Compact ultrasound device having annular ultrasound array peripherally electrically connected to flexible printed circuit board and method of assembly thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224895-B2
Application number	US-201716069319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2017
Priority date	Jan 18, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Ultrasound devices, and associated methods of assembly thereof, are disclosed whereby an annular electrode array of an ultrasound transducer is electrically connected to a flexible printed circuit board in a compact configuration. The flexible circuit board includes an elongate flexible segment and a distal distribution segment, where the distribution segment is attached to a peripheral support ring that surrounds at least a portion of the ultrasound transducer. The distribution segment includes a plurality of spatially distributed contact pads, and electrical connections are provided between the contact pads and the annular electrodes of the annular array. A backing material may be provided that contacts and extends from the annular array electrodes, and a distal portion of the elongate flexible segment may be encapsulated in the backing material, such that the distal portion extends inwardly from the peripheral support ring, without contacting the electrical connections and without contacting the array surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound device comprising:
an ultrasound transducer comprising an annular ultrasound array, wherein said annular ultrasound array is defined at least in part by a plurality of concentric annular electrodes provided on a first surface of a piezoelectric layer, and wherein a ground plane electrode is provided on a second surface of said piezoelectric layer;
a peripheral support ring surrounding at least a portion of said ultrasound transducer, wherein said peripheral support ring is electrically conductive;
a flexible printed circuit board comprising:
an elongate flexible segment; and
a distribution segment that is in contact with at least a portion of said peripheral support ring, such that a plurality of conductive paths extending through said elongate flexible segment are routed through said distribution segment to respective contact pads located at different locations on said peripheral support ring;

wherein each of the plurality of concentric annular electrodes is electrically connected to a respective contact pad;
wherein at least one conductive path of said flexible printed circuit board is a ground conductive path that is in electrical contact with said ground plane electrode, and
a backing material contacting and extending from said first surface, wherein a distal portion of said elongate flexible segment is encapsulated in said backing material, such that said distal portion of said elongate flexible segment extends inwardly from said peripheral support ring and bends outwardly away from said first surface, within said backing material, without contacting a wire bond and without contacting said first surface.

2. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of conductive paths are routed bi-directionally within said distribution segment.

3. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said distal portion of said elongate flexible segment is bent, within said backing material, over an angle ranging between 90 degrees and 180 degrees relative to said first surface.

4. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein an initial radius of curvature of said distal portion of said elongate flexible segment is less than 8 mm.

5. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein a contact surface of said peripheral support ring that contacts said distribution segment is spatially offset from said first surface.

6. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said elongate flexible segment extends outwardly from said peripheral support ring.

7. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said peripheral support ring has a transverse width of less than 1 mm.

8. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said peripheral support ring completely surrounds said ultrasound transducer.

9. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 and wherein said peripheral support ring is in electrical communication with said ground conductive path and said ground plane electrode.

10. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of concentric annular electrodes are provided in a sparse configuration, thereby defining a sparse annular ultrasound array.

11. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said ultrasound transducer is disc shaped, and wherein said peripheral support ring is at least a portion of an annulus.

12. The ultrasound device according to claim 11 wherein an outer diameter of said annulus is less than 10 mm.

13. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said elongate flexible segment is encapsulated within said backing material and emerges from a distal surface of said backing material without extending beyond a side surface of said backing material.

14. The ultrasound device according to claim 13 wherein said elongate flexible segment emerges from said backing material at an angle of 90 degrees relative to said first surface.

15. The ultrasound device according to claim 13 wherein said elongate flexible segment emerges from said backing material at an angle of greater than or equal to 90 degrees relative to said first surface.

16. The ultrasound device according to claim 1 wherein said distal portion of said elongate flexible segment comprises a plurality of branched distal segments that contact said peripheral support ring at different locations with gaps defined therebetween.

17. The ultrasound device according to claim 16 wherein one or more wire bonds are formed within each gap.

18. The ultrasound device according to claim 16 wherein one or more of said plurality of branched distal segments include only two conductive paths.

19. The ultrasound device according to claim 18 wherein said two conductive paths are bi-directionally routed to different contact pads.

Assignees

• Ulthera Inc

Inventors

• Brown Jeremy A
• Leadbetter Jeffrey R
• Emery Charles D

Classifications

• B06B1/0625 Primary

  Annular array · CPC title

• B06B1/06 Primary

  operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction (piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00) · CPC title

• B06B1/0207 Primary

  Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03) · CPC title