JP2005328507A - Ultrasonic wave probe and ultrasonic wave diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic wave probe which comprises high reliability to reduce a side lobe and further to uniformize a sound field without complicating a device configuration or a manufacturing process. <P>SOLUTION: There are provided piezoelectric elements 15 which transmit/receive ultrasonic waves in the vertical direction approximately orthogonal to the direction of an array, and each piezoelectric element includes a plurality of grooves 20 which are in parallel with the direction of the array and do not pass through, on at least one of two end faces approximately orthogonal to the vertical direction of the piezoelectric element. The ultrasonic waves are transmitted/received while being weighted in the direction of a lens orthogonal to the direction of the array and the vertical direction in accordance with the shapes or arrangements of the plurality of grooves, and a first acoustic matching layer 18 comprised of a conductive member is bonded along the direction of the lens on the end face including the grooves of the piezoelectric element. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission intensity and reception sensitivity of transmitted / received ultrasonic waves are weighted to reduce side lobes.

  An ultrasonic probe is a device that irradiates ultrasonic waves toward an object and receives reflected waves from interfaces having different acoustic impedances in the object for the purpose of imaging the inside of the object. As an ultrasonic imaging apparatus employing such an ultrasonic probe, there is a medical diagnostic apparatus for inspecting the inside of a human body.

  Some ultrasonic probes are called one-dimensional array ultrasonic probes. This one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe has a piezoelectric element unit responsible for transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves. This piezoelectric element unit is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in parallel at regular intervals with respect to the array direction. An acoustic matching layer and an acoustic lens are provided on the human body side of the piezoelectric unit so as to cover all the piezoelectric elements, and a back material is provided on the opposite side of the piezoelectric unit from the human body side.

  When using a one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, a drive signal is applied from the drive circuit to each piezoelectric element. At this time, by applying a phase difference to each drive signal by the delay circuit, the ultrasonic irradiation position is scanned in the array direction.

  The ultrasonic wave generated from each piezoelectric element is transmitted to the human body via the acoustic matching layer and the acoustic lens. Then, the reflected wave generated by the acoustic impedance mismatch in the human body is received by the piezoelectric element unit, whereby the internal structure of the human body is imaged and displayed on the display monitor.

  When manufacturing a piezoelectric element unit, an acoustic matching layer is bonded to a rectangular piezoelectric material block. Then, only the piezoelectric material block is diced at a predetermined interval in the array direction, and the piezoelectric material block is arrayed, that is, divided into a plurality of piezoelectric elements.

  Then, an acoustic lens is joined to the acoustic matching layer, a backing material is joined to the arrayed piezoelectric material block, and finally, the drive circuit and each piezoelectric element are electrically connected to complete the ultrasonic probe.

  By the way, in the above-described one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, when a rectangular waveform drive signal is applied to each piezoelectric element, a side lobe becomes a problem in the sound field in the lens direction, or the sound field in the lens direction becomes non-uniform. Sometimes.

  Therefore, in recent years, as a technique for reducing the side lobes and making the sound field uniform, a technique for weighting the intensity of ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric element unit has been disclosed.

  For example, an ultrasonic probe is disclosed in which each piezoelectric element is divided while changing the interval with respect to the lens direction to change the area density of the piezoelectric element with respect to the lens direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, an ultrasonic probe is also disclosed in which each piezoelectric element is divided at regular intervals with respect to the lens direction, and a driving signal applied to each divided part has an intensity difference (see, for example, Patent Document 2). .
JP 2003-9288 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-23331

  However, in the ultrasonic probe described in Patent Document 1, each piezoelectric element is completely divided with respect to the lens direction when the piezoelectric element unit is manufactured. Therefore, there is a problem that an increase in manufacturing process and an increase in manufacturing cost are caused.

  In addition, when the resin is filled between the divided piezoelectric element pieces, the electrodes formed on the end faces of the piezoelectric elements are partially placed on the resin, which reduces the adhesion of the electrodes to the piezoelectric elements. There is a problem that the reliability of the apparatus is lowered.

