Abstract: An ultrasound transducer arrangement (100) is disclosed comprising a plurality of substrate islands (110, 120, 130) spatially separated and electrically interconnected by a flexible polymer assembly (150) including electrically conductive tracks providing said electrical interconnections, said plurality including a first substrate island (110) comprising a plurality of ultra sound transducer cells (112) and a second substrate island (120) comprising an array of external contacts for connecting the ultrasound sensor arrangement to a flexible tubular body including a coaxial wire assembly (200) comprising a plurality of coaxial wires (220) each having a conductive core (228) covered by an electrically insulating sleeve (226); and an electrically insulating body (210) having a first main surface (211), a second main surface (213) and a plurality of through holes (212) each extending from the first main surface to the second main surface and coated with an electrically conductive member, wherein each coaxial wire

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising an ultrasonic transducer chip (100) having a main surface comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements (112) and a plurality of first contacts (120) for connecting to said ultrasound transducer elements; a contact chip (400) having a further main surface comprising a plurality of second contacts (420); an backing member (300) comprising ultrasound absorbing and/or scattering bodies (310), said backing member comprising a first surface (302) on which the transducer chip is mounted and a second surface (306) on which the contact chip is mounted; and a flexible interconnect (200) extending over said backing member from the main surface to the further main surface, the flexible interconnect comprising a plurality of conductive tracks (210), each conductive track connecting one of said first contacts to a second contact.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods relating to intraluminal imaging are disclosed. In an embodiment, an intraluminal imaging device is disclosed. One embodiment of the intraluminal imaging device comprises a flexible elongate member configured to be inserted into a body lumen of a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion. The intraluminal imaging device further comprises an ultrasound imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The ultrasound imaging assembly comprises a support member, a flexible substrate positioned around the support member and including a proximal region and a distal region, the proximal region comprising a plurality of cutouts defining a plurality of substrate ribbons, a plurality of transducer elements integrated in the distal region of the flexible substrate, and a plurality of control circuits disposed on the proximal region of the flexible substrate.

Abstract: An integrated circuit array, in particular for two dimensional sensor arrays such as ultrasound imaging systems is disclosed. The integrated circuit array (10) comprises a plurality of integrated circuit elements (12) each formed in a substrate (14), wherein the substrates are separated from each other. The array comprises a flexible and/or stretchable connection layer (22) connected to the integrated circuit elements for flexibly connecting the integrated circuit elements to each other. The array further comprises a plurality of electrical interconnects (18) for electrically connecting the integrated circuit elements to each other, wherein the electrical interconnects are formed as metal lines in one piece with integrated interconnects of the integrated circuit elements.

Abstract: An intraluminal ultrasound imaging device includes a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient. The flexible elongate member includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The device also includes an ultrasound imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The ultrasound imaging assembly is configured to obtain imaging data of the body lumen. The ultrasound imaging assembly includes a transducer array including a substrate, a silicon oxide layer disposed over the substrate, and a plurality of rows of micromachined ultrasound transducer elements disposed on the silicon oxide layer. Two of the plurality of rows of micromachined ultrasound transducer elements are spaced apart by a trench formed by etching through a screen formed in the silicon oxide layer. Associated devices, systems, and methods are also provided.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer probe (300) for intravascular operation, comprising a faceted distal front surface (302) for ultrasound emission and reception, which has at least two mutually neighboring front surface facets (304.a, 304.b) carrying respective sub-arrays (306) of micromachined ultrasonic transducer MUT elements (308), the sub-arrays of the MUT elements together forming a faceted array of MUT elements distributed over the distal front surface.

