Patent Application
20230358710
The technical field generally relates to the field of ultrasonic technologies, and more particularly relates to an ultrasonic transducer assembly and related methods.
Commercially available systems and/or methods for inspecting samples present several drawbacks and limitations, notably in terms of defect identification capability, precision and/or overall process speed. Various challenges remain in the field of inspecting samples with ultrasonic transducers.
There is still a need for techniques, apparatuses, devices, and methods that alleviate or mitigate the problems of prior art.
In accordance with one aspect, there is provided an ultrasonic transducer assembly for inspecting a sample, the ultrasonic transducer assembly including:
In some embodiments, the support is a sheet made from a metal or a metal alloy.
In some embodiments, the support is flexible.
In some embodiments, the support is rigid.
In some embodiments, each transducer of the array of transducers includes a respective transducer contact and the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of conductive pads positioned near or at the proximal end of the flexible printed circuit board, the respective transducer contact being in electrical communication with a corresponding conductive pad.
In some embodiments, the respective transducer contact is affixed to the corresponding conductive pad with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, each conductive pad has a width of about 0.3 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the proximal end of the flexible board is affixed to the support with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, the power unit includes wires, connectors, or plugs.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes at least one ground.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a second support, the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board being affixed to the second support.
In some embodiments, the second support is rigid.
In some embodiments, the second support is flexible.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of conducting layers, each conducting layer including at least one of the conductive channels.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes at least one insulating layer, each insulating layer being provided between two successive layers of the plurality of the conducting layers.
In some embodiments, the number of conductive channels is included between 2 and 256, 2 to 128, 2 to 64, 2 to 32, 2 to 16, 2 to 8, or 2 to 4.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly includes one transducer and one conductive channel.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly has a thickness of about 1 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers is configured to generate ultrasound having a center frequency included in a frequency range extending from about 0.5 MHz to about 50 MHz.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers has a constant pitch.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers has a variable pitch.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a cladding or shielding covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, the cladding having mechanical properties and electrical properties.
In some embodiments, the mechanical properties include mechanical resistance.
In some embodiments, the electrical properties include electrical insulation.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a seal extending over at least a portion the support, at least a portion of the array of transducers and at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the array of transducers and the flexible printed circuit board are sandwiched between the support and the seal.
In some embodiments, the seal is made from an electrically and thermally insulating material.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a flexible cover, the flexible cover extending over the seal and mechanically contacting the support through the seal.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer assembly, the method including:
In some embodiments, the method further includes operatively connecting the array of transducers to the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, each transducer of the array of transducers includes a respective transducer contact and the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of conductive pads positioned near or at the proximal end of the flexible printed circuit board, said operatively connecting the array of transducers to the flexible printed circuit board including affixing the respective transducer contact with a corresponding conductive pad.
In some embodiments, the respective transducer contact is affixed to the corresponding conductive pad with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a second support and affixing the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board to the second support.
In some embodiments, the method further includes operatively connecting the power unit to the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, the method further includes forming the conductive channels on the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, said forming the array of transducers is achieved with a deposition technique.
In some embodiments, the method further includes covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board with a cladding, the cladding having mechanical properties and electrical properties.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a seal extending over at least a portion the support, at least a portion of the array of transducers and at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the array of transducers and the flexible printed circuit board are sandwiched between the support and the seal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a flexible cover extending over the seal and mechanically contacting the support.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for inspecting a sample, the method including:
In some embodiments, the method further includes driving the ultrasonic transducer assembly to generate an interrogating ultrasonic signal towards the sample, the interrogating ultrasonic signal interacting with the sample to produce the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes collecting the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes processing the sample signal to determine said at least one property of the sample.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided an ultrasonic transducer assembly for inspecting a sample, the ultrasonic transducer assembly including:
In some embodiments, the support is a sheet made from a metal or a metal alloy.
In some embodiments, the support is flexible.
In some embodiments, the support is rigid.
In some embodiments, each transducer of the transducer includes a respective transducer contact and the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of conductive pads positioned near or at the proximal end of the flexible printed circuit board, the respective transducer contact being in electrical communication with a corresponding conductive pad.
In some embodiments, the respective transducer contact is affixed to the corresponding conductive pad with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, each conductive pad has a width of about 0.3 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the proximal end of the flexible board is affixed to the support with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, the power unit includes wires, connectors, or plugs.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes at least one ground.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a second support, the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board being affixed to the second support
In some embodiments, the second support is rigid.
In some embodiments, the second support is flexible.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of conducting layers, each conducting layer including at least one of the conductive channels.
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board includes at least one insulating layer, each insulating layer being provided between two successive layers of the plurality of the conducting layers.
