# US 2015/0087993 A1 · Ultrasound unit and ultrasound endoscope

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- Number: US 2015/0087993 A1
- Document ID: US20150087993A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/565,952
- Filed: 2014-12-10
- Published: 2015-03-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-11
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Ken SATO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150087993A1

## CPC

- A61B 1/005: Flexible endoscopes
- A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters
- A61B 8/445: {Details of catheter construction}
- A61B 8/4483: {characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer}
- A61B 8/4494: {characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements}
- B06B 1/0292: {Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type}
- H02N 1/08: with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines
- A61B 8/4455: {Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects}
- B06B 2201/20: Application to multi-element transducer
- 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)
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

An ultrasound unit includes a plurality of elements each including N cells, in each of which a bottom electrode and a top electrode that constitutes a membrane are arranged facing each other with a cavity therebetween, wherein the element has N1 first cells and N2 (where N1≠N2, N1+N2=N) second cells having higher reception sensitivity and lower transmission sensitivity than the first cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasound unit comprising
a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements each including N ultrasound transducer cells, in each of which a bottom electrode and a top electrode that constitutes a membrane are arranged facing each other with a cavity therebetween,
wherein the ultrasound transducer element has N1 first ultrasound transducer cells, and N2 (where N1≠N2, N1+N2=N) second ultrasound transducer cells having higher reception sensitivity and lower transmission sensitivity than the first ultrasound transducer cells.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound unit according to claim 1, wherein the top electrode of the first ultrasound transducer cell and the top electrode of the second ultrasound transducer cell are connected together, the bottom electrode of the first ultrasound transducer cell and the bottom electrode of the second ultrasound transducer cell are connected together, and the first ultrasound transducer cell and the second ultrasound transducer cell are used for transmission and reception.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The ultrasound unit according to claim 2, wherein the first ultrasound transducer cell has transmission sensitivity ST1 and reception sensitivity SR1, the second ultrasound transducer cell has transmission sensitivity ST2 (where ST1>ST2) and reception sensitivity SR2 (where SR1<SR2), and a following expression is satisfied:
0.9X≦N1≦1.1X
where
X
=
2


S
T


2

S
R


2
-
S
T


1

S
R


2
-
S
T


2

S
R


1
2

(
S
T


1
-
S
T


2
)

(
S
R


1
-
S
R


2
)

N
.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound unit according to claim 1, wherein the first ultrasound transducer cell is a transmit-only cell having an area A1, the second ultrasound transducer cell is a receive-only cell having an area A2 (where A1≠A2), and a following expression is satisfied:
0.9X≦N1≦1.1X
where
Y
=
A
2
A
1
+
A
2

N
.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The ultrasound unit according to claim 2, wherein the first ultrasound transducer cell has transmission sensitivity ST1, reception sensitivity SR1, and an area A1, the second ultrasound transducer cell has transmission sensitivity ST2 (where ST1>ST2), reception sensitivity SR2 (where SR1<SR2), and an area A2 (where A1≠A2), and a following expression is satisfied:
0.9Z≦N1≦1.1Z,
where
Z
=
2


S
T


2

S
R


2

A
1
-
(
S
T


1

S
R


2
+
S
T


2

S
R


1
)

A
2
2

S
T


1

S
R


1

A
2
+
2


S
T


2

S
R


2

A
1
-
(
S
T


1

S
R


2
+
S
T


2

S
R


1
)

(
A
1
+
A
2
)

N
.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An ultrasound endoscope comprising a distal end portion having the ultrasound unit according to claim 1.