WO2015029637A1

WO2015029637A1 - Ultrasonograph

Info

Publication number: WO2015029637A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/069089
Authority: WO
Inventors: 田中　宏樹
Original assignee: 株式会社日立製作所
Priority date: 2013-09-02
Filing date: 2014-07-17
Publication date: 2015-03-05
Also published as: JP2016202190A

Abstract

In order to efficiently transfer the heat generated inside of an ultrasound probe to the outer surface of the probe and to dissipate said heat, an airflow generator is arranged outside or inside the ultrasound probe so as to allow heat to move efficiently from the heat source inside of the sealed-structure ultrasound probe to the surface of the ultrasound probe.

Description

Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic probe and an apparatus main body.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is composed of an ultrasonic probe (probe) and an apparatus main body, and images an internal structure of a living body or the like using ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic probe incorporates an ultrasonic transducer (electroacoustic transducer), and transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal to the subject. As the ultrasonic vibrator, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic type, a single crystal type, a piezoelectric polymer type, or a capacitance type transducer is used. These devices generate ultrasonic waves by applying a voltage, and transmit the ultrasonic waves to the outside. These devices also generate electrical signals when they receive sound waves.

An acoustic matching layer for efficiently transmitting acoustic energy to the front surface may be provided on the front surface side (radiation surface side) of the ultrasonic transducer. In addition, a lens material for concentrating acoustic energy in a certain region may be installed on the front side (radiation surface side) of the ultrasonic transducer. In addition, a back material (backing material) for preventing unnecessary acoustic reflection may be installed on the back side of the ultrasonic transducer.

An ultrasonic probe is usually arrayed with transducers divided into innumerable channels. At the time of imaging, an appropriate delay time is given to the transmission / reception signal of each channel, and an ultrasonic beam focused on a certain point is created. FIG. 1 shows transmission beam forming in an ultrasonic probe. FIG. 1 shows a state in which input signals having different delay times are applied to each channel of the one-dimensional array probe during transmission. The ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 1. A delay circuit in the ultrasonic probe or in the main body apparatus gives a different delay time 3 to each channel of the ultrasonic transducer 1 to form an ultrasonic beam focused on the focus point 2.

FIG. 2 shows reception beam forming in the ultrasonic probe. FIG. 2 shows a state where echo signals are received in each channel of the one-dimensional array probe. The ultrasonic probe includes an adder circuit 4 connected to a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 1. At the time of reception, the reception time of the echo signal received by each channel of the ultrasonic transducer 1 varies depending on the distance from the focus point 2. A delay circuit in the ultrasonic probe or in the main body apparatus applies a delay time 3 corresponding to the propagation time difference to the reception signals of the respective channels to align the phases. The addition signals 4 in the ultrasonic probe or the main unit add the respective signals having the same phase, so that the reception signal is extracted as a signal focused on one point. A circuit that performs such processing is called a phasing circuit or a beam former. This circuit is called a phasing addition circuit when the addition processing is included.

The ultrasonic probe moves the focus point by changing the above delay time, and acquires the signal of the entire imaging region. The obtained signal is displayed as an image on the display of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus through weighting processing, detection processing, filtering processing, and the like. In the ultrasonic probe, a matrix array in which channels are two-dimensionally arranged as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has been put into practical use. In the matrix array, the number of channels to be handled by the ultrasonic probe may increase to the order of several thousand channels. Therefore, the number of channels of the main body beam former is overwhelmingly insufficient with respect to the number of channels of the probe.

Therefore, it is considered to combine a plurality of channels in the ultrasonic probe into one and form a subarray (Patent Document 1). By subarraying, the number of signal lines connected to the main body beamformer (main beamformer) at the time of reception can be reduced. This method is called channel reduction. In this method, apart from the main delay time in the main beamformer, a minute delay time is added to each channel in the preceding circuit, and then a plurality of channel signals are added. Circuits that implement this technique are called “micro delay adder circuits” and “micro beam formers”. In addition, this method is called a “sub-beamformer” in the sense that the main circuit is called a main beamformer.

On the other hand, in the transmission circuit of this method, a voltage generation circuit that generates a voltage to be applied to the vibrator may be provided inside the probe. Further, by distributing the voltage signal from one transmission line to a plurality of channels of the ultrasonic transducer, it becomes possible to handle more channels with a limited number of main body channels. Such a circuit is called a “micro delay distribution circuit” or the like.

