Intravascular ultrasound imaging apparatus, interface architecture, and method of manufacturing

Abstract

Solid-state ultrasound imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly directed to compact and efficient ultrasound transducer scanner formed from a substantially cylindrical semiconductor substrate. In some embodiments, an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) device includes: an ultrasound scanner assembly disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, the ultrasound scanner assembly including a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of transistors formed thereupon. The semiconductor substrate is curved to have a substantially cylindrical form when the ultrasound scanner assembly is in a rolled form, and the plurality of transistors are arranged in a cylindrical arrangement when the ultrasound scanner assembly is in the rolled form. In one such embodiment, the device further includes a plurality of ultrasound transducers formed upon the semiconductor substrate and arranged in a cylindrical arrangement when the ultrasound scanner assembly is in the rolled form.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultrasound imaging device, comprising:
 a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a blood vessel of a patient; and   an ultrasound scanner assembly configured for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly is disposed at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member, wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly comprises a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) elements,   wherein the plurality of CMUT elements comprises a first row, a second row, and an offset between the first row and the second row, and   wherein a first subset of the plurality of CMUT elements are electrically connected in parallel by a first conductive interconnect that extends across the offset such that the first subset comprises CMUT elements from the first row and CMUT elements from the second row.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of CMUT elements comprises a third row and a further offset between the third row and the second row, and   wherein the first conductive interconnect extends across the further offset such that the first subset comprises CMUT elements from the third row.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly comprises an array of transducers distributed around a circumference such that the first row is disposed at a first location along the circumference and the second row is disposed at a second location along the circumference.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein CMUT elements in the first subset are configured to be operated in unison. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein a frequency of the ultrasound scanner assembly is tunable based on a quantity of the CMUT elements in the first subset. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly is configured to produce a plurality of waveforms based on adjustments to a firing sequence of the plurality of CMUT elements. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a second subset of the plurality of CMUT elements are electrically connected in parallel by a second conductive interconnect that extends across the offset such that the second subset comprises further CMUT elements from the first row and further CMUT elements from the second row. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first subset is spaced from the second subset,   wherein the first conductive interconnect is spaced from the second conductive interconnect.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the first subset and the second subset are configured to be independently controlled. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the ultrasound scanner assembly comprises an array of transducers,   wherein a same transducer of the array of transducers comprises the first row and the second row such that the same transducer comprises the first subset and the second subset.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the same transducer is spaced, by a gap, from a subsequent transducer of the array of transducers. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the first subset is configured to produce a first frequency and the second subset is configured to produce a second frequency such that the same transducer is configured produce different frequencies.