JP2022131549A - Flow path built-in ultrasonic vibrator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic vibrator having a flow path built in a vibration body, and a blood gas analysis device with the flow path built-in ultrasonic vibrator.SOLUTION: A flow path built-in ultrasonic vibrator includes: a vibration body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflective surface located above the circular bottom surface and shrinking in diameter upward; and a circular plate-shaped piezoelectric element in contact with the bottom surface of the vibration body, provided with electrodes on its both surfaces, and having a thick vertical vibration mode, in which a processing flow path that penetrates the vibration body in an upper and lower direction along a center axis is provided in the center of the vibration body, ultrasonic waves are excited by applying an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency to the piezoelectric element, and the ultrasonic waves reflect on the reflective surface and head to the processing flow path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer that generates powerful ultrasonic waves by focusing ultrasonic waves, and more particularly to an ultrasonic transducer that incorporates a channel through which an object passes.

Conventionally, ultrasonic waves have been used in various fields such as manufacturing, civil engineering, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, food, medicine, and medical care.
As shown in Patent Document 1, a Langevin vibrator is formed by sandwiching an annular piezoelectric element and an electrode between two metal blocks and fastening and fixing the two metal blocks with through bolts. An AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to excite micro-vibration, and the resonance vibration in the longitudinal direction of the vibrator is used to increase the amplitude to generate ultrasonic waves. This Langevin oscillator is used in many fields as a robust and high-output oscillator. There is a problem that only the output can be obtained and the miniaturization cannot be achieved, so there is a limit to the application and extension of functions.

JP 2010-29758 A Kang CHEN, Takasuke IRIE, Takashi IIJIMA and Takeshi MORITA, "Double-parabolic-reflectors acoustic waveguides for high-power medical ultrasound", Scientific Reports, vol. 9, 18493, 2019

In order to solve the above-described problems, the inventors have arranged an annular piezoelectric element having a longitudinal vibration mode on the bottom surface of a cylindrical vibrating body having a first paraboloid of revolution on the top, and A hemispherical protrusion forming a second paraboloid of revolution protruding downward is formed in the central portion of the bottom surface, and a thin rod waveguide is provided along the central axis of the vibrating body and extending in the direction opposite to the protrusion. , the ultrasonic vibration from the piezoelectric element is reflected in two steps on the first paraboloid of revolution and the second paraboloid of revolution, and the second paraboloid of revolution converts the ultrasonic vibration into a plane wave to form the thin rod waveguide We have developed a powerful ultrasonic transducer that focuses on a thin rod waveguide and outputs a powerful ultrasonic wave from the tip of the thin rod waveguide (see Patent Document 2). According to this high-intensity ultrasonic transducer, it is possible to miniaturize the device and output a high-intensity ultrasonic wave from the tip of the thin rod.
After developing the above-mentioned powerful ultrasonic transducer, the inventors continued to devote themselves to further research, and instead of outputting strong ultrasonic waves from the vibrating body to the outside, they applied strong ultrasonic waves to the object inside the vibrating body. The present inventors have invented a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer capable of achieving this.
Furthermore, the inventors paid attention to the application of the ultrasonic vibrator with a built-in channel to crushing blood cells in blood, and invented a blood gas analyzer equipped with an ultrasonic vibrator with a built-in channel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic vibrator having a flow path inside a vibrating body and a blood gas analyzer equipped with the flow path built-in ultrasonic vibrator.

