JPH02156935A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To operate an ultrasonic oscillator smoothly with little resistance by composing the ultrasonic oscillator which is movable mechanically in a liquid with a disk-form oscillator element at the center and ring-form oscillator elements arranged around the disk-form oscillator element in concentric circles, and forming the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface in a convex surface. CONSTITUTION:An ultrasonic oscillator 1 consists of a disk-form oscillator element 2a at the center and ring-form oscillator elements 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e,... arranged around the disk-form oscillator element 2a in concentric circles, and an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 3 to transmit and receive the ultrasonic waves in the direction almost vertical to the operating direction A is formed in a convex surface. As a result, when the ultrasonic oscillator 1 is operated in the direction of the arrow A to obtain a B mode picture image, the relative flow direction B of the liquid 4 contacting to the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 3 is made inverse to the operating direction A, but the pressure varies smoothly. Accordingly, the space differential of the pressure is made continuous and the speed is also continuous proportionally, generating no whirlpool. The ultrasonic oscillator 1 can be operated in the liquid 4 with smaller energy accordingly, and the resistance is reduced and the operation is smoothed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ultrasonic detector in which an ultrasonic transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is mechanically moved in a liquid to obtain an ultrasonic B-mode image. It relates to the structure of a probe, especially an ultrasonic transducer.

Conventional technology Conventionally, in this type of ultrasonic probe, as shown in Fig. 2(a)
, (b) As shown in K, a disc-shaped transducer element 22a with the ultrasonic transducer 21 at the center, and this disc-shaped transducer element 22
Consisting of ring-shaped transducer elements 22b, 22C, 22d, 22e, -, arranged concentrically around the outer periphery of a, in order to structurally focus the transmitted and received ultrasound waves, the transducer elements 22a, 22b, - ...Group ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface 2
3 is formed into a concave shape with a radius of curvature r. Regarding this configuration, for example, see the Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan, Vol. 32, No. 6 (
1976) P, 355-361, "Analysis of directional characteristics of automatic focusing transducer" (Ueda Senten) However, in conventional ultrasound probes, as described above, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface 23 of the ultrasonic transducer 21 Since the ultrasonic transducer 21 is formed in a concave shape, when the ultrasonic transducer 21 is moved in the liquid 24 as shown in FIG. The flow direction B is the opposite direction, and there is a problem in that vortices 25 are generated in the concave portions of the ultrasonic vibrator 21 and hinder the movement of the ultrasonic vibrator 21.

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and can prevent the generation of vortices when an ultrasonic transducer is moved in a liquid. The object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe that can be operated smoothly with small resistance.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
an ultrasonic transducer is provided so as to be mechanically movable in the liquid;
This ultrasonic transducer consists of a central disc-shaped transducer element and a ring-shaped transducer element arranged concentrically around the outer periphery of the disc-shaped transducer element. The ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is formed in a convex shape.

For production The present invention has the following effects based on the above configuration.

In other words, since the ultrasonic transducer surface of the ultrasonic transducer is formed in a convex shape, when the ultrasonic transducer is moved to obtain a B-mode image, the liquid that comes into contact with the ultrasonic transducer surface moves smoothly. Pressure changes.

Therefore, the spatial differential of pressure is continuous, and the velocity that is proportional to this is also continuous in space, so no vortex is generated. Therefore, the energy related to vortex generation is no longer applied to the movement of the ultrasonic transducer, so that the ultrasonic transducer can be moved in the liquid with less energy.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show an ultrasonic transducer used in an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(a) is a plan view, and FIG. 1(b) is for explanation of operation. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the ultrasonic transducer 1 has a central disc-shaped transducer element 2a, and is arranged concentrically around the outer circumference of this disc-shaped transducer element 2a. The ring-shaped transducer elements 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, . . . have a convex ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface 3 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the movement direction hole.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

The ultrasonic transducer 1 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in order to obtain a B-mode image because the ultrasonic transducer 1 is formed in a convex shape in a direction substantially perpendicular to the movement direction A of the ultrasonic transducer 1. When the liquid 4 is in contact with the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface 3, its relative flow direction B is opposite to the movement direction A, but its pressure changes smoothly. Therefore, the spatial differential of pressure is continuous, and the velocity that is proportional to this is also continuous in space, and no vortices are generated. Therefore, the energy related to vortex generation is no longer applied to the movement of the ultrasonic transducer 1, so the ultrasonic transducer 1 can be moved in the liquid 4 with this much less energy, and the movement of the ultrasonic transducer 1 The resistance associated with this decreases, and the movement becomes smoother.

There is no problem if the ultrasonic transducer 1 is formed into a convex shape using a lens material having a sound velocity lower than the sound velocity in the liquid 4, but if it is formed into a convex shape without using such a lens material, Structurally, the ultrasonic waves are not converged. However, when the curvature of this convex surface is small, or the vibrator element 2a.

When the number of divisions of 2b, . . . is sufficiently fine, it is possible to focus electronically.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, an ultrasonic transducer is provided so as to be mechanically movable in a liquid, and this ultrasonic transducer includes a central disc-shaped transducer element and a central disc-shaped transducer element. A ring-shaped transducer element is arranged concentrically around the outer periphery of the disc-shaped transducer element, and an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of this ultrasonic vibrator is formed in a convex shape. Therefore, when an ultrasonic transducer is moved in a liquid to obtain a B-mode image,
The pressure of the liquid against the ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface changes smoothly, and vortices can be prevented from occurring in the rotation of the ultrasonic transducer. Therefore, the ultrasonic transducer can be smoothly moved with small resistance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show an ultrasonic transducer used in an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(a) is a plan view, and FIG. 1(b) is for explanation of operation. Cross-sectional view of Figure 2(a)
, (b) and Fig. 3 show ultrasonic transducers used in conventional ultrasonic probes, Fig. 2(a) is a plan view, Fig. 2(b)
) is a sectional view, and FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram. i-...Ultrasonic transducer, 2a, 2b, 2cs 2J
2es... Vibrator element, 3... Ultrasonic transmission/reception surface, 4
···liquid.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an ultrasonic transducer is provided so as to be mechanically movable in the liquid;
This ultrasonic transducer consists of a central disc-shaped transducer element and a ring-shaped transducer element arranged concentrically around the outer circumference of the disc-shaped transducer element. An ultrasound probe with a convex ultrasound transmitting and receiving surface that transmits and receives ultrasound waves.