JP7396974B2 - ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention provides an ultrasonic probe that includes a housing, a transducer module, a connector for connecting the transducer module and the circuit module, and the circuit module, which are linearly arranged in the following order within the housing. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe having a structure in which the electrical connection between the three members is excellent and the three members can be easily mounted on the housing.

Ultrasonic probes are used in various fields, and particularly in the medical field, they are essential for diagnosing internal diseases of the human body, diagnosing fetal growth, and the like.
An example of an ultrasonic probe is one disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. This ultrasonic probe has a transducer module, which is made up of an acoustic lens, an acoustic matching layer, a transducer (including electrodes), and a backing material laminated in this order from the side of the object to be diagnosed, and is fixed in a housing. there were. A flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter also referred to as FPC) is drawn out from the electrode of the vibrator, and an electrical signal transmission cable is connected to the other end of this FPC, and the other end of this electrical signal transmission cable is was connected to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, etc.).

According to the ultrasonic probe disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the connection between the transducer electrode and the connecting conductor is made only on the back of the transducer, there is no mechanical damage to the transducer, the connecting conductor, and their wiring. It is said that the burden on the public is reduced (Paragraph 20 of Patent Document 1). As a result, damage to the vibrator or poor electrical contact between the second vibrator electrode and the connecting conductor can be reduced (paragraph 20 of Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-151239

Incidentally, in recent years, there has been a demand for a portable ultrasonic diagnostic device that performs diagnosis and flaw detection by connecting an ultrasonic probe to a general-purpose information terminal device such as a general-purpose PC, tablet terminal, or smartphone.
In that case, it is necessary to have an ultrasonic probe equipped with a circuit module including an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving circuit, etc. inside the ultrasonic probe. Moreover, since it is preferable that the ultrasound probe be one that is easy to hold in the human hand, the part of the ultrasound probe housing that can be held by the human hand (grip section) should be designed with the size of the palm of the hand in mind. A shape having thickness and length is preferable. On the other hand, in a transducer module, the number and arrangement shape of individual transducers often change depending on the specifications required of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Therefore, in consideration of ease of manufacturing the ultrasonic probe, it is preferable to have a structure in which the transducer module and the circuit module can be manufactured separately and then finally combined. Therefore, a structure is required in which a vibrator module, a connector for connecting the vibrator module and circuit module, and the circuit module are mounted linearly in this order. Moreover, a structure is required that can easily ensure the reliability of the electrical connection between these three members and can easily mount these three members on the casing.

However, to the best of the knowledge of the inventor of this application, there has been no conventional structure that meets the above requirements, including the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1.
This application was filed in view of the above points, and therefore, the purpose of this application is to connect a transducer module, a connector for connecting the transducer module and the circuit module, and the circuit module in this order and in a straight line. An ultrasonic probe having a structure in which the three members are mounted in a shape, the structure making it easy to ensure the reliability of the electrical connection between the three members and making it easy to mount the three members in a housing. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe having the following features.

In order to achieve this object, the ultrasonic probe of the present invention includes a housing, a transducer module arranged linearly in order from one end of the housing in the housing, and A connector for connecting a child module and a circuit module, a gap provided between the circuit module and the connector and the vibrator module, or between the connector and the circuit module, and a gap provided across the gap. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a flexible printed circuit board that connects the connector and the vibrator module or the circuit module and has an extra length.
Here, according to the applicant's experiments, the dimension of the void along the longitudinal direction of the housing (dimension g in FIG. 1) is preferably 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 1 to 2 mm. . Further, the extra length of the flexible printed circuit board is preferably g to 4 g, preferably g to 2 g, with respect to the dimension g of the gap.

In carrying out the present invention, the cavity is provided between the connector and the vibrator module, and the flexible printed circuit board is arranged between one of the male and female terminals of the connector and the vibrator module. It is preferable that it be used for connection with.

