KR102754240B1 - Aircoupled vortex ultrasound probe module for improving hearing function and ultrasound imaging system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air-coupled vortex ultrasound probe module for improving hearing function and an ultrasound imaging system using the same. According to the present invention, an air-coupled ultrasound probe module including an ultrasound transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear, wherein the ultrasound transducer includes a piezoelectric element for generating an ultrasound beam by an input signal, and a beam control means connected to the piezoelectric element or arranged in front of the piezoelectric element for generating an ultrasound beam generated from the piezoelectric element into a vortex beam in the form of a eddy current, and the piezoelectric element provides an ultrasound beam that vortex-rotates by the beam control means to the inner ear tissue.
According to the present invention, an ultrasonic beam transmitted and received into the ear is vortex-rotated in the form of a vortex, and a synergistic effect of the rotational kinetic energy generated at this time, i.e., angular momentum, and focusing energy is generated, thereby greatly increasing the transmission and reception energy, focusing power, and penetrating power compared to a conventional fixed beam-based ultrasonic transducer, thereby enabling efficient imaging or treatment of the inside of the ear.

Description

{Aircoupled vortex ultrasound probe module for improving hearing function and ultrasound imaging system using the same}

The present invention relates to an air-coupled vortex ultrasound probe module for improving hearing function and an ultrasound imaging system using the same, and more specifically, to an ultrasound probe module in which an ultrasound beam traveling through a medium is transmitted and received into the ear while vortex rotating to image or physically stimulate inner ear tissue in real time to improve hearing function, and an ultrasound imaging system using the same.

Recently, due to the increase in various stresses and the increase in the time spent using audio devices such as smartphones, the number of patients with ear diseases such as hearing loss, tinnitus, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and Meniere's disease (vertigo) is rapidly increasing regardless of age. In particular, Meniere's disease occurs when the pressure of the endolymph fluid between the cochlea, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular organ, which is responsible for balance, increases due to problems with the circulation of the endolymph fluid, which can cause sudden dizziness, tinnitus, aural fullness, and, in severe cases, hearing loss.

Since the diagnosis of Meniere's disease is based solely on the patient's subjective symptom information, hearing tests, and eye tests, the need for medical devices that can provide accurate ear image information is increasing significantly. However, to date, there are no medical devices that can view the inner ear to accurately diagnose various inner ear diseases including Meniere's disease, other than CT and MRI equipment. Since the resolution of these inner ear images is insufficient and it takes a lot of time to visualize them, it is difficult to quickly diagnose and treat the above ear diseases.

Recently, ultrasound technology has been attracting attention as a promising technology that can restore hearing function by noninvasively and locally stimulating the auditory organ. However, in order to reach a level that can be used in medical settings, an air-coupled ultrasound probe that can deliver sufficient energy to the auditory organ must be developed.

That is, ultrasonic energy can transmit and receive sufficient energy into the target when the difference in acoustic impedance between media is not large. However, the biggest reason why ultrasound-based inner ear imaging devices have not been commercialized domestically or internationally to date is because there are physical limitations that make it difficult for ultrasonic energy to penetrate the inner ear structure, which is surrounded by a very thin eardrum, air layer, and hard bones.

In particular, in order for ultrasonic energy to penetrate into a medium in the air, the center frequency must be lowered or the length of the transmitted pulse must be increased, which causes a problem in that the resolution of images using conventional air-coupled ultrasound based on a fixed beam is significantly reduced.

The technology underlying the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0061501 (published on May 28, 2021).

The present invention aims to provide an air-coupled vortex ultrasound probe module for improving hearing function, which enables an ultrasound beam traveling into the inner ear to be transmitted and received while vortex rotating and the rotational force thereof to be controlled, thereby increasing ultrasound transmission/reception performance, energy focusing power and penetration power compared to a fixed ultrasound beam, and enabling efficient imaging of the inner ear, and an ultrasound imaging system using the same.

The present invention provides an air-coupled ultrasound probe module including an ultrasound transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear, wherein the ultrasound transducer includes a piezoelectric element for generating an ultrasound beam by an input signal, and a beam control means connected to the piezoelectric element or arranged in front of the piezoelectric element for generating an ultrasound beam generated from the piezoelectric element into a vortex beam in the form of an eddy current, and the piezoelectric element provides an ultrasound beam that vortex rotates by the beam control means to the inner ear tissue inside the ear.

In addition, the piezoelectric element is formed as a single element, and the beam control means may include at least one of a motor mounted on the rear side of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element, a spiral lens or an acoustic metalens positioned on the front side of the piezoelectric element to vortex rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element.

Additionally, the rotation speed of the vortex beam can be determined by at least one of the rotation speed of the motor, the spiral pattern of the spiral lens, and the morphological structure of the acoustic metalens.

In addition, the piezoelectric element has a polarization reversal structure in which a reverse layer element and a non-reversal layer element with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth according to the direction of propagation of an ultrasonic signal, and multiple frequency signals can be simultaneously generated from the piezoelectric element according to the polarization reversal structure.

In addition, the piezoelectric element may be composed of a plurality of split elements, and the beam control means may correspond to a phase controller that adjusts the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator to apply input signals of different phases to the plurality of split elements.

In addition, each of the plurality of split elements may be composed of the same or different types of piezoelectric elements, and may be implemented as a single element type or an array element type.

In addition, the beam control means can apply an input signal having a regular phase difference or an input signal having an irregular phase difference to each of the N split elements at set angles (360 degrees/N).

In addition, when input signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees are applied to the first group of elements and the second group of elements among the respective split elements by the beam control means, the piezoelectric element can provide an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state, but generate an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci split in the lateral direction and the elevational direction.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe module may further include a motor mounted on the rear side of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element, a spiral lens or acoustic meta-lens positioned on the front side of the piezoelectric element to vortex-rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element, and a steel wire-shaped housing positioned in front of the spiral lens or acoustic meta-lens, in which an ultrasonic beam passing through the lens penetrates the inside and is output, and in which a spiral steel wire is formed along the inner surface.

In addition, the rifling housing can be implemented in any one of the following forms: a straight type with a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction, a focused type with a narrower inner diameter toward the front, and a radial type with a wider inner diameter toward the front.

In addition, the piezoelectric element has a polarization reversal structure in which a reverse layer element and a non-reversal layer element with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth according to the direction of propagation of an ultrasonic signal, and multiple frequency signals can be simultaneously generated from the piezoelectric element according to the polarization reversal structure.

In addition, the piezoelectric element includes a first element formed in a concave curved structure to focus ultrasound at a first focal position in the front, and at least one second element formed in a concave curved structure coupled to a peripheral portion centered around the first element but having a lower curvature than the first element, to focus ultrasound at a second focal position farther than the first focal position to expand the depth of focus, and the first element and the second element can be designed to operate at different first resonant frequencies and second resonant frequencies.

