JPS63111455A - Ultrasonic microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the temperature variation of a coupler which propagates an acoustic wave supplied to between an acoustic lens and a sample and to obtain an image with a good S/N by holding a container which contains the coupler at specific temperature in a container storage part. CONSTITUTION:The acoustic lens 1 is moved by an exciter 2 linearly and reciprocally to scan the sample 5 mounted on a sample base 4 on a table 3 with an ultrasonic wave at right angle to the direction of the reciprocal movement. The sample base 4 is provided with a heater 6 and a temperature sensor 7 and the temperature of the coupler 9 is controlled. The coupler container storage part 11 where the coupler container 10 which contains the couplers 9 is held at desired temperature and stored is provided nearby the sample base 4, and the coupler 9 in the container 10 is held at the same temperature with the coupler 9 between the sample 5 and acoustic lens 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention relates to an ultrasound microscope.

[Conventional technology]

In ultrasonic microscopes, the frequency range is from several 100 MHz to several G11 Hz.
The ultrasonic waves are projected onto the sample through an acoustic lens, but such ultrasonic waves are highly attenuated in air.
Since almost no propagation occurs, a liquid (coupler) for propagating sound waves is usually filled between the acoustic lens and the sample. Water is often used as this coupler, and it is generally supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample using a syringe, dropper, or the like.

In such an ultrasound microscope, the S/
The N ratio is affected by the absorption of sound waves in the coupler, especially I C
When using sound waves of 11z or more, this becomes a very important problem because the sound wave absorption coefficient of water is proportional to the square of the frequency.

In order to solve these problems, the applicant took advantage of the fact that the sound wave absorption coefficient of water attenuates due to a rise in temperature and attached a heater to the acoustic lens.
As already proposed in No. 34, an ultrasonic microscope has been developed that aims to improve the S/N ratio of images by attaching a heater to the sample stage and heating the water supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample. ing.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, as mentioned above, when attaching a heater to the acoustic lens or sample stage to heat the coupler supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample, it takes time for the coupler to warm up, and during heating, Evaporation is also fast, so if you refill the coupler midway through, the temperature of the refill coupler will be low, so the temperature will drop temporarily and the S/N ratio of the image will deteriorate.
There is a problem that it is difficult to obtain a stable image.

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic microscope that is appropriately configured so that images with a good S/N ratio can always be obtained.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a coupler container storage section that stores a container that stores a coupler that propagates a sound wave supplied between an acoustic lens and a sample while maintaining it at a predetermined temperature.

[For production]

In this way, by providing a storage section that maintains the coupler container at a predetermined temperature and stores it, the coupler housed in the coupler container will also be maintained at a predetermined temperature, allowing the coupler to be placed between the acoustic lens and the sample. By supplying the signal between the two, it is possible to always obtain an image with a good S/N ratio.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, an acoustic lens 1 is linearly reciprocated by an exciter 2, a table is moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the reciprocating movement, and the sample is placed on a sample stage 4 (for example, a goniometer) on the table 3. The placed sample 5 is placed on the acoustic lens 1
It scans two-dimensionally in the X and Y directions within a horizontal plane using ultrasonic waves from. The sample stage 4 is provided with a built-in heater 6 and a temperature sensor 7, and the operation of the heater 6 is controlled by a temperature controller 8 based on the output of the temperature sensor 7. The temperature of the coupler 9 supplied between the two is controlled to a desired temperature.

Further, the table 3 near the sample stage 4 is provided with a coupler container storage section 11 in which a coupler container 10 containing the coupler 9 is stored while being maintained at a desired temperature. This Kabra container storage part 1
1 is provided with a recess 12 for storing the coupler container 10, and also has a built-in heater 13 and a temperature sensor 14 near the recess 12. Based on the output of the temperature sensor 14, the temperature controller 8 controls the heater 13. By controlling the operation of the coupler 9, the temperature of the coupler 9 in the coupler container 10 is maintained at a desired temperature, for example, approximately equal to the temperature controlled by the heater 6 of the coupler 9 between the sample 5 and the acoustic lens 1. do.

Note that the coupler 9 housed in the coupler container 10 is
By creating a high pressure in the container with the coupler replenishment device 15, the coupler is supplied between the acoustic lens 1 and the sample 5 via the tube 16 and the coupler replenishment needle 17 attached to the vibrator 2.

According to this embodiment, the temperature of the coupler 9 supplied between the acoustic lens l and the sample 5 and the coupler 9 housed in the coupler container 10 in the coupler container storage section 11 can be controlled to be approximately equal. , coupler 9 in coupler container 10
Even when replenishing between the acoustic lens 1 and the sample 5, the temperature change can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, images with a good S/N ratio can always be obtained.

FIG. 2 shows the main part of a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a storage section 22 for storing a syringe 21 that accommodates a replenishment coupler 9 is provided in a sample stage 4 having a temperature control function, and a syringe 21 stored in this storage section 22 is provided.
The temperature of the coupler 9 in the sample 1 is simultaneously controlled to approximately the same temperature by a heater 6 and a temperature sensor 7, which are supplied between an acoustic lens (not shown) and the sample 5 to control the coupler 9 to a desired temperature. This is what I did.

According to this embodiment, the coupler 9 in the syringe 21 housed in the housing part 22 is maintained at a desired temperature, so the syringe 21 is taken out and the coupler 9 is refilled between the acoustic lens and the sample 5. However, the temperature change of the coupler 9 between these acoustic lenses and the sample 5 can be effectively suppressed.
Therefore, as in the first embodiment, images with a good S/N ratio can always be obtained. In addition, since the temperature control of the coupler 9 supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample 5 and the temperature control of the coupler 9 in the syringe 21 are performed simultaneously by the heater 6 and temperature sensor 7 built into the sample stage 4, the parts The number of points is small, so the cost can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

Note that this invention is not limited only to the embodiments described above, and numerous modifications and changes are possible. For example, in the embodiment described above, the acoustic lens and the table on which the sample stage was placed were moved in directions orthogonal to each other to scan the sample two-dimensionally within the horizontal plane. The sample may be scanned by moving two-dimensionally. Furthermore, the storage section of the coupler container that accommodates the coupler can be provided not only at the stage or the sample table but also at any location. Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, a function was provided to control the temperature of the coupler supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample, but this function is not necessarily necessary, and the desired temperature can be controlled in the coupler container storage section. A similar effect can be obtained by supplying a coupler maintained at a temperature.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the coupler supplied between the acoustic lens and the sample can be maintained at a desired temperature in advance, images with a good S/N ratio can always be obtained. be able to.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment. 1... Acoustic lens 2... Exciter 3... Table 4... Sample stage 5... Sample
6... Heater 7... Temperature sensor 8... Temperature controller 9... Coupler 10... Coupler container 11... Coupler container storage section 12... Recessed portion 13... Heater 14...
・Temperature sensor 15...Coupler replenishment device 16・
...Tube 17...Coupler refill needle 21.
...Syringe 22...Storage part Fig. 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic microscope characterized by being provided with a coupler container storage section that stores a container that stores a coupler that propagates sound waves supplied between an acoustic lens and a sample while maintaining it at a predetermined temperature.