JP2011083363A - Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonograph - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe which can be continuously used even in a high temperature environment, is small in size and is easy to operate and an ultrasonograph with the ultrasonic probe. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe includes a vibrator section transmitting ultrasonic waves into the interior of a subject and receiving reflected waves, a wireless communication portion wirelessly communicating signals relating to the transmission of the vibrator section or signals relating to the reception with the outside, and a housing storing at least the vibrator section and the wireless communication section. The probe also has cooling means structured as a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the housing and to cool the interior of the housing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  In the ultrasonic diagnosis, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted into the subject, and a diagnostic image such as a tomographic image in the subject is generated based on the reflected wave reflected in the subject. Ultrasonic wave transmission / reception with respect to the subject is performed through an ultrasonic probe.

  The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements having a piezoelectric effect that reversibly converts current and sound waves, applies a drive signal to each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, generates an ultrasonic wave, and reflects inside the subject. The received reflected wave is received to generate a received signal.

  In a conventional ultrasonic probe, a cable in which signal lines are bundled is used to transmit a drive signal and a received signal to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Since it is necessary to transmit drive signals and reception signals according to the number of piezoelectric elements of the ultrasonic probe, a thick cable in which many signal lines are bundled is necessary. For this reason, the operability of the cable is poor and there is a possibility that it becomes an obstacle to diagnosis or the probability of failure due to disconnection of the signal line is increased.

  In order to solve such problems, there is a technology in which an ultrasonic probe includes a battery and a wireless communication unit, power is supplied by the battery, and signals are transmitted to and received from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body by the wireless communication unit, thereby eliminating the need for a cable. It is disclosed (for example, see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

  On the other hand, when such a piezoelectric element is operated, heat is generated, which causes a problem that the temperature rises during use of the ultrasonic probe.

  In order to solve such problems, various methods for cooling an ultrasonic transducer (piezoelectric element) have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 4, 5, and 6).

  Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is called a harmonic imaging (HI) method in which a harmonic component generated by nonlinear propagation of an ultrasonic wave is extracted, and an ultrasonic image is generated and displayed based on the harmonic component. Have been used (see, for example, Patent Document 7).

JP 2003-10177 A JP 2002-85405 A JP 2009-95578 A JP 2006-198413 A JP 2008-86362 A JP 2008-79700 A Japanese Patent No. 4116143

  However, the wireless ultrasonic probes disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 increase the internal temperature of the ultrasonic probe due to the heat generated by the battery and the circuit. There is a problem that the temperature range is exceeded and the device becomes unusable.

  In recent years, in order to efficiently acquire the harmonic components used in the harmonic imaging (HI) method, the transmitting piezoelectric element and the receiving piezoelectric element are separated, and the operations at the time of ultrasonic transmission and reception are separated. An ultrasonic probe including an array type ultrasonic probe is used. Such an array-type ultrasonic probe generates a large amount of heat.

  Therefore, when an array type ultrasonic probe is used for the wireless ultrasonic probes disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, the internal temperature rises further, and the ambient temperature at which the ultrasonic probe is used is normal. However, it is necessary to cool the ultrasonic probe.

  However, the methods disclosed in Patent Documents 4, 5, and 6 absorb heat generated by an ultrasonic transducer (piezoelectric element) with a refrigerant and dissipate heat by a cooling device provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body. is there. Therefore, the absorbed refrigerant is circulated in the cable connecting the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body to cool the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body or for heat exchange provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. It needs to be moved to the connector and a thick cable is required. Such a thick cable has poor operability and may cause a failure in diagnosis or increase the probability of failure due to a broken signal line.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a small-sized and easy-to-operate ultrasonic probe that can be used continuously even in a high-temperature environment, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following characteristics.

1. A transducer unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to the inside of the subject and receives reflected waves; a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates signals related to transmission or reception of signals from the transducer unit; An ultrasonic probe comprising a vibrator unit and a housing that houses the wireless communication unit,
An ultrasonic probe comprising: a cooling unit configured to cool the inside of the casing configured as a cartridge detachable from the casing.

  2. 2. The ultrasonic probe according to 1 above, further comprising heat transfer means for transferring heat generated by components provided in the housing to the cooling means.

3. The cartridge is
3. The ultrasonic probe according to 1 or 2, wherein the ultrasonic probe is integrated with a battery that supplies electric power to the ultrasonic probe.

4). The cartridge is
Hold the cold storage agent inside,
4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the interior of the housing is cooled by mounting the cartridge in the housing after the cool storage agent is cooled in advance. Ultrasonic probe.

