Ultrasonic transducers with Q spoiling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059708-B2
Application number	US-202017099545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2020
Priority date	May 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed herein are ultrasonic transducer systems comprising: an ultrasonic transducer comprising a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element; a first electrical circuitry coupled to the ultrasonic transducer, the first electrical circuitry configured for driving the ultrasonic transducer or detecting motion of the diaphragm; a plurality of electrical ports coupled to the ultrasonic transducer; and a second electrical circuitry connected to two or more of the plurality of electrical ports, the electrical circuitry comprising one or more of: a resistor, a capacitor, a switch, and an amplifier, wherein the second electrical circuitry is independent from the first electrical circuitry, and wherein the second electrical circuitry is configured to dampen the motion of the diaphragm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical transducer system comprising:
a) an electrical transducer comprising a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element;
b) a first electrical circuitry coupled to the electrical transducer, the first electrical circuitry configured for driving the electrical transducer or detecting motion of the diaphragm;
c) a plurality of electrical ports coupled to the electrical transducer; and
d) a second electrical circuitry connected to two or more of the plurality of electrical ports, the second electrical circuitry comprising a switch being configured to leave one or more of the plurality of ports floating when open and short the one or more of the plurality of ports to a DC voltage when closed;
wherein the second electrical circuitry is independent from the first electrical circuitry, and wherein the second electrical circuitry is configured to dampen the motion of the diaphragm.

2. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the electrical transducer is selected from the group consisting of a capacitive transducer, a piezo-resistive transducer, a thermal transducer, an optical transducer, and a radioactive transducer.

3. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the second electrical circuitry comprises a resistor.

4. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the second electrical circuitry comprises a resistor coupled to the electrical transducer through a capacitor.

5. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the motion of the diaphragm is ceased when the switch is closed.

6. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is activated when the diaphragm is in motion.

7. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is not activated when the motion of diaphragm is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port above the piezoelectric element.

9. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port below the piezoelectric element.

10. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises two ports or three ports.

11. The electrical transducer system in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises four ports, five ports, six ports, or any other integer number of ports.

12. An electrical transducer system comprising:
a) an electrical transducer comprising a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element;
b) a first electrical circuitry coupled to the electrical transducer, the first electrical circuitry configured for driving the electrical transducer or detecting motion of the diaphragm;
c) a plurality of electrical ports coupled to the electrical transducer; and
d) a second electrical circuitry connected to two or more of the plurality of electrical ports, the second electrical circuitry comprising an amplifier that is configured to sense the motion of the diaphragm and utilizes active feedback to dampen the motion of the diaphragm based on the sensed motion of the diaphragm;
wherein the second electrical circuitry is independent from the first electrical circuitry.

13. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the electrical transducer is selected from the group consisting of a capacitive transducer, a piezo-resistive transducer, a thermal transducer, an optical transducer, and a radioactive transducer.

14. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is activated when the diaphragm is in motion.

15. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is not activated when the motion of diaphragm is less than a predetermined threshold.

16. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port above the piezoelectric element.

17. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port below the piezoelectric element.

18. The electrical transducer system in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises two ports, three ports, four ports, five ports, six ports, or any other integer number of ports.

19. An electrical transducer system comprising:
a) an electrical transducer comprising a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element;
b) a first electrical circuitry coupled to the electrical transducer, the first electrical circuitry configured for driving the electrical transducer or detecting motion of the diaphragm;
c) a plurality of electrical ports coupled to the electrical transducer; and
d) a second electrical circuitry connected to two or more of the plurality of electrical ports, the second electrical circuitry comprising a switch, a resistor, and a capacitor in series, wherein the switch is configured to leave one or more of the plurality of ports floating when open and short the one or more of the plurality of ports to the resistor and the capacitor when closed;
wherein the second electrical circuitry is independent from the first electrical circuitry, and wherein the second electrical circuitry is configured to dampen the motion of the diaphragm.

20. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the motion of the diaphragm is dampened when the switch is closed.

21. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the electrical transducer is selected from the group consisting of a capacitive transducer, a piezo-resistive transducer, a thermal transducer, an optical transducer, and a radioactive transducer.

22. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is activated when the diaphragm is in motion.

23. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the second electrical circuitry is not activated when the motion of diaphragm is less than a predetermined threshold.

24. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port above the piezoelectric element.

25. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises at least one port below the piezoelectric element.

26. The electrical transducer system in claim 19 , wherein the plurality of electrical ports comprises two ports, three ports, four ports, five ports, six ports, or any other integer number of ports.

Assignees

• Exo Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Bircumshaw Brian
• Akkaraju Sandeep
• Kwon Haesung

Classifications

• G10K9/122 Primary

  using piezoelectric driving means {(G10K9/121 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B06B2201/30

  with electronic damping · CPC title

• B06B1/0666

  used as a diaphragm · CPC title

• B06B1/0648

  of rectangular shape · CPC title

• B06B1/0253 Primary

  taken directly from the generator circuit · CPC title