JP2007282743A - Ultrasonic probe, manufacturing method for ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe which sufficiently attenuates an ultrasonic wave by a back face member, and at the same time, has high heat radiating characteristics. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of ultrasonic oscillators 2 are arranged into one row in the scanning direction with an interval of a groove section 7. Directly under each ultrasonic oscillator 2, the first back face member 5 of a high damping medium is arranged. The second back face member 6 of a high thermal conductor has a protruding section 6a and a recess section 6b. The first back face member 5 is arranged in the recess section 6b, and the protruding section 6a of the second back face member 6 is provided between individual first back face members 5. Thus, directly under each ultrasonic oscillator 2, the first back face member 5 of the high damping medium is set, and directly under the space (groove section 7) of each ultrasonic oscillator 2, the second back face member 6 of the high thermal conductive body is set. As a result, the ultrasonic wave is sufficiently attenuated by the first back face member 5, and this ultrasonic probe enables the heat caused by the vibration of the ultrasonic oscillators 2 to be efficiently emitted by the second back face member 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for radiating heat generated by an ultrasonic probe.

  The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in a predetermined direction, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves using the ultrasonic transducers. Here, a configuration of a one-dimensional ultrasonic probe in which ultrasonic transducers are arranged in one row will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the related art.

  The ultrasonic probe 100 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 101 arranged in a line in the scanning direction. Grooves 105 (gap) are provided between the individual ultrasonic transducers 101, and the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 101 are arranged in a row in the scanning direction with the gaps 105 between them. An acoustic matching layer 102 divided in the scanning direction by a groove 105 is provided on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers 101, and a back material 104 is provided on the opposite surface. Further, an acoustic lens 103 is provided on the acoustic matching layer 102. Note that the surface on which the acoustic matching layer 102 is provided is an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface.

  Although not shown, electrodes are provided on both surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer 101. An electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 101 and the acoustic matching layer 102 is connected to GND, and an electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 101 and the back material 104 is connected to a signal lead line. Is done.

The ultrasonic vibrator 101 is composed of a piezoelectric element. For example, lead dilithate titanate Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ , lithium niobate (LiNbO ₃ ), barium titanate (BaTiO ₃ ), or lead titanate (PbTiO ₃ ). A ceramic material such as is used.

  The acoustic matching layer 102 is provided to achieve acoustic matching between the ultrasonic transducer 101 and the subject. For the acoustic matching layer 102, an epoxy resin or a plastic material is used. For simplicity of explanation, only one acoustic matching layer is shown in FIG. 13, but there may be two or more acoustic matching layers.

  The backing material 104 attenuates and absorbs ultrasonic vibration components that are not necessary for image extraction of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus among ultrasonic vibrations oscillated from the ultrasonic vibrator 101 and ultrasonic vibrations at the time of reception.

  The acoustic lens 103 contacts the body surface of the subject and mediates transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves. The acoustic lens 103 focuses the ultrasonic lens in the lens direction (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction).

  By the way, the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer 101 is converted into heat by the acoustic lens 103 and the back material 104 in addition to irradiating the subject (living body). Since an ultrasonic probe is used in contact with a living body, it is obliged to ensure safety. For example, it is necessary to set a voltage value to be applied to the ultrasonic transducer 101 so that the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe (temperature of the living body contact surface) is equal to or lower than a regulation value.

  However, if the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 101 is kept low, there is a problem that the S / N in the deep part of the living body becomes low. Therefore, there is an attempt to suppress the increase in the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe by efficiently releasing the heat generated by the ultrasonic probe to the outside, thereby increasing the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 101. Has been made.

  For example, a technique has been devised in which heat generated by an ultrasonic probe is transmitted to the case, cable, or heat sink of the ultrasonic probe via the back material 104 to be dissipated. However, since the backing material 104 is provided to attenuate vibrations caused by ultrasonic waves, the backing material 104 is required to have an attenuation factor and acoustic impedance to achieve the purpose. For example, when PZT is used for the ultrasonic transducer 101, the back material has an attenuation factor of 1.5 [dB / (mm · MHz)] or more and an acoustic impedance of 1.5 [Mrayl] to 8.0 [Mrayl]. 104 must be used.

