Ultrasound transducer for selectively generating ultrasound waves and heat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10369386-B2
Application number	US-201113699027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2011
Priority date	May 27, 2010
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An ultrasound transducer is configured to be driven at multiple frequencies including a main frequency for efficient production of ultrasound waves and at least one alternative frequency, at which little or no ultrasound is generated and rather heat is generated in the ultrasound transducer for heating a sample.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating an ultrasound transducer for analysis of a sample, comprising acts of:
providing the ultrasound transducer capable of being operated using at least two frequencies including a main frequency and at least one alternative frequency; and
controlling the ultrasound transducer to operate
at the main frequency for generating ultrasound waves to primarily couple ultrasound waves into the sample; and
at one alternative frequency of the at least one alternative frequency to primarily generate heat in the ultrasound transducer for heating the ultrasound transducer for heating the sample by thermal conduction of the heat from the heated ultrasound transducer to the sample, wherein an impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the one alternative frequency is greater than the impedance at the main frequency to generate the heat in the ultrasound transducer based on the increased impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the one alternative frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main frequency and the one alternative frequency are resonance frequencies of the ultrasound transducer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when driving the ultrasound transducer with set parameters at at least one of the alternative frequencies, less ultrasound intensity is generated than when driving the ultrasound transducer with the set parameters at the main frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein ultrasound intensity generated when driving the ultrasound transducer with set parameters at the one alternative frequency is not sufficient for generating cavitations in the sample.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound waves generated at the main frequency with set parameters are capable of creating the cavitations in the sample.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the heat in the ultrasound transducer is generated due to electric power absorption of the ultrasound transducer, when driving the ultrasound transducer at the one alternative frequency.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one alternative frequency produces more of the heat in the ultrasound transducer than the main frequency.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one alternative frequency is higher than the main frequency.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
monitoring a temperature of the sample to obtain a monitored temperature; and
controlling the temperature of the sample based on monitored temperature.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling act operates the ultrasound transducer simultaneously using the main frequency and the one alternative frequency.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling act operates the ultrasound transducer alternately using the main frequency and the one alternative frequency.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
storing heating characteristics of the at least one alternative frequency; and
providing the heating characteristics to a user.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main frequency is centered at 1.7 MHz, and the at least one alternative frequency centered at 2.17 MHz and 2.86 MHz.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an act of measuring a temperature of the sample using the ultrasound transducer by measuring a speed of sound in a fluid of the sample.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling act operates the ultrasound transducer simultaneously at the one alternative frequency and at a second alternative frequency of the at least one alternative frequency for regulating the heat in the ultrasound transducer.

16. An ultrasound transducer comprising:
a transducer element; and
a controller configured to selectively drive the transducer element using a main frequency to primarily generate ultrasound waves for emission from the transducer element, and to selectively drive the transducer element using at least one alternative frequency different from the main frequency to primarily generate heat in the ultrasound transducer for heating the ultrasound transducer for transfer of the heat by thermal conduction from the heated ultrasound transducer to a sample, wherein an impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the at least one alternative frequency is greater than the impedance at the main frequency to generate the heat in the ultrasound transducer based on the increased impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the at least one alternative frequency.

17. The ultrasound transducer of claim 16 , wherein the ultrasound waves are configured to induce cell lysis in the sample.

18. The ultrasound transducer of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to alternately drive the transducer element using the main frequency and the at least one alternative frequency.

19. The ultrasound transducer of claim 16 , further comprising a further transducer element, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously drive the transducer element using the main frequency and drive the further transducer element using the at least one alternative frequency.

20. A system for sample analysis, comprising:
at least one sample holder; and
at least one ultrasound transducer having a transducer element and a controller configured to selectively drive the transducer element using a main frequency to primarily generate ultrasound waves for emission from the transducer element, and to selectively drive the transducer element using at least one alternative frequency different from the main frequency to primarily generate heat in the ultrasound transducer for heating the ultrasound transducer,
wherein the ultrasound transducer is heat-conductively coupled to a sample inserted in the at least one sample holder for transfer of the heat by thermal conduction from the heated ultrasound transducer to the sample, wherein an impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the at least one alternative frequency is greater than the impedance at the main frequency to generate the heat in the ultrasound transducer based on the increased impedance of the ultrasound transducer at the at least one alternative frequency.

Assignees

• Van Heesch Christianus Martinus
• Kolesnychenko Aleksey
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Van Heesch Christianus Martinus
• Kolesnychenko Aleksey

Classifications

• A61B8/00

  Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01N29/34

  Generating the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves {, e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor} · CPC title

• A61N2007/0073

  using multiple frequencies · CPC title

• A61N2007/0039

  using microbubbles · CPC title

• A61N7/022 Primary

  intracavitary · CPC title