Image guided intravascular therapy catheter utilizing a thin chip multiplexor

1. An intravenous ultrasound catheter having a distal tip and comprising:

(a) a forward facing array of ultrasound elements near to said distal tip of said device;

(b) an integrated circuit (IC) die, abutting and proximal to said ultrasound elements, having a thickness of less than 80 μm, and having:

(i) a first face, facing said forward facing array, and having an array of ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts, in mating arrangement to said array of ultrasound elements, so that said array of ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts collectively physically abut and electrically connect to each of said ultrasound elements;

(ii) a second face, opposed to said first face, and having a set of input-output signal contacts, said set being fewer in number than said array of ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts and each being switchable into contact with any one of a set of said ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts, said second face also having a set of control contacts, wherein inputs received by said control contacts positively collectively command some aspect of operation of said IC die; and

(iii) a set of amplifiers, interposed between said first face and said second face, including an amplifier for each one of said driving and receiving electrical contacts;

(iv) wherein impedance of said ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts is matched to impedance of said ultrasound elements;

(c) a flex circuit assembly, proximal to said integrated circuit and including coax cables and a contact portion, having a set of contact pads abutting and electrically connecting said input output signal contacts of said IC die, to said coax cables; and

(d) backing material, abutting and directly proximal to said contact portion, thereby forming an interface and wherein said backing material and said contact portion material have equal acoustic impedance, thereby preventing reflection at said interface.

2. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said flex circuit includes a central portion, having contact pads for said input/output and control contacts of said IC die and also includes arms having signal lines for carrying signals from and to said IC die.

3. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound array includes more than 256 elements and has dimensions of less than 2 mm by 2 mm.

4. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , further including a set of ablation electrodes, positioned forward of said array of ultrasound elements so that said ultrasound elements transmit and receive through said set of ablation electrodes.

5. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said array of ultrasound element driving and receiving contacts is flip chip bonded to said array of ultrasound elements.

6. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said flex circuit further includes a coax cable for each input/output contact.

7. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , further including a waveform generator, generating a waveform having a frequency of between 20 MHz and 50 MHz, and wherein said thin chip has a thickness of one-quarter of the waveform wavelength for the speed of sound through said thin chip material.

8. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , further including RF ablation electrodes positioned distal to said ultrasound elements.

9. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said IC die has a thickness of less than 20 μm.

10. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein said IC die has a thickness of less than 12 μm.

11. The intravenous ultrasound catheter of claim 1 , wherein impedance of said input-output signal contacts matches impedance of contacts pads of said flex circuit.