  In addition, since an electrode is provided between the back material 104 and the ultrasonic transducer 101, the back material 104 is required to have insulation. Therefore, an insulating material in which an oxide is mixed with rubber or the like is used for the back material 104. However, since the thermal conductivity of these insulating materials is 0.1 to 1.0 [W / m · K], the thermal conductivity is low to release the heat generated by the ultrasonic probe to the outside. There is a problem that the efficiency of heat radiation is poor.

  Further, when a metal having a high thermal conductivity is used for the back material 104 in order to improve the efficiency of heat dissipation, there is a problem in that the acoustic impedance cannot be matched and it has conductivity.

  In order to solve the above problem, an ultrasonic probe in which a heat dissipation material such as a metal having a high thermal conductivity is installed around the back material (for example, Patent Document 1), or an ultrasonic probe in which a heat dissipation material is installed in the back material (For example, patent document 2) is known. An ultrasonic probe according to this prior art will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to another conventional technique. FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe viewed from the lens direction.

  In the ultrasonic probe according to this prior art, the heat dissipating material 106 made of metal is disposed on the side surface of the back material 104 along the lens direction that has less acoustic influence. Further, a heat dissipation material 107 is embedded in the back material 104.

  However, even if the heat dissipating material 106 is installed on the side surface of the back material 104, only the heat generated from the ultrasonic transducer 101 installed at the end of the ultrasonic probe can be released with high efficiency. Overall, it is difficult to dissipate heat efficiently.

  Further, since it is necessary to attenuate the ultrasonic wave by the back material 104, the heat dissipating material 107 made of metal cannot be disposed in the vicinity of the ultrasonic transducer 101. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose the heat dissipating material 107 at a distance from the ultrasonic transducer 101 so that the ultrasonic wave can be sufficiently attenuated by the back material 104. Thus, since the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator 101 and the thermal radiation material 107 will leave | separate, there exists a problem which cannot thermally radiate efficiently.

  Further, although an ultrasonic probe using a material having high thermal conductivity for the back material 104 is known (for example, Patent Document 3), there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain the material and productivity is poor. Furthermore, it is difficult to sufficiently attenuate the ultrasonic waves.

JP 2000-184497 A JP 2005-103078 A JP 2000-165959 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above problems, and an ultrasonic probe capable of sufficiently attenuating ultrasonic waves with a backing material and having high heat dissipation characteristics, a method for manufacturing the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic wave An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a probe.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged with a gap having a predetermined width, and a gap having the predetermined width or less on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers. A first back member made of a high-attenuation medium, and a second heat conductor made partly so as to protrude between the first back members. An ultrasonic probe comprising: a back material.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second back member made of a heat conductor, in which a plurality of groove portions are formed in parallel at predetermined intervals, and each of the plurality of groove portions. A plurality of first back members made of a high-attenuation medium installed, and a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators installed on each of the plurality of first back members. Is an ultrasonic probe characterized by

  The invention according to claim 6 is a first step of forming a plurality of groove portions in parallel at a predetermined interval on the second back material composed of a heat conductor, and the plurality of groove portions, A second step of pouring and solidifying a gel-like first backing material composed of a high-attenuation medium; an ultrasonic vibrator is installed on the first backing material; And a third step of dividing the acoustic matching layer and the ultrasonic transducer on the extension line of the predetermined interval with a width equal to or greater than the predetermined interval; Is a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged with a gap of a predetermined width, and a gap of the predetermined width or less on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers. A first back member made of a high-attenuation medium, and a second heat conductor made partly so as to protrude between the first back members. An ultrasonic probe, transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves to / from the subject, and reflected waves from the subject received by the transmitting / receiving means. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an image generation unit configured to generate an ultrasonic image based thereon.

  According to the present invention, a high attenuation medium is installed on one surface of the ultrasonic transducer, and a thermal conductor is installed between the individual high attenuation media (directly between the individual ultrasonic transducers). The ultrasonic wave can be sufficiently attenuated by the high attenuation medium, and the heat generated by the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator can be efficiently radiated by the heat conductor.

[First Embodiment]
(Constitution)
The configuration of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line II-II. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the ultrasonic probe viewed from the lens direction (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction).