5). The cartridge is
Hold the coolant that causes endothermic reaction inside,
4. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inside of the casing is cooled by an endothermic reaction that occurs inside the cartridge attached to the casing.

6). In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave inside a subject, receive a reflected wave, and visualize the inside of the subject,
The ultrasonic probe according to 4;
A cartridge cooling section for cooling the cartridge;
A second wireless communication unit communicating wirelessly with the wireless communication unit;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

7). The cartridge is a cartridge in which a rechargeable secondary battery is integrally formed as the battery,
7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to 6 above, further comprising a charging unit that charges the secondary battery.

8). The cartridge cooling section is
With Peltier elements,
8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to item 6 or 7, wherein the cartridge is cooled by energizing the Peltier element.

  An ultrasonic probe of the present invention includes a vibrator unit that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, a wireless communication unit that communicates with the outside wirelessly, and a housing that houses at least the vibrator unit and the wireless communication unit. In addition, it has a cooling means for cooling the inside of the housing configured as a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the housing.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a small-sized ultrasonic probe that can be used continuously even in a high-temperature environment and has good operability, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the ultrasonic probe in embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure which attaches or detaches a cartridge with an ultrasonic probe. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of an ultrasound probe. It is sectional drawing of the heat pipe which cools an ultrasonic probe. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a detailed circuit block diagram of an ultrasonic probe. It is sectional drawing of the cartridge in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device in 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device in 2nd Embodiment. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a cooling mechanism provided in the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the heat pipe which cools a board | substrate.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the structure which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in each figure shows that it is the same structure, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 transmits ultrasonic waves (ultrasound signals) to a subject such as a living body (not shown) and reflects the reflected ultrasonic waves (echoes, ultrasonic signals) reflected by the received subject. The internal state in the subject is imaged as an ultrasound image and displayed on the monitor 10.

  The ultrasonic probe 2 transmits an ultrasonic wave (ultrasonic signal) from the acoustic lens 67 to the subject, and receives a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject. As indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic probe 2 wirelessly communicates a signal related to transmission or a signal related to reception with the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14.

  The input unit 13 includes a switch, a keyboard, and the like, and is provided for a user to input a command for instructing the start of diagnosis, to set a diagnosis mode, and to input data such as personal information of a subject.

  The monitor 10 is a display device composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and displays an imaged ultrasonic image.

  2 is a diagram showing an external configuration of the ultrasonic probe 2 in the embodiment, FIG. 3 is an external view showing an internal configuration with the lid 85b of the ultrasonic probe 2 removed, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heat pipe 87 for cooling the ultrasonic probe 1.

  First, an example of the configuration of the ultrasonic probe 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the appearance of the ultrasonic probe 2 includes a housing 85, an acoustic lens 67, an operation switch (not shown), and the like. The acoustic lens 67 is a part of the ultrasonic probe 1 that transmits ultrasonic waves (ultrasound signals) to the subject and receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves reflected by the subject.

  The casing 85 of the ultrasonic probe 2 includes a lid 85b and a casing portion 85a, and the lid 85b is configured to be detachable as shown in FIG.

  When the lid 85b is removed as shown in FIG. 3, a space for accommodating the cartridge 86 is provided in the housing 85a, and the cartridge 86 can be attached to and detached from the housing 85a.

  The cartridge 86 is the cooling means of the present invention. Since the cartridge 86 is configured to be detachable from the housing 85a, it can be easily replaced when the cooling capacity of the cartridge 86 deteriorates.

  The cartridge 86 has a high specific heat and retains therein a cold storage agent that requires a large amount of heat to rise in temperature or a coolant that causes an endothermic reaction.

  As the cold storage agent, for example, a mixture of sodium polyacrylate and water can be used. By mounting the cool storage agent in advance on the casing 85a, the inside of the casing 85 of the ultrasonic probe 2 can be cooled to suppress an increase in temperature.

  The temperature at which the cool storage agent is cooled in advance is preferably about 0 ° C. so that the circuit components inside the housing 85 do not condense.

  As the endothermic reaction, hydration of erythritol and water or hydration of calcium chloride or sodium nitrate and water can be used. For example, a bag filled with erythritol and a bag filled with water are arranged inside the cartridge 86, and when the cartridge 86 is attached to the housing 85, the two bags are torn by the pins provided inside the housing 85, It is good to comprise so that erythritol and water may be mixed. In this way, after the cartridge 86 is mounted on the housing 85, an endothermic reaction is started, and the inside of the housing 85 can be cooled for a predetermined time.

  On the substrate 88 attached to the lid 85b, circuit components that generate a large amount of heat, such as an amplifier and an IC for wireless communication, are mounted. The circuit components on the substrate 88 are cooled mainly by radiation by the cartridge 86 located at an opposite position when the lid 85b is attached to the housing portion 85a.

  Alternatively, when the lid 85b is attached to the housing portion 85a, the heat sink attached to the circuit component on the substrate 88 and the cartridge 86 may be in contact with each other to cool the circuit component by heat conduction.

  If it does in this way, since it can cool so that it may not exceed the operating temperature range of each circuit component of an ultrasonic probe by simple composition, continuous use can be enabled also in a high temperature environment.

  In the heat pipe 87, the refrigerant 104 is sealed in a pipe made of a metal such as copper or aluminum, or another material having good thermal conductivity. The heat pipe 87 is disposed in a closed loop between the heat generating part in the housing 85 and the vicinity of the cartridge 86, and the refrigerant 104 in the heat pipe 87 is circulated to transmit heat to the cartridge 86, thereby generating the heat generating part. It is comprised so that the temperature of may be reduced.

  As the refrigerant 104, for example, a volatile liquid having a high specific heat and a low viscosity such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, alcohol, and alternative chlorofluorocarbons (hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons) can be used.

  One end of the closed-loop heat pipe 87 is disposed at a position adjacent to the cartridge 86 attached to the housing 85 as shown in FIG. 3, and the other end is used for ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic probe as shown in FIGS. It arrange | positions so that the child 1 may be enclosed.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the ultrasonic probe 1 used for the ultrasonic probe 2, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heat pipe 87 that cools the ultrasonic probe 1.

  In the following description, description will be made based on the coordinate axes indicated by X, Y, and Z in the drawing. The X direction is the elevation direction (the dicing direction), and the Z-axis positive direction is the direction in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted. The Z-axis direction is the stacking direction.

  The ultrasonic probe 1 shown in FIG. 4 includes a fourth electrode 75, an inorganic piezoelectric film 62, a third electrode 74, an intermediate layer 73, a second electrode 70, an organic piezoelectric film 63, and a first electrode on a backing material 65. 69, the matching layer 66, and the acoustic lens 67 are laminated in this order.

  The matching layer 66 to the fourth electrode 75 are diced in the X direction, and a plurality of inorganic piezoelectric elements 50 arranged in an array not shown in FIG. 4 and a plurality of organic piezoelectric elements 51 arranged in an array are shown. And are formed. The inorganic piezoelectric element 50 is a piezoelectric element made of an inorganic material, and the organic piezoelectric element 51 is a piezoelectric element made of an organic material.

  The inorganic piezoelectric element 50 and the organic piezoelectric element 51 are provided to mutually convert an electrical signal and an acoustic signal. In this embodiment, the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 formed on the inorganic piezoelectric film 62 mainly transmits ultrasonic waves. In addition, the organic piezoelectric element 51 formed on the organic piezoelectric film 63 is mainly used for receiving ultrasonic waves.

  In order to vibrate the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 when transmitting an ultrasonic wave, in the ultrasonic probe 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 4, there is a gap between the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 (inorganic piezoelectric film 62) and the backing material 65. Most heat is generated by vibration and friction.

  The amount of heat generated by the ultrasonic probe 1 is very large, and if the piezoelectric element exceeds a predetermined temperature, it becomes depolarized and cannot be used. The temperature at which the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 using lead zirconate titanate or the like depolarizes is around 200 ° C., and the temperature at which the organic piezoelectric element 51 using a vinylidene fluoride polymer or the like depolarizes is around 150 ° C. In the guaranteed use conditions, the temperature of the organic piezoelectric element 51 needs to be lower than 150 ° C.

  Further, since the acoustic lens 67 is brought into contact with the human body that is the subject, it is necessary to set the acoustic lens 67 at a predetermined temperature or lower in order to ensure safety.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the heat pipe 87 is branched from the inflow portion 87a so as to surround the backing material 65, and is joined at the outflow portion 87b. The heat pipe 87 is a heat transfer means of the present invention.

