KR20080039626A - Apparatus for testing performance of an ultrasound probe - Google Patents

Abstract

A characteristic measuring apparatus of an ultrasound probe is provided to select an accurate contact position using a specimen support unit to measure accurate characteristics of the ultrasound probe. A characteristic measuring apparatus of an ultrasound probe comprises a characteristic measuring unit, a measuring pin, a measuring pin moving unit(220), a control unit, a base(211), and a support(212). The characteristic measuring unit transmits and receives a measuring signal to/from a specimen provided with a plurality of contact points connected to a plurality of converting elements, and measures characteristics of the ultrasound probe. The measuring pin connects the specimen to the characteristics measuring unit. The measuring pin moving unit moves the measuring pin for connection. The control unit controls movement of the measuring pin. The base includes a plurality of fixing units(211A). The support is fixed to the fixing units, and supports the specimen.

Description

Apparatus for testing performance of an ultrasound probe

1 is an exemplary view schematically showing an ultrasonic probe generally used in an ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an apparatus for measuring characteristics of an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exemplary view schematically showing the structure of a sample support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5 are exemplary views showing a method of fixing the support to the base according to the present invention.

6 is an exemplary view showing a support according to the present invention.

7 is an exemplary view showing an example in which a connector of a different size from the connector shown in FIG. 3 is mounted on a support.

8 is an exemplary view showing an example of a measuring pin according to the present invention.

9 is an exemplary view showing an example of a measuring pin moving unit according to the present invention.

10 is an exemplary view showing an example in which a connector is mounted to measure characteristics of an ultrasonic probe in a connection part according to the present invention.

11 is an exemplary view showing an example of supporting a connector using one support according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings>

100: probe

210: sample support

220: measuring pin

230: measuring pin moving part

240: characteristic measurement unit

250: control unit

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe characteristic measuring apparatus, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic probe characteristic measuring apparatus capable of fixing connectors of ultrasonic probes of various sizes.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is one of important diagnostic apparatuses that have been applied in various applications. In particular, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus having non-invasive and non-destructive characteristics is widely used in the medical field for obtaining information inside an object. Ultrasonic diagnostic devices are very important in the medical field because they can provide a high-resolution image of the internal tissue of a human body to a doctor in real time without the need for observation techniques that invade human tissues such as surgery. Modern high performance ultrasound diagnostic systems have been used to generate two-dimensional or three-dimensional diagnostic images of the internal shape of a subject (eg, internal organs of a patient).

Ultrasonic diagnostic devices generally use a conversion element formed of a piezoelectric material for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus electrically stimulates the acoustic transducer to generate an ultrasonic signal transmitted to the human body and transmit the ultrasonic signal to the human body. The ultrasonic signal transmitted to the human body is reflected at the boundary of the human tissue where the acoustic impedance is discontinuous, and the ultrasonic echo signal transmitted from the boundary of the human tissue to the conversion element is converted into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal is amplified and signal processed to produce useful data including ultrasound images of the tissue.

In order to increase the resolution of an ultrasound image, an ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of conversion elements, for example, 128 or 192 conversion elements are arranged, is used. In the case of a plurality of conversion elements in the ultrasonic transducer, there may be a problem of change in characteristics and uniformity between conversion elements for each conversion element, so it is necessary to check the characteristics of each conversion element by measuring the characteristics of each conversion element.

1 is an exemplary view schematically showing an ultrasound probe generally used in an ultrasound diagnostic system. The ultrasonic probe 100 is connected to the ultrasonic transducer 110 through an ultrasonic transducer 110, a cable 120, and a cable 120 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and connects the ultrasonic probe 100 to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic system ( And a connector 130 for connecting with the device (not shown). The ultrasonic probe 100 includes a plurality of conversion elements (not shown) for generating an ultrasonic signal in response to the transmission pulse signal and for generating an electrical reception signal in response to the ultrasonic echo signal. The connector 130 includes a plurality of connection pins 132, and a signal generated in the main body is transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer 110 through the connection pins 132. The connection pins of the connector 130 may have various types of contacts depending on the type of the ultrasound probe 100 and the measurement target. Each connecting pin 132 of the connector 130 is connected to each conversion element via a cable 120.

The characteristics of each transducer element in the ultrasonic transducer 110 are measured through signals transmitted and received through the connection pins 132 provided in the connector 130. The signal input from the signal generator (not shown) is transmitted to the conversion element through the connection pin 132, and the received signal input from the conversion element is transmitted to the signal measurement device such as an oscilloscope through the connection pin 132. Transfer to measure the characteristics of each conversion element.

