Ultrasound probe
AssigneeKonica Minolta, Inc.
InventorMorio Nishigaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An sound probe includes an array of transducer elements with a plurality of transducer elements arranged in a first direction and which makes an interconversion between an electric pulse and an ultrasonic wave; an acoustic lens with a convex surface in a transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave on a cross section that is parallel to the first direction and the transmission direction and which converges the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements; and at least two acoustic adjustment layers made of a material that has a different sound velocity from the acoustic lens and arranged between at least two of the transducer elements. At least one of the material and a thickness of each of the at least two acoustic adjustment layers in the transmission direction are different from each other.
Claims12
An ultrasound probe comprising:
- an array of transducer elements in which a plurality of transducer elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a first direction corresponding to an elevation direction and in a second direction corresponding to an azimuth direction that is different from the first direction, wherein the array of transducer elements makes an interconversion between an electric pulse and an ultrasonic wave;
- an acoustic lens which has a convex surface in a transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave on a cross section that is parallel to the first direction and the transmission direction and which converges ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements;
- at least two acoustic adjustment layers which are made of a material that has a different sound velocity from the acoustic lens, which are respectively arranged between at least two of the transducer elements of a row of the transducer elements that are arranged in the first direction and the acoustic lens, and of which at least one of the material and a thickness of each of the at least two acoustic adjustment layers in the transmission direction are different from each other, wherein both end surfaces in the first direction of each of the acoustic adjustment layers are arranged so as to substantially coincide with both end surfaces in the first direction of respective transducer elements, and no acoustic adjustment layer is arranged between at least one of the transducer elements of the row of transducer elements and the acoustic lens;
- and
- an acoustic matching layer through which the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements pass.
An ultrasound probe comprising:
- an array of transducer elements in which a plurality of transducer elements are arranged two-dimensionally in a first direction corresponding to an elevation direction and in a second direction corresponding to the azimuth direction that is different from the first direction, wherein the array of transducer elements makes an interconversion between an electric pulse and an ultrasonic wave;
- an acoustic lens which has a convex surface in a transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave on a cross section that is parallel to the first direction and the transmission direction and which converges ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements;
- an acoustic adjustment layer which is made of a material that has a different sound velocity from the acoustic lens and which is arranged between one of the transducer elements of a row of the transducer elements arranged in the first direction and the acoustic lens, wherein both end surfaces in the first direction of the acoustic adjustment layer are arranged so as to substantially coincide with both end surfaces in the first direction of the one of the transducer elements, and no acoustic adjustment layer is arranged between at least some of the transducer elements of the row of transducer elements and the acoustic lens;
- and
- an acoustic matching layer through which the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the plurality of transducer elements pass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.