US 11,857,361 B2
Acoustically transparent window for intraluminal ultrasound imaging device
Franciscus Johannes Gerardus Hakkens, Eersel (NL); Lucas Johannes Anna Maria Beckers, Veldhoven (NL); Johannes Wilhelmus Weekamp, Beek en Donk (NL); Peter Dirksen, Hilversum (NL); Petrus Henricus Maria Timmermans, Teteringen (NL); Sergei Y. Shulepov, Eindhoven (NL); and Hans-Peter Loebl, Monschau-Imgenbroich (DE)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/256,248
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 28, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/067499
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 28, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/007753, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18181154 (EP), filed on Jul. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0128107 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/12 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/12 (2013.01) [A61B 8/445 (2013.01); A61B 8/4477 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); G01S 7/52085 (2013.01); G01S 15/8906 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An intraluminal ultrasound imaging device, comprising:
a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a longitudinal axis; and
an ultrasound imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member and configured to obtain imaging data while positioned within the body lumen, the ultrasound imaging assembly comprising:
a plurality of substrate islands;
a plurality of acoustic elements formed on each of the plurality of substrate islands, wherein the plurality of acoustic elements comprises a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) elements, wherein each of the plurality of CMUT elements comprises a membrane movable relative to the plurality of substrate islands;
a flexible interconnect coupled to the plurality of substrate islands such that the flexible interconnect directly contacts the membrane and the plurality of substrate islands is arranged around the longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member, wherein the flexible interconnect comprises a plurality of openings, each opening of the plurality of openings overlapping with an associated acoustic element of the plurality of acoustic elements; and
an acoustically-transparent window disposed over the plurality of acoustic elements, the acoustically-transparent window comprising a plurality of layers formed on top of one another, wherein the plurality of layers comprises:
an innermost layer directly contacting the membrane;
an outermost layer opposite the innermost layer; and
an adhesive layer coupling the outermost layer to another layer of the plurality of layers,
wherein the acoustically-transparent window is disposed over the flexible interconnect.
 
19. An intraluminal ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
an ultrasound imaging catheter configured to obtain imaging data while positioned within a body lumen of a patient, the ultrasound imaging catheter comprising a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a longitudinal axis, wherein the ultrasound imaging catheter further comprises:
a plurality of substrate islands;
a plurality of acoustic elements formed on each of the plurality of substrate islands, wherein the plurality of acoustic elements comprises a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) elements, wherein each of the plurality of CMUT elements comprises a membrane movable relative to the plurality of substrate islands;
a flexible interconnect coupled to the plurality of substrate islands such that the flexible interconnect directly contacts the membrane and the plurality of substrate islands is arranged around the longitudinal axis at the distal portion, wherein the flexible interconnect comprises a plurality of openings, each opening of the plurality of openings overlapping with an associated acoustic element of the plurality of acoustic elements; and
an acoustically-transparent window disposed over the plurality of acoustic elements, the acoustically-transparent window comprising:
a first material layer positioned over and directly contacting the membrane;
a second material layer positioned over and directly contacting the first material layer; and
a third material layer positioned over and directly contacting the second material layer,
wherein the second material layer couples the first material layer and the third material layer, and
wherein the acoustically-transparent window is disposed over the flexible interconnect; and
a processor in communication with the ultrasound imaging catheter and configured to output, to a display, an ultrasound image based on the obtained imaging data.