In some embodiments, the number of conductive channels is included between 2 and 256, 2 to 128, 2 to 64, 2 to 32, 2 to 16, 2 to 8, or 2 to 4.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly has a thickness of about 4 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the transducer is configured to generate ultrasound having a center frequency included in a frequency range extending from about 0.5 MHz to about 50 MHz.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a cladding or shielding covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, the cladding having mechanical properties and electrical properties.
In some embodiments, the mechanical properties include mechanical resistance.
In some embodiments, the electrical properties include electrical insulation.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a seal extending over at least a portion the support, at least a portion of the transducer and at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the transducer and the flexible printed circuit board are sandwiched between the support and the seal.
In some embodiments, the seal is made from an electrically and thermally insulating material.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a flexible cover, the flexible cover extending over the seal and mechanically contacting the support through the seal.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for inspecting a sample, the method including:
In some embodiments, the method further includes driving the ultrasonic transducer assembly to generate an interrogating ultrasonic signal towards the sample, the interrogating ultrasonic signal interacting with the sample to produce the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes collecting the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes processing the sample signal to determine said at least one property of the sample.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided an ultrasonic transducer assembly for inspecting a sample, the ultrasonic transducer assembly including:
In some embodiments, the conductive substrate is a sheet made from a metal or a metal alloy.
In some embodiments, the electrical circuit includes at least one of wires, connectors, and plugs.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly has a thickness of about 4 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers is configured to generate ultrasound having a center frequency included in a frequency range extending from about 0.5 MHz to about 50 MHz.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers has a constant pitch.
In some embodiments, the array of transducers has a variable pitch.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly further includes a cladding covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board, the cladding having mechanical properties and electrical properties.
In some embodiments, the mechanical properties include mechanical resistance.
In some embodiments, the electrical properties include electrical insulation.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer further includes a seal extending over at least a portion of the array of transducers and at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, the seal is made from an electrically insulating material.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer further includes a flexible cover, the flexible cover extending over the seal and mechanically contacting the support through the seal.
In accordance with another aspect, a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer assembly, the method including:
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for inspecting a sample, the method including:
In some embodiments, the method further includes driving the ultrasonic transducer assembly to generate an interrogating ultrasonic signal towards the sample, the interrogating ultrasonic signal interacting with the sample to produce the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes collecting the sample signal.
In some embodiments, the method further includes processing the sample signal to determine said at least one property of the sample.
Other features and advantages of the present description will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals, and, to not unduly encumber the figures, some elements may not be indicated on some figures if they were already identified in one or more preceding figures. It should also be understood herein that the elements of the drawings are not necessarily depicted to scale, since emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the elements and structures of the present embodiments. The terms “a”, “an” and “one” are defined herein to mean “at least one”, that is, these terms do not exclude a plural number of elements, unless stated otherwise. It should also be noted that terms such as “substantially”, “generally” and “about”, that modify a value, condition or characteristic of a feature of an exemplary embodiment, should be understood to mean that the value, condition or characteristic is defined within tolerances that are acceptable for the proper operation of this exemplary embodiment for its intended application.
In the present description, the terms “connected”, “coupled”, and variants and derivatives thereof, refer to any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements. The connection or coupling between the elements may be acoustical, mechanical, physical, optical, operational, electrical, wireless, or a combination thereof.
It will be appreciated that positional descriptors indicating the position or orientation of one element with respect to another element are used herein for ease and clarity of description and should, unless otherwise indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and should not be considered limiting. It will be understood that spatially relative terms (e.g., “outer” and “inner”, “outside” and “inside”, “periphery” and “central”, and “top” and “bottom”) are intended to encompass different positions and orientations in use or operation of the present embodiments, in addition to the positions and orientations exemplified in the figures.
The expression “flexible”, variants and derivatives thereof, are used to describe a class of components, devices, circuits, assembly, and the like including deformable, conformable, and/or stretchable components, portions and/or layers. Nonlimitative of flexible materials are plastic, metal, metal alloys, metal foil, paper, flex glass, or any other materials having similar properties.
The term “alloy” refers to a material or a composition of materials including at least two different elements. For example, and without being limitative, an alloy could include two, three or four different elements. In the context of the current disclosure, the expression “metal alloy” refers to an alloy comprising at least one metal.
The description generally relates to an ultrasonic transducer assembly and more particularly concerns a flexible porous piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer assembly, as well as related methods. The technology and its advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description and examples that follow, which describe the various embodiments of the technology. More specifically, the following description will present an ultrasonic transducer assembly that may be used for inspecting samples, as well as related methods. In the context of this disclosure, the expression “sample” refers to any items that may be investigated or characterized, such as surfaces (flat and/or curved), parts, components, structures, materials, and any combinations thereof.