  As a first embodiment, a one-dimensional ultrasonic probe in which ultrasonic transducers are arranged in one row will be described. The ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 2 arranged in a line in the scanning direction. Grooves 7 (gap) having a predetermined width are provided between the individual ultrasonic transducers 2, and the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 2 are arranged in a line in the scanning direction with the intervals between the groove portions 7. The acoustic matching layer 3 divided in the scanning direction by the grooves 7 is provided on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers 2, and the first back material 5 and the second back material 5 are provided on the opposite surface. A back material 6 is provided. Furthermore, an acoustic lens 4 is provided on the acoustic matching layer 3. The ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment is characterized in that two types of back materials (a first back material 5 and a second back material 6) are provided. The surface on which the acoustic matching layer 3 is provided is an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface. Further, for simplicity of explanation, one acoustic matching layer 3 is shown, but two or more acoustic matching layers may be provided.

  The first back material 5, the second back material 6, the ultrasonic transducer 2, the acoustic matching layer 3, and the acoustic lens 4 are housed in a probe housing (case) (not shown). At this time, the acoustic lens 4 is stored in the probe housing so as to be installed on the distal end side (biological contact surface side) of the ultrasonic probe.

  The first back member 5 is made of a material having a high ultrasonic attenuation rate. For example, it is preferable to use a material having an ultrasonic attenuation rate of 1.5 [dB / (mm · MHz)] or more and an acoustic impedance of 1.5 [Mrayl] to 8.0 [Mrayl]. Specifically, it is preferable to use ferrite rubber, epoxy resin, or the like for the first backing material 5.

  The second back material 6 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. For example, it is preferable to use a material having a thermal conductivity of 60 [W / m · K] or more. Specifically, it is preferable to use a metal such as Cu (copper) or Al (aluminum), carbon, or graphite for the second back material 6.

  The first back material 5 is installed immediately below each ultrasonic transducer 2. That is, the first back material 5 is arranged in a line in the scanning direction with an interval between the grooves 7 (gap). In addition, the second back material 6 has a surface in contact with the first back material 5 formed in a comb shape. That is, the surface in contact with the first back material 5 is formed such that the convex portions 6a and the concave portions 6b are periodically arranged in parallel in a predetermined direction. And the 1st back material 5 is installed in the recessed part 6b of the 2nd back material 6, and each 1st back material 5 is surrounded by the recessed part 6b. Further, the convex portion 6 a of the second back material 6 protrudes immediately below the groove portion 7 (gap), that is, between the first back material 5. The convex portion 6 a is not installed between the ultrasonic transducers 2 and is not installed directly under the ultrasonic transducer 2.

  In addition, although the convex part 6a is formed in the 2nd back material 6 which concerns on this embodiment directly under all the groove parts 7, the convex part 6a may be formed at intervals of several elements.

  Although not shown, electrodes are installed on both surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer 2. An electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 2 and the acoustic matching layer 3 is connected to the GND, and an electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 2 and the first back material 5 extracts a signal. Connected to the line.

  The ultrasonic transducer 2, the acoustic matching layer 3, and the acoustic lens 4 are the same as the ultrasonic transducer 101, the acoustic matching layer 102, and the acoustic lens 103 of the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the related art shown in FIG. Since it is composed of materials and has the same function, description thereof is omitted here.

(Action and effect)
According to the ultrasonic probe 1 having the above-described configuration, the following preferable actions and effects can be achieved.

  According to the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment, the first backing material 5 of the high attenuation medium is installed immediately below the individual ultrasonic transducers 2 that are likely to be acoustically affected, and the heat conductor Since the second backing material 6 is not installed, acoustic matching can be achieved and the ultrasonic waves can be sufficiently attenuated. Furthermore, by projecting a part of the second back material 6 (the convex portion 6a) between the first back material 5 that has less acoustic influence (directly below the groove portion 7), 2 back material 6 can be brought close to the vicinity of the ultrasonic transducer 2. As a result, it is possible to efficiently dissipate the heat resulting from the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 2 to the outside of the ultrasonic probe 1 and realize high heat dissipation characteristics. As a result, since the temperature of the surface (biological contact surface) of the ultrasonic probe 1 can be lowered, it is possible to obtain an ultrasonic image with a good S / N by setting the transmission voltage high.

  Furthermore, since materials that are easily available can be used for the first back member 5 and the second back member 6, it is possible to increase the productivity of the ultrasonic probe.

