WO2006041058A1 - 超音波診断装置 - Google Patents
超音波診断装置 Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2006041058A1 WO2006041058A1 PCT/JP2005/018698 JP2005018698W WO2006041058A1 WO 2006041058 A1 WO2006041058 A1 WO 2006041058A1 JP 2005018698 W JP2005018698 W JP 2005018698W WO 2006041058 A1 WO2006041058 A1 WO 2006041058A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- ultrasonic
- signal
- diagnostic apparatus
- probe
- bias voltage
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S15/89—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
- G01S15/8906—Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
- G01S15/8979—Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
- G01S7/52017—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00 particularly adapted to short-range imaging
- G01S7/52023—Details of receivers
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that acquires diagnostic information relating to a subject.
- An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits ultrasonic waves by an ultrasonic probe, receives ultrasonic waves formed by reflection of the ultrasonic waves in a living body, and receives the reflected echo signals. To provide a tomographic image in vivo.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can provide a velocity or velocity distribution at which a reflection source in a living body such as a blood cell moves based on the Doppler effect generated in the reflected ultrasonic signal.
- the processing flow of the reception system for the reflected ultrasonic signal is as follows: reception by an ultrasonic probe ⁇ signal processing unit by a preamplifier Amplification up to the input level ⁇ Beam forming and Doppler demodulation in the signal processor ⁇ Image formation and display.
- the performance of the profitable device is governed by the signal-to-noise ratio of the Tsubasa reception system, because the magnitude of the transmitted signal is regulated to prevent hazards such as thermal effects in the living body.
- the performance of the demodulator that detects the Doppler effect is effectively defined by the performance of the preamplifier.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment handles a wide bandwidth of 60% to 90%, which makes it difficult to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the preamplifier.
- the thermal noise of the probe is buried in the noise generated by the preamplifier.
- Patent Document 1 proposes a capacitive probe that can be manufactured by a thin film manufacturing technique.
- Patent Document 1 USP6,246,158B1
- the signal-to-noise ratio of the reception system of the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is virtually dominated by the thermal noise of the preamplifier of the signal processing unit. Improvement is desired. If the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved, in-vivo information contained in the ultrasound reflected signal received by the probe can be detected without being buried in the thermal noise of the preamplifier. This is because it is possible to display a weak signal, detect a weaker contrast agent, and detect a slower blood flow velocity of, for example, a peripheral blood vessel.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be brought closer to the ideal form of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus called an “ultrasound stethoscope”.
- Patent Document 1 describes that a capacitive probe can be used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus! Although a conventional piezoelectric ceramic vibrator is changed to a capacitive vibrator. It merely proposes to replace, and does not disclose improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiving system.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a highly sensitive ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that improves the signal-to-noise ratio of a receiving system.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe.
- Transmitting means for supplying a signal for supplying a signal
- receiving means for processing a signal output from the ultrasound probe for processing a signal output from the ultrasound probe
- diagnostic information for example, blood flow
- the ultrasonic probe is a vibration whose transmission and reception sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the bias voltage applied by superimposing the drive signal.
- a DC bias means for applying a DC bias to the vibrator and a modulation bias means for applying a bias voltage signal modulated based on a drive signal to the vibrator are provided.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and a transmission that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe. And a receiving unit that processes a signal output from the ultrasound probe and calculates diagnostic information related to the subject.
- the ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of transducers whose reception sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of an applied bias voltage.
- the receiving unit includes a modulation bias supply unit that applies a bias voltage signal whose amplitude is modulated to the vibrator.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus when the ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject is received by the vibrator, the modulated bias voltage signal is applied to the vibrator and the sensitivity is modulated.
- certain demodulation processing for example, phasing processing or Doppler demodulation
- probe mixing in which a complicated demodulation electronic circuit is mounted on the probe even though the demodulation electronic circuit is not mounted on the probe.
- the demodulation processing in the probe of the present invention is not affected by, for example, thermal noise caused by the signal processing circuit of the subsequent receiving unit, even a weak signal can be configured as diagnostic information.
- a sensitive ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be provided.
- the frequency band of the modulated bias voltage signal is set, for example, within the frequency band of the drive signal supplied to the ultrasonic probe by the transmission unit, or the same as the frequency band of the drive signal.
- the modulation bias supply unit may be configured to shift the phase of the modulated bias voltage signal by a predetermined phase amount for each of the plurality of transducers according to the focus position at the time of reception. it can.
- an effect equivalent to performing the phasing process in the receiving process of the vibrator can be obtained, and the phases of the output signals of the plurality of vibrators can be matched.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the subject.
- the ultrasonic probe includes a vibrator. This vibrator has a pair of electrodes arranged with a gap in between, and at least one of the pair of electrodes can be displaced.
- the pair of electrodes includes a bias voltage between the output terminal and the pair of electrodes. This is a configuration in which a bias terminal for applying is connected.
- the receiving unit includes a modulation bias supply unit that applies a bias voltage signal, the amplitude of which is modulated, as a bias voltage to the vibrator.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and a transmission that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe. And a receiving unit that processes a signal output from the ultrasound probe and calculates diagnostic information relating to the subject.
- the ultrasonic probe has a vibrator for receiving ultrasonic waves, and the vibrator performs Doppler recovery processing at the time of reception. For example, the transducer modulates the reception sensitivity with time, and performs the Doppler demodulation process in the process of converting an ultrasonic signal into an electric signal.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject, and a transmission that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe. And a receiving unit that processes a signal output from the ultrasound probe and calculates diagnostic information relating to the subject.