With reference to
The ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 includes a support 22. In some embodiments, the support 22 may be flexible and may be deformable to conform to, for example and without being limitative, a curved outer surface of the sample (or a portion thereof). More specifically, in these embodiments, the support 22 has the required mechanical properties to be reversibly deformable, between, for example and without being limitative, a relatively flat configuration and at least one substantially curved or bent configuration, when an external force is exerted of the support 22. The external force could be applied by any mechanisms known in the art. A nonlimitative example of such mechanisms is a clamp. In other embodiments, the support 22 may be rigid or at least substantially rigid.
It will be noted that the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may be useful, for example, and without being limitative, in the context of structural health monitoring (SHM), non-destructive testing (NDT) or any other similar applications. It will be noted that, in use, the ultrasonic transducer assembly may directly contact the sample or indirectly contact the sample, for example through a contact layer (permanent or temporary contact layer), a block, a wedge, and/or any other components or means known in the art.
The ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 also includes a flexible printed circuit board 24 having a proximal end 26 and a distal end 28. In some embodiments, the proximal end 26 may be affixed to the support 22, and the distal end 28 extends outwardly and away from the support 22. In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board 24 has an elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis 30, but it will be readily understood that the shape may vary according to the targeted applications. As illustrated in
Still referring to
In some embodiments, the array of transducers 32 has a constant pitch, i.e., the spacing or the distance between any pairs of adjacent transducers is substantially the same. In other embodiments, the array of transducers 32 has a variable pitch, i.e., the spacing or the distance between any pairs of adjacent transducers is relatively different or at least not exactly the same.
The ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 also includes a power unit 34 provided on the flexible printed circuit board 24. The power unit 34 may be an electrical circuit. As illustrated, the power unit 34 is positioned near or at the distal end 28 of the flexible printed circuit board 24. The power unit 34 is operatively connected to the flexible printed circuit board 24. The power unit 34 may include one or more electrical circuit(s), which may be used for powering and/or driving the array of transducers 32. The design and configuration of power unit 34 may vary according to the targeted application, but generally includes electronics components, such as for example and without being limitative resistors, switches, amplifiers, filters, diodes, transistor, wires, plugs, connectors and/or any other components already known by one skilled in the art. The power unit 34 may be driven or controlled by a control unit (not illustrated) for operating the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20. The control unit may be operatively connected or part of a processor (not illustrated). As it will be readily understood, the processor may be implemented as a single unit or as a plurality of interconnected processing sub-units. Also, the processor may be embodied by a computer, smartphone, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, or by any other type of processing resource or any combination of such processing resources configured to operate collectively as a processor. The processor may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof, and be connected to the components of the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 via appropriate communication ports.
In the embodiment depicted in
It will be noted that the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 (or at least portion(s) or component(s) thereof) may be, in some implementations, flexible. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may be flexed along one axis. In other embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may be flexed along more than one axis, such as, for example and without being limitative, two, three, four or even more axes. In these embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may be mounted to samples having a generally non-flat surface (e.g., a curved outer surface) or even sample a relatively flat and uniform surface. This characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 allows the device to maintain an adequate physical contact between the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 and the sample under investigation. As a result, each transducer 32a, 32b, . . . , 32b may be configured to deliver ultrasound more effectively than existing solutions.
In some embodiments, the support 22 is a sheet made from a metal or a metal alloy. The expression “sheet” is herein used to refer a material or layer being thin enough to allow the material or layer to be curved, bent, compressed and the like.
In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may include a second support 46. The distal end 28 of the flexible printed circuit board 24 may be affixed to the second support 46. As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the flexible printed circuit board 24 includes a plurality of conducting layers. In this configuration, each conducting layer includes at least one of the conductive channels 36a, 36b, . . . , 36n. The flexible printed circuit board 24 may include at least one insulating layer. In this configuration, each insulating layer is provided between two successive layers of the plurality of the conducting layers. The conducting layer(s) and the insulating layer(s) are horizontally extending with respect to the surface of the flexible printed circuit board 24, i.e., the conducting layer(s) and the insulating layer(s) are parallel to the surface of the flexible printed circuit board 24 and are vertically stacked. It will be readily understood that the flexible printed circuit board 24 may also include only one conducting layer.
In terms of dimensions, the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 has a thickness of about 4 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less. The other dimensions may vary according to the targeted applications.
In operation, the array of transducers 32 is configured to generate ultrasound (or, alternatively, an “ultrasonic beam”) having a center frequency comprised in the range extending from about 0.5 MHz to about 50 MHz.
The ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may include, in some embodiments, a cladding or a shield (not shown) covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board 24. The cladding has mechanical properties and electrical properties that allows protecting the flexible printed circuit board 24. For example, and without being limitative, the mechanical properties may comprise mechanical resistance and the electrical properties may comprise electrical insulation.
The ultrasonic transducer assembly 20 may further include a seal (not shown) extending over at least a portion the support 22, at least a portion of the array of transducers 32 and/or at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board 24. The array of transducers 32 and the flexible printed circuit board 24 (or at least a portion thereof, e.g., the proximal end) are sandwiched between the support 22 and the seal. The seal may be made from an electrically insulating material.
Advantageously, the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer assembly 20, and more particularly the configuration of the flexible printed circuit board 24 may be useful for applications in which a relatively great number of transducers may be required on a relatively small surface area (i.e., a relatively high density). Indeed, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the array of transducers 32 may include 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 or 256 transducers.
In some embodiments, the power unit is based on a wired configuration. In this configuration, wires are plugged to the power unit. The power unit may be supported on the second support, as previously described. In some embodiments, connectors or plugs may be provided on the power unit. It will be noted that the power unit serves the function of a connexion zone, which may be particularly useful when the transducers have relatively small dimensions, and that conventional wires or cables cannot be used to connect the transducers. Additionally, the offset configuration of the power unit with respect to the array of transducers may facilitate the interconnexion therebetween.
Now turning to
Now turning to
The method 100 includes a step 102 of providing a support and a flexible printed circuit board. The flexible printed circuit board being provided has a proximal end and a distal end, as it has been previously described. The support and the flexible printed circuit board may be manually or automatically provided.
The method 100 also includes a step 104 of affixing the proximal end of the flexible circuit printed board to the support and a step 106 of forming an array of transducers over the support, In the step 106, the array of transducers may be formed near or at the proximal end of the flexible printed circuit board. It will be noted that, in some embodiments, the step 106 may follow the step 104 and that, in other embodiments, the step 106 may precede the step 104.
Once the steps 104 and 106 have been completed, the method 100 includes a step 108 of providing a power unit on the flexible printed circuit board, near or at the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board.
The method 100 then includes a step 110 of operatively connecting the array of transducers to the power unit with conductive channels provided on the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, the method 100 may include operatively connecting the array of transducers to the flexible printed circuit board. As it has been previously explained, each transducer of the array of transducers comprises a respective transducer contact, and the flexible printed circuit board comprises a plurality of conductive pads positioned near or at the proximal end of the flexible printed circuit board. In these embodiments, the step of operatively connecting the array of transducers to the flexible printed circuit board may include affixing the respective transducer contact with a corresponding conductive pad. For example, and without being limitative, the respective transducer contact may be affixed to the corresponding conductive pad with an electrically conductive glue or an electrically conductive epoxy.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes providing a second support and affixing the distal end of the flexible printed circuit board to the second support.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes operatively connecting the power unit to the flexible printed circuit board.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes forming the conductive channels on the flexible printed circuit board. This step may be achieved using deposition techniques known in the art.
In some embodiments, forming the array of transducers is achieved with a deposition technique.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes covering at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board with a cladding. The cladding may have the mechanical properties and electrical properties which have been previously described.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes providing a seal extending over at least a portion the support, at least a portion of the array of transducers and at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board. In these embodiments, the array of transducers and the flexible printed circuit board are sandwiched between the support and the seal.
In some embodiments, the method 100 includes providing a flexible cover extending over the seal and mechanically contacting the support.
Another embodiment of a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer assembly is illustrated in
Now that different embodiments of a method for manufacturing or producing the ultrasonic transducer assembly have been presented, a method for inspecting a sample will now be described.
The method for inspecting the sample includes a step of contacting the sample with the ultrasonic transducer assembly which has been previously described. Once the ultrasonic transducer is in contact with the sample, the method includes a step of obtaining a sample signal representative of at least one property of the sample. In some embodiments, the method may include driving the ultrasonic transducer assembly to generate an interrogating acoustic signal towards the sample. The interrogating acoustic signal interacts with the sample to produce the sample signal. In some embodiments, the method may include a step of collecting the sample signal. It will be readily understood that the expression “collecting” may encompass various embodiments, such as, for example, and without being limitative, detecting the sample signal with a detector. In some embodiments, the method may include processing the sample signal to determine the at least one property of the sample.
Now turning to
An ultrasonic transducer assembly 200 for inspecting a sample is illustrated in
There is also provided a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer assembly as illustrated in
There is also provided a method for inspecting a sample using the ultrasonic transducer illustrated in
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The embodiments described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person skilled in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person skilled in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, while specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the scope defined in the current description and the appended claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2021/051367 | 9/30/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63085597 | Sep 2020 | US |
