KR20120004896A - Continuous wave type doppler ultrasonic transducer and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A Doppler ultrasonic transducer for continuous waves and a manufacturing method thereof are provided to improve accuracy by placing a piezoelectric element at an integrated piezoelectric element frame. CONSTITUTION: A piezoelectric element(120a) for electrical transmission generates ultrasonic waves. A piezoelectric element(120b) for reception detects the ultrasonic waves. A piezoelectric element frame(110) supports the piezoelectric element for electrical transmission and the piezoelectric element for reception. The piezoelectric element frame comprises a settling part(111) and supporting part(112). The piezoelectric element for electrical transmission and the piezoelectric element for reception are placed inside the settling part. The supporting part supports the settling part. The settling part and the supporting part are formed into one body.

Description

Continuous wave type Doppler ultrasonic transducer and method for manufacturing the same

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer that can be used in an ultrasonic blood flow measuring apparatus using a Doppler effect, and more particularly, to a piezoelectric element for transmitting ultrasonic waves and a piezoelectric element for receiving ultrasonic waves. The present invention relates to a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer and a method of manufacturing the same.

In general, blood vessel velocity measurement is widely used for diagnosing diseases, and an ultrasonic blood flow measurement apparatus capable of non-invasively detecting blood flow rate in real time using a Doppler effect is widely used to detect blood velocity.

The ultrasonic blood flow measuring apparatus using the Doppler effect causes an ultrasonic wave having a specific frequency to enter the human body, and detects the ultrasonic wave reflected by the red blood cells flowing through the blood vessel. The detected frequency of the ultrasonic wave has a frequency different from that of the incident ultrasonic wave, and the amount of change in the frequency is detected to measure the blood flow rate.

Specifically, when considering the target to be moved, such as red blood cells flowing along the blood vessels in the ultrasound blood flow measurement device, the center frequency of the signal reflected from the moving target is changed from the center frequency of the transmitted signal . In this case, the moving speed v of the target can be calculated according to the following equation from the amount of change in the center frequency of the reflected signal.

.... 식 (1)

.... Equation (1)

Here, f _d is the amount of change in the center frequency of the ultrasonic waves reflected from the center frequency of the transmitted ultrasonic waves, defined as Doppler shift, c is the ultrasonic velocity in the medium to be transmitted and received ultrasonic waves, f is the center of the transmitted ultrasonic waves Frequency.

As can be seen from the above equation, since the moving speed of the target is proportional to the Doppler movement of the signal reflected from the target, the moving speed of the target can be measured from the reflected signal.

Therefore, the conventional ultrasonic blood flow measuring apparatus using the Doppler effect is composed of an ultrasonic transducer for generating and detecting an ultrasonic signal, a Doppler signal processor for processing the reflected signal, and an output unit for outputting the measured blood flow velocity.

Among these, the ultrasonic transducer is required to be manufactured precisely as an important configuration for determining the resolution and sensitivity of the ultrasonic blood flow measurement apparatus using the Doppler effect.

Meanwhile, the ultrasonic transducer used for blood flow measurement generates ultrasonic waves according to a high frequency electric signal applied from the blood flow measuring device main body, and converts the ultrasonic waves reflected from the human body into a high frequency electric signal and transmits the ultrasonic waves back to the blood flow measuring device main body. To perform.

The ultrasonic transducer may be divided into pulse wave and continuous wave according to the application method of the high frequency electric signal. In the case of the pulse wave, a pulse is conventionally applied using only one piezoelectric element and a reflected ultrasonic signal is received during the remaining time.

On the contrary, the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer is configured to include a piezoelectric element for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and a piezoelectric element for receiving an ultrasonic wave. The two piezoelectric elements included in the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer are configured to be disposed at regular intervals therebetween to form a distance between the piezoelectric elements and to form a constant angle between the two piezoelectric elements.

1 shows a detailed structure of such a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer 1 forms an external metal housing 10 so as to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves from two piezoelectric elements 20a and 20b. Two piezoelectric elements 20a and 20b respectively functioning for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves in the metal housing 10 are configured to be fixedly supported by the piezoelectric element support 30 and the human body contact portion 40.