  On the other hand, the ultrasonic probe described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that the structure of the apparatus and the circuit is complicated, and the reliability of the ultrasonic probe is deteriorated and the manufacturing process is expensive. Furthermore, even if the drive signal has a difference in intensity, it is difficult to obtain a desired sound pressure distribution because the ultrasonic wave radiated from each piezoelectric element has already caused acoustic crosstalk in the piezoelectric element. . Moreover, this ultrasonic probe is not a one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to reduce side lobes without complicating the apparatus configuration and the manufacturing process, and to make the sound field more uniform and reliable. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the characteristics.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention are configured as follows.

(1) A piezoelectric element that is arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the first direction and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction is provided, and each of the piezoelectric elements includes the piezoelectric element. At least one end face of two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of the element has a plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction and not penetrating, and each of the shapes of the plurality of grooves or The ultrasonic waves are transmitted / received by weighting with respect to the first direction and the third direction orthogonal to the second direction by arrangement, and the third end is provided on the end face having a groove of each piezoelectric element. The conductive member is joined along the direction of.

(2) Piezoelectric elements arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the first direction and transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and the second direction of each piezoelectric element Each of the piezoelectric elements is connected to at least one end face of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction. A plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction for weighting a third direction orthogonal to the second direction to transmit and receive the ultrasonic wave; and two end faces of the piezoelectric elements The electrode joined to the end face having the plurality of grooves is divided into a plurality by the plurality of grooves, and the electrodes divided into the plurality are connected by a conductive member.

(3) In the ultrasonic probe described in (1) or (2), the plurality of grooves are formed to have substantially the same depth, and at intervals that gradually decrease toward both sides in the third direction. It is arranged.

(4) In the ultrasonic probe described in (1) or (2), the plurality of grooves are formed at substantially the same interval with respect to the third direction and go to both sides of the third direction. As the depth gradually increases.

(5) In the ultrasonic probe described in (1) or (2), each groove has a round bottom.

(6) The conductive member described in (1) or (2) is joined to the electrode by a non-conductive adhesive filled in the plurality of grooves.

(7) An ultrasonic probe that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to / from a subject, and an image generation device that generates an ultrasonic image of the subject based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic probe, A piezoelectric element that is arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the first direction and that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, wherein each piezoelectric element includes the piezoelectric element And having a plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction and not penetrating on at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction, and the shape or arrangement of each of the plurality of grooves The weight is applied to the first direction and the third direction orthogonal to the second direction, the ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received, and the end face having the groove of each piezoelectric element has the third Joining conductive members along the direction To have.

(8) An ultrasonic probe that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to / from a subject, and an image generation device that generates an ultrasonic image of the subject based on ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic probe, A piezoelectric element that is arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the first direction and that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, and the second direction of each piezoelectric element Each of the piezoelectric elements is connected to at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction, and the first direction and the electrode A plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction for weighting a third direction orthogonal to the second direction to transmit and receive the ultrasonic wave; and two end faces of the piezoelectric elements The electrode joined to the end face having the plurality of grooves is Wherein the plurality of grooves is divided into a plurality, the plurality of shed the electrodes are connected by a conductive member.

  According to the present invention, side lobes can be reduced and the sound field can be made uniform without complicating the apparatus configuration and the manufacturing process. In addition, the reliability of the ultrasonic probe can be improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the embodiment cut along the lens direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the embodiment cut along the array direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ultrasonic probe 10 is a so-called one-dimensional array ultrasonic probe, and has a back material 11 made of a sound absorbing material. The back material 11 is formed in a rectangular block shape, and a piezoelectric element unit 12 is provided on one side surface thereof via a flexible printed wiring board 31.

  The piezoelectric element unit 12 includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements 15 formed in a strip shape. These piezoelectric elements 15 are arranged at regular intervals with respect to the array direction (first direction), and each piezoelectric element 15 forms a so-called channel for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

  As a material of the piezoelectric element 15, a piezoelectric ceramic or a piezoelectric single crystal is used. Each piezoelectric element 15 is polarized in the vertical direction (second direction) orthogonal to the array direction in the manufacturing process.

  A ground electrode 23a (electrode) and a signal electrode 23b (electrode) are provided on the upper end surface and the lower end surface of each piezoelectric element 15, respectively. The ground electrode 23a and the signal electrode 23b are formed of a metal foil such as a copper foil, and a driving voltage can be applied to the piezoelectric element 15 through the electrodes 23a and 23b.

  A plurality of grooves 20 (grooves) are formed on the upper end surface of each piezoelectric element 15. These groove portions 20 are formed along the vertical direction, and the pitch interval with respect to the lens direction perpendicular to the array direction and the vertical direction is determined based on the sine function S.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a sine function S that determines the pitch interval of the grooves 20. 4 indicates the position of the piezoelectric element 15 with respect to the lens direction (the center in the lens direction is 0).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pitch interval of the groove portion 20 with respect to the lens direction is determined based on the function value of the sine function so as to increase toward the center in the lens direction and decrease toward the outside in the lens direction. .

  In the present embodiment, the pitch interval with respect to the lens direction of the groove 20 is determined based on the sine function. However, the pitch interval is not limited to this, and may be, for example, Gaussian.

  The signal electrode 23 b of each piezoelectric element 15 is electrically connected to a plurality of signal wirings 31 b (described later) of the flexible printed wiring board 31. These signal wirings 31b are arranged at regular intervals in the array direction so that drive signals can be separately applied to the plurality of piezoelectric elements 15 arranged in the array direction.

  An acoustic matching layer unit 25 is provided on the upper side surface of the piezoelectric element unit 12. The acoustic matching layer unit 25 is formed by a plurality of acoustic matching layers 17 formed in a strip shape, and each acoustic matching layer 17 is arranged to correspond to each piezoelectric element 15.

  The acoustic matching layer 17 matches the acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric element 15 and the human body. In the present embodiment, the first material of different materials is used so that the acoustic impedance changes stepwise from the piezoelectric element 15 toward the human body. The acoustic matching layer 18 (conductive member) and the second acoustic matching layer 19 are configured.

  The first acoustic matching layer 18 is formed of a conductive material, and the lower end surface thereof is electrically connected to the ground electrode 23 a on the piezoelectric element 15. On the other hand, the second acoustic matching layer 19 is made of an insulating material, and its lower end surface is joined to the upper end surface of the first acoustic matching layer 18.

  On the upper side of the second acoustic matching layer 19, an acoustic lens 22 is provided so as to cover all the second acoustic matching layers 19. This acoustic lens 22 is a lens made of silicone rubber or the like having acoustic impedance close to that of a living body, and uses ultrasonic refraction to converge an ultrasonic beam and improve resolution. Note that the second acoustic matching layer 19 may be formed of a conductive material, and the second acoustic matching layer 19 and a ground extraction electrode 24 (described later) may be electrically connected.

  A gap between the piezoelectric elements 15 arranged in the array direction and a groove 20 formed in each piezoelectric element 15 are filled with a nonconductive resin material (nonconductive adhesive) such as epoxy. This non-conductive resin material is for giving mechanical strength to the piezoelectric element unit 12 and the acoustic matching layer unit 25, and for joining the first acoustic matching layer 18 to the ground electrode 23a.

  A ground extraction electrode 24 is provided on the side surface of each first acoustic matching layer 18. Each of the ground extraction electrodes 24 is electrically connected to the first acoustic matching layer 18 made of a conductive material, and the lower end thereof is integrated with the flexible printed wiring board 31.

  The flexible printed wiring board 31 has a two-layer structure. Ground wiring 31a is provided in the first layer, and a plurality of the signal wirings 31b arranged at predetermined intervals in the array direction are provided in the second layer.

  The tip of the first layer is disposed on the side of the lower end portion of the ground extraction electrode 24, and the ground wiring 31a and the ground extraction electrode 24 are electrically connected. Further, the tip of the second layer is disposed between the backing material 11 and the piezoelectric element unit 12 as described above, and the signal wiring 31b and the signal electrode 23b are electrically connected.

  Next, a process for manufacturing the ultrasonic probe 10 having the above configuration will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a manufacturing process of the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, first, a piezoelectric block 53 having a first electrode 51 and a second electrode 52 is prepared. The piezoelectric block 53 is manufactured by manufacturing a piezoelectric material such as piezoelectric ceramics or piezoelectric crystal by a normal piezoelectric body manufacturing method, and then plating or sputtering Au or the like on both side surfaces of the piezoelectric material. Is obtained by polarization.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the piezoelectric body block 53 is diced along the array direction from the first electrode 51 side. This dicing is for so-called weighting, and is executed up to the middle of the piezoelectric block 53 so that the pitch interval increases as it goes to the center in the lens direction based on the function value of the sine function S. As a result, the portion of the piezoelectric body block 53 on the first electrode 51 side is divided into a plurality of cut ends 27, and a groove row 21 is formed between the cut ends 27.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the piezoelectric element 15 and the first acoustic matching material 54 are filled and bonded with an epoxy adhesive or the like, and the first acoustic matching material 54 is formed on the first electrode 51. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), a second acoustic matching material 55 is joined on the first acoustic matching material 54. Then, as shown in FIG. 5E, the flexible printed wiring board 31 is joined to the second electrode 52, and the signal wiring 31b and the second electrode 52 are electrically connected.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5F, the backing material 11 is joined to the flexible printed wiring board 31 joined to the piezoelectric block 53, and as shown in FIG. The body block 53, the first acoustic matching material 54, the second acoustic matching material 55, and the flexible printed wiring board 31 are diced from the second acoustic matching material 55 side.

  This dicing is for so-called arraying, and is executed until the flexible printed wiring board 31 is completely divided at a constant pitch interval with respect to the array direction. Thereby, the piezoelectric body block 53, the first acoustic matching material 54, the second acoustic matching material 55, the first electrode 51, the second electrode 52, and the flexible printed wiring board 31 are arrayed, that is, in the array direction. They are completely separated from each other, and a gap is formed between them.

  By these two times of dicing, the piezoelectric block 53 is applied to the plurality of piezoelectric elements 15, the first acoustic matching material 54 is applied to the plurality of first acoustic matching layers 18, and the second acoustic matching material 55 is applied to the plurality of the plurality of piezoelectric elements 15. The second acoustic matching layer 19, the first electrode 51 are the plurality of ground electrodes 23 a, the second electrode 52 is the plurality of signal electrodes 23 b, and the groove row 21 is the plurality of grooves 20.

  Even if the piezoelectric block 53, the first acoustic matching material 54, the second acoustic matching material 55, the first electrode 51, the second electrode 52, and the flexible printed wiring board 31 are completely separated, the piezoelectric block 53, the first acoustic matching material 54, the second acoustic matching material 55, Since the back material 11 is joined to the body block 53 via the flexible printed wiring board 31, the respective parts are not separated apart.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (h), the acoustic lens 22 is bonded onto the second acoustic matching layer 19, and the ground extraction electrode 24 is formed with a conductive adhesive on the side of the first acoustic matching layer 18. And the ground extraction electrode 24 and the ground wiring 31a of the flexible printed wiring board 31 are electrically connected. Thereby, the ultrasonic probe 10 is completed.

  According to the ultrasonic probe 10 having the above-described configuration, when performing dicing for weighting the piezoelectric body block 53, the piezoelectric body block 53 is not completely separated, so that the plurality of piezoelectric elements 15 formed on each piezoelectric element 15 are separated. The groove part 20 is fastened to the middle part of the piezoelectric element 15.

