CA2235947C - Ultrasound transducer assembly and catheter - Google Patents

Ultrasound transducer assembly and catheter Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2235947C
CA2235947C CA002235947A CA2235947A CA2235947C CA 2235947 C CA2235947 C CA 2235947C CA 002235947 A CA002235947 A CA 002235947A CA 2235947 A CA2235947 A CA 2235947A CA 2235947 C CA2235947 C CA 2235947C
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Prior art keywords
ultrasound transducer
transducer
transducer elements
backing material
assembly
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Expired - Fee Related
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CA002235947A
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French (fr)
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CA2235947A1 (en
Inventor
Gary P. Rizzuti
Michael J. Eberle
Horst F. Kiepen
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Endosonics Corp
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Endosonics Corp
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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/12—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/06—Measuring blood flow
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
    • A61B8/4444—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device related to the probe
    • A61B8/445—Details of catheter construction
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
    • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
    • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
    • A61B8/4488—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer the transducer being a phased array
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
    • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
    • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
    • A61B8/4494—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
    • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
    • B06B1/0607—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements
    • B06B1/0622—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements on one surface
    • B06B1/0633—Cylindrical array
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
    • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
    • B06B1/0644—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element
    • B06B1/0662—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element with an electrode on the sensitive surface
    • B06B1/067—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element with an electrode on the sensitive surface which is used as, or combined with, an impedance matching layer
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
    • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
    • B06B1/0644—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element
    • B06B1/0662—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element with an electrode on the sensitive surface
    • B06B1/0674—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using a single piezoelectric element with an electrode on the sensitive surface and a low impedance backing, e.g. air
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8909—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration
    • G01S15/8915—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8979—Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/899—Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
    • G10K11/004—Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
    • G10K11/004—Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device
    • G10K11/006—Transducer mounting in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys
    • G10K11/008—Arrays of transducers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B2201/00—Indexing scheme associated with B06B1/0207 for details covered by B06B1/0207 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • B06B2201/70—Specific application
    • B06B2201/76—Medical, dental
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8909—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration
    • G01S15/8915—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array
    • G01S15/892—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques using a static transducer configuration using a transducer array the array being curvilinear
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
    • G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
    • G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
    • G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
    • G01S15/8979—Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
    • G01S15/8981—Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds, e.g. wall clutter filter
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/42—Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasound transducer assembly which comprises an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements, and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material formed into a substantially cylindrical shape; the substrate layer providing a platform to which the ultrasound transducer elements are fixed. The substantially cylindrical-shaped substrate layer can be at least partially filled with a backing material, or the substrate layer can be bonded to a substantially cylindrical backing material. The ultrasonic transducer probe assembly is mountable to a distal end of a catheter, for providing images within a vascular system.
Similarly, in accordance with this invention, a method of making an ultrasound transducer assembly includes the steps of manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements and a substrate, and reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape. The cylindrical shape is partially filled with a backing material, or the planar sheet is bonded to a substantially cylindrical backing material. Thus, a method of making an imaging catheter can comprise the steps of forming a catheter shaft and attaching such an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft.

Description

ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER ASSEMBLY AND CATHETER
The present invention relates generally to the field of ultrasonic imaging, and more particularly to an ultrasound transducer assembly for imaging to determine various characteristics of relatively small cavities and surrounding fluids and structures. More specifically, it relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly useful for insertion into a cavity and emitting ultrasonic waves which facilitate construction of a usable image from detected reflected ultrasonic acoustic waves. This application is a division of 2,133,475, filed January 14, 1994.
Diagnosis and treatment of fully or partially blocked arteries of the heart is essential in the medical profession's endeavor t:o prevent heart attacks. Physicians have successfully prevented heart attacks arising from artery blockage caused by the build-up of plaque upon the walls of the coronary arteries through the use of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA, commonly referred to as "balloon angioplasty"). Balloon angioplasty involves carefully threading a catheter into the affected portion of the artery. After the balloon portion is determined to be properly positioned in the artery, the physician inflates the expandable portion of the catheter in order to broaden the blocked or narrowed passage in the blood vessel caused by the deposition of plague upon the artery 'wall.
The desirability of using an imaging device to produce treatment and diagnostic quality images of small enclosed areas such as human blood vessels on a diagnostic video display device is unquestioned. It is known to use a very small ultrasonic imaging device mounted at the end of a catheter to produce a real-time image of the internal walls of a coronary artery. This device is referred to herein as an ultrasound catheter.
In the known ultrasound catheters, the same material s is used for the electronics carrier upon which a set of electronic components are mounted and for the backing material for the transducer assembly. A drawback to the known ultrasound catheters is the difficulty in finding a carrier/backing material which provides the physical and 1o acoustic qualities desired for advantageous use as the carrier for the electronics and the backing material for~a transducer assembly comprising a highly sensitive transducer material.
The known ultrasonic catheter structure, though is providing the advantage of design and construction simplicity, exhibits certain drawbacks attributable to the particular and mutually incompatible requirements for the backing material and the electronics carrier. It is desirable that the electronics carrier for the electronics 20 body be rigid and capable of withstanding the elevated temperatures produced by the electronics. However, the known electronics carrier materials which satisfy .the requirements for the electronics body are not suitable backing materials for the presently preferred transducer 2s assemblies comprising highly sensitive lead zirconate titanate (PZT) composites.
When the new, more sensitive PZT composites are used with the known electronic carrier material as the backing material for the transducer, unwanted ringing occurs in the 3o transducer assembly when an acoustic signal is received or transmitted by the catheter. The signal produced by the ringing reduces the quality of the signal transmitted by the transducer assembly and limits the foreseeable advantages of utilizing the more sensitive transducer 3s materials in ultrasonic catheters. The decreased signal quality attributed to the ringing limits the image quality provided by an ultrasound catheter. The limited image quality restricts the usefulness of the ultrasound catheter for clinical and diagnostic imaging.
In known ultrasound catheters the transducer electrodes are coupled to the transducer layer through a capacitive glue layer. As was previously mentioned, PZT
composites having a relatively high degree of sensitivity to acoustic signals are being considered for replacement of the previously used, less sensitive, ferroelectric polymer transducer materials. While the PZT composites exhibit superior sensitivity in comparison to the ferroelectric copolymers, they also have a higher dielectric constant.