Specifically, the piezoelectric element support 30 formed at the edge and the center of the metal housing 10 is supported to maintain a predetermined distance and angle by fixing the piezoelectric elements 20a and 20b to be electrically insulated from each other. do.

Further, on the lower side, that is, the bottom surface of the piezoelectric elements 20a and 20b, the human body contact portion 40 formed of a plastic material is in close contact with each other to form an adhesive. The human body contact portion 40 may transmit ultrasonic waves outputted from the piezoelectric element 20a for ultrasonic transmission to the human body without loss, and ultrasonic waves reflected from the human body may be transmitted without loss to the receiving piezoelectric element 20b. In addition, the two piezoelectric elements serve to support a constant angle between them.

In the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer 1 having such a configuration, the distance between the piezoelectric elements and the angle between the piezoelectric elements serves as an important factor for determining the blood flow detection region, and FIG. 2 shows the distance and distance between these two piezoelectric elements. The blood flow detection region is determined from the angle.

As shown in FIG. 2, a region where the trajectories of the ultrasonic waves from the two piezoelectric elements overlap is determined, and the overlapping regions of the ultrasonic trajectories correspond to regions for detecting actual blood flow. Therefore, since the blood flow detection region of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer must be determined through the angle 2α and the distance d between the piezoelectric elements 20a and 20b, the angle and distance between the piezoelectric elements are designed, and accordingly, In manufacturing an ultrasonic transducer, very precise work is required.

On the other hand, Figure 3 illustrates a simple process of manufacturing a conventional continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer. Conventionally, two piezoelectric elements in a metal housing are fixed at a predetermined angle and distance by a piezoelectric element supporter, and epoxy is poured on the bottom surface of the piezoelectric element to form a human body contact portion, and then the human body contact portion is smoothed for continuous wave use. Doppler ultrasound transducers were fabricated.

The following problems exist in the structure of the conventional continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer and the manufacturing method of the conventional continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer.

First, since the structure of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the prior art is configured to support the piezoelectric elements while the piezoelectric element support is configured to set the distance and the angle between the piezoelectric elements, the angle between the piezoelectric elements for determining the detection depth in the human body. It is difficult to maintain a constant, in order to maintain this required a technology capable of precisely manufacturing the piezoelectric element and the piezoelectric element support for supporting it.

In addition, the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer of this structure involves a complicated assembly process of fixing the piezoelectric element to the piezoelectric element support and then attaching the piezoelectric element to the body contact part, thereby increasing the manufacturing process and increasing the production cost, which is unsuitable for mass production. There was a problem.

And, in consideration of the convenience of measurement, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave to be used is increased when the measurement is to be made at the end of the human body, and the increase of the ultrasonic frequency generally means that the area of the piezoelectric element is reduced, and as a result, as in the conventional structure There was a problem that is difficult to manufacture for blood flow measurement at the human end.

In addition, in the conventional method of manufacturing a continuous Doppler ultrasound transducer for continuous wave, the step of setting the angle and distance by the piezoelectric element support and forming the human body contact portion, in particular, in the process of smoothing the human body contact by cutting the end of the human body contact portion There is a problem that the specific angle of the set angle is likely to be changed, which eventually lowers the precision of the manufactured ultrasonic transducer itself.

On the other hand, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the depth of the measurement depth occurs due to the ultrasonic refraction in the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the prior art, there is a difficulty in setting the measurement depth.

Conventionally, a smooth surface with a human body contact portion is formed as shown in FIG. 1, and since the piezoelectric element is fixed in an inclined form to form a predetermined angle, the curved surface is also formed with a constant angle, thereby refraction of ultrasonic waves. Will occur.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the measurement depth for determining the blood flow detection region may be calculated from Equations (2) to (5) below, and the measurement depth derived from only the measurement distance and the inter-angle set due to refraction. It is relatively deeper than that, and other factors besides the angle and distance between the two piezoelectric elements must be considered in determining the measurement depth.