In order to achieve the above object, a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention has a flat circular bottom surface and a reflecting surface located above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward. Equipped with an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having a thickness longitudinal vibration mode, which is in contact with the vibrating body and the bottom surface of the vibrating body and provided with electrodes on both sides, and moves the vibrating body up and down along the central axis line at the center of the vibrating body. A processing channel penetrating in a direction is provided, and an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to the piezoelectric element to excite an ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic wave is reflected by the reflecting surface and directed toward the processing channel. It is characterized by being
The reflective surface may be a paraboloid of revolution, the shape of which is such that the focal point of the ultrasonic waves reflected by it is positioned beyond the wall of the channel, beyond the process channel, or within the process channel. It can be shaped so as to
The reflective surface may also comprise a conical surface, in which case the ultrasonic waves reflected thereby may be focused at multiple points along the process flow path.
Further, the vibrating body can be made of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, brass or stainless steel.
Further, the vibrating body is provided with upper and lower connecting fitting mounting holes spaced apart from each other along the central axis, and an upper connecting fitting mounting hole and a lower connecting fitting mounting hole. A through hole formed along the central axis may be formed between the holes, and the through hole may be configured to function as the processing channel.
In this case, the ultrasonic transducer can further have an upper connector and a lower connector that can be attached to the upper connector attachment hole and the lower connector attachment hole, and each connector has a to form a through-hole, and when the upper and lower joints are attached to the upper and lower joint-mounting holes, the through-hole of the joint and the through-hole of the vibrating body communicate with each other. It can also be configured to form a single flow path. Furthermore, in this case, one end of each of the upper connector and the lower connector may be formed with a connecting portion to which a tube or pipe constituting a supply circuit for an object to be processed such as blood can be connected.
The vibrating body may have a radially outwardly extending annular flange at its bottom.
Further, a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention is a vibrating body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflecting surface positioned above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward, and the vibrating body A processing flow path that is in contact with the bottom surface, has an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having a thickness longitudinal vibration mode, is provided with electrodes on both sides, and vertically penetrates the vibrating body along the central axis at the center of the vibrating body. are placed one above the other in such a way that the piezoelectric elements face each other and the processing channels communicate with each other, and an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to each of the piezoelectric elements. It is characterized in that the ultrasonic wave is excited by the above-mentioned reflective surface, and the ultrasonic wave is reflected by each reflecting surface and directed toward the processing channel.
In addition, the blood gas analyzer equipped with the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention includes a syringe mounting portion to which a syringe used for collecting blood can be mounted, and a syringe mounted on the syringe mounting portion. a suction nozzle for sucking blood inside a syringe; a suction pump connected to the suction nozzle; a sensor for analyzing components of the blood sucked by the suction nozzle; and a control device for controlling at least the operation of the suction pump, wherein the flow channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer is connected to the blood flow channel. It is characterized in that it is provided so as to communicate with the road.

A channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention includes a vibrating body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflecting surface positioned above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward, and Equipped with an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having a thickness longitudinal vibration mode that is in contact with and provided with electrodes on both sides, and a processing flow path that penetrates the vibrating body vertically along the central axis is provided at the center of the vibrating body. , the ultrasonic wave is excited by applying an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency to the piezoelectric element, and the ultrasonic wave is reflected by the reflecting surface and directed toward the processing channel. is converged on the processing channel formed inside the vibrating body or in the vicinity of the processing channel, and strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained in the processing channel. As described above, the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention uses the reflection of the ultrasonic waves on the reflecting surface to focus the ultrasonic waves to obtain strong ultrasonic waves, so that the vibrating body can be miniaturized. , as a result, it is possible to miniaturize the entire ultrasonic transducer.
In addition, according to the ultrasonic transducer with a built-in flow path according to the present invention, since it is configured to obtain a strong ultrasonic wave by converging the ultrasonic wave by utilizing the reflection of the ultrasonic wave on the reflecting surface, Langevin vibration can be obtained. Since the resonance frequency does not depend on the length of the vibrating body as in the case of the element, by adjusting the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the piezoelectric element, it is possible to obtain strong ultrasonic waves in a wide band in the processing channel. Furthermore, by adjusting the waveform of the AC voltage applied to the piezoelectric element or synthesizing the waveform, it is possible to adjust the waveform of the powerful ultrasonic wave obtained in the processing flow path, thereby enabling various applications. It is possible to obtain powerful ultrasonic waves suitable for Furthermore, since a processing channel passing through the inside of the vibrating body is provided and the ultrasonic waves are focused on the processing channel inside the vibrating body or in the vicinity of the processing channel, the object to be processed is By flowing it through the path, it becomes possible to irradiate the object to be processed with strong ultrasonic waves inside the ultrasonic transducer.
By forming the reflecting surface into a paraboloid of revolution, a focus point can be provided on the wall surface of the processing channel or inside the processing channel, and it is possible to obtain strong ultrasonic waves at the focus point.
Further, by forming the reflection surface into a paraboloid of revolution whose focal point is at a position beyond the processing channel, strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained in a wide range of the processing channel.
Furthermore, by forming the reflecting surface into a conical shape, the reflected ultrasonic waves are focused at a plurality of points along the processing flow channel, so that strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained in a wider range of the processing flow channel.
Further, a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention is a vibrating body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflecting surface positioned above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward, and the vibrating body A processing flow path that is in contact with the bottom surface, has an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having a thickness longitudinal vibration mode, is provided with electrodes on both sides, and vertically penetrates the vibrating body along the central axis at the center of the vibrating body. are placed one above the other in such a way that the piezoelectric elements face each other and the processing channels communicate with each other, and an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to each of the piezoelectric elements. This structure excites ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves are reflected by each reflecting surface and directed toward the processing channel. Therefore, the processing channel can be lengthened, and strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained. It is possible to expand the possible range.
In this case, by forming the reflecting surface into a conical shape, ultrasonic waves are focused at a plurality of points along a long processing channel. A powerful ultrasonic wave can be obtained in a range twice that of an ultrasonic transducer.
In addition, by making the reflecting surface into a rotating radiation surface shape and by setting the focal point to be the vertical center point of the processing channel in the pair of channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer pieces, the piezoelectric element of one of the transducer pieces excites the The emitted ultrasonic wave is reflected by the reflective surface, passes through the focus point, is reflected by the reflective surface of the other transducer piece, and can be returned to the piezoelectric element of the other transducer piece, thereby forming a resonance system. It becomes possible to obtain powerful ultrasonic waves at a constant voltage more efficiently.
In addition, the blood gas analyzer equipped with the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention includes a syringe mounting portion to which a syringe used for collecting blood can be mounted, and a syringe mounted on the syringe mounting portion. a suction nozzle for sucking blood inside a syringe; a suction pump connected to the suction nozzle; a sensor for analyzing components of the blood sucked by the suction nozzle; and a control device for controlling at least the operation of the suction pump, wherein the flow channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer is connected to the blood flow channel. Since it is provided in communication with the channel, it is possible to aspirate blood from the syringe and hemolyze the blood in the analyzer without prior hemolysis of the blood. As a result, for example, when measuring hemoglobin, blood is hemolyzed using the ultrasonic transducer with a built-in channel and sent to the sensor, and when measuring other components, hemolysis is performed without operating the ultrasonic transducer with a built-in channel. It becomes possible to send the blood that is not in the blood to the sensor. It is also possible to provide the blood gas analyzer with two flow paths and to provide a flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer in one of the flow paths.