The reduced impedance (or increased capacitance) associated with the new PZT composites significantly negates the improved signal sensitivity provided by the PZT composites when coupled to the transducer electrodes through the capacitive glue layer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasound transducer assembly and a method for fabricating the small transducer elements of an ultrasound transducer assembly of an ultrasonic imaging catheter.
A feature of the present invention is the provision of a means for forming the very small transducer elements for an ultrasound catheter to very close tolerances.
Another feature of the present invention provides a means for joining the conductor lines of the electronics body to the conducting electrodes of the transducer assembly in order to provide a signal path between the separately fabricated sections containing the integrated circuits and the transducer assembly of an ultrasound catheter.
Briefly stated, the invention provides an ultrasound transducer assembly which comprises an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements, and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the ultrasound transducer elements are fixed. The substantially cylindrical-shaped substrate layer can be at 1U least partially filled with a backing material.
Alternatively, the substrate layer can be bonded to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
Thus, in one aspect the invention provides an ultrasonic transducer probe assembly mountable to a distal end of a catheter, for providing images within a vascular system. The assembly comprises: an array of transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals;
integrated electronic circuitry for controlling the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic signals by the 20 array of transducers; a substrate comprising a pliable sheet material supporting, and attached to, the transducer elements of the array o:E transducers; and electrically-conductive paths that transport electrical signals between the electronic circuitry and the array of transducers.
More specifically, an ultrasound transducer probe assembly for attachment to a catheter and insertable within a small space such as, for example, a human coronary artery, for facilitating providing images from within the small space, comprises: an ultrasound transducer array 3a comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements; a first set of electrically-conductive paths within the ultrasound transducer probe; integrated circuitry electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer array by the first set of electrically-conductive paths and electrically connected to an environment external of the small space by a second set of electrically-conductive paths; and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the transducer elements arE~ fixed.
By another aspect the invention provides an imaging device, including integrated electronic circuitry communicatively coupled to a set of transducer elements, for insertion into a vascular network to generate imaging signals of a vessel of the network whose dimensions are approximately those of a human coronary artery. The imaging device is manufactured according to a set of steps, in any order, which comprise the following: manufacturing a planar sheet comprising the set of transducer elements fixed to a substrate comprising a pliable sheet material;
re-shaping the planar sheet into a substantially non-planar shape; establishing a first set of electrically-conductive paths between the set of transducer elements and the integrated electronic circuitry; and establishing a second set of electrically-conductive paths between the integrated electronic circuitry and an external interface of the imaging device.
Summarily described, in accordance with this invention, a method of making an ultrasound transducer 3b assembly includes the steps of manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements and a substrate, and reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape. The cylindrical shape is partially filled with a backing material, or the planar sheet is bonded to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
Thus, according to this invention, a method of making an imaging catheter can comprise the steps of forming a catheter shaft and atta~~hing an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, in which the ultrasound transducer assembly is :formed by the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate; reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape; and partially filling the cylindrical shape with <~ backing material, or bonding the planar sheet to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of making an ultrasound transducer probe assembly. The probe can be inserted into a cavity and emit ultrasonic waves which facilitate construction of a usable image in accordance with detected reflected ultrasonic acoustic waves. The method includes the steps of manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate. The planar sheet then is re-shaped into a 3c substantially non-planar shape, and the set of transducer elements are communicatively coupled to integrated circuits on the ultrasound transducer probe.
The invention also contemplates a method for fabricating an ultrasound transducer probe assembly which comprises a flexible substrate, integrated circuitry, and a set of transducer elements, which can be used in providing images of a blood vessel from within a vasculature. The method includes the steps of manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements upon the flexible substrate, electrically coupling the integrated circuitry to the ultrasound transducer elements via a set of conducting lines, and re-shaping the planar sheet into a non-planar shape.
In a preferred aspect the step of manufacturing a planar sheet comprises forming a layered structure including a set of conducting electrodes, a transducer material, a continuous layer conducting electrode, and a matching layer.
A catheter probe assembly for the present invention comprises a multi-sectioned body for insertion into a cavity. The multi-sectioned body is characterized by separate and distinct carrier/backing materials for an electronics body and a transducer assembly. The probe assembly is for an ultrasound catheter generally of the type described in Proudian (deceased) et al. U.S. Patent 4,917,097 and Eberle et al. U.S. Patent 5,167,233, for producing substantially real-time images of small cavities and their surrounding tissue.
The transducer assembly, comprising an array of transducers is mounted upon a first section of the multi-sectioned body. The transducer array transmits ultrasonic acoustic waves to the cavity and generates electrical signals in response to reflected ultrasonic acoustic waves received by the transducers.
The backing material for the transducer assembly is specifically selected for its characteristic low acoustic impedance and high absorption. The low acoustic impedance backing material absorbs signals coupled into the backing material and reduces the presence of ringing in the transducer assembly. In addition, a set of transducer electrodes are directly bonded to the transducer material thereby eliminating a capacitive glue layer previously associated with the transducer circuits.
Integrated circuits are mounted upon a second section of the multi-sectioned body. The second section, acoustically isolated from the first section, comprises a carrier material having a low thermal expansion coefficient. The integrated circuits receive a set of first electrical signals from the transducer array by means of electrical conductors interconnecting the transducer assembly electrodes and the pads of the integrated circuits. The electrical conductors are also used to transmit excitation signals from the integrated circuits to the transducer assembly. The integrated circuits convert the received first electrical signals into a second set of electrical signals. Then the integrated circuits transmit the second set of signals to a signal processor located outside the environment of the cavity by means of a cable.
The unique, multi-sectioned, structure of the probe assembly enables the designer of the probe assembly to separately select a material exhibiting the preferred structural and acoustic characteristic for the carrier of the integrated circuit components and the backing material for the transducer elements.
In order to prevent damage to the components of both the transducer assembly and the electronics body, these two portions of the ultrasound catheter probe assembly are separately manufactured and linked during the final stages of fabrication of the ultrasonic catheter.