.... 식 (2)

.... Equation (2)

.... 식 (3)

.... Equation (3)

.... 식 (4)

.... Equation (4)

.... 식 (5)

.... Equation (5)

In addition, although not shown, at the interface of the human body contact portion of the transmitted ultrasonic wave is reflected, a portion of the reflected ultrasonic wave is transmitted to another piezoelectric element causes a loss in sensor sensitivity.

Therefore, in the smoothed human body contact portion as described above, the refraction and reflection of the ultrasonic wave occurs due to the angle difference between the smooth surface and the piezoelectric element surface. As a result, the measurement depth of the ultrasonic wave is deepened, and thus the blood flow to the peripheral blood circulation at the end of the human body. While the measurement was difficult, there was a problem that the setting of the blood flow detection region was difficult and a loss occurred in the sensor sensitivity.

In addition, high frequency ultrasonic waves are used to measure blood flow for peripheral blood circulation. In the case of high frequency, the loss rate due to refraction is increased, so that the conventional Doppler ultrasonic transducer for continuous wave, which causes the refraction of the ultrasonic wave, is precisely performed. Difficult problems existed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, in the present invention, in the Doppler ultrasonic transducer for continuous wave, it is configured to include an integral piezoelectric element frame for supporting the piezoelectric element, thereby facilitating the production of the ultrasonic transducer. On the other hand, it is to provide a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer configured to improve the accuracy of the distance and the angle between the set piezoelectric elements and to measure the blood flow to the end of the human body and a method of manufacturing such an ultrasonic transducer.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, comprising: a piezoelectric element for transmitting ultrasonic waves; A receiving piezoelectric element for detecting ultrasonic waves; A piezoelectric element frame supporting the transmission piezoelectric element and the receiving piezoelectric element; The piezoelectric element frame includes a seating part on which the two piezoelectric elements are seated inward and a support part supporting the seating part, and the seating part and the support part are integrally formed. Provide an ultrasonic transducer.

In this case, the seating portion provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer, characterized in that the inner surface and the outer surface is formed in parallel with each other.

In addition, the piezoelectric element frame provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, characterized in that the polystyrene (polystylene).

In addition, the piezoelectric element frame provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer, characterized in that a sound absorbing layer for removing noise of the piezoelectric element is formed.

Here, the flaw layer provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer, characterized in that the epoxy (epoxy).

In addition, the piezoelectric element frame provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, characterized in that a thin film coating layer is formed.

Here, the thin film coating layer provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, characterized in that made of parylene.

On the other hand, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, comprising the steps of: (a) manufacturing a piezoelectric element frame integrally formed with a support and a seat; (b) mounting and fixing two piezoelectric elements on an inner surface of a seating portion of the piezoelectric element frame; (c) forming a connection to the piezoelectric element; and provides a method of manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer.

Here, in the step (a) provides a method of manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer, characterized in that the piezoelectric element contact surface and the human body contact surface of the seating portion is formed to be parallel to the piezoelectric element surface.

In addition, after the step (c), (d) forming a sound absorbing layer inside the piezoelectric element frame; provides a method of manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer further comprising a.

Further, after the step (c) or the step (d), (e) forming a thin film coating layer on the outside of the piezoelectric element frame; provides a method of manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer further comprising a. .

The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention having the configuration as described above have the following effects.

First, the piezoelectric element is mounted on the integrated piezoelectric element frame so that the angle between the two piezoelectric elements, which are the most important factors of the ultrasonic transducer design, can be kept constant without additional precision fabrication technology. You can.

Second, due to the integrated structure of the piezoelectric element frame, a complicated assembly process for supporting and fixing the piezoelectric element is not required, thereby simplifying the production process and reducing the cost, which is suitable for mass production.

Third, since the device can be miniaturized, the piezoelectric element can be configured to have a small area, and high frequency ultrasonic waves can be used, which is suitable for measuring blood flow to the human end.

Fourth, the body contact area of the piezoelectric element frame is configured such that the seating portion is parallel to the piezoelectric element surface, thereby eliminating the refraction and reflection of the ultrasonic wave, thereby solving the problem of deterioration of the sensor sensitivity, and sufficiently measuring a close distance from the skin. There is an effect that makes it possible to measure blood flow to the human terminal.

1 is a block diagram of a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the prior art.
2 is a conceptual diagram showing a blood flow detection region in a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer.
3 is a configuration diagram sequentially illustrating a method for manufacturing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to the prior art.
4 is a conceptual diagram showing an ultrasonic wave detection area in a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the prior art.
5 is a block diagram of a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are schematic diagrams of a Doppler ultrasound transducer for continuous wave according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a conceptual diagram showing the ultrasonic detection region in the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention.
8A and 8B are graphs comparing the sensitivity of the Doppler ultrasound transducer for continuous wave in the prior art and the present invention.

In the present invention for achieving the above object, unlike the conventional continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, the piezoelectric element frame of the integral structure configured to maintain the distance and the angle between the piezoelectric elements for ultrasonic transmission and reception while maintaining a simple structure with a simple structure It provides a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer and a manufacturing method thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms “comprises” or “having” are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof.

Hereinafter, a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer corresponding to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5 is a block diagram showing a specific structure of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer 100 according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric element support and an outer housing, which are conventionally formed between the piezoelectric elements to maintain a predetermined distance and angle between piezoelectric elements. And, instead of various components such as the human body contact portion, it is configured to include a piezoelectric element frame 110 formed integrally.

In the present invention, the piezoelectric element frame 110 is configured such that two piezoelectric elements corresponding to the transmitting piezoelectric element and the receiving piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are seated therein, and the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are externally mounted. It is configured to be blocked.

Preferably, in the case of the piezoelectric element frame 110 constituting the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, the two piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are mounted on the seating portion 111 and the seating portion 111. It comprises a support portion 112 formed generally perpendicular to the seating portion 111 at the edge.

The mounting part 111 and the support part 112 constituting the piezoelectric element frame 110 are integrally formed over the entire area, and are also responsible for the function of the housing that can block the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b from the outside. . In this case, the piezoelectric element frame 110 may be manufactured in a form in which the seating portion 111 and the support portion 112 are integrally formed by machining or injection molding.

In particular, the inner surface of the seating portion 111 of the piezoelectric element frame 110 should be formed to have a sufficient area to accommodate the piezoelectric element so that the transmission and reception piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b may be seated, respectively. The mounting portion 111 is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle so that two piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b may be disposed while forming a distance and an angle between predetermined piezoelectric elements corresponding to the set detection area. .

Specifically, in the case of a typical continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer, two piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b functioning for transmission and reception should be spaced apart to form a constant gap and distance. In order to set and maintain the angle and distance, as shown in FIG. 5, the seating part 111 itself of the piezoelectric element frame 110 may be manufactured as an integral type in an inclined form while setting a predetermined angle and distance.

Therefore, the seating part 111 is configured to include two inclined ends partitioned so that the two piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are respectively seated, and the two inclined ends correspond to a predetermined blood flow detection region. It is configured to be inclined at a predetermined angle according to the angle between the predetermined piezoelectric elements. Transmitting and receiving piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are respectively seated on the two inclined ends at a constant distance, and are adhesively fixed by an adhesive on two upper inclined ends corresponding to the contact surface. As such an adhesive, an epoxy having strong adhesion and excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation may be used.

On the other hand, the piezoelectric element frame 110 constituting the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a support portion 112 for supporting the seating portion (111).

 It is configured to further include a support 112 formed integrally with the seating portion 111. The support part 112 is configured to support the seating part 111 in a direction opposite to the contact surface of the seating part 111 with the human body during measurement so that the seating part 111 is connected to the main body side of the blood flow measuring apparatus. to be. The support part 112 is integrally formed with the seating part 111 and performs a function of a housing that blocks the piezoelectric element and the components connected thereto to the outside.

In relation to the shape of the support 112, in FIG. 4, in consideration of the general shape of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer corresponding to the measurement stage of the blood flow measuring device, the support portion having a shape substantially perpendicular to the seating portion 111 ( Although 112 is shown, its specific shape is not limited thereto, and is integrally formed with the seating part 111 and includes a shape capable of protecting an internal configuration such as piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b.

