KR101804458B1 - Ultrasonic probe and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe and, more specifically, relates to an ultrasonic probe which comprises: a piezoelectric ceramic; a transducer having a matching layer and a sound absorption layer to transmit an ultrasonic signal to an object, and receiving an ultrasonic eco-signal that has been reflected; and a cable transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the object, and transmitting the ultrasonic eco-signal that has been reflected to a system. Moreover, a heat emitting unit composed of a graphite sheet and a copper thin film connects the transducer and the cable to emit heat generated in the transducer. According to a technical idea of the present invention, in the ultrasonic probe, the heat emitting unit composed of the graphite sheet and the copper thin film connects the transducer and the cable to provide excellent heat emitting performance.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe,

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic probe for dissipating heat by connecting a transducer and a cable to a heat dissipating unit including a graphite sheet and a copper thin film, and a method of manufacturing the ultrasonic probe.

The ultrasound wave is a sound wave having a higher frequency than the human audible frequency (20 to 20,000 Hz). When the ultrasound beam is applied to the human body, the ultrasound wave is reflected at the boundary of the tissue, It is a device for diagnosing the presence or absence of disease by imaging the internal structure of a living body using a point.

Ultrasonic imaging diagnostic devices are small, inexpensive, real-time display, and have high safety without X-ray exposure, compared with other imaging diagnostic devices such as X-ray, CT and MRI. And the like.

The ultrasound imaging apparatus includes a probe for transmitting an ultrasound signal to the inside of the human body to obtain an ultrasound image of a human body and receiving a reflected ultrasound echo signal. The probe includes dozens of ultrasound transducers It is made by arranging it in a plastic case. Its shape and size are different according to the inspection site and purpose.

The frequency of the probes used for normal diagnosis is in the range of 3 to 5 MHz, and 2.5 MHz frequency is used to diagnose deep organs, and 7.5 MHz is used for surgery.

In order to increase the ultrasound radiant energy and to realize ultrasound image of clearer image quality, the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer must be increased. However, if the applied voltage is increased to an appropriate level or higher, the human body tissue to be diagnosed may be burned. For this reason, there is a need for an ultrasonic probe manufacturing technique for lowering the temperature of the surface of the ultrasonic wave radiation.

1. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0006519 2. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0072566

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe having an excellent heat dissipation performance by connecting a transducer and a cable to a heat dissipating unit including a graphite sheet and a copper thin film.

Further, the present invention provides a lightweight, small-sized ultrasonic probe in which the heat radiating portion is formed of a flexible material such as a film or a tape.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe having an excellent heat dissipation performance and a high cost competitiveness by reducing the process and material cost in the manufacture of ultrasonic products.

However, these problems are illustrative, and the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe comprising: a piezoelectric ceramic for generating an ultrasonic signal by vibrating a piezoelectric material; a piezoelectric ceramic between the piezoelectric ceramics and the object so that ultrasonic waves generated from the piezoelectric ceramic can be transmitted to a target object A transducer including a matching layer for reducing a difference in acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric ceramic and a sound-absorbing layer for preventing image distortion of the piezoelectric ceramic by blocking the progress of the ultrasonic wave toward the rear of the piezoelectric ceramic; and a transducer for transmitting the ultrasonic signal to the object, And a heat radiating section composed of a graphite sheet and a copper thin film may connect the transducer and the cable to dissipate heat generated in the transducer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat dissipating portion may be connected to the cable and cover the outside of the sound-absorbing layer with a flexible material in the form of a film or a tape.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat radiating portion may be formed by electroplating a copper thin film on the graphite sheet.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the copper foil may be between 5 um and 30 um.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the graphite sheet may be from 100 [mu] m to 300 [mu] m.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an insulating layer may be further included between the sound-absorbing layer and the heat-radiating portion.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an insulating layer may be further included on the outside of the heat dissipation unit.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe including a piezoelectric ceramic, a matching layer, and a sound-absorbing layer to transmit an ultrasonic signal to a target object and receiving a reflected ultrasonic echo signal. Transmitting the ultrasound signal to a target object, connecting a cable for transmitting the reflected ultrasound echo signal to the system, forming an insulating layer on the outside of the sound-absorbing layer, providing a graphite sheet and a copper foil And a step of connecting the heat dissipation unit and the cable.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat radiating portion may be manufactured by electroplating a copper thin film on a graphite sheet.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the method may further include forming an insulating layer outside the heat dissipation unit.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the method may further include assembling the handle case to the transducer in which the heat dissipation unit is formed.

