ACOUSTICAL SWITCH AND CATHETER COMPRISING ACOUSTICAL SWITCH

摘要

The invention relates to an acoustical switch wherein the idea to the ultrasound propagation direction may be changes without moving the switch. The switch device comprises two sheets of acoustically transparent material. The sheets constitute opposite walls of a housing. The switch device further comprises one or more orifices for allowing conduction of fluid into and/or out of said housing. The switch device may be made reflective by filling the housing with a gas via the one or more orifices. Moreover, the switch device may be made transmissive to ultrasound by filling the housing with a liquid via the one or more orifices and/or by subjecting the housing to underpressure via the one or more orifices. The acoustical switch device fits well within a catheter, which has severe dimensional limitations.