier use by an operator that is wielding the ultrasound probe  200 . There may also be better balance of the ultrasound probe  200  due to the reduced weight in the transducer assembly  210 . Accordingly, the operator wielding the lighter ultrasound probe  200  may work in greater comfort as well as reducing chances of hand/wrist/arm injury. 
     Furthermore, reducing the weight of the ultrasound probe  200  also reduces the chances of damage if it is dropped or hit against another object. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of an air chamber and the transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown the air chamber unit  208  and the transducer assembly  210 . The transducer assembly  210  fits into the transducer slot  209  of the air chamber unit  208 . The electrical connections  402  from the transducer assembly  210  may, for example, go through an opening in the air chamber unit  208  to electrically connect to the receiving assembly  206 . 
     Accordingly, electrical signals, as well as power and ground connections, may be communicated to and from the ultrasound probe  200  through a cable (not shown) to the handle  204 . The cable may be connected to, for example, the receiving assembly  206  such that a processor such as, for example, the RF processor  124 , the signal processor  132 , or some other processor may be able to control movement of the transducer assembly  210 . The RF processor  124 , the signal processor  132 , etc., may also control acoustic output of the transducer assembly  210 , as well as receive received acoustic signals by the transducer assembly  210 . 
     In some embodiments, the transducer assembly  210  may be removably coupled to the air chamber unit  208 , while in other embodiments, the transducer assembly  210  may be permanently coupled to the air chamber unit  208 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate motion of the transducer for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments.  FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate the transducer assembly  210  coupled to the air chamber unit  208 , and the air chamber unit  208  coupled to the receiving assembly  206  via the air chamber frame  207 . As can be seen, the coupled unit  500  can be controlled to swivel to different directions. For example,  FIG. 5A  shows the coupled unit  500  angled to the right,  FIG. 5B  shows the coupled unit  500  pointing straight up, and  FIG. 5C  shows the coupled unit  500  angled to the left. 
       FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate a side cross-section view of an exemplary air chamber for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , there are shown different views of the air chamber unit  208  with the transducer slot  209 . In  FIG. 6C , there is shown a side view of the air chamber unit  208 , and a side cross-section view  602  of the air chamber unit  208 . The transducer slot  209  is seen at the top of the side cross-section view  602 , and an air cavity  604  is seen at the bottom portion of the side cross-section view  602 . 
       FIGS. 7A-7B  illustrate a front cross-section view of the exemplary air chamber for the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 7A  there is shown a substantially side view of the air chamber unit  208  with the transducer slot  209 . In  FIG. 7B , there is shown a front view of the air chamber unit  208 , and a front cross-section view  702  of the air chamber unit  208 . The transducer slot  209  is seen at the right side of the front cross-section view  702 , and air cavities  704  are seen at the left portion of the front cross-section view  702 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a front cross-section view of an upper portion of the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a cross-section view of a head portion  800  of the transducer probe  200  comprising the receiving assembly  206 , the air chamber unit  208 , the transducer assembly  210 , and the transducer cap  212 . There are also shown the air cavities  802  and fluids such as, for example, oil, in sections  804  of the air chamber unit  208 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a side cross-section view of an upper portion of the exemplary ultrasound probe, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a cross-section view of a head portion  900  of the transducer probe  200  comprising the receiving assembly  206 , the air chamber unit  208 , the transducer assembly  210 , and the transducer cap  212 . There are also shown the air cavities  902  and fluids such as, for example, oil, in sections  904  of the air chamber unit  208 . 
     While specific structures were shown regarding air filled cavities in  FIGS. 6A-9 , it should be understood that different embodiment of the disclosure may have different configurations for number/placement/shape of air cavity/cavities. 