In addition, the first element and the second element can simultaneously input input signals having multiple center frequencies in the form of mixing different center frequencies, and select and transmit ultrasonic signals corresponding to their own resonant frequencies from the input signals.

In addition, the beam control means may include at least one of a motor mounted on the rear side of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element, a spiral lens or an acoustic metalens positioned on the front side of the piezoelectric element to vortex rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element.

In addition, each of the first element and the second element may be composed of the same or different types of piezoelectric elements, and may be implemented as a single element type or an array element type.

In addition, the piezoelectric element is divided into N planes with an aperture based on the center of the first element, and the beam control means adjusts the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator to apply input signals of different phases to each divided plane of the piezoelectric element, and can apply input signals having regular phase differences or input signals having irregular phase differences to each divided plane of the piezoelectric element at intervals of a set angle (360 degrees/N).

In addition, the piezoelectric element provides an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state when an input signal of the same phase is applied to each of the divided surfaces by the beam control means, but generates an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci in the axial direction, and when an input signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees is applied to a first group of surfaces and a second group of surfaces among the divided surfaces by the beam control means, the piezoelectric element provides an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state but generates an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci in the axial direction and multiple foci in the lateral direction at the same time.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe module may further include a motor mounted on the rear side of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element, a spiral lens or acoustic meta-lens positioned on the front side of the piezoelectric element to vortex-rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element, and a steel wire-shaped housing positioned in front of the spiral lens or acoustic meta-lens, in which an ultrasonic beam passing through the lens penetrates the inside and is output, and in which a spiral steel wire is formed along the inner surface.

In addition, the above-mentioned steel wire housing can be implemented in any one of the following forms: a straight type with a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction, a focused type with a narrower inner diameter toward the front, and a radial type with a wider inner diameter toward the front.

In addition, each of the first element and the second element has a polarization reversal structure in which the inverted layer element and the non-inverted layer element with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth along the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic signal, and multiple frequency signals can be simultaneously generated from the piezoelectric element according to the polarization reversal structure.

And, the present invention provides an ultrasound system for transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear for examination, comprising: a central piezoelectric element formed in a concave curved structure to focus ultrasound at a first focus position in the front; at least one peripheral piezoelectric element formed in a concave curved structure with a lower curvature than the first element and coupled to a peripheral portion centered on the central piezoelectric element to focus ultrasound at a second focus position farther than the first focus position to expand the depth of focus; an ultrasonic transducer having an aperture divided into N surfaces; a signal generator generating an input signal having multiple center frequencies in which different center frequencies are mixed; and a phase controller adjusting the phase of an input signal generated from the signal generator so as to apply an input signal having a regular phase difference at a set angle (360 degrees/N) to each divided surface of the piezoelectric element or to apply an input signal having an irregular phase difference.

Additionally, the central piezoelectric element and the peripheral piezoelectric element can be designed to operate at different first and second resonant frequencies.

In addition, the present invention provides an ultrasound imaging system for the inside of the ear for examining by transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves, the system including an ultrasound transducer having a piezoelectric element having a diameter divided into N planes and composed of a plurality of segmented elements, the ultrasound transducer transmitting an ultrasound signal generated by the piezoelectric element to inner ear tissue, which is a target portion inside the ear, and receiving a reflected signal; a signal generator generating an input signal; a phase controller being a beam control means for adjusting the phase of the input signal and applying the phase to the plurality of segmented elements; a mode controller controlling the movement of the ultrasound transducer so that the ultrasound transducer moves in a direction corresponding to a B-scan mode and a C-scan (constant depth) mode; and a signal processor analyzing the reflected signal to produce a B-mode image and an elasticity signal, and an elasticity image of the inside or the surface of the inner ear tissue.

In addition, the signal generator can sequentially drive a first driving mode that applies a reference signal that serves as a starting point for measuring the amount of movement of a medium, a second driving mode that applies a pushing signal in the form of a multi-focus or vortex rotation for shaking the medium, and a third driving mode that applies a detection signal having the same signal type as the first driving mode immediately after applying the pushing signal.

In addition, the signal processor can measure the amount of movement of the medium surface and calculate elasticity corresponding to the amount of movement by comparing the second ultrasonic reflection signal acquired when the detection signal is applied with the first ultrasonic reflection signal acquired when the reference signal is applied.

In addition, the first and third driving modes are same-phase modes that apply input signals of the same phase to the plurality of split elements, and the second driving mode can generate a vortex rotation beam by applying input signals of different phases to the plurality of split elements.

According to the present invention, an ultrasonic beam transmitted and received into the ear is vortex-rotated in the form of a vortex, and a synergistic effect is generated between the rotational kinetic energy generated at this time, that is, angular momentum, and focusing energy, thereby greatly increasing the transmission and reception energy, focusing power, and penetrating power compared to a conventional fixed beam-based ultrasonic transducer, thereby enabling efficient imaging or treatment of the inside of the ear.

FIG. 1 is a drawing exemplarily illustrating the external appearance of an ultrasonic probe module including an ultrasonic transducer providing a vortex beam according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasonic transducer having a single focus and single frequency for one embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a drawing showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer for generating a vortex beam based on Fig. 2.
FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the configuration of an ultrasonic transducer with a multi-curve structure for another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a drawing showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer for generating a vortex beam based on Fig. 4.
Figure 6 is a drawing explaining the polarization reversal structure applied to Figures 2 and 3.
FIG. 7 is a drawing exemplarily showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating the structure of an ultrasonic system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating the structure of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating an example of beam forming using a piezoelectric element of a split structure applied to an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating a method for obtaining an elasticity image based on acoustic radiation force in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 12 is a diagram explaining the concepts of B-scan and c-scan.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those with ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are assigned similar drawing reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element in between. Also, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

The present invention proposes an air-coupled vortex ultrasound probe module for examining, diagnosing, and treating ear diseases, which can solve the shortcomings of existing fixed-beam air-coupled ultrasound probes, and an ultrasound imaging system using the same.

If the shape of the ultrasonic beam is not fixed and is transmitted and received while vortexing, the kinetic energy due to the vortex rotation, that is, the angular momentum, can have a synergistic effect with the ultrasonic focusing energy, which can increase the ultrasonic transmission and reception energy, focusing energy, and ultrasonic penetration power at the focusing point and unfocused point.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a new ultrasound probe module and system dedicated to ear diseases, which enables ultrasound to be transmitted and received to the inner ear while vortex rotating and control the rotational force thereof.

In general, to focus ultrasonic energy to a specific point, a lens is used or the ultrasonic beam is focused to a point by changing the diameter of the transducer. The ultrasonic energy is the largest at the focused point, but depending on the application, there is a need to further increase the energy of the focused point. In general, to increase the energy of the focused point, the probe driving voltage is increased, but this has a systematic limitation, and if the driving voltage is too large, the piezoelectric element is damaged. In addition, it is often difficult to arbitrarily adjust the focal length and diameter size depending on the application.

