OPTIMIZED TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN AN ULTRASOUND TRANSDUCER

摘要

There is provided a medical ultrasound transducer (130) and a medical ultrasound imaging system including the transducer (110, 130, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350), comprising an acoustic window (120) for contacting a patient at a patient contact surface for imaging the patient; and at least one temperature sensor (110, 1 lOA, 1 lOB) located in the acoustic window to determine patient contact temperature at the patient contact surface. The medical ultrasound imaging system further comprises a controller (310) for controlling a power imaging mode of the ultrasound transducer in accordance with the determined patient contact temperature. Also provided is a method for imaging a patient using the medical ultrasound imaging system, comprising contacting the patient contact surface of the acoustic window to the patient for imaging the patient; determining patient contact temperature of the ultrasound transducer at the patient contact surface from the at least one temperature sensor; and controlling a power imaging mode of the ultrasound transducer in accordance with the determined patient contact temperature. Fig. 1