JP6645778B2 - Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  In ultrasonic diagnosis, a user of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus uses an ultrasonic probe according to the purpose of diagnosis. Ultrasonic probes include a body surface probe that transmits ultrasonic waves from outside the subject and an in vivo probe that transmits ultrasonic waves from inside the subject. As an in-vivo probe, for example, there is a TEE (transesophageal echocardiography: transesophageal) probe 1 as shown in FIGS. 13 (A) and 13 (B). The TEE probe 1 is an ultrasonic probe for observing a heart or the like from the inside of the subject by inserting the distal end 2 from the esophagus of the subject and having a thin tubular tip 2 on which a vibration element is arranged. . The tip 2 is designed to be small in size to allow passage through the esophagus. For example, a 2D array type TEE probe 1 in which a plurality of vibration elements are arranged in the azimuth direction (lateral direction) and the elevation direction can simultaneously observe, for example, orthogonal cross sections of the heart by electrical control. Yes, and its diagnostic effectiveness is recognized.

JP 2006-198239A

  By the way, if the conventional ultrasonic probe is improperly handled, the temperature around the vibrating element may have already become high at the timing of performing a diagnosis. The improper handling here includes, for example, leaving the ultrasonic probe in the state of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves without abutting on the subject (leaving in the air). If the diagnosis is performed while the vicinity of the vibration element is high, the subject may be burned. Alternatively, if the diagnosis is not performed until the temperature near the vibrating element drops to an appropriate temperature, the diagnosis time will be long.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve usability in ultrasonic diagnosis.

The ultrasonic probe according to the embodiment includes a holding unit, an insertion unit, a plurality of sensors, and an electronic circuit.

  The grip is gripped by an operator at the time of diagnosis.

  The insertion section extends from the grip section, is inserted into a subject at the time of diagnosis, and has a vibrating element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves at a distal end portion.

The plurality of sensors sense a surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section.

The electronic circuit is used for at least one of driving of the vibration element and processing of an echo signal generated by the vibration element, and according to a surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion unit detected by the plurality of sensors. Power consumption changes.
The insertion portion has the vibration element on a first surface of the tip portion, has a first sensor of the plurality of sensors on a second surface opposite to the first surface, and has a first surface. A second sensor of the plurality of sensors on a third surface between the first sensor and the second surface.

  Further, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment includes a control unit and a display control unit.

  The control unit causes the ultrasonic probe to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave.

  The display control unit causes the display unit to display an ultrasonic image generated based on an output from the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in the embodiment. It is a flowchart for explaining operation in the embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a distal end portion of an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a sensor applied to an ultrasonic probe according to a fourth embodiment and an amplifier circuit at a subsequent stage. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a distal end portion of an ultrasonic probe according to a fifth embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in the embodiment. It is a flow chart for explaining operation of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic device in the embodiment. It is a flow chart for explaining the modification of the embodiment. It is a mimetic diagram showing appearance of an insertion part and a grasping part of an ultrasonic probe concerning a 6th embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the external appearance of a general TEE probe.

  Hereinafter, an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As the ultrasonic probe, a TEE probe will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an arbitrary ultrasonic probe having an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject can be applied. The applicable ultrasonic probe includes, for example, a transvaginal probe and a transrectal probe.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic diagrams showing the configurations of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the ultrasound probe 20 extends from the grip 21 in a direction opposite to the insertion section 30, a grip 21 to be gripped by an operator at the time of diagnosis, an insertion section 30 extending from the grip 21. And a connector section 40. The grip portion 21 has a function of bending a thin tube portion of the insertion portion 30 in a desired direction and a function of swinging the distal end portion 31 of the insertion portion 30 by operating a handle (not shown). The insertion section 30 has a vibrating element, which is inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, at the distal end portion 31. The connector section 40 has a first control circuit 41 and is connected to the apparatus main body 50 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The apparatus body 50 includes, for example, a second control circuit 51 that causes the ultrasonic probe 20 to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, and a signal processing circuit 52 that generates an image based on an echo signal output from the ultrasonic probe 20. It has it inside the housing. A display unit 58 is mounted on the housing.

  Here, the distal end portion 31 of the ultrasonic probe 20 includes a vibration element array 32, a sensor 33, and an electronic circuit chip 34, as shown in FIG. As described above, the vibrating element array 32 and the electronic circuit chip 34 are part of a laminated structure in which a backing material, an electronic circuit chip, a bump, an electric signal rewiring layer, a bump, a vibrating element array, and an acoustic matching layer are sequentially stacked. Has been implemented as The sensor 33 is mounted on, for example, a second surface having a backing material opposite to the first surface having the acoustic matching layer and the vibrating element array 32. However, the sensor 33 is not limited to the second surface, and may be, for example, a third surface (left side toward the distal end portion 31) or a fourth surface between the first surface (front surface) and the second surface (back surface). It may be mounted on a surface (the surface opposite to the third surface). Note that the definitions of the third surface and the fourth surface may be interchanged. Further, since the sensor 33 only needs to be arranged at a position to be inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis, the sensor 33 does not necessarily have to be arranged at the distal end portion 31.

  The vibrating element array 32 has a plurality of vibrating elements 32-1, 32-2,..., 32-n as acoustic / electric reversible conversion elements such as piezoelectric ceramics. The plurality of vibrating elements 32-1, 32-2,..., 32-n are arranged in parallel and provided at the tip of the ultrasonic probe 20. The description will be made on the assumption that one vibrator forms one channel. , 32-n in response to drive signals supplied from the plurality of pulsars 352b-1, 352b-2, ..., 352b-n of the transmitting unit 35, respectively. Generates ultrasonic waves. Each of the plurality of vibrating elements 32-1, 32-2,..., 32-n generates an echo signal in response to receiving the ultrasonic echo reflected by the living tissue of the subject. The ultrasonic probe 20 may be a one-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of vibrating elements 32-1, 32-2,..., 32-n are arranged one-dimensionally, or a plurality of vibrating elements 32-1. .., 32-n may be arranged two-dimensionally.