  Here, a specific example of the first back material 5 will be described. For example, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave is 3 [MHz], the first backing material 5 having an attenuation factor of 5 [dB / (mm · MHz)] is used, and the thickness of the first backing material 5 is 4 [mm]. ], The first back member 5 can be attenuated by 3 × 5 × 4 × 2 = 120 [dB] in calculation. Therefore, when attenuation of about 100 [dB] is required, the first back material 5 having an attenuation rate of 5 [dB / (mm · MHz)] and a thickness of about 4 [mm] may be used.

(Modification 1)
Next, a modification of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a modification of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of the ultrasonic probe viewed from the lens direction (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction).

  In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the width in the scanning direction of the convex part 6a installed immediately below the groove part 7 is substantially equal to the width of the groove part 7 (gap), but in the example shown in FIG. As described above, the width of the projection 6a in the scanning direction may be narrower than the width of the groove 7 (gap). That is, the width in the scanning direction of the convex portion 6a may be equal to or smaller than the width of the groove portion 7. As described above, since the second back material 6 made of metal or the like does not exist directly below the ultrasonic transducer 2, there is no possibility that acoustic impedance is mismatched by the second back material 6. And by installing the 1st back material 5 just under the ultrasonic vibrator 2, acoustic matching can be taken satisfactorily and it becomes possible to fully attenuate an ultrasonic wave.

(Modification 2)
Next, another modification of the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of another modification of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the ultrasonic probe viewed from the lens direction (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction).

  In the second modified example, the convex portion 6 a does not reach the groove portion 7 (gap), and each first back material is connected to the adjacent first back material 5. That is, the first back material 5 is interposed between the convex portion 6a and the groove portion 7 (gap). Thus, even if the convex part 6a does not reach the groove part 7, since it protrudes between each 1st back material 5, a high thermal radiation characteristic is realizable.

(Production method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view sequentially illustrating manufacturing steps of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the configuration of the back material of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view of the ultrasonic probe viewed from the lens direction (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction), and FIG. 6 is a view of the second back material 6 viewed from the transmission / reception direction.

(First step)
First, a plate-like high thermal conductor serving as a base material for the second backing material 6 is prepared, and as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, in a comb shape at the same interval as the pitch of the ultrasonic transducers. By cutting, a plurality of convex portions 6a and concave portions (groove portions) 6b are formed in the heat conductor in parallel in a predetermined direction. The heat conductor formed with the convex portions 6 a and the concave portions 6 b becomes the second back material 6.

  In addition, by making the width in the scanning direction of the concave portion (groove portion) 6b wider than the width in the scanning direction of each ultrasonic transducer, the width in the scanning direction of the convex portion 6a is the width between the individual ultrasonic transducers. It can be made narrower than (the width of the gap). Thereby, since the distance between the second back material 6 made of metal or the like and the ultrasonic vibrator is increased, it is possible to reduce the acoustic influence of the second back material 6.

(Second step)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), a gel-like high attenuation medium 8 serving as a base material of the first backing material 5 is poured into the recess (groove) 6b of the second backing material 6, and the height The damping medium 8 is hardened. Then, in order to increase the thickness and surface accuracy, the upper surface of the high attenuation medium 8 is shaved. As a result, the convex portion 6 a of the second back material 6 is provided in the high attenuation medium 8.

(Third step)
Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, a plate-like ultrasonic transducer 9 and a plate-like acoustic matching layer 10 are installed on the high attenuation medium 8. Although not shown, electrodes are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like ultrasonic transducer 9. Then, a flexible substrate (not shown) on which the divided pattern of the ultrasonic vibrator is formed is connected to an electrode (electrode for applying a voltage) installed on the lower surface of the plate-like ultrasonic vibrator 9.

(Fourth process)
Then, by dicing the plate-like acoustic matching layer 10, the plate-like ultrasonic transducer 9, and the high attenuation medium 8 in accordance with the division pattern of the flexible substrate, as shown in FIG. The acoustic matching layer 10, the ultrasonic transducer 9, and the high attenuation medium 8 are divided. At this time, the acoustic matching layer 10, the ultrasonic transducer 9, and the high attenuation medium 8 are divided on the extension line of the convex portion 6a so as to have a width equal to or larger than the width of the convex portion 6a in the scanning direction. Thereby, the convex part 6a of the 2nd back material 6 protrudes between the 1st back materials 5, and also the width | variety of the scanning direction of the groove part 7 (gap) formed by the division | segmentation is 2nd back surface. It becomes more than the width of the convex part 6a of the material 6.