The ultrasonic probe according to the technical idea of the present invention can have excellent heat radiation performance by connecting the transducer and the cable with the heat radiating part composed of the graphite sheet and the copper thin film.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe according to the technical idea of the present invention can be manufactured in a light and small size ultrasonic probe by forming the heat dissipating part from a flexible material such as a film or a tape.

In addition, the method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to the technical idea of the present invention has an excellent heat radiation performance, and is excellent in cost competitiveness by reducing the process and material cost in manufacturing an ultrasonic product.

The effects of the present invention described above are exemplarily described, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

Fig. 1 is a view showing an ultrasonic probe end product and a product cross section.
2 is a photograph showing an ultrasonic probe having a heat dissipating unit and an insulating layer according to the present invention.
3 is a photograph showing the internal structure of a conventional ultrasonic probe.
4 is a graph showing the thermal conductivity characteristics of the ultrasonic probe according to the kind of the heat dissipating member, the thin film forming method, and the thickness.
FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the thermal conductivity characteristics of an ultrasonic probe using a heat dissipating unit in which a copper thin film is formed on a graphite sheet according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of technical thought is not limited to the following examples. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items. The same reference numerals denote the same elements at all times. Further, various elements and regions in the drawings are schematically drawn. Accordingly, the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by the relative size or spacing depicted in the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic probe finished product and a product. 2 is a photograph showing an ultrasonic probe having a heat dissipating unit and an insulating layer according to the present invention.

The ultrasonic probe according to the present invention includes a transducer, a cable, and a heat dissipating unit that connects the transducer and the cable to dissipate heat generated in the transducer. The heat radiating part composed of the graphite sheet and the copper thin film can have excellent heat radiation performance by connecting the transducer and the cable. Graphene is a material with a very good thermal conductivity of about two times higher than copper at room temperature and can be used in areas where rapid heat dissipation is required. The graphite sheet in which graphene is laminated is also excellent in the heat transfer property in the plane orientation (x, y direction) as intermediate between copper and graphene, but the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction (z direction) To improve the heat transfer characteristics of the graphene in the z-direction, and to effectively dissipate heat by connecting to a cable.

The transducer may include a piezoelectric ceramic, a matching layer, and a sound-absorbing layer to transmit an ultrasonic signal to a target object, and receive the reflected ultrasonic echo signal. The piezoelectric ceramic material generates an ultrasonic signal while vibrating the piezoelectric material, and the matching layer reduces a difference in acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric ceramic and the object so that the ultrasonic waves generated from the piezoelectric ceramic can be transmitted to the object as much as possible. The sound-absorbing layer prevents the ultrasonic waves from propagating to the rear side of the piezoelectric ceramics, thereby preventing image distortion. The acoustic lens may further include an acoustical lens, which focuses the ultrasonic wave propagating forward of the piezoelectric ceramics to a specific point.

The cable transmits the ultrasonic signal to the object and transmits the reflected ultrasonic echo signal to the system. At this time, the heat radiating part formed of the graphite sheet and the copper thin film may connect the transducer and the cable to dissipate heat generated in the transducer. Particularly, in the case of a cardiac probe, the application of a high applied power to the probe causes a high heat on the surface of the probe's scan head. If the temperature exceeds the temperature specified in IEC60601, a safety problem may occur, so that the heat dissipating part can improve heat radiation performance by connecting the cable and conducting heat to the rear side.

The heat dissipation unit may cover the outside of the sound-absorbing layer with a flexible material such as a film or a tape, and may be connected to the cable. The heat dissipation part is formed of a flexible material such as a film or a tape, so that a lightweight and small-sized ultrasonic probe can be manufactured. The cardiac probe should be able to scan the entire heart located about 80 ~ 100mm deep in an adult subject, so that the scan head must be small in order to emit ultrasound between the ribs, and the ultrasound must be transmitted and received to the deep heart. It must have high applied power characteristics. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention may be suitable for this.

The heat dissipation part may be formed by electroplating a copper thin film on the graphite sheet. Using a carbon-based graphite sheet excellent in thermal conduction effect, it is coated with copper as a thin film by electroplating and manufactured like a flexible film or tape without breakage of the thin film, thereby effectively connecting the ultrasonic transducer and the cable when manufacturing the ultrasonic probe, The copper foil on the sheet can be made without cracks to ensure a perfect connection between the transducer and the ground of the cable assembly.