  For this reason, by performing dicing for weighting on the piezoelectric body block 53, the piezoelectric body block 53 is not separated separately, so that the manufacturing process of the ultrasonic probe 10 can be simplified.

  Further, after the piezoelectric block 53 is formed, that is, after the first electrode 51 and the second electrode 52 are formed on the piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric block 53 is diced for weighting.

  Therefore, it is not necessary to bond the first electrode 51 on the non-conductive resin material in the manufacturing process of the ultrasonic probe 10, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the adhesion strength of the first electrode 51 to the piezoelectric material. . As a result, the reliability of the ultrasonic probe 10 is improved.

  By the way, since the ground electrode 23a is separated for each cut end 27 of the piezoelectric element 15 by such a configuration, it is difficult to connect the ground electrode 23a and the ground wiring 31a by the conventional connection method.

  However, in the present embodiment, the first acoustic matching layer 18 is formed of a conductive material so that the ground electrode 23a is shared, and the ground electrode 23a and the ground wiring 31a are interposed via the first acoustic matching layer 18. Is connected.

  Therefore, since the connection structure and arrangement structure of the ground wiring 31a are not complicated, the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 10 can be simplified and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  Here, the sound field with respect to the lens direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the present embodiment will be seen.

  FIG. 6 is a distribution diagram showing a transmission sound pressure distribution by the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a distribution diagram showing a transmission sound pressure distribution by a conventional ultrasonic probe. In these drawings, the horizontal axis represents the distance to the axial center direction of the ultrasonic probe 10 measured from the acoustic lens 22, the vertical axis represents the distance to the lens direction measured from the axial center line of the ultrasonic probe 10, and Indicates an equal sound pressure line (the relationship between the sound pressures is a> b> c> d> e).

  Comparing FIG. 6 and FIG. 13, by using this ultrasonic probe 10, it can be confirmed that the equal sound pressure lines A to E are close to the axial center line side of the ultrasonic probe 10. In particular, it can be seen that the isosonic pressure lines located away from the axial center line of the ultrasonic probe 10 such as the isosonic pressure lines D and E are closer to the axial line side of the ultrasonic probe 10. This indicates that the side lobe of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 with respect to the lens direction is reduced.

  Furthermore, by using this ultrasonic probe 10, it can be confirmed that each of the equal sound pressure lines A to E is a smooth curve. This indicates that the sound field in the lens direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 is made uniform.

  From the above results, the side lobe of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 in the lens direction can be reduced even when the groove is formed only up to the middle part of the piezoelectric body block 53 as in the present embodiment. At the same time, it was confirmed that the sound field in the lens direction can be made uniform.

  In addition, it can be seen that in the vicinity of the ultrasonic probe 10, the isosonic pressure lines are much closer to the axial line side of the ultrasonic probe 10 than in the conventional case. This indicates that the resolution of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 has increased.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure and effect | action similar to 1st Embodiment here.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the ultrasonic probe 10A according to the second embodiment of the present invention cut along the lens direction. As shown in FIG. 7, in the ultrasonic probe 10 </ b> A according to the present embodiment, a plurality of groove portions 20 are formed on the lower end surface of the piezoelectric element 15.

  Even with this configuration, the same effects as in the first embodiment, that is, simplification of the manufacturing process, improvement of reliability, reduction of side lobes with respect to the ultrasonic lens direction, and uniformization of the sound field with respect to the ultrasonic lens direction , And an improvement in the resolution of ultrasonic waves can be obtained.

  Furthermore, since the ground electrode 23a is not divided in this configuration, the first acoustic matching layer 18 does not need to be made of a conductive material. Therefore, the material selection range of the first acoustic matching layer 18 can be expanded.

  In this configuration, the signal electrode 23 b is divided into a plurality of parts, but these signal electrodes 23 b are electrically shared by the signal wiring 31 b of the flexible printed wiring board 31. That is, in the present embodiment, the signal wiring 31b functions as a conductive member in the present invention.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted here about the same structure and effect | action as 1st, 2nd embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a piezoelectric element 15A according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, nothing is filled in the groove 20A of the piezoelectric element 15A according to the present embodiment. In this way, by filling nothing in the groove 20A, it is possible to prevent the ultrasonic wave propagating in the piezoelectric element 15 from causing acoustic crosstalk in the piezoelectric element 15.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted here about the structure and effect | action similar to 1st-3rd embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a piezoelectric element 15B according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the groove portion 20B of the piezoelectric element 15B according to the present embodiment has a bottom surface 26a (bottom portion) that is rounded, and the bottom surface 26a and the side surface 26b are smoothly connected. As described above, the bottom surface 26a is rounded and the bottom surface 26a and the side surface 26b of the groove 20B are smoothly connected, so that the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the non-conductive resin material and the piezoelectric element 15 and the impact from the outside. It is possible to increase the mechanical strength against cracks caused by the above.

  In the present embodiment, the bottom surface 26a of the groove 20B is rounded. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the bottom surface 26a and the side surface 26b are smoothly connected, most of the bottom surface 26a is flat. There may be.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted here about the same structure and effect | action as 1st-4th embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a piezoelectric element 15C according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the groove portions 20C of the piezoelectric element 15C according to the present embodiment are formed at a constant pitch interval with respect to the lens direction and gradually deeper toward both sides of the lens direction. Note that the depth of the groove 20C is determined based on the function value of the sine function S.

  By the way, the intensity of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the piezoelectric element 15 tends to be weakened in the vicinity of the groove 20C. Therefore, the side lobe of the sound field in the lens direction can also be reduced by making the groove 20C deeper as it goes to both sides in the lens direction as in this embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the depth of the groove 20C with respect to the lens direction is determined based on the function value of the sine function S. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, Gaussian or the like may be used.

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure and effect | action similar to 1st-5th embodiment here.

  FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a piezoelectric element 15D according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the groove 20D of the piezoelectric element 15D according to the present embodiment is formed to face each other on both the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the piezoelectric element 15D. Thus, by forming the groove 20D in both the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the piezoelectric element 15D, acoustic crosstalk in the piezoelectric element 15 can be further suppressed.

  In addition, since the shape of the piezoelectric element 15 is an object with respect to the vertical center line, even if the thermal expansion coefficient between the piezoelectric element 15 and the non-conductive resin material is different, the difference in the piezoelectric element 15 The warp that occurs can be suppressed.

  Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, description is abbreviate | omitted here about the structure and effect | action similar to 1st-6th embodiment.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes the ultrasonic probe 10, a transmission / reception unit 110, an image processing unit 120 (image generation device), a display unit 130, a control unit 140, and an operation unit 150. Yes.

  The transmission / reception unit 110 outputs a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 10 and inputs a reception signal corresponding to the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic probe 10. The image processing unit 120 receives a reception signal from the transmission / reception unit 110 and configures an image based on the reception signal. The display unit 130 receives an image signal from the image processing unit 120 and displays an image based on the image signal. The control unit 140 receives operation information from the operation unit 150 and controls the transmission / reception unit 110, the image processing unit 120, and the display unit 130 based on the operation information.

  When the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the above-described configuration is used, a medical worker holds the ultrasonic probe 10 and applies the acoustic lens 22 provided at the distal end portion thereof to the examination site of the subject h (subject). And while transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the subject h from the ultrasonic probe 10, the ultrasonic wave reflected in the inside of the subject h is received, and the internal structure of the subject h is displayed on the display unit based on the ultrasonic wave. 130. Then, the patient h is diagnosed while viewing the image displayed on the display unit 130.

  According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the above-described configuration, the ultrasonic probe 10 with reduced side lobes in the slice direction is used. Therefore, since a clear internal image of the body of the subject h can be obtained, a more precise diagnosis can be performed as compared with the case where a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used.