  By passing through the above process, the convex part 6a of the 2nd back material 6 can be formed right under each ultrasonic transducer | vibrator 2 (groove part 7), and just under the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator 2 A first backing material 5 can be formed. Thus, since only the first backing material 5 of the high attenuation medium can be formed directly below the ultrasonic transducer 2 that is acoustically susceptible, the acoustic matching can be achieved and the ultrasonic wave can be obtained. Can be sufficiently attenuated. Furthermore, part of the second back material 6 (convex portion 6a) of the heat conductor can be protruded between the first back material 5 that is less acoustically affected (directly below the groove portion 7). In addition, a part of the second back material 6 (convex portion 6a) can be brought close to the vicinity of the ultrasonic vibrator 2, and heat resulting from the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 2 can be efficiently released. .

  Then, a common electrode plate (not shown) is connected to an electrode (electrode connected to GND) installed on the upper surface of the ultrasonic transducer 2, and the acoustic lens 4 is installed on the acoustic matching layer 3. The head portion of the acoustic probe is produced. An ultrasonic probe is manufactured by connecting a signal line of a cable to the head part, coupling a shield, and storing the head part in a probe housing (case).

  The second back material 6 is connected to a cable for connecting the ultrasonic probe 1 and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body, a probe housing (case), and the like, and heat is transmitted through the cable and the probe housing. May be released to the outside.

[Second Embodiment]
(Constitution)
The configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a top view showing the configuration of the second back material of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a VIII-VIII cross-sectional view of the second backing material shown in FIG.

  As a second embodiment, a two-dimensional ultrasonic probe in which ultrasonic transducers are two-dimensionally arranged will be described. The ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 21 arranged in a lattice shape (matrix shape). Grooves 25 (gap) are provided between the individual ultrasonic transducers 21, and the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 21 are two-dimensionally arranged with a gap between the groove portions 25. An acoustic matching layer 22 divided by the groove 25 is provided on one surface of the ultrasonic transducer 21, and a first back material 23 and a second back material 24 are provided on the opposite surface. . Also in the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment, two types of back materials (a first back material 23 and a second back material 24) are provided as in the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment. It is the feature that provided. The surface on which the acoustic matching layer 22 is provided is an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface. Further, for simplicity of explanation, one acoustic matching layer 22 is shown, but two or more acoustic matching layers may be provided.

  The first back member 23 is made of a material having a high ultrasonic attenuation rate, like the first back member 5 in the first embodiment. The ultrasonic attenuation factor, acoustic impedance, and specific materials are the same as those of the first back material 5, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Similar to the second back material 6 in the first embodiment, the second back material 24 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity. Since the thermal conductivity and the specific material are the same as those of the second back material 6, the description thereof is omitted.

  The first back material 23 is installed directly below each ultrasonic transducer 21. That is, the first back material 23 is two-dimensionally arranged with a gap 25 (gap) therebetween. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second backing material 24 has convex portions 24 a and concave portions 24 b periodically formed in parallel in a predetermined direction on the surface in contact with the first backing material 23. Yes. And the 1st back material 23 is installed in the recessed part 24b of the 2nd back material 24, and each 1st back material 23 is enclosed by the recessed part 24b. Further, the convex portion 24 a of the second back material 24 protrudes immediately below the groove 25 (gap), that is, between the first back material 23. The convex portion 24 a is not installed between the ultrasonic transducers 21 and is not installed directly below the ultrasonic transducer 21.

  In addition, although the convex part 24a is formed in the 2nd back material 24 which concerns on this embodiment directly under all the groove parts 25, the convex part 24a may be formed at intervals of several elements.

  Although not shown, electrodes are installed on both surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer 21. The electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 21 and the acoustic matching layer 22 is connected to GND, and the electrode installed between the ultrasonic transducer 21 and the first back material 23 is used to extract a signal. Connected to the line.

(Action and effect)
According to the ultrasonic probe 20 having the above-described configuration, the following preferable functions and effects can be obtained.

