Patent ID: 7300403

Claim:
An ultrasound probe for radiating an ultrasound beam, and with constraints on an outer ultrasound probe dimension given by application of the probe, wherein: the probe includes an ultrasound array of elements with radiating front faces arranged at least in one direction close to normal to the ultrasound beam direction, and the radiating front faces define an array radiating surface, the array radiating surface has a defined center or central region and said array elements are divided into at least two groups of array elements with a central group of elements in the central region of said array radiating surface, the radiating surface of each said group of elements is mechanically retracted from the radiating surfaces of groups of elements closer to said center or center region, and wherein the radiating front face of each element in each group is directed, or shaped, or adapted to a lens so that the axes of the beams from said individual elements in the different groups are parallel to or cross one of a plane and an axis common to all groups of elements, so that the total aperture for beam forming with said array can be large within the outer dimension constraint of the probe.