In carrying out the present invention, the casing includes a first part in which the vibrator module is mounted, and a second part in which the connector and the circuit module are mounted, and , it is preferable that the first part and the second part are fixed with an adhesive.

In carrying out the present invention, a USB connector is provided, which is fixed to an end of the second portion of the casing opposite to the first portion, and for connecting the circuit module to an external device. is preferred.

In carrying out the present invention, it is preferable that a base serving as a cradle for the connector when the male and female terminals of the connector are assembled is provided on the connector-side surface of the vibrator module.

In implementing the present invention, it is preferable that a reinforcing plate is provided on the surface of the connector on the vibrator module side, which serves as a protective plate for the connector when the male and female terminals of the connector are assembled.

According to the ultrasonic probe of this application, the transducer module, the circuit module, and the connector that connects both modules are arranged in a straight line in the housing, and the connector and the transducer module are arranged in a straight line. A gap is provided between the connector and the circuit module. Furthermore, a flexible printed circuit board with extra length is placed across the gap, and the connector and the vibrator module or circuit module are electrically connected by this flexible printed circuit board. Therefore, an electrical connection is made between the connector and the transducer module or between the connector and the circuit module with a buffer caused by the gap, so stress is applied to the transducer module, the connector, and the circuit module. This can be reduced. Therefore, the reliability of electrical connections between the vibrator module, the connector, and the circuit module can be improved.

In addition, a gap is provided between the connector and the transducer module or between the connector and the circuit module, and electrical connections are made between the transducer module, the connector, and the circuit module using a flexible printed circuit board. Therefore, even if the dimensions of the vibrator module, the connector, and the circuit module along the longitudinal direction of the casing are slightly larger or smaller and a dimensional error occurs, this dimensional error can be absorbed by the void and the flexible printed circuit board. Therefore, each of the vibrator module, connector, and circuit module can be easily mounted in a long housing.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an ultrasound probe 10 according to an embodiment. In particular, FIG. 1(A) is a side view showing the interior of the ultrasound probe 10 seen from the side, and FIG. 1(B) is an enlarged view of the M portion in FIG. 1(A). FIG. 3 is a detailed side view. FIG. 2 is a front view and a bottom view of the ultrasound probe 10 of the embodiment, and a diagram showing an example of use in which the ultrasound probe 10 is connected to a tablet 31 as a mobile terminal. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe 10 of the embodiment and the effects of the cavity 19 and the flexible printed circuit board 21. 4(A) is a front view of an ultrasound probe 40 of another embodiment, FIG. 4(B) is a bottom view of the ultrasound probe 40 seen from the P side of FIG. 3(A), FIG. 4(C) is an exploded perspective view showing an internal example of the ultrasound probe 40.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the explanation are merely shown schematically to the extent that these inventions can be understood. Moreover, in each figure used for explanation, the same number is attached|subjected and shown about the same component, and the explanation may be abbreviate|omitted. Furthermore, the shapes, materials, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely preferred examples within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited only to the following embodiments.

1. Structure of the ultrasound probe 10 of the embodiment First, the structure of the ultrasound probe 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
This ultrasonic probe 10 includes a housing 11, a transducer module 13, a circuit module 15, a connector 17, a cavity 19, a flexible printed circuit board 21, a base 23, a reinforcing plate 25, It includes a USB connector 27 and a cable 29. This ultrasonic probe 10 is an example in which the present invention is applied to a so-called linear type ultrasonic probe. Each component will be specifically explained below.

The housing 11 includes a first portion 11a in which the transducer module 13 is mounted, and a second portion 11b in which the connector 17 and the circuit module 15 are mounted. Since the shape and size of the vibrator module 13 change depending on the specifications, the first portion 11a has a shape and size corresponding to the specifications. For example, the first portion 11a in this case has a shape that becomes narrower from the second portion 11b side toward the distal end side of the ultrasound probe 10. On the other hand, the second portion 11b has a length that is long enough to be easily held by a person, and has a relatively thin thickness, and the center portion is slightly thinner than both end portions. It has a roughly elongated shape.
The casing 11 can be made of any suitable material such as resin or metal, but is preferably made of resin.

