layers and produce much lower amplitude narrow band electric signals owing to the high power ceramic having a piezoelectric voltage constant that is an order of magnitude lower ceramic transducer elements 192 and polymeric transducer elements 194 can share the same electrodes or be connected to different electrodes the number of individual therapeutic ceramic transducer elements 192 and imaging polymeric elements transducer elements 194 depends on the application if a pvdf transducer element 194 is used to send and receive acoustic signals as it is done in a standard pulse echo imaging systems then there is a need to couple that pvdf transducer to both a high voltage excitation pulse generator not separately shown and the sensitive receiving electronics i e ultrasonic signal processor 202 a transmit receive t r switching circuit not shown that would close during the application of a higher voltage signal but open while the probe is receiving acoustic echoes can be used alternatively one may use a circuit designed to send acoustic signals using one or more piezoceramic transducer elements 192 and receive echoes with pvdf transducer elements 194 this is feasible because of close packed interpenetrant nature of piezocomposite transducers disclosed herein and consequent negligible differences in beam directivity between ceramic and polymer elements piezocomposite ultrasound transducer devices 100 106 112 123 and 136 are.