Ultrasonic transducer inspection device and inspection method

An ultrasonic transducer inspection apparatus, comprising:

• a transducer controlling device configured to control a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged along a bowl-shaped surface;
• a probe driving device configured to rotate an ultrasound probe positioned at a center axis of the bowl-shaped surface around the center axis;
• a data acquiring device configured to acquire ultrasound data using the ultrasound probe;
• and
• a controller configured to control the transducer controlling device, the probe driving device, and the data acquiring device,
• wherein the controller
• controls the transducer controlling device to transmit an ultrasound wave from the ultrasonic transducer positioned at a pair of segmented surfaces opposed to each other across the center axis, the pair of segmented surfaces being contained in a plurality of segmented surfaces obtained by segmenting the bowl-shaped surface at a plurality of cutting planes containing the center axis;
• and
• performs a selection and observation process which comprises
• selecting the pair of segmented surfaces from a plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces opposed to each other across the center axis,
• controlling the transducer controlling device to transmit an ultrasound wave from the ultrasound transducer positioned at the pair of segmented surfaces selected from the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces,
• controlling the probe driving device to set the ultrasound probe in a state of scanning an ultrasound beam in an observation plane passing through the pair of segmented surfaces selected from the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, and
• controlling the data acquiring device to acquire the ultrasound data on the observation plane where the ultrasound beam is scanned, the selection and observation process being performed on each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces,
• wherein the controller
• performs, on each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, a process to find, based on the ultrasound data, an ultrasound intensity at a treatment datum point defined for the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
• and
• determines, based on the ultrasound intensity found for the each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, states of the ultrasonic transducers which are respectively associated with the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces.

An ultrasonic transducer inspection apparatus, comprising:

• a transducer controlling device configured to control a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged along a bowl-shaped surface;
• a probe driving device configured to rotate an ultrasound probe positioned at a center axis of the bowl-shaped surface around the center axis;
• a data acquiring device configured to acquire ultrasound data using the ultrasound probe;
• and
• a controller configured to control the transducer controlling device, the probe driving device, and the data acquiring device,
• wherein the controller
• controls the transducer controlling device to transmit an ultrasound wave from the ultrasonic transducer positioned at a pair of segmented surfaces opposed to each other across the center axis, the pair of segmented surfaces being contained in a plurality of segmented surfaces obtained by segmenting the bowl-shaped surface at a plurality of cutting planes containing the center axis;
• and
• performs a selection and observation process which comprises
• selecting the pair of segmented surfaces from a plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces opposed to each other across the center axis,
• controlling the transducer controlling device to transmit an ultrasound wave from the ultrasound transducer positioned at the pair of segmented surfaces selected from the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces,
• controlling the probe driving device to set the ultrasound probe in a state of scanning an ultrasound beam in an observation plane passing through the pair of segmented surfaces selected from the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, and
• controlling the data acquiring device to acquire the ultrasound data on the observation plane where the ultrasound beam is scanned, the selection and observation process being performed on each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces,
• wherein the controller
• performs, on each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, a process to find, based on the ultrasound data, an ultrasound intensity at a treatment datum point defined for the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
• and
• determines, based on a comparison between a reference value and the ultrasound intensity found for the each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, states of the ultrasonic transducers which are respectively associated with the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces.

An inspection method for inspecting a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged along a bowl-shaped surface, the inspection method comprising:

• selecting a pair of segmented surfaces from a plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces obtained by segmenting the bowl-shaped surface at a plurality of cutting planes containing a center axis of the bowl-shaped surface, the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces being opposed to each other across the center axis;
• transmitting an ultrasound wave from the ultrasonic transducers positioned at the selected pair of segmented surfaces;
• setting an ultrasound probe in a state of scanning an ultrasound beam in an observation plane passing through the selected pair of segmented surfaces;
• performing, on each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, a selection and observation process to acquire ultrasound data on the observation plane where the ultrasound beam is scanned;
• and
• determining, based on the ultrasound data acquired for the each of the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces, states of the ultrasonic transducers which are respectively associated with the plurality of pairs of segmented surfaces.