In particular, in order to diagnose and treat the inside of the ear as in the present invention, the ultrasonic energy must be increased while the diameter size is maintained below a certain size. However, there is a physical limit to miniaturizing the ultrasonic diameter below a certain level due to electrical impedance issues.

In order to solve the problems of the existing ultrasonic transducer technology that generates a fixed ultrasonic beam, the present invention proposes a technology that generates a vortex rotational force, which is a physical rotational kinetic energy, in an ultrasonic beam transmitted and received inside the ear, and reflects the angular momentum generated at this time on the focused energy of the ultrasonic waves to create a synergy effect, thereby greatly increasing the energy and penetration effect of the focused point, and transmitting ultrasonic energy to the deep inner ear.

The ultrasonic transducer applied to the air-coupled ultrasonic probe module proposed in the embodiment of the present invention basically includes a piezoelectric element and has a structure including a beam control means for vortex-rotating a beam generated from the piezoelectric element.

The piezoelectric element generates an ultrasonic beam in response to an input signal. Here, the beam control means is directly connected to the piezoelectric element or is positioned in front of the piezoelectric element to process the ultrasonic beam into a vortex beam that rotates in a vortex shape rather than a general fixed beam shape.

By means of a beam control means, the piezoelectric element provides a vortex-rotating ultrasound beam to the medium in front, i.e., the inner ear tissue inside the ear. In an embodiment of the present invention, the beam control means may include a motor connected to the rear of the piezoelectric element to rotate the piezoelectric element, or a lens (a spiral lens or an acoustic metalens) arranged in front of the piezoelectric element and designed to induce rotation of an incident beam.

Of course, in addition, in the case of a divided piezoelectric element structure in which the aperture of the piezoelectric element is divided into several parts, a phase controller for applying an input signal having a regular or irregular phase difference at a set angle interval to each divided area of the aperture can be used as a beam control means to generate a vortex beam. Of course, in this case, at least one of the motor, lens, and rigid housing described above can be additionally added, which will be described in detail later.

FIG. 1 is a drawing exemplarily illustrating the external appearance of an ultrasonic probe module including an ultrasonic transducer providing a vortex beam according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An ultrasound examination can be performed with one end of an ultrasound probe module inserted into a patient's ear. The ultrasound probe module can be configured to include a lower handle portion for easy measurement and an upper measuring portion inserted into the ear, and a piezoelectric element can be included in the measuring portion.

Specifically, the ultrasonic probe module (10) can be used with one end (11) where ultrasonic signals are transmitted and received inserted into the patient's ear as shown in Fig. 1, and the other end (12) can have a handle shape. A piezoelectric element constituting an ultrasonic transducer can be installed inside one end (11), and various elements, parts, processing circuits, etc. can be built into the other end (12).

In this way, the ultrasonic probe module according to the embodiment of the present invention may have a structure in which one end can be inserted into the ear. Of course, the external appearance of the ultrasonic probe module is not necessarily limited to Fig. 1. In addition, the ultrasonic probe module (10) may be connected wirelessly to a user terminal such as a PC, a display device, etc., to exchange various data and signals.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of ultrasonic transducers for the air-coupled vortex ultrasonic probe module for improving hearing function proposed in the present invention are described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasonic transducer having a single focus and single frequency for one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 (a) is an ultrasonic transducer composed of a single element, which generates an ultrasonic beam having a single focus with respect to the axial direction in which the ultrasonic beam is transmitted.

Figure 2 (b) shows an ultrasonic transducer structure composed of two split elements. When different phases (e.g., 0 degrees, 180 degrees) that are 180 degrees apart are applied to each split element, an ultrasonic beam having a single focus in the axial direction and a multi-focus in the form of a beam split into two in the lateral direction can be generated.

In the ultrasonic transducer structure illustrated in Fig. 2, a fixed focused beam is transmitted and received. Next, based on the structure of Fig. 2, an ultrasonic transducer structure that provides a vortex beam that rotates in a vortex shape instead of a fixed beam as in Fig. 2 is described in detail through Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a drawing showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer for generating a vortex beam based on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 (a) uses a 'motor' as a beam control means for generating a vortex beam, (b) uses a 'spiral lens' or an 'acoustic metalens', and (c) uses a 'phase controller' that controls the phase of each input signal of the split element. The ultrasonic transducer structure proposed in Fig. 3 can provide improved transmission and reception energy compared to existing ultrasonic transducers by generating a vortex rotation beam.

The ultrasonic transducer (100-1) shown in (a) of Fig. 3 has a structure including a piezoelectric element (110) and a motor (120a), and can rotate the piezoelectric element (110) using a rotary motor (120a) to cause an ultrasonic beam to travel through a medium while vortex rotating.

Specifically, the piezoelectric element (110) shown in (a) of Fig. 3 is composed of a single element and generates an ultrasonic beam by an input signal applied. To this end, a signal generator can generate an input signal of a single frequency and provide it to the piezoelectric element (110).

A motor (120a) mounted on the rear of the piezoelectric element (110) directly rotates the piezoelectric element (110) in the axial direction. Accordingly, the ultrasonic beam output to the front of the piezoelectric element (110) is not in the form of a fixed beam, but in the form of a rotating vortex beam in the form of a vortex.

In this way, in the structure of (a) of Fig. 3, the piezoelectric element (110) directly rotates according to the operation of the motor (120a), which is a beam control means, and provides an ultrasonic beam that vortex rotates to the medium in front, that is, the inner ear tissue located inside the ear. In this case, the rotation speed of the vortex beam can be determined according to the rotation speed of the motor. Of course, when the motor is stopped, the ultrasonic beam can be controlled as a fixed beam.

The ultrasonic transducer (100-2) shown in (b) of Fig. 3 includes a piezoelectric element (110) made of a single element and a lens (120b) arranged in front or in front of the piezoelectric element. At this time, the lens corresponds to a spiral lens or an acoustic meta lens. This Fig. 3 (b) is a structure that vortex-rotates a beam using a specially manufactured spiral lens or an acoustic meta lens.

That is, (b) of Fig. 3 uses a lens (120b) instead of a motor (120a) to vortex-rotate an ultrasonic beam output in front of a piezoelectric element (110). In this case, the rotation speed of the vortex beam can be determined by the spiral pattern structure of the lens or the morphological structure of the acoustic meta lens.

A spiral lens can have a single spiral or multiple spirals to generate a vortex beam. An acoustic meta-lens is a module made by applying metamaterials with acoustic properties that do not exist in nature, and is made of very small components. These components can be precisely arranged in a spiral shape to create a vortex beam.

The ultrasonic transducer (100-3) shown in (c) of Fig. 3 is a structure including a piezoelectric element (110a) composed of a plurality of split elements (111) and a phase controller (120c) which is a beam control means. Here, a structure in which the diameter of the piezoelectric element (110a) is split into four is exemplified.

