Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnosing system using ultrasonic probe

A method for making an vibrator member of an ultrasonic probe, the vibrator member comprised of a plurality of member elements each having opposing front and back surfaces and arranged in a matrix and spaced by spacer segments, a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the front surfaces of the member elements to form a first array of parallel rows of electrically interconnected member elements, a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the back surfaces of the member elements to form a second array of electrically interconnected member elements, the directions of the first and second arrays being mutually orthogonal, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) arranging the member elements into the matrix;
• b) forming a high molecular weight material in the volume space between adjacent member elements;
• c) forming first and second electrode sheets covering the front and back surfaces respectively of the arranged member elements;
• d) removing both the portion of the first electrode sheet covering the high molecular weight material between the intended rows of the first array to form the first electrodes, and a portion of the high molecular weight material between the first electrodes, the removed high molecular weight material portion extending to a depth less than the thickness of the member elements, thereby forming the spacer segments between the rows of the first array;
• and
• e) repeating step d) but for the second electrode sheet to form the second electrodes and the spacer segments between the rows of the second array.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a vibrator member comprising a plurality of spaced member elements of a piezoelectric material arranged in a matrix, each of said elements having front and back opposing surfaces;
• first electrode means disposed on the front surfaces of said spaced member elements;
• second electrode means disposed on the back surfaces of said spaced member elements;
• a plurality of spacer segments disposed between adjacent ones of said spaced member elements, said segments being formed o a high molecular weight material having an acoustic impedance less than that of the piezoelectric material;
• each of said first and second electrode means including a plurality of strip electrodes electrically interconnecting respective member elements in an array of parallel rows, the direction of the row array defined by said electrodes of said first electrode means being orthogonal to the row array direction defined by said electrodes of said second electrode means, wherein the thickness of said spacer segments in the front-back direction is between about 1/10-1/2 that of said spaced member elements, and further wherein those of said spacer segments disposed between member elements interconnected by said first electrode means are positioned adjacent the front surfaces of the respective member elements and those of said spacer segments disposed between member elements interconnected by said second electrode means are positioned adjacent the back surfaces of the respective member elements.