Acoustic element integrated circuit, probe, and diagnosis device

A probe comprising:

• an acoustic element integrated circuit including a plurality of cells, being arrayed two-dimensionally on a same curved surface, wherein capacitive acoustic-elements having vibration membranes are allocated in unit number in each of the cells, each of the cells comprising an intra-cell circuit including:
• an exciting circuit configured to drive collectively portions by a set of the unit number, each of the portions having a transmitting function of each of the capacitive acoustic-elements, and
• a reception circuit configured to process collectively received signals transferred from portions by a set of the unit number, each of the portions having a reception function in each of the capacitive acoustic-elements;
• and
• a probe enclosure for accommodating the capacitive acoustic-elements integrated circuit,
• wherein the exciting circuits are sorted into a chip in which high-voltage drivers for exciting the vibration membranes are merged and a chip in which circuits operated at voltages lower than the high-voltage drivers are merged, and the plurality of the cells are operated two-dimensionally, by individually controlling the intra-cell circuits so that the plurality of cells can be driven independently from each other.

A diagnosis device comprising:

• an acoustic element integrated circuit including a plurality of cells, being arrayed two-dimensionally on a same curved surface, wherein capacitive acoustic-elements having vibration membranes are allocated in unit number in each of the cells, each of the cells comprising an intra-cell circuit including:
• an exciting circuit configured to drive collectively portions by a set of the unit number, each of the portions having a transmitting function of each of the capacitive acoustic-elements, and
• a reception circuit configured to process collectively received signals transferred from portions by a set of the unit number, each of the portions having a reception function in each of the capacitive acoustic-elements;
• a transmission/reception controller for operating the plurality of cells independently from each other, as a common circuit for the plurality of cells;
• and
• a display for displaying an image based upon signals transferred from the transmission/reception controller, and
• wherein the exciting circuits are sorted into a chip in which high-voltage drivers for exciting the vibration membranes are merged and a chip in which circuits operated at voltages lower than the high-voltage drivers are merged, and the plurality of the cells are operated two-dimensionally, by individually controlling the intra-cell circuits so that the plurality of cells can be driven independently from each other.