The appended claims set forth the features of the present invention with particularity. The invention, together with its objects and advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the tip of a catheter illustrating the electronics body, the transducer assembly, and the balloon section of a balloon angioplasty ultrasound imaging catheter;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tip of a partially constructed diagnostic imaging catheter prior to joining the signal paths between the separated electronics body and transducer assembly;
FIG. 3 is a detailed side cross-sectional view of the tip of the imaging device portion of the catheter showing the composition of the imaging device;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the transducer assembly taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 5a and 5b illustratively depict an alternative embodiment of the ultrasound catheter wherein the conducting electrodes in the transducer assembly extend beyond the backing material and the transducer material;
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the tip of a catheter illustrating the electronics body, transducer assembly, and nose assembly of an ultrasound diagnostic imaging catheter embodying the present invention;
FIGS. 7a and 7b show cross-sectional and side-sectional views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the transducer array is configured to provide a "side-looking" view; and FIGS. 8a, 8b and 8c show side, forward, and top cross sectional views of an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the transducer array is configured to provide a "forward-looking" view.
While the invention will be described in connection with a catheter used for angioplasty, it will be understood that it is not intended to be limited to such use. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all applications which may require imaging in a small cavity.
An example of such an alternative would be the use of the present invention on a catheter without the balloon. In such a case, the catheter acts as a diagnostic or monitoring device. Another specific alternative use of the present invention is for measuring blood flow rates using Doppler sound imaging in conjunction with the present invention. The present invention may also be used to produce internal images of a number of ducts within a body such as the monitoring of gall stones in the bile ducts and for examination and treatment in the area of urology and gynecology. Another example of an application of the present invention is the use of the ultrasound catheter for providing an image of a vessel or duct during application of laser treatment or during the removal of plaque from the walls of a vessel during an antherectomy procedure.
Furthermore, this invention may be applied to other types of transducer array configurations which will be known to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the description of the invention and the accompanying descriptions of various embodiments of this invention contained herein.
Though the present invention concerns a method of making an ultrasound transducer probe assembly and changes to the physical layers of the transducer assembly, the probe assembly is intended to be incorporated in general into an ultrasound catheter imaging system of the type described in Proudian, (deceased) et al. U.S. Patent 4,917,097.
A cross-sectional view of a catheter embodying the present invention is illustratively depicted in FIG. 1.
The catheter shown in FIG. 1 carrying a balloon 1 is of the type which is generally used for angioplasty; however, the invention can be used in conjunction with a number of catheter designs such as those illustratively depicted in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 to provide diagnostic images and deliver treatment to small cavities of the body. Conventional guide wire lumens 2 and 3 are telescopically fitted over a mating radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 forming a central bore 6 for a catheter guide wire during a normal catheterization procedure. An encapsulant 8 composed of an epoxy material secures an imaging device 10 comprising the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 to the end of a s catheter shaft 16. The imaging device 10 in accordance with the present invention contains a multi-sectioned body comprising separate and distinct materials for a carrier 20 and a transducer backing material 24. The encapsulant 8 protects and insulates a set of integrated circuits (IC's) 18 mounted upon the carrier 20. In the preferred embodiment of a balloon angioplasty device embodying the present invention, the imaging device 10 is positioned within a proximal sleeve 19 of the balloon 1.
The transducer assembly 14, described hereinafter in i5 greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 3, generally comprises a set of transducer elements 22. The transducer elements 22 are supported in a cylindrical shape about the backing material 24. However, other transducer element configurations will be known to those skilled in the area of transducer devices in view of the present description and in view of the state of the art.
Continuing with the description of FIG. 1, the balloon 1 is positioned adjacent the imaging device 10 and is isolated from ambient conditions by sealing the two ends of 2s the balloon 1 to the catheter shaft 16 and the lumen 3 in a conventional manner. A tube 26 is embedded within the encapsulant 8 for communicating a fluid between the balloon 1 and an inflation source. Within the expandable portion of the balloon 1 and attached to the lumen 3 is a 3o radiopaque marker band 27 to assist in locating the position of the catheter on a fluoroscope.
A cable 28 comprising an inner and outer set of wires carries electronic data and control signals between the IC's 18 and a control station computer. Each inner wire in 3s the cable 28 is formed from a solid conductor protected by an insulating coating. The outer wires are spiraled a number of times around the cable 28 in order to shield the signals carried by the inner wires of the cable 28.
Preferably, the cable is coated with an insulating material.
Turning now to FIG. 2, a perspective view is provided of the tip of a partially constructed diagnostic imaging catheter 10 prior to joining the signal paths between the separated electronics body 12 and transducer assembly 14 in order to show the distinct first and second portions of the imaging device 10 comprising the transducer assembly 14 and 1o the electronics body 12. To aid the description of the imaging device 10, the proximal sleeve 19 and the epoxy encapsulant 8 covering the imaging device 10 have been removed to expose the integrated circuit chips 18 and associated electronic constructions. A nose cone 25 1s provides a blunted lead surface for the ultrasound imaging catheter in order to prevent damage to a vessel as the catheter is guided through the vessel.
The radiopaque guide wire lumen 4, visible within a patient by means of a fluoroscope, aids in the positioning 20 of the catheter. The radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 also holds both the electronics body 12' and the transducer assembly 14. The outer diameter of the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 is approximately 0.5 millimeters. The radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 provides the additional 25 function of. acting as a guide for precisely positioning the electronics body 12 and transducer assembly 14 in order to mate a set of 64 conductor lines 30 from the ICs 18 mounted upon the electronics body 12 to a set of 64 transducer contacts 32 of the transducer assembly 14 in a 3o manner shown in FIG. 3. In order for the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 to assist in mating the above described components of the imaging device 10, the gap between the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 and both the carrier 20 and the backing material 24 must be very small and should not 35 be greater than approximately 25 Vim. This minimized gap ensures proper radial alignment of the conductor lines 30 and transducer contacts 32.