The conventional signal measuring device and the connector 130 are implemented in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB) as an element such as a relay. Therefore, when using a PCB-type connection device to connect the signal measuring device and the connector 130 to each other to measure the characteristics of the transducer as in the prior art, stray capacitance, inductive ( The signal is distorted due to inductance and resistance, making it difficult to accurately measure the characteristics of the conversion device. In addition, although the conventional signal measuring device and the connector 130 can be simply mechanically connected, it is difficult to measure a variety of measurement samples and is inconvenient to manage because the components constituting the signal measuring device are not integrated. In addition, the relative position of the contact provided in the sample is not fixed, so there is a problem that the use is very cumbersome and difficult.

Therefore, the present invention is to solve the above problems, the present invention by using a sample support that can secure a variety of connectors or acoustic modules of the ultrasonic probe according to the type of ultrasonic probe to stably select the correct contact position Provided is an apparatus for measuring the characteristics of an ultrasonic probe capable of directly measuring the characteristics of an accurate ultrasonic probe.

In order to achieve the above object, the device for measuring the characteristics of the conversion element in the ultrasonic probe including a plurality of conversion elements according to the present invention, by transmitting and receiving a measurement signal to a sample provided with a plurality of contacts connected to the conversion element A characteristic measuring unit for measuring a characteristic of the ultrasonic probe; A measuring pin for connecting the sample and the characteristic measuring unit; A measuring pin moving unit for moving the measuring pin for the connection; A control unit for controlling the movement of the measuring pin; A base comprising a plurality of fastening means; And a support fixed to each of the fixing means to support the sample, wherein the support includes a sample mounting means, and the support is fixed by the fixing means selected according to the size and shape of the sample. The sample is mounted to the means.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the device for measuring the conversion element characteristics of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention. The ultrasonic transducer element characteristic measuring apparatus 200 includes a sample supporter 210, a measuring pin 220, a characteristic measuring unit 230, a measuring pin moving unit 240, and a controller 250. The sample support unit 210 supports a sample such as the ultrasonic probe 100. In addition, the sample supporter 210 may support a connector, an acoustic module, and the like, which are provided with contacts connected to the ultrasonic transducers of various types of ultrasonic probes 100. The measuring pin 220 is connected to the sample and the characteristic measuring unit 230 to transmit and receive a measurement signal. The characteristic measurer 230 displays the measured result as a graphic or text. Preferably, the characteristic measuring unit 230 is implemented as a measuring instrument such as an oscilloscope, an analysis device, or the like. The controller 250 may be implemented as a personal computer or an independent control device, and controls the sample supporter 210 using wired or wireless communication with the sample supporter 210. Communication between the controller 250 and the sample supporter 210 may use any one or more of universal serial bus (USB), standard serial communication, Bluetooth (Blue Tooth), Zigbee, and IEEE1394.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the sample support part 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The sample supporter 210 includes a base 211 and a sample supporter 212. 3 shows an example in which the connector of the ultrasonic probe is mounted on the sample support 212.

The base 211 is implemented in the form of a plate having a predetermined size and weight, and a plurality of first fixing means 211A is provided on an upper surface of the base 211. The first fixing means 211A may be implemented as an uneven portion, a spiral groove, or the like having a predetermined depth or height. The plurality of fixing means 211A are in the form of a matrix so that samples of various sizes can be easily fixed. Hereinafter, an example in which the first fixing means 211A is implemented as a hole having a predetermined depth will be described. The hole is formed with a spiral groove may serve as a nut of the screw. As shown in FIG. 3, the sample holder 212 supports both ends of the probe connector C. As shown in FIG. According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the sample support 212 has at least one support plate 212B extending from one end 212A and a connection hole 222C passing through each support plate 212B. . The connection hole 222C of the sample support 212 is fixed on the first fixing means 211A of the base 221, and is supported by a screw or pin to the connection hole 212C and the first fixing means 211A. 212 may be fixed on the base 211A. When a plurality of support plates 212B are provided at one end 212A of the sample support 212, the sample support 212 may be more firmly and stably fixed to the base 211. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the support 222 may not include the support plate 222B. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, one end 212A of the sample support 212 may be inserted into and fixed in the first fixing means 211A on the base 211. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5, the diameter of the first fixing means 211A is smaller than the diameter of the sample support 212, and one end 212A of the sample support 212 is connected to the first fixing means 211A. It may have a protrusion 212D of a size that can be inserted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention has been described an example in which the first fixing means 211A is implemented as a hole, in another embodiment, the first fixing means 211A may be implemented as a protrusion having a predetermined height. In this case, the protrusion 212 may be inserted into the connection hole 212C of the support 212 to fix the support 212 on the base 211.

