US 11,691,177 B2
Ultrasound probe with acoustic amplifier
Paolo Palchetti, Florence (IT); Andrea Grandoni, Vaglia (IT); and Iolanda Cuseri, Castiglion Fiorentino (IT)
Assigned to Esaote S.p.A., Genoa (IT)
Filed by ESAOTE SpA, Genoa (IT)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/924,625.
Claims priority of application No. 17165437 (EP), filed on Apr. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2018/0290175 A1, Oct. 11, 2018
Int. Cl. B06B 1/06 (2006.01); G10K 11/02 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC B06B 1/0681 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4483 (2013.01); B06B 1/0677 (2013.01); B06B 1/0685 (2013.01); G10K 11/02 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transducer assembly operable to transmit ultrasonic energy in a desired direction towards a zone adapted to be acoustically coupled to an object or area of interest, the transducer assembly comprising:
a) a transducer layer;
b) a backing layer disposed behind the transducer layer with respect to the desired direction;
c) a back-matching layer disposed between the transducer layer and the backing layer to reflect towards the transducer layer part of the ultrasonic energy directed from the transducer layer to the backing layer,
wherein the backing layer has an acoustic impedance higher than an acoustic impedance of the back-matching layer, the back-matching layer has an acoustic impedance less than an acoustic impedance of the transducer layer and the transducer layer has a thickness greater than a ¼ of a wavelength of ultrasound waves the transducer assembly is configured to generate.