1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded central longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an assembled central longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the second embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the third embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the fourth embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in an embodiment of a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer provided with a pair of ultrasonic transducer pieces according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the second embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer provided with a pair of ultrasonic transducer pieces according to the present invention; 1 is a schematic external view of a blood gas analyzer equipped with a channel-incorporated ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the internal mechanism of the blood gas analyzer shown in FIG. 10;

Embodiments of a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer and a blood gas analyzer equipped with the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to several embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. do.
First, a first embodiment of a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer (hereinafter simply referred to as "ultrasonic transducer") according to the present invention will be described.
1 is a schematic side view of an ultrasonic transducer, FIG. 2 is an exploded central longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an assembled central longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. Figures are shown respectively.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates the entire ultrasonic transducer, and this ultrasonic transducer 1 comprises a vibrating body 2, a piezoelectric element 3, an upper connector 4 and a lower connector 5. As shown in FIG.
The vibrating body 2 consists of a hemispherical cylindrical body having a paraboloid of revolution 2a as a reflecting surface at its upper portion, and an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element 3 is fixed to its bottom surface 2b.
The vibrating body 2 is provided with connecting tool mounting holes 2c and 2d extending along the central axis of the vibrating body 2 and spaced apart from each other for mounting the upper connecting tool 4 and the lower connecting tool 5 in the upper and lower central parts of the vibrating body 2, A through hole 2e is formed between the connector mounting holes 2c and 2d and forms a flow path according to the present invention extending along the central axis of the vibrator.
The vibrating body 2 is made of a material that is advantageous for the propagation of ultrasonic vibrations excited by the piezoelectric element 3, such as an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, brass, or stainless steel. The material of the vibrating body 2 is not limited to an aluminum alloy or the like, and any material may be used as long as it is advantageous in propagating the ultrasonic vibrations excited by the piezoelectric element 3 . Reference numeral 2f indicates a radially outwardly extending flange formed at the bottom of the vibrating body 2, and the vibrating body 2 is fixed to an arbitrary structure via this flange 2f.
The piezoelectric element 3 is in the form of an annular plate having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the lower connector mounting hole 2d, and is made of piezoelectric ceramics provided with electrodes (not shown) on both sides thereof. have a mode.
The piezoelectric element 3 is fixed to the bottom surface of the vibrating body 2 with an adhesive or the like, and excites ultrasonic waves by applying an AC voltage at a predetermined frequency via a control device (not shown).
The upper connecting part 4 and the lower connecting part 5 are provided at one end with mounting parts 4a and 5a which are formed to be mountable to the connecting part mounting holes 2c and 2d, respectively, and have at the other end a pipe or pipe for flowing the object to be processed. Connecting portions 4b and 5b to which tubes can be connected are formed. Further, the upper connecting tool 4 and the lower connecting tool 5 are formed with through-holes 4c and 5c extending along their central axes. The through holes 4c and 5c of the connector 4 and the lower connector 5 and the through hole 2d formed in the vibrating body 2 communicate with each other to form one flow path.
In this embodiment, the paraboloid of revolution 2a of the vibrating body 2 in the ultrasonic vibrator 1 configured as described above transmits ultrasonic waves excited by the piezoelectric element 3 through the vibrating body 2 forming the flow path. It converges on a focus point P on an arbitrary wall surface of the hole 2e.
According to the ultrasonic transducer 1 configured as described above, an AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 3 at a predetermined frequency via a control device (not shown), thereby causing the piezoelectric element 3 to move toward the paraboloid of revolution 2a. Ultrasonic waves are excited in parallel, and the ultrasonic waves excited by the piezoelectric element 3 are reflected by the paraboloid of revolution 2a and focused on the focus point P, whereby a strong ultrasonic wave is obtained at the focus point P. As a result, it penetrates A strong sound wave is generated inside the processing channel formed by the holes 2e (see FIG. 4). 1 to 4 are schematic diagrams for explaining the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer, and do not accurately depict the shape of the paraboloid of revolution.
The dimensions of the vibrating body 2 in the ultrasonic transducer 1 are 40 mm in diameter and 10 mm in height, and its material is an aluminum alloy (deralumin). .1 mm. It was confirmed that by applying an AC voltage of 80 Vpp to the piezoelectric element 3 of the ultrasonic transducer 1 constructed in this manner, a powerful ultrasonic wave with a frequency of 1.2 MHz was obtained in the processing channel.