The transducer module 13 can have any suitable configuration. In the case of this ultrasound probe 10, an acoustic lens 13a, a second matching layer 13b, a first matching layer 13c, a transducer section 13d, and a backing member 13e are laminated in this order from the tip side of the ultrasound probe 10. It is said to have a similar structure. Although not shown, the vibrator section 13d has a large number of individual vibrators arranged in an array, and has electrodes on the front and back sides of the individual vibrators. The constituent material of the vibrator itself of the vibrator section 13d is typically piezoelectric ceramics, such as PZT.
This transducer module 13 is fixed within the first portion 11 of the housing 11 with a suitable adhesive or the like.

The circuit module 15 is any suitable circuit including an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving circuit and the like. The circuit module 15 in this case has various electronic components mounted on a long rectangular wiring board 15a having a length slightly shorter than the length of the second portion 11b of the housing 11. Further, on the vibrator module 13 side of the wiring board 15a, one of the male and female connecting terminals 17a of the connector 17 that connects the circuit module 15 to the vibrator module 13 is provided (see FIG. 1(b)). Furthermore, a USB connector fitting portion 15b is provided on the USB connector 27 side of the wiring board 15a. Further, the circuit module 15 includes a shield member 15c that shields the circuit module 15 in order to prevent the influence of external electromagnetic waves and the influence of signals from the ultrasound probe 10 to the outside.

The connector 17 electrically connects the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15 together with the flexible printed circuit board 21, and connects male and female connection terminals 17a and 17b (see FIG. 1(B)). It is something that we have. One of the male and female connection terminals 17a and 17b (terminal 17a in the illustrated example) is connected to the wiring board 15a, and the other (terminal 17b in the illustrated example) is connected to one end of the flexible printed circuit board 21. There is. The other end of the flexible printed circuit board 21 is connected to the vibrator module 13, specifically to the electrodes of the vibrator section 13d. This connector 17 may be any connector having the number of terminals and structure depending on the design of the ultrasound probe 10.

The gap 19 is created between the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15, and in this embodiment, it is created between the base 23 and the reinforcing plate 25. This void portion 19, together with the flexible printed circuit board 21, functions as a buffer portion that increases the reliability of the electrical connection between the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15. Furthermore, even if dimensional errors occur in the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15, the module has the function of creating an extra space that allows these modules to be assembled into the housing 11. Details will be explained later with reference to FIG.
The gap dimension g (see FIG. 1(B)) of the cavity 19 is such that the male and female terminals 17a and 17b of the connector 17 can be easily connected, and the transducer module 13, the connector 17, and the circuit module 15 can be buffered. It is a dimension that can provide the desired effect and absorb dimensional errors of the transducer module 13, connector 17, and circuit module 15, and is preferably 0.5 to 3 mm, preferably 1 to 3 mm, but is not limited to this. 2mm is good.

The flexible printed circuit board 21 is provided between the connector 17 and the vibrator module 13 across the gap 19, and electrically connects the connector 17 and the vibrator module 13. . Therefore, the vibrator module 13 is electrically connected to the circuit module 15 via the flexible printed circuit board 21 and the connector 17.
Note that this flexible printed circuit board 21 is flexible and has extra length. Specifically, the male and female terminals 17a and 17b of the connector 17 can be easily connected, and a buffering effect can be provided to the vibrator module 13, the connector 17, and the circuit module 15, and the vibrator module 13, It has a sufficient length to absorb dimensional errors of the connector 17 and the circuit module 15. Although the extra length is not limited to this, for example, with respect to the above-mentioned gap dimension g of the cavity 19, it is preferable that the extra length is g to 4 g, preferably g to 2 g.

