US 11,690,593 B2
Acoustic lens for ultrasonic transducer probe with a manufactured textured surface
Dino Francesco Cuscuna, Reading, MA (US); Elizabeth Brunelle, Portsmouth, NH (US); Loriann Davidsen, Andover, MA (US); Martha Gail Grewe Wilson, Andover, MA (US); Jeffrey Scott Hart, Mifflin, PA (US); Harry Amon Kunkel, III, Centre Hall, PA (US); Gerred Allen Price, Mill Creek, PA (US); and James William Hackenberry, Lewistown, PA (US)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 16/499,359
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/058355
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 30, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/178369, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 4, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/479,657, filed on Mar. 31, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0093295 A1, Apr. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 8/00 (2006.01); H10N 30/02 (2023.01); H10N 30/08 (2023.01); H10N 30/09 (2023.01); H10N 30/88 (2023.01)
CPC A61B 8/4281 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); H10N 30/02 (2023.02); H10N 30/08 (2023.02); H10N 30/09 (2023.02); H10N 30/88 (2023.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound probe for imaging internal anatomy of a patient comprising:
a probe enclosure;
a transducer array located in the probe enclosure;
an acoustic lens formed of a molded polymer, forming a part of the probe enclosure between the transducer array and an exterior of the probe enclosure, the acoustic lens having a manufactured textured external surface; and
a coating of acoustic gel located on the manufactured textured external surface and retained on the manufactured textured external surface by filling recesses or valleys of the manufactured textured external surface,
wherein the acoustic lens and the coating of acoustic gel are adapted to acoustically couple ultrasound energy into the internal anatomy of the patient, and
wherein the manufactured textured external surface is adapted to scatter ultrasound waves reflected back to the ultrasound probe from ribs in the internal anatomy of the patient to thereby reduce reverberation artifacts in an image.