These transmission / reception sub-beamformer circuits can handle more probe channels even if the main unit has a limited number of channels. Also, like a two-dimensional matrix array, the number of channels of 1000 or more can be handled, and three-dimensional volume imaging becomes possible.

More recently, wireless probes that separate the probe and the main body and exchange information between the probe and the main body wirelessly are being put into practical use. In order for the wireless probe to communicate with the main body, it is necessary to mount an electronic circuit inside the probe. As described above, an ultrasonic probe is often equipped with some electronic circuit. A circuit such as a low-noise amplifier may be mounted for the purpose of sensitivity amplification or the like, not limited to a matrix array or a wireless probe. In addition, the waveform, frequency, repetition period, and the like of the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic probe vary depending on the measurement purpose, and various transmitted sound waves are generated.

JP 2005-270423 A JP 2011-4874 A JP-A-9-140706 Registered Utility Model No. 3061292

When the electronic circuit is built in the ultrasonic probe, the heat generated by the electronic circuit becomes a problem. As more signals are processed and more functions are installed, that is, as the circuit scale increases, the power consumption of the circuit increases, and as a result, more heat is generated. Even a probe not equipped with an electronic circuit may require a lot of ultrasonic energy irradiation for blood flow velocity measurement. At this time, heat is generated by absorption of acoustic energy in an acoustic lens or the like bonded to the inside of the vibrator or the probe surface.

Especially for medical ultrasonic probes, it is necessary to ensure safety because the inspector holds the probe body in hand and the front surface (surface) is in direct contact with the inspected person. For this reason, in medical ultrasonic probes, various standards such as the upper limit of temperature and the rate of increase are legally defined. In order to realize the desired circuit performance and desired measurement, a device for reducing the power consumption of the circuit, or a heat dissipation technique or a cooling technique for releasing generated heat to the outside of the probe is required.

In Patent Document 2, a structure is used in which a refrigerant is circulated between a device main body and a probe using a pump, heat generated by the probe is transported to the main device side, and heat is radiated by a cooling fan installed in the main device. adopt. However, in such a configuration, in addition to the complexity of the mechanism, there are also disadvantages and risks such as an increase in weight due to the use of liquid as the refrigerant, an increase in cable diameter due to the built-in circulation tube, and liquid leakage. In addition, since it is premised on heat transport to the main unit, it cannot be applied to a wireless probe.

In Patent Document 3, a heat pipe is used to efficiently transport the heat generated in the probe to the cable side. Specifically, a structure is adopted in which a heat pipe is wound around a heat source and the other end of the heat pipe is impregnated with a mold resin at a cable connection point. Thereby, the heat generated by the heat source is transported to the vicinity of the cable connection point and radiated. However, the mold resin has a low heat transfer rate, and sufficient heat dissipation performance cannot be obtained. Also, in order to release heat from the probe surface, it is desirable to spread the heat over a wider area and equalize the temperature, but in the case where the heat source is not covered with a heat pipe, it is interposed between the heat source and the heat pipe. Since an object enters, the heat transfer efficiency deteriorates.

Also, liquids such as water and chemicals may be applied to the ultrasonic probe for the purpose of disinfection. In addition, a jelly for efficiently transmitting sound to a living body may be applied to the ultrasonic probe. In order to operate the probe electrically without malfunction under such use conditions, the probe usually has a sealed structure. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a structure in which heat is released to the outside using a fan or a fluid as an open system with a hole in the housing.

In Patent Document 4, the air flow is created inside the probe and the heat dissipation capacity is increased by the convection effect. However, since the probe has a hole, the inside of the probe is opened to the outside. ing. For this reason, it cannot be applied to a sealed probe.

An object of the present invention is to efficiently transport heat generated inside an ultrasonic probe to the outer surface of the probe to dissipate heat.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an outside of an ultrasonic probe so that heat can be efficiently transferred from a heat source inside the ultrasonic probe having a sealed structure to the surface of the ultrasonic probe. Or an airflow generator is arranged inside.

According to the present invention, the convection effect on the surface of the ultrasonic probe is enhanced, and the heat dissipation and cooling performance of the ultrasonic probe is improved. In the conventional method, it is possible to improve the performance of a circuit mounted inside the probe, which is limited due to heat generated inside the probe, and to increase the transmission energy of ultrasonic waves. Thereby, improvement of ultrasonic image performance, improvement of accuracy of various measurement values, and longer operation time are realized. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the description of the following examples.