  According to the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment, the first backing material 23 of a high attenuation medium is installed immediately below the individual ultrasonic transducers 21 that are easily affected acoustically, and the heat conductor Since the second back member 24 is not installed, it is possible to achieve acoustic matching and sufficiently attenuate the ultrasonic waves. Furthermore, a part of the second back material 24 (the convex portion 24a) is protruded between the first back material 23 that is less acoustically affected (directly below the groove 25), so that the heat conductor first The two backing materials 24 can be brought close to the vicinity of the ultrasonic transducer 21. As a result, it is possible to efficiently dissipate the heat resulting from the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 21 to the outside of the ultrasonic probe 20 and realize high heat dissipation characteristics. As a result, since the temperature of the surface (biological contact surface) of the ultrasonic probe 20 can be lowered, it is possible to set the transmission voltage high and obtain an ultrasonic image with good S / N.

  Furthermore, since materials that are easily available can be used for the first back member 23 and the second back member 24, the productivity of the ultrasonic probe can be increased.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the width of the convex portion 24 a installed immediately below the groove portion 25 is substantially equal to the width of the groove portion 25 (gap), but is narrower than the width of the groove portion 25. May be. That is, the width of the convex portion 24 a of the second back material 24 only needs to be equal to or smaller than the width of the groove portion 25. As described above, since the second back material 24 made of metal or the like does not exist directly below the ultrasonic transducer 21, there is no possibility that the acoustic impedance is mismatched by the second back material 24. And by installing the 1st back material 23 directly under the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator 21, acoustic matching can be taken favorable and it becomes possible to fully attenuate an ultrasonic wave.

(Modification 3)
Next, another example of the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a top view showing the configuration of the second back material of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 11 is an XX cross-sectional view of the second back material shown in FIG.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the second backing material 24 having a rectangular recess (groove) 24 b is used as the heat conductor. However, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, You may use the 2nd back material 26 in which the shape recessed part (groove part) 26b and the convex part 26a were periodically formed in parallel in the predetermined direction. Then, a high attenuation medium is poured into the concave portion 26b of the second back material 26, and dicing is performed together with the plate-like ultrasonic vibrator and the plate-like acoustic matching layer, whereby the first back material 23 is placed in the concave portion 26b. Form. As a result, the first back material 23 is placed directly under the ultrasonic transducer 21, and a part (the convex portion 26 a) of the second back material 26 is directly under the ultrasonic transducer 21 (the groove portion 25). That is, it protrudes between the first back materials 23.

  In the cutting process, since the circular concave portion (groove portion) 26b can be formed more easily than the rectangular concave portion (groove portion) 24b, the ultrasonic probe can be formed by making the groove shape circular. It is possible to further increase the productivity.

  In addition, it is preferable to form the recessed part 26b so that the center of the recessed part (groove part) 26b and the center of the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator 21 may correspond. Since the first back member 23 is installed in the recess 26b, the center of the first back member 23 and the center of the ultrasonic transducer 21 coincide with each other, so that the ultrasonic wave can be attenuated efficiently. It is because the acoustic influence by the back material 26 can be suppressed.

(Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment)
Next, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above or the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 30 includes an ultrasonic probe, a transmission / reception unit 31, a signal processing unit 32, a DSC 33, an image processing unit 34, and a display unit 35.

  As the ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above or the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment is used. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the ultrasonic probe 1 is shown.

  The transmission / reception unit 31 includes a transmission unit and a reception unit, supplies an electrical signal to the ultrasonic probe 1 to generate an ultrasonic wave, and receives an echo signal received by the ultrasonic probe 1.

  The signal processing unit 32 includes a B mode processing circuit, a Doppler processing circuit, or a color mode processing circuit. The data output from the transmission / reception unit 31 is subjected to predetermined processing in any processing circuit. The B-mode processing circuit visualizes echo amplitude information and generates B-mode ultrasonic raster data from the echo signal. The Doppler processing circuit extracts the Doppler shift frequency component and further performs FFT processing or the like to generate data having blood flow information. The color mode processing circuit visualizes the moving blood flow information and generates color ultrasonic raster data. Blood flow information includes information such as speed, dispersion, and power, and blood flow information is obtained as binarized information.