  The sensor 33 senses a surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion unit 30 and outputs a signal indicating a sensing result. Examples of the surrounding environment include light, sound, heat, and odor around at least a part of the insertion section 30. The signal output from the sensor 33 is transmitted to the first control circuit 41. At this time, the signal output from the sensor 33 may be either a digital signal or an analog signal. In the case of an analog signal, for example, the signal may be converted to a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit (not shown) in the electronic circuit 34a and then transmitted to the first control circuit 41. Alternatively, the analog signal may be converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit in the first control circuit 41. As the sensor 33, for example, an optical sensor that senses the brightness of at least a part of the insertion section 30, such as a photodiode, can be used. The optical sensor is not limited to a photo diode, and any optical sensor such as a phototransistor or a CdS cell can be used. Further, the sensor 33 is not limited to an optical sensor, and a sensor (eg, a sound sensor, a heat sensor, an odor sensor, or the like) according to a surrounding environment (eg, sound, heat, or odor) of the sensing target is appropriately used. It can be used.

  The electronic circuit chip 34 is an integrated circuit chip on which the electronic circuit 34a is formed. The electronic circuit 34 a is used for at least one of driving of the vibration elements 32-1,..., 32-n and processing of echo signals generated by the vibration elements 32-1,. The power consumption changes depending on the surrounding environment. In this example, the electronic circuit 34a is used for both driving the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n and processing the echo signals generated by the vibrating elements 32-1,. Specifically, the electronic circuit 34a includes a transmitting unit 35 that drives the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n, and a receiving unit that processes echo signals generated by the vibrating elements 32-1,. 36 is used as a circuit for realizing each function. Further, the electronic circuit 34a drives the vibration elements 32-1,..., 32-n (hereinafter, also referred to as driving processing) and processes echo signals generated by the vibration elements 32-1,. , Echo signal processing) can be applied to both 2D array type and 1D array type. Similarly, when the electronic circuit 34a is used for the echo signal processing of the drive processing and the echo signal processing, the electronic circuit 34a is applicable to both the 2D array type and the 1D array type. In addition, when the electronic circuit 34a is used in the driving processing of the driving processing and the echo signal processing, the electronic circuit 34a is applicable to a 1D array type in which the number of signal lines of a transmission cable is smaller than that of a 2D array type. Further, as an example in which the power consumption changes according to the surrounding environment, the electronic circuit 34a may be a circuit in which the power consumption increases when the brightness detected by the sensor 33 decreases. Further, as another example in which the power consumption changes according to the surrounding environment, the electronic circuit 34a may be a circuit that increases the power consumption when the sensor 33 detects a sound, heat, or smell in the subject.

  The transmission unit 35 includes a rate pulse generator 351 and a plurality of transmission circuits 352-1, 352-2, ..., 352-n each corresponding to the number of channels. The rate pulse generator 351 repeatedly generates a rate pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave at a predetermined rate frequency. The rate pulse generator 351 repeatedly generates a rate pulse at a rate frequency of, for example, 5 kHz. The generated rate pulses are distributed to the number of channels and sent to transmission circuits 352-1, 352-2, ..., 352-n connected to the respective channels.

  , 352-n include transmission delay circuits 352a-1, 352a-2,..., 352a-n and pulsars 352b-1, 352b-2,. Respectively. Hereinafter, one transmission circuit 352-1 will be described. The transmission delay circuit 352a-1 gives each rate pulse a delay time necessary for converging the ultrasonic wave into a beam for each channel and determining transmission directivity. The pulser 352b-1 applies a voltage pulse (drive signal) to the vibration element 32-1 of the ultrasonic probe 20 at a timing based on the rate pulse. Thereby, the ultrasonic beam is transmitted to the subject.

  The receiving unit 36 includes a preamplifier circuit 361, a reception delay circuit 362, an adder 363, and the like. The echo signal reflected by the living tissue of the subject is taken in as an echo signal for each channel via the ultrasonic probe 20. The preamplifier circuit 361 amplifies the echo signal from the subject captured via the ultrasonic probe 20 for each channel. The reception delay circuit 362 gives a delay time necessary for determining the reception directivity to the echo signal. The adder 363 adds a plurality of echo signals given the delay time. By this addition, the receiving unit 36 generates a reception signal in which a reflection component from a direction corresponding to the reception directivity is emphasized.

  The overall directivity of ultrasonic transmission and reception is determined by the transmission directivity and the reception directivity (a so-called “ultrasonic scanning line” is determined by the directivity). The receiving unit 36 outputs a received signal for each depth in each scanning line in the scanned area to the signal processing circuit 52. Note that the receiving unit 36 may have a parallel receiving function of simultaneously receiving echo signals generated on a plurality of scanning lines in one ultrasonic transmission. Further, the receiving unit 36 may arrange a part of the adder 363 in the apparatus main body 50 and perform final beamforming on the apparatus side.

  The first control circuit 41 is provided in the connector unit 40 and controls the transmission unit 35 and the reception unit 36 based on a signal received from the sensor 33 and a control signal received from the second control circuit 51. Specifically, the first control circuit 41 drives the vibration elements 32-1,..., 32-n by the transmission unit 35 based on the control signal received from the second control circuit 51, and controls the vibration element 32-1. ,..., 32-n. Further, the first control circuit 41 controls the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34 a including the transmitting unit 35 and the receiving unit 36 based on the signal received from the sensor 33. The first control circuit 41 is not limited to the connector 40 and may be provided on the grip 21 or may be provided at an intermediate position between the connector 40 and the grip 21. Alternatively, the first control circuit 41 may be omitted from the ultrasonic probe 20 and included in the second control circuit 51.

  Here, the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a includes (1) a bias current flowing inside the electronic circuit 34a, (2) voltages applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n, and (3) a vibrating element 32. ,..., 32-n are changed by changing at least one of the periods of applying the voltage. For this reason, the power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed by at least one of the above-described (1) and (2) reductions and the (3) prolongation. Hereinafter, description will be made in order.

  (1) Power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed by lowering the bias current. Supplementally, a preamplifier circuit 361 is incorporated in the electronic circuit 34a as an amplifier. The amplifier is composed of a transistor, and it is necessary to always supply a current to the transistor. This steady current is called a bias current. When the bias current is increased, the noise performance and the distortion performance are improved. On the other hand, the current of the power determined by the voltage and the current is increased, so that the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a increases and the temperature of the electronic circuit 34a becomes high. Therefore, the electronic circuit of the receiving unit 36 is designed so that the bias current of the electronic circuit 34a can be switched by the control signal output from the first control circuit 41 in response to the signal from the sensor 33. Thus, when the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, the bias current of the electronic circuit 34a can be reduced, and the power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed. When the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, there is no problem even if the noise performance and the distortion performance are deteriorated.