  The refrigerant 104 flowing in from the inflow portion 87a branches, moves along the two surfaces of the backing material 65, moves in the heat pipe 87 disposed so as to be thermally coupled to the backing material 65, and is used for each of the stacked portions. It moves to the outflow part 87b while lowering the temperature. The heat pipe 87 is desirably disposed between the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 (inorganic piezoelectric film 62) that generates the largest amount of heat and the backing material 65. Alternatively, it is desirable to dispose the heat pipe 87 so as to penetrate the inside of the backing material 65 because the cooling efficiency is further increased.

  The heat of the high-temperature backing material 65 raises the temperature of the low-temperature refrigerant 104 approaching the backing material 65 by conduction or radiation, and when the boiling point is reached, the refrigerant 104 is vaporized. The heat pipe 87 has a capillary structure, and the vaporized refrigerant 104 moves to the vicinity of the cartridge 86 having a low temperature and is liquefied. In this way, the refrigerant 104 circulates inside the heat pipe 87 from the higher temperature to the lower temperature, and cools the backing material 65.

  In this manner, each part of the ultrasonic probe 2 such as the ultrasonic probe 1 can be cooled to a predetermined temperature or lower to enable continuous use even in a high temperature environment.

  Further, when the heat pipe 87 is branched in this way, the two surfaces of the backing material 65 along the heat pipe 87 can be cooled uniformly. As a result, temperature variations between the plurality of inorganic piezoelectric elements 50 and the plurality of organic piezoelectric elements 51 stacked on the backing material 65 can be suppressed, and generation of noise due to temperature variations can be suppressed.

  Note that the refrigerant 104 may be moved using a driving unit such as a pump and circulated through the heat pipe 87. Further, the member to be cooled using the heat pipe 87 is not limited to the backing material 65, but may be the inorganic piezoelectric element 50, the organic piezoelectric element 51, or other electronic components.

  Further, the heat of the backing material 65 may be transmitted to the cartridge 86 by connecting the backing material 65 and the cartridge 86 with a metal having good thermal conductivity.

  Next, an example of cooling elements on the substrate will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a heat pipe for cooling the substrate.

  FIG. 12A is a plan view of the substrate 88a on which the four elements 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d are mounted. The heat pipe 87 is disposed so as to overlap the elements 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d. .

In the figure, 87a is an inflow portion schematically shown, and 87b in the figure is an outflow portion schematically. Refrigerant 104 flows from the inlet portion 87a, a heat pipe _{87 A1} branched at the branch portion 131, moves the inside of the heat pipe _{87 A2,} which is arranged to flow out from the confluent flow out portion 87b at the branch portion 132 . The heat pipe 87 _A1 is in close contact with the elements 130a and 130b, and the heat pipe 87 _A2 is in close contact with 130c and 130d, and is thermally coupled.

For this reason, the refrigerant 104 flowing in from the inflow portion 87a flows into the heat pipes 87 _A1 and 87 _A2 at substantially the same temperature, and receives heat from the elements 130a and 130b and elements 130c and 130d arranged on the downstream side. Temperature rises. And refrigerant 104 of the heat pipe _{87 A1} side, it is desirable that the amount of heat received by the coolant 104 of the heat pipe _{87 A2} side is disposed the element 130a~130d so that the same amount.

  In this way, since the temperature variation of the element 130 on the substrate can be suppressed, a signal with less noise due to the temperature variation of each element can be obtained.

  Note that the element 130 is not limited to a semiconductor element, and can be applied to various electronic parts such as an IC such as an OP amplifier and an ASIC, a filter circuit, and a piezoelectric element.

  Next, a configuration example in which elements on each substrate are uniformly cooled when the substrate 88b is disposed on the upper side of the substrate 88a and the substrate 88c is disposed on the lower side will be described.

  FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by A and A ′ in FIG. 12A when the substrate 88b having the same shape is disposed on the upper side of the substrate 88a and the substrate 88c having the same shape is disposed on the lower side. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, the heat pipe 87 branches in three directions of the substrate 88a, the substrate 88b, and the substrate 88c at the branch portion 131. The arrangement of the elements 130 on the substrate 88b and the substrate 88c is the same as that of the substrate 88a described in FIG. 12A, and the two elements 130 are cooled by the two branched heat pipes 87, respectively. .

For example, the heat pipe 87 branched in the direction of the substrate 88b branches in two directions, a heat pipe 87 _A4 and a heat pipe 87 _A3 (not shown), as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12B, the heat pipe 87 _A4 and the elements 130e and 130f are in close thermal contact with each other. The same applies to the heat pipe 87 _{A3 (not} shown), and a description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to the heat pipe 87 branched in the direction of the substrate 88b, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Thus, even when a plurality of substrates are stacked and mounted by branching the heat pipe 87, the elements on each substrate can be cooled uniformly.