Abstract: A CMUT transducer array comprising a first column (58) of spaced CMUT cells on at least one silicon island, a second column (58) of spaced CMUT cells on at least one further silicon island, the second column being staggered in alignment with the first column such that cells of the second column are partially located in spaces between successive cells of the first column, the first column and the second column being spaced apart by a gap, and a flexible foil retaining the respective silicon islands, the flexible foil comprising conductive interconnects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly, in particular for intravascular ultrasound systems. The ultrasound transducer assembly comprises at least one silicon substrate element including an ultrasound transducer element for emitting and receiving ultrasound waves and including electrical connectors for electrically connecting the transducer element. The substrate element has a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. An isolation layer forms the side surface for electrically isolating the substrate element.

Abstract: An imaging device (100) is disclosed comprising an ultrasound transducer array (101, 120, 130) having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements defining an ultrasound emitting surface of the ultrasound transducer array; and an acoustic window (220) on the ultrasound emitting surface, said acoustic window comprising: a first layer (221) of a hydrocarbon elastomer contacting the ultrasound emitting surface, said first layer further containing an antioxidant; and a second layer (223) of a further hydrocarbon elastomer on the first layer, said second layer having a greater Shore A hardness than the first layer. Also disclosed are an ultrasound imaging system (10) comprising such an imaging device, such as catheter (100), and a method (300) of forming an acoustic window (220) on an ultrasound transducer array (101, 120, 130) for such a device (100).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic circuit arrangement (10) comprising: a substrate (12) having a first surface (12a) and a second surface (12b), an electronic circuit, an electrical connection part (16) for providing an electrical connection to the electronic circuit and being arranged on the first surface (12a), and at least one electrical wire (18). The electrical wire (18) comprises at least one conductive core (20) and an isolation (22) surrounding the conductive core (20). An end portion (18a) of the electrical wire (18) is an isolation-free portion for allowing access to the conductive core (20), wherein the end portion (18a) of the electrical wire (18) is connected to the electrical connection part (16). At least one through-hole (24) extending from the first surface (12a) to the second surface (12b) is provided in the substrate (12), wherein the electrical wire (18) is arranged through the through-hole (24).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly (10), in particular for intravascular ultrasound systems. The ultrasound transducer assembly comprises at least one silicon substrate element (30) including an ultrasound transducer element (14) for emitting and receiving ultrasound waves and including electrical connectors for electrically connecting the transducer element. The substrate element has a top surface (44), a bottom surface (46) and a side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. An isolation layer (32, 50) forms the side surface for electrically isolating the substrate element.

Abstract: Disclosed are an imaging system (10) or an interventional tool, such as a catheter (20), having a first ultrasound transducer array (23) and a second ultrasound transducer array (21) spaced by a fixed distance (D) from each other; wherein both arrays may be used to generate diagnostic images; and a processing arrangement (31, 32) to process a first sensor signal indicative of the first array imaging a reference location (X) at a first point in time, and to process a second sensor signal indicative of the second array imaging the reference location at a second point in time; and determine a translation (pullback) speed of the catheter from the set distance and the difference between the first point in time and the second point in time. Alternatively, a catheter may be provided comprising an ultrasound transducer array at a distal end of the catheter, and two pressure sensors for determining the translation speed.

Abstract: A CMUT transducer array comprising a first column (58) of spaced CMUT cells on at least one silicon island, a second column (58) of spaced CMUT cells on at least one further silicon island, the second column being staggered in alignment with the first column such that cells of the second column are partially located in spaces between successive cells of the first column, the first column and the second column being spaced apart by a gap, and a flexible foil retaining the respective silicon islands, the flexible foil comprising conductive interconnects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a minimally invasive medical instrument (100) having a proximal end (100b) and a distal end (100a) and comprising a sensor arrangement (10) arranged at the distal end (100b) of the medical instrument (100). The sensor arrangement (10) comprises a sensor (20) configured to generate sensor data in the form of an electrical sensor signal, and a data conversion device (40) configured to convert the electrical sensor signal into an optical signal and comprising an electrical input (41) for receiving the electrical sensor signal and an optical output (42) for transmitting the optical signal. The sensor arrangement (10) further comprises an optical fiber (50) configured to transmit the optical signal from the distal end (100a) to the proximal end (100b), the optical fiber (50) coupled to the output of the data conversion device (40) for receiving the optical signal, the optical fiber (50) extending from the distal end (100a) to the proximal end (100b) of the instrument (100).

