JPH077930Y2 - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe, and more particularly, an ultrasonic wave having a coaxial signal line connected to the input / output terminals of a transducer provided inside the probe. It relates to the improvement of the probe.

[Prior Art] In the medical field, an ultrasonic probe including a transducer and its accessory mechanism is widely used as a part of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing a subject or a diagnostic part. ing.

An ultrasonic probe that converts an electric signal into an ultrasonic signal or an ultrasonic signal into an electric signal to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in the subject is an important factor that affects the performance of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described above. Device.

Further, this ultrasonic probe is required to have high performance as an input / output means of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves as efficiently as possible, and being able to identify even small objects.

FIG. 2 shows a side cross-sectional view of the structure of the tip of an ultrasonic probe for receiving light. In the configuration shown in the figure, the vibrator 12 is a piezoelectric element that is provided at the tip of the probe 10 and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. The vibrator 12 has a ground line terminal and a plurality of signal line terminals (not shown). Is provided.

On the other hand, the coaxial cable 14 is provided inside the probe 10,
It is configured by having a plurality of coaxial signal lines 18 in the shielded wire 16. That is, this coaxial cable 14
A plurality of coaxial signal lines 18 are formed so as to be covered by the shield wire 16.

The plurality of coaxial signal lines 18 are a signal line 19 composed of a central conductor and a sheath for transmitting electric signals, and a ground line for preventing intrusion of external noise and the like.
And 18b.

Further, the signal line 19 and the ground line 18b are connected to a signal line terminal and a ground line terminal (not shown) provided on the vibrator 12, respectively.

The coaxial cable 14 is connected to a diagnostic device (not shown) or the like, and transmits a predetermined electric signal which is a base of the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the vibrator 12 and an electric signal which is received and converted.

Further, FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the coaxial signal line 18 of FIG. 2 described above. This coaxial signal line 18 in the prior art
Is a center conductor 18a for transmitting an electric signal to the center.
And a first coating sheath 18c as an insulator is provided on the outer periphery thereof, and the above-mentioned ground wire 18b is provided on the outer periphery thereof.
Further, the outer circumference thereof is provided with a second coating sheath 18d. In this way, the coaxial signal line 18 is formed coaxially.

Further, the central conductor 18a is insulated from the ground wire 18b through the first covering sheath 18c, and the ground wire 18b can prevent the influence of external noise or the like entering the coaxial signal wire 18 from the outside. Further, the second covering sheath 18d is formed as an insulator like the first covering sheath 18c, but plays a role of protecting the ground wire 18b.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 2, the conventional ultrasonic probe has the above-described configuration, and its operation will be described below.

When the diagnosis is performed using the ultrasonic probe, the tip end of the probe 10 and the transducer 12 side shown in the figure are brought into contact with an affected part such as a living body as a subject.

The vibrator 12 is connected by a coaxial signal line 18 from an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (not shown) via a coaxial cable 14.

A high-frequency voltage is supplied to the vibrator 12 via a signal line 19, whereby the piezoelectric effect of the vibrator 12 is used to excite ultrasonic waves corresponding to the supplied electric signal.

Then, ultrasonic waves (high-frequency mechanical vibration waves) are sent into the living body from the surface of the living body in contact with the affected area. Then, the ultrasonic wave returning from the inside of the living body is received by the transducer 12 and converted into an electric signal.

In this way, the ultrasonic wave reception signal that is a reflected wave is transmitted to the diagnostic device via the coaxial signal line 18, and the ultrasonic tomographic image and the like of the diagnostic unit can be displayed as a diagnostic image on a television monitor (not shown).

Such an excitation signal for radiating ultrasonic waves to the subject or a reception signal for obtaining an ultrasonic image of the diagnostic section is transmitted by the coaxial cable 14 including a plurality of coaxial signal lines 18. Since the excitation signal and the received signal are high frequency and weak signals, the coaxial cable 14
Is commonly used. Conventional coaxial cable
With respect to external noise or the like at 14, noise that enters from the portion of the coaxial signal line 18 is prevented by the ground wire 18b, and noise that enters from the portion of the coaxial cable 14 is prevented by the shield wire 16.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, according to the conventional ultrasonic probe, a weak high-frequency signal is transmitted between the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body and the vibrator 12, so that an external noise is generated. As a countermeasure against the above, the coaxial cable 14 including the plurality of coaxial signal lines 18 shown in FIGS. 3 and 2 has been used.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe of this type has a signal line 19 and a ground line in a very narrow space.
Since the wiring 18b has to be processed, the ground wire 18b of each coaxial signal wire 18 is, for example, 1
It was bundled in a book and wired to the ground terminal of vibrator 12. This has always been done especially in the case of an ultrasonic probe in a body cavity where the size and shape of the probe are restricted.

Therefore, the signal line 19 is connected to the ground line 18b in the B section.
Since it will be separated and wired separately, ground wire 18
There was a problem that it was not shielded by b.

Therefore, crosstalk occurs between the respective signal lines 19, or radio waves are directly affected by external noise.

As a result, the transmitted signal system is adversely affected, the ultrasonic image quality of the diagnostic unit is deteriorated, and this poses a serious problem in the performance of the ultrasonic probe.

As described above, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent crosstalk between signal lines caused by wiring of a plurality of signal lines and to prevent external signal transmission. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ultrasonic probe capable of surely preventing radio interference due to external noise that enters a line and performing accurate diagnosis.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transducer provided at the tip of a probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and a center for supplying a predetermined electric signal. A signal line comprising a conductor, a first coating sheath made of an insulator provided on the outer periphery of the central conductor, and a conductor coating layer coated with a conductive conductor on the outer periphery of the first coating sheath, and the conductor coating layer. A coaxial signal line composed of an outer conductor provided on an outer peripheral portion of the outer conductor and a second covering sheath made of an insulator provided on the outer periphery of the outer conductor. The second coating sheath is removed, the exposed outer conductor and the signal line are separated and connected to the vibrator, and the signal line is covered with the conductor coating layer up to the contact point of the signal line to the vibrator. It is characterized by being

[Operation] According to the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, the coaxial signal line is formed by providing the conductive intermediate conductor between the insulator and the outer conductor, and without the outer conductor. , The signal line is shielded by interposing an intermediate conductor instead. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the influence of radio interference or the like without the external noise entering the central conductor.

Further, even if a plurality of signal lines without external conductors are mixed in such a probe, the presence of the intermediate conductor makes it possible to reliably prevent crosstalk between the signal lines. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the ultrasonic image quality of the diagnostic unit and maintain the image quality of the diagnostic unit.

[Embodiment] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the above-mentioned coaxial signal line, (a)
Is a sectional view thereof, and (b) is a side view. The same members as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the cross-sectional view of the coaxial signal line, comparing FIG. 1 (a) of the present invention with FIG. 3 of the above-mentioned conventional example, the difference is that a conductor coating layer 20 is provided as a conductive intermediate conductor. There is something. That is, the above-mentioned coaxial signal line 18 is characterized in that the conductive coating layer 20 having conductivity is provided between the first coating sheath 18c which is an insulator and the ground wire 18b which is an outer conductor.

The conductor coating layer 20 has a conductor coating on the outer peripheral portion of the first coating sheath 18c.
It prevents crosstalk between 22 and prevents intrusion of external noise. The signal line 22 is formed of a central conductor 18a and a first coating sheath 18c with a conductor coating on the outer peripheral portion.

Next, the conductor coating layer 20, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described in detail.

The conductor coating layer 20 has conductivity by coating a conductor, and is a ground wire 18b that is an outer conductor.
In addition, it is formed coaxially with the central conductor 18a. Therefore, the conductor coating layer 20 is electrically connected to the ground wire 18b.

Therefore, in the present invention, the signal line 19 of the portion B shown in FIG. 2 is covered with the conductor coating layer 20. Further, the signal line 22 is in the same state as the signal line 19 is electrically shielded by the conductor coating layer 20, and the signal line 22 has only the first coating sheath 18c as shown in FIG. 2B. It is possible to eliminate the effects of crosstalk between lines and external noise.

As described above, since the coaxial cable 14 includes the conductor coating layer 20, the transmitted electric signal is not adversely affected, and a diagnostic image without quality deterioration can be displayed on the television monitor in the diagnostic device.

In this embodiment, the first sheath 18c of the coaxial signal line 18 is used.
The conductor coating layer 20 is provided between the ground wire 18b and the ground wire 18b.
An external conductor wire similar to the above may be provided.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention, a conductive intermediate conductor, which has not existed in the past, is provided between the insulator of the coaxial signal line and the outer conductor. As a result, it is possible to prevent crosstalk between the signal lines due to wiring inside the probe, or to prevent external noise or the like from entering the signal lines. As a result, the ultrasonic probe of the present invention does not adversely affect the electric signal transmitted by the coaxial cable, makes it possible to display a diagnostic image without quality deterioration on a television monitor, etc. Can be surely eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a sectional view of the coaxial signal line of the present invention, FIG. 1 (b) is a side view of the coaxial signal line of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a structure of a conventional ultrasonic probe. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional coaxial signal line. 10 ... Probe 14 ... Coaxial cable 18 ... Coaxial signal wire 18a ... Center conductor 18b ... Ground wire 18c ... First coating sheath 18d ... Second coating sheath 19 ... Signal wire 20 ... Conductor coating layer 22 ... Signal wire.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A vibrator comprising a vibrator provided at a tip portion of a probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a center conductor for supplying a predetermined electric signal, and an insulator provided on an outer periphery of the center conductor. A signal wire comprising a first coating sheath and a conductor coating layer in which a conductive conductor is coated on the outer periphery of the first coating sheath;
A coaxial signal line composed of an outer conductor provided on an outer peripheral portion of the conductor coating layer and a second coating sheath made of an insulator provided on an outer periphery of the outer conductor; The second coating sheath is removed at a distance, the exposed outer conductor and the signal line are separated and connected to the vibrator, respectively, and the signal line is formed by the conductor coating layer up to the contact point of the signal line to the vibrator. An ultrasonic probe characterized by being covered.