  (2) The power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed by lowering the voltage applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n. Supplementally, the electronic circuit 34a incorporates a transmitting unit 35 that performs a transmitting operation of applying a high-voltage pulse to each of the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n to output ultrasonic waves. , 32-n from the transmitting unit 35 during the application of the high-voltage pulse. When the voltage of the high-voltage pulse is increased, the image quality performance of the ultrasonic image is improved, while the power consumption determined by the current and the voltage value flowing through the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n is increased. become. Therefore, the electronic circuit of the transmitting unit 35 is designed so that the voltage applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n can be switched by the control signal output from the first control circuit 41. Thereby, when the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, the voltage applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n can be reduced, and the power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed. When the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, there is no problem even if the image quality is deteriorated.

  (3) The power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed by lengthening the cycle of applying a voltage to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n. Supplementally, factors that determine the power consumption related to the transmission operation include the repetition period (hereinafter, pulse repetition period) in addition to the above-described current flowing at the moment of transmission and the applied voltage. If this pulse repetition period is set to the minimum determined by the display depth, the ultrasonic image accurately represents the movement of the diagnosis target (for example, the heart), the power consumption when time averaged increases, and the electronic circuit 34 a become. Therefore, the electronic circuit of the transmitting unit 35 is designed so that the cycle of the voltage applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n can be switched by the control signal output from the first control circuit 41. deep. Thus, when the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, the period of the voltage applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n can be lengthened, and the power consumption and heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a can be suppressed. . When the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, there is no problem even if the update period of the image frame is delayed.

  Instead of suppressing the power consumption as described above, when the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used, the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a may be eliminated by stopping the supply of the bias current or the applied voltage. The elimination of power consumption is an extreme mode of suppressing power consumption, and will be described including the case of suppressing power consumption.

  On the other hand, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an apparatus main body 50, a display section 58, and an input section 59 connected to the apparatus main body 50 to input various instructions, instructions, and information from an operator to the apparatus main body 50. Further, a biological signal measuring unit (not shown) typified by an electrocardiograph, a phonograph, a pulse wave meter, and a respiratory sensor and a network may be connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus via the interface unit 57.

  The device main body 50 includes a second control circuit 51, a signal processing circuit 52, an image memory 53, an image combining unit 54, a display control unit 55, a storage unit 56, and an interface unit 57.

  The second control circuit 51 is composed of, for example, a CPU, and reads a transmission delay pattern, a reception delay pattern, and a control program stored in the storage unit 56 in response to an operation of the input unit 59 by an operator, and reads the control program according to these. 50 and the ultrasonic probe 20 are controlled. As an operation of the input unit 59, for example, an operation of inputting an instruction such as selection between a B mode and a Doppler mode, a frame rate, a depth to be scanned, and transmission start / end can be applied. However, the second control circuit 51 is not limited to the CPU, and may be configured by a circuit such as a programmable logic device (PLD) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

  The signal processing circuit 52 includes a B-mode processing unit (not shown), a Doppler processing unit, and an image generation unit. The signal processing circuit 52 generates image data based on the received signal output from the receiving unit 36. Hereinafter, generation of image data will be described in detail. Image data is ultrasound image data generated based on B-mode data or Doppler data.

  The B-mode processing unit has an envelope detector, a logarithmic converter, and the like (not shown). The envelope detector performs envelope detection on the received signal output from the receiving unit 36. The envelope detector outputs an envelope-detected signal to a logarithmic converter. The logarithmic converter performs logarithmic conversion on the envelope-detected signal to relatively emphasize a weak signal. The B-mode processing unit generates a signal value (B-mode data) for each depth in each scanning line and each ultrasonic transmission / reception based on the signal emphasized by the logarithmic converter.

  Note that the B-mode processing unit is a three-dimensional B composed of a plurality of signal values arranged in association with a lateral direction, an elevation direction, and a depth direction (hereinafter, referred to as a range (Range) direction) in the scanned area. Mode data may be generated. The range direction is a depth direction on the scanning line. Note that the three-dimensional B-mode data may be data in which a plurality of pixel values or a plurality of luminance values are arranged in a lateral direction, an elevation direction, and a range direction along a scanning line. . Further, the three-dimensional B-mode data may be data relating to a region of interest (Region Of Interest: hereinafter, referred to as ROI) in the scanned region. Further, the B-mode processing unit may generate volume data instead of three-dimensional B-mode data. Hereinafter, data generated by the B-mode processing unit is collectively referred to as B-mode data.

  The Doppler processing unit includes a mixer (not shown), a low-pass filter (hereinafter, referred to as an LPF), a speed / dispersion / Power calculation device, and the like. The mixer multiplies the received signal output from the receiving unit 36 by a reference signal having the same frequency f0 as the transmission frequency. By this multiplication, a signal having a component of the Doppler shift frequency fd and a signal having a frequency component of (2f0 + fd) are obtained. The LPF removes a signal of a high frequency component (2f0 + fd) from a signal having two types of frequency components from the mixer. The Doppler processing unit generates a Doppler signal having a component of the Doppler shift frequency fd by removing a signal of a high frequency component (2f0 + fd).

  The Doppler processing unit may use a quadrature detection method to generate a Doppler signal. At this time, the received signal (RF signal) is subjected to quadrature detection and converted into an IQ signal. The Doppler processing unit generates a Doppler signal having a component of the Doppler shift frequency fd by performing a complex Fourier transform on the IQ signal. The Doppler signal is, for example, an echo component due to blood flow, tissue, and a contrast agent.

  The speed / dispersion / Power calculation device includes an MTI (Moving Target Indicator) filter, an autocorrelation calculator, and the like (not shown). The MTI filter removes a Doppler component (clutter component) from the generated Doppler signal due to respiratory movement or pulsatile movement of the organ. The autocorrelation calculator calculates an autocorrelation value for the Doppler signal from which only the blood flow information has been extracted by the MTI filter. The autocorrelation calculator calculates an average velocity value, a variance value, a Doppler signal reflection intensity, and the like of the blood flow based on the calculated autocorrelation value. The velocity / dispersion / Power calculation device generates color Doppler data based on an average velocity value, dispersion value, reflection intensity of the Doppler signal, and the like based on a plurality of Doppler signals. Hereinafter, the Doppler signal and the color Doppler data are collectively referred to as Doppler data.