The thickness of the copper foil may be between 5 um and 30 um, and the thickness of the graphite sheet may be between 100 um and 300 um. If the thickness of the copper foil is less than 5 탆, it may not have a good heat radiation effect due to cracks in a part of the copper foil. If the thickness of the copper foil exceeds 30 탆, the heat radiation effect may be reduced due to the thickness of the copper foil . Therefore, when the copper thin film has a thickness of 5 to 30 um, it has the best heat radiation effect.

The insulating layer may further include an insulating layer between the sound-absorbing layer and the heat-radiating portion. The insulating layer may be configured to shield EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference), and the insulating layer may be a polyimide film. Particularly, a capton tape excellent in heat resistance (250 to 300 ° C), chemical resistance, insulation property, withstanding voltage resistance and the like and using a silicone adhesive can be used.

A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention includes a step of connecting a cable with a transducer, an insulating layer forming step, a heat radiating part forming step, and a heat radiating part and a cable connecting step. The ultrasonic probe manufacturing method according to the present invention has an advantage of excellent heat dissipation performance and excellent price competitiveness by reducing the process and material cost in the production of ultrasonic products.

The transducer may include a piezoelectric ceramic, a matching layer, and a sound-absorbing layer to transmit an ultrasonic signal to a target and receive the reflected ultrasonic echo signal. The cable transmits the ultrasonic signal to the object, Ultrasonic echo signals can be delivered to the system. And an ultrasonic probe can be primarily manufactured by connecting these.

The step of forming the insulating layer is a step of forming an insulating layer outside the sound-absorbing layer, and the step of forming the heat-radiating part is a step of forming a heat-radiating part made of a graphite sheet and a copper thin film outside the heat- Further, the heat generated by the transducer can be dissipated by connecting the heat dissipating unit and the cable.

3 is a photograph showing the internal structure of a conventional ultrasonic probe. Conventional ultrasonic probe manufacturing methods include a process of connecting a transducer and a cable, forming an insulating layer and a copper layer, installing a metal support on the rear side of the transducer, inserting a metal heat sink, grounding, Thereby dissipating heat generated from the probe. The metal support and the metal heat sink are made of metal such as aluminum.

However, the method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention is a simple manufacturing method of forming a heat dissipating part on the outside of a sound-absorbing layer and connecting the same to a cable, which has superior heat dissipation performance, .

The heat dissipation unit may further include a step of electroplating a copper thin film on the graphite sheet and forming an insulating layer on the outer side of the heat dissipating unit, and assembling the handle case to the transducer having the heat dissipating unit .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be described with reference to examples and experimental examples.

1. Sample preparation

In order to evaluate the heat conduction characteristics according to the kind of the heat dissipation material, the thin film formation method, and the thickness, a graphite sheet having a thickness of 100 μm and a metal thin film were formed on the graphite sheet using electroplating and thermal evaporation Thereby forming a formed sample.

1-1. Graphite sheet

- Graphene only (100um thickness)

1-2. Electroplating metal thin film formation

Cu and Cu / Ni are electroplated to form a thin film on a graphite sheet

- Graphene (100um thickness) + Cu (11, 27, 30um thickness)

- Graphene (100um thickness) + Cu / Ni (21, 24, 26, 32um thickness / 3um, total 24, 27, 29, 35um thickness)

1-3. Vacuum evaporation deposition metal thin film formation

Cu was deposited on the graphite sheet by vacuum evaporation to a thickness of 5 um to form a thin film

- Graphene (100um thickness) + AP (1.5057g plated)

- Graphene (100um thickness) + BP (1.5150g plated)

A piezoelectric ceramic, a matching layer, and a sound-absorbing layer, and an insulating layer and the heat-radiating portion are sequentially formed on the sound-absorbing layer, and the heat-radiating portion and the cable are connected to form an ultrasonic probe.

As a reference sample, a conventional mass production product of FIG. 3 was used. The transducer and the cable assembly were connected with the upper connector of the PCB mounted on each other, the bonding step was performed by using the polyimide tape as a whole, And then fixing the whole area with copper tape. The solder is used for soldering between copper tapes, soldering of copper tape and transducer GND, shielding of copper tape and cable assembly braid soldering step, solder cream removal step using alcohol all for soldering part, adhesive bonding step for wrapping all parts soldered with polyimide tape again, and assembly step for finished product with handle case.

2. Heat dissipation performance test condition

The ultrasonic probe thus manufactured was tested under the heat radiation performance test conditions.