The figure explaining the transmission beam forming in an ultrasonic probe. The figure explaining the receiving beam forming in an ultrasonic probe. The figure which shows a 1.5D array. The figure which shows 2D array. The figure explaining the functional structure of an ultrasound diagnosing device. The figure explaining the functional structure of a subarray circuit. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an ultrasound probe according to the first embodiment (a perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure explaining the airflow generator installed in the exterior of a probe, and its peripheral structure (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure explaining the air flow generator installed in the exterior of a probe and its peripheral structure (sectional view seen from the back side). The figure which arrange | positioned four airflow generators around a probe (sectional drawing seen from the back side). The figure explaining the structure which attached the hood to the exhaust direction of an airflow generator (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure which shows the structure which has arrange | positioned both the inlet port and discharge port of an airflow generator on the back side of a probe (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure explaining the structure which forms the flow path of the air by an airflow generator cyclically | annularly with respect to a probe case (sectional drawing seen from the back side). The figure which shows the flow path formed in the outer surface of a probe case by an airflow generator (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure which shows the flow path formed in the outer surface of a probe case by an airflow generator (sectional drawing seen from the side surface). The figure which shows the flow path formed in the outer surface of a probe case by an airflow generator (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure which shows the flow path formed in the outer surface of a probe case by an airflow generator (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure which shows the structure which provides a duct inside a probe and circulates an airflow (perspective view seen from the upper surface side). The figure which shows the structure which provides a duct inside a probe and circulates an airflow (sectional drawing seen from the back side). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a structure of an ultrasonic probe according to a second embodiment (a perspective view seen from the upper surface side). FIG. 6 is a diagram (a perspective view seen from the upper surface side) showing a structure in which a thermal conversion element is installed inside an ultrasonic probe according to a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show specific embodiments in accordance with the principle of the present invention, but these are only drawings prepared for understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Should not be used.

[Example 1]
First, the apparatus configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the signal flow until imaging will be described. FIG. 5 shows an apparatus configuration of a typical ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which includes an ultrasonic probe and an apparatus main body. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 100, a transmission / reception changeover switch 40, a transmission system and reception system circuit 400 (transmission amplifier 43, reception amplifier 44, DC power supply 45), a voltage limiter 41, and a power supply 42. A D / A converter (Digital to Analog) 46, an A / D (Analog to Digital) converter 47, a transmission beam former 48, a reception beam former 49, a control unit 50, a signal processing unit 51, and a scan converter. 52, a display unit 53, and a user interface 54.

As will be described later, the DC power supply 45 does not necessarily have to be provided when an ultrasonic probe that does not require a DC voltage is connected. Note that whether each part shown in FIG. 5 is mounted on the ultrasonic probe or the apparatus main body differs depending on the product.

The ultrasonic probe 100 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the ultrasonic transducer 1 having a plurality of channels shown in FIGS. Individual channels of the ultrasonic probe 100 are switched to a transmission system circuit and a reception system circuit via a transmission / reception changeover switch 40. The ultrasonic probe 100 operates as an array for forming an ultrasonic beam by a transmission amplifier 43 and a reception amplifier 44 driven by a power source 42, and is used for transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves.

If the ultrasonic probe 100 requires a bias power source such as a CMUT (Capacitive Micro-machined Ultrasonic Transducer), the ultrasonic probe 100 is connected to the DC power source 45.

The plurality of channels of the ultrasonic probe 100 are connected to the transmission beam former 48 and the reception beam former 49 of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus. The transmission / reception signal is controlled by the control unit 50 in accordance with an operation by the user interface 54. When transmitting a signal, the transmission signal is controlled by the control unit 50, and the waveform, amplitude, and delay time are set for each channel. Further, the control unit 50 may perform control to weight the amplitude.

The transmission signal is transmitted to the ultrasonic probe 100 via the transmission beam former 48, the D / A converter 46, and the transmission amplifier 43. Here, the voltage whose waveform is formed by the control of the control unit 50 is input to the transmission amplifier 43, and the voltage is amplified by the transmission amplifier 43 and output. As a result, a plurality of independent drive voltage signals for generating ultrasonic waves are input to the plurality of channels of the ultrasonic probe 100. The voltage limiter 41 is provided so as not to apply an excessive voltage to the ultrasonic probe 100 or for the purpose of transmission waveform control.

