Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Koetsu Saito

Masami Kawabuchi

Tsutomu Yano

Hisashi Minemoto

Akinori Watanabe

Seigo Shiraishi

Emiko Igaki

Hidetomo Nagahara

Norihisa Takahara

Junichi Takeda

Hirokazu Fukase

Keisaku Yamaguchi

Junichi Kato

Hiroshi Fukukita

Akihiro Kawabata

Morio Nishigaki

Koji Matsuo

Akira Fukumoto

Manabu Migita

Ikuo Sakai

Hideyuki Tanaka

Makiko Urabe

Fumio Muramatsu

Tatsuya Naito

Kuniaki Fukaya

Shinichirou Ueno

Yasushi Koishihara

Masayuki Tone

Masashi Ozawa

Keiji Iijima

Toru Nibuya

Ryuichi Kato

Shuko Tomisawa

Yasumasa Nabeta

Disclosed is an ultrasound probe including: a piezoelectric body that transmits and receives ultrasound; a backing that is disposed behind the piezoelectric body; and a reflector that is disposed between the piezoelectric body and the backing and that has an acoustic impedance greater than an acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric body; wherein, a thickness of the reflector is within the range of more than 0 to less than 0.05&#x3bb;, where &#x3bb; is a wavelength of the ultrasound.

Ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnostic apparatus

An ultrasonic probe includes: a piezoelectric element that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave; one or a plurality of acoustic matching layers disposed on a subject side of the piezoelectric element; and a conductor layer that applies a voltage to the piezoelectric element, wherein the conductor layer is disposed between the piezoelectric element and the acoustic matching layer, or between the plurality of acoustic matching layers, a magnitude of an acoustic impedance of the conductor layer is between a magnitude of an acoustic impedance of a layer disposed on one surface side of the conductor layer and a magnitude of an acoustic impedance of a layer disposed on the other surface side of the conductor layer, and the conductor layer has a Vickers hardness (Hv) of 50 or more and 600 or less.

Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

The ultrasound probe includes a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric composition and an electrode that applies a voltage to the piezoelectric composition. The piezoelectric composition has piezoelectric characteristics expressed by any coordinates included in a region formed by a polyhedron having a plurality of predetermined points as vertexes in Cartesian coordinates (k, &#x3b5;, E) including variables k, &#x3b5;and E.

Piezoelectric element, ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging apparatus

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a controller, to which a probe and a monitor are connected, the probe having an array of transducers, in which a number of transducers are arranged in a first direction. The controller controls transmission of an ultrasonic beam using the array of transducers and reception of an echo signal reflected from a region of interest, generates image data based on the echo signal, and gets echo signals received from multiple points of the region of interest by either moving or swinging the array of transducers in a second direction that intersects with the first direction at right angles. If the sum of image data ranges of measured value retrievable portions of the region of interest at the multiple points synthesized based on the echo signals, is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the controller calculates a detected value of the region of interest.

Ultrasonic diagnostic device, and region-to-be-detected image display method and measurement method using same

An ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of piezoelectric elements separated from each other by a gap; and an acoustic matching layer formed of a rubber elastic material on a surface of each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. An acoustic impedance of the rubber elastic material is smaller than an acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric elements and larger than an acoustic impedance of a subject. The acoustic velocity of the rubber elastic material has a value of 1650 msec or less.

Ultrasonic probe

Provided is an ultrasonic probe, which can be improved in quality, which can acquire characteristics of a high sensitivity and a wide band and which can acquire an ultrasonic image of a high resolution. In this ultrasonic probe, grooves () are formed and utilized to form piezoelectric elements () and first acoustic matching layers () in a curved shape thereby to converge ultrasonic waves without any acoustic lens. Moreover, signal conductors () are disposed on the signal electrode faces of the piezoelectric elements ().

An ultrasonic probe is provided capable of eliminating difficulties in processing, increasing the directivity of ultrasonic waves, and obtaining a high-resolution diagnostic image. An ultrasonic probeis configured to include a plurality of piezoelectric elements, an acoustic matching layerprovided on a front surface in the thickness direction at a subject side (upper side in the drawing) so as to correspond to the respective piezoelectric elements, a backing load memberprovided, as necessary, on a rear surface (lower surface in the drawing) in the thickness direction of the piezoelectric elementsat a side opposite to the acoustic matching layer, and an acoustic lensprovided, as necessary, on the acoustic matching layer. The acoustic matching layeris formed of a rubber elastic material and arranged in a non-divided, flat surface shape at one side of the plurality of piezoelectric elements

A technology is disclosed for actualizing an ultrasound probe that can obtain a high-resolution diagnostic image and is highly reliable. In the technology, a piezoelectric element has a predetermined thickness, a ground electrode is formed on one surface in a thickness direction, and a signal electrode is formed on the other surface. When an acoustic matching layer is laminated on a ground electrode formation surface of the piezoelectric element, the acoustic matching layer is configured by a composite material made of a plurality of materials including at least a conductive member. The conductive member has portions penetrating in a layer thickness direction at a plurality of sections on the one electrode formation surface of the piezoelectric element.

