US 6,981,952 B2
Apparatus for generating acoustic waves
Josef Reitter, Moehrendorf (Germany); and Arnim Rohwedder, Fuerth (Germany)
Assigned to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (Germany)
Filed on Mar. 16, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/809,958.
Claims priority of application No. 100 12 878 (DE), filed on Mar. 16, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2001/0046184 A1, Nov. 29, 2001
Int. Cl. A61N 7/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 601—2 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for generating acoustic waves comprising:
a volume containing an acoustic propagation medium;
an acoustic transducer comprising a first electrode, operating as a membrane and disposed adjacent to said acoustic propagation medium, a second electrode spaced from said first electrode, a carrier comprised of x-ray transparent material on which said second electrode is disposed, and an electrolyte contained between said first electrode and said second electrode, each of first and second electrodes having a thickness making each of said first and second electrodes substantially transparent to X-rays; and
circuitry connected to said first and second electrodes for briefly heating said electrolyte to displace said membrane to produce an acoustic wave in said acoustic propagation medium.