In this example, the base 23 is provided on the circuit module 15 side of the vibrator module 13, and is fixed within the first portion 11 of the housing 11 with a suitable adhesive. . This base 23 is mainly used when manufacturing the ultrasound probe 10. Specifically, the base 23 is used when connecting the male and female terminals 17a and 17b of the connector 17, that is, when connecting one terminal 17a and the other terminal 17b. This serves as a cradle for the connector when one terminal 17a is placed on the base 23 and the other terminal 17b is pressed against the one terminal 17b. The base 23 may be an integral piece, but as shown in FIG. 1(B), it has a laminated structure of a first part 23a and a second part 23b, and the upper second part 23b is used as an ultrasonic probe. A structure that can be retrofitted to the first portion 23a in an appropriate step during the manufacturing process of the first portion 10 is preferable. This is because the base 23 can be prevented from getting in the way in the previous process. The base 23 may be made of any suitable material such as resin or metal. The height h of the base 23 (see FIG. 1B) is calculated from the height H of the first portion 11a of the housing 11 (see FIG. 1B) to the height hx of the transducer module 13 (see FIG. 1B). 1(B))) is preferably around the height.

The reinforcing plate 25 is provided on the surface of the connector 17 on the transducer module 13 side, and serves as a protective plate for the connector 17 when the male and female terminals 17a and 17b of the connector 17 are assembled. The reinforcing plate 25 can be made of resin or metal, for example.

The USB connector 27 corresponds to the USB connector fitting part provided in the circuit module 15, and is built into the end side of the second portion 11b of the housing 11 (see FIG. 4(C)). (See exploded view). By pushing the USB connector fitting portion 15c provided on the circuit module 15 into the USB connector 27, the circuit module 15 is fixed to the second portion 11b of the housing 11. Therefore, the circuit module 15 is fixed within the housing 11 by connecting one end to the connector 17 and the other end to the USB connector 27.

One end of the cable 29 is connected to the USB connector 27, and the other end is connected to a terminal device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone that controls the ultrasound probe 10. A connection terminal 29a corresponding to the terminal device is provided on the terminal device side of the cable 29 (see FIG. 2).
This ultrasonic probe 10 can be used by being connected to any mobile terminal, for example, a tablet 31, via the cable 29 and the connection terminals 29a, 31a.

2. Example of Manufacturing Method of Ultrasonic Probe 10, etc. In order to deepen the understanding of the present invention, an example of manufacturing method of the ultrasonic probe 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.
A housing 11 having a two-part structure having a first portion 11a and a second portion 11b is prepared. Also, a vibrator module 13 is prepared. This transducer module 13 is designed with the number and arrangement of individual transducers according to the specifications of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Further, a flexible printed circuit board 21 having the number of wires according to the specifications of the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15, and a connector 17 having terminals corresponding to the flexible printed circuit board 21 are prepared.

Next, one end of the flexible printed circuit board 21 is connected to a predetermined portion of the vibrator module 13, such as an electrode portion, and one terminal 17a of the connector 17 is connected to the other end of the flexible printed circuit board 21. Furthermore, a reinforcing plate 25 is adhesively fixed to the surface of the connector 17 on the vibrator module 13 side.
Further, the first portion 23b of the base 23 is adhered to the surface of the vibrator module 13 on the backing material 13e side.
The transducer module 13 to which the first portion 23b of the base 23 and the flexible printed circuit board have been connected is fixed within the first portion 11 of the housing 11 with an adhesive.

In addition, a wiring board 15a on which predetermined electronic components for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves are mounted is manufactured, and a USB connector fitting part 15b, a shield 15c, and one connecting terminal 17a of the connector 17 are attached to this wiring board 15a. ,establish.

Next, the second portion 23b of the base 23 is adhesively fixed onto the first portion 23a of the base 23.
Next, the second portion 17b of the connector 17 connected to the flexible printed circuit board 21 and the reinforcing plate 25 are placed on the second portion 23b of the base 23 (FIG. 3(A)). Then, the first portion 17a of the connector 17 provided on the circuit module 15 is pressed against the second portion 17b of the connector 17 (FIG. 3(A)), and the circuit module 15 is fitted into the connector 17.