As shown in FIG. 6, one side of the support 212 is provided with a second fixing means 212E and a sample mounting part 212F. The sample mounting unit 212F is provided with at least one first fixing hole 212F_1 for fixing the sample C and a second fixing hole 212F_2 for fixing the sample mounting unit 212F to the support 212. The second fixing means 212E may be implemented as a hole having a predetermined depth. By aligning the second fixing hole 212F_2 of the sample mounting portion 212F on the second fixing means 212E, and then inserting a pin or screw through the second fixing hole 212F_2 into the second fixing means 212E. The sample mounting unit 212F may be fixed to one side of the support 212. According to the present invention, a plurality of second fixing means 212E may be provided on the support 212 to adjust the position of the sample mounting part 212F.

According to the present invention, the position of the first fixing means 211A on the base 211 on which the support 212 is fixed is determined by the size of the sample C mounted on the support 211. For example, since the size W2 of the sample C drawn in FIG. 7 is smaller than the size W1 of the sample C shown in FIG. 3, the first fixing unit 212 is fixed to the size of the connector. The connector can be mounted by adjusting the position of the means 211A.

As shown in FIG. 8, the measuring pin 220 has a pin 220A and a pin in electrical contact with a connection pin of a connector or a contact of a sound module, and the pin is physically fixed to the measuring pin moving part 230. It consists of a pin support 220B. The pin 220A includes a first region 220A_1 inserted into the pin support 220B and a second region 220A_2 electrically in contact with a connection contact of a sample, and the thickness of the second region 220A_2 is first. It is formed smaller than the thickness of the region 220A_1. The front end A of the second region 220A_2 may be formed to be cut when a predetermined or more physical force is applied to the measuring pin 220, thereby reducing damage to the sample by the measuring pin 220.

When the pin 220A is inserted into the pin support 220B, the front end A of the first region 220A_1 of the pin 220A may protrude by a predetermined distance to facilitate pin replacement when the pin 220A is cut. Can be. The front end B of the second region 220A_2 of the fin 220A is preferably plated with platinum (Pt) or the like in order to reduce the contact resistance upon contact with the connecting pin or the contact. The first region 220A_1 is made of a material of high elasticity, for example, a spring, so that a predetermined contact pressure is applied between the measuring pin 220 and the measuring contact so that the contact with the pin 220 is made stable. It is desirable to. Thus, even if the position of the contact is fluid using a high elastic material to maintain a constant contact resistance between the measuring pin 220 and the contact can reduce the measurement error. The measuring pin 220 is physically fixed to the measuring pin moving part 230 and moved to a predetermined position according to the movement of the measuring pin moving part 230. The measuring pin moving unit 230 moves a plurality of measuring pins 220 in three axes (x, y, z) under the control of the controller 250 to provide the sample C mounted on the sample support unit 210. Make contact with any of the connecting pins or contacts of the connecting pin or contact. When the measuring pin 220 is in contact with any connection pin or contact of the sample (C), the characteristic measuring unit 240 transmits and receives a measurement signal to measure the characteristics of the ultrasonic probe.

Measuring pin moving unit 230 according to the present invention may be used any movement device that can move the measuring pin in the three-axis direction. 9 is an exemplary view showing an example of the measuring pin moving unit of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, the measuring pin moving unit 230 includes a pedestal 232, a first moving unit 234 moving in the x-axis direction, a second moving unit 236 moving in the y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction. Third moving means 238 to move to.

The pedestal 232 is provided with the first moving means 234 under the control of the first guide rail 232A and the control unit 250 to guide the movement of the first moving means 234 in the x-axis direction. The first driving unit 232B for moving along the one guide rail is provided. Pedestal 232 according to the present invention is attached and fixed on the base 221.

The first moving means 234 is supported by the pedestal 232 and according to the control of the second guide rail 234A and the controller 250 to guide the movement of the second moving means 236 in the y-axis direction. A second driver 234B is provided for moving the moving means 236 along the second guide rail 234A.

The second moving means 236 moves along the second guide rail 234A and moves the guide portion 236A and the third moving means 238 to guide the movement of the third moving means 238 in the z-axis direction. And a third driver 236B to make it easy.

The third movement means 238 includes a rod 238 that moves in the z-axis direction along the guide portion 236A provided in the second movement means 236. The measuring pin 220 is fixed to the rod 238 axially of the rod 238 and the measuring pin 220 is fixed to the rod 238 in the same direction as the moving direction by the third drive unit 236B. It is fixed to). The first, second, and third driving units 232B, 234B, and 236B may be implemented as control motors driven under the control of the controller 250.

10 is an exemplary view showing an example of the characteristic measuring apparatus of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention. The sample support 210 shows an example in which the connector C of the ultrasonic probe is mounted as a sample. As shown in FIG. 10, the position of the support 212 is set according to the size of the connector C of the ultrasonic probe and is fixed to the base 211, and the sample is mounted on the sample mounting portion 212F of the support.

On the other hand, the base 211 preferably uses a metal plate having a predetermined weight in order to prevent vibration that may occur due to the movement of the measuring pin moving part 230.

11 is an exemplary view showing an example of a sample support 210 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, when a connector or an acoustic module of an ultrasonic probe, which is a sample mounted on the support 212, is relatively small, one support may be used.

In one embodiment of the present invention has been described as an example of mounting one sample to the sample support 210, it can be measured by mounting a plurality of samples at the same time by fixing a plurality of sample support to the base 211. In addition, a plurality of sample mounting portions may be provided on the sample support to mount and measure a plurality of samples.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated by way of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

As described above, in order to measure the conversion element characteristics of the ultrasonic probe, the direct measurement pin is directly contacted with the connection pin or contact provided in the connector or acoustic module of the ultrasonic probe without using a PCB type signal selection device. Since the influence of capacitance, etc., which may occur in the connecting device of the device can be excluded, the characteristics of the ultrasonic probe can be measured more reliably.

In addition, since the support for supporting the measurement sample can be fixed at any interval by using a plurality of fixing means provided on the base, connectors of various types and sizes can be fixed to the support to measure the characteristics of the ultrasonic probe.

Claims (10)

An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of the conversion element in an ultrasonic probe comprising a plurality of conversion elements, A characteristic measuring unit for measuring a characteristic of the ultrasonic probe by transmitting and receiving a measurement signal to a sample provided with a plurality of contacts connected to the conversion element; A measuring pin for connecting the sample and the characteristic measuring unit; A measuring pin moving unit for moving the measuring pin for the connection; A control unit for controlling the movement of the measuring pin; A base comprising a plurality of fastening means; And It is fixed to each fixing means and includes a support for supporting the sample, The support includes a sample mounting means, the support is fixed by a fixing means selected in accordance with the size and shape of the sample, the apparatus for measuring the characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer element is mounted on the sample mounting means. The method of claim 1, The fixing means is a characteristic measuring device of the ultrasonic transducer element having a predetermined depth and is a spiral hole (hole). The method of claim 2, The support is at least one support plate extending from one end and the characteristic measuring device of the ultrasonic conversion element comprising a connecting hole through the support plate. The method of claim 1, Apparatus for measuring the characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer device comprising a plurality of adjusting means for adjusting the position of the connector mounting portion on one surface of the support. The method of claim 1, The measuring pin moving unit A pedestal fixed on the base and providing a first guide rail in a first direction; A first moving part moving along the first guide rail and provided with a second guide rail in a second direction; A second moving part moving in the second direction and including a guide part having an axis in a third direction; And A third moving part moving in the third direction in the guide part to fix the measuring pin; Characteristic measuring apparatus of the ultrasonic conversion element comprising a. The method of claim 5, wherein The measuring pin, A pin in electrical contact with the connection pin of the sample; And A pin support for fixing the pin to the measuring pin moving part; The pin is divided into a first region inserted into the pin support and a second region in contact with a connection pin of the connector, and a cut portion is formed between the first region and the second region, and the pin is connected to the pin support. Apparatus for measuring characteristics of an ultrasonic transducer in which the cutting portion protrudes by a predetermined length when inserted. The method of claim 6, The measuring pin, Characteristic measuring apparatus of the ultrasonic transducer element is fixed to the central axis of the third direction moving part. The method of claim 1, The controller is implemented as a personal computer or an independent control device, characterized in that the measuring device of the ultrasonic conversion element for controlling the measuring pin moving unit using a wired or wireless communication means. The method of claim 8, The communication means, Device for measuring characteristics of an ultrasonic transducer including at least one of universal serial bus (USB), standard serial communication, blue tooth, zigbee and IEEE1394. The method of claim 1, The sample holder and the sample holder, Characteristic measuring device of the ultrasonic transducer to fix and mount a plurality of samples at the same time.

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