  Also, the Doppler data and the B-mode data are collectively called raw data. Note that the raw data may be B-mode data based on a harmonic component of the transmitted ultrasonic wave, and elasticity data on a living tissue in the subject. The B-mode processing unit and the Doppler processing unit output the generated raw data to the image generation unit. The B-mode processing unit and the Doppler processing unit can also output the generated raw data to the image memory 53.

  The image generation unit has a digital scan converter (Digital Scan Converter: hereinafter, referred to as DSC) not shown. The image generation unit performs a coordinate conversion process (resampling) on the DSC. The coordinate conversion processing is, for example, to convert a scanning line signal sequence of an ultrasonic scan composed of raw data into a scanning line signal sequence of a general video format represented by a television or the like. The image generation unit performs an interpolation process on the DSC following the coordinate conversion process. The interpolation process is a process of interpolating data between scanning line signal sequences using raw data in adjacent scanning line signal sequences. The image generation unit generates ultrasonic image data by performing a coordinate conversion process and an interpolation process on the raw data.

  Note that the signal processing circuit 52 executes projection of line-of-sight data in order to display a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional monitor on the display unit 58 by rendering three-dimensional B-mode data or volume data. Is also good. That is, the signal processing circuit 52 generates an image on a two-dimensional plane by projecting the three-dimensional object on the projection plane. In the rendering processing, any projection method may be used.

  The image memory 53 is a memory that stores, for example, ultrasound images corresponding to a plurality of frames immediately before freezing. By continuously displaying the images stored in the cine memory (cine display), an ultrasonic moving image can be displayed.

  The image synthesizing unit 54 generates an ultrasonic image for display by synthesizing character information and scales of various parameters with the ultrasonic image generated by the signal processing circuit 52.

  The display control unit 55 causes the display unit 58 to display the ultrasonic image generated by the image combining unit 54.

  The storage unit 56 includes a plurality of reception delay patterns and a plurality of transmission delay patterns having different focus depths, a control program of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a diagnostic protocol, various data groups such as transmission / reception conditions, and a signal processing circuit 52. The generated raw data and the ultrasound image are stored.

  The interface unit 57 is an interface relating to the input unit 59, a network, an external storage device (not shown), and a biological signal measurement unit. Data such as an ultrasonic image and analysis results obtained by the apparatus main body 50 can be transferred to another apparatus via the interface unit 57 and a network. The interface unit 57 can also download, via a network, a medical image relating to the subject acquired by another medical image diagnostic apparatus (not shown).

  The display unit 58 displays an ultrasonic image such as a B-mode image and a Doppler image based on the output of the display control unit 55. The display unit 58 may execute adjustment such as brightness, contrast, dynamic range, and γ correction, and assign a color map to the displayed image.

  The input unit 59 is connected to the interface unit 57 and takes in various instructions, commands, information, selections, and settings from the operator into the device main body 50. The input unit 59 has input devices (not shown) such as a trackball, a switch button, a mouse, and a keyboard. The input device detects the coordinates of the cursor displayed on the display screen, and outputs the detected coordinates to the second control circuit 51. Note that the input device may be a touch command screen provided so as to cover the display screen. In this case, the input unit 59 detects a coordinate pointed by a touch according to a coordinate reading principle such as an electromagnetic induction type, an electromagnetic distortion type, a pressure-sensitive type, and outputs the detected coordinate to the second control circuit 51. Further, when the operator operates the end button or the freeze button of the input unit 59, the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave by the ultrasonic probe 20 are terminated by the control from the second control circuit 51, and the use of the apparatus main body 50 is temporarily stopped. State.

  Next, the operation of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the connector section 40 is connected to the apparatus main body 50 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic probe 20 is in a state in which ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received by the vibration elements 32-1,..., 32-n.

  In this state, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the second control circuit 51 is activated according to the operation of the input unit 59 by the operator. The second control circuit 51 sends a control signal for causing the ultrasonic probe 20 to execute transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves to the first control circuit 41 of the ultrasonic probe 20.

  The first control circuit 41 controls the transmitting unit 35 and the receiving unit 36 based on the control signal. The transmitting unit 35 drives the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n under the control of the first control circuit 41 (ST1). The receiving unit 36 processes the echo signals generated by the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n, and sends out the received signals obtained by the processing to the signal processing circuit 52 of the device main body 50.

  The signal processing circuit 52 generates ultrasonic image data based on the received signal output from the receiving unit 36. The image synthesizing unit 54 generates an ultrasonic image for display by synthesizing the ultrasonic image data with character information and scales of various parameters. The display control unit 55 causes the display unit 58 to display the generated ultrasonic image.

  On the other hand, the sensor 33 of the ultrasonic probe 20 detects the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30 (ST2). In the specific example of step ST2, the sensor 33 senses the brightness as the surrounding environment and outputs a signal indicating the sensing result.

  The power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes according to the surrounding environment sensed in step ST2 (ST3: ST3-1 to ST3-3). In the specific example of step ST3, the signal output from the sensor 33 is transmitted to the first control circuit 41.

  The first control circuit 41 determines whether or not the brightness around at least a part of the insertion section 30 has decreased based on the signal from the sensor 33 (ST3-1). If the determination result in step ST3-1 indicates negative, the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used for diagnosis, and the insertion unit 30 is left in the air. Therefore, the first control circuit 41 reduces the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a (ST3-2), and suppresses the heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a. That is, ultrasonic diagnosis has not been started, and there is no need to supply power for obtaining high image quality performance. After the end of step ST3-2, the ultrasonic probe 20 returns to step ST2 and continues the processing.

  If the determination result in step ST3-1 indicates a decrease in brightness, the ultrasonic probe 20 is being used for diagnosis, and the insertion unit 30 has been inserted into the subject (eg, the esophagus). Therefore, the first control circuit 41 controls the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a to a necessary and sufficient power (ST3-3). That is, it is necessary to supply necessary and sufficient power to the electronic circuit 34a to obtain high image quality performance during the ultrasonic diagnosis. In step ST3-3, immediately after the detection of the decrease in brightness, the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a is controlled to increase. Is controlled to maintain.