When the ultrasonic probe 100 receives an ultrasonic signal, the received signals in a plurality of channels are subjected to phasing (delay) addition processing. The reception signal is transmitted to the signal processing unit (image processing unit) 51 after passing through the reception amplifier 44, the A / D converter 47, and the reception beam former 49. The signal processing unit 51 executes processing according to functions such as B-mode tomographic image processing, blood flow color mode, or Doppler, and converts the received signal into a video signal. Thereafter, the video signal is transmitted to the display unit 53 via the scan converter 52, and an image and a numerical value are displayed on the display unit 53. The reception amplifier 44 is configured by an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), a variable gain amplifier, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, when a circuit is mounted inside the probe, some of the components described above are mounted. Alternatively, a sub-array receiving circuit and a sub-array transmitting circuit for reducing signals inside the probe are mounted. In FIG. 6, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 1 are combined to form a subarray 5. The ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic transducer 1 is separated into a transmission signal and a reception signal by the transmission / reception separating circuit 7. In the case of reception, the signal passes through an LNA (or buffer amplifier) 8 and passes through a variable gain amplifier (VGA: Variable Gain Amplifier) 9. Thereafter, signals from a plurality of elements are added by the adding circuit 11 via the minute delay line 10. The signal is amplified by the buffer amplifier 12 as needed and sent to the main beam former of the main unit. The LNA 8 and the variable gain amplifier 9 may be mounted as necessary and are not necessarily essential.

In the case of transmission, an electrical signal generated by a transmission amplifier or a pulsar is distributed to a plurality of signals by a distribution circuit 15, and each delay is given by a micro delay circuit 14, and then ultrasonic vibration is transmitted via a transmission / reception separation circuit 7. Applied to the child 1. These configurations are examples of the probe circuit, and similar circuit configurations exist. In this patent, the difference in circuit configuration is not particularly problematic.

FIG. 7 shows a structural example of the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the present embodiment. The left side of the figure is the acoustic emission and reception surface. In the following description, the left side of the figure is also referred to as the front surface or the front surface side of the ultrasound probe 100. In the housing of the ultrasonic probe 100, in order from the left side of the figure, an acoustic lens 20, an acoustic matching layer 21, an ultrasonic transducer 22, an interposer 23, an in-probe circuit (integrated circuit IC) 24, A back material (backing material) 25 is disposed. These structures are merely examples, and the interposer 23 may not be used, or the probe-mounted circuit 24 may exist at a different position. In the case of FIG. 7, heat sources such as the ultrasonic transducer 22 and the probe-mounted circuit 24 are arranged on the front side of the ultrasonic probe 100.

The entire ultrasonic probe 100 is covered with a cylindrical probe case 26. The probe case 26 here corresponds to the housing of the ultrasonic probe 100 described above. A heat conductive material 27 is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the probe case 26. The heat conducting material 27 is arranged to transmit heat generated by the heat source to the entire casing and the rear side of the ultrasonic probe with high efficiency. It is desirable that the heat conducting material 27 has a contact area as large as possible with the probe case 26 from the viewpoint of heat dissipation to the outside of the probe. The probe case 26 seals the entire probe together with the probe cable boot 35 described later. In the case of a wireless probe, the entire probe is sealed only by the probe case 26.

An opening is formed in the rear surface (rear surface) of the ultrasonic probe 100, and one end of the signal line cable 36 is connected to various electric and electronic devices inside the probe through the opening. In the case of a wireless probe, a wireless communication device (interface) in the probe case 26 and various electric / electronic devices in the probe are connected. The probe cable boot 35 is in close contact with the outer surface of the cable 36 and the rear opening of the probe case 26 to seal the inside of the probe. Further, the probe case 26 and the probe cable boot 35 are in close contact with each other to form a sealed structure. Thereby, the penetration | invasion of the liquid and gas from the outside to the inside of a probe is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a heat source such as the ultrasonic transducer 22 or the probe internal circuit 24 is present on the relatively front side (biological contact surface side) of the probe, the temperature rise on the biological side is increased. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to efficiently transport the heat generated in the heat source to the rear (back) side. For this reason, a high-efficiency heat transport material 28 such as metal, carbon graphite, or heat pipe is also arranged inside the probe. As shown in FIG. 7, the high-efficiency heat transport material 28 is desirably connected from the rear material (backing material) 25 on the front side to the heat sink 31 on the rear side. Generally, when a circuit is mounted inside a probe, various electric / electronic devices (elements) 30 may be installed on the electric / electronic board 29. In addition, since the electric / electronic board 29 includes metal wiring, it has a relatively high thermal conductivity. That is, the electrical / electronic board 29 also has an effect of transporting or diffusing heat from a heat source to the surroundings.