     Accordingly, it can be seen that the disclosure provides for an ultrasound probe  200  that comprises an air chamber unit with  208  a transducer slot  209 , where the transducer slot  209  is configured to receive a transducer assembly  210 . The air chamber unit  208  may comprise at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902 , each of the at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902  may be filled with one or more gases, where the gas may be, for example, air. The transducer assembly  210  may comprise transducer elements  106 / 108  configured to perform one or both of transmitting and receiving acoustic energy. 
     The ultrasound probe  200  may comprise a receiving assembly  206  with an air chamber frame  207  configured to receive the air chamber unit  208  into the air chamber frame  207 . The ultrasound probe  200  may comprise a handle  204  configured to receive the receiving assembly  206  into the handle  204 . The receiving assembly  206  may be configured to be coupled to the handle  204  using any of a number of appropriate methods such as, for example, a nut  202 , adhesives, snapping the receiving assembly  206  into the handle  204 , screwing the receiving assembly  206  to the handle  204 , pressure fitting the receiving assembly  206  to the handle  204 , etc. 
     The ultrasound probe  200 , when the transducer assembly  210  is received by the air chamber unit  208  in the transducer slot  209 , the transducer assembly  210  and the air chamber unit  208  may be configured to swivel together. The ultrasound probe  200  may comprise a transducer cap  212  configured to be fixed to the receiving assembly  206  and/or a handle  204  configured to receive the receiving assembly  206 . 
     The air chamber unit  208  for the ultrasound probe  200  may comprise, for example, molded parts bonded and sealed using one or both of laser and ultrasound welding. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, molded parts bonded and sealed with one or more adhesives. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed from foamed material, where the foamed material is molded or machined. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by additive process. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by gas injection molding. The air chamber unit  208  may comprise, for example, a single part formed by rotational molding. 
     The disclosure also provides for an ultrasound probe  200  that comprises an air chamber unit  208  comprising a transducer slot  209 , where the transducer slot  209  is configured to receive a transducer assembly  210 . The air chamber unit  208  may comprise at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902 , where each of the at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902  may be filled at least in part with composite material, and the transducer assembly  210  may comprise transducer elements  106 / 108  configured to perform one or both of transmitting and receiving acoustic energy. The composite material may comprise, for example, hollow structures with gas filled glass micro bubbles and/or closed cell foam. 
     The disclosure further provides for an ultrasound probe that comprises a handle  204  configured to receive a receiving assembly  206 , an air chamber unit  208  configured to be received by an air chamber frame  207  of the receiving assembly  206 . A transducer assembly  210  may be configured to be received by the air chamber unit  208 , and a transducer cap  212  may be configured to be placed over the transducer assembly  210 . 
     The air chamber unit  208  may comprise a transducer slot  209  configured to receive the transducer assembly  210 . The air chamber unit  208  may comprise at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902 , where each of the at least one sealed cavity  802 / 902  may be filled with one or more gases, such as, for example, air. The transducer assembly  210  may comprise transducer elements  106 / 108  configured to perform one or both of transmitting and receiving acoustic energy. 
     The receiving assembly  206  may be configured to be coupled to the handle  204  using any of a number of appropriate methods such as, for example, a nut  202 , adhesive(s), snapping the receiving assembly  206  into the handle  204 , screwing the receiving assembly  206  to the handle  204 , pressure fitting the receiving assembly  206  to the handle  204 , etc. The transducer assembly  210  may be received by the air chamber unit  208  in the transducer slot  209 , such that the transducer assembly  210  and the air chamber unit  208  may be configured to swivel together. 
     The transducer cap  212  may be configured to be fixed to the receiving assembly  206  and/or the handle  204 . The air chamber unit  208  may comprise molded parts, and two or more of the molded parts may be bonded and sealed to each other with laser welding, ultrasound welding, and/or one or more adhesives. 
     The air chamber unit  208  may comprise a single part formed by foamed material that is molded or machined, additive process, gas injection molding, or rotational molding. 
     As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or more of the items in the list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. As another example, “x, y, and/or z” means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As utilized herein, the term “exemplary” means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As utilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example” set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure may be realized with various materials. While the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.