  Next, each component of the ultrasonic probe 1 will be described in the order of stacking with reference to FIG.

  In the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that one piezoelectric element constitutes one channel. Moreover, although the number of elements of each of the inorganic piezoelectric element 50 and the organic piezoelectric element 51 is 21, and an example in which the number is distinguished by a to u will be described, the number of elements is not particularly limited, and the number of elements is about 20 to 200. Used.

(Inorganic piezoelectric element array)
An inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 (not shown in FIG. 4) includes a third electrode 74a to 74u and a fourth electrode on both surfaces of the inorganic piezoelectric film 62 made of an inorganic material such as lead zirconate titanate, which face each other in the thickness direction. It is comprised from the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a-50u provided with 75a-75u. The thickness of the inorganic piezoelectric film 62 is about 320 μm.

  The third electrodes 74a to 74u of the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u are connected to the terminals of the switches 53a to 53u via connectors (not shown), and the fourth electrodes 75a to 75u are grounded.

  When a drive signal is applied to the third electrodes 74a to 74u, the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u vibrate, and an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 in the positive Z-axis direction.

  Further, when the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 receives and vibrates the reflected ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject, an electrical signal (hereinafter referred to as a received signal) is generated in the third electrodes 74a to 74u according to the reflected wave. .

  The third electrode 74 and the fourth electrode 75 are formed by vapor deposition or photolithography on both surfaces of the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 using a metal material such as gold, silver, or aluminum.

(Middle layer)
The intermediate layer 73 vibrates the organic piezoelectric element array 51 so that the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 does not resonate and vibrate when the organic piezoelectric element array 51 receives and vibrates the reflected ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject. Is provided to absorb.

  Such an intermediate layer 73 can be formed by molding a resin material. Examples of the resin material used for the intermediate layer 73 include polyvinyl butyral, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polyimide, polyamide, polyester, polysulfone, epoxy, and oxetane.

  The thickness of the intermediate layer 73 is selected depending on the required sensitivity and frequency characteristics, and is, for example, about 180 to 190 μm.

  Note that the intermediate layer 73 may be omitted depending on the sensitivity and frequency characteristics to be obtained.

(Organic piezoelectric element array)
An organic piezoelectric element array 51 (not shown in FIG. 4) includes a plurality of first electrodes 69a to 69u and second electrodes 70a to 70u on both surfaces of the organic piezoelectric film 63 made of an organic material facing each other in the thickness direction. Organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u.

  As an organic material used for the organic piezoelectric film 63, for example, a polymer of vinylidene fluoride can be used. Further, for example, a vinylidene fluoride (VDF) copolymer can be used for the organic piezoelectric film 63. This vinylidene fluoride copolymer is a copolymer (copolymer) of vinylidene fluoride and other monomers. Examples of other monomers include ethylene trifluoride (TrFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TeFE). Perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PFA), perfluoroalkoxyethylene (PAE), perfluorohexaethylene, and the like can be used.

  In general, a piezoelectric element made of a piezoelectric material such as lead zirconate titanate can receive only an ultrasonic wave having a frequency band about twice the frequency of the fundamental wave. For example, ultrasonic waves in a frequency band of about 3 to 5 times the frequency can be transmitted and received, which is suitable for widening the reception frequency band.

  The thickness t of the organic piezoelectric film 63 is appropriately set depending on the frequency of the ultrasonic wave to be received, the type of the organic piezoelectric material, and the like.

  Such an organic piezoelectric film 63 is cast from a solution of an organic piezoelectric material to form a film having a predetermined thickness, heated to be crystallized, and then molded into a sheet having a predetermined size. Make it.

  A first electrode 69 and a second electrode 70 are formed on both surfaces of the organic piezoelectric film 63 facing each other in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction).

  The first electrodes 69a to 69u of the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u are respectively connected to the terminals of the switches 53a to 53u via connectors not shown, and the second electrodes 70a to 70u are grounded.

  When a drive signal is applied to the first electrodes 69a to 69u, the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u vibrate, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the organic piezoelectric element array 51 in the positive direction of the Z axis.

  Further, when the organic piezoelectric element array 51 receives and vibrates the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the subject, an electrical signal is generated in the first electrodes 69a to 69u according to the reflected wave.