- Temperature and humidity chamber (standard temperature: 26 ℃, humidity: 45%)

- Ultrasonic diagnostic system: Telemed LS128 Beamformer

- Driving PC

- Temperature monitoring system: Thermo couple connected DSP control system, LCD display

- 11 ultrasonic probes L7 (Ref. 1 sample, 10 experimental samples)

3. Check the heat dissipation performance

4 is a graph showing the thermal conductivity characteristics of the ultrasonic probe according to the kind of the heat dissipating member, the thin film forming method, and the thickness. As shown in FIG. 4, the copper thin films of 11um, 27, and 30um thick were formed by electroplating. The copper thin films of 11um thick and 100um thick were formed on the graphite sheet under the same conditions. It was confirmed that the coated sample had a maximum temperature value 4.2 ℃ lower than the reference sample (manufactured by mass production).

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the thermal conductivity characteristics of an ultrasonic probe using a heat dissipating unit in which a copper thin film is formed on a graphite sheet according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the heat conduction characteristics of the ultrasonic probes according to the thickness of the copper foil were evaluated. As a result, it was confirmed that the samples formed with the copper foils of 11um, 27 and 30um thickness had better performance than those of the existing mass products, . Also, it was confirmed that the copper thin film of 11um thickness had better thermal conductivity than the copper thin film of 27 and 30um thickness. The thickness of the copper thin film is considered to be reduced to some extent due to the thickness of the copper thin film, 15um.

Based on the experimental results, it can be seen that, when the same size of voltage is applied to the ultrasonic transducer in the ultrasonic system, when the product is grounded and shielded by the heat dissipation part coated with copper thin film on the graphite sheet, As shown in FIG.

These results can be applied to a higher voltage in the ultrasound system, which can lead to an improvement in performance (increase in resolution) of the entire ultrasound system.

The ultrasonic probe according to the present invention has an excellent heat dissipation performance by connecting a transducer and a cable to a heat radiating part composed of a graphite sheet and a copper thin film and the heat radiating part is formed of a flexible material such as a film or a tape, Can be manufactured.

In addition, the method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention has an advantage of excellent heat dissipation performance and a high price competitiveness by reducing the process and material cost in manufacturing an ultrasonic product.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention can effectively increase the conduction of heat by using a heat dissipating unit having excellent heat conduction and heat absorption, thereby increasing the voltage applied to the probe, thereby realizing ultrasound image with a clearer image quality.

Therefore, the stability of the ultrasonic probe is expanded, and it can be used for the treatment of human body using high voltage, high efficiency and high power, and for the production of ultrasonic transducer for high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for beauty purpose. It can be applied to various industrial devices and devices of purpose.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims (11)

A matching layer for reducing a difference in acoustic impedance between the piezoelectric ceramic and the object so that the ultrasonic waves generated from the piezoelectric ceramic can be transmitted to the object as much as possible and a matching layer for reducing the acoustic impedance difference between the object and the rear surface of the piezoelectric ceramics, A transducer including a sound-absorbing layer for preventing image distortion,
And a cable for transmitting the ultrasonic signal to the object and transmitting the reflected ultrasonic echo signal to the system,
A heat dissipating unit formed of a graphite sheet having a thickness of 100 탆 to 300 탆 on which a copper thin film having a thickness of 5 탆 to 15 탆 is formed is connected to the transducer and the cable to dissipate heat generated in the transducer,
The heat dissipating unit is connected to the cable by covering the outside of the sound-absorbing layer with a flexible material such as a film or a tape, and the heat is conducted through a ground connected with the cable, so that the heat is sinked by the ground connected to the heat dissipating unit ,
And an insulating layer for EMI shielding between the sound-absorbing layer and the heat-radiating portion and outside the heat-radiating portion.
delete The heat sink according to claim 1,
And the copper thin film is electroplated on the graphite sheet.
delete delete delete delete A transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic signal including a piezoelectric ceramic, a matching layer, and a sound-absorbing layer to a target and receiving the reflected ultrasonic echo signal; and a controller for transmitting the ultrasonic echo signal to the object, Connecting the transmitting cable;
Forming an insulating layer for EMI shielding outside the sound-absorbing layer;
Forming a heat dissipation part with a graphite sheet having a thickness of 100 um to 300 um formed on the outer side of the insulating layer with a copper thin film having a thickness of 5 to 15 um and covering the outside of the sound absorbing layer and connecting to the cable;
Forming an insulating layer outside the heat dissipation unit; And
And connecting the heat dissipating unit and the cable so that heat generated in the transducer is conducted and sinked through a ground connected to the cable.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the heat dissipation unit is manufactured by electroplating a copper thin film on a graphite sheet.
delete 9. The method of claim 8,
And assembling the handle case to the transducer provided with the heat dissipating unit.

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