  After the end of step ST3-3, the first control circuit 41 determines whether or not the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended (ST4). If the determination result in step ST4 indicates no, the ultrasonic probe 20 returns to step ST2 and continues the processing. If the result of the determination in step ST3-3 indicates that the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended, the ultrasonic probe 20 ends the processing.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, as shown in steps ST2 to ST3, the sensor 33 senses the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30 inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis, and this sensing is performed. The power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes according to the surrounding environment. This makes it possible to accurately detect whether or not the apparatus is being used for diagnosis, and to quickly return from the use stopped state. Therefore, usability in ultrasonic diagnosis can be improved.

  Supplementally, by sensing the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30, it is possible to detect whether or not the insertion section 30 has been inserted into the subject. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect whether or not the insertion section 30 is being used for diagnosis. Can be. In addition, the power consumption changes even when a change from the use stop state to the use state is detected in accordance with the sensed surrounding environment, so that it is possible to quickly return from the use stop state.

  In addition, when the sensor 33 senses the brightness of at least a part of the insertion unit 30, whether the insertion unit 30 is inserted into the subject is compared with the case where the sensor 33 senses the surrounding environment other than the brightness. Can be easily and reliably detected.

  Furthermore, the electronic circuit 34a is configured such that when the brightness sensed by the sensor 33 decreases, the power consumption increases. When the insertion section 30 is inserted into the subject and the surroundings are dark, the electronic circuit 34a increases the power consumption. An operation for obtaining image quality performance can be executed.

  In other words, when the brightness sensed by the sensor 33 increases, the electronic circuit 34a reduces the power consumption. When the insertion unit 30 is outside the subject and the surroundings are bright, the electronic circuit 34a decreases the power consumption. Heat generation can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress unnecessary heat generation when the ultrasonic probe 20 is outside the subject. For example, when the ultrasonic probe 20 is a TEE probe, the TEE probe has strict heat generation regulation, and when the contact portion of the human body becomes higher than a certain temperature, the operation of the apparatus must be forcibly stopped. However, it is necessary to avoid stopping the operation of the apparatus during the ultrasonic diagnosis as much as possible. According to the present embodiment, the temperature at the start of use can be reduced in order to suppress unnecessary heat generation when not in use. That is, in the present embodiment, the temperature at the start of use is lowered, the difference between the temperature at the start of use and the temperature at which heat generation is restricted (the temperature rise allowed during use) is increased, and the operation of the apparatus is stopped. In order to reduce the possibility of the heat generation, unnecessary heat generation when outside the subject is suppressed.

  When the insertion portion 30 has at least one of the sensor 33 and the electronic circuit 34a in the distal end portion 31, since the width and height of the distal end portion 31 are larger than the diameter of the transmission cable, It can be easily implemented as compared with.

  When the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes by changing at least one of the following (1) to (3), the power consumption is changed by controlling the (1) to (3). In addition, heat generation and image quality performance can be controlled according to the magnitude of power consumption.

(1) Bias current flowing inside the electronic circuit 34a.
(2) Voltages applied to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n.
(3) Period for applying a voltage to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n.

  Further, when the ultrasonic probe 20 includes the first control circuit 41 that controls the electronic circuit 34a, the sensor 33 in the ultrasonic probe 20 is independent of the apparatus main body 50 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a can be controlled according to the output.

  Here, when the first control circuit 41 is provided in the connector unit 40 that is connected to a housing having a signal processing circuit 52 that generates an image based on a reception signal obtained by the processing of the electronic circuit 34a, Since the part 40 is relatively large, it can be easily mounted. Note that the first control circuit 41 is not limited to the connector section 40, and may be provided in, for example, the grip section 21. Similarly, in the case where the first control circuit 41 is provided in the grip portion 21, the grip portion 21 is a relatively large portion in the ultrasonic probe 20, so that it can be easily mounted.

  .., 32-n on the first surface of the distal end portion 31 and the sensor 33 on the second surface opposite to the first surface. The sensor 33 can be easily mounted without hindering transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by -1,..., 32-n.

  Also, when the insertion section 30 has a plurality of vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n arranged two-dimensionally, the present invention provides a 2D array type ultrasonic probe 20 that can obtain the above-described effects. Can be. When the insertion section 30 has a plurality of vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n arranged one-dimensionally, if the insertion section 30 further includes the electronic circuit 34a and the sensor 33, the above-described configuration is used. It is possible to provide the 1D array type ultrasonic probe 20 which can obtain the above-described operational effects.

  On the other hand, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the second control circuit 51 causes the ultrasonic probe 20 capable of obtaining the above-described operation and effect to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, and the display control unit 55 outputs the output from the ultrasonic probe 20. Is displayed on the display unit 58. Therefore, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes according to the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30 inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis, in addition to the above-described operation and effect. The ultrasonic image having the image quality performance corresponding to the image quality can be displayed.

  For example, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus displays an ultrasonic image corresponding to the reduced power consumption when not performing the ultrasonic diagnosis, and displays the ultrasonic image corresponding to the increased power consumption only during the ultrasonic diagnosis. be able to.

<Second embodiment>
FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment. The same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and are described in detail. Are omitted, and different portions are mainly described here. In the following respective embodiments, the duplicated description will be omitted.

  The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The electronic circuit 34a includes a signal processing circuit (image generation unit) 52 that generates an image based on a reception signal obtained by the processing of the reception unit 36. It is configured to be controlled by a second control circuit 51a provided in a housing having the same.

  Specifically, in the second embodiment, the first control circuit 41 is omitted from the ultrasonic probe 20, and the first control circuit 41 is replaced by a second control circuit instead of the second control circuit 51 in the apparatus main body 50. 51 is provided with a new second control circuit 51a.

  Accordingly, the signal output from the sensor 33 is transmitted to the second control circuit 51a. At this time, the signal output from the sensor 33 may be either a digital signal or an analog signal. In the case of an analog signal, for example, the signal may be converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit (not shown) in the electronic circuit 34a and then transmitted to the second control circuit 51a. Alternatively, an analog signal may be converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit (not shown) of the apparatus main body 50 and then transmitted to the second control circuit 51a.

  Here, the second control circuit 51a has a function of controlling the apparatus main body 50 and the ultrasonic probe 20 described above. Here, the function of controlling the ultrasonic probe 20 includes a function of controlling the transmission unit 35 and the reception unit 36 in the electronic circuit 34a based on a signal received from the sensor 33. Specifically, the second control circuit 51a drives the vibration elements 32-1,..., 32-n by the transmission unit 35 and generates the vibration elements 32-1,. The processing of the received echo signal by the receiving unit 36 is controlled. Further, the second control circuit 51 a controls the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34 a including the transmitting unit 35 and the receiving unit 36 based on the signal received from the sensor 33.