(Matching layer)
The matching layer 66 has an acoustic impedance intermediate between the acoustic impedance of the human body, which is one of the subjects, and the organic piezoelectric element array 51, and matches the acoustic impedance. The matching layer 66 can be formed by molding a resin material, for example.

(Acoustic lens)
The acoustic lens 67 converges the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 to a predetermined distance.

  Thus, since the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 and the organic piezoelectric element array 51 are laminated, the ultrasonic probe 2 can be reduced in size.

  This is the end of the description of the ultrasonic probe 1.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and FIG. 7 is a detailed circuit block diagram of the ultrasonic probe.

  In FIG. 6, the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 including a plurality of inorganic piezoelectric elements 50 a to 50 u and the organic piezoelectric element array 51 including a plurality of organic piezoelectric elements 51 a to 51 u are illustrated as one block.

  The vibrator unit 58 includes an inorganic piezoelectric element array 50, an organic piezoelectric element array 51, an amplifier 52, and a switching unit 53. The vibrator unit 58 according to the present invention transmits ultrasonic waves into the subject and receives reflected waves. is there.

  Since the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u have a very high impedance of several kΩ, they are easily affected by noise. Therefore, the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u are connected to the amplifiers 52a to 52u, respectively. The amplifiers 52a to 52u are electric signals (hereinafter referred to as reception signals) generated by the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u that have received ultrasonic waves. Amplify). By amplifying the reception signals by the amplifiers 52a to 52u and outputting them with low impedance, the reception signals can be transmitted to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14 with high S / N via the wireless communication unit 59.

  As the amplifiers 52a to 52u, general-purpose amplifiers having high input impedance such as operational amplifiers using FETs (field effect transistors) in the first stage can be used.

  The switches 53a to 53u of the switching means 53 are connected to the signal lines 56a to 56u corresponding to the corresponding inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u, or the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u, or amplifiers in response to the switching control signal 57 from the wireless communication unit 59. Connected to any one of the output terminals 52a to 52u. The single-pole double-throw switches 53a to 53u shown in FIG. 7 can be equivalently configured as switches having the same function by combining single-pole single-throw analog switches and the like and appropriately turning on or off by a switching control signal. it can.

  The wireless communication unit 59 communicates a signal related to transmission of the transducer unit 58 and a signal related to reception wirelessly with the outside. The wireless communication unit 59 has a function of bidirectionally communicating with the wireless communication unit 20 provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14. The wireless communication unit 20 is a second wireless communication unit of the present invention.

  The wireless communication unit 59 includes a buffer amplifier that drives the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50, and an A / D converter, a D / A converter, and the like in the case of transmitting / receiving digital signals.

  The wireless communication unit 59 and the wireless communication unit 20 may use wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard, wireless communication such as an FDMA (frequency division multiple access) system, infrared communication conforming to the IrDA standard, or the like. it can. A plurality of data transfer channels may be provided according to the transfer data amount.

  The wireless communication unit 59 receives a drive signal for driving the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 from the wireless communication unit 20, and transmits the reception signals amplified by the amplifiers 52 a to 52 u to the wireless communication unit 20. Further, the wireless communication unit 59 receives the switching control signal from the wireless communication unit 20 and transmits it to the switching unit 53.

  The battery 84 supplies power to the transducer unit 58 and the wireless communication unit 59 of the ultrasonic probe 2.

  The power supply unit 22 is provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14, converts the AC voltage input from the AC jack 21 into a DC voltage, and supplies power to each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14.

  The control unit 99 includes a CPU 98 (central processing unit), a storage unit 96, and the like, reads a program stored in the storage unit 96 into the RAM, and controls each unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the program. The storage unit 96 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like.

  Next, an example of a procedure until an ultrasonic image is displayed will be described.

  Before transmitting the ultrasonic wave, the CPU 98 transmits a switch control signal from the wireless communication unit 20 so that the signal lines 56a to 56u are connected to the switches 53a to 53u to the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u, respectively. The wireless communication unit 59 of the ultrasonic probe 2 that has received this transmits a switching control signal to the switching means 53, and the switches 53a to 53u are positions where the signal lines 56a to 56u are connected to the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u, respectively. Can be switched to.

  Next, the transmission processing unit 7 forms an ultrasonic wave in a beam shape at a timing set by the control unit 99, and also performs a delay process so as to converge at an arbitrary depth to form a focal point. Is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 20. The wireless communication unit 59 receives the drive signal and applies it to the inorganic piezoelectric elements 50a to 50u via the signal lines 56a to 56u.

