Ultrasound probe with heat transfer structure
AssigneeFUJIFILM Corporation
InventorsTakayuki Iwashita, Hiroshi Hattori, Tomohiro Shiraishi, Hidetsugu Katsura, Wataru Sawada, Sachio Shimada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Behind an electronic circuit, a main backing is provided. The main backing has two outer surfaces (high thermal conductivity surfaces) perpendicular to a Y direction, and two outer surfaces (low thermal conductivity surfaces) perpendicular to an X direction. The two outer surfaces perpendicular to the Y direction are joined to a shell head, which is a heat absorbing member. A temperature sensor is provided on a specific one of the outer surfaces perpendicular to the Y direction. The shell head has a recess in which the temperature sensor is received.
Claims5
An ultrasound probe, comprising:
- a transducer array;
- an electronic circuit provided behind the transducer array and electrically connected to the transducer array;
- and
- a backing provided behind the electronic circuit and configured to attenuate ultrasound waves from the transducer array, wherein
- assuming that a direction in which the transducer array, the electronic circuit, and the backing are arranged is defined as a Z direction, a direction perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as an X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is defined as a Y direction,
- in the backing, both of Z-direction thermal conductivity and Y-direction thermal conductivity are higher than X-direction thermal conductivity,
- the backing has two outer surfaces intersecting the Y direction, and
- a temperature sensor is arranged on at least one of the two outer surfaces intersecting the Y direction.
An ultrasound probe, comprising:
- a transducer array;
- an electronic circuit provided behind the transducer array and electrically connected to the transducer array;
- and
- a backing provided behind the electronic circuit and configured to attenuate ultrasound waves from the transducer array,
- wherein assuming that a direction in which the transducer array, the electronic circuit, and the backing are arranged is defined as a Z direction, a direction perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as an X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is defined as a Y direction,
- in the backing, both of Z-direction thermal conductivity and Y-direction thermal conductivity are higher than X-direction thermal conductivity,
- the backing has two outer surfaces intersecting the Y direction, and
- a temperature sensor is arranged on at least one of the two outer surfaces intersecting the Y direction, and
- wherein the backing is a main backing,
- an auxiliary backing is provided between the electronic circuit and the main backing,
- in the auxiliary backing, both of Z-direction thermal conductivity and X-direction thermal conductivity are higher than Y-direction thermal conductivity,
- heat that has diffused in the X direction in the auxiliary backing is transferred to a heat absorbing member via the main backing, and
- the temperature sensor detects a temperature of an interface between the main backing and the heat absorbing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.