- the ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of transducers that receive ultrasonic waves, and the plurality of transducers perform a phasing process during reception. For example, each of the plurality of transducers modulates the reception sensitivity with a predetermined phase over time, and performs the phasing process in the process of converting an ultrasonic signal into an electric signal.
- the receiving vibrator for example, one having a characteristic that the receiving sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the applied bias voltage is used.
- the receiving unit can be configured to include a modulation bias supply unit that applies a bias voltage signal, the amplitude of which is modulated, to the receiving transducer as a bias voltage.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention since the ultrasonic signal can be demodulated at the time of reception by the vibrator, a weak ultrasonic reflected signal that is not buried in the thermal noise of the amplifier is generated. It is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that detects and significantly improves the sensitivity. In addition, it is possible to contribute to a significant downsizing of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus by shifting the demodulation process by the electronic circuit, which has been conventionally performed in the signal processing unit, to the receiving process of the vibrator.
- the present invention is not a probe ⁇ preamplifier ⁇ signal processing unit like a reception system of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, but a probe having a signal processing function instead of a signal flow ⁇ amplifier ⁇ signal processing.
- the structure is called a part. This improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the receiving system and provides a highly sensitive ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
- the signal processing function performed by the probe is beam forming Ny Doppler demodulation processing. Therefore, the main processing of the signal processing unit continued to the amplifier is limited to the sample process such as AD conversion.
- the powering configuration uses an ultrasonic probe having a transducer whose reception sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the bias voltage, and is received by the probe by modulating the bias voltage. This is realized by demodulating the reflected ultrasonic signal in the function of the probe itself.
- the continuous wave Doppler method for example, when a 2 MHz ultrasonic wave is irradiated into a living body, the ultrasonic signal reflected from a moving object such as a blood flow is frequency-shifted by the Doppler effect according to the moving speed.
- the signal of ⁇ which is a low-frequency component, can be easily extracted by the subsequent filter, and the Doppler demodulation process can be substantially executed in the probe. Since the demodulation process in this probe is performed before the amplifier, the weak noise that would have been buried by the thermal noise of the amplifier in the related art, which is not related to the thermal noise of the amplifier, is greatly improved. The noise ratio can be extracted.
- a probe using a piezoelectric ceramic vibrator that has been used has a fixed reception sensitivity that is determined by its electromechanical coupling coefficient and geometric shape.
- Providing means for demodulating the received signal in the receiving process of the powerful probe I can't.
- the inventor has focused on an ultrasonic transducer that can control the sensitivity at the time of reception by the magnitude of the bias voltage. This is because in a probe including such a transducer, if the magnitude of the bias voltage itself is modulated, the received signal can be demodulated by the probe during the reception process.
- a powerful ultrasonic transducer one using an electrostrictive material instead of piezoelectric ceramics can be used.
- cMUT Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer
- a vibrator using an electrostrictive material or a vibrator using a cMUT has been conventionally used with a predetermined steady noise voltage applied, and modulates the bias voltage itself. It has not been disclosed conventionally.
- Patent Document 1 using these probes describes “DC bias voltage” or the like. In the present invention, it is important to modulate the magnitude of the bias voltage itself that determines the sensitivity of the probe, to generate a demodulation function for the probe, and to demodulate the ultrasonic reflected signal in the probe receiving process.
- the probe is not limited to the one provided with the above-mentioned electrostrictive material vibrator or cMUT.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a schematic structure of the array-type probe 10.
- the probe 10 has a structure of a one-dimensional array in which m strips of transducers 11-1 to 11-m (m: natural numbers such as 64 and 192) are arranged, and transducers 11-1 ⁇ : Backing layer 12 is arranged on the back of L l-m. Further, a matching layer 13 is disposed on the ultrasonic wave transmission side (upper side in FIG.
- the transducers 11-1 to 11-m convert the transmitted electric signal into ultrasonic waves and send the ultrasonic waves into the living body, and receive the ultrasonic waves reflected in the living body and convert them into electric signals. , Form a reflection signal.
- the backing layer 12 is sent to the back side of the transducers 11-1 to 11-m. It is arranged to absorb unnecessary ultrasonic waves and suppress unnecessary vibrations of the transducers 111-11m.
- the matching layer 13 improves the transmission efficiency of ultrasonic waves into the living body by matching the acoustic impedance between the transducers 11-1 to: LI-m and the living body. In FIG.
- a matching layer 13 having a two-layer structure is shown as a commonly used structure.
- the acoustic lens 14 converges the ultrasonic beam in a so-called short axis direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the transducers 11-1 to Lm.
- each of the vibrators 11-1 to 11-m is composed of a large number of, for example, hexagonal minute drums 18.
- FIG. 2 for convenience of illustration, only three elements of the vibrators 11 3 to 115 are shown.
- FIG. 2 it can be considered as a capacitor electrically
- the upper electrode 18a is connected to each other by the wiring 18g
- the lower electrode 18b is a common electrode. Therefore, it works electrically with many parallel capacitors.
- the structure of one drum 18 will be described with reference to FIG.
- the drum 18 is formed by a microfabrication technique of a semiconductor process, and includes a substrate 18c that is a semiconductor substrate such as silicon, a lower electrode 18b formed thereon, and an insulator film 18d that serves as a support portion.
- a vacuum (or a predetermined gas pressure) hole 18e formed by etching the insulator film 18d is provided.
- the semiconductor thin film 18f made of a compound semiconductor or the like is supported by the insulator film 18d and has a shape that is suspended in the space just like a drum of a musical instrument.
