Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090160289 | Curved capacitive membrane ultrasound transducer array - CMUT elements are formed on a substrate. Electrical conductors are formed to interconnect between different portions of the substrate. The substrate is then separated into pieces while maintaining the electrical connections across the separation. Since the conductors are flexible, the separated substrate slabs may be positioned on a curved surface while maintaining the electrical interconnection between the slabs. Large curvatures may be provided, such as associated with forming a multidimensional transducer array for use in a catheter. The electrical interconnections between the different slabs and elements may allow for a walking aperture arrangement for three dimensional imaging. | 06-25-2009 |
20130158385 | Therapeutic Ultrasound for Use with Magnetic Resonance - Therapeutic ultrasound applicator is provided for use with magnetic resonance system. An array of many elements, such as a multi-dimensional array, is used. To avoid cabling, the transmitters are positioned at the array. The array and transmitters are shielded to reduce interference. To avoid large inductors for the many elements, an acoustic matching layer may be sized to provide a desired phase angle or electrical impedance matching. | 06-20-2013 |
20130255937 | HIGH SPEED CEMENT BOND LOGGING AND INTERACTIVE TARGETED INTERVENTION - A method for cement bond logging and targeted intervention, including lowering a cylindrical n×m array of ultrasound (US) transducers into a well, firing the US transducers to transmit US signals into a well casing, converting reflected US signals received by the transducers into electronic form and transmit the converted signals to a control unit, analyzing the converted signals to detect holidays, if a holiday is detected, determining a position and angle of the holiday with respect to the transducers, and applying a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) signal to the well casing to fill the holiday. | 10-03-2013 |
20130296743 | Ultrasound for Therapy Control or Monitoring - Therapy control and/or monitoring is performed with an ultrasound scanner. The ultrasound scanner detects temperature to monitor therapy, and perform HIFU beam location refocusing of the therapy system based on the temperature. The monitoring is synchronized with the therapy using a trigger output of the ultrasound scanner. The trigger output responds to a scan sequence of the ultrasound scanner. To meet a given therapy plan, the scan sequence is customized, resulting in the customized trigger sequence. Three dimensional or multi-planar reconstruction rendering is used to represent temperature for monitoring feedback. The temperature at locations not being treated may be monitored. If the temperature has an undesired characteristic (e.g., too high), then the therapy is controlled by ceasing, at least temporarily. | 11-07-2013 |
20130298937 | HIGH INTENSITY ULTRASOUND FOR PIPELINE OBSTRUCTION REMEDIATION - High intensity ultrasound is used for pipeline obstruction remediation. Ultrasound transducers are positioned around an outside of the pipeline. The transducers transmit acoustic energy into the obstruction. The acoustic energy heats the obstruction at a location spaced away from the walls of the pipeline. As the obstruction heats, an opening may be formed in the obstruction, relieving pressure build-up without releasing the plug. | 11-14-2013 |
20130333896 | APPLICATION OF HIGH INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF DRILLING MUD - A method for disrupting an obstruction from a wellbore includes determining a location of an obstruction within a wellbore. An ultrasound transducer is deployed down an interior of a casing in the wellbore. Ultrasound energy is focused, using the ultrasound transducer, to the determined location of the obstruction and the obstruction is disrupted using the focused ultrasound energy. | 12-19-2013 |
20130345545 | Ultrasound Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Magnetic resonance imaging frame rate is increased using ultrasound information. Magnetic resonance (MR) images may be provided at an increased frame rate relative to the MR acquisition. For times between acquisition of MR data, MR data may be created. To account for any change in position of tissue over time, ultrasound is used to track the location of tissue or other imaged structure. The ultrasound-based location information is used to indicate the position of intensities or values of the created MR data. MR images at a higher frame rate than the MR acquisition are generated, but with accuracy of relative position based on the ultrasound data. | 12-26-2013 |
20140060580 | HIGH INTENSITY ULTRASOUND FOR PIPELINE OBSTRUCTION REMEDIATION - High intensity ultrasound is used for pipeline obstruction remediation. Ultrasound transducers are positioned around an outside of the pipeline. The transducers transmit acoustic energy into the obstruction. The acoustic energy heats the obstruction at a location spaced away from the walls of the pipeline. As the obstruction heats, an opening may be formed in the obstruction, relieving pressure build-up without releasing the plug. | 03-06-2014 |
20140321240 | ELASTOGRAPHY FOR CEMENT INTEGRITY INSPECTION - A method for examining integrity of cement in a wellbore includes deploying an ultrasound transducer within a wellbore. One or more reference ultrasound images of the cement within the wellbore are acquired. A pushing pulse is emitted from the ultrasound transducer to elicit a displacement of the cement within the wellbore. A sequence of ultrasound images is acquired, over time, depicting the displacement of the cement within the wellbore elicited by the pushing pulse. A strain tensor map is generated from a difference between the one or more reference ultrasound images and the acquired sequence of ultrasound images. A degree of integrity of the cement within the wellbore is determined based on the generated strain tensor map. | 10-30-2014 |