In order to physically place the IC's 18 onto the carrier 20, the four IC's 18 are of an inverted chip design known to those skilled in the area of the semiconductor chip fabrication art and are bonded to a set of conductive s pads 34 formed on the carrier 20. The conductive pads 34 interconnect the IC's 18 to their neighboring chips and provide a connection between the IC's 18 and the cable 28 that communicatively couples the IC's 18 to a signal processor located outside the patient. The pads also to connect the IC's 18 to the conductor lines 30. The conductor lines 30 link the IC's 18 to a set of 64 electrodes that define the transducer elements in the transducer assembly 14.
Each of the IC's 18 has 16 channels associated with 16 transducer elements defined by 16 transducer electrodes in the transducer assembly 14. Each of the four IC's 18 is responsible for sequentially transmitting and receiving electrical signals in the ultrasonic frequency range on one or more of its 16 channels linked by conductor lines 30 to 2o an associated transducer element in the transducer assembly 14. The four IC's 18 provide a multiplexing function that distributes excitation pulses from a signal processor to one or more of the transducer elements. At any given time one or more of the 16 channels on each of the IC's 18 is 2s free to be excited by an excitation signal or to receive reflections or echoes by means of activation control signals stored on the IC's 18. The electrical signals generated from the reflections impinging on the active transducer elements are amplified and sent via the 3o transmission cable line 28 to the external signal processor.
Turning to FIG. 3 a detailed side cross-sectional view of the imaging portion of the catheter of FIG. 1 is illustrated to show the structure and materials of the 3s imaging device 10. In this drawing the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 are shown in their mated state as they would exist in the final construction of the imaging catheter. Though the layers of the transducer assembly are shown in detail in FIG. 3 it will be helpful to refer to FIG. 4, a cross section view of the transducer assembly taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, during the s description of the ringed layers of the transducer assembly 14.
The carrier 20 is bonded to the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 by means of a glue layer 36 comprising any commercially available medical grade cyanoacrylate epoxy.
to One may substitute any material or structure that satisfactorily imiaobilizes the electronics body 12 for the glue layer 36. As previously mentioned the space between the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 and the carrier 20 filled by the glue layer 36 must be very small in order for the is radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 to assist in the matching of the electrical contacts between the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14.
The carrier 20 in the preferred embodiment of the invention is formed from a rigid, strong material having a 20 low thermal expansion coefficient. The carrier 20 must be capable of withstanding temperatures in excess of 200 degrees Celsius to which the electronics body 12 is subjected during the process of bonding the set of IC's 18 to the carrier~20. Furthermore, during operation of the 2s ultrasound catheter, self-heating of the Id's 18 may cause expansion of the carrier 20. If the thermal expansion of the carrier 20 is too great, shear forces exerted by the carrier 20 upon the conductive pads 34 create a substantial risk of failure of the electrical connection between the 3o contacts of the IC's 18 and the conductor lines 30.
Aluminum oxide (A1203) possesses the aforementioned desired characteristics for the carrier 20; however, other suitable substitutes for this material are well known to those skilled in the art of hybrid circuits. Aluminum oxide is 3s also characterized by a very high acoustic impedance (approximately 40 I~tayls) and relatively low loss. As will be explained below, these acoustical properties make Aluminum oxide a poor candidate for use as the transducer backing material for applications involving highly sensitive transducer elements.
An encapsulant 8 is applied to the outer surface of s the electronics body 12 in order to provide a more cylindrical shape to the catheter assembly and to insulate the electronic circuitry. The encapsulant 8 generally comprises any commercially available medical grade W
curable acrylic. In order to guard against contamination to of the blood and possibly electrical shock, the outside of the electronics body may be covered by a protective layer.
The protective layer is made of, for example, parylene.
Other suitable materials for the protective layer will be known to those skilled in the art of ultrasound catheters is or other medical instruments which are inserted within the body. The protective layer consists of the proximal sleeve 19 in the balloon angioplasty catheter shown in FIG. 1 or a sheath 38 in the case of a diagnostic imaging catheter such as the one illustrated in FIG. 6.
2o Turning to the transducer assembly 14 and its related structures, the backing material 24 for the transducer assembly 14 is preferably formed from a material characterized by a relatively low acoustic impedance (<lOl~tayls) and high loss coefficient (on the order of 20 2s to 40 dB/mm) . This is necessitated by the use of highly sensitive transducer materials such as the PZT composites used for a transducer material 40 whose superior signal sensitivity is otherwise negated by the ringing effect caused by a backing material having a high acoustic 3o impedance and low loss. For this reason, Aluminum.oxide is not a preferred material for the backing material 24 for the transducer assembly 14. Instead, a separate and different material is used to form the backing material 24 for the ultrasound catheter of the present invention. A
3s preferred material for the backing material 24 is an epoxy resin filled with either rubber particles or glass microspheres. An example of such a resin is "light-weld"

183-M by Dymax Corp., Torrington, Connecticut. other suitable materials having low acoustic impedance and high loss will be known to those of ordinary skill in the art of ultrasound imaging. Although air is an ideal backing s material, transducer assemblies using an air backing are difficult to achieve in practice.
Thus, the ultrasound catheter of the present invention is characterized by an imaging device 10 having separate and distinct carrier/backing materials that exhibit greatly to contrasting characteristics. The two distinct materials provide desirable structural and acoustical characteristics for satisfying the dissimilar requirements for the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14.
In the preferred method of making the transducer is assembly 14, the outer layers of~the transducer assembly 14 are separately manufactured as a planar sheet. They comprise a first set of 64 conducting electrodes 42 , the transducer material 40, a continuous layer conducting electrode 44, and a matching layer 46. After the layers 2o are fabricated, the planar sheet of transducer elements 22 is wrapped around the backing material 24 and bonded by means of a glue layer 48. Depending on the mechanical and acoustic properties of the transducer assembly 14, physical isolation of the transducer elements 22 from one another 2s may be desirable. Since a uniform distribution of each of the transducer elements 22 is desired, the outer diameter of the backing material 24 must be manufactured within very close tolerances so that the ends of the planar sheet of transducer elements, when joined to form a cylinder around 3o the backing material 24, meet with minimal gap or overlap.
