JP2001224590A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily electrically connect a shield film provided on the inside of a case to the shield part of the signal cable of an ultrasonic probe without thermally damaging the case of the ultrasonic prove or the coaxial cable of the signal cable. SOLUTION: This ultrasonic probe comprises the shield part 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe, the shield film 2 provided on the inside of the case 1 of the ultrasonic probe, and a conductor 3 electrically connected to the shield part 5 and the shield film 2 and molded together with the case 1. Such a structure has the effect of easily electrically connecting the shield film 2 provided on the inside of the case 1 to the conductor 3 without thermally damaging the case 1. The structure further has the effect of easily electrically connecting the conductor 3 to the shield part 5 without thermally damaging the coaxial cable 6 of the signal cable 4. Accordingly, the conductor 3 can be easily connected to the shield film 2 and the shield part 5, respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and in particular, an electromagnetic wave does not enter a case of an ultrasonic probe from a surrounding environment using the ultrasonic probe. To prevent the electromagnetic waves from being emitted from the inside of the case to the external surrounding environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional ultrasonic probe, a shield coating is provided inside a case of the ultrasonic probe,
It reflects electromagnetic waves from the outside and also prevents the emission of electromagnetic waves to the outside. As an example of such an ultrasonic probe,
There is one disclosed in JP-A-6-105844.

FIG. 12 shows a conventional ultrasonic probe. Figure
In 12, the shield coating 2 is provided inside the case 1 of the ultrasonic probe. The shield coating 2 includes the coaxial cable 6 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic vibrator 12 forming the shield unit 5 and the acoustic element unit 7,
It surrounds the backing material 13 and the acoustic matching layer 14. This reflects electromagnetic waves from the outside, thereby preventing the electromagnetic waves from entering the coaxial cable 6 and the acoustic element unit 7. In addition, emission of electromagnetic waves from the coaxial cable 6 and the acoustic element unit 7 to the outside is also prevented.

[0004]

However, in the above conventional ultrasonic probe, the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe is used.
The shield part 5 of the ultrasonic probe and the shield coating 2 inside the case 1 of the ultrasonic probe are soldered via a lead wire or the like and bonded using a conductive paste or the like, so that it takes time to perform the operation. Was. Further, several tens to several hundreds of thin coaxial cables 6 are bundled inside the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4, and soldering the shield portion 5 may cause thermal damage to the coaxial cable 6. Accordingly, there is a danger that the coaxial cable 6 will be disconnected. Further, the case 1 of the ultrasonic probe is generally weak to heat such as plastic, and the lead wire 11 and the shield coating 2 inside the case 1 of the ultrasonic probe are electrically connected by solder. At the time of connection, there is a risk of causing thermal damage such as melting or deforming the case 1.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and does not thermally damage the ultrasonic probe case 1 or the coaxial cable 6 of the signal cable 4 and can easily perform the ultrasonic probe. The object is to electrically connect the shield coating 2 inside the case 1 of the probe and the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic probe of the present invention has the following configuration.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a shield portion of a signal cable of the ultrasonic probe; a shield coating provided inside a case of the ultrasonic probe; It is configured to have a conductor that is in electrical contact with the shield film and is molded together with the case.

[0008] With this configuration, there is an operation of simply electrically connecting the shield coating provided inside the case and the conductor without thermally damaging the case. Further, it has an effect of easily electrically connecting the conductor and the shield portion without thermally damaging the coaxial cable of the signal cable. Therefore, the shield coating and the conductor, and the conductor and the shield portion can be easily electrically connected. Further, by connecting the shield part of the signal cable to the ground of the entire system (not shown), it is possible to shield electromagnetic waves from the outside and to prevent radiation of electromagnetic waves from the coaxial cable and the acoustic element part.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe comprising: a shield portion of a signal cable of the ultrasonic probe; a shield coating provided inside a case of the ultrasonic probe; A configuration is provided that includes a conductor that is in electrical contact with the shield film and a concave portion that fixes the conductor inside the case.

With this configuration, even when the case is not molded together with the conductor, the conductor is fixed to the recess provided with the shield coating, so that the shield coating and the conductor, and the conductor and the shield portion can be easily formed. Can be electrically contacted. Furthermore, when the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe is pulled, it prevents the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe from coming out of the case and prevents the coaxial cable from being subjected to excessive force and damaging the coaxial cable. Have.