Incidentally, the dimensions of the vibrating body 2 and the piezoelectric element 3 are not limited to the above-described embodiment. The inner diameter of l3 can be 5 mm to 30 mm and the thickness can be 0.1 mm to 5 mm.
Also, the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 3 can be an AC voltage with a frequency of 20 kHz to 20 MHz, and the frequency of the ultrasonic waves obtained at the focus point P can be 10 kHz to 20 MHz.

According to the ultrasonic transducer 1 configured as described above, the ultrasonic waves excited in the piezoelectric element 3 are focused using the paraboloid of revolution 2a to obtain strong ultrasonic waves in the processing channel. , it is possible to reduce the size of the vibrating body 2, and thus to reduce the size of the ultrasonic transducer 1 as a whole.
In addition, since the resonance frequency does not depend on the length of the vibrating body as in the Langevin vibrator, by adjusting the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 3, a wide band of powerful ultrasonic waves can be obtained at the focus point P. becomes possible. Furthermore, by adjusting the waveform of the AC voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 3 or by synthesizing the waveform, it is possible to adjust the waveform of the powerful ultrasonic wave obtained at the focus point P. It is possible to obtain powerful ultrasonic waves suitable for the application.
Furthermore, since a processing channel passing through the inside of the vibrating body 2 is provided, and the focus point P is provided in the processing channel inside the vibrating body 2, the ultrasonic wave can be generated by flowing the object to be processed through the processing channel. It becomes possible to irradiate the object to be processed with strong ultrasonic waves inside the transducer 1 . As a result, for example, by interposing the ultrasonic transducer 1 in a blood flow path such as a blood gas analyzer, blood cells in the blood flowing in the flow path can be broken down using ultrasonic waves. can be used. The application of the ultrasonic transducer 1 according to the present invention is not limited to a blood gas analyzer, but can be applied to any device as long as it is a device that allows an object to be processed to flow through a processing channel. Specifically, for example, it can be applied to a device for decomposing, disinfecting, or sterilizing dioxin, an emulsifying device, or a chemical reaction device using cavitation.
Also, the configuration for connecting the upper connector 4 and the lower connector 5 to the vibrating body 2 is not limited to this embodiment. 4 and the lower connecting portion 5 may be configured to be connected. By doing so, it is possible to ensure a long flow path distance inside the vibrating body 2 , so that the range of options for the position of the focus point P is widened, and the options for the shape of the vibrating body 2 are widened.
In addition, the position of the focus point P is not limited to the present embodiment, and may be any position as long as it can generate a strong sound wave in the processing channel. It does not have to be a single point. For example, by making the reflective surface a conical shape instead of a paraboloid of revolution, it is possible to arrange a plurality of focus points P along the processing channel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the second embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the position of the focus point P, and the rest of the configuration is the same as the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer shown in the first embodiment. The same reference numerals as those in the example are used, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.
As shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, the focus point P is located beyond the through hole 2e that constitutes the processing channel.
In this way, after the focus point P is reflected by the paraboloid of revolution 2a, it is configured to be converged at a position beyond the processing flow channel, whereby strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained in a wide range of the processing flow channel. become.
Although the paraboloid of revolution in FIG. 5 is drawn in the same shape as the paraboloid of revolution shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention. , the shape of the paraboloid of revolution is drawn schematically, and in fact the shape of the paraboloid of revolution in the second embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment. Needless to say.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the third embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the position of the focus point P, and the rest of the configuration is the same as that of the ultrasonic transducer shown in the first embodiment. The same reference numerals as those in the embodiment are given, and overlapping explanations are omitted.
As shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, the focus point P is positioned at the center of the through-hole 2e that constitutes the processing channel.
In this way, by configuring the focus point P to converge at the center of the processing channel after being reflected by the paraboloid of revolution 2a, it is possible to obtain strong ultrasonic waves in the processing channel.
Although the paraboloid of revolution in FIG. 6 is drawn in the same shape as the paraboloid of revolution shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of the shape of the paraboloid of revolution, and in practice the paraboloid of revolution in the third embodiment and the paraboloids of revolution in the first and second embodiments; Needless to say, the shape is different from that of the surface.