In the conventional probe, after the heat conducted to the heat conducting material or the heat sink 31 is transported to the outside of the probe, it is dissipated by natural convection and radiation with the outside air. In this embodiment, an air flow generator 34 composed of a fan, a blower or the like is installed on the outer surface of the probe. The thick lines in the figure indicate the outer surfaces of the probe case 26 and the probe cable boot 35. A cylindrical guide cover 32 is installed outside the airflow generator 34. Since the guide cover 32 has openings before and after the probe, the outside air flows from the front side to the rear side along the surface of the probe case 26 as indicated by arrows in FIG. Normally, the outside air is lower than the temperature due to the heat generated by the probe. For this reason, the convection effect is enhanced by the flow of air by the airflow generator 34 on the probe surface, and the heat dissipation performance to the outside air is improved.

Note that the temperature of the heat sink may become very high depending on the amount of heat energy of the heat source and the heat transfer and heat transport capability inside the probe. In such a case, the guide cover 32 is installed so as to cover the entire outside of the heat sink 31 so that the user does not directly touch the high temperature part. Further, by changing the airflow direction from the front side to the back side (cable side) as shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to prevent the heated air from directly hitting the subject and the examiner and causing discomfort. The guide cover 32 is provided on the cable side so as not to interfere with the region where the inspector holds the probe. In this embodiment, since it is not necessary to transport heat to the main unit, it can be applied to a wireless probe or the like.

It is desirable that one or a plurality of fins 33 is provided inside the guide cover 32 and the contact area with the air is increased to radiate heat more efficiently than when the fins 33 are not provided. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the guide cover 32 and the airflow generator 34 of FIG. 7 as seen from the upper side of FIG. 8B is a perspective view seen from the back side of FIG. 7 (right side of FIG. 7). In this example, one airflow generator 34 is arranged on each of the upper and lower sides of the probe.

In the example of FIGS. 7 and 8B, two air flow generators 34 are arranged on the probe. However, the number of air flow generators 34 may be selected according to the heat radiation performance, and the number of air flow generators 34 may be any number. But you can. Further, the position where the airflow generator 34 is installed is not limited to the position shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to install in the area | region which is the exterior of the probe sealed with the probe case 26, and does not produce the inconvenience in use, and it does not specifically limit. FIG. 9 shows an example in which four air flow generators 34 are arranged on the outer surface of the probe.

In the example of FIG. 7, the guide cover 32 that covers the region of the airflow generator 34 and the heat sink 31 does not cover the probe cable boot 35, but as shown in FIG. The hood 37 that extends the opening of the guide cover 32 to the area 35 or the cable 36 may be extended. As a result, higher rectification performance, reduction of airflow blown to the examiner or subject, and improvement of heat dissipation performance due to air convection near the boot portion and the cable surface can be achieved.

FIG. 11 shows a configuration in which both the airflow inlet and exhaust ports formed in the guide cover 32 are installed on the cable side (rear side). In this case, the front side of the guide cover 32 is closed. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a path through which air flows is formed inside the guide cover 32. By adopting the structure as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to prevent the airflow created by the intake air from hitting the examiner or the subject. Although an example is shown in FIG. 11, the structure of the guide cover 32 and the position and number of the airflow generators 34 can be arbitrarily changed based on the same concept.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which the airflow path is changed. In the case of FIG. 11, the air taken in from the rear surface side turns forward after flowing forward along the side surface of the probe, and flows out from the rear surface side. In the case of FIG. 12, the guide cover 32 is installed so that the air taken in from the vertical direction with respect to the side surface of the probe goes around along the cylindrical side surface and flows out in the vertical direction again with respect to the side surface. The With this configuration, the airflow flows along the entire side surface area in contact with the heat sink 31, and heat can be radiated more efficiently. In FIG. 12, two fans or blowers are installed, but the number and position may be changed according to the application and heat dissipation performance.

13 and 14 show a structure in which the rear intake / rear exhaust structure shown in FIG. 11 is extended to the front side of the probe. FIG. 13 shows a structure as seen from a certain surface of the probe surface. FIG. 14 shows a structure in which the same configuration is arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the probe. FIG. 13 is an example in which the front end portion of the structure shown in FIG. 11 (the guide cover 32 having both the intake port and the exhaust port on the rear side) is extended to the front of the probe. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the front end portion of the structure shown in FIG. 7 (the guide cover 32 having the intake port on the front side and the exhaust port on the rear side) is extended to the front of the probe.

By adopting the structure of FIG. 13 or FIG. 14, it is possible to increase the area where airflow convects along the surface of the probe case 26. For this reason, the heat dissipation performance is improved. In addition, this structure means that the guide cover 32 is installed up to an area held by the inspector by hand. Thus, by making the probe case 26 and the guide cover 32 have a double structure, it is possible to prevent the entire structure from being changed. Thus, the inspector can hold the probe as in the conventional case.

FIG. 15 is an example in which the intake port is provided on the front side or the side surface when the guide cover 32 covers most of the side surface of the probe case 26 as shown in FIG. In this case, the air flow is one-way from the front surface to the rear surface. If the intake port is installed so as to exclude the region held by the examiner, the same effect as in FIG. 14 can be obtained. An infinite number of intake ports may be provided instead of one.

FIG. 16 shows an example in which the region of the heat sink 31 to be cooled by the airflow is changed. In FIG. 7, an airflow flowing along the side surface from the front surface to the rear surface of the probe is generated, but in the example of FIG. 16, the inside of the probe is sealed by the partition wall 60. The partition wall 60 is disposed in contact with the heat sink 31. The air flow generator 34 is disposed on the surface of the partition wall 60. The airflow generator 34 sucks air from the intake port 70 provided on one side surface of the probe and flows it along the surface of the partition wall 60, and then from the exhaust port provided on the side surface opposite to the intake port 70. Drain behind the probe. In this case, the air can efficiently remove heat from the partition wall 60 in contact with the heat sink 31. The number and position of the air flow path and the intake port are arbitrary.

17 and 18 show a case where a path through which airflow passes is provided inside the probe. In this example, a U-shaped duct 80 for flowing air sucked from the air inlet 70 of the guide cover 32 is inserted into the probe. In the case of this structure, the air flowing in from the intake port 82 of the duct 80 is discharged by the airflow generator 34 from the exhaust port 81 on the opposite side of the duct 80. In addition, there is no hole around the duct 80, and the hermeticity inside the probe is maintained. Further, from the viewpoint of heat dissipation efficiency, the duct 80 is desirably installed so as to be in contact with the heat source. In the case of this configuration, the duct 80 is disposed at a position closer to the heat source than in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the internal heat can be taken away more effectively. The airflow generator 34 may be directly attached to the exhaust port 81, or may be installed inside the duct 80 if a sufficient space can be secured.

[Example 2]
FIG. 19 illustrates a configuration example of the ultrasonic transducer according to the second embodiment. In Example 1 described above, the air flow generator 34 is installed outside the sealed probe. In the second embodiment, the airflow generator 34 is arranged inside a sealed probe. In many cases, the heat source is an electric / electronic circuit mounted in the ultrasonic transducer 22 and the probe. Such a heat source exists locally. In the first embodiment, measures are taken to efficiently transfer heat to the probe case 26 using the high-efficiency heat transport material 28. However, there is a limit to the heat transfer coefficient of materials. In addition, due to practical restrictions, the size of the probe is limited to a certain size, so there is a limit to the area that can be used for heat propagation. In this case, the heat dissipation capability is determined from the limit of the heat conduction performance.

In this embodiment, in order to overcome this problem, the air flow generator 34 is installed inside the probe, and two rectifying plates 38 are installed to form an air circulation path. The airflow generator 34 is disposed between the two rectifying plates 38. As a result, air flows between the two rectifying plates 38 from the front side to the rear side, and then from the rear to the front along the side surface of the probe through the gap formed at the rear end of the rectifying plate 38. Flowing. In addition, the air sent forward flows through the inside of the probe again through the gap formed at the front end portion of the current plate 38. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, a circulating air current can be generated inside the probe.

If the structure of this embodiment is adopted, the heat from the position close to the heat source is taken away by the convection effect of the air, and the circulated heat is used to convection with the entire case where the temperature is relatively low. The inside of the transducer can be soaked with high efficiency. By soaking, it becomes possible to suppress a local temperature rise and to obtain a heat dissipation effect over a wider area.