The ultrasonic probe according to the third aspect is the second aspect of the invention.
The ultrasonic probe described above has a configuration in which a shield portion of a signal cable of the ultrasonic probe and a clamp made of a conductive material sandwiching the shield portion are provided.

With this structure, the shield film and the shield portion can be easily electrically connected without thermally damaging not only the case but also the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a shield portion of a signal cable of the ultrasonic probe; a clamp made of a conductive material sandwiching the shield portion; , A conductor electrically connected to the clamp and the shield film, and a recess for accommodating the clamp and the conductor inside a case.

With this configuration, the case and the shield portion can be easily electrically connected without thermally damaging the case and the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe. Furthermore, when the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe is pulled, it prevents the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe from coming out of the case and prevents the coaxial cable from being subjected to excessive force and damaging the coaxial cable. Have.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a shield portion for a signal cable of the ultrasonic probe; and a convex portion provided inside a case of the ultrasonic probe for holding the shield portion. And a shield film provided on the inside of the case and on the convex portion, and the shield portion and the shield film are in electrical contact.

According to this configuration, the case and the shield portion can be easily electrically connected without thermally damaging the case and the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show an ultrasonic probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The acoustic element section 7 comprises an ultrasonic transducer 12, a backing material 13, an acoustic matching layer 14, and an acoustic lens 15.

The ultrasonic vibrator 12 has a function of generating an ultrasonic wave based on the applied electric signal, and conversely, converting the received ultrasonic wave into an electric signal. Examples of the material of the ultrasonic vibrator 12 include a single crystal, a piezoelectric ceramic, a polymer, and a composite. In the embodiment of the present invention,
Although a disk-shaped single transducer has been described as an example, an ultrasonic probe in which ceramics are formed in a strip shape and arranged in a linear type, a convex type, or the like may be used.

The backing material 13 is provided on the back surface of the ultrasonic vibrator 12 and has a function of suppressing unnecessary vibrations propagating to the back surface and efficiently transmitting ultrasonic waves to the front surface.

The acoustic matching layer 14 is provided on the front surface of the ultrasonic vibrator 12, suppresses energy loss due to impedance mismatch between the ultrasonic vibrator 12 and the acoustic lens 15, and has a function of efficiently transmitting ultrasonic waves to the front surface. Have. As a material of the acoustic matching layer 14, an epoxy resin or the like is used, but a conductive material such as graphite may be used.
By electrically connecting the acoustic matching layer 14 made of a conductive material to the shield coating 2 provided inside the case 1, it is possible to prevent electromagnetic waves from entering the inside of the ultrasonic probe from the front. On the contrary, it has the function of preventing electromagnetic waves from being emitted from the inside of the case 1 to the outside.

The acoustic lens 15 is provided on the front surface of the acoustic matching layer 14 and has a convex or concave shape. This has the function of converging the ultrasonic waves. Acoustic lens 15
Is directly in contact with the living body, the acoustic impedance is close to the acoustic impedance of the living body, and silicon with low attenuation is used. By providing the shield coating 2 between the acoustic lens 15 and the acoustic matching layer 14 and electrically connecting the shield coating 2 provided on the inside of the case 1, electromagnetic waves can be transmitted from the front to the inside of the ultrasonic probe. It has an effect of preventing intrusion into the case, and conversely, preventing electromagnetic waves from being emitted from the inside of the case to the outside.

The coaxial cable 6 sends an electric signal to be applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 12 and conversely sends an electric signal converted from ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic vibrator 12 to a main system (not shown). Having. Each of the coaxial cables 6 is a thin coaxial cable 6, and several tens to several hundreds are bundled to form a signal cable for an ultrasonic probe.
Make up 4.

The case 1 of the ultrasonic probe has a function of protecting the coaxial cable 6 and the acoustic element section 7 from external impact. The case 1 is made of a material such as plastic having an insulating property so as to come into contact with a subject such as a living body.

The shield coating 2 is provided inside the case 1. The shield coating 2 is made of plating, conductive paint,
It is a shield coating formed by vacuum deposition or a conductive composite sheet. In addition, as a suitable material of the shield coating 2, copper, aluminum, chromium, titanium,
Metals such as gold and silver are preferred.

