Ultrasonic probe

An ultrasonic probe comprising

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a first acoustic matching layer;
• a second acoustic matching layer having an acoustic impedance;
• a high molecular weight material layer between said first acoustic matching layer and said second acoustic matching layer, said high molecular weight material layer having an acoustic impedance that is substantially equal to said acoustic impedance of said second acoustic matching layer;
• and
• a conductive layer electrically connected to said first acoustic matching layer and positioned between said first acoustic matching layer and said second acoustic matching layer.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• an acoustic matching layer having an acoustic impedance,
• a high molecular weight material layer between said first electrode and said acoustic matching layer, said high molecular weight material layer having an acoustic impedance that is substantially equal to said acoustic impedance of said acoustic matching layer;
• a first conductive layer electrically connected to said first electrode and positioned between said first electrode and said acoustic matching layer;
• and
• a second conductive layer positioned between said first electrode and said acoustic matching layer.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first face and a second face;
• a backing material on said second face of said piezoelectric element;
• a first acoustic matching layer on said first face of said piezoelectric element, said first acoustic matching layer having an acoustic impedance;
• a second acoustic matching layer having an acoustic impedance;
• a high molecular weight material layer between said first acoustic matching layer and said second acoustic matching layer, said high molecular weight material layer having an acoustic impedance that is
• (i) between said acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer and said acoustic impedance of said second acoustic matching layer,
• (ii) substantially equal to said acoustic impedance of said second acoustic matching layer, or
• (iii) substantially equal to said acoustic impedance of said first acoustic matching layer;
• and
• a conductive layer between said first acoustic matching layer and said second acoustic matching layer.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• and
• a signal electrical terminal between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element, said signal electrical terminal including an insulator facing said backing material and a conductive material facing said second electrode, with said conductive material being electrically connected to said piezoelectric element,
• wherein said insulator has a thickness of at most {fraction (1/25)} of a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted by the ultrasonic probe.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a first signal electrical terminal between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element, said first signal electrical terminal including an insulator facing said backing material and a conductive material facing said second electrode, with said conductive material being electrically connected to said piezoelectric element;
• and
• a second signal electrical terminal on a lateral side of said backing material said second signal electrical terminal including an insulator and a conductive material, with said conductive material of said second signal electrical terminal being electrically connected to said conductive material of said first signal electrical terminal,
• where said insulator of said first signal electrical terminal has a thickness of at most {fraction (1/25)} of a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted by the ultrasonic probe.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a positive electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a ground electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• and
• a conductive layer at least partially overlapping at least one of said positive electrode and said ground electrode, said conductive layer having a thickness at least in an acoustic effective area that is less than a thickness of said conductive layer outside of the acoustic effective area.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a positive electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a ground electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• an acoustic matching layer on said ground electrode;
• a base material layer over said acoustic matching layer;
• and
• a conductive layer on said base material layer, said conductive layer having a thickness at least in an acoustic effective area that is less than a thickness of said conductive layer outside of the acoustic effective area.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a conductive acoustic matching layer contacting and being electrically connected to said first electrode;
• an insulating layer on side of said piezoelectric element and between an end portion of said conductive acoustic matching layer and an end portion of said backing material, said insulating layer being made of a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, acrylic resin, plastic, epoxy resin, cyanoacrylate and urethane resin;
• and
• a flexible conductive film on a side portion of said backing material,
• wherein said end portion of said conductive acoustic matching layer is electrically connected to said flexible conductive film and said first electrode extends to said flexible conductive film.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• a piezoelectric element having a first side and a second side;
• a first electrode on said first side of said piezoelectric element;
• a second electrode on said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a backing material positioned such that said said second electrode is located between said backing material and said second side of said piezoelectric element;
• a conductive acoustic matching layer contacting and being electrically connected to said first electrode;
• an acoustic matching layer on said conductive acoustic matching layer;
• an insulating layer on a side of said piezoelectric element and between an end portion of said conductive acoustic matching layer and an end portion of said backing material, said insulating layer being made of a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, acrylic resin, plastic, epoxy resin, cyanoactylate and urethane resin;
• and
• a flexible conductive film on a side portion of said backing material,
• wherein said end portion of said conductive acoustic matching layer is electrically connected to said flexible conductive film and said first electrode extends to said flexible conductive film.