  The ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic probe 2 is transmitted to the subject, propagates inside the subject, is reflected by the discontinuous surface of the acoustic impedance in the middle, and returns to the ultrasonic probe 2 as an echo.

  The echo returned to the ultrasonic probe 2 after transmitting the ultrasonic wave toward the subject mechanically vibrates the organic piezoelectric elements 51a to 51u arranged on the ultrasonic probe 2, and generates a weak received signal. generate.

  When receiving the ultrasonic wave, the CPU 98 switches the switches 53a to 53u so that the signal lines 56a to 56u are connected to the amplifiers 52a to 52u. The wireless communication unit 59 receives reception signals from the amplifiers 52 a to 52 u and transmits them to the wireless communication unit 20.

  The reception signal received by the wireless communication unit 20 is taken into the reception processing unit 3, amplified by the preamplifier, subjected to the same delay processing as that at the time of transmission by the reception beamformer, and then added by the addition unit. .

In the fundamental wave mode, this received signal has a fundamental band pass filter (pass band set to a predetermined band centered on the fundamental frequency f ₀ in order to mainly extract fundamental wave components from the received signal ( BPF) 4 and sent to B mode processing unit 6.

In the harmonic mode, the passband passes through a harmonic bandpass filter (BPF) 5 that is set to a predetermined band centered on, for example, a frequency that is three times the fundamental frequency f ₀ , and is subjected to B-mode processing. Sent to part 6.

The harmonic mode using harmonic imaging (HI), ultrasound contained in echoes 'propagate' while distortion inside of the subject (living body), non-other than the fundamental frequency f ₀ generated by the nonlinearity of the so-called propagation Use the fundamental component. Among the non-fundamental component, twice the second harmonic component of the fundamental frequency f _0, but a like three times the third harmonic component can be used for image formation for diagnosis, in the embodiment In the following description, it is assumed that a third harmonic component having a triple frequency 3f ₀ is used.

The B mode processing unit 6 generates a normal B mode image based on the component of the fundamental frequency f ₀ from the fundamental band pass filter 4 in the fundamental mode, and in the harmonic mode, the band pass type for harmonics. An image is generated based on a 3f ₀ component that is three times the fundamental frequency from the filter 5. These images are reconstructed by a digital scan converter (DSC) 9, converted into a video signal, and displayed on the monitor 10.

  In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50, the switching means 53 is switched, and the received signal received by the organic piezoelectric element array 51 is wirelessly transmitted to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 14. Although an example of the mode has been described, the present invention is not particularly limited to this example. For example, the present invention can also be applied to the fundamental wave mode in which the switching means 53 is used for the inorganic piezoelectric element array 50 for both transmission and reception waves, or in the case where the switching means 53 is used for the organic piezoelectric element array 51 for both transmission and reception waves to perform the harmonic mode. Further, the present invention can also be applied to the case where waves are transmitted / received from an inorganic or organic piezoelectric element array without providing the switching means 53.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 86 according to the second embodiment, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an external configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is an ultrasonic diagnosis according to the second embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of an apparatus. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a cooling mechanism provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

  The cartridge 86 of the second embodiment is configured integrally with a battery 84 that supplies power to the ultrasonic probe 2.

  In the example of FIG. 8, a regenerator 105 or a coolant is provided in the case 106 so as to surround the battery 84. A battery electrode terminal is provided on the exterior of the case 106. When the cartridge 86 is mounted on the casing 85a, the electrode terminal is electrically connected to a contact provided on the casing 85a so that power can be supplied to the ultrasonic probe 2. It is configured.

  If it does in this way, the battery with big heat_generation | fever can be cooled efficiently. Further, since the cartridge 86 and the battery 84 can be replaced at the same time, it is easy to use.

  The battery 84 may be a primary battery such as an alkaline battery, or a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel / hydrogen storage battery.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is provided with an opening 18 into which the cartridge 86 is inserted into the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14.

  The cooling surface of the Peltier element 121 is arranged so as to be in contact with the surface of the case 86 of the cartridge 86 inserted into the opening 18 on the side of the cold storage material 105 as shown in FIG. A radiating fin 127 is attached to the surface of the Peltier element 121 on the exhaust heat side, and is configured to be air-cooled by the cooling fan 122. In the figure, 126 is a motor and 125 is a fan.

  The Peltier element 121 is a cartridge cooling unit of the present invention. When the Peltier element 121 is used, the cartridge 86 holding the cold storage material can be cooled by a simple mechanism.

  When the cartridge 86 is inserted into the opening 18, the control unit 99 detects the cartridge 86 by a detection unit (not shown), and operates the Peltier element 121 to cool the cartridge 86. When a plurality of cartridges 86 are prepared, the cartridges 86 inserted into the openings 18 and cooled to a predetermined temperature can be sequentially replaced with the cartridges 86 attached to the ultrasonic probe 2, which is convenient. If a plurality of openings 18 are provided, the efficiency is further improved.

  Charging unit 120 charges battery 84 formed of a secondary battery according to a command from control unit 99.

  In the case of using the cartridge 86 integrally formed with the battery 84 using the secondary battery as shown in FIG. 8, when the cartridge 86 is inserted into the opening 18, the battery 84 can be charged together with cooling of the regenerator material of the cartridge 86. May be.

  For example, when a cartridge 86 configured integrally with a battery 84 using a secondary battery is inserted into the opening 18, the contact 124 provided inside the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14 connected to the charging unit 120 shown in FIG. 10. It is configured to conduct. The control unit 99 that has detected the cartridge 86 instructs the charging unit 120 to charge the battery 84.

  In this way, the battery 84 can be charged and the cartridge 86 can be cooled simply by inserting the cartridge 86 into the opening 18, which is convenient.

  In the present embodiment, the power source unit 22, the charging unit 120, the Peltier element 121, the heat radiation fin 127, and the cooling fan 122 are built in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14, but these are different from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14. The body may be configured.

  Further, the ultrasonic probe 2 and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 14 may be provided with coils, and power may be supplied in a noncontact manner.

  The ultrasonic probe is disinfected at a frequency of about once a day to press against the patient's body surface. For this reason, when the battery 84 is replaced, there is a possibility that the terminal that contacts the contact 124 of the battery 84 may come into contact with the disinfectant and deteriorate. When the cartridge 86 and the battery 84 are configured separately, it is not necessary to take out the battery 84 from the ultrasonic probe 2 at the time of charging by supplying power in a non-contact manner, so that such a fear can be eliminated.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small-sized ultrasonic probe that can be continuously used even in a high-temperature environment and has good operability, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the ultrasonic probe.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic transducer 2 Ultrasonic probe 3 Reception processing part 4 Fundamental band pass filter 5 Harmonic band pass filter 6 B mode processing part 7 Transmission processing part 9 Digital scan converter 10 Display part 13 Input part 14 Super Sonic diagnostic device body 15 Cable 20 Wireless communication unit 22 Power supply unit 50 Inorganic piezoelectric element array 50a-50u Inorganic piezoelectric element 51 Organic piezoelectric element array 51a-51u Organic piezoelectric element 52 Amplifier 53 Switching means 53a-53u Switch 59 Wireless communication unit 65 Backing Material 67 Acoustic lens 69 First electrode 70 Second electrode 74 Third electrode 75 Fourth electrode 84 Battery 85 Housing 85a Housing portion 85b Lid 86 Cartridge 87 Heat pipe 96 Storage unit 98 CPU
99 Control Unit 100 Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device 104 Refrigerant 106 Case 121 Peltier Element 122 Fan

Claims (8)

A transducer unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to the inside of the subject and receives reflected waves; a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates signals related to transmission or reception of signals from the transducer unit; An ultrasonic probe comprising a vibrator unit and a housing that houses the wireless communication unit,
An ultrasonic probe comprising: a cooling unit configured to cool the inside of the casing configured as a cartridge detachable from the casing.   The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer unit that transfers heat generated by a component provided in the housing to the cooling unit. The cartridge is
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe is integrally formed with a battery that supplies electric power to the ultrasonic probe. The cartridge is
Hold the cold storage agent inside,
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interior of the housing is cooled by mounting the cartridge in the housing after the cool storage agent is cooled in advance. 5. The described ultrasonic probe. The cartridge is
Hold the coolant that causes endothermic reaction inside,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inside of the casing is cooled by an endothermic reaction that occurs inside the cartridge attached to the casing. . In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave inside a subject, receive a reflected wave, and visualize the inside of the subject,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4,
A cartridge cooling section for cooling the cartridge;
A second wireless communication unit communicating wirelessly with the wireless communication unit;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The cartridge is a cartridge in which a rechargeable secondary battery is integrally formed as the battery,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a charging unit that charges the secondary battery. The cartridge cooling section is
With Peltier elements,
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the cartridge is cooled by energizing the Peltier element.

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