In the above embodiments, the reflecting surface is configured as a paraboloid of revolution, but the shape of the reflecting surface is not limited to this embodiment, and may be, for example, a conical shape.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the fourth embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention.
In this embodiment, the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the vibrating body is conical. Description is omitted.
As shown in the drawing, the vibrating body 2 of the ultrasonic vibrator according to this embodiment has a conical shape, the bottom surface 2b of which is provided with a piezoelectric element 3, and the reflecting surface is a conical surface 2a.
According to the ultrasonic transducer configured as described above, an AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 3 at a predetermined frequency via a control device (not shown), thereby causing the piezoelectric element 3 to extend parallel to the conical surface 2a. An ultrasonic wave is excited, and the ultrasonic wave excited by the piezoelectric element 3 is reflected by the conical surface 2a and travels toward the through hole 2e forming the processing channel. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the ultrasonic waves are focused at a plurality of points along the processing channel, producing strong sound waves over a wide area inside the processing channel. By configuring in this way, it is possible to widen the range in which strong sound waves are generated in the processing channel of the ultrasonic transducer, and as a result, it is possible to widen the range that can be processed in the processing channel.

Next, referring to FIG. 8, a pair of ultrasonic transducer pieces 10 and 20 having the same configuration as the ultrasonic transducer 1 configured as described above are arranged so that the piezoelectric elements 13 and 23 face each other. The configuration of the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, which is arranged two vertically, will be described.
In the figure, reference numerals 10 and 20 denote ultrasonic transducer pieces. Each of the ultrasonic transducer pieces 10 and 20 has vibrating bodies 12 and 22, and annular piezoelectric elements 13 and 23 having electrodes (not shown) provided on both sides are fixed to the bottom surfaces of the vibrating bodies 12 and 22. ing.
Each of the vibrating bodies 12 and 22 has a truncated cone shape and has conical surfaces 12a and 22a as reflecting surfaces, respectively.
Each of the vibrating bodies 12 and 22 is formed with cylindrical connecting flanges 12b and 22b which protrude outward in the axial direction from the bottom surface thereof and are dimensioned so that they can be fitted to each other. Furthermore, through holes 12c and 22c are formed along the center axis of each of the vibrating bodies 12 and 22, and when the vibrating bodies 12 and 22 are coupled, the through holes 12c and 22c are communicated to form a processing passage. do.
In the figure, reference numerals 12d and 22d denote flanges projecting radially outward, reference numeral 14 denotes an upper connector, and reference numeral 24 denotes a lower connector.
The two ultrasonic transducer pieces 10 and 20 configured as described above are arranged vertically so that the piezoelectric elements 13 and 23 face each other and are joined together. This constitutes a flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer.
According to the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer configured as described above, the piezoelectric elements 13 and 23 are controlled by applying an AC voltage at a predetermined frequency to the piezoelectric elements 13 and 23 via a control device (not shown). Through holes that excite ultrasonic waves in parallel toward the conical surfaces 12a and 22a as reflection surfaces from the By focusing at 12c and 22c, high intensity ultrasound is obtained in the process channel. Note that FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer, and the shape of the conical surface is not depicted accurately.
In this way, the two ultrasonic transducer pieces 10 and 20 having conical surfaces as reflecting surfaces are arranged one above the other so that the through holes 12c and 22c communicate with each other to form one processing flow path. As a result, the range of processing channels from which strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained can be expanded. Specifically, the range of processing channels from which strong ultrasonic waves can be obtained is doubled from the range of the embodiment shown in FIG. becomes possible.
In addition, by arranging the ultrasonic transducer pieces vertically in two, the spread (diffusion) of the sound waves in the focusing process makes it possible to focus the ultrasonic waves particularly efficiently at the central portion of the entire ultrasonic transducer. can be made, it becomes possible to reduce the diameters of the vibrating body and the piezoelectric element.