  DSC 33 (Digital Scan Converter) converts ultrasonic raster data into data represented by orthogonal coordinates (scan conversion processing) in order to obtain an image represented by an orthogonal coordinate system. For example, when scan conversion processing is performed on data output from the B-mode processing circuit, tomographic image data representing the tissue shape of the subject as two-dimensional information is generated. The DSC 33 can also generate voxel data by resampling the tomographic image data.

  The image processing unit 34 performs various image processing. For example, volume rendering processing, MPR processing, or the like is performed on voxel data to generate three-dimensional image data, MPR image data (arbitrary slice image data), or the like. The signal processing unit 32, the DSC 33, and the image processing unit 34 correspond to the “image generation unit” of the present invention.

  The display unit 35 includes a monitor such as a liquid crystal display and displays a tomographic image, a three-dimensional image, and the like. In addition, a pointing device such as a joystick, an operation unit (not shown) such as a switch or a TCS (Touch Command Screen) is provided, and various settings relating to ultrasonic transmission / reception conditions are input by the operator.

  According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 30 including the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the first embodiment or the ultrasonic probe 20 according to the second embodiment, the ultrasonic wave can be sufficiently attenuated by the back material. High heat dissipation characteristics can be realized. Since it has such a high heat dissipation characteristic, the ultrasonic transmission output level can be set to a high level as compared with the prior art, and as a result, an ultrasonic image with good S / N can be obtained. In addition, by setting the ultrasonic transmission output level to a high level, it is possible to transmit ultrasonic waves to a deeper part of the subject (living body), and thus it is possible to widen an observable region.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is II-II sectional drawing of the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the modification of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of another modification of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing process of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention in order. It is a top view which shows the structure of the back material of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure of the 2nd back material of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is VIII-VIII sectional drawing of the 2nd back material shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the 2nd back material of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is XX sectional drawing of the 2nd back material shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of an ultrasound diagnosing device. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on a prior art. It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on another prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,20 Ultrasonic probe 2, 21 Ultrasonic transducer 3, 22 Acoustic matching layer 4 Acoustic lens 5, 23 1st back material 6, 24, 26 2nd back material 6a, 24a, 26a Convex part 6b, 24b 26b Recess 7, 25 Groove

Claims (7)

A plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged with a gap of a predetermined width;
A first back member made of a high-attenuation medium, disposed on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers with a gap of the predetermined width or less;
A second backing material made of a heat conductor, a part of which is installed to protrude between the first backing materials;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: The first back material is installed immediately below the ultrasonic transducer,
2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a part of the second back material is disposed immediately below each ultrasonic transducer. A second back member made of a heat conductor, in which a plurality of grooves are formed in parallel at a predetermined interval;
A plurality of first back members made of a high-attenuation medium, installed in each of the plurality of grooves;
A plurality of ultrasonic transducers installed on each of the plurality of first backing materials;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: The high attenuation medium includes a resin or rubber,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the heat conductor is made of metal, carbon, or graphite. The high attenuation medium is composed of a material having an ultrasonic attenuation factor of 1.5 [dB / (mm · MHz)] or more and an acoustic impedance of 1.5 [Mrayl] to 8.0 [Mrayl].
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductor is made of a material having a thermal conductivity of 60 [W / m · K] or more. A first step of forming a plurality of groove portions in parallel at a predetermined interval on the second back member made of a heat conductor; and
A second step of pouring a gel-like first backing material composed of a high-attenuation medium into the plurality of grooves and solidifying;
A third step of installing an ultrasonic transducer on the first backing material and installing an acoustic matching layer on the ultrasonic transducer;
A fourth step of dividing the acoustic matching layer and the ultrasonic transducer on the extension line of the predetermined interval with a width equal to or greater than the predetermined interval;
The manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe characterized by including. A plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged with a gap of a predetermined width, and high attenuation that is installed on one surface orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic transducers with a gap of the predetermined width or less. A first back material made of a medium, and a second back material made of a heat conductor, a part of which is installed so as to protrude between the first back material. A characteristic ultrasonic probe; and
Transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving ultrasound to and from the subject to the ultrasound probe;
Image generating means for generating an ultrasonic image based on a reflected wave from the subject received by the transmitting / receiving means;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

Images