Ultrasound probe

A technique that can make a heat radiation effect higher and makes even a transmission voltage of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus higher and then makes a diagnostic depth deeper is disclosed. According to this technique, an ultrasonic probe has: a plurality of piezoelectric elementswhich are long in an X-direction, are arrayed in a y-direction and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in a z-direction (diagnostic depth direction); a plurality of ground electrodesand signal electrodeswhich are placed on the front surfaces and the rear surfaces of the individual piezoelectric elements, respectively; a plurality of signal electrodesfor extracting respective signals from the individual signal electrodes; a backing load memberwhich has a function for mechanically holding the piezoelectric elements through the signal electrodes and attenuating the unnecessary ultrasonic signal as necessary; a plurality of sheet-shaped heat conduction memberswhich are embedded inside the backing load member and positively transmit the heat generated from the piezoelectric elements; and a heat radiating blockwhich is linked to the heat conduction members on the rear side of the backing load member and radiates the heat transmitted through the heat conduction members.

There is provided an ultrasonic probe that can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves with high sensitivity and can drive an ultrasonic transducing part smoothly at high speed. The ultrasonic probe according to the present invention includes: an ultrasonic transducing partfor transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; an outer casefor storing the ultrasonic transducing part; and an acoustic mediumcharged in the outer case, wherein the acoustic mediumcontains 1,2-butylene glycol.

Ultrasonic probe with acoustic medium

A method of preparing a composite sheet unit includes arranging a plurality of sintered piezoelectric thin wires in a uniform direction on a surface of a resin layer is prepared. A plurality of the same are laminated and integrated so that the sintered piezoelectric thin wires are positioned between the resin layers. Here, a curing resin may be impregnated therein so as to form resin-impregnated-cured portions. Then, the lamination is cut in a direction crossing a lengthwise direction of the sintered piezoelectric thin wires, so that a piezocomposite is obtained. Cut surfaces may be ground. By so doing, it is possible to provide a highly reliable piezocomposite having a fine structure at low cost, and to provide an ultrasonic probe for ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, as well as ultrasonic diagnostic equipment using the same.

Method of producing a piezocomposite

A composite sheet unit in which a plurality of sintered piezoelectric thin wires are arranged in a uniform direction on a surface of a resin layer is prepared, and a plurality of the same are laminated and integrated so that the sintered piezoelectric thin wires are positioned between the resin layers. Here, a curing resin may be impregnated therein so as to form resin-impregnated-cured portions. Then, the lamination is cut in a direction crossing a lengthwise direction of the sintered piezoelectric thin wires, so that a piezocomposite is obtained. Cut surfaces may be ground. By so doing, it is possible to provide a highly reliable piezocomposite having a fine structure at low cost, and to provide an ultrasonic probe for ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, as well as ultrasonic diagnostic equipment using the same.

Piezocomposite, ultrasonic probe for ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, and method for producing piezocomposite

Disclosed is an ultrasonic probe of high performance and high quality. The ultrasonic probe comprises a high molecular material having a conductive layer and is disposed between a piezoelectric element and an acoustic matching layer. The high molecular material has an acoustic impedance substantially equal to that of the acoustic matching layer. The ultrasonic probe thus configured can be formed into a slim shape which is easy to operate without degrading the performance thereof, such as sensitivity or frequency characteristics or the like. The ultrasonic probe is structured so as not to cause an electrical problem due to breakage of wire even if the piezoelectric element is cracked by a mechanical impact or the like, and thus a high quality ultrasonic probe can be provided, and noise can be reduced.

An ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and an acoustic lens provided on an ultrasonic transmission/reception side of the piezoelectric element. The acoustic lens is formed in an acoustic lens shape by vulcanization formation through addition of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di-t-butyl peroxy hexane as a vulcanizing agent to a composition prepared by addition of silica (SiO ) particles in an amount of 40 wt % to 50 wt % to silicone rubber with a dimethylpolysiloxane structure including vinyl groups. Thus, the ultrasonic transmission and reception sensitivity is improved and the degradation in frequency characteristics is diminished. Consequently, higher resolution of an ultrasonic image and higher sensitivity can be achieved.

Ultrasonic probe and method of manufacturing the same

A blood vessel puncturing device includes an ultrasound sensor which is brought into close contact with a subject body via an ultrasound propagation medium in the form of gel. The ultrasound sensor transmits and receives an ultrasound wave. The device further includes a processor which processes a signal derived from the ultrasound wave received at the ultrasound sensor so as to display an image of the subject body including a superficial blood vessel. While watching the displayed image, an operator sticks a puncturing needle at an angle of not greater than 30 degrees relative to the subject body along an ultrasound scanning surface of the ultrasound sensor and inserts the tip of the puncturing needle into the blood vessel. It may be arranged that a change in blood flow in the blood vessel is detected based on a Doppler signal or a change in luminance at a designated region on the displayed image is detected, and the detected change is notified in the form of an audible sound so that the operator confirms insertion of the puncturing needle into the blood vessel.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Koetsu Saito