  Next, the operation of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the connector section 40 is connected to the apparatus main body 50 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic probe 20 is in a state where ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received by the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n.

  In this state, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the second control circuit 51a is activated according to the operation of the input unit 59 by the operator. The second control circuit 51a sends a control signal for causing the ultrasound probe 20 to execute transmission and reception of ultrasound to the electronic circuit 34a of the ultrasound probe 20. That is, the second control circuit 51a controls the transmission unit 35 and the reception unit 36 in the electronic circuit 34a according to the control signal.

  The transmitting unit 35 drives the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n under the control of the second control circuit 51a (ST1). The receiving unit 36 processes the echo signals generated by the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n, and sends out the received signals obtained by the processing to the signal processing circuit 52 of the device main body 50.

  The signal processing circuit 52 generates ultrasonic image data based on the received signal output from the receiving unit 36. The image synthesizing unit 54 generates an ultrasonic image for display by synthesizing the ultrasonic image data with character information and scales of various parameters. The display control unit 55 causes the display unit 58 to display the generated ultrasonic image.

  On the other hand, the sensor 33 of the ultrasonic probe 20 detects the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30 (ST2). In the specific example of step ST2, the sensor 33 senses the brightness as the surrounding environment and outputs a signal indicating the sensing result.

  The power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes according to the surrounding environment sensed in step ST2 (ST3: ST3-1 to ST3-3). In the specific example of step ST3, the signal output from the sensor 33 is transmitted to the second control circuit 51a.

  The second control circuit 51a determines, based on a signal from the sensor 33, whether or not the brightness around at least a part of the insertion section 30 has decreased (ST3-1). If the determination result in step ST3-1 indicates no, the second control circuit 51a reduces the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a (ST3-2) because the insertion unit 30 is left idle in the air (ST3-2). Suppress heat generation. After the end of step ST3-2, the second control circuit 51a returns to step ST2 and continues the processing.

  If the determination result in step ST3-1 indicates that the brightness has decreased, the insertion of the insertion unit 30 into the subject (eg, the esophagus) causes the second control circuit 51a to execute the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a. Is controlled to a necessary and sufficient power (ST3-3). In step ST3-3, immediately after the detection of the decrease in brightness, the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a is controlled so as to increase. Is controlled to maintain.

  After the end of step ST3-3, the second control circuit 51a determines whether or not the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended (ST4), and if not, returns to step ST2 to continue the processing.

  If the determination result of step ST4 indicates that the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended, the second control circuit 51a ends the process.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the electronic circuit 34a is provided in the housing having the signal processing circuit (image generation unit) 52 that generates an image based on the reception signal obtained by the processing of the reception unit 36. Is controlled by the second control circuit 51a. Thus, even if the first control circuit 41 described above is omitted and the second control circuit 51a in the apparatus main body 50 is modified to control the electronic circuit 34a, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Obtainable.

  Further, since the second control circuit 51a in the apparatus main body 50 controls the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a, more effective heat generation control can be realized. Supplementally, since the first control circuit 41 needs to be installed in a small space in the connector section 40, it cannot be a complicated circuit requiring a large space. On the other hand, since the second control circuit 51a can be installed in a large space in the device main body 50, the circuit for controlling the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a can be a more complicated circuit than the first control circuit 41, Thus, more effective heat generation control can be realized.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a distal end portion of the ultrasonic probe according to the third embodiment.

  The third embodiment is a specific example of each of the first and second embodiments. As shown in FIG. 6A, a vibration element array 32 and an electronic circuit chip 34 are provided at a distal end portion 31 of an insertion portion 30. Is implemented as a part of the laminated structure. This laminated structure is configured by sequentially laminating a backing material 22, an electronic circuit chip 34, a bump 23, an electric signal rewiring layer 24, a bump 25, a vibration element array 32, and an acoustic matching layer 26. Specifically, the electronic circuit chip 34 is arranged on one surface of the backing material 22. The electronic circuit 34a in the electronic circuit chip 34 is electrically connected to the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n in the vibrating element array 32 via the bumps 23, the electric signal redistribution layers 24, and the bumps 25. I have. The acoustic matching layer 26 is arranged on the surface of the vibration element array 32 opposite to the bump 25. The electronic circuit 34 a in the electronic circuit chip 34 is electrically connected to the sensor 33 disposed on the other surface of the backing material 22 via the wiring 27. Further, an electronic circuit 34 a in the electronic circuit chip 34 is electrically connected to an internal circuit of the device main body 50 via a transmission cable and a connector unit 40 (not shown). The sensor 33 may be electrically connected to an internal circuit of the connector unit 40 via a transmission cable (not shown) without using the electronic circuit 34a.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6 (B), the insertion portion 30 has the acoustic matching layer 26 and the vibrating element array 32 (vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n) on the first surface sf1 of the distal end portion 31. And a sensor 33 on a second surface sf2 opposite to the first surface sf1. However, the sensor 33 is not limited to the second surface sf2, and may be mounted on, for example, the third surface sf3 or the fourth surface sf4 between the first surface sf1 and the second surface sf2.

  According to the above-described configuration, in addition to the functions and effects of the first and second embodiments, (a) the effect of easily mounting the sensor 33 and (b) the impedance of the wiring connected to the sensor 33 are reduced. The effect of reducing the influence can be obtained.

  The effect (a) will be described. The second surface sf2 is optimal as a position for disposing the sensor 33 because the sensor 33 can easily sense the surrounding environment and the sensor 33 can be easily mounted. For example, the second surface sf2 is at a position where the periphery becomes dark when the distal end portion 31 is inserted into the subject. For this reason, the sensor 33 arranged on the second surface sf2 can easily detect a decrease in brightness when the distal end portion 31 is inserted into the subject. In addition, the second surface sf2 has a structure having a degree of freedom in processing. For example, since the second surface sf2 is a surface made of a backing material 22 or a structure made of aluminum or the like that also serves as heat radiation and support, it can be easily processed. For this reason, the sensor 33 can be easily mounted on the second surface sf2 because the sensor 33 can be stored in the easily processed portion. Thus, the second surface sf2 is optimal as a position where the sensor 33 is arranged.

