Coupling an ultrasound probe to the skin

摘要

As adhesive tape 2 for securing an ultrasound probe to the skin comprises a sonolucent adhesive silicone gel 4 for transmitting ultrasound from an ultrasound transducer to the body. A method of manufacturing an adhesive silicone product comprises a step of treating the adhesive composition or components of the composition to remove air or prevent the formation of air bubbles, in order to provide a sonolucent adhesive product. The method comprises degassing the adhesive composition under vacuum. Each component of the adhesive gel may be degassed prior to mixing. Also claimed is an ultrasound probe apparatus 6 comprising ultrasound transducers that are permitted to move relative to one another such that a probe surface can conform to a contour the surface of a body. The probe body is made of a number of relatively rigid segments 7 with flexible coupling sections (8, fig. 3) between the rigid segments 7.