The conductor 3 is a ring-shaped conductor 3 having a curved surface that comes into contact with the curved surface of the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4 as shown in FIGS. The case 1 is molded together with the ring-shaped conductor 3. By providing the shield film 2 inside the conductor 3 and the case 1,
The conductor 3 is electrically connected to the shield coating 2 without using solder or a conductive adhesive. Note that, instead of the conductor 3 on the ring, the conductor 3 may be a conductor having a curved surface in contact with the curved surface of the shield portion 5 as shown in FIGS. In this case, the curved surface that is in contact with the curved surface of the shield part 5 may be in contact with the entire surface or may be in partial contact. The material of the conductor 3 is a conductor using metal, conductive plastic, or the like.

The shield part 5 is electrically connected by being sandwiched between the conductors 2. Shield coating 2
By bringing the conductor 3 and the conductor 3 into contact with the shield 5, the shield coating 2 and the shield 5 can be easily electrically connected.

With this configuration, the case 1 is connected to the shield 5
Is molded together with the conductor 3 having a curved surface that is in contact with the curved surface of the case 1, the shield coating 2 and the shield portion 5 inside the case 1 can be easily separated without thermally damaging the case 1 and the coaxial cable 6. Can be electrically connected. Further, the shield part 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe is electrically connected to the shield coating 2 provided inside the case 1 and is connected to the ground of the entire system (not shown), so that the external It is also possible to shield electromagnetic waves from the antenna and to prevent radiation of electromagnetic waves from the coaxial cable 6 and the acoustic element unit 7.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 show an ultrasonic probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The conductor 3 is a conductor made of metal, conductive plastic, or the like, and is molded so as to be housed in a recess 8 provided inside the case 1. As shown in the first embodiment of the present invention, the ring-shaped conductor 3 having a curved surface substantially equal to the curved surface of the shield portion 5 and capable of sandwiching the shield portion 5 and the curved surface of the shield portion as a whole. Alternatively, the conductor 3 may have a curved surface that partially contacts.
In addition, as the material of the conductor 3, a conductive material such as a gasket which has elasticity and can change its shape may be used. When the conductive material is crushed by elasticity and fits into contact with the curved surface of the shield part 5, the shield part 5 and the conductive material
The conductive material and the shield coating 2 can be electrically connected.

The recess 8 is a recess made of the same material as the case 1. The recess 8 is provided inside the case 1, and the shield coating 2 is also provided on the recess 8. The recess 8 needs to be large enough to accommodate the conductor 3. The shape of the recess 8 may be any shape as long as the conductor 3 to be used can be fixed.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, two rectangular walls are provided perpendicular to the axis of the signal cable 4 so that the conductor 3 does not move in the axial direction. It is necessary to provide the recess 8 as described above. In addition, shield part 5
4 and 6 in the conductor 3 having a curved surface in contact with the curved surface of FIG.
As shown in (2), it is necessary to provide two rectangular walls perpendicular to the axis of the signal cable 4 and two rectangular walls parallel to the axis, and to provide a recess 8 for surrounding and fixing the conductor 3 with the four walls. . The side of the wall perpendicular to the axis on the signal cable 4 side may be a curved surface having a curvature substantially equal to the curved surface of the shield part 5 so as not to damage the coaxial cable 6 and the shield part 5.

With this configuration, the conductor 3 can be fixed to the recess 8, and the conductor 3 and the shield coating 2 provided inside the case 1, and the conductor 3 and the shield portion 5 can be easily and electrically connected. Can connect.

FIG. 7 shows an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The case 1, the shield coating 2, and the concave portion 8 are the same as those in the second embodiment of the present invention, and the description is omitted.

The clamp 9 is made of a conductive metal.
The two clamps 9 are brought into contact with the shield part 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe, and the force between the two clamps 9 is adjusted by the screw 10. The two clamps 9 have the same shape, and the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe with the shield part 5 of the signal cable 4 has a curved surface having substantially the same curvature as the shield part 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe. It is.

By housing the clamp 9 in the recess 8 provided inside the case 1, the clamp 9 and the shield coating 2 provided in the recess 8 can be electrically connected.

With this configuration, the shield 5 of the signal cable 4 of the ultrasonic probe can be easily electrically connected to the clamp without using a conductive paint or a conductive adhesive. it can. Therefore, the shield coating 2 and the shield portion 5 can be easily electrically connected.