  On the other hand, the first surface sf1 on the opposite side of the second surface sf2 has the acoustic matching layer 26 for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave, so that the sensor 33 cannot be arranged.

  The effect (b) will be described. Since the wiring 27 between the sensor 33 and the electronic circuit 34a is very short, the influence of impedance can be ignored. In addition, the signal output from the sensor 33 is amplified in the electronic circuit 34a and then transmitted to the apparatus main body 50 via the transmission cable. Although the transmission cable has a long wiring length, the signal amplified in the electronic circuit 34a can reduce the influence of the impedance due to the transmission cable wiring length.

  On the other hand, when the signal output from the sensor 33 is directly transmitted to the internal circuit of the device main body 50 via the transmission cable, since the signal output from the sensor 33 is weak, the impedance accompanying the wiring length of the transmission cable is reduced. Susceptible to. For example, in the case of the TEE probe, the wiring length of the transmission cable is as long as about 4 m. With such a length, the impedance of the wiring cannot be neglected, and an error in information finally obtained by the signal processing circuit 52 increases.

<Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a sensor applied to the ultrasonic probe according to the fourth embodiment and an amplifier circuit at a subsequent stage.

  The fourth embodiment is a specific example of each of the first to third embodiments, and is connected to a power supply 37 that applies a voltage to the sensor 33 using a photodiode, and is connected to the sensor 33 and output from the sensor 33. The electronic circuit 34a includes an amplification circuit 38 for amplifying the output signal. In this example, a resistor 38r and an operational amplifier 38a are used as the amplifier circuit 38. The insertion section 30 has a sensor 33 and an electronic circuit 34a at the distal end portion 31.

  Here, the photodiode has a voltage-current characteristic similar to that of a normal diode in a dark state (a state inserted into the subject), while a current in a reverse direction increases in a bright state (a state of being left in the air). Has characteristics. For this reason, the photodiode outputs a current that changes in accordance with the brightness around the sensor 33 to the amplifier circuit 38, for example, by connecting the cathode to the power supply 37 and the anode to the amplifier circuit 38.

  The amplifier circuit 38 converts the current output from the photodiode into a voltage and at the same time amplifies it to an appropriate value, and outputs the obtained amplified signal to the transmission cable. In this case, as the amplifier circuit 38, for example, the anode of the photodiode is connected to one end of the resistor 38r and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 38a, and the other end of the resistor 38r is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier 38a. Good. Thus, the amplified signal can be transmitted to the apparatus main body 50 while suppressing the influence of the wiring length even if the transmission cable has a long wiring length such as a TEE probe, due to the driving capability of the operational amplifier 38a.

  According to the above configuration, in addition to the effects of the first to third embodiments, even when the wiring length of the transmission cable in the ultrasonic probe 20 is long, the amplified signal is suppressed by suppressing the influence of the wiring length. Can be transmitted.

<Fifth embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a distal end portion of an ultrasonic probe according to a fifth embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the fifth embodiment.

  The fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and from the viewpoint of improving the reliability when the sensor 33 in the insertion unit 30 senses the surrounding environment, the insertion unit 30 includes a plurality of sensors 33. Configuration. This is because, for example, when the insertion section 30 is left on a bed or the like, the detection surface of the sensor 33 is blocked by the bed, and the sensor 33 senses the surrounding environment (eg, reduced brightness) and consumes the electronic circuit 34a. It is intended to eliminate the possibility of increasing power. In this example, three sensors 33-1 to 33-3 are used as the plurality of sensors 33. The first sensor 33-1 is disposed, for example, on the third surface sf3 of the distal end portion 31, and the second sensor 33-2 is disposed on the second surface sf2 of the distal end portion 31, for example. Is disposed on the fourth surface sf4 of the tip portion 31. However, the number of the plurality of sensors 33-1,... Is not limited to three, and an arbitrary plurality can be used. Further, as long as the position where the plurality of sensors 33-1... Are arranged is within the insertion section 30, any position can be applied.

  The plurality of sensors 33-1,..., 33-3 each sense the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion unit 30, and output a signal indicating the sensing result, as described above. The signals output from the sensors 33-1 to 33-3 are transmitted to the first control circuit 41, respectively.

  In the above-described function, the first control circuit 41 reduces the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a to a necessary and sufficient power when the brightness is reduced not by one sensor 33 but by all the sensors 33-1 to 33-3. It has a configuration having a control function.

  Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the connector section 40 is connected to the apparatus main body 50 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic probe 20 is in a state where ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received by the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n.

  In this state, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the second control circuit 51 is activated according to the operation of the input unit 59 by the operator. The second control circuit 51 sends a control signal for causing the ultrasonic probe 20 to execute transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves to the first control circuit 41 of the ultrasonic probe 20.

  The first control circuit 41 controls the transmitting unit 35 and the receiving unit 36 based on the control signal. The transmitting unit 35 drives the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n under the control of the first control circuit 41 (ST1). The receiving unit 36 processes the echo signals generated by the vibrating elements 32-1,..., 32-n, and sends out the received signals obtained by the processing to the signal processing circuit 52 of the device main body 50.

  The signal processing circuit 52 generates ultrasonic image data based on the received signal output from the receiving unit 36. The image synthesizing unit 54 generates an ultrasonic image for display by synthesizing the ultrasonic image data with character information and scales of various parameters. The display control unit 55 causes the display unit 58 to display the generated ultrasonic image.

  On the other hand, the sensors 33-1 to 33-3 of the ultrasonic probe 20 sense the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion section 30 (ST2a). In the example of step ST2a, the sensors 33-1,..., 33-3 sense the brightness as the surrounding environment and output a signal indicating the sensing result.

  The power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a changes according to the surrounding environment sensed in step ST2a (ST3a: ST3a-1, steps ST3-2 to ST3-3). In the specific example of step ST3a, the signals output from the sensors 33-1 to 33-3 are transmitted to the first control circuit 41.

  The first control circuit 41 determines whether or not the brightness of at least a part of the periphery of the insertion section 30 has decreased in the signals from all the sensors 33-1 to 33-3 (ST3a-1). . If the determination result in step ST3a-1 indicates no, the ultrasonic probe 20 is not used for diagnosis, and the insertion unit 30 is left in the air. Therefore, the first control circuit 41 reduces the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a (ST3-2), and suppresses the heat generation of the electronic circuit 34a. After the end of step ST3-2, the ultrasonic probe 20 returns to step ST2a and continues the processing.

