# US 10,368,839 B2 · Unit ultrasonic wave probe, ultrasonic wave probe module having same, and ultrasonic wave probe device having same

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- Number: US 10,368,839 B2
- Document ID: US10368839B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/784,921
- Filed: 2014-04-02
- Published: 2016-03-03
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-09
- Assignees: Humanscan Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Humanscan Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wonseop Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368839B2

## CPC

- A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements}
- A61B 8/0866: {involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby}
- A61B 8/4477: {using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes}
- B06B 1/064: {with multiple active layers}
- G01N 29/226: {Handheld or portable devices}
- G01N 29/2437: {Piezoelectric probes}
- G01N 2291/02475: Tissue characterisation
- G01N 2291/106: one or more transducer arrays
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a unit ultrasonic wave probe, an ultrasonic wave probe module, and an ultrasonic wave probe device. The unit ultrasonic probe according to the present invention includes: a rear block part; a flexible substrate part arranged on the top of the rear block part; and a piezoelectric wafer arranged on the top of and electrically connected with the flexible substrate part, the wafer being formed to have a smaller size than the rear block part, so that even if increasing the number of piezoelectric wafers transversely, the number of channels is increased by depositing the unit ultrasonic wave probe including the piezoelectric wafer, thus preventing the cost from geometrically increasing because of the structure of the flexible substrate becoming complex.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasonic probe module comprising:
a first unit ultrasonic probe having
a first flexible substrate forming a first wiring pattern,
a first piezoelectric wafer disposed on one side of an upper surface of the first flexible substrate, and electrically connected with the first flexible substrate, and
a first block disposed on a lower surface of the first flexible substrate; and
a second unit ultrasonic probe having
a second flexible substrate forming a second wiring pattern,
a second piezoelectric wafer disposed on an upper surface of the second flexible substrate, and electrically connected with the second flexible substrate, and
a second block disposed on a lower surface of the second flexible substrate and stacked on other side of the first flexible substrate,
wherein the first piezoelectric wafer and the second block are formed in the same thickness, and
wherein the second block and the first piezoelectric wafer are spaced apart from each other between the first and second flexible substrates.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic probe module of claim 1, wherein
a size of the second block is smaller than that of the first block,
the first and second piezoelectric wafers are formed in the same size, and
the first and second piezoelectric wafers are disposed on the first and second flexible substrate, respectively, without overlap each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic probe module of claim 1, wherein one ends of the first and second flexible substrates extend beyond the first and second block, respectively, and are bent.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic probe module of claim 1, wherein a size of the first piezoelectric wafer is bigger than or equal to a size of the second piezoelectric wafer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic probe module of claim 1, wherein
the second flexible substrate overlaps a part of the first piezoelectric wafer, and
the second flexible substrate is in electrical connection with the first piezoelectric wafer.

### Claim 6

An ultrasonic probe device comprising:
a first plurality of ultrasonic probes formed by stacking from a lowest ultrasonic probe among the first plurality of ultrasonic probes, each ultrasonic probe of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes comprising:
a first flexible substrate having a wiring pattern thereon,
a first piezoelectric wafer disposed on one side of an upper surface of the first flexible substrate, and electrically connected with the first flexible substrate, and
a first block disposed on a lower surface of the first flexible substrate, wherein each first block of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes is stacked on an upper surface of a lower first flexible substrate of a lower ultrasonic probe disposed under the each block, except a first block of the lowest ultrasonic probe among the first plurality of ultrasonic probes; and
a second plurality of ultrasonic probes formed by stacking from a lowest ultrasonic probe among the second plurality of ultrasonic probes, each ultrasonic probe of the second plurality of ultrasonic probes comprising:
a second flexible substrate having a wiring pattern thereon,
a second piezoelectric wafer disposed on one side of an upper surface of the second flexible substrate and electrically connected with the second flexible substrate, and
a second block disposed on a lower surface of the second flexible substrate, wherein each second block of the second plurality of ultrasonic probes is stacked on an upper surface of an adjacent second flexible substrate of an adjacent ultrasonic probe disposed under the each second block, except a second block of the lowest ultrasonic probe among the second plurality of ultrasonic probes,
wherein one end of stacked first blocks of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes is formed in a staircase shape and other end, opposite the one end, of the stacked first blocks are aligned,
wherein one end of stacked second blocks of the second plurality of ultrasonic probes is formed in a staircase shape and other end, opposite the one end, of the stacked second blocks are aligned, and
wherein the first and second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed side by side each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The ultrasonic probe device of claim 6, wherein the one ends of the stacked first and second blocks of the first and second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed to face each other so that the first and second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed in symmetry.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The ultrasonic probe device of claim 6, wherein the other ends of the stacked first and second blocks of the first and second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed to face each other so that the first and second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed in symmetry.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The ultrasonic probe device of claim 6, wherein the one end of the stacked first blocks of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes and the other end of the stacked second blocks of the second plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed to face each other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The ultrasonic probe device of claim 6, wherein the first flexible substrate of the each ultrasonic probe of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes extends beyond the other end of the stacked first blocks of the first plurality of ultrasonic probes and is bent.