Further, with reference to FIG. 9, another embodiment of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer having a pair of ultrasonic transducer pieces will be described.
The configuration of each ultrasonic transducer piece in this embodiment has the same structure as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. Description is omitted.
In this embodiment, the vibrating bodies 12 and 22 of the ultrasonic vibrating pieces 10 and 20 are each composed of a cylindrical body having paraboloids of revolution 12a and 22a on the top thereof, and the paraboloids of revolution 12a and 22a are respectively: The focal point P is formed so as to be positioned at the center point of the entire ultrasonic transducer, that is, at the center of the processing channel formed by connecting the connecting holes 12c and 22c.
According to the ultrasonic transducer configured as described above, the ultrasonic waves output from the piezoelectric element 13 of one ultrasonic transducer piece 10 are reflected by the paraboloid of revolution 12a of the ultrasonic transducer piece 10. After passing through the focus point P, the light is reflected by the paraboloid of revolution 22a of the other ultrasonic transducer piece 20 and returns to the piezoelectric element 23 of the ultrasonic transducer piece 20, thereby forming a resonance system. As a result, it is possible to more efficiently generate strong ultrasonic waves at the focus point P at a constant voltage.

Next, an embodiment of a blood gas analyzer equipped with a channel built-in ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG.
FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the blood gas analyzer, and FIG. 11 shows a schematic diagram showing the internal mechanism of the blood gas analyzer shown in FIG.
In the figure, reference numeral 30 indicates the entire blood gas analyzer, reference numeral 31 indicates a casing of the blood gas analyzer 30, reference numeral 32 indicates a monitor that also functions as an operation panel, and reference numeral 33 indicates a printer for printing analysis results. ing.
A calibration liquid tank 35 , a cleaning liquid tank 36 and a waste liquid tank 37 are detachably mounted on the front surface of the casing 31 .
A syringe mounting portion 38 for mounting the syringe S is provided in front of the upper surface of the casing 31 . The syringe mounting portion 38 is provided with a syringe detection sensor 38a for detecting whether or not the syringe S is mounted (see FIG. 6).
Further, as shown in FIG. 11, inside the casing 31,
a suction nozzle 40 configured to be able to be taken in and out of the syringe S attached to the attachment portion 38;
an actuation part 41 for moving the suction nozzle 40;
a suction circuit 42 connected to the suction nozzle 40;
a pump 43 for generating a suction force on the suction nozzle 40 through a suction circuit 42;
a flow sensor 44 located upstream of the pump 43 in the suction circuit 42;
a channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 45 disposed between the pump 43 and the flow sensor 44 in the suction circuit 42;
an analysis sensor unit 46 disposed between the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer 45 and the pump 43 in the suction circuit 42;
A control device 47 is provided for controlling the above components.
10 and 11, reference numeral 50 denotes a suction nozzle accommodating portion that accommodates the suction nozzle 40 so that the suction nozzle 40 can be moved into and out of the syringe S. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, the suction nozzle 40 has a tip portion 40a having a diameter that allows at least to enter the syringe S, and a body portion 40b connected to the tip portion 40a and having a diameter smaller than that of the tip portion 40a.
A first valve 51 and a second valve 52 that can be closed by the tip portion 40 a of the suction nozzle 40 are arranged in the suction nozzle accommodating portion 50 at intervals along the movement direction of the suction nozzle 40 . Between the two valves 51 and 52 in the suction nozzle accommodating portion 50, a cleaning liquid introduction port 53 and a waste liquid port 54 are provided. 40a is moved to a position where the first valve 51 and the second valve 52 are closed, and then the cleaning liquid is sucked from the cleaning liquid tank 36 through the cleaning liquid introduction port 53 by a pump (or pump 43) not shown. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the space between the first valve 51 and the second valve 52 in the unit 50, the cleaning liquid is sucked by the suction nozzle 40 via the pump 43, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the flow sensor 44, the ultrasonic transducer 45 and the analysis sensor. The liquid is drained to the portion 46 and discharged to the waste liquid tank 37 . Further, after cleaning, the cleaning liquid that has not been sucked by the suction nozzle 40 is discharged to the waste liquid tank 37 through the waste liquid port 54 by a pump (or pump 43) not shown.