Alternatively, the planar transducer assembly 14 may be formed into a cylinder of exact outer diameter concentrically around the radiopaque lumen 4 and the gap between the lumen 4 and the transducer assembly 14 is 3s filled with the backing material 24. This ensures that the spacing between the transducer array elements at the opposite ends of the cylindrically wrapped planar sheet have the same spacing as the other transducer array elements. It is believed that the error in the circumference of the transducer sheet, when wrapped around the lumen 4, should be less than (plus or minus) 8 ~Cm.
Furthermore, the inner diameter of the backing material 24 must closely match the outer diameter of the radiopaque guide wire lumen 4 in order to facilitate the mating of electrical contacts between the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14. The concentric rings comprising to the afore-described layers of the transducer assembly 14 are illustratively depicted in FIG. 4 showing a cross-sectional view of the transducer assembly taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.
An advantage of the planar sheet transducer element fabrication method is the absence of capacitive glue layers previously present between the transducer material 40 and each of the conducting electrodes 42 and 44. If the capacitive glue layer remained in the presently described ultrasound catheter, an increased capacitance attributable 2o to the higher dielectric constant of the PZT composite transducer material 40 would negate the improved signal sensitivity of the preferred transducer material.
There are several other advantages to the sheet approach to fabricating the transducer array. Fabrication on a flat surface is easier than on a curved, cylindrical surface. This is especially important in transducer assemblies wherein the transducer material 40 must be separated (or diced) in order to form the transducer material on the continuous conducting electrode 44 as 3o individual elements instead of a continuous sheet. The capability of fabricating the transducer material 40 as individual elements is an important factor when choosing a particular fabrication method in view of the desirability of low cross-talk (less than -30d8), which may necessitate such a separation of elements. Some of the possible manufacturers of the planar sheets comprising the transducer elements are: Precision Acoustic Devices, Fremont, California; Acoustic Imaging, Phoenix, Arizona;
Echo Ultrasound, Lewistown, Pennsylvania; Vermon S.A., Tours, France; and Imasonic, Besancon, France.
After the transducer assembly 14 has been formed, it s may be desirable for the transducer material to be polarized by means of a high voltage on the order of 5,000 Volts applied between the first set of conducting electrodes 42 and the continuous conducting electrode 44.
Therefore, it is desirable to perform the polarization 1o procedure on a separated assembly to isolate the transducer assembly 14 from the electronics body 12 since application of such a high voltage to the IC's 18 would destroy the electronic circuitry of the IC's 18.
The layer of glue 48 bonds the backing material 24 to.
1s the first set of conducting electrodes 42 spaced evenly about the circumference of the backing material 24. The first set of conducting electrodes 42 defines the individual transducer elements in the transducer array.
The f first set ~ of conducting electrodes 42 is attached to 2o the set of 64 transducer contacts 32. Connection material 50 electrically couples each one of the transducer contacts 32, corresponding to a single transducer element, to a corresponding one of the conductor lines 30, thereby providing an electronic signal path between the transducer 2s elements 22 and the IC's 18. The connection material comprises any of several known suitable conductors such as silver or gold loaded epoxy droplets, solder or gold bumps, or solder tape.
There are other connection schemes for joining the 3o conducting electrodes 42 to the conductor lines 30. FIGS.
5A and 5B illustratively depict an alternative embodiment of the ultrasound catheter wherein copper conducting electrodes 42 of the transducer assembly 14 extend beyond the backing material 24 and the transducer material 40.
35 The portion of the conducting electrodes 42 extending beyond the backing material 24 and overlapping the conductor lines 30 when the transducer assembly 14 is joined to the electronics body 12 facilitates the use of a well known gap welder to fuse the individual conductor lines 30 to the corresponding conducting electrodes 42.
FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional view of a part~.ally constructed ultrasound catheter to show the above described connection scheme. The use of a gap welder eliminates the need to deposit individual drops of solder material 50 as shown in FIG. 3. The elimination of solder droplets potentially simplifies the design of the electronics to carrier 20 that may otherwise require scalloping of the carrier at the end proximate the transducer assembly 14 in order to facilitate proper deposition of the droplets to fuse the conductor lines 30 and the transducer contacts 32.
Other advantages of this connection scheme include better is bonding of the conductors, simpler assembly techniques, and enhanced mechanical stability.
Another advantage of the connection scheme portrayed in FIGS. 5A and 5B is the potential to automate the process of bonding the conducting electrodes 42 to the conductor 20 lines 30. As shown in the cross-sectional view of a partially assembled ultrasound catheter assembly in FIG.
~58, the conductor lines 30 are matched to the conducting electrodes 42. Next, a tip 70 of a gap welder is placed above one of the. matched lines. The tip 70 presses a 2s conducting electrode 42a to a corresponding conductor line 30a. A low voltage, high electrical current passes between the electrodes of the tip 70. The electrical current fuses the conducting electrode 42a to the conductor line 30a.
Next, the catheter assembly is rotated so that a next 3o matched set of lines (42b and 30b) is below the tip 70 and the welding process is repeated. The welding continues until all the lines have been fused.
Returning now to ultrasound imaging device in FIG. 3, there exists a range of suitable transducer materials which 3s can be used to transduce electrical energy into acoustic energy and vice versa in the Megahertz frequency range. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the efficiency rating of the transducer material, expressed in terms of the coupling coefficient kt, is high (greater than 50%); the bandwidth should be high (greater than 50% of center frequency); there should be good matching among the s transducer elements; there should be low insertion loss (less than -40dB); and the center frequency should be around 20 MHz. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transducer material 24 is any one of many known suitable PZT composites. A summary of io the properties of the PZT composites is provided in ,Acoustic Waves: Devices, Imag~inq, and Analoq Signal Processinq, by Professor Gordon S. Kino, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987 at pages 554 and 555. Generally, these composites may be damaged by temperatures exceeding 75°
15 Celsius and could not be present when the bonding of the ICs 18 to.the carrier 20 occurs.
The radial thickness of the transducer layer 40 is preferably one-half wavelength thickness or an odd multiple of half wavelengths of the intended center operating 2o frequency of the ultrasound catheter. As explained in Biomedical Ultrasonics, at page 53, this enables the transducer to resonate at the center operating frequency of the ultrasound catheter. In the present embodiment, the radial thickness of the transducer material 24 is 2s approximately 0.1 millimeters.
