ULTRASONIC PROBE AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING ULTRASONIC IMAGE

Abstract

The ultrasonic probe comprises an ultrasonic transducer section in which a plural of ultrasonic transducers arranged in a row in the scanning direction, an acoustic lens and a low attenuation medium, and further comprises a probe shell housing the ultrasonic transducer section, acoustic lens, and low attenuation medium. In the probe shell, the low attenuation medium is located at the top end (contact surface with a subject to be examined) of the ultrasonic probe, and the low attenuation medium, acoustic lens, and ultrasonic transducer section are located in order. In this way, the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer section are converged by the acoustic lens and transmitted outside the probe shell through the low attenuation medium. The reflection waves from the subject to be examined are received by the ultrasonic transducer section through the low attenuation medium.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to prior art.

FIG. 2A indicates the sound field distribution of ultrasonic waves radiated from the surface of the ultrasonic probe according to prior art.

FIG. 2B represents a graph showing the sound pressure of ultrasonic waves at a position of distance x from the surface of the ultrasonic probe according to prior art.

FIG. 3A represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B represents a side view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 indicates the sound field distribution of ultrasonic waves to be transmitted or received by the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and viