Patents by Inventor George Anthony Brock-Fisher
George Anthony Brock-Fisher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11278932Abstract: The invention relates to a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) cell (6) comprising a cell floor (31) having a first electrode (7); a cell membrane (5) having a second electrode (7?) which opposes the first electrode and vibrates during transmission or reception of acoustic energy; a transmitter/receiver coupled to the first and second electrodes which causes the cell membrane to vibrate at an acoustic frequency and/or receives signals at an acoustic frequency; and an acoustic lens (13), overlaying the cell membrane, and having an inner surface opposing the cell membrane and an outer, patient-facing surface. According to the present invention the acoustic lens comprises at least one layer of a material selected from the group of: polybudatiene, polyether block amide (PEBAX), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and buthylrubber.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: George Anthony Brock-Fisher, Richard Edward Davidsen, Carl Dean Herickhoff, Bout Marcelis, Wojtek Sudol, Junho Song
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Patent number: 10828671Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated circuit arrangement comprising: —a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) cells (40) arranged in a hexagonal array, wherein said hexagonal array comprises a plurality of alternating even and odd columns (56, 56?) of CMUT cells (40) being parallel to a column direction (y), wherein the odd columns (56?) are arranged offset to the even columns (56) by one-half of a dimension of a CMUT cell (40) in said column direction (y), —an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (52) comprising a plurality of transmit-receive (TR) cells (54), wherein each CMUT cell (40) overlays a respective TR cell (54) in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein the ASIC (52) further comprises an offset regulator (60) for providing different beamforming delays to even and odd columns (56, 56?) of the hexagonal array of CMUT cells (40) to account for the offset in the column direction (y).Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2014Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventor: George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Patent number: 9950342Abstract: The present invention relates to a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) device (1) for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasound waves, comprising at least one CMUT cell (10). The CMUT cell (10) comprises a substrate (13) comprising a first electrode (22), a membrane (15) comprising a second electrode (20), at least one dielectric layer (21, 23) between the first electrode (22) and the second electrode (20), and a cavity (18) formed between the substrate (13) and the membrane (15). The CMUT device (1) further comprises an operating bias voltage source (25) for supplying an operating bias voltage (VB) of a first polarity between the first and second electrode (20, 22) during transmitting and/or receiving ultrasound waves, and a charging voltage source (30) for supplying an additional charging voltage (VC) between the first and second electrode (20, 22), the second polarity being the reverse polarity of the first polarity.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventor: George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Patent number: 9689973Abstract: An acoustic probe includes a plurality of acoustic array components separated and spaced apart from each other. Each of the acoustic array components includes: an array of acoustic element circuits disposed contiguous to each other at a first pitch; a plurality of pads each corresponding to one of the acoustic element circuits and formed within a circuitry area of the corresponding acoustic element circuit, the pads being disposed at a second pitch; a plurality of interconnection bumps each corresponding to one of the pads and being disposed in electrical connection with the corresponding pad, wherein the interconnection bumps are disposed at a third pitch; and a plurality of acoustic transducer elements on the interconnection bumps. The acoustic transducer elements are disposed at a fourth pitch. At least two of the first, second, third, and fourth pitches are different than each other.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2013Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Bernard Joseph Savord, William Ossmann, Wojtek Sudol, Michael Scarsella, George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Patent number: 9676001Abstract: The present invention relates to a driver device (40) for driving a load (52) having a plurality of separate capacitive load elements (52), in particular an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of transducer elements (52), comprising: input terminals (44, 46) for connecting the driver device (40) to power supply (48); a plurality of output terminals (50) each for connecting the driver device (40) to one of load elements (52), a first controllable switch (54) connected to a first of the input terminals (44), and a plurality of driving elements (42) each having a second controllable switch (60) and a resistor (58) connected in series to each other, wherein each of the driving elements (42) is connected in series with the first controllable switch (54) and to a second of the input terminals (46), and wherein each of the output terminals (50) is connected to one of the driving elements (42) for powering the load elements (52).Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: Antonia Cornelia Van Rens, George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Publication number: 20160296207Abstract: An ultrasound transducer assembly (50), in particular for ultrasound imaging systems (10), is disclosed, comprising a transducer array (52) including a plurality of transducer elements (54) for emitting and receiving ultrasound waves (56). Each of the transducer elements (54) includes a first electrode (66) connected to a flexible membrane (64) and a second electrode (70).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2014Publication date: October 13, 2016Inventors: George Anthony Brock-Fisher, Bernard Joseph Savord
