Jonathan A Snyder

US Patent:

61204498, Sep 19, 2000

Filed:

Nov 25, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/200077

Inventors:

Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600447

Abstract:

A method and an apparatus for compensating for fully or partially inoperative elements in an ultrasonic transducer array. The inoperative elements are compensated for by "bridging" or "shorting" them to fully operative elements. This compensation technique can be applied to one-dimensional or multi-dimensional transducer arrays. A bridge between a fully or partially inoperative element and an adjacent fully operative element can be achieved by physically shorting the elements somewhere in the signal chain or by electrically connecting the elements via switches, e. g. , of a multiplexer. The state of the multiplexer switches (i. e. , open or closed) is controlled by loading MUX State control data into a flash memory located on-board the probe. This MUX State control data includes switch settings for connecting a defective element to an adjacent fully functional element in the transducer array.

US Patent:

55775071, Nov 26, 1996

Filed:

Nov 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/343078

Inventors:

Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI
Leslie J. Keres - Waukesha WI
Gregg W. Frey - East Wenatchee WA

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

12866301

Abstract:

A compound lens for focusing ultrasound emitted from an ultrasound probe having an array of piezoelectric transducer elements. The compound lens has an inner lens part with a convex cylindrical front face and a rear face which is acoustically coupled to the front face of the transducer array, and an outer lens part with a concave cylindrical rear face which is acoustically coupled to the convex cylindrical front face of the inner lens part. The inner lens part may be in the form of a conventional silicone rubber focusing lens. The outer lens part is made of an acoustic medium having a higher acoustic velocity and greater durability than silicone rubber, e. g. , polymethylpentene, nylon and high-density polyethylene. Also the outer lens part has greater chemical resistance than silicone rubber.

US Patent:

54889570, Feb 6, 1996

Filed:

Nov 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/343053

Inventors:

Gregg W. Frey - East Wenatchee WA
Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI
Leslie J. Keres - Waukesha WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

12866301

Abstract:

An adhesion system specifically designed to achieve a good-quality adhesive bond between a silicone rubber lens and a plastic matching layer of an ultrasonic transducer. The adhesion system includes a layer of conventional silicone adhesive applied on the silicone rubber lens and a layer of dichloro-di-p-xylylene residing between the silicone adhesive and the plastic matching layer. The layer of dichloro-di-p-xylylene is adhered to the silicone adhesive via a silicone primer and is adhered to the plastic matching layer via a silane primer. The layer of dichloro-di-p-xylylene provides adhesion promotion, a chemical barrier to protect the transducer array from the external environment and an electrical barrier to help protect the patient from the electrically alive transducer elements, without any adverse effect on the acoustic transmission characteristics of the transducer stack.

US Patent:

61006262, Aug 8, 2000

Filed:

Nov 23, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/344053

Inventors:

Gregg W. Frey - East Wenatchee WA
Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI
Ajay A. Bhave - Brookfield WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

H01L 4108

US Classification:

310334

Abstract:

A system for connecting a transducer array to a coaxial cable. A fanout flex circuit is electrically connected to the coaxial cable, to form one subassembly, and a transducer flex circuit is incorporated into a transducer stack in electrical connection with the transducer array, to form another subassembly. The fanout flex circuit has a row of terminals of first linear pitch at one end and a row of terminals of second linear pitch, less than the first linear pitch, at the other end. The terminals of first linear pitch are electrically connected to the wires of the coaxial cable. The terminals of second linear pitch are electrically connected to a row of free terminals of the same linear pitch on the transducer flex circuit. A layer of pressure-activated conductive adhesive is applied on one row of terminals and then the other row of terminals is pressed against the adhesive-coated row. Then the adhesive is cured, thereby mass-connecting the signal electrodes of the transducer array to the wires of the coaxial cable in one step by simply adhering complementary ends of separate flex circuits.

US Patent:

55414680, Jul 30, 1996

Filed:

Nov 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/343054

Inventors:

Gregg W. Frey - East Wenatchee WA
Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

H01L 4108

US Classification:

310334

Abstract:

A monolithic transducer array case having a bottom wall which is suitable for use as an acoustic impedance matching layer in an ultrasonic transducer. The array case is made from electrically conductive material having an acoustic impedance less than the acoustic impedance of piezoelectric ceramic. The preferred material is copper-impregnated graphite.

US Patent:

56156782, Apr 1, 1997

Filed:

Nov 25, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/344920

Inventors:

Thomas R. Kirkham - Dousman WI
Kirsten N. Laconte - Waukesha WI
Michael L. Hall - Pewaukee WI
Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI
Edward S. Wallace - Tempe AZ
William H. Phillips - Issaquah WA
Robert L. Petersen - Lake Zurich IL

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

12866001

Abstract:

An integral yoke/transducer connector has built-in probe switches for detecting when a transducer probe has been removed from its yoke. Based on the status of the probe switch and other feedback information, a system controller activates the out-of-holder probe if it has priority. In this manner, a probe can be automatically activated when it is lifted out of its yoke, thereby eliminating the need to trace a desired probe to its connector/port via the cable. Once a probe/port is auto-selected, it remains the only active probe/port until the probe is placed back in the yoke (or its transducer connector is disconnected from the port on the imaging unit). Placement of the probe in its corresponding yoke opens the probe switch which is built into the yoke/connector assembly. The imaging system can be provided with a plurality of interchangeable probe assemblies, each probe assembly consisting of a transducer probe, a coaxial cable, a transducer connector and a yoke, all four components being integrally attached to each other for installation and removal as an integral unit.

US Patent:

57214638, Feb 24, 1998

Filed:

Dec 29, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/580564

Inventors:

Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

H01L 4108

US Classification:

310334

Abstract:

A device for improving thermal transfer inside an ultrasound probe and reducing heat build-up near the transducer face. The cable components are used as heat conductors which conduct heat out of the probe handle. These heat pipes are coupled to an internal heat conductor which is in heat conductive relationship with the transducer pallet. Thus, heat generated by the transducer array can be transferred, via the internal heat conductor plate and the cable heat conductors, away from the probe surface which contacts the patient. A heat conductive structure can be embedded in the overall shield braid of the cable. Suitable heat conductive structures include thread or wire made of material having a high coefficient of thermal conductivity, as well as narrow tubing filled with heat conductive fluid. Alternatively, inlet and return flow paths for cooling fluid are incorporated in the cable. The inlet and return flow paths inside the cable are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet of a flow path which is in heat conductive relationship with an internal heat conductor in the probe handle.

US Patent:

55201873, May 28, 1996

Filed:

Nov 25, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/344918

Inventors:

Jonathan E. Snyder - Whitefish Bay WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

128661010

Abstract:

A programmable probe multiplexer which can be reconfigured for use with multiple imaging systems having different channel counts. The probe uses a system code that informs the multiplexer of the number of channels on the system to which it is connected. The multiplexer hardware in turn adjusts the program or channel map to reconfigure the probe to accommodate the system. In particular, the probe can sense the presence of a system type and then reconfigure and optimize performance automatically, or the probe can be reprogrammed by the system, allowing great flexibility in the design and optimization of imaging parameters. The probe supports this concept through the use of a series of programmable switches and the appropriate logic to assign input channels to output channels.