Medical ultrasound system and handpiece and methods for making and tuning
Several embodiments of medical ultrasound handpieces are described each including a medical ultrasound transducer assembly. An embodiment of a medical ultrasound system is described, wherein the medical ultrasound system includes a medical ultrasound handpiece having a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and includes an ultrasonically-vibratable medical-treatment instrument which is attachable to a distal end of the transducer assembly. An embodiment of a medical ultrasound system is described, wherein the medical ultrasound system has a handpiece including a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and including a housing or housing component surrounding the transducer assembly. A method for tuning a medical ultrasound handpiece includes machining at least a distal non-threaded portion of an instrument-attachment stud of the transducer assembly to match a measured fundamental frequency to a desired fundamental frequency to within a predetermined limit. A method for making a medical ultrasound transducer assembly determines acceptable gains for gain stages of the transducer assembly.
1 - 30 . (canceled)
31 . A medical ultrasound system comprising:
a) a medical ultrasound transducer assembly which has a gain of unity and which has a distal end portion; and
b) an ultrasonically-vibratable medical-treatment instrument which is attachable to the distal end portion of the transducer assembly and which has at least one gain stage.
32 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 31 , wherein the at-least-one gain stage includes a plurality of gain stages.
33 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 32 , wherein the transducer assembly includes a stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks.
34 . A medical ultrasound system comprising:
a) a medical ultrasound transducer assembly which has a distal end portion; and
b) an ultrasonically-vibratable medical-treatment instrument which is attachable to the distal end portion of the transducer assembly, wherein the transducer assembly and the attached instrument together have an operating wavelength, wherein the transducer assembly alone has a length which is at least equal to ¼ of the operating wavelength and which is less than ½ of the operating wavelength, and wherein the transducer assembly and the attached instrument together have a length equal to N times ½ of the operating wavelength, wherein N is a non-zero positive whole number.
35 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 34 , wherein N equals one.
36 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 35 , wherein the transducer assembly and the attached instrument together have a node, and wherein the transducer assembly includes the node.
37 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 36 , wherein the transducer assembly includes a stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks.
38 . A medical ultrasound handpiece comprising a medical ultrasound transducer assembly, wherein the transducer assembly has proximal and distal nodes, wherein the transducer assembly has a first transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature disposed proximate the proximal node and a second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature disposed proximate the distal node, and wherein the transducer assembly lacks any additional transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature.
39 . The medical ultrasound handpiece of claim 38 , also including a housing having an opening and surrounding the transducer assembly, wherein the transducer assembly is insertable into the housing through the opening.
40 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the transducer assembly includes a stacked plurality of piezoelectric disks.
41 - 65 . (canceled)
66 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 33 , wherein each gain stage has a proximal end disposed proximate a corresponding node of the instrument and has a distal end disposed proximate a corresponding antinode of the instrument.
67 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 32 , wherein each gain stage has a proximal end disposed proximate a corresponding node of the instrument and has a distal end disposed proximate a corresponding antinode of the instrument.
68 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 34 , wherein the transducer assembly and the attached instrument together have a node, wherein the transducer assembly includes the node, wherein the transducer assembly includes a stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks, and wherein the transducer assembly includes a flange disposed proximate the node.
69 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 68 , wherein the flange is disposed proximal the node, wherein the instrument is attached to the flange, and wherein the stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks is disposed proximal and abutting the flange.
70 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 68 , wherein the flange is disposed distal the node, wherein the instrument is attached to the flange, and wherein the stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks is disposed proximal and abutting the flange.
71 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 68 , wherein the flange is substantially centered at the node, wherein the instrument is attached to the flange, wherein the stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks is disposed proximal and abutting the flange, and wherein the transducer assembly includes an additional stacked plurality of piezoelectric transducer disks disposed distal and abutting the flange.
72 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the first transducer-to-housing mounting feature is a first outward flange of the transducer assembly and the second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature is a second outward flange of the transducer assembly.
73 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the first transducer-to-housing mounting feature is a first outward flange of the transducer assembly and the second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature is an O-ring groove of the transducer assembly.
74 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the first transducer-to-housing mounting feature is an O-ring groove of the transducer assembly and the second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature is an outward flange of the transducer assembly.
75 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the first transducer-to-housing mounting feature is a first O-ring groove of the transducer assembly and the second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature is a second O-ring groove of the transducer assembly.
76 . The medical ultrasound system of claim 39 , wherein the first transducer-to-housing mounting feature is a first pair of O-ring-bounding outward flanges of the transducer assembly and the second transducer-assembly-to-housing mounting feature is a second pair of O-ring-bounding outward flanges of the transducer assembly.