US 11,712,222 B2
Configurable ultrasonic imager
Yusuf Haque, Woodside, CA (US); Sandeep Akkaraju, Wellesley, MA (US); Janusz Bryzek, Oakland, CA (US); and Brian Bircumshaw, Orinda, CA (US)
Assigned to EXO IMAGING, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by eXo Imaging, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/67,139.
Application 17/067,139 is a division of application No. 15/826,606, filed on Nov. 29, 2017, granted, now 10,835,209.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/433,782, filed on Dec. 13, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/429,833, filed on Dec. 4, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/429,832, filed on Dec. 4, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0022707 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B06B 1/06 (2006.01); H10N 30/00 (2023.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); H10N 30/88 (2023.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.01); A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/14 (2006.01); B06B 1/02 (2006.01); G01S 7/521 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/4494 (2013.01) [A61B 8/0883 (2013.01); A61B 8/145 (2013.01); A61B 8/4483 (2013.01); A61B 8/4488 (2013.01); A61B 8/461 (2013.01); A61B 8/488 (2013.01); A61B 8/5207 (2013.01); A61B 8/546 (2013.01); B06B 1/0215 (2013.01); B06B 1/0238 (2013.01); B06B 1/0629 (2013.01); B06B 1/0662 (2013.01); B06B 1/0692 (2013.01); G01S 7/521 (2013.01); G01S 7/52046 (2013.01); G01S 7/52079 (2013.01); G01S 15/8925 (2013.01); H10N 30/1051 (2023.02); H10N 30/2047 (2023.02); H10N 30/2048 (2023.02); H10N 30/88 (2023.02); A61B 8/4427 (2013.01); A61B 8/4472 (2013.01); B06B 2201/76 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging device, comprising:
a two-dimensional array of piezoelectric elements, each piezoelectric element including:
a piezoelectric layer;
a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer; and
a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and
an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip comprising an array of driver circuits for driving the two-dimensional array of piezoelectric elements, each of the driver circuits being electrically coupled to a corresponding piezoelectric element;
wherein the two-dimensional array of piezoelectric elements is arranged into columns of piezoelectric elements, a first column includes a portion of the piezoelectric elements of the two-dimensional array, and the first column is activated by simultaneously turning on a portion of the driver circuits that control the portion of the piezoelectric elements in the first column of the two-dimensional array.