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Publication number: 20160203809Abstract: The invention relates to a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) cell (6) comprising a cell floor (31) having a first electrode (7); a cell membrane (5) having a second electrode (7?) which opposes the first electrode and vibrates during transmission or reception of acoustic energy; a transmitter/receiver coupled to the first and second electrodes which causes the cell membrane to vibrate at an acoustic frequency and/or receives signals at an acoustic frequency; and an acoustic lens (13), overlaying the cell membrane, and having an inner surface opposing the cell membrane and an outer, patient-facing surface. According to the present invention the acoustic lens comprises at least one layer of a material selected from the group of: polybudatiene, polyether block amide (PEBAX), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and buthylrubber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2014Publication date: July 14, 2016Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventors: GEORGE ANTHONY BROCK-FISHER, RICHARD EDWARD DAVIDSEN, CARL DEAN HERICKHOFF, BOUT MARCELIS, WOJTEK SUDOL, JUNHO SONG
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Publication number: 20160136686Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated circuit arrangement comprising: —a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) cells (40) arranged in a hexagonal array, wherein said hexagonal array comprises a plurality of alternating even and odd columns (56, 56?) of CMUT cells (40) being parallel to a column direction (y), wherein the odd columns (56?) are arranged offset to the even columns (56) by one-half of a dimension of a CMUT cell (40) in said column direction (y), —an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (52) comprising a plurality of transmit-receive (TR) cells (54), wherein each CMUT cell (40) overlays a respective TR cell (54) in a one-to-one correspondence, wherein the ASIC (52) further comprises an offset regulator (60) for providing different beamforming delays to even and odd columns (56, 56?) of the hexagonal array of CMUT cells (40) to account for the offset in the column direction (y).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2014Publication date: May 19, 2016Inventor: GEORGE ANTHONY BROCK-FISHER
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Publication number: 20150338511Abstract: An acoustic probe includes a plurality of acoustic array components separated and spaced apart from each other. Each of the acoustic array components includes: an array of acoustic element circuits disposed contiguous to each other at a first pitch; a plurality of pads each corresponding to one of the acoustic element circuits and formed within a circuitry area of the corresponding acoustic element circuit, the pads being disposed at a second pitch; a plurality of interconnection bumps each corresponding to one of the pads and being disposed in electrical connection with the corresponding pad, wherein the interconnection bumps are disposed at a third pitch; and a plurality of acoustic transducer elements on the interconnection bumps. The acoustic transducer elements are disposed at a fourth pitch. At least two of the first, second, third, and fourth pitches are different than each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2013Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Bernard Joseph SAVORD, William OSSMANN, Wojtek SUDOL, Michael SCARSELLA, George Anthony BROCK-FISHER
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Publication number: 20150174614Abstract: The present invention relates to a driver device (40) for driving a load (52) having a plurality of separate capacitive load elements (52), in particular an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of transducer elements (52), comprising: input terminals (44, 46) for connecting the driver device (40) to power supply (48); a plurality of output terminals (50) each for connecting the driver device (40) to one of load elements (52), a first controllable switch (54) connected to a first of the input terminals (44), and a plurality of driving elements (42) each having a second controllable switch (60) and a resistor (58) connected in series to each other, wherein each of the driving elements (42) is connected in series with the first controllable switch (54) and to a second of the input terminals (46), and wherein each of the output terminals (50) is connected to one of the driving elements (42) for powering the load elements (52).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2013Publication date: June 25, 2015Inventors: Antonia Cornelia Van Rens, George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Publication number: 20150016227Abstract: The present invention relates to a capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) device (1) for transmitting and/or receiving ultrasound waves, comprising at least one CMUT cell (10). The CMUT cell (10) comprises a substrate (13) comprising a first electrode (22), a membrane (15) comprising a second electrode (20), at least one dielectric layer (21, 23) between the first electrode (22) and the second electrode (20), and a cavity (18) formed between the substrate (13) and the membrane (15). The CMUT device (1) further comprises an operating bias voltage source (25) for supplying an operating bias voltage (VB) of a first polarity between the first and second electrode (20, 22) during transmitting and/or receiving ultrasound waves, and a charging voltage source (30) for supplying an additional charging voltage (VC) between the first and second electrode (20, 22), the second polarity being the reverse polarity of the first polarity.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2013Publication date: January 15, 2015Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.Inventor: George Anthony Brock-Fisher
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Patent number: 6937176Abstract: A receive beamformer, and ultrasound system incorporating such a receive beamformer, is constructed to implement multi-bit analog to digital conversion in such a way that the need for gain control in the channel architecture preceding the digital conversion circuitry is obviated. Accordingly, the beamformer and any ultrasound system incorporating it may realize a rigorous level of ADC performance at desirable output rates, and a lower cost. Preferably, the invention construction realizes a level of performance by which CW Doppler may be digitized in the same manner as very wide-band pulsed-wave signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2004Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.Inventors: Steven R. Freeman, Gary Allen Schwartz, Raf Lodewijk Jan Roovers, Lucien Johannes Breems, George Anthony Brock-Fisher, Theodore Philip Fazioli