JPS622799A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide easily an electrode without enlarging the width dimensions by providing a plate-shaped printing wiring plate to cross with the horizontal surface at the lower surface of plural ultrasonic vibrators arranged to respective rows or respective columns in correspondence to respective rows or respective columns, and laminating the backing material between respective printing wiring plates. CONSTITUTION:An ultrasonic vibrator 1 arranged plurally in the row and column shape on the horizontal surface, and a printing wiring plate 3 are bonded and fixed through conductive adhesives 4 so as to cross on the horizontal surface to arrange the ultrasonic vibrator 1 on the lower surface of plural ultrasonic vibrators 1 provided corresponding to respective rows or respective columns. The printing wiring plate 3 is arranged corresponding to respective rows or respective columns and has almost the width of the same dimensions as the dimensions in the row direction (A direction of an arrow) or the column direction (B direction of an arrow) of the ultrasonic vibrator 1. At the section of a printing wiring plate 3 provided in such a way, on the lower surface of the ultrasonic vibrator 1, a backing material 2 is provided and and absorbs the ultrasonic wave which occurs from the ultrasonic vibrator 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe that is electrically driven to generate ultrasonic waves into a medium.
The present invention relates to a plurality of ultrasonic probes arranged in a matrix (or in a matrix).

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Various attempts have been made to obtain clearer ultrasound images in ultrasound probes for ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses. Among these, in order to improve the resolution of the ultrasonic transducers, there are, for example, those in which ultrasonic transducers are arranged two-dimensionally. As an example of this, FIG. 4 shows its appearance in a perspective view. In the same figure, each ultrasonic transducer 11a is arranged in a matrix with a predetermined gap, and has horizontal and vertical sizes of Pl and P2, respectively. The ultrasonic absorber 20 is bonded and fixed to the ultrasonic absorber 20 via a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a printed wiring board) 14 whose side is bonded with a conductive adhesive 19 and has printed wiring. On the other hand, a thin metal plate 11 is connected to the second electrode 13 on the upper surface of each ultrasonic transducer 11a using a conductive adhesive, solder, or the like.

In such an ultrasonic probe, since the electrodes are provided in a horizontally extended state as shown in the figure, for example, the ultrasonic transducer 11a is further segmented and the number of elements is increased. Then, as shown in the figure, the number of electrodes protruding horizontally increases, and with this increase, the width of the probe increases, and the wiring pattern printed on the printed wiring board becomes more complex. Its production.

There was a problem that assembly was difficult.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an ultrasonic probe in which electrodes can be easily provided without increasing the width of the ultrasonic probe.

[Summary of the invention]

The outline of the present invention for achieving the above object is to provide an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in rows and columns on a horizontal plane, in which a plurality of ultrasonic vibrations are arranged in each row or column. A plate-shaped printed wiring board intersecting with the horizontal plane is provided on the lower surface of the child in correspondence with each row or column, and a backing material is laminated between the printed wiring boards. .

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention. In the figure, the ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 1 arranged in a matrix on a horizontal plane, and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 1 provided corresponding to each row or column.
A printed wiring board 3 is adhesively fixed to the lower surface of the ultrasonic transducer 1 through a conductive adhesive 4 so as to intersect the horizontal plane on which the ultrasonic transducer 1 is arranged. This printed wiring board 3 is arranged corresponding to each row or each column, and has a width that is approximately the same as the dimension of the ultrasonic transducer l in the row direction (arrow A direction in the figure) or column direction (arrow B direction in the figure). It has the following. A backing material 2 is provided on the lower surface of the ultrasonic transducer l between the printed wiring boards 3 provided in this way, so that it can absorb the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic transducer l. ing.

An embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described below according to the steps for manufacturing this ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. 1 during the manufacturing process. First, a backing material 2, such as a rubber material, and a material on which the printed wiring board 3 can be laminated are prepared. The backing material 2 and the printed wiring board 3 are laminated, for example, in the column direction (direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1), and in a later step, an ultrasonic transducer l is formed by laminating on the upper surface of the backing material 2 and the printed wiring board 3. Since each printed wiring board 3 and each backing material 2 to be laminated are cut according to the process, a hole A is formed in each of the printed wiring boards 3 and each backing material 2 for positioning, so that positioning can be performed by inserting, for example, a rod-shaped member. There is. In addition, when positioning, the backing material 2
and each printed wiring board 3 is bonded.

Next, a conductive adhesive is applied to the upper surface of the backing material 2 and printed wiring board 3 stacked in the column direction.

The ultrasonic transducer 1 shown in the figure is laminated on the surface coated with the conductive adhesive and fixed by adhesive. This ultrasonic vibrator 1
is a piezoelectric ceramic, for example, and electrodes 1a of, for example, a metal thin plate or a metal vapor-deposited film are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric ceramic. After being assembled in this manner, the ultrasonic transducer 1 is cut into predetermined dimensions in the matrix direction shown in FIG. 1 to construct the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention. This example will also be explained below according to the manufacturing process.

An ultrasonic transducer guide 5 is adhered and fixed to the ultrasonic transducer 1, which is provided by laminating and adhering electrodes 1a on both sides, using an adhesive, for example. At this time, in order to prevent the vibration from affecting the ultrasonic transducer guide 5 or the ultrasonic transducer l,
As shown in the figure, the electrode 1a is not provided on the surface to be attached to the ultrasonic transducer guide, so that the ultrasonic transducer in that part is not vibrated. Next, the conductive adhesive 4 described above is applied to the lower surface of the printed wiring board 3, and the sides of the printed wiring board 3 are fitted into the grooves 5a provided on the inner surface of the ultrasonic transducer guide 5 described above. It is moved downward and adhesively fixed to the electrode 1a provided on the upper surface of the ultrasonic transducer 1. Next, a liquid casting banking material, for example, is poured into the structure formed by pasting the ultrasonic transducer guide 5 and the ultrasonic transducer 1, and is hardened over a predetermined period of time. after that,
As explained in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic transducer 1 is cut and assembled.

In addition to the present embodiment described above, for example, first the ultrasonic transducer guide 5 and the printed wiring board 3 are assembled, then a backing material for casting is injected and cured, and then a conductive layer is placed on the lower surface of the printed wiring board 3. The ultrasonic transducer 1 may be fixed to the ultrasonic transducer 1 by applying an adhesive 4. In any of the embodiments described above, a ground wire lead-out, an acoustic matching layer, and an acoustic lens (none of which are shown) are provided in the subsequent process.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various modifications within the scope of the invention.According to the present invention, the number of each ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic probe Even if the resolution is increased by increasing the number of ultrasonic transducers, the width of the ultrasonic probe does not need to be increased, and it is possible to prevent the wiring from becoming complicated due to an increase in the number of ultrasonic transducers. A compact ultrasonic probe can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view 1 of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly of the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly of the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing an example of a conventional ultrasonic probe. 1... Ultrasonic vibrator, 2... Backing material, 3...
・Printed wiring board. OQ to representative patent attorney Kensuke Chika (and one other person) Figure 4 old 18

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in a matrix on a horizontal plane, a plate-shaped print intersecting the horizontal plane on the lower surface of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in each row or each column. An ultrasonic probe characterized in that wiring boards are provided corresponding to each of the rows or columns, and a backing material is laminated between the printed wiring boards.