Patent ID: 7090643

Claim:
An ultrasonic probe comprising: an elongate structure having a longitudinal axis; a first array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending along an outer surface of said elongate structure in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal axis; a second array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending along the outer surface of the elongate structure in a direction generally parallel to said longitudinal axis; and a third array of ultrasonic transducer elements extending about said elongate structure in a direction so that it images a plane perpendicular to that imaged by at least one of said first array and said second array, the third array being disposed in a space between said first array and said second array, wherein said first array, said second array and said third array are outwardly convex arrays, and said first array and said second array are aligned so as to image a portion of a substantially continuous plane perpendicular to said plane imaged by said third array.