In order to take advantage of the superior signal sensitivity of transducers formed from PZT composites, the backing material 24 must have a low acoustic impedance.
Therefore, the aluminum oxide carrier 20 having a high 3o acoustic impedance should not be used as the backing material 24. Instead the previous monolithic carrier for both the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 is replaced by the separated carrier/backing sections 20 and 24.
3s The continuous conducting electrode 44 covering the outer surface of the transducer material 40 is the ground plane for the transducer elements 22. It is preferably a layer of gold metal deposited upon the surface of the matching layer 46 by means of sputtering. However, other suitable conductors and methods to deposit the. conductor will be known to those skilled in the art of transducers s fabrication. Though not essential to the proper operation of the ultrasound catheter, it is preferred to connect in a known manner the continuous conducting electrode 44 to a ground line provided by the cable 28. The ground line runs along the electronics carrier 20 and is connected to the to continuous conducting electrode after the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 have been joined. One possible way to connect the ground wire is shown in FIG. 2 of the Proudian, deceased et al. U.S. Patent 4,917,097.
The transducer elements 22 are enclosed by a matching is layer 46. As explained in Biomedical Ultrasonics, by P.N.T. Wells, Academic Press 1977, at page 54, the efficiency of transmission into the load may be increased by an impedance matching layer of quarter wavelength thickness. In the presently preferred embodiment the 2o matching layer 46 comprises a loaded epoxy and is approximately 0.06 mm. thick. Alternative appropriate matching layer materials and their thicknesses will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art of ultrasonic imaging.
25 After independent construction, the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 are bonded together by a layer of glue 52 and the electrical connections between the electronics body 12 and the transducer assembly 14 are electrically coupled in a manner previously described. The 3o cable 28 containing the leads from the signal processor for the ultrasound catheter (previously described in the Proudian et al. '097 patent) are bonded to the conductive pads 34 on the carrier 20 in a known manner.
FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the present 3s invention, wherein the imaging device 10 is included in a diagnostic imaging catheter that does not contain a balloon 1. Portions of the diagnostic imaging catheter have been removed to reveal the cable 28 and the lumen 2. Since there is no balloon 1 in the imaging catheter shown in FIG.
6, there is of course no tube 26 for filling and draining a fluid from the balloon. Instead, the catheter is fitted s with a nose cone 25. The nose cone 25 provides a blunted lead surface for the ultrasound imaging catheter in order to prevent damage to the walls of a cavity as the catheter is inserted. A sheath 38 covers the epoxy resin 8 thereby guarding against contamination of a patient's blood and 1o possibly electrical shock. The sheath 38 is preferably constructed of parylene, though other suitable substitutes will be known to those skilled in the art of medical instruments that are inserted within a body. The structure of the imaging catheter shown in FIG. 6 is otherwise is unchanged from the structure of the balloon angioplasty ultrasound imaging catheter illustrated in FIG. 1.
Though the preferred embodiment of the present invention contains a transducer array configured as a cylinder about a cylindrical core, there are numerous other 2o configurations of ultrasound catheters that embody the present invention. Examples of such configurations are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Other configurations of transducer arrays for an ultrasound catheter will be known to those skilled in the art in view of the present description of 2s this invention.
FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate side and~cross-sectional views of a side-looking linear array imaging catheter. In this arrangement the transducer elements 22 are arranged in a plane and perpendicular to the direction of insertion of 3o the imaging catheter. This arrangement provides an image along the length of a cavity. In this alternative embodiment of the present invention, the IC's 18 are connected to the cable 28 in the same manner as the previously described embodiments of the invention.
3s Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, the IC's 18 are mounted upon an electronics carrier 20 of the type previously described in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1. The IC's are electrically coupled to the transducer elements 22 by conductor lines 30. The backing material for the transducer elements 22 forms the encapsulant 8 in this s case.
FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate side, forward, and top cross-sectional views of a forward-looking "endfire"
imaging catheter shown in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C
the encapsulant 8, which is also the backing material for io the transducers 22, has been partially removed to reveal the placement and orientation of the electronics portion.
In this arrangement the transducer elements 22 are arranged as a planar array mounted upon the leading face of the catheter. The guide wire lumen 4 is mounted adjacent the is ultrasonic imaging device. The diameter of the guide wire lumen 4 is approximately 0.3 mm or about one-third the diameter of the imaging catheter.
This arrangement provides a forward looking view of a cavity. The dimensions of the field of view are determined 2o by the size of the array, the number .of elements, the element dimensions and frequency. In this alternative embodiment of the present invention, the IC's 18 are connected to the cable 28 in the same manner as the previously described embodiments of the invention.
2s Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention, the IC's 18 are mounted upon a carrier 20 of the type previously described in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1. The IC's are electrically coupled to the transducer elements 22 by 3o conductor lines 30. The encapsulant 8 may form the backing material for the transducer elements 22.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications to the foregoing preferred embodiment may be made in various aspects. The present invention is 3s set forth with particularity in the appended claims. It is deemed that the spirit and scope of that invention encompasses such modifications and alterations to the preferred embodiment as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and familiar with the teaching of the present application.

Claims (72)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method of making an ultrasound transducer probe assembly for insertion into a cavity and emitting ultrasonic waves to facilitate construction of a usable image in accordance with detected reflected ultrasonic acoustic waves, the method comprising the steps:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
re-shaping the planar sheet into a substantially non-planar shape; and communicatively coupling the set of transducer elements to integrated circuits on the ultrasound transducer probe.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of manufacturing a planar sheet comprises forming a layered structure including a set of conducting electrodes, a transducer material, a continuous layer conducting electrode, and a matching layer.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the re-shaping step comprises re-forming the planar sheet such that the matching layer is located at a convex side of the set of transducer elements.
4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the matching layer that is re-formed during said re-shaping step has a thickness of approximately a quarter wavelength of the ultrasound waves emitted by the set of transducer elements.
5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising physically isolating each transducer element of the set of transducer elements from other ones of the set of transducer elements.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the planar sheet comprises a continuous sheet of transducer material, and wherein the step of physically isolating each transducer element comprises dicing the continuous sheet of transducer material.
7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the set of transducer elements formed during said manufacturing step comprises PZT.