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer arrangement (100) is disclosed comprising a plurality of substrate islands (110, 120, 130) spatially separated and electrically interconnected by a flexible polymer assembly (150) including electrically conductive tracks providing said electrical interconnections, said plurality including a first substrate island (110) comprising a plurality of ultra sound transducer cells (112) and a second substrate island (120) comprising an array of external contacts for connecting the ultrasound sensor arrangement to a flexible tubular body including a coaxial wire assembly (200) comprising a plurality of coaxial wires (220) each having a conductive core (228) covered by an electrically insulating sleeve (226); and an electrically insulating body (210) having a first main surface (211), a second main surface (213) and a plurality of through holes (212) each extending from the first main surface to the second main surface and coated with an electrically conductive member, wherein each coaxial wire

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical cable (100) for exchanging communication signals between two devices, particularly a cable (100) that can be integrated into a catheter or a guidewire (5). The cable (100) comprises at least one pair (120, 130) of differential wires (D1+, D1?, D2+, D2?) that are, during operation, supplied with opposite voltages, thus defining a voltage-neutral plane (VNP) between them. Moreover, the cable (100) comprises at least one set (140) of single-ended wires (S11, S12; S21, S22; S31, S32) that is arranged symmetrically with respect to said voltage-neutral plane (VNP). Optionally a core wire (110) may be used for providing mechanical stability and additional electrical functionality. Electromagnetic disturbances from the differential wires to the single-ended wires (and vice versa) are minimized due to the particular arrangement of wires.

Abstract: A large aperture CMUT transducer array is formed of a plurality of adjacently located tiles of CMUT cells. The adjacent edges of the tiles are formed by an anisotropic etch process, preferably a deep reactive ion etching process which is capable of cutting through the die and its substrate while maintaining vertical edges in close proximity to the CMUT cells at the edge of the tile. This enables the CMUT cells of continuous rows or columns to exhibit a constant pitch over multiple CMUT cell tiles. The tiles also contain interconnect electrodes along an edge for making electrical connections to the tiles with flex circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising an ultrasonic transducer chip (100) having a main surface comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements (112) and a plurality of first contacts (120) for connecting to said ultrasound transducer elements; a contact chip (400) having a further main surface comprising a plurality of second contacts (420); an backing member (300) comprising ultrasound absorbing and/or scattering bodies (310), said backing member comprising a first surface (302) on which the transducer chip is mounted and a second surface (306) on which the contact chip is mounted; and a flexible interconnect (200) extending over said backing member from the main surface to the further main surface, the flexible interconnect comprising a plurality of conductive tracks (210), each conductive track connecting one of said first contacts to a second contact.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound transducer assembly (10), in particular for intravascular ultrasound systems. The ultrasound transducer assembly comprises at least one silicon substrate element (30) including an ultrasound transducer element (14) for emitting and receiving ultrasound waves and including electrical connectors for electrically connecting the transducer element. The substrate element has a top surface (44), a bottom surface (46) and a side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. An isolation layer (32, 50) forms the side surface for electrically isolating the substrate element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10) comprising a substrate (12), and a membrane (14) disposed above a total membrane area (Atotal), wherein a cavity (20) is formed between the membrane (14) and the substrate (12), the membrane comprising a hole (15) and an edge portion (14a) surrounding the hole (15). The cell (10) further comprises a stress layer (17) on the membrane (14), the stress layer (17) having a predetermined stress value with respect to the membrane (14), the stress layer (17) being adapted to provide a bending moment on the membrane (14) in a direction towards the substrate (12) such that the edge portion (14a) of the membrane (14) is collapsed to the substrate (12). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10).