Active acoustic array for ultrasonic biomedical applications

a biomedical and active technology, applied in ultrasonic/sonic/infrasonic image/data processing, ultrasonic/sonic/infrasonic diagnostics, tomography, etc., can solve the problems of ineffective early stage detection of cancer, pain in the screening process of breast cancer, and limited use of conventional ultrasound systems, i.e., hand-held linear b-scan arrays

Inactive Publication Date: 2003-01-30
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
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  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Current breast cancer screening techniques which rely on X-rays are painful to undergo and often ineffective for detecting early stages of cancer.
Conventional ultrasound systems, i.e., hand-held linear b-scan arrays, are limited by the maximum allowable levels of exposure to the ultrasound set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Method used

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  • Active acoustic array for ultrasonic biomedical applications
  • Active acoustic array for ultrasonic biomedical applications
  • Active acoustic array for ultrasonic biomedical applications

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[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A-3C, and 4A-4B, the present invention relates to a device 10 having a doubly curved acoustic array 12 which surrounds a portion 14 of the human anatomy, such as a female breast. The acoustic array 12 is said to be doubly curved because it has a first curvature along a first axis and a second curvature along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis. The device 10 is intended to screen for abnormal tissue using ultrasonic waves.

[0026] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the acoustic array 12 is preferably formed in segments 16. Each segment 16 is formed by a flat sheet 18 of piezoelectric material as discussed below. As shown in FIG. 4, the piezoelectric material has a plurality of rods 20 formed from the piezoelectric material, such as a 13 piezocomposite material, extending between a first surface 22 of the sheet 18 and a second surface 24 of the sheet 18. Each of the rods 20 is surrounded by a polymeric material 26 and thus electric...

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for detecting cancer in human tissue. The device comprises an acoustic array shaped to conform to and surround a portion of the human anatomy and a material for acoustically coupling the acoustic array and the human anatomy portion. The acoustic array is formed from a plurality of doubly curved segments. Each segment is formed by a piezoelectric ceramic polymer composite material with an acoustic element pattern formed on one surface via the selective deposition of a conductive material. The acoustic element pattern contains a plurality of acoustic elements which act as both transmitters and receivers. The acoustic array further includes a backing material which provides a desired mechanical damping to each segment and defines the shape of the array. The device further includes a housing which includes signal conditioning electronics to condition signals received from the acoustic array. A central processing unit is provided to create cross sectional images of the human tissue under examination. A display unit is provided to display the cross sectional images.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001] Not applicable.[0003] (1) Field of the Invention[0004] The present invention relates to a device having an acoustic array, which device has utility in ultrasonic biomedical applications, particularly in the detection of breast cancer.[0005] (2) Description of the Prior Art[0006] Current breast cancer screening techniques which rely on X-rays are painful to undergo and often ineffective for detecting early stages of cancer. Conventional ultrasound systems, i.e., hand-held linear b-scan arrays, are limited by the maximum allowable levels of exposure to the ultrasound set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[0007] Ultrasound technology has been used in the medical field for many applications ranging from monitoring the heart condition of individuals to monitoring fetal development. There are a number of patents which illustrate various features of ultrasound equipment used in medical applications. For example, U.S. Pat. N...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A61B8/08
CPCA61B8/0825Y10S128/916
Inventor BENJAMIN, KIM C.
Owner THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
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