Here, each of the plurality (N) of split elements (111) that constitute the piezoelectric element (110a) can be implemented as a single element type or an array element type. In addition, each of the split elements (111) can be formed of the same material or different materials. Accordingly, each of the split elements (111) can be formed of the same or different types of piezoelectric elements.

The phase controller (120c) controls the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator (130) and applies input signals of different phases to a plurality of split elements (111).

At this time, the phase controller (120c) can receive the generated input signal, adjust its phase, and individually apply an input signal with a regular phase difference at a set angle (360 degrees/N) to each of the split elements (111). Since it is a four-part structure, the set angle is 90 degrees. Of course, in addition, an input signal with an irregular phase difference can be applied to each of the split elements (111). The phase controller (120c) can output four input signals adjusted to different phases for one input signal, or can receive the same input signal for each port, adjust each to a different phase, and individually output them.

The phase difference varies depending on the number of divided ultrasonic apertures, so in the regular case it can have 360 degrees/N, but irregular phase differences are also possible. Since the embodiment of the present invention exemplifies a four-divided structure, it shows one example in which the phase of the input signal applied to each divided element (111) is changed at 90-degree intervals (0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees).

In this way, by dividing the aperture of the converter into multiple elements and changing the phase of the electric signal applied to each of the divided elements (111) at regular intervals, the transmitted and received ultrasonic beam can be vortex rotated. In this case, the rotation speed of the vortex beam can be controlled by adjusting the phase pattern applied to the divided aperture.

Here, in the structure (c) of Fig. 3, if the phase difference between the divided elements becomes 180 degrees, the beam can be fixed and the focus can be split laterally as in (b) of Fig. 2. For example, if four divided elements are divided into two groups of two each as in (b) of Fig. 1 and input signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees are applied to the first and second groups, a fixed beam can be generated and multiple foci can be formed in the lateral direction. If multiple foci are to be generated in the lateral and elevation directions simultaneously, groups can be generated by grouping two each of elements located diagonally from the four divided elements and input signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees can be applied.

That is, when input signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees are applied to the elements of the first group and the elements of the second group among the respective split elements (111) by the phase controller (120c) (e.g., an input signal having a phase difference of 0 degrees is applied to the first group and an input signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees is applied to the second group), the piezoelectric element (110a) can provide an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state while generating an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci split laterally.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the vortex rotation speed can be adjusted by controlling the speed of the motor, changing the pattern of the spiral lens, changing the structure of the metalens, or adjusting the phase pattern applied to the split aperture.

The proposed technique is also applicable to multi-curve confocal ultrasound transducers capable of generating multi-focus and multi-frequency signals.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the configuration of an ultrasonic transducer with a multi-curve structure for another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 4, a piezoelectric element (210) for a multi-curve structure and multi-frequency is manufactured by combining a first piezoelectric element (211) (hereinafter, “first element”) capable of generating high-frequency ultrasonic waves with a second piezoelectric element (212) (hereinafter, “second element”) capable of generating low-frequency ultrasonic waves in the periphery thereof, and then connecting electrode patterns so that these elements (211, 212) have a common signal line and a common ground line. At this time, the high frequency can be expressed as a first resonant frequency (f1), and the low frequency can be expressed as a second resonant frequency (f2) (f1>f2).

Here, the first element (211), which is a high-frequency piezoelectric element, can focus on a close focus, and the second element (212), which is a low-frequency piezoelectric element connected to the periphery thereof, can focus on a long-distance focus. By modifying the aperture so that the first element (211) and the second element (212) have different curvatures or using a modified lens, the depth of focus (DOF) in the axial direction can be increased while minimizing the ultrasonic attenuation phenomenon.

That is, since high-frequency ultrasound has a high attenuation phenomenon, a focus is formed at a close distance, and since low-frequency ultrasound has a low attenuation phenomenon, a focus is formed at a long distance. In this way, an ultrasound beam with a further improved depth of focus can be provided based on the first element (211) and the second element (212) designed with different center frequencies and curvatures.

Since the two types of elements (211, 212) are mutually connected to each other by electrodes, when input signals with different center frequencies are mixed and applied through a single signal line, each element (211, 212) can select and transmit/receive an ultrasonic signal corresponding to its own resonant frequency from the applied mixed input signal. In other words, each element itself acts as an individual band pass filter.

Fig. 4 (b) is an ultrasonic transducer including a piezoelectric element having a structure in which the aperture is divided into two compared to (a). When different phases (0 degrees, 180 degrees) are applied to each of the divided surfaces, an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci in the axial direction and multiple foci with the beam divided into two in the lateral direction can be generated.

By applying the proposed vortex rotation technology to a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer having a multi-curve structure such as that of Fig. 4, a vortex rotation beam can be transmitted and received as shown in Fig. 5 below.

Fig. 5 is a drawing showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer for generating a vortex beam based on Fig. 4.

Here, (a) of Fig. 5 utilizes a 'rotary motor' as a beam control means for generating a vortex beam, (b) utilizes a 'spiral lens' or an 'acoustic metalens', and (c) utilizes a 'phase controller' that controls the phase of each input signal of the split aperture. All of the above-mentioned methods can induce a vortex rotating ultrasonic beam.

First, referring to (a) of Fig. 5, the ultrasonic transducer (200-1) includes a piezoelectric element (210) of a multi-curve structure and a motor (220a) connected thereto. As described above, the piezoelectric element (210) is rotated using a rotary motor (220a) so that the ultrasonic beam travels while vortex rotating into the medium.

The piezoelectric element (210) has a concave curved structure and is composed of a first element (211) and a second element (212) formed with different curvatures, thereby having a multi-curved structure. Each of the first element (211) and the second element (212) can be implemented as a single element type or an array element type. In addition, each of the elements (211, 212) can be formed of the same material or different materials.

The first element (211) is formed as a concave curved structure and focuses ultrasonic waves at a first focus (A) position in the front as shown in FIG. 4. Here, the first element (211) is designed to operate at a first resonant frequency (f1). At least one second element (212) is coupled to a periphery centered around the first element (211). At this time, the second element (212) is formed as a concave curved structure with a lower curvature than the first element (211) and focuses ultrasonic waves at a second focus (B) position farther than the first focus (A) position to expand the depth of focus. The second element (212) is designed to operate at a second resonant frequency (f2) different from the first resonant frequency (f1) (f2<f1).

Accordingly, the axial length of the depth of focus can be expanded by designing a multi-curve structure according to the different curvatures of the first and second elements (211, 212), and the lateral width of the depth of focus can be uniformly maintained by utilizing multiple frequencies according to different center frequencies, while minimizing energy loss of the long-distance depth of focus.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to operate two piezoelectric elements (211, 212) simultaneously, a signal (f1+f2) in which the f1 and f2 signals corresponding to the center frequencies of each element are mixed can be used as an input signal.

Accordingly, input signals (f1+f2) having multiple center frequencies in the form of mixed different center frequencies are simultaneously input to the first and second elements (211, 212), and each piezoelectric element (211, 212) selects an ultrasonic signal corresponding to its own resonant frequency from the input signal and transmits and receives it. Depending on the application purpose, a signal having multiple center frequencies may be selectively input.

Each element (211, 212) mechanically vibrates in response to a signal input of a designed resonant frequency to generate an ultrasonic signal of the corresponding frequency, and does not react (operate) to signals of other frequencies. That is, the first element (211) selects and transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal corresponding to f1 in response to an input signal in which f1 and f2 are mixed, and the second element (212) selects and transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal corresponding to f2.

In this way, the first and second elements (211, 212) can physically filter the applied mixed signal by their individual resonance characteristics to separate and transmit and receive only the ultrasonic waves corresponding to the center frequency of each element. That is, even if a mixed signal is input, each element can separate and transmit and receive the ultrasonic waves of f1 and f2. Of course, since the signals applied to the two elements are the same, only one signal generator is required, simplifying the entire system.

In the structure of (a) of Fig. 5, the piezoelectric element (210) directly rotates according to the operation of the motor (220a), which is a beam control means, and provides an ultrasonic beam that vortex rotates to the front medium. The rotation speed of the vortex beam can be controlled according to the rotation speed of the motor.

The ultrasonic transducer (200-2) shown in (b) of Fig. 5 includes a piezoelectric element (210) having a multi-curved structure and a lens (220b) (spiral lens or acoustic meta-lens) arranged in front or in front of the piezoelectric element, and vortex-rotates a multi-frequency and multi-focus ultrasonic beam output to the front of the piezoelectric element (210) by utilizing the lens (220b) instead of the motor (220a). In this case, the rotation speed of the vortex beam can be determined by the spiral pattern of the lens or the morphological structure of the acoustic meta-lens.

The ultrasonic transducer (200-3) shown in (c) of Fig. 5, unlike (a), has a structure including a piezoelectric element (210a) whose aperture is divided into N and a phase controller (220c) which is a beam control means. Here, the piezoelectric element (210a) exemplifies a structure in which the aperture is divided into four (N=4) as shown in the figure on the right. It can be seen that the piezoelectric element (210a) is divided into four cross-shaped planes with the aperture based on the center of the first element (211).

At this time, the phase controller (220c) adjusts the phase of the input signal generated from the signal generator (230) to apply an input signal with a regular phase difference at a set angle (360 degrees/N) interval to each of the divided aperture surfaces of the piezoelectric element (210a), or to apply an input signal with an irregular phase difference. Fig. 5 (c) exemplifies a four-division structure, and thus shows one example in which the phase of the input signal applied to each of the four divided surfaces is changed at 90-degree intervals (0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees). Of course, the phase difference varies depending on the number of divided ultrasonic apertures, and an irregular phase difference is also possible.

Here, of course, in the structure of (c) of Fig. 5, the piezoelectric element (210a) can provide an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state when an input signal of the same phase is applied to each divided surface by a phase controller (220c), but can generate an ultrasonic beam having multiple foci in the axial direction.

In addition, when input signals having a phase difference of 180 degrees are applied to the first group face and the second group face among each of the divided faces, an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state is provided, but an ultrasonic beam having axial multi-focus and lateral multi-focus can be generated simultaneously, as in the case of (b) of Fig. 5.

For example, if four areas are divided into two groups of two each, a signal with a phase of 0 degrees can be applied to the area of the first group, and a signal with a phase of 180 degrees can be applied to the area of the second group. That is, if a signal with a phase difference of 180 degrees is applied to the doubly divided ultrasonic transducer as in (b) of Fig. 5, a laterally divided focus can be generated. This can expand the focus area, thereby increasing the therapeutic effect of therapeutic ultrasound.

Meanwhile, the ultrasonic transducer structure may be composed of a general single-layer piezoelectric element, but may also be composed of a polarization reversal piezoelectric element structure as shown in Fig. 6 below.

Fig. 6 is a drawing explaining the appearance of the polarization reversal structure applied to Figs. 2 and 3. Here, Fig. 6 (a) is the appearance of Fig. 2 (a) with the polarization reversal structure applied, and (b)-(d) are the appearances of Fig. 3 with the polarization reversal structure applied.

In this way, the piezoelectric element implemented with a polarization inversion structure has a polarization inversion structure in which the inversion layer element (→ marked portion) and the non-inversion layer element (← marked portion) with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth according to the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic signal, thereby enabling adjustment of the ratio of the inversion layer and the non-inversion layer and adjustment of the acoustic impedance.

In general, polarization reversal technology is a technology that uses a structure in which two piezoelectric elements with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth with respect to the direction of propagation of the ultrasound signal. By using this, multiple frequency components are generated from the piezoelectric elements to which polarization reversal technology is applied and focused on the tissue surface.

A model in which the piezoelectric elements are arranged with their polarizations reversed, as in Fig. 6 (a), has the characteristics of being able to widen the bandwidth or generate the first and second harmonics simultaneously depending on the thickness ratio of the elements. If the proposed technology is applied to a polarization-reversing ultrasonic transducer, as in Fig. 6 (a), various combinations of vortex rotating ultrasonic beams can be generated, as in Figs. 6 (b)-(d). In addition, if a signal line with a 180-degree phase difference is applied to an ultrasonic transducer with a divided aperture, as in Fig. 6 (d), a focal area divided laterally can be generated.

Of course, the same principle and polarization reversal structure can be applied to the piezoelectric elements of the multi-curve structures of FIGS. 4 and 5. In this case, since both elements of different curvatures that constitute the piezoelectric element are implemented with a polarization reversal structure, multi-frequency characteristics can appear at multiple foci. For example, in the first element (211) at the center, two center frequency signals (e.g., f1 and 2×f1) can be generated simultaneously instead of single according to the polarization reversal structure and focused at the first focal position, and in the second element (212), two center frequency signals (e.g., f2 and 2×f2) can be generated simultaneously according to the polarization reversal structure and focused at the second focal position.

When generating a vortex beam for all ultrasonic transducers, the motor, spiral lens/acoustic metalens, and phase difference methods can operate independently or in combination. Among the methods for generating a vortex beam, in order to control the rotation speed, the motor speed can be controlled, the spiral pattern can be modified, or the phase difference can be controlled to change uniformly or non-uniformly.

FIG. 7 is a drawing exemplarily showing the structure of an ultrasonic transducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasonic transducer (300) shown in Fig. 7 is a structure in which a motor (120a'), a lens (120b'), and a rigid housing (140; 140a to 140c) are combined with a four-segmented piezoelectric element (110a) shown in Fig. 3(c), and at this time, the configuration of a signal generator (130) that applies a signal to each segmented element (111) of Fig. 3(c) and a phase controller (120c) that adjusts the signal phase are omitted.

This drawing 7 shows a structure that can change the rotational force and beam pattern of a vortex ultrasonic beam by using a motor (120a'), a piezoelectric element (110a), a lens (120b'), and a rifling housing (140).