  If the determination result in step ST3a-1 indicates a decrease in brightness, the ultrasonic probe 20 is being used for diagnosis, and the insertion unit 30 has been inserted into the subject (eg, the esophagus). Therefore, the first control circuit 41 controls the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a to a necessary and sufficient power (ST3-3).

  After the end of step ST3-3, the first control circuit 41 determines whether or not the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended (ST4). If the determination result in step ST4 indicates no, the ultrasonic probe 20 returns to step ST2a and continues the processing. If the result of the determination in step ST4 indicates that the ultrasonic diagnosis has ended, the ultrasonic probe 20 ends the processing.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the configuration in which the insertion unit 30 has the plurality of sensors 33 has the reliability when sensing the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion unit 30. Performance can be improved.

  In this embodiment, the case where the power consumption of the electronic circuit 34a is changed (increased) when all of the sensors 33-1 to 33-3 detect a decrease in brightness has been described. Not done. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in step ST3b (ST3b-1, ST3-2, ST3-3) in FIG. 11, when a predetermined number of sensors smaller than the total number of sensors detect a decrease in brightness, It can be modified to change (increase) power consumption. Here, the predetermined number is an arbitrary number in a range from (m-1) to 1 when the total number of sensors is m. This modified example has, in addition to the effect of the present embodiment, for example, even if one or more sensors 33-1 fail, if a predetermined number of sensors 33-2 and 33-3 are normal, the effect of the present embodiment is obtained. Can be obtained similarly, so that the reliability can be further improved.

  In addition, the present embodiment and its modifications have been described by taking as an example the case where the present invention is applied to the first embodiment. However, the present embodiment and its modifications are not limited to this, and can be applied to the second to fourth embodiments. .

<Sixth embodiment>
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an appearance of an insertion portion and a grip portion of the ultrasonic probe according to the sixth embodiment.

  The sixth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and has a configuration in which a sensor 33 is provided in a portion other than the distal end portion 31 in the insertion portion 30. In this example, the sensor 33 is provided at a predetermined position in the insertion portion 30 and between the distal end portion 31 and the grip portion 21. Here, as the predetermined position at which the sensor 33 is provided, any position can be applied as long as the surrounding environment changes when the sensor 33 is inserted into the subject (for example, a position where the peripheral brightness decreases). .

  With the above configuration, the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, the present embodiment has been described by taking as an example the case where the present invention is applied to the first embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to the second to fifth embodiments. When the sixth embodiment is applied to the fifth embodiment, a configuration in which all of the plurality of sensors 33-1,... Is also good. Alternatively, among the plurality of sensors 33-1,..., 33-3, at least one sensor 33-1,. It is good also as a structure provided. Further, as described above, any number of the plurality of sensors 33-1,... Can be used. In any case, this embodiment can be applied to each of the second to fifth embodiments.

  According to at least one embodiment described above, the sensor 33 senses at least a part of the surrounding environment of the insertion portion 30 inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis, and the electronic circuit according to the sensed surrounding environment. The power consumption of 34a changes. This makes it possible to accurately detect whether or not the apparatus is being used for diagnosis, and to quickly return from the use stopped state.

  Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

  Reference Signs List 20 ultrasonic probe, 21 holding part, 22 backing material, 23, 25 bump, 24 electric signal rewiring layer, 26 acoustic matching layer, 30 insertion part, 31 tip part, 32 vibration element Array, 32-1 to 32-n: Vibration element, 33, 33-1 to 33-3: Sensor, 34: Electronic circuit chip, 34a: Electronic circuit, 35: Transmitter, 351: Rate pulse generator, 352 1-352-n: transmission circuit, 352a-1 to 352a-n: transmission delay circuit, 352b-1 to 352b-n: pulser, 36: reception unit, 361: preamplifier circuit, 362: reception delay circuit, 363: addition , 37 power supply, 38 amplifier circuit, 38a operational amplifier, 38r resistor, 40 connector section, 41 first control circuit, 50 device main body, 51, 51a second control circuit, 52 signal processing circuit 53 image memory, 54 image synthesis unit, 55 display control unit, 56 storage unit, 57 interface unit, 58 display unit, 59 input unit, sf1 first surface, sf2 ... second surface, sf3 ... 3rd surface, sf4 ... 4th surface.

Claims (12)

A grip portion gripped by an operator at the time of diagnosis;
An insertion portion that extends from the grip portion, is inserted into the subject at the time of diagnosis, and has a vibration element that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves at a distal end portion,
A plurality of sensors for sensing the surrounding environment of at least a part of the insertion portion;
An electronic circuit that is used for at least one of driving of the vibration element and processing of an echo signal generated by the vibration element, and whose power consumption changes according to the surrounding environment sensed by the plurality of sensors,
Equipped with a,
The insertion portion has the vibration element on a first surface of the tip portion, has a first sensor of the plurality of sensors on a second surface opposite to the first surface, and has a first surface. An ultrasonic probe having a second sensor of the plurality of sensors on a third surface between the first and second surfaces .   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion has a third sensor of the plurality of sensors on a fourth surface opposite to the third surface. Wherein the plurality of sensors, ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2 senses the brightness in at least a portion of the insertion portion. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3 , wherein the electronic circuit increases power consumption when brightness detected by the plurality of sensors decreases. The power consumption, the bias current flowing through the inside of the electronic circuit, the voltage applied to the vibration element, and said to claim 1 or 2 varies by at least one of which varies among the periods for applying a voltage to the vibrating element An ultrasonic probe as described. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2 comprising a first control circuit for controlling the electronic circuit. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6 , wherein the first control circuit is provided on the grip. A connector that connects to a housing having an image generation unit that generates an image based on the reception signal obtained by the processing,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6 , wherein the first control circuit is provided in the connector. The electronic circuitry, ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2 is controlled by a second control circuit provided in a housing having an image generating unit that generates an image based on the received signal obtained by said process. The insertion portion has the plurality of sensors and the electronic circuit at the distal end portion,
The electronic circuit is connected to a plurality of sensors, ultrasonic probe according to claim 3 including an amplifier circuit for amplifying a signal output from the plurality of sensors. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the insertion section has a plurality of the vibrating elements arranged two-dimensionally. A second control circuit for causing the ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 11 to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave,
A display control unit that displays an ultrasonic image generated based on an output from the ultrasonic probe on a display unit,
Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus provided with.