- a DC bias voltage is applied between the upper and lower electrodes 18a and 18b, a Coulomb force is generated, and an appropriate tension is generated in the semiconductor thin film 18f.
- transmitting an ultrasonic wave if a drive AC signal is applied between the upper and lower electrodes 18a and 18b superimposed on the DC bias voltage, the ultrasonic wave is emitted from the drum 18 in the same way that the drum of the instrument is struck and emits sound. appear.
- each of the transducers 11 1 to 11 111 has a configuration in which a large number of drums 18 are arranged in parallel. Or can be received simultaneously by multiple drums 18 to form a reflected signal.
- the magnitude of the ultrasonic wave that is transmitted with respect to the drive AC signal having a constant amplitude (that is, the transmission sensitivity indicating the conversion efficiency from the electric signal to the acoustic signal)
- the magnitude of the electrical signal obtained for ultrasonic waves with a constant amplitude (that is, the reception sensitivity indicating the conversion efficiency from the acoustic signal to the electrical signal) is the bias voltage when the bias voltage is DC. It is known to be proportional to twice the magnitude of the voltage (see the right column of p682 in IEEE Transactions On Ultrasonics, Ferroelectric, Ana Frequency control, Vol 45 pp. 678-690 May 1998).
- the magnitude of the ultrasonic signal T ( t) is expressed by the following formula (1). Also, assuming that the magnitude of the DC bias voltage at the time of reception is dc and the received ultrasonic signal is g (t), the output voltage R (t) of the probe 10 is expressed by the following equation (2).
- Kt and Kr are constants that depend on the material and geometric dimensions of the vibrator.
- an ultrasonic signal T (t) that is proportional to the magnitude of the DC bias voltage dc and similar to the transmitted signal f (t) can be transmitted and received. It can be seen that a voltage signal R (t) similar to the received ultrasonic signal g (t) is sometimes output in proportion to the DC bias voltage dc.
- the present inventors have confirmed through experiments that the relationship of equation (2) holds even when the magnitude of the noise voltage is changed with time t. That is, the voltage signal R (t) caused by the received ultrasonic signal when the magnitude of the bias voltage is F (t) that changes with time t can be expressed by the following equation (3). Therefore, by applying F (t) that modulates the magnitude of the bias voltage itself, the voltage signal R (t) in the receiving process of the probe 10 can be modulated by F (t). Demodulated by the probe 10 in the process of receiving the received signal by the probe Is possible.
- FIG. 1 a circuit configuration for realizing a transmission and reception operation by applying a bias voltage during transmission and reception of the transducers 11 1 to: L 1 m is shown in FIG. I will explain.
- the upper electrode 18a, the lower electrode 18b, and the semiconductor thin film 18f, which are the main parts, of the drum 18 of FIG. 3 are schematically shown.
- the adder 103 and the resistor 102 are used, and the DC bias voltage from the bias voltage generation source 104 and the drive signal waveform from the drive signal generation source 105 are superposed by the adder 103 and are passed through the resistor 102. Applied to the upper electrode 18a.
- the resistor 102 and a capacitance detector for example, the amplifying unit 31
- a modulated bias voltage waveform in the same band as the drive signal is supplied from the bias voltage generation source 104 via the resistor 102 to the upper electrode 18a.
- the amplifying unit 31 detects the capacitance between the upper and lower electrodes 18a and 18b.
- the capacitance of the upper electrode 18a and the lower electrode 18b is modulated by the magnitude and waveform of the incident ultrasonic wave, and is also modulated by the modulation bias.
- a capacitor 101 is inserted between the impedance 111 of the amplifying unit 31 and the upper electrode 18a so that the bias voltage applied to the upper electrode 18a does not become an excessive input of the amplifying unit 31.
- the lower electrode 18b can be at a ground potential.
- a three-terminal or four-terminal element configuration can be used.
- the transducer 10a constituting the transmission probe is shown in FIG.
- a three-terminal device having a bias voltage input terminal B, a transmission terminal T for inputting a drive signal, and a ground terminal G is obtained.
- the lower electrode 18b is connected to the ground terminal G.
- the transducer 10b constituting the receiving probe is This is a three-terminal device consisting of a bias voltage input terminal B, a reception terminal R that outputs the converted voltage signal, and a ground terminal G.
- the modulation bias voltage is supplied to the upper electrode 18a via the resistor 102b. Apply to.
- the potential of the upper electrode 18 a is output from the receiving terminal R via the capacitor 101.
- the lower electrode 18b is connected to the ground terminal G.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus that acquires diagnostic information (for example, blood flow velocity) related to a subject by a continuous wave Doppler method.
- diagnostic information for example, blood flow velocity
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an array probe 10, a continuous wave transmission unit 20, a transmission phase rotation unit 21, a DC bias supply unit 23, and a reception unit 60.
- the receiving unit 60 includes an amplifying unit 31, a low-pass filtering unit 41, an adding unit 51, and a diagnostic information calculating unit 80.
- the array-type probe 10 here has N transducers, which are divided into a plurality (NZ2) of transmitting transducers 10a and a plurality (NZ2) of receiving transducers 10b.
- NZ2 transmitting transducers
- NZ2 + 1 to N receives the signals from the array-type probe 10
- the structures of the transmitting transducer 10a and the receiving transducer 10b are as described above. In FIG. 6, for the sake of illustration, the transmitting probe 10A and the receiving probe 10B are shown with only one transmitting transducer and one receiving transducer.
- the continuous wave transmission unit 20 generates a continuous sine wave (frequency ⁇ , for example, 2 MHz).
- the phase rotation unit 21 rotates the continuous sine wave of the continuous wave transmission unit 20 by a predetermined phase amount for each transmission transducer 10a, and uses this as a drive signal for the transmission array transducer 10a.
- the DC bias supply unit 23 supplies a DC bias having a predetermined magnitude to the bias terminal B of the transmitting resonator 10a in order to define the sensitivity of the transmitting resonator 10a.
- continuous wave ultrasonic waves are radiated from the arranged transducers 10a for transmission to a predetermined focus position in the living body.
- the demodulation process is performed simultaneously with the conversion into the electric signal.
- the receiving phase rotation unit 22 rotates the phase of the continuous sine wave signal output from the continuous wave transmission unit 20 by a predetermined amount for each receiving transducer 10b, thereby modulating bias.
- Supply to amplifier 24 The modulation bias amplifier 24 amplifies the amplitude of the phase-rotated continuous sine wave signal to a predetermined amplitude (for example, 100 V), thereby generating a continuous wave voltage signal having a predetermined amplitude at the same frequency as the drive signal. Is supplied as a modulation bias signal to the bias terminal B of the receiving transducer 10b.
- the ultrasonic wave reflected in the living body and received by the kth transducer is g (t, k) using the phase ⁇ (k) determined by the distance between the focal position in the living body and the kth transducer 10b.
- g (t, k) G'cos (co t + 0 (k) ⁇ ' ⁇ (4)
- ⁇ (k) is not included, and the phase is the same regardless of the element number k. This indicates that the phasing process of the electronic focus is also realized at the same time.
- the output waveform of the receiving terminal R of the receiving transducer 10b is a signal equivalent to the signal subjected to Doppler demodulation and phasing. Therefore, the receiving unit 60 can obtain the Doppler frequency ⁇ ⁇ ( ⁇ ) simply by removing the harmonic component (4.001 MHz) generated when receiving by the transducer 10b by the low-pass filtering unit 41. . Also
- the amplifying unit 31 amplifies the signal to a predetermined level necessary for signal processing before the low-pass filtering unit 41.
- the adder 51 adds the signals from the receiving transducers arranged in the subsequent stage of the low-pass filtering unit 41.
- the output signal of each receiving transducer force is assigned to the number k as shown in Equation (6). Therefore, the adder 51 does not need a phasing process as in the prior art, and only performs addition.
- the output of the adder 51 becomes a Doppler frequency, here, an audio frequency band of ⁇ , and is input to the diagnostic information calculator 80.
- the diagnostic information calculation unit 80 performs calculations necessary for generating diagnostic information of the subject (for example, the moving speed of the moving object and its two-dimensional distribution image) by performing known calculations such as autocorrelation processing.
- the diagnostic information is displayed on the display unit 90. Note that the function of the present invention is not impaired even if the order of the low-pass filtering unit 41 and the amplifying unit 31 is exchanged within a range where the harmonic components do not cause saturation of the amplifying unit 31 or saturation of the adding unit 51.
- System control unit 300 outputs a control command to each unit such as continuous wave transmission unit 20, transmission phase rotation unit 21, reception phase rotation unit 22, DC bias supply unit 23, and modulation bias amplification unit 24. .
- the system control unit 300 is configured by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), for example.
- the system control unit 300 has a function of calculating and supplying data necessary for calculation of phase rotation and diagnostic information, and a function of controlling a bias voltage.
- a diagram showing the flow of commands from the system control unit 300 is omitted in FIG.
- the display unit 90 displays diagnostic information relating to the subject obtained by the receiving unit 60 from the Doppler frequency.
- the present inventor uses the probe 10 whose sensitivity is determined by the bias voltage as described above, Diagnostic device 1 was created and the performance was confirmed.
- One transducer composing the probe 10 has a hole 18e of drum 18 having a height of 0.3 micron, a drum 18 having a size of 50 m (diameter), and the arrangement of drums 18 is shown in FIG.
- the horizontal and vertical rows are 200 and 200, respectively, and the probe 10 has a structure in which transducers 111 to 11m are arranged as shown in Fig. 1.
- the magnitude of the DC bias voltage applied to the transmitting array transducer was 100 volts, and the amplitude of the modulation bias voltage applied to the receiving transducer was 100 volts (peak-to-peak). With this structure and conditions, good Doppler demodulation sensitivity was obtained at an ultrasonic frequency of 2 to 5 MHz.
- a probe 170 having N array transducers is divided into a transmission probe 170A and a reception transducer 170B each consisting of NZ2 transducers.
- the probes 170A and 170B are configured using a general piezoelectric element type vibrator.
- a demodulator 140 having a phasing function and a Doppler demodulation function is arranged in the signal processing unit.
- the output signal of the reception phase rotation unit 22 is input to the demodulation unit 140.
- reception probe 170B does not have a demodulation function as in the present embodiment, its output voltage waveform has a frequency ⁇ .
- the demodulator 140 multiplies the frequency component ⁇ of the received signal by the output ⁇ of the receiving phase rotation unit 22 to form ⁇ ⁇ and 2 ⁇ t + ⁇ ⁇ . Receive at the same time
- the low-pass filtering unit 41 has ⁇ ⁇ out of ⁇ ⁇ and 2 ⁇ t + ⁇ ⁇
- the preamplifier 131 with a large thermal noise is amplified by the preamplifier 131 to a level that can be processed by the demodulator 140.
- the performance of 1 31 effectively limits the performance of demodulator 140.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the comparative example in FIG. 8 the thermal noise in the living body (such as the running state of the blood flow) that is diagnostic information may be buried in the noise of the preamplifier 131.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the present invention uses the ultrasonic probe 10 whose sensitivity is determined by the bias voltage and modulates the bias voltage, thereby receiving the signal at the probe 10.
- the demodulation process is not affected by the thermal noise of the amplification unit 31. Therefore, even a weak signal that would be buried in thermal noise if demodulated after the amplification unit 31 can be detected with a greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio. Further, since demodulation processing is performed by the probe 10, the receiving unit 60 that performs signal processing does not require the demodulating unit 140 of the conventional electronic circuit, and the device is greatly reduced in size and cost. be able to.
- the amplification unit Since a saturation phenomenon does not occur, it is not necessary to arrange a so-called gap element between the arranged transmitting probe 10A and the arranged receiving array probe 10B. Therefore, all elements of the array probe can be used for Doppler detection, and a so-called interleaved Doppler diagnostic apparatus in which transmitting transducers and receiving transducers are alternately arranged can be formed. As a result, it is possible to use a beam that is superior to the case where the transmitting probe and the receiving probe are arranged separately on the left and right.
- the transmitter probe 10A and the receiver probe 10B are configured as an array transducer 10c that also uses transmission and reception as shown in Fig. 5 (c), in addition to continuous wave Doppler, B-mode imaging and M-mode It is also possible to support pulse Doppler and Doppler tomography (CFM). So far, the mode known as continuous wave Doppler has been described, but the essence of the present invention is also impaired in other modes of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, B-mode imaging, M-mode imaging, pulsed Doppler, and Doppler tomographic imaging (CFM). Absent. In fact, in B-mode imaging, for example, the force with which a pulse waveform with a center frequency of 3 MHz is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves.
- B-mode imaging for example, the force with which a pulse waveform with a center frequency of 3 MHz is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves.
- a received pulse with a center frequency of 3 MHz is generated by its carrier frequency by a bias voltage modulated at 3 MHz. 3MHz is demodulated and becomes an envelope signal.
- an envelope signal is extracted by a detection circuit, etc., and the intensity information is displayed in correspondence with luminance information, but here again in the probe receiving process.
- the envelope signal is extracted, and a weak signal can be imaged without being buried in the noise of the subsequent amplifier.
- FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are diagram showing the flow of ultrasonic wave transmission processing
- Fig. 7 (b) is a diagram showing the flow of ultrasonic wave reception processing.
- the DC bias supply unit 23 supplies a DC bias dc having a predetermined size to each transducer of the transmitting probe 10A.
- the drive signal f (t) is supplied to the transmission phase rotation unit 21 by the continuous wave transmission unit 20.
- the transmission phase rotation unit 21 rotates the phase of the drive signal f (t) by a predetermined phase amount ⁇ 'and delivers it to each transducer of the transmission probe 10A.
- the phase rotation amount ⁇ ′ is predetermined for each transducer in accordance with the focus position in order to realize focusing during transmission.
- the drive signal f (t, k) is supplied to the transmitting vibrator superimposed on the DC bias dc.
- the drive signal f (t, k) supplied to the transmission probe 10A is expressed as in equation (8).
- the transmitting probe 10A emits an ultrasonic transmission signal T (t, k) corresponding to the drive signal f (t, k) toward a subject (for example, a moving object such as a blood cell).
- a subject for example, a moving object such as a blood cell.
- the ultrasonic wave transmission signal T (t, k) emitted toward the subject is expressed as shown in Equation (9).
- Kt is a constant determined based on the material and geometric dimensions that make up the transmitting vibrator.
- T (t, k) (2 -Kf dc-f (t, k)) + (harmonic component) ⁇ (9)
- the ultrasonic signal T (t, k) is reflected by the subject and received by the receiving probe 10B (
- the drive signal f (t) generated by the continuous wave transmission unit 20 is supplied to the reception phase rotation unit 22. Based on this signal f (t), a modulation bias signal having the same frequency ⁇ as the drive signal is generated.
- the drive signal f (t) is supplied to the reception phase rotation unit 22.
- the reception phase rotation unit 22 rotates the phase of the modulation signal f (t) by a predetermined phase amount ⁇ in order to achieve focusing at reception.
- the rotational phase amount ⁇ is predetermined according to the focus position during reception.
- the phase-rotated modulation signal f ′ (t, k) is expressed as shown in Equation (10).
- the modulation signal f ′ (t, k) is supplied to the modulation bias amplification unit 24.
- the modulation bias amplifier 24 amplifies the modulation signal f ′ (t, k) to generate a modulation bias signal F (t, k) having the same frequency ⁇ as the drive signal, and receives the receiving probe 10B.
- Equation (11) the modulated modulation bias signal F (t, k) after amplification is expressed as shown in Equation (11).
- F is a constant.
- the frequency of the modulation bias signal F (t, k) is the same frequency ⁇ as that of the drive signal f (t).
- the frequency has a band, it can be set to such a frequency if it is within the band.
- the modulation bias signal F (t, k) is applied to the upper electrode 18a of the cMu tl8 constituting the probe 10B via the receiving circuit 13.
- the ultrasonic wave transmission signal transmitted in the step S706 is reflected by the subject and becomes an ultrasonic reflection signal g (t, k) and reaches each receiving transducer.
- the frequency ⁇ of the ultrasonic reflected signal g (t, k) is the Doppler shift frequency ⁇ ⁇ corresponding to the moving speed of the reflection source such as blood cells of the subject.