Next, by assembling the USB connector fitting part 15c of the circuit module 15 to the USB connector 27 provided at the end of the second part 11b of the housing 11, the circuit module 15 is attached to the second part 11b of the housing 11. 11b (see Figure 1).
Then, the first portion 11a and the second portion 11b of the housing 11 are bonded together using an adhesive or the like to obtain the ultrasound probe 10 of the embodiment.

In the completed ultrasound probe 10, as shown in FIG. 3(B), a gap 19 is formed between the transducer module 13 and the circuit module 15, and the flexible printed circuit board 21 is A structure can be realized in which the first portion 17a of the connector 17 and the vibrator module 13 are electrically connected by crossing the gap 19 with a margin.
Therefore, the effect of the cavity 19 can reduce the stress applied to the vibrator module, the connector, and the circuit module, thereby increasing the reliability of the electrical connection between the vibrator module, the connector, and the circuit module. . Furthermore, even if the dimensions along the longitudinal direction of the long housing of the transducer module, connector, and circuit module are slightly larger or smaller, and a dimensional error occurs, this dimensional error can be absorbed by the cavity and the flexible printed circuit board. Therefore, each of the vibrator module, connector, and circuit module can be easily mounted in a long housing.

3. Ultrasonic probe 40 of other embodiments
Although the embodiment described above is an example in which the present invention is applied to a so-called linear ultrasonic probe, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to ultrasonic probes with various structures. Applicable. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a so-called convex type ultrasonic probe.
The vibration module 13 has a convex shape, and the first portion 11a of the housing has a wide convex shape accordingly, but as shown in FIG. 4(A), the vibrator module 13 and the circuit module 15 A gap 19 is provided between the transducer module 13 and the circuit module 15, and the transducer module 13 and the circuit module 15 are connected by a connector 17 and a flexible printed circuit board 21 (see FIG. 4(C)).

10: Ultrasonic probe of embodiment 11: Housing 11
11a: First part of the housing 11b: Second part of the housing 13: Transducer module 13 15: Circuit module 15
15a: Wiring board 15b: USB connector fitting part 15c: Shielding member 17: Connector 17a: One terminal of the male and female terminals of the connector (first part)
17b: The other terminal of the male and female terminals of the connector (second part)
19: Gap g: Dimensions of the gap 19 21: Flexible printed circuit board 23: Base 23a: First part of the base 23b: Second part of the base 25: Reinforcement plate 27: USB connector 29: Cable 29a, 31a: Terminal 31: Mobile terminal (tablet)

Claims (4)

A housing having an elongated shape , a transducer module linearly arranged in the housing from one end of the housing, a connector connecting the vibrator module and the circuit module, and the circuit module. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
The casing includes a first part in which the vibrator module is mounted, and a second part in which the connector and the circuit module are mounted and joined to the first part ,
the vibrator module is adhesively fixed within the first part ;
The circuit module is a long one having a length shorter than the length of the second portion , and the connector is connected to one end on the vibrator module side, and the other end is fixed to the second portion. and
A gap is provided between the connector and the vibrator module,
An ultrasonic probe comprising a flexible printed circuit board that connects the connector and the transducer module across the gap and has an extra length. The connector has male and female connection terminals ,
One of the male and female connection terminals is connected to the circuit module, and the other is connected to one end of the flexible printed circuit board ,
2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the transducer module on the connector side is provided with a base serving as a cradle for the connector when the male and female terminals of the connector are assembled. The connector has male and female connection terminals ,
One of the male and female connection terminals is connected to the circuit module, and the other is connected to one end of the flexible printed circuit board ,
2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing plate that serves as a protective plate for the connector when the male and female terminals of the connector are assembled on the surface of the connector on the transducer module side. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, further comprising a USB connector fixed to an end of the second portion opposite to the first portion for connecting the circuit module to an external device. Sonic probe.

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