The piezoelectric element frame 110, in which the seating portion 111 and the support portion 112 are integrally formed, is preferably made of a material having a low ultrasonic attenuation coefficient so as to reduce the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves. It is most preferable to use polystyrene which is a resin having a low ultrasonic attenuation coefficient.

Transmitting piezoelectric elements 120a and receiving piezoelectric elements 120b are seated at the inclined ends of the seating part 111, and the transmitting and receiving piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b respectively receive driving signals and output signals. It is electrically connected to a driving input unit (not shown) and a signal output unit (not shown) so as to transmit and receive.

6A and 6B, as another embodiment of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, the sound absorbing layer 130 is formed inside the piezoelectric element frame 110 or outside the piezoelectric element frame 110. An example of performing a thin film coating is shown.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the piezoelectric element frame 110 according to the present invention may further include a sound absorbing layer 130 for removing noise of the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b.

The sound absorbing layer is formed inside the piezoelectric element frame so as to reduce the ringing phenomenon of the piezoelectric element generated by the influence of noise other than an alternating current signal, and is generally made of a material and a mixed material having a high acoustic impedance. It is preferable to construct. Therefore, it is preferable to use an epoxy excellent in workability while satisfying this requirement as the sound absorbing layer.

In addition, in order to improve chemical resistance and corrosion resistance of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, it may be configured to further include a thin film coating layer 140 formed outside the piezoelectric element frame 110 as shown in FIG.

The thin film coating layer may improve the chemical resistance of the piezoelectric element frame made of a material such as polystyrene, and may function to protect from external toxic substances, and may be composed of a material having good chemical resistance to achieve such a function. In this case, the thin film coating layer is preferably composed of parylene excellent in chemical resistance.

Continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention having such a configuration is manufactured in the following order.

First, the piezoelectric element frame 110 in which the support part 112 and the seating part 111 are integrally formed is manufactured by a machining or injection molding method, and the piezoelectric element frame 110 which is manufactured for the subsequent process is fixed. On a fixed stand.

The fixture may be configured to form an intaglio portion that is the same as the outer shape of the piezoelectric element frame 110 on the outer surface, and to fix the piezoelectric element frame 110 in the intaglio portion.

Next, the two piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are seated on the inner surface of the seating portion 111 of the fixed piezoelectric element frame 110, and are firmly fixed with an adhesive previously applied to the adhesive surface. At this time, the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are pressed at a constant pressure so that the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b can be completely fixed on the seating part 111.

Both piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b are completely fixed on the seating portion 111 of the piezoelectric element frame 110, and then, a connection to the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b is formed to form a connection with the driving input unit. The electrical connection with the output unit completes the manufacture of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer.

Preferably, after the connection operation, the sound absorbing layer 130 may be formed inside the piezoelectric element frame 110, and the thin film coating layer 140 may be formed outside the piezoelectric element frame 110.

On the other hand, in the piezoelectric element frame 110 included in the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, the inner surface and the outer surface of the seating portion 111 is preferably configured to be parallel to each other. Here, the inner surface of the seating portion 111 means a contact surface with the piezoelectric elements 120a and 120b, and the outer surface of the seating portion 111 refers to a contact surface which comes into contact with the human body during measurement.

Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the accompanying Figures 5, 6A and 6B, respectively, the piezoelectric element contact surface which is the inner surface of the seating portion 111 and the human body contact surface which is the outer surface are formed in parallel with each other. By doing so, both surfaces can be configured in parallel with the piezoelectric element. This configuration functions to prevent the refraction of the ultrasonic wave from occurring in the transmission and reception path of the ultrasonic wave.

FIG. 7 illustrates a state where refraction does not occur in the continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to the present invention, and as a result, a measurement depth of the blood flow detection region may be shallower than when the refraction occurs according to the related art. It is shown.