Further, even if the signal cable 4 is excessively pulled, the clamp 9 sandwiching the shield portion 5 is caught by the concave portion 8, so that the coaxial cable 6 is disconnected or the coaxial cable 6 is disconnected from the acoustic element portion. 7 can be prevented from falling off.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an ultrasonic probe according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The case 1, the shield coating 2, and the recess 8 are the same as those in the second embodiment of the present invention, and the description is omitted. Further, the clamp 9 and the screw 10 are the same as those of the third embodiment of the present invention, and the description is omitted.

The conductor 2 is a conductive material such as a gasket having elasticity and deformable shape. The conductive material is crushed by the elasticity, and the clamp 9 and the conductor 3, and the conductor 3 and the shield coating 2 can be easily electrically connected.

With this configuration, the shield portion 5 and the clamp 9, the clamp 9 and the conductor 3, the conductor 3 and the shield coating 2
And can be easily electrically connected. Further, even when the signal cable 4 is excessively pulled, the clamp 9 sandwiching the shield portion 5 is caught by the concave portion 8, so that the coaxial cable 6 is disconnected or the coaxial cable 6 comes off from the acoustic element portion 7. Can be prevented.
Further, by sandwiching the conductor 3 between the clamp 9 and the shield coating 2, the clamp 9 is prevented from damaging the shield coating 2.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an ultrasonic probe according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

The case 1 has the same operation as the first, second, third and fourth embodiments of the present invention, and the same material. As shown in FIG. 11, a convex portion 11 having a curved surface having substantially the same curvature as the curved surface of the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4 is provided inside the case 1 to hold the signal cable.
Inside the case 1, the shielding film 2 including the projection 11
Is provided so that the shield film 2 and the shield portion 5 are electrically in contact with each other. In addition, by providing a convex portion having an opening having a curvature substantially equal to the curved surface of the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4 on the inner side of the case 1 and further providing the shield coating 2 on the inner side of the case 1 and the convex portion, The shield portion 5 and the shield coating 2 may be electrically contacted.

With this configuration, the shield portion 5 of the signal cable 4 and the shield coating 2 provided inside the case 1
And can be easily electrically connected.

[0047]

As described above, according to the present invention, the shield film provided inside the case of the ultrasonic probe and the shield portion of the signal cable of the ultrasonic probe are interposed by the conductor. It is possible to easily and electrically contact the coaxial cable of the case and the signal cable without causing thermal damage. It is possible to prevent electromagnetic waves from entering the coaxial cable and the acoustic element unit from the outside, and prevent electromagnetic waves emitted from the coaxial cable and the acoustic element unit to the outside.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view including a center axis of an ultrasonic probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA perpendicular to the center axis of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an example in which the conductor of FIG. 2 is a conductor in contact with a shield part;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view including a center axis of an ultrasonic probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a line BB perpendicular to the center axis of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a concave portion when the conductor of FIG. 4 is a conductor in contact with a shield portion;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view including a center axis of an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view including a center axis of an ultrasonic probe according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, taken along line CC, which is perpendicular to the center axis,

FIG. 10 is a sectional view including a center axis of an ultrasonic probe according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 10 taken along line D-D perpendicular to the center axis;

FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional ultrasonic probe.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 2 Shield coating 3 Conductor 4 Signal cable 5 Shield part 6 Coaxial cable 7 Acoustic element part 12 Ultrasonic transducer 13 Backing material 14 Acoustic matching layer 15 Acoustic lens

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A signal cable comprising: a shield portion of a signal cable; a shield coating provided inside a case; and a conductor electrically connected to the shield portion and the shield coating and molded together with the case. Ultrasonic probe. 2. A shield part of a signal cable, a shield coating provided inside a case, a conductor electrically connected to the shield part and the shield coating, and the conductor fixed inside the case. An ultrasonic probe comprising a concave portion. 3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, further comprising a shield portion of the signal cable and a clamp made of a conductive material sandwiching the shield portion. 4. A shield portion of a signal cable, a clamp made of a conductive material sandwiching the shield portion, a shield coating provided inside a case, and a conductor electrically contacting the clamp and the shield coating. An ultrasonic probe, comprising a concave portion for accommodating the clamp and the conductor inside the case. 5. A signal cable comprising: a shield portion of a signal cable; a protrusion provided inside the case for holding the shield portion; and a shield film provided on the inside of the case and on the protrusion. An ultrasonic probe, wherein the shield film makes electrical contact.