Methods for manufacturing high intensity ultrasound transducers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9445211-B2
Application number	US-10429405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2005
Priority date	Apr 11, 2005
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer is provided. The ultrasound transducer is activated and the activity across the transducer is measured to determine whether the activity at any area does not meet an acceptance criteria. The transducer is then modified so that the area meets the acceptance criteria. The transducer may be modified with a laser which removes material from the area which does not meet the acceptance criteria.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound transducer, comprising:
providing an ultrasound transducer;
activating the ultrasound transducer;
sensing an activity of the ultrasound transducer other than frequency;
detecting a location on the ultrasound transducer which does not meet an acceptance criteria; and
modifying at least part of the ultrasound transducer to modify the activity at the location which does not meet the acceptance criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the detecting step is carried out by determining whether the activity at the location exceeds a threshold level of activity; and
the modifying step is carried out to reduce the activity at the location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out by sensing the activity across an area of the ultrasound transducer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out indirectly by sensing the activity in an ultrasound beam path created by the ultrasound transducer during the activating step.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out across an active area of the ultrasound transducer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
sensing the activity of the ultrasound transducer after the modifying step.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
mounting the ultrasound transducer to a medical device, the medical device being configured to ablate tissue.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the providing step is carried out with the ultrasound transducer producing a focused ultrasound beam having a focal length less than 12 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step includes a step of removing material from the ultrasound transducer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein
the step of removing material is carried out with a laser.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out with the activity being at least one of a temperature and an acoustic output parameter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out by measuring temperature across an area of the ultrasound transducer.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
saving a map of the ultrasound transducer activity from the sensing step;
the modifying step being carried out using the map.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the activating step is carried out by directing acoustic energy at the transducer;
the sensing step being carried out by sensing electrical impulses created by the transducer resulting from the acoustic energy.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out with a laser being selected from the group of lasers consisting of UV lasers and excimer lasers.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the providing step is carried out with the ultrasound transducer having an active electrode, a ground electrode and a piezoelectric layer.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
mounting a membrane over an active face, the membrane being adapted to hold a fluid between the active face and the membrane, the membrane also forming a contact surface which contacts the tissue being treated.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out by depoling at least part of the piezoelectric material.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out by sensing the activity on a first side of the ultrasound transducer; and
the modifying step is carried out by modifying a second side of the ultrasound transducer which is opposite the first side of the ultrasound transducer.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the sensing step is carried out by sensing the activity on a first side of the ultrasound transducer; and
the modifying step is carried out by modifying the first side of the ultrasound transducer.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out by changing a shape of the ultrasound transducer to modify the activity level at the location which does not meet the acceptance criteria.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out by changing a mass of the ultrasound transducer to reduce the activity level at the location exceeding the acceptance criteria.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out by modifying a poling of a part of the ultrasound transducer.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the modifying step is carried out by adding material to the ultrasound transducer.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
adding a matching layer to the ultrasound transducer after the modifying step.

26. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
retesting the ultrasound transducer after the modifying step by repeating the activating, sensing and detecting steps.

27. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed activity is selected from the group consisting of acoustic intensity output, acoustic-receive sensitivity, and acoustically output-derived waste-heat.

Assignees

• Sliwa Jack
• Podmore Jonathan L
• Bagley Chris
• Crowe John E
• Holzbaur Michael
• Hillstrom Derek
• Schellenberg Steve
• Goetz Peter
• Morse Stephen A
• St Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Div Inc

Inventors

• Sliwa Jack
• Podmore Jonathan L
• Bagley Chris
• Crowe John E
• Holzbaur Michael
• Hillstrom Derek
• Schellenberg Steve
• Goetz Peter
• Morse Stephen A

Classifications

• Y10T29/49005

  Acoustic transducer · CPC title

• Y10T29/42

  Piezoelectric device making · CPC title

• H03H3/02

  for the manufacture of piezoelectric or electrostrictive resonators or networks (H03H3/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R31/00 Primary

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor {(manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49004

  including measuring or testing of device or component part · CPC title