  In this embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment is applied to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ultrasonic waves according to the second to sixth embodiments. A probe may be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

  That is, in the said embodiment, although the acoustic matching layer 17 is comprised by the 1st acoustic matching layer 18 and the 2nd acoustic matching layer 19, it is not limited to this, For example, a 1st acoustic matching layer You may comprise only 18 layers.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which cuts and shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on the embodiment along a lens direction. Sectional drawing which cut | disconnects and shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on the embodiment along an array direction. Schematic which shows the sine function which determines the pitch space | interval of the groove part which concerns on the embodiment. Schematic which shows the manufacturing process of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on the embodiment. The distribution map which shows the transmission sound pressure distribution by the ultrasonic probe which concerns on the same embodiment. Sectional drawing which cuts and shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention along a lens direction. Sectional drawing which shows the piezoelectric element which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the piezoelectric element which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the piezoelectric element which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the piezoelectric element which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. Schematic which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device which concerns on 7th Embodiment of this invention. The distribution diagram which shows the transmission sound pressure distribution by the conventional ultrasonic probe.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Ultrasonic probe, 10A ... Ultrasonic probe, 15 ... Piezoelectric element, 18 ... 1st acoustic matching layer (conductive member), 20 ... Groove part (groove), 23a ... Ground electrode (electrode), 23b ... Signal electrode (Electrode), 26a ... bottom face (bottom part), 120 ... image processing part (image generation device), S ... sine function, h ... subject (object).

Claims (8)

A piezoelectric element that is arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the first direction and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
Each of the piezoelectric elements has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to the first direction and do not penetrate through at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of the piezoelectric elements. The ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received by weighting the third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction according to the shape or arrangement of each of the plurality of grooves, and the piezoelectric elements. An ultrasonic probe, wherein a conductive member is joined along the third direction to an end face having a groove. Piezoelectric elements that are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the first direction and that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction;
An electrode joined to two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of each piezoelectric element;
Each of the piezoelectric elements weights at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction with respect to the first direction and the third direction orthogonal to the second direction. A plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave,
Of the two end faces of each of the piezoelectric elements, the electrode joined to the end face having the plurality of grooves is divided into a plurality by the plurality of grooves, and the plurality of divided electrodes are connected by a conductive member. An ultrasonic probe characterized by that.   The said some groove | channel is formed in the substantially same depth, and is arranged in the space | interval which becomes small gradually as it goes to the both sides of the said 3rd direction. Ultrasonic probe.   3. The plurality of grooves are formed at substantially the same interval with respect to the third direction, and the depth gradually increases toward both sides of the third direction. The ultrasonic probe according to 1.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein each groove has a round bottom.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is bonded to the electrode with a nonconductive adhesive filled in the plurality of grooves. An ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the subject, and an image generation device that generates an ultrasonic image of the subject based on the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic probe,
The ultrasonic probe is
A piezoelectric element that is arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the first direction and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction;
Each of the piezoelectric elements has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to the first direction and do not penetrate through at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of the piezoelectric elements. The ultrasonic waves are transmitted / received by weighting the third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction according to the shape or arrangement of each of the plurality of grooves, and the piezoelectric elements. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein a conductive member is joined to an end face having a groove along the third direction. An ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the subject, and an image generation device that generates an ultrasonic image of the subject based on the ultrasonic waves received by the ultrasonic probe,
The ultrasonic probe is
Piezoelectric elements that are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the first direction and that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction;
An electrode bonded to two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of each piezoelectric element;
Each of the piezoelectric elements weights at least one of the two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction with respect to the first direction and the third direction orthogonal to the second direction. A plurality of grooves parallel to the first direction for transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave,
Of the two end faces of each of the piezoelectric elements, the electrode joined to the end face having the plurality of grooves is divided into a plurality by the plurality of grooves, and the plurality of divided electrodes are connected by a conductive member. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

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