A motor (120a') mounted on the rear of a piezoelectric element (110a) directly rotates the piezoelectric element (110a), and a lens (120b') positioned in front of the piezoelectric element is implemented as a spiral lens or an acoustic meta lens and vortex-rotates a beam according to a spiral pattern or morphological structure. A steel wire-shaped housing (140) positioned in front of the lens (120b) has a spiral steel wire formed along its inner surface as a space through which an ultrasonic beam passing through the lens (120b') passes and is output, thereby inducing rotation of the beam.

Here, the steel wire housing (140) can be implemented in a total of three types, and can be implemented in any one of the following forms: a straight type (140b) with a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction, a focused type (140a) with a narrower inner diameter toward the front, and a radial type (140c) with a wider inner diameter toward the front.

In this way, depending on the design of each element to be combined, the vortex ultrasound beam can be focused, uniformly propagated, or radially spread, all of which have strong penetrability due to vortex rotation. The technology shown in Fig. 7 can also be applied to the piezoelectric element (210a) of Fig. 5(c) having a configuration of a piezoelectric element with a divided aperture, in which a structure in which a motor (120a'), a lens (120b'), and a rigid housing (140; 140a to 140c) are combined as described above.

Hereinafter, an ultrasonic system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. The ultrasonic system illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 is implemented based on an ultrasonic transducer structure composed of a piezoelectric element with N divided apertures, i.e., a piezoelectric element with a divided structure, and has a structure capable of generating a vortex beam by applying signals having different phase differences to the N divided elements.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the structure of an ultrasonic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an ultrasonic system that can generate a vortex beam by applying an electric signal to an ultrasonic transducer having a multi-curve structure and consisting of four split elements so that the phase difference between adjacent elements is 90 degrees. All other rotating beam models can have similar structures.

Referring to FIG. 8, the ultrasonic system (400) includes an ultrasonic transducer (210a), a signal generator (230), a phase controller (220), and a transmission amplifier (240). Here, the ultrasonic transducer (210a) is composed of a central piezoelectric element (211) and peripheral piezoelectric elements (212) coupled to the periphery thereof, and has a structure in which the aperture is divided into N parts as shown in the figure on the right. This FIG. 8 is based on the structure mentioned above in FIG. 5(c) and exemplifies a structure in which the aperture is divided into four parts as shown in the aperture plan view on the right side of FIG. 8. Here, the central piezoelectric element (211) is designed to operate at a first resonant frequency (f1) and the peripheral piezoelectric elements (212) are designed to operate at a second resonant frequency (f2) (f1>f2).

The signal generator (230) generates an input signal (f1+f2) having multiple center frequencies in the form of mixed different center frequencies. The signal generator (230) corresponds to a mixed signal generator. The input signal having multiple center frequencies is simultaneously applied to the center and peripheral piezoelectric elements (211, 212). Of course, depending on the operation of the signal generator (230), the input signal (f1+f2) having multiple center frequencies may be selectively applied to either the center piezoelectric element or the peripheral piezoelectric element.

The phase controller (220) controls the phase of the input signal generated from the signal generator (240) so that an input signal having a regular phase difference is applied to each divided surface of the piezoelectric element (210a) at a set angle (360 degrees/N; 90 degrees). Of course, an input signal having an irregular phase difference may be applied to each divided surface depending on the phase control. The transmission amplifier (240) amplifies each input signal whose phase is controlled at a set interval through the phase controller (220) and applies it to each divided surface.

In this way, the signal generator (230) mixes and generates signals corresponding to the resonant frequencies of the multiple elements constituting the element, adjusts the phase difference between the divided aperture surfaces through the phase controller (220), amplifies the signal through the transmission amplifier (240), and then connects it to each of the divided transducers to generate a vortex beam ultrasonic wave.

These vortex beam ultrasounds can be used to physically stimulate the cochlea to help with the circulation of the inner fluid, or to improve hearing impairment through auditory nerve stimulation. Meanwhile, the transmitted and received ultrasound signals can be implemented as elastic signals and elastic images as well as B-mode (brightness mode) images to check for swelling of the inner ear, especially the cochlea.

To this end, as shown in FIG. 9 described below, the received ultrasonic signal can be amplified and B-mode and elasticity images can be implemented through a signal processor (270). At this time, B-scan for obtaining a vertical cross-section of the target relative to the direction of the ultrasonic transducer aperture and C-scan for obtaining a horizontal cross-section can be selected through the scan mode controller (250). In the case of C-scan, since a close-range image is possible, surface B-mode and elasticity images can be implemented.

FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating the structure of an ultrasound imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasound imaging system (500) is a system that transmits and receives ultrasound into the ear to create an image, and includes an ultrasound transducer (210a), a signal generator (230), a phase controller (220), a mode controller (250), and a signal processor (270), and may further include a transmitting amplifier (240), a receiving amplifier (260), and a display (280).

The ultrasonic transducer (210a) includes a piezoelectric element composed of a plurality of split elements. Fig. 9 shows a piezoelectric element composed of four split elements, with the aperture shown in Fig. 5(c) divided into four. Of course, in addition to Fig. 5(c), a piezoelectric element with a four-split structure, such as Fig. 3(c), may be applied.

In this way, the ultrasonic transducer (210a) for the ultrasonic imaging system includes a piezoelectric element composed of a plurality of segmented elements, and transmits an ultrasonic signal generated by the piezoelectric element to the inner ear tissue, which is a target portion inside the ear, and then receives a reflected signal. That is, the piezoelectric element has a plurality of segmented elements with segmented apertures.

Here, the ultrasonic transducer (210a) shown in Fig. 9 has a structure in which the aperture is divided into four as in Fig. 5(c) and has a multi-curve structure by a central piezoelectric element (211) and peripheral piezoelectric elements (212). Of course, the ultrasonic transducer structure applied to the system (500) of Fig. 9 is not necessarily limited to the form described above, and a structure of a piezoelectric element (110a) divided into four as in Fig. 3(c) may be applied.

A signal generator (240) generates an input signal, and a phase controller (220) adjusts the phase of the input signal and applies it to four segment elements. At this time, the phase of the input signal generated from the signal generator (240) can be adjusted so that an input signal having a regular phase difference is applied at intervals of a set angle (360 degrees/N; 90 degrees) to each segment surface of the piezoelectric element (210a).

The mode controller (250) can control the movement of the ultrasonic transducer (210a) so that the ultrasonic transducer (210a) moves in a direction corresponding to the B-scan mode and the C-scan mode. For example, the mode controller (250) can scan the target (inner ear tissue) by moving the ultrasonic transducer (210a) in the horizontal plane in the axial direction and the lateral direction in the case of the B-scan mode, and in the vertical plane in the elevation direction and the lateral direction in the case of the C-scan mode.

The receiving amplifier (260) amplifies the reflected signal and transmits it to the signal processor (270), and the signal processor (270) analyzes the amplified reflected signal to produce a B-mode image and an elasticity image of the inner ear tissue, which can be transmitted to the display (280).