That is, in the prior art, since the ultrasonic wave passes through the medium in an oblique path on the contact surface with the human body in the ultrasonic transmission / reception path, the refraction occurs, and as a result, the measurement depth is deeper and the setting of the distance and the angle is difficult. In the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, the inner surface of the seating portion 111 and the piezoelectric element surface, and the outer surface of the seating portion 111 are formed in parallel to prevent ultrasonic refraction so that the measurement depth is shallow. The measurement depth can be adjusted only by the distance and the angle between the two piezoelectric elements.

The following equations are formulas for L1, L2, and L3 regarding the depth of measurement when the inner and outer surfaces of the seating portion 111 are formed in parallel as shown in FIG. As can be seen that the measurement depth is configured as a function of the distance between the piezoelectric elements and the angle between.

.... 식 (6)

.... Equation (6)

.... 식 (7)

.... Equation (7)

.... 식 (8)

.... Equation (8)

.... 식 (9)

.... Equation (9)

Therefore, in the present invention, even in the case of measuring blood flow at the end of a human body such as a hand, the measurement depth can be simply set by adjusting the distance and the angle between the two piezoelectric elements.

In addition, since some of the ultrasonic waves generated from the piezoelectric element are reflected from the outer surface of the seating portion and are not transmitted to other piezoelectric elements, the sensor sensitivity is not lowered.

8A and 8B are set to set the distance between the piezoelectric elements to 0.5 mm and the angle between the piezoelectric elements to 10 degrees, respectively, in order to relatively compare the sensitivity of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer manufactured according to the present invention to have such a configuration. Next, the probe sensitivity characteristic according to each configuration is shown in comparison with the prior art.

First, in the case of FIG. 8A, a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer manufactured to include a piezoelectric element support and a human body contact unit is manufactured as in the prior art, and the sensitivity of the center frequency of 20 MHz is measured.

Next, the graph of FIG. 8B shows a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer including an integrated piezoelectric element frame having the inner side and the outer side of the seating part formed in parallel as in the present invention, and the sensitivity to the center frequency of 20 MHz. It is measured.

8A and 8B, it can be seen that the Doppler ultrasonic transducer for continuous wave according to the present invention shows better sensitivity over the entire area.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications and variations of the elements of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to particular circumstances or materials without departing from the essential scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the details of the preferred embodiments of the invention, but will include all embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

110: piezoelectric element frame 111: seating portion
112: support portion 120a, 120b: piezoelectric element
130: sound absorption layer 140: thin film coating layer

Claims (11)

In the Doppler ultrasound transducer for continuous wave,
A piezoelectric element for transmission generating ultrasonic waves;
A receiving piezoelectric element for detecting ultrasonic waves;
A piezoelectric element frame supporting the transmission piezoelectric element and the receiving piezoelectric element; Including,
The piezoelectric element frame includes a seating portion on which the two piezoelectric elements are seated inward and a support portion supporting the seating portion, wherein the seating portion and the support portion are integrally formed.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to claim 1, wherein the seating portion has an inner side surface and an outer side surface formed in parallel with each other.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element frame is made of polystyrene.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein a sound absorbing layer is formed inside the piezoelectric element frame to remove noise of the piezoelectric element.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer according to claim 4, wherein the flaw layer is made of epoxy.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer of claim 1, wherein a thin film coating layer is formed outside the piezoelectric element frame.
The continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer according to claim 6, wherein the thin film coating layer is made of parylene.
In the manufacturing method of the continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer,
(a) manufacturing a piezoelectric element frame in which a support part and a seating part are integrally formed;
(b) mounting and fixing two piezoelectric elements on an inner surface of a seating portion of the piezoelectric element frame;
(c) forming a connection to the piezoelectric element;
Method for producing a continuous wave Doppler ultrasound transducer comprising a.
The method according to claim 8,
In the step (a), the piezoelectric element contact surface and the human body contact surface of the seating portion is manufactured so as to be formed parallel to the piezoelectric element surface manufacturing method of the Doppler ultrasonic transducer for continuous waves.
The method according to claim 8,
After the step (c),
and (d) forming a sound absorbing layer inside the piezoelectric element frame.
The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
After the step (c) or (d),
(E) forming a thin film coating layer on the outside of the piezoelectric element frame; manufacturing method of a continuous wave Doppler ultrasonic transducer further comprising.

Images