Ultrasound transducer arrangement and assembly, coaxial wire assembly, ultrasound probe and ultrasonic imaging system

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 ultrasound 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 comprises an exposed terminal core portion mounted in one of said though holes from the first main surface, and wherein each through hole is sealed by a solder bump ( 214 ) on the second main surface such that the ultrasound transducer arrangement can be directly mounted on the flexible tubular body without the need for a PCB.

1 . A transducer arrangement for an invasive diagnostic device, comprising:
 a flexible polymer assembly comprising electrically conductive tracks;   a plurality of transducer elements on a transducer substrate island; and   one or more support substrate islands comprising application specific integrated circuits and capacitors,   wherein the transducer substrate island and the one or more support substrate islands are attached to the flexible polymer assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitors comprise decoupling capacitors. 
     
     
         3 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitors comprise trench capacitors formed within a plurality of trenches extending into the one or more support substrate islands in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to a surface of a corresponding one of the one or more support substrate islands. 
     
     
         4 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein each of the trench capacitors comprises a plurality of electrically connected trenches filled with a dielectric material and an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
         5 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 4 , wherein a first electrode of a capacitor of the capacitors comprises the support substrate island on which the capacitor is located and a second electrode comprises the electrically conductive material comprised within the trenches. 
     
     
         6 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein a depth of the trench is in a range of 50-60% of a thickness of the support substrate island on which a corresponding capacitor of the capacitors is located. 
     
     
         7 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein each of at least two support substrate islands comprises a decoupling capacitor. 
     
     
         8 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer elements comprise capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer elements. 
     
     
         9 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer elements comprise lead zirconate titanate. 
     
     
         10 . The transducer arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer elements comprise polyvinylidenefluoride. 
     
     
         11 . An ultrasound device comprising:
 a catheter; and   a transducer arrangement comprising:
 a flexible polymer assembly comprising electrically conductive tracks; 
 a plurality of transducer elements on a transducer substrate island; and 
 one or more support substrate islands comprising application specific integrated circuits and capacitors, 
 wherein the transducer substrate island and the one or more support substrate islands are attached to the flexible polymer assembly.