- the ultrasonic reflected signal g (t, k) is received by the receiving probe 10B whose sensitivity is modulated by the modulation bias signal F (t, k).
- the demodulated signal R (t, k) output from the receiving probe 10B is a signal that has been subjected to Doppler demodulation processing as shown in Equation (13).
- the Doppler shift component has the same phase regardless of the value of the number k, and is subjected to phasing processing (beam forming).
- the demodulated signal R (t, k) output from the receiving probe 10B is transferred to the receiving unit 60, amplified by the amplifying unit 31, and then the harmonic component is removed by the low-pass filtering unit 28.
- the signal extracted as the Doppler shift frequency component is added by the adder 51 for the receiving vibrator corresponding to the receiving aperture.
- the signal output from the adding unit 51 is subjected to autocorrelation processing or the like in the diagnostic information calculation unit 80, thereby obtaining diagnostic information (for example, blood flow velocity or two-dimensional velocity distribution image) of the subject. It is done.
- the obtained diagnostic information is displayed on the display unit 90.
- Equation (3) is an equation indicating that the output voltage of the probe during reception is proportional to the modulation bias.
- equation (2) that the output voltage at the time of reception by the cMUT is proportional to the DC bias is well known, the inventors have confirmed by experiment that this is also true when the noise is modulated, and the equation (2) 3) is obtained and used for the description of this embodiment.
- an ultrasonic probe whose reception sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the bias voltage is not necessarily used. Even if it is not the characteristic of 3), it can be used. Therefore, a characteristic having a second or higher order term for the ultrasonic reflected signal and the modulated bias signal It is possible to realize this using an ultrasonic probe.
- Equation (3) can be considered as follows on the force equation that the present inventors have confirmed through experiments.
- the output voltage signal R (t) at the time of reception of the cMUT probe can be expressed as shown in Equation (14) using a well-known square model.
- Kr is a constant
- dc is a DC bias voltage
- g (t) is an ultrasonic reflection signal
- the output signal R (t) includes a first-order term and a second-order term of the ultrasonic reflection signal g (t). Since the ultrasonic transmission signal is set to be weak so as not to damage the living body, the ultrasonic reflected signal g (t) is also weak (for example, IV), so the amplitude of the modulation bias signal F (t) is By setting for example 100 V, which is larger than the ultrasonic reflection signal g (t) (eg, about IV), the second-order term of g (t) can be ignored.
- the quadratic term of F (t) is 2 of ⁇
- R (t) Kr- (F 2 -cos 2 ( W t) + FG (cos (A ⁇ t + ⁇ )
- Equation (17) is obtained, and only the Doppler shift component can be extracted as the output voltage R (t) of the probe.
- the amplitude of the modulation bias signal F (t) is the ultrasonic reflected signal g ( If it is larger than t), it should be set to at least twice. Furthermore, it is more preferable to set it to 10 times or more.
- the output characteristics of the cMUT probe vary depending on the material and shape of the drum, the arrangement of the drums, and the usage conditions, the output characteristics are controlled by setting and setting these parameters. Of course, it is also possible to use it in a range where the sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the bias voltage.
- the receiving probe is not limited to the cMUT probe as long as the receiving sensitivity changes according to the magnitude of the bias voltage, and a probe having another configuration can be used.
- an electrostrictive material eg, Pb (Mg Nb) 0—PbTiO solid solution ceramics
- Pb (Mg Nb) 0—PbTiO solid solution ceramics is used.
- the transmitting probe and the receiving probe are separately provided.
- the transmitting / receiving transducer 10c having the structure shown in Fig. 5 (c) is arranged.
- an ultrasonic signal may be transmitted and received by the same vibrator.
- the number of transmitting vibrators (NZ2) and the number of receiving vibrators (NZ2) are the same, but they are not necessarily the same.
- Vibrators 11-1 to 11 constituting the probe 10 The shape of the drum 18 of the L l-m is set to another shape such as a polygon or a circle, which is the force described here for the case of a hexagon. Is also possible.
- the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described above is an apparatus using a continuous wave Doppler method, but can also be applied to a pulsed doubler method and a tissue tomography method.
- an image processing unit that configures an ultrasonic image for example, a color Doppler tomographic image or a tissue density tomographic image
- an ultrasonic image for example, a color Doppler tomographic image or a tissue density tomographic image
- the present invention transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to / from a subject via an ultrasonic probe, and based on a signal output from the ultrasonic probe, diagnostic information of the subject (for example, blood cells, etc.) It can be applied to ultrasonic diagnostic equipment that acquires the movement speed and velocity distribution of a reflection source, or tissue tomogram.
- ultrasonic diagnostic equipment that acquires the movement speed and velocity distribution of a reflection source, or tissue tomogram.
- a highly sensitive ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a high signal-to-noise ratio in a receiving system is provided.
- FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective view showing a configuration of part of the ultrasound probe 10 of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a top view of transducers 11 1 to L1 m of the ultrasonic probe in FIG.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a drum 18 that constitutes the vibrator 11-1 etc. in FIG.
- FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an electric circuit necessary for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves of the drum force in FIG.
- FIG. 5 (a) is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transmitting vibrator. (b) It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the probe for reception. (C) It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a transmission / reception combined oscillator.
- FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic wave transmission process of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in FIG. (b) It is a diagram which shows the flow of the ultrasonic wave reception process of the ultrasonic diagnosing device of FIG.
- FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of a comparative example.
- Modulation bias amplification unit 31 ... Amplification unit, 41 ... Low-pass filtering unit, 51 ... Addition unit, 60 ... Reception unit, 80 ... Diagnostic information calculation unit, 90 ⁇ Display unit, 1 01 ⁇ Capacitor, 102, 102a, 102b ... Resistance, 103 ⁇ Source, 111 ... impedance, 300 ... system controller.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
- Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2006540933A JP5179058B2 (ja) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-10-11 | 超音波診断装置 |
EP05793047A EP1806098A4 (en) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-10-11 | ultrasonograph |
US11/577,334 US8465430B2 (en) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-10-11 | Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2004300939 | 2004-10-15 | ||
JP2004-300939 | 2004-10-15 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2006041058A1 true WO2006041058A1 (ja) | 2006-04-20 |
Family
ID=36148350
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2005/018698 WO2006041058A1 (ja) | 2004-10-15 | 2005-10-11 | 超音波診断装置 |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US8465430B2 (ja) |
EP (1) | EP1806098A4 (ja) |
JP (1) | JP5179058B2 (ja) |
CN (1) | CN100522068C (ja) |
WO (1) | WO2006041058A1 (ja) |
Cited By (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2008148720A (ja) * | 2006-12-14 | 2008-07-03 | Hitachi Medical Corp | 超音波探触子及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2008193357A (ja) * | 2007-02-02 | 2008-08-21 | Hitachi Medical Corp | 超音波探触子 |
EP2091265A1 (en) * | 2006-11-08 | 2009-08-19 | Hitachi Medical Corporation | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonographic device using the same |
JP2009207882A (ja) * | 2008-02-08 | 2009-09-17 | Toshiba Corp | 超音波プローブ及び超音波診断装置 |
JPWO2008114582A1 (ja) * | 2007-03-20 | 2010-07-01 | 株式会社日立メディコ | 超音波探触子及びその製造方法並びに超音波診断装置 |
JP2011098071A (ja) * | 2009-11-06 | 2011-05-19 | Canon Inc | 超音波検出装置及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2013230233A (ja) * | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-14 | Olympus Medical Systems Corp | 超音波観測装置および超音波内視鏡の制御方法 |
JP2014144376A (ja) * | 2014-05-02 | 2014-08-14 | Canon Inc | 超音波検出装置及び超音波診断装置 |
US9089873B2 (en) | 2007-07-11 | 2015-07-28 | Hitachi Medical Corporation | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus |
JP2017113218A (ja) * | 2015-12-24 | 2017-06-29 | キヤノン株式会社 | 被検体情報取得装置 |
Families Citing this family (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN101304691B (zh) * | 2005-11-11 | 2011-10-26 | 株式会社日立医药 | 超声波探头及超声波诊断装置 |
KR101689346B1 (ko) * | 2009-02-27 | 2016-12-23 | 코닌클리케 필립스 엔.브이. | 기계적 붕괴 보유를 갖는 사전 붕괴된 cmut |
JP5409138B2 (ja) * | 2009-06-19 | 2014-02-05 | キヤノン株式会社 | 電気機械変換装置、電気機械変換装置の感度ばらつき検出方法、及び補正方法 |
JP5578810B2 (ja) * | 2009-06-19 | 2014-08-27 | キヤノン株式会社 | 静電容量型の電気機械変換装置 |
CN102469983B (zh) * | 2010-04-12 | 2013-04-24 | 奥林巴斯医疗株式会社 | 超声波诊断装置 |
EP2563043A4 (en) * | 2010-04-23 | 2017-05-31 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Ultrasound probe, production method therefor, and ultrasound diagnostic equipment |
JP5087722B2 (ja) | 2010-12-28 | 2012-12-05 | オリンパスメディカルシステムズ株式会社 | 超音波観測装置 |
CN102176121A (zh) * | 2011-01-18 | 2011-09-07 | 河海大学 | 数字超声经颅多普勒数字解调和信号处理方法及装置 |
WO2013178231A1 (en) * | 2012-06-01 | 2013-12-05 | Syddansk Universitet | Ultrasonic transducer with dielectric elastomer as active layer |
US9502023B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2016-11-22 | Fujifilm Sonosite, Inc. | Acoustic lens for micromachined ultrasound transducers |
EP2818117A1 (en) | 2013-06-26 | 2014-12-31 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Object information obtaining system, signal processing method, and program |
CN107106191B (zh) * | 2014-10-17 | 2019-08-23 | 华盛顿大学 | 宽聚焦的超声推进探头、系统和方法 |
EP3067091B1 (de) * | 2015-03-13 | 2020-07-29 | BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG | Dislokationssensor |
EP4358849A1 (en) * | 2021-06-23 | 2024-05-01 | Exo Imaging Inc. | Systems and methods for testing mems arrays and associated asics |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH0294579A (ja) * | 1988-09-30 | 1990-04-05 | Hitachi Ltd | 超音波振動子用電歪磁器組成物 |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6605043B1 (en) | 1998-11-19 | 2003-08-12 | Acuson Corp. | Diagnostic medical ultrasound systems and transducers utilizing micro-mechanical components |
US6592525B2 (en) | 2001-07-31 | 2003-07-15 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) having improved sensitivity |
US6795374B2 (en) | 2001-09-07 | 2004-09-21 | Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc. | Bias control of electrostatic transducers |
US7087023B2 (en) | 2003-02-14 | 2006-08-08 | Sensant Corporation | Microfabricated ultrasonic transducers with bias polarity beam profile control and method of operating the same |
US7134343B2 (en) * | 2003-07-25 | 2006-11-14 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Opto-acoustoelectric device and methods for analyzing mechanical vibration and sound |
-
2005
- 2005-10-11 JP JP2006540933A patent/JP5179058B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-10-11 WO PCT/JP2005/018698 patent/WO2006041058A1/ja active Application Filing
- 2005-10-11 CN CNB2005800350413A patent/CN100522068C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-10-11 US US11/577,334 patent/US8465430B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2005-10-11 EP EP05793047A patent/EP1806098A4/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH0294579A (ja) * | 1988-09-30 | 1990-04-05 | Hitachi Ltd | 超音波振動子用電歪磁器組成物 |
