JP2014217529A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (20)

A nose with an outer polymeric casing wall;
A lens at the end of the nose,
An ultrasound transducer in the nose behind the lens;
An ultrasonic probe comprising: a thermal drain that thermally couples the vibrator to the casing wall, the thermal drain being formed from a material having a thermal resistance lower than that of a material forming the casing wall. .   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the casing wall has a thickness of 3 mm or less.   The ultrasound probe of claim 2, wherein the casing wall has a thickness of less than 1 mm.   The ultrasound probe of claim 3, wherein the casing wall has a thickness of less than 0.61 mm.   The ultrasonic probe of claim 1, wherein the material of the thermal drain has a thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)).   The ultrasonic probe of claim 1, wherein the thermal drain is formed from a metal.   The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the polymer casing wall is overmolded around the thermal drain.   The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the thermal drain comprises a fastener opening that receives a fastener connected to the ultrasound transducer.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the thermal drain completely surrounds a side surface of the ultrasonic transducer.   The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the outer polymeric casing wall has an inner surface structure and the thermal drain has an outer surface structure coinciding with the inner surface structure.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the end of the nose is linear.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the end portion of the nose portion is curved.   The ultrasonic probe of claim 1, wherein the outer polymeric casing wall has an outer surface having a frustoconical shape. Generating ultrasonic vibrations in an ultrasonic probe using an ultrasonic transducer;
The heat from the ultrasonic vibrator, seen including a step of heat conduction and across the heat drain to the outside polymer casing of the ultrasonic probe,
The thermal drain is in contact with the outer polymer casing and structurally supports the outer polymer casing;
The outer polymer casing has a casing wall with a thickness of 3 mm or less . The casing wall has a thickness less than 1 mm, according to claim 1 4 The method according.   The method of claim 14, wherein the thermal drain is formed from a material having a conductivity of at least 150 watts per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)).   The method of claim 14, wherein the thermal drain is formed from a metal. Forming the thermal drain;
The method of claim 14, further comprising overmolding the outer polymeric casing around the thermal drain. Forming a metal thermal drain;
Overmolding an outer polymeric casing around the metallic thermal drain;
Positioning an ultrasonic probe transducer within the thermal drain. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the thermal drain includes a frustoconical wall extending 360 ° on all side surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer.