JPS61181448A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a linear ultrasonic probe used in medical ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently, ultrasonic probes have been widely used in medical and other fields. As a conventional ultrasonic probe, a structure as described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 129048/1983 is known. Hereinafter, a conventional ultrasonic probe will be explained with reference to FIG.

1o11i A piezoelectric vibrator that converts an electric signal into PVC vibration; 1o2 is a positive electrode 103 provided on the inner surface of the piezoelectric perturber 101;
is a negative side electrode provided on the outer surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 101, that is, on the opposite side of the positive side electrode [102, and with a portion extending from the side surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 101 toward the positive side electrode 102. 104 is a positive conductor that supplies an electric signal to the positive electrode 102, 105 is a ground conductor that is electrically connected to the negative electrode 103, and 1o6 is a piezoelectric vibrator 1o1.
an acoustic matching layer formed on the negative side electrode 103 surface of the
An acoustic lens 107 is formed on the surface of the acoustic matching layer 106 and has a focal point on the center of the width of the short axis of the piezoelectric vibrator 101.
08 is a back load material formed on the positive side electrode 102 surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 101, 1o9 is an electric signal source connected to the positive side conductor 104 and the ground conductor 105, and 110 is the above-mentioned member housed. The housing 110 is formed symmetrically with respect to the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator 101.

Then, an electric signal is transmitted from the electric signal source 109 to the positive conductor 1.
04 to the positive electrode 102, the piezoelectric vibrator 101 converts its electrical signal into total mechanical vibrations, which are combined with sound waves and 1. So, acoustic matching: @1o
It passes through e, is further focused by the acoustic lens 107, and is emitted to the outside.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above configuration, the piezoelectric vibrator 105 has a positive electrode 102 and a negative electrode 10 on both sides.
Only the part B sandwiched between the parts 3 and 3 acts as a piezoelectric vibrator, that is, the center of the effective width B of the piezoelectric vibrator 101 is C, and there is a deviation D between the centers of the acoustic lens 107 and the housing 110. will occur. In this case, acoustic lens 1
07 does not focus the sound waves as expected, and the effect of the acoustic lens 107 is not properly exhibited, and the center of the sound waves emitted from the acoustic lens 107 is
Since the ultrasonic probe is not located at the center of the ultrasonic probe, it is practically indestructible and has problems such as being unable to fully demonstrate the performance of the ultrasonic probe.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an ultrasonic probe that can improve the lens effect and improve the performance.

Means for solving the problems and the technical means of the present invention for solving the above problems include a piezoelectric vibrator for converting a drowsiness signal into mechanical imaging, and a piezoelectric vibrator installed on the piezoelectric vibrator. a second electrode provided on the opposite side of the piezoelectric vibrator from the first electrode and partially extending toward the first electrode; The piezoelectric vibrator has a conductor connected to an electrode, and the electrodes are arranged so that the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator and the center of the effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator substantially coincide with each other.

Function The present invention has the advantage that, as described above, the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator and the center of the substantial effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator almost coincide with each other.
The center of the acoustic lens and the housing having a focal point on the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator can be made to substantially coincide with the center of the substantial effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator. As a result, the lens effect can be properly exhibited, the center of the sound wave emitted from the acoustic lens can be made to substantially coincide with the center of the housing, and the performance as an ultrasonic probe can be fully exhibited.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 1 is a piezoelectric vibrator that converts electrical signals into mechanical vibrations;
Reference numeral 2 denotes a positive side electrode which is provided on the inner surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and is a first electrode for applying an electric signal to the piezoelectric vibrator 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes a positive side electrode 2 provided on the outer surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1.
This is a negative side electrode which is a second electrode provided on the opposite side of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and partially extended from the side surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 toward the positive side electrode 2 side. 4 is a positive conductor that supplies an electrical signal to the positive electrode 2, and 6 is a negative electrode 3.
6 is an acoustic matching layer formed on the negative side electrode 3 surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1; 7 is a ground conductor formed on the acoustic matching layer 6 surface, and is on the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator 1. 8 is a back load material formed on the positive electrode 2 surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1; 9 is an electric signal source connected to the positive conductor 4 and the ground conductor 5; 1° is a housing in which each of the above-mentioned members is housed, and this housing 1° is formed symmetrically with respect to the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric molecule 1. The above-mentioned positive side electrode 2 has a width corresponding to the sum of the part of the negative side electrode 3 that wraps around to the positive side electrode 2 side and the gap between this part and the positive side electrode 2, and the opposite side thereof is shorter than the piezoelectric vibrator 1. It is formed like this. That is, the positive side electrode 2 is formed to have an equal width of 17B on the left and right sides with respect to the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator 1. In this embodiment, the negative side electrode 3 covers the entire outer surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1, but since the actual effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 is the portion where the positive side electrode 2 is located, that is, the width B, the piezoelectric vibrator The center C of the substantial effective width B of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 is approximately on the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator 1.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. As described above, by providing the positive side electric walls 2 evenly on the left and right sides with respect to the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator 1, the center C of the substantial effective width B of the piezoelectric sensor 1 and the short axis of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 can be As a result, the focal point of the acoustic lens 7, the center A of the casing 1o, and the center C of the substantial effective width B of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 can be made to almost match, and the center point of the entire It can be located at the center of Therefore, the lens effect can be properly exhibited, the center of the sound wave emitted from the acoustic lens 7 can be made to substantially coincide with the center of the housing 1o, and the performance as an ultrasonic probe can be fully exhibited.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 2 (the same members as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals). In this embodiment, the part of the negative side electrode 3 provided on the outer surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 does not cover the entire piezoelectric vibrator 1, and the part of the negative side electrode 3 provided on the outer surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 does not cover the entire piezoelectric vibrator 1.゛The negative side electrode 3 has a width corresponding to the sum of the part that wraps around to the electrode 2 side and the gap between this and the positive side electrode 2.
The side opposite to the wrap-around portion is formed to be shorter than the piezoelectric vibrator 1. The effective effective width B of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 in this embodiment is the sum of the part of the negative electrode 3 that wraps around to the positive electrode 2 side and the gap between this and the positive electrode 2, and the wrap around in the negative electrode 3. This is the part excluding the blank space on the opposite side, that is, the part where the positive side electrode 2 and the negative side electrode 3 overlap, and the piezoelectric vibrator 1
With respect to the center of the minor axis width, the left and right sides have an equal width of t, 6B.

As a result, the focal point of the acoustic lens 7, the center of the housing 1o, and the center C of the substantial effective width B of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 can be made to substantially coincide with each other, and can be positioned at the center of the whole. Therefore, the lens effect can be properly exhibited, the center of the sound wave emitted from the acoustic lens 7 can be made to substantially coincide with the center of the housing 10, and the performance as an ultrasonic probe can be fully exhibited.

In each of the above embodiments, the positive or negative electrode 2 or 3 is provided as an extension, but this portion does not need to be provided.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the electrodes are arranged so that the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator almost coincides with the center of the substantial effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator. Therefore, it is possible to make the center of the effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator almost coincide with the focal point of the acoustic lens and the center of the housing, and also to set it so that it is almost at the center of the whole and equally spaced on the left and right sides. can.

Therefore, the acoustic lens effect can be improved, and the performance can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts showing the first embodiment of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts showing the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is the conventional ultrasonic probe. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of an ultrasound probe. 1... Piezoelectric vibrator, 2... Plus side electrode (first electrode), 3... Minus side electrode (second electrode), 4.5... ...Conductor, 6...
Acoustic matching layer, 7...Acoustic lens, 8...
・Back load material, 9. Old... Electric signal source, 10...
・Housing. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] a piezoelectric vibrator for converting electrical signals into mechanical vibrations;
a first electrode provided on the piezoelectric vibrator; and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric vibrator on the opposite side of the first electrode and partially extending toward the first electrode. , comprising a conductor connected to the first and second electrodes, and the electrodes are arranged so that the center of the short axis width of the piezoelectric vibrator substantially coincides with the center of the effective width of the piezoelectric vibrator. An ultrasonic probe featuring: