公开(公告)号：US12000728B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-04

申请号：US17395171

申请日：2021-08-05

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Sandeep Akkaraju ,  Haesung Kwon ,  Brian Bircumshaw

IPC: G01H11/08 ,  B81B3/00 ,  G01N29/07 ,  G01S15/02 ,  H01L41/113 ,  H01L41/18 ,  H10N30/30 ,  H10N30/85

CPC classification number: G01H11/08 ,  G01N29/07 ,  G01S15/02 ,  H10N30/302 ,  H10N30/852 ,  B81B3/0021

Abstract: An array of micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The array has first and second rows, the MUTs in the first row being equally spaced by a horizontal pitch in a horizontal direction, the MUTs in the second row being equally spaced by the horizontal pitch in the horizontal direction. The MUTs in the second row are shifted along the horizontal direction by a first horizontal distance relative to the MUTs in the first row and shifted along a vertical direction by a first vertical distance relative to the MUTs in the first row. The first horizontal distance is greater than zero and less than the horizontal pitch. The first vertical distance ranges from one tenth of a horizontal width of a MUT to a half of a vertical height of a MUT.

公开(公告)号：US11998387B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-04

申请号：US17574265

申请日：2022-01-12

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Daniela Marisa Fredrick ,  Charles Baumgartner ,  Robert Laduca

IPC: A61B8/00

CPC classification number: A61B8/4444 ,  A61B2562/18

Abstract: Described are systems, devices, and methods useful in the prevention and/or detection of liquid intrusion into ultrasound equipment. Ultrasound transducers and associated ultrasound circuitry, which can be located in an interior of an ultrasound system or device can be adversely affected by exposure to liquids. As described herein, ultrasound systems and devices can comprise a multilayer seal, for example, wherein the multilayer seal comprises one or more layers for preventing liquid intrusion and one or more layers for detection of liquid intrusion (e.g., wherein the one or more layers for detection of liquid intrusion comprise an indicator material capable of changing color when exposed to a liquid).

公开(公告)号：US20240151838A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-09

申请号：US18549051

申请日：2021-03-31

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Anthony E. Brock ,  Brian Bircumshaw ,  Jonathan R. Strode

IPC: G01S7/52 ,  G01S15/89

CPC classification number: G01S7/5208 ,  G01S7/52046 ,  G01S15/8918 ,  G01S15/8993

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and computer-implemented media. The apparatus is to determine a current pixel performance dataset for one or more pixels within a transducer array of pixels located adjoining a first medium with a first acoustic impedance Z1, the transducer array within an imaging device, the current pixel performance dataset obtained from a current pixel performance receive cycle of the one or more pixels against a second medium with a second acoustic impedance Z2 larger than Z1; perform a comparison of the current pixel performance dataset with a baseline pixel performance dataset for the one or more pixels, the baseline pixel performance dataset obtained from a baseline pixel performance receive cycle of the one or more pixels against the second medium, wherein implementation of the current pixel performance receive cycle and of the baseline pixel performance receive cycle is performed without alignment of the second medium with respect to the imaging device; and determine a defective pixel dataset for one or more defective pixels of the one or more pixels based on the comparison.

公开(公告)号：US11971477B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-30

申请号：US17257175

申请日：2019-09-16

Applicant: EXO IMAGING, INC.

Inventor： Yusuf S. Haque ,  Sandeep Akkaraju ,  Janusz Bryzek ,  Larry Skrenes

IPC: G01S15/89 ,  A61B5/00 ,  A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/14 ,  A61N7/02

CPC classification number: G01S15/8934 ,  G01S15/895 ,  A61B5/0095 ,  A61B8/06 ,  A61B8/145 ,  A61N7/02

Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, an imaging device is described. The imaging device includes an array of transducers. Each transducer includes an array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element transmits pressure waves towards an object to be imaged and receives reflections of the pressure waves off the object to be imaged. The imaging device also includes a transmit channel per one or more piezoelectric elements to generate the pressure waves and a receive channel per one or more piezoelectric elements to process the reflections of the pressure waves. The number of channels are selectively altered to control parameters such as power consumption and temperature.

公开(公告)号：US20240085557A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-14

申请号：US18243608

申请日：2023-09-07

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Kutay USTUNER ,  Dongwoon HYUN

IPC: G01S15/89 ,  G01S7/52

CPC classification number: G01S15/8927 ,  G01S7/52028 ,  G01S7/5205 ,  G01S15/8918 ,  G01S15/892 ,  G01S15/8925

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for ultrasound imaging particular to matrix arrays of ultrasound transducer assemblies which each comprise a matrix array of transducer elements and an ASIC coupled to the matrix array of transducer elements. The matrix array of ultrasound transducer assemblies can be assembled into a variety of form factors. Virtual elements located in gaps between transducer assemblies may be defined. Synthesized receive signals may be generated for these virtual elements.

公开(公告)号：US20240075500A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US17929521

申请日：2022-09-02

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Haesung KWON ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW ,  Sandeep AKKARAJU

IPC: B06B1/06 ,  A61B8/00 ,  G01S15/89

CPC classification number: B06B1/0666 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  G01S15/8915

Abstract: Provided herein are micromachined ultrasonic transducers as well as imaging devices and assemblies comprising micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The MUTs described herein have a plurality of membranes so as to improve acoustic power at higher frequencies.

公开(公告)号：US11819881B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US17364397

申请日：2021-06-30

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Haesung Kwon ,  Brian Bircumshaw ,  Sandeep Akkaraju

IPC: B06B1/06 ,  A61B8/00 ,  H10N30/853 ,  H10N30/857

CPC classification number: B06B1/0603 ,  A61B8/4483 ,  B06B2201/76 ,  H10N30/853 ,  H10N30/857 ,  H10N30/8542 ,  H10N30/8548 ,  H10N30/8554

Abstract: A micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) which comprises a first piezoelectric layer and a second piezoelectric layer. The first piezoelectric layer is disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The second piezoelectric layer is disposed between the second electrode and a third electrode. At least the first electrode has first and second ends along a first axis, one or more of which is defined by a radius of curvature R. A second axis normal to the first passes through a midpoint of the first axis. A half-width of the first electrode is defined by a length L measured from the midpoint, in the direction of the second axis, to an outer perimeter of the first electrode. A total width of the first electrode at its narrowest point along the first axis is at most 2L such that the first electrode has a concave shape. R/L, is greater than 1.

公开(公告)号：US20230204742A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-29

申请号：US18091288

申请日：2022-12-29

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Yusuf HAQUE ,  Janusz BRYZEK

IPC: G01S7/52 ,  A61B8/00 ,  A61B8/08 ,  H04N19/10

CPC classification number: G01S7/52034 ,  G01S7/52085 ,  A61B8/56 ,  A61B8/4488 ,  A61B8/5207 ,  A61B8/483 ,  H04N19/10

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system can include an ultrasound imaging probe, a computing device, and a link for communicatively coupling the computing device and the ultrasound imaging probe. The probe can include an ultrasonic transducer and preprocessing circuitry. The ultrasonic transducer can produce an electrical signal from an ultrasonic pressure wave and have a transducer element. The preprocessing circuitry can be electrically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and have a signal converter and a signal integrator. The signal converter can condition a signal from the transducer element and convert the signal to a digital signal. The signal integrator can combine the digital signal into a transmission signal with at least a 10 Gigabit per second data rate. The signal can then be transmitted for processing by the computing device.

公开(公告)号：US20230129012A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US17507615

申请日：2021-10-21

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Killian SULLIVAN ,  Huseyin Kagan OGUZ ,  Anthony BROCK ,  Michael CONROY ,  Thomas TARTER ,  Drake GUENTHER ,  Brian BIRCUMSHAW

IPC: G01S15/89 ,  H05K7/20

Abstract: Acoustic imaging artifacts produced by imaging systems and devices can be reduced or eliminated by including a multisink medium in the systems or devices. The multisink material can be disposed between an acoustically reflective component of the imaging system or device and an ultrasound transducer of the imaging system or device. Inclusion of a multisink medium that is thermally conductive and acoustically non-conductive can reduce acoustic imaging artifacts while maintaining or improving heat management within imaging systems and devices.

公开(公告)号：US20220409184A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-29

申请号：US17356262

申请日：2021-06-23

Applicant: Exo Imaging, Inc.

Inventor： Jonathan STRODE ,  Rajeev SIVADASAN ,  Gordon SASAMORI

IPC: A61B8/00 ,  B06B1/02 ,  B06B1/06 ,  G01S15/89

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for testing transducers and associated integrated circuits. In some cases, a method or system described herein can comprise modulating a bias voltage using a test signal in order to produce a modulated bias voltage signal useful in testing a plurality of transducers of a transducer array in parallel.