Ultrasonic elasticity images of the inner ear are implemented based on acoustic radiation power, and a structure such as that in Fig. 10 can be used to enhance the acoustic radiation power.

FIG. 10 is a drawing explaining an example of beam formation through a piezoelectric element of a split structure applied to an ultrasonic imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 (a) shows an ultrasonic transducer formed of a single piezoelectric element in the same state as FIG. 2, and FIG. 10 (b) is based on an ultrasonic transducer structure formed of a piezoelectric element with a split diameter as in FIG. 3 (c).

The aperture of the ultrasonic transducer can be divided into two or four elements, each of which can be independently excited by an electrical signal with different phase and amplitude conditions to change the pattern of focal spot generation.

For example, when the phase of the driving signal for all elements is the same, a single focus is generated as in (a) of Fig. 10, and when the phase of the driving signal has a specific pattern, multiple focuses are generated and vortex rotation is also possible. This technology can be applied to the implementation of acoustic radiation force-based elasticity imaging to greatly increase the resolution.

As shown in Fig. 10(b), the aperture of the proposed ultrasonic transducer can be composed of four rectangular elements with a spherical focal shape capable of generating multi-focus ultrasound. For the pushing signal, each element can be activated by input signals with a phase difference of 90 degrees. This configuration can generate four independent foci in the lateral and elevation directions or generate a vortex rotating beam to greatly increase the energy of the pushing signal.

FIG. 11 is a drawing explaining a method for obtaining an elasticity image based on acoustic radiation force in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a drawing explaining the concepts of B-scan and C-scan.

As shown in FIG. 11, the signal generator (230) can sequentially drive a first driving mode that applies a reference signal that serves as a starting point for measuring the amount of movement of a medium, a second driving mode that applies a pushing signal in the form of a multi-focus or vortex rotation for shaking the medium, and a third driving mode that applies a detection signal having the same signal type as the first driving mode immediately after applying the pushing signal.

At this time, the first and third driving modes may be a same-phase mode that applies input signals of the same phase to the plurality of split elements, and the second driving mode may be a vortex rotation mode that applies input signals of different phases to the plurality of split elements to generate a vortex rotation beam.

In addition, in this case, the signal processor (270) in FIG. 9 can measure the amount of movement of the medium surface and calculate elasticity corresponding to the amount of movement by comparing the second ultrasonic reception signal acquired when the detection signal is applied with the first ultrasonic reception signal acquired when the reference signal is applied.

That is, as shown in Fig. 11, first, a signal of the same phase is transmitted and received to be used as a reference image signal, and then a pushing signal that generates multiple focuses or a pushing signal that rotates a vortex is transmitted to induce movement of the target. The multiple focuses and rotation effects can significantly induce movement of the target by increasing the transmitted ultrasonic energy.

Next, when transmitting and receiving tracking signals of the same phase, a single focus is generated, which can increase the resolution of the elasticity image as shown in Fig. 11. That is, as shown in Fig. 11, the spherical Cyst target is not clearly visible in the B-mode image. In the case of elasticity images using general pushing signals and tracking signals of the same phase, the Cyst target is visible in the center, but the shape is not clear, which is a problem. However, when the proposed method, that is, the pushing signal with multiple focuses and the vortex rotating and the tracking signal of the same phase are used continuously, the Cyst with a clear shape is visible. That is, it can be confirmed that the resolution of the acoustic radiation force-based elasticity image is significantly increased when the proposed method is applied.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 12, the proposed method can provide not only a B-scan image perpendicular to the ultrasound transducer aperture plane but also a C-scan image horizontal to the ultrasound transducer aperture plane. In other words, a surface elasticity image of the inner ear structure can also be provided.

As described above, the present invention proposes a high-performance air-coupled ultrasound probe technology dedicated to ear diseases that can effectively enhance hearing function and visualize inner ear structures through physical stimulation of inner ear tissues including the auditory nerve based on ultrasonic energy.

The proposed ultrasonic transducer specifically for ear diseases generates a vortex beam and has controllable rotation speed, which can significantly increase the transmission and reception energy in the air compared to a typical ultrasonic transducer that generates a fixed beam.

According to the present invention, an ultrasonic transducer is provided, which comprises a piezoelectric element that generates an ultrasonic beam by an input signal, and a beam control means connected to the piezoelectric element or arranged in front of the piezoelectric element to generate an ultrasonic beam generated from the piezoelectric element into a vortex beam in the form of an eddy current, wherein the piezoelectric element provides an ultrasonic beam that vortex rotates to a medium in front by the beam control means.

According to the present invention, by vortex-rotating a transmitted and received ultrasonic beam in the form of a vortex, and generating a synergistic effect with the rotational kinetic energy generated at this time, that is, angular momentum and propagation energy, the transmitted and received energy, focusing power, and penetrability can be greatly increased compared to a conventional fixed beam-based ultrasonic transducer, so that sufficient ultrasonic energy can be transmitted for the diagnosis and treatment of the inner ear structure located inside the tympanic membrane and surrounded by air and bone.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

10: Ultrasonic probe module 100,200,300: Ultrasonic transducer
110,110a,210,210a: Piezoelectric element 120a,220a: Motor
120b,220b: Lens 120c,220c: Phase adjuster
130,230: Signal generator 211: First piezoelectric element
212: Second piezoelectric element 240: Transmitter amplifier

Claims (26)