8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the planar sheet is re-shaped during the re-shaping step into a cylindrical shape.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising at least partially filling the cylindrical shape with a backing material.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of at least partially filling the cylindrical shape is performed after the re-shaping step in order to render the cylindrical shape at least partially filled with the backing material.
11. The method of claim 9 or 10, further comprising forming an electronics carrier for supporting the integrated circuits, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance and a relatively higher loss coefficient than that of the electronics carrier.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the backing material, added to the ultrasound transducer assembly during the at least partially filling step, comprises an epoxy resin.
13. A method for fabricating an ultrasound transducer probe assembly comprising a flexible substrate, integrated circuitry, and a set of transducer elements, for use in providing images of a blood vessel from within a vasculature, the method comprising the steps:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising the set of transducer elements upon the flexible substrate;
electrically coupling the integrated circuitry to the ultrasound transducer elements via a set of conducting lines; and re-shaping the planar sheet into a non-planar shape.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the manufacturing step includes providing a suitable material for the flexible substrate such that when completed, the flexible substrate comprises a matching layer for the ultrasound transducer assembly.
15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the step of manufacturing a planar sheet comprises forming a layered structure including a set of conducting electrodes, a transducer material, a continuous layer conducting electrode, and a matching layer.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the re-shaping step comprises re-forming the planar sheet such that the matching layer is located at a convex side of the set of transducer elements.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the matching layer that is re-formed during said re-shaping step has a thickness of approximately a quarter wavelength of the ultrasound waves emitted by the set of transducer elements.
18. The method of any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising physically isolating each transducer element of the set of transducer elements from other ones of the set of transducer elements.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the planar sheet comprises a continuous sheet of transducer material, and wherein the step of physically isolating each transducer element comprises dicing the continuous sheet of transducer material.
20. The method of any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the set of transducer elements formed during said manufacturing step comprises PZT.
21. The method of any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the planar sheet is re-shaped during the re-shaping step into a cylindrical shape.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising at least partially filling the cylindrical shape with a backing material.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of at least partially filling the cylindrical shape is performed after the re-shaping step in order to render the cylindrical shape at least partially filled with the backing material.
24. The method of claim 22 or 23, further comprising forming an electronics carrier for supporting the integrated circuits, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance and a relatively higher loss coefficient than that of the electronics carrier.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the backing material, added to the ultrasound transducer assembly during the at least partially filling step, comprises an epoxy resin.
26. A method of making an ultrasound transducer assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements and a substrate;
reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape; and partially filling the cylindrical shape with a backing material.
27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the backing material used during said filling step comprises a material having an acoustic impedance of less than 10 MRayls.
28. A method as defined in claim 26 or 27, wherein the backing material used for the backing material during said filling step comprises epoxy resin.
29. A method as defined in claim 26, 27 or 28, wherein the reshaping step causes the substrate to be located at the outside of the set of ultrasound transducer elements.
30. A method as defined in any one of claims 26 to 29, further comprising the step of:

electrically coupling at least one integrated circuit to the ultrasound transducer elements.
31. A method as defined in claim 30, further comprising the step of:
providing an electronics carrier for supporting the at least one integrated circuit, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.
32. A method of making an imaging catheter, the method comprising the steps of:
forming a catheter shaft; and attaching an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, the ultrasound transducer assembly formed by the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape; and partially filling the cylindrical shape with a backing material.
33. A method as defined in claim 32, further comprising the step of:
attaching a balloon to the catheter shaft.
34. A method as defined in claim 32 or 33, wherein the reshaping step causes the substrate to be located at the outside of the set of transducer elements.
35. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the substrate comprises a matching layer for the ultrasound transducer assembly.
36. A method as defined in any one of claims 32 to 35, further comprising the step of:
providing an electronics carrier for supporting at least one integrated circuit which is electrically coupled to the set of transducer elements, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.
37. A method of making an imaging catheter, the method comprising the steps of forming a catheter shaft;
and attaching an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, the ultrasound transducer assembly formed by the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape;
filling partially the substantially cylindrical shape with backing material; and providing an electronics carrier for supporting at least one integrated circuit which is electrically coupled to the set of transducer elements;
wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.
38. A method as defined in claim 37, further comprising the step of:
attaching a balloon to the catheter shaft distally of the ultrasound transducer assembly.
39. An ultrasound transducer assembly, comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements; and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the ultrasound transducer elements are fixed;
wherein the substantially cylindrical-shaped substrate layer is at least partially filled with a backing material.
40. An ultrasound transducer assembly as defined in claim 39, wherein the backing material comprises a material having acoustic impedance of less than 10 MRayls
41. An ultrasound transducer assembly as defined in claim 39 or 40, wherein the backing material comprises epoxy resin.
42. A method of making an ultrasound transducer assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements and a substrate;
reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape; and bonding the planar sheet to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
43. A method as defined in claim 42, wherein the backing material comprises a material having an acoustic impedance of less than 10 MRayls.
44. A method as defined in claim 42 or 43, wherein the backing material comprises epoxy resin.
45. A method as defined in claim 42, 43 or 44, wherein the reshaping step causes the substrate to be located at the outside of the set of ultrasound transducer elements.
46. A method as defined in any one of claims 42 to 45, further comprising the step of:
electrically coupling at least one integrated circuit to the ultrasound transducer elements.
47. A method as defined in claim 46, wherein the at least one integrated circuit is comprised of an inverted chip design.
48. A method as defined in claim 46, further comprising the step of:
providing an electronics carrier for supporting the at least one integrated circuit, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.
49. A method of making an imaging catheter, the method comprising the steps of:
forming a catheter shaft; and attaching an ultrasound transducer assembly to the catheter shaft, the ultrasound transducer assembly formed by the steps of:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising a set of transducer elements and a substrate;
reshaping the planar sheet into a substantially cylindrical shape; and bonding the planar sheet to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
50. A method as defined in claim 49, further comprising the step of:
attaching a balloon to the catheter shaft.
51. A method as defined in claim 49 or 50, wherein the reshaping step causes the substrate to be located at the outside of the set of transducer elements.
52. A method as defined in claim 51, wherein the substrate comprises a matching layer for the ultrasound transducer assembly.