Non-Patent Citations (3)
Title |
---|
JIN XC ET AL: "Micromachined Capacitive Ultrasonic Immersion Trasducers for Medical Imaging.", PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY., vol. 20, no. 2, 1998, pages 779 - 782, XP002984493 * |
LADABAUM I ET AL: "Surface Micromachined Capacitive Ultrasonic Transducers.", IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FRECUENCY CONTROL., vol. 45, no. 3, May 1998 (1998-05-01), pages 678 - 690, XP000776108 * |
See also references of EP1806098A4 * |
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8758253B2 (en) | 2006-11-08 | 2014-06-24 | Hitachi Medical Corporation | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same |
EP2091265A1 (en) * | 2006-11-08 | 2009-08-19 | Hitachi Medical Corporation | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonographic device using the same |
EP2091265A4 (en) * | 2006-11-08 | 2010-12-15 | Hitachi Medical Corp | ULTRASONIC PROBE AND ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DEVICE USING THE SAME |
EP3270607A1 (en) * | 2006-11-08 | 2018-01-17 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same |
JP2008148720A (ja) * | 2006-12-14 | 2008-07-03 | Hitachi Medical Corp | 超音波探触子及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2008193357A (ja) * | 2007-02-02 | 2008-08-21 | Hitachi Medical Corp | 超音波探触子 |
JPWO2008114582A1 (ja) * | 2007-03-20 | 2010-07-01 | 株式会社日立メディコ | 超音波探触子及びその製造方法並びに超音波診断装置 |
JP5049340B2 (ja) * | 2007-03-20 | 2012-10-17 | 株式会社日立メディコ | 超音波探触子及び超音波診断装置 |
US9089873B2 (en) | 2007-07-11 | 2015-07-28 | Hitachi Medical Corporation | Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus |
JP2009207882A (ja) * | 2008-02-08 | 2009-09-17 | Toshiba Corp | 超音波プローブ及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2011098071A (ja) * | 2009-11-06 | 2011-05-19 | Canon Inc | 超音波検出装置及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2013230233A (ja) * | 2012-04-27 | 2013-11-14 | Olympus Medical Systems Corp | 超音波観測装置および超音波内視鏡の制御方法 |
JP2014144376A (ja) * | 2014-05-02 | 2014-08-14 | Canon Inc | 超音波検出装置及び超音波診断装置 |
JP2017113218A (ja) * | 2015-12-24 | 2017-06-29 | キヤノン株式会社 | 被検体情報取得装置 |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20080064959A1 (en) | 2008-03-13 |
JP5179058B2 (ja) | 2013-04-10 |
CN100522068C (zh) | 2009-08-05 |
CN101039626A (zh) | 2007-09-19 |
JPWO2006041058A1 (ja) | 2008-05-15 |
EP1806098A4 (en) | 2012-08-15 |
EP1806098A1 (en) | 2007-07-11 |
US8465430B2 (en) | 2013-06-18 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP5179058B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
JP4625145B2 (ja) | 音響振動子及び画像生成装置 | |
JP7190590B2 (ja) | プログラム可能な生体構造及びフロー撮像を有する超音波撮像デバイス | |
JP4192598B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
US20050165306A1 (en) | Detection of motion in vibro-acoustography | |
WO2006041114A1 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
Pekař et al. | Frequency tuning of collapse-mode capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer | |
JP7268223B2 (ja) | 増大された患者安全性を持つ容量性マイクロマシン超音波トランスデューサ | |
Wang et al. | Development of dual-frequency PMUT arrays based on thin ceramic PZT for endoscopic photoacoustic imaging | |
Wang et al. | A multi-frequency PMUT array based on ceramic PZT for endoscopic photoacoustic imaging | |
JP2008073391A (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
Cheng et al. | A miniature capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array for minimally invasive photoacoustic imaging | |
JP5476002B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
JP2010162185A (ja) | 超音波プローブ及び超音波診断装置 | |
JP2005168667A (ja) | 超音波診断装置およびその駆動方法 | |
JP5161597B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
JP4575014B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
Chen et al. | A monolithic three-dimensional ultrasonic transducer array for medical imaging | |
JP6198204B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置及び超音波診断装置の作動方法 | |
JP4030644B2 (ja) | 超音波撮像装置 | |
JP2005125082A (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
JP7058727B2 (ja) | 超音波システムおよび超音波システムの制御方法 | |
Cheng et al. | A miniature capacitive ultrasonic imager array | |
JP5439864B2 (ja) | 超音波診断装置 | |
JPS63154167A (ja) | 超音波診断装置 |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BW BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE EG ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KM KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV LY MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NA NG NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SM SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): BW GH GM KE LS MW MZ NA SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2006540933 Country of ref document: JP |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 200580035041.3 Country of ref document: CN |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 11577334 Country of ref document: US |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2005793047 Country of ref document: EP |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 2005793047 Country of ref document: EP |
|
WWP | Wipo information: published in national office |
Ref document number: 11577334 Country of ref document: US |