delete delete delete delete In an air-coupled ultrasound probe module including an ultrasound transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear,
The above ultrasonic transducer is,
A piezoelectric element comprising a plurality of split elements and generating an ultrasonic beam by an input signal; and
A beam control means corresponding to a phase controller connected to the piezoelectric element or arranged in front of the piezoelectric element, for controlling the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator to apply input signals of different phases to the plurality of split elements, thereby generating an ultrasonic beam generated from the piezoelectric element as a vortex beam in the form of a vortex current,
The above piezoelectric element,
An ultrasound probe module that provides a vortex-rotating ultrasound beam to the inner ear tissues inside the ear by the above beam control means. In claim 5,
Each of the above plurality of split elements may be composed of piezoelectric elements of the same or different types,
An ultrasonic probe module implemented as a single element type or an array element type. In claim 5,
The above beam control means,
An ultrasonic probe module that applies an input signal having a regular phase difference or an input signal having an irregular phase difference to each of N segmented elements at set angles (360 degrees/N). In claim 5,
When an input signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees is applied to the first group of elements and the second group of elements among the respective split elements by the above beam control means,
The above piezoelectric element,
An ultrasonic probe module that provides an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state but generates an ultrasonic beam having multiple focal points split laterally. In claim 5,
A motor mounted on the rear of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element;
A spiral lens or acoustic metalens arranged in front of the piezoelectric element to vortex-rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element; and
An ultrasonic probe module further comprising a steel wire-shaped housing arranged in front of the spiral lens or negative meta lens, wherein an ultrasonic beam passing through the lens penetrates the inside and is output, and a spiral steel wire is formed along the inner surface. In claim 9,
The above-mentioned steel wire housing,
An ultrasonic probe module implemented in one of the following forms: a straight type with a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction, a focused type with a narrower inner diameter toward the front, and a radial type with a wider inner diameter toward the front. In any one of claims 5 to 10,
The above piezoelectric element,
It has a polarization reversal structure in which the inverted layer elements and the non-inverted layer elements with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth according to the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic signal.
An ultrasonic probe module that simultaneously generates multiple frequency signals from the piezoelectric element according to a polarization reversal structure. In an air-coupled ultrasound probe module including an ultrasound transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear,
The above ultrasonic transducer is,
A piezoelectric element comprising: a first element that generates an ultrasonic beam by an input signal, is formed as a concave curved structure and focuses the ultrasonic wave at a first focal position in the front, and at least one second element that is formed as a concave curved structure with a lower curvature than the first element and is coupled to a peripheral portion centered on the first element and focuses the ultrasonic wave at a second focal position farther than the first focal position to expand the depth of focus, and whose aperture is divided into N surfaces based on the center of the first element; and
A beam control means is included, which is connected to the piezoelectric element or is arranged in front of the piezoelectric element, and controls the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator to apply input signals of different phases to each divided surface of the piezoelectric element, thereby generating an ultrasonic beam generated from the piezoelectric element as a vortex beam in the form of a vortex current.
The first and second elements are designed to operate at different first and second resonant frequencies,
The above piezoelectric element,
An ultrasound probe module that provides a vortex-rotating ultrasound beam to the inner ear tissues inside the ear by the above beam control means. In claim 12,
The above first and second elements,
An ultrasonic probe module that simultaneously inputs multiple center frequencies in the form of mixed center frequencies, and selects and transmits an ultrasonic signal corresponding to its own resonant frequency from the input signals. In claim 12,
The above beam control means,
An ultrasonic probe module including at least one of a motor mounted on the rear side of the piezoelectric element and directly rotating the piezoelectric element, and a spiral lens or an acoustic metalens positioned on the front side of the piezoelectric element and vortex-rotating an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element. In claim 12,
Each of the first and second elements may be composed of piezoelectric elements of the same or different types.
An ultrasonic probe module implemented as a single element type or an array element type. In claim 13,
The above piezoelectric element,
The diameter is divided into N surfaces based on the center of the first element,
The above beam control means,
An ultrasonic probe module that applies input signals of different phases to each split surface of the piezoelectric element by controlling the phase of an input signal generated from a signal generator, and applies input signals having regular phase differences or input signals having irregular phase differences to each split surface of the piezoelectric element at set angles (360 degrees/N). In claim 16,
The above piezoelectric element,
When an input signal of the same phase is applied to each split surface by the above beam control means, an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state is provided, but an ultrasonic beam having multiple focuses in the axial direction is generated,
An ultrasonic probe module that provides an ultrasonic beam in a fixed beam state when an input signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees is applied to a first group of faces and a second group of faces among each of the divided faces by the beam control means, but generates an ultrasonic beam having both axial and lateral multiple foci. In claim 16,
A motor mounted on the rear of the piezoelectric element to directly rotate the piezoelectric element;
A spiral lens or acoustic metalens arranged in front of the piezoelectric element to vortex-rotate an ultrasonic beam output from the piezoelectric element; and
An ultrasonic probe module further comprising a steel wire-shaped housing arranged in front of the spiral lens or negative meta lens, wherein an ultrasonic beam passing through the lens penetrates the inside and is output, and a spiral steel wire is formed along the inner surface. In claim 18,
The above-mentioned steel wire housing,
An ultrasonic probe module implemented in one of the following forms: a straight type with a constant inner diameter in the longitudinal direction, a focused type with a narrower inner diameter toward the front, and a radial type with a wider inner diameter toward the front. In any one of claims 12 to 17,
Each of the first and second elements,
It has a polarization reversal structure in which the inverted layer elements and the non-inverted layer elements with opposite polarization directions are connected back and forth according to the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic signal.
An ultrasonic probe module that simultaneously generates multiple frequency signals from the piezoelectric element according to a polarization reversal structure. In an ultrasound system for examining by transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear,
An ultrasonic transducer comprising a central piezoelectric element formed in a concave curved structure and focusing ultrasound on a first focus position in the front, and at least one peripheral piezoelectric element formed in a concave curved structure with a lower curvature than that of the central piezoelectric element and coupled to the periphery thereof to focus ultrasound on a second focus position further than the first focus position to expand the depth of focus, the ultrasonic transducer having an aperture divided into N surfaces;
A signal generator for generating an input signal having multiple center frequencies in the form of mixed different center frequencies; and
An ultrasonic system including a phase controller that controls the phase of an input signal generated from the signal generator so as to apply an input signal having a regular phase difference at set angles (360 degrees/N) to each divided surface of the piezoelectric element or to apply an input signal having an irregular phase difference. In claim 21,
An ultrasonic system wherein the central piezoelectric element and the peripheral piezoelectric elements are designed to operate at different first and second resonant frequencies. In an imaging system for examining by transmitting and receiving ultrasound into the ear,
An ultrasonic transducer comprising a piezoelectric element having a plurality of segmented elements divided into N surfaces, and transmitting an ultrasonic signal generated by the piezoelectric element to an inner ear tissue, which is a target portion inside the ear, and then receiving a reflected signal;
A signal generator that generates an input signal;
A phase controller which is a beam control means for controlling the phase of the input signal and applying it to the plurality of splitting elements;
A mode controller for controlling the movement of the ultrasonic transducer so that the ultrasonic transducer moves in a direction corresponding to the B-scan mode and the C-scan mode; and
An inner ear ultrasound imaging system including a signal processor that analyzes the reflected signal to produce a B-mode image and an elastic signal, an elastic image of the interior or surface of the inner ear tissue. In claim 23,
The above signal generator,
An inner ear ultrasound imaging system that sequentially operates a first driving mode that applies a reference signal that serves as a starting point for measuring the amount of movement of a medium, a second driving mode that applies a pushing signal in the form of a multi-focus or vortex rotation for shaking the medium, and a third driving mode that applies a detection signal having the same signal type as the first driving mode immediately after applying the pushing signal. In claim 24,
The above signal processor,
An inner ear ultrasound imaging system that measures the amount of movement of a medium surface by comparing a second ultrasonic reflection signal acquired when the detection signal is applied with a first ultrasonic reflection signal acquired when the reference signal is applied, and calculates elasticity corresponding to the amount of movement. In claim 24,
The above first and third driving modes are,
It is a same-phase mode that applies input signals of the same phase to the above multiple split elements,
The above second driving mode is,
An intra-auricular ultrasound imaging system that generates a vortex rotating beam by applying input signals of different phases to the plurality of split elements.