53. A method as defined in any one of claims 49 to 52, further comprising the step of:
providing an electronics carrier for supporting at least one integrated circuit that is electrically coupled to the set of transducer elements, and wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance than that of the electronics carrier.
54. A method as defined in claim 53, wherein the at least one integrated circuit is comprised of an inverted chip design.
55. An ultrasound. transducer assembly comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array including a set of ultrasound transducer elements; and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the ultrasound transducer elements are fixed;
wherein the substantially cylindrical-shaped substrate layer is bonded to a substantially cylindrical backing material.
56. An ultrasound transducer assembly as defined in claim 55, wherein the backing material comprises a material having an acoustic impedance of less than 10 MRayls.
57. An ultrasound transducer assembly as defined in claim 55 or 56, wherein the backing material comprises epoxy resin.
58. An ultrasound transducer probe assembly for attachment to a catheter and insertable within a small space such as a human coronary artery, for facilitating providing images from within that small space, the ultrasound transducer probe assembly comprising:
an ultrasound transducer array comprising a set of ultrasound transducer elements;
a first set of electrically-conductive paths within the ultrasound transducer probe;
integrated circuitry electrically connected to the ultrasound transducer array by the first set of electrically-conductive paths, and electrically connected to an environment external of the small space by a second set of electrically-conductive paths; and a substrate layer comprising a pliable sheet material, the substrate layer providing a platform to which the transducer elements are fixed.
59. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 58, wherein the substrate layer comprises a matching layer for the ultrasound transducer array.
60. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 58 or 59, wherein the substrate layer is located at the outside of the set of ultrasound transducer elements.
61. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 58, 59 or 60, wherein the ultrasound transducer array comprises a layered structure of a set of conducting electrodes, a transducer material, and a continuous-layer conducting electrode, and wherein the transducer array is bounded by the substrate layer which forms a matching layer.
62. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 61, wherein the matching layer has a thickness of approximately a quarter wavelength of the ultrasound waves emitted by the transducer array.
63. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 61 or 62, wherein the transducer material comprises PZT.
64. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly in any one of claims 58 to 63, wherein each transducer element of the set of transducer elements is physically isolated from other ones of the set of transducer elements.
65. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 64, wherein the transducer elements are formed by dicing a continuous sheet of transducer material mounted upon the substrate layer.
66. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly in any one of claims 58 to 65, wherein the substrate layer and the set of transducer elements fixed thereto, are re-shaped during fabrication from a substantially planar shape to a cylindrical shape.
67. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 66, wherein the cylindrical shape is at least partially filled with a backing material.
68. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 67, wherein the backing material has a relatively lower acoustic impedance and a relatively higher loss coefficient than that of an electronics carrier material utilized for supporting the integrated circuitry.
69. The ultrasound transducer probe assembly of claim 68, wherein the backing material comprises an epoxy resin.
70. An imaging device, including integrated electronic circuitry communicatively coupled to a set of transducer elements, for insertion into a vascular network to generate imaging signals of a vessel of the network whose dimensions are approximately those of a human coronary artery, the imaging device manufactured according to a set of steps, in any order, comprising the following:
manufacturing a planar sheet comprising the set of transducer elements fixed to a substrate comprising a pliable sheet material;
re-shaping the planar :sheet into a substantially non-planar shape;

establishing a first set of electrically-conductive paths between the set of transducer elements and the integrated electronic circuitry; and establishing a second set of electrically-conductive paths between the integrated electronic circuitry and an external interface of the imaging device.
71. An ultrasonic transducer probe assembly mountable to a distal end of a catheter for providing images within a vascular system, the assembly comprising:
an array of transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals;
integrated electronic circuitry for controlling the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic signals by the array of transducers;
a substrate comprising a pliable sheet material supporting, and attached to, the transducer elements of the array of transducers; and electrically-conductive paths that transport electrical signals between the electronic circuitry and the array of transducers.
72. An ultrasonic transducer probe assembly mounted to a distal end of a catheter for providing images within a vascular system, the probe assembly made by the following steps, performed in any order, of:
providing a substrate comprising a pliable sheet material in a substantially flat configuration;
forming upon the substrate, while in the substantially flat configuration an array of transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals;
bending the substrate and attached array of transducer elements in a substantially annular configuration;

establishing first electrically-conductive paths between the array of transducers and integrated electronic circuitry located within the probe assembly, for controlling the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic signals by the array of transducers; and securing to the distal end of the catheter the ultrasound transducer probe assembly comprising the substrate in substantially annular configuration with the attached array of transducers, thereby establishing second electrically-conductive paths between the electrically-conductive wires within the integrated electronic circuitry and a set of conductor lines of the catheter.
CA002235947A 1993-02-01 1994-01-14 Ultrasound transducer assembly and catheter Expired - Fee Related CA2235947C (en)

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US08/012,251 US5368037A (en) 1993-02-01 1993-02-01 Ultrasound catheter
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JP2005342535A (en) 2005-12-15
DE69435314D1 (en) 2010-10-28
CA2235947A1 (en) 1994-08-18
EP0750883A1 (en) 1997-01-02
ATE481034T1 (en) 2010-10-15
CA2133475A1 (en) 1994-08-18
JP3732854B2 (en) 2006-01-11
DE69432448D1 (en) 2003-05-15
WO1994017734A1 (en) 1994-08-18
JP2006055649A (en) 2006-03-02
EP0637937A1 (en) 1995-02-15
EP0637937B1 (en) 2003-04-09
EP0750883B2 (en) 2009-04-22
JPH07505820A (en) 1995-06-29
DE69430490D1 (en) 2002-05-29
ATE216570T1 (en) 2002-05-15
ATE236573T1 (en) 2003-04-15
DE69430490T2 (en) 2003-01-02
EP1327417B1 (en) 2010-09-15
US5368037A (en) 1994-11-29
EP0750883B1 (en) 2002-04-24
DE69432448T2 (en) 2004-03-04
DE69430490T3 (en) 2009-11-05
CA2133475C (en) 1998-07-14
EP1327417A2 (en) 2003-07-16
JP3831743B2 (en) 2006-10-11

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