Patent ID: 7902728

Claim:
For a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer configured to transmit ultrasound having at least a first frequency of at least 100 KHz along a first dimension toward a front medium, a piezoelectric element comprising: a plurality of piezoelectric layers including a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer, each piezoelectric layer configured to produce the ultrasound; a plurality of high thermal conductivity (HTC) layers including a first HTC layer, a second HTC layer, and a third HTC layer, each HTC layer having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mC, the first piezoelectric layer in juxtaposition between the first HTC layer and the second HTC layer along the first dimension, the second piezoelectric layer in juxtaposition between the second HTC layer and the third HTC layer along the first dimension; a first HTC side member having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mC, the first HTC side member extending along the first dimension; and a second HTC side member having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mC, the first HTC side member extending along the first dimension, the plurality of HTC layers thermally coupled to and extending between the first HTC side member and the second HTC side member, and the plurality of piezoelectric layers coupled to and extending between the first HTC side member and the second HTC side member; and a housing including a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the first HTC side member is thermally coupled to the first side portion of the housing and the second HTC side member is thermally coupled to the second side portion of the housing.