The controller 47 receives signals from the syringe detection sensor 38a and the flow sensor 44, and controls the operation of the operating section 41 and the pump 43 based on these signals.
The control device 47 also performs blood component analysis based on the detection signal from the analysis sensor section 46 and outputs the analysis results to the monitor 32 and the printer 33 . The blood component analysis processing based on the detection signal from the analysis sensor section 46 is the same processing as in a known blood component analysis device, so detailed description will be omitted in this specification.
Further, the control device 47 controls the operation of the flow path built-in ultrasonic transducer 45 based on the signals from the syringe detection sensor 38 a and the flow sensor 44 .
Since the configuration of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 45 is the same as the structure of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 1 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the embodiment shown in FIGS. The same reference numerals are used for the components corresponding to .
In the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 45, the suction circuit 42 is connected to the connecting portion 4b of the upper connector 4 and the connecting portion 5b of the lower connector 5, and the blood flowing through the suction circuit 42 passes through the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer. It is provided so as to flow through the flow path of the sound wave oscillator 45 . Based on the signals from the syringe detection sensor 38a and the flow sensor 44, the controller 47 applies an AC voltage of a predetermined frequency to the piezoelectric element 3 when the blood passes through the processing channel in the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 45. is applied to excite ultrasonic waves, strong ultrasonic waves are generated in the processing channel, and the strong ultrasonic waves destroy red blood cells in the blood to hemolyze the blood.
In this embodiment, the vibrating body 2 in the ultrasonic vibrator 25 has dimensions of 40 mm in diameter and 10 mm in height, and its material is aluminum alloy (deralumin). 40 mm and 1.1 mm thick. Furthermore, the AC voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 3 by the control device 47 is 80 Vpp, the frequency of the powerful ultrasonic waves obtained in the processing channel is 1.2 MHz, and red blood cells in the blood can be destroyed by these powerful ultrasonic waves. It was confirmed.
As described above, according to the blood gas analyzer equipped with the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer, by providing the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer in the suction circuit of the blood gas analyzer, blood can be hemolyzed in advance. It is possible to aspirate blood from the syringe S and hemolyze the blood in the analysis device without having to do so. As a result, when measuring hemoglobin, blood is hemolyzed using the ultrasonic transducer with a built-in channel and sent to the analysis sensor unit 46, and when measuring other components, the ultrasonic transducer with a built-in channel is activated. Without hemolysis, it becomes possible to send unhemolyzed blood to the analysis sensor section 46 .
In the above-described embodiment, the control device 47 changes the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 3 of the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer 45 to change the strong ultrasonic wave obtained in the processing channel, thereby changing the processing channel. It is also possible to exhibit the cleaning function in ultrasonic waves.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the single suction circuit 42 is interposed with the ultrasonic vibrator 45 with a built-in flow path. , two branched circuits are provided, one circuit is provided with a sensor for measuring hemoglobin, the other sensor is provided with a sensor for measurement other than hemoglobin, and only the circuit provided with the sensor for measuring hemoglobin has a built-in flow path. An ultrasonic transducer 45 may be provided.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the blood gas analyzer is provided with the flow channel built-in ultrasonic transducer shown in FIGS. Needless to say, it is possible to provide the suction circuit with the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer shown in FIGS.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 ultrasonic vibrator 2 vibrating body 2a paraboloid of revolution 2b bottom surface 2c upper connector mounting hole 2d lower connector mounting hole 2e through hole (processing channel)
2f flange 2' vibrator (fourth embodiment)
2a' conical surface (fourth embodiment)
3 piezoelectric element 4 upper connector 4a mounting portion 4b connecting portion 4c through hole 5 lower connecting component 5a mounting portion 5b connecting portion 5c through hole P focus point

