Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed providing for the use of ultrasound energy to measure blood flow within blood vessels by Doppler velocity measurement. Directional high-frequency pulsed-wave Doppler measurements can be made with a suitable ultrasonic needle transducers for in vivo measuring of blood flow. A needle probe can include a ultrasonic material such as PMN-PT. Such blood flow measurements can be made in any part of the body, e.g., in the central retinal vein and branch retinal veins.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described providing for the use of ultrasound energy to effect the dislodging of one or more blood clots inside blood vessels. Such clots can include those inside retinal vessels, especially in patients with central retinal vein occlusion. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used for any retinal arterial or venous occlusion. In exemplary embodiments, a small probe can be inserted into the eye of a patient and placed over the retinal vessels. Acoustic streaming created by the probe can be directed to an area or region including targeted blood vessels, resulting in increased flow in one or more retinal veins and facilitating or effecting mechanical dislodging of one or more blood clots in the targets blood vessels. Exemplary embodiments can utilize ultrasonic energy produced at a frequency of approximately 44 MHz to 46 MHz with pulse repetition frequencies of approximately 100 Hz to 100 kHz.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, systems, techniques and apparatus related to an instrumentation used to classify tissue before and/or during removal. The tissue can include any hard tissue/soft tissue interface, such as a cataract within a lens. Before an operation, an ultrasound image can be provided that gives a full scan of the targeted region, e.g., a lens, and provide a hardness profile. The profile could include a two or three dimensional map of the tissue hardness, assisting a surgeon to choose a suitable surgical procedure and strategy. During the operation, hardness measurements can be carried out real-time, in a constant manner, while the surgeon is working. This data can allow the handpiece to automatically adjust to the surgical conditions including the tissue hardness, increasing surgical performance, decreasing surgical procedure time and reducing the rate of complications.

Abstract: A medical device having an implantable instrument configured to be implanted in bone tissue, the implantable instrument having an internal chamber configured to house at least one transducer; a transducer located within the internal chamber of the implantable instrument, the transducer configured to transmit a signal and to receive one or more reflections of that signal; and a signal processing system configured to process the signals transmitted and received by the transducer so as to provide information indicative of the acoustic impedance of matter in the vicinity of the implantable instrument after it is implanted into the bone tissue based on the signals transmitted and received by the transducer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging with improved spatial sampling. The device includes a plurality of ultrasound imaging elements each having a pitch defined by the center to center spacing of the ultrasound imaging elements; and a motion mechanism operatively connected to the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements and adapted to move the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements over a distance to increase the spatial sampling of the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements. The method of the present invention includes transducing a signal from one or multiple ultrasound imaging elements within an array of ultrasound imaging elements; moving the array of ultrasound imaging elements a distance less than the pitch; and transducing at least one additional signal from the ultrasound imaging element.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for ultrasound imaging with improved spatial sampling. The device includes a plurality of ultrasound imaging elements each having a pitch defined by the center to center spacing of the ultrasound imaging elements; and a motion mechanism operatively connected to the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements and adapted to move the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements over a distance to increase the spatial sampling of the plurality of ultrasound imaging elements. The method of the present invention includes transducing a signal from one or multiple ultrasound imaging elements within an array of ultrasound imaging elements; moving the array of ultrasound imaging elements a distance less than the pitch; and transducing at least one additional signal from the ultrasound imaging element.

Abstract: A method for assembling an ultrasonic transducer, first produces a plurality of plates of piezoelectric material. Then the plates are bonded together through use of a polymeric matrix comprising a polymer and intermixed particles having determined dimensional parameters, the particles acting to separate the plates by predetermined distances that are dependent upon the determined dimensional parameters. Preferred particles are polystyrene spheres. A second embodiment produces a plurality of strips of green piezoelectric ceramic material, each strip including a layer of a fugitive material. The strips are then placed in a stack and the stack is fired to convert the green piezoelectric ceramic material into densified ceramic plates. The firing acts to drive off said second fugitive material and to leave voids. The voids are then backfilled with a polymeric material to create a unified structure.