FIG. 20 shows an example in which a heat conversion device 39 such as a Peltier element is installed on the back surface side (rear surface side) of the back material 25 serving as a heat sink. Since the heat conversion device 39 is arranged on the surface (boundary surface) in contact with the air circulation path, the heat of the heat source can be more efficiently distributed to the entire probe as compared with FIG.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above, and includes various modifications. For example, it can be applied to a wireless ultrasonic probe. Moreover, in order to explain this invention in an easy-to-understand manner, the above-described embodiments are described in detail for some of the embodiments, and it is not always necessary to have all the configurations described. Further, a part of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of a certain embodiment. It is also possible to add other configurations to the configuration of each embodiment, replace a partial configuration of each embodiment with another configuration, or delete a partial configuration of each embodiment.

1 Ultrasonic transducers
2 Focus point
3 Delay time 4 Adder circuit 5 Subarray 6 Probe channel 7 Transmission / reception separation circuit (or protection circuit)
8 LNA (Low Noise Amplifier)
9 VGA (Variable Gain Amplifier)
10 Micro delay circuit (for reception)
11 Adder circuit 12 Buffer amplifier 13 Subarray receiver circuit (Reception subbeamformer)
14 Micro delay circuit (for transmission)
15 Distribution circuit 16 Subarray transmission circuit (Transmission sub-beamformer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Acoustic lens 21 Acoustic matching layer 22 Ultrasonic transducer 23 Interposer 24 Circuit mounted in a probe (IC)
25 Back material (backing material)
26 Probe Case 27 Thermal Conductive Material 28 High Efficiency Heat Transport Material 29 Electrical / Electronic Board 30 Electrical / Electronic Device (Element)
31 Heat sink 32 Guide cover 33 Heat sink (fin)
34 Airflow generator 35 Probe cable boot 36 Cable 37 Hood 38 Rectifier plate 39 Thermal conversion device 40 Transmission / reception switch 41 Voltage limiter 42 Power supply 43 Transmission amplifier 44 Reception amplifier 45 DC power supply 46 D / A (digital to Analog) converter 47 A / D (Analog to Digital) converter 48 Transmission beamformer 49 Reception beamformer 50 Control unit 51 Signal processing unit 52 Scan converter 53 Display unit 54 User interface 400 Transmission system and reception system circuit 60 Bulkhead 70 Inlet port 80 Duct 81 Exhaust port 82 Inlet

Claims

An ultrasonic transducer capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a case that seals the entire device including the ultrasonic transducer, a heat transport unit that transmits heat generated inside the probe to the surface of the case, and An ultrasonic probe having an air flow generator installed outside the case, and a cover installed outside the case and providing a path of air to the air flow generator;
An interface for wired or wireless communication with the ultrasonic probe, a signal processing unit that acquires a signal of an imaging region from the ultrasonic probe and performs image processing, and a display unit that displays an image after the signal processing An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the apparatus main body.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the cover covers a heat sink region of the case.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the cover is installed so as to cover at least a part of a cable boot and / or a cable connected to a probe.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover is installed so as to cover an area range held by a probe user by hand.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an intake port of the path on an ultrasonic transmission / reception surface side; and an exhaust port of the path on an opposite side to the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface side.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein both the intake port and the exhaust port of the path are formed on the side opposite to the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface side.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6,
The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, wherein the path is formed in an annular shape with respect to the case.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the path is formed in a U shape with respect to an axial direction of the case.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the path is connected to an intake port and an exhaust port of an air path having a sealed structure formed inside the case.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the path is formed in a U shape with respect to an axial direction of the case.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the heat transporting part is made of a heat conductive material and transmits heat generated inside the probe to a heat sink region.
An ultrasonic transducer capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a case that seals the entire device including the ultrasonic transducer, a heat transport unit that transmits heat generated inside the probe to the surface of the case, and An ultrasonic probe having an airflow generator installed inside the case, and a rectifying plate installed inside the case and forming an internal circulation path including the airflow generator in an air path;
An interface for wired or wireless communication with the ultrasonic probe, a signal processing unit that acquires a signal of an imaging region from the ultrasonic probe and performs image processing, and a display unit that displays an image after the signal processing An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the apparatus main body.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising a heat exchange device at a boundary surface between the heat sink portion in the case and the internal circulation path.