10 Ultrasonic transducer piece 12 Vibrating body 12a Conical surface (embodiment of FIG. 8); Paraboloid of revolution (embodiment of FIG. 9)
12b connecting flange 12c through hole 12d flange 13 piezoelectric element 14 upper connecting tool

20 Ultrasonic transducer piece 22 Vibrating body 22a Conical surface (embodiment of FIG. 8); Paraboloid of revolution (embodiment of FIG. 9)
22b connecting flange 22c through hole 22d flange 23 piezoelectric element 24 lower connecting tool P focus point

30 Blood gas analyzer 31 Casing 32 Operation panel 33 Printer 35 Calibration liquid tank 36 Washing liquid tank 37 Waste liquid tank 38 Syringe mounting part 38a Syringe detection sensor 40 Suction nozzle 40a Tip part 40b Body part 41 Actuating part 42 Suction circuit 43 Pump 44 Flow sensor 45 Flow path built-in ultrasonic oscillator 46 Analysis sensor unit 47 Control device 50 Suction nozzle housing unit 51 First valve 52 Second valve 53 Cleaning liquid introduction port 54 Waste liquid port S Syringe

Claims (15)

A vibrating body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflective surface located above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward; and a thickness longitudinal vibration mode in which electrodes are provided on both sides of the vibrating body in contact with the bottom surface of the vibrating body. comprising an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having
A processing flow path is provided at the center of the vibrating body along the center axis and vertically penetrates the vibrating body,
An alternating voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to the piezoelectric element to excite ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves are reflected by the reflecting surface and directed toward the processing flow path. Built-in ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is a paraboloid of revolution. 3. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 2, wherein the paraboloid of revolution is formed such that a focal point of ultrasonic waves reflected by the paraboloid is on the wall surface of the processing channel. 3. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 2, wherein the paraboloid of revolution is formed such that a focus point of ultrasonic waves reflected by the paraboloid is positioned beyond the processing channel. 3. The ultrasonic transducer of claim 2, wherein the paraboloid of revolution is shaped such that the focal point of ultrasonic waves reflected thereby is located within the processing channel. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is a conical surface. The ultrasonic vibrator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vibrating body has a diameter of 10 mm to 80 mm and a height of 10 mm to 30 mm. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric element has an inner diameter of 5 mm to 30 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vibrating body is made of aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, brass or stainless steel. The vibrating body has an upper connecting tool mounting hole and a lower connecting tool mounting hole that are opposed to each other along the center axis at the upper and lower central parts thereof, and between the upper connecting tool mounting hole and the lower connecting tool mounting hole. A through hole formed along the central axis,
The ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said through-hole functions as said processing channel. The ultrasonic transducer further comprises an upper connector and a lower connector that can be attached to the upper connector attachment hole and the lower connector attachment hole, each connector having a through hole along its central axis. death,
When the upper connector and the lower connector are attached to the upper connector mounting hole and the lower connector mounting hole, the through hole of the connector communicates with the through hole of the vibrator to form a single flow path. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 10, characterized in that: 12. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 11, wherein each of the upper connector and the lower connector has a connector at one end thereof to which a tube or pipe can be connected. The ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the vibrating body comprises an annular flange extending radially outwardly at its bottom. A vibrating body having a flat circular bottom surface and a reflective surface located above the circular bottom surface and having a diameter that decreases upward; and a thickness longitudinal vibration mode in which electrodes are provided on both sides of the vibrating body in contact with the bottom surface of the vibrating body. comprising an annular plate-shaped piezoelectric element having
Piezoelectric elements face each other and the processing channels are in communication with two flow channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer pieces provided with a processing channel vertically penetrating the vibrating body along the central axis at the center of the vibrating body. Place them on top of each other so that
An alternating voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to each of the piezoelectric elements to excite ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves are reflected by each reflecting surface and directed toward the processing flow path. Built-in ultrasonic transducer. a syringe mounting part to which a syringe that collects blood can be mounted;
a suction nozzle that penetrates into the syringe attached to the syringe attachment portion and sucks blood inside the syringe;
a suction pump connected to the suction nozzle;
A blood gas comprising: a sensor for analyzing components of the blood sucked by the suction nozzle; a blood flow path leading from the suction nozzle to a waste liquid section via the sensor; and a control device for controlling at least the operation of the suction pump. in the analyzer,
15. A blood gas analyzer, comprising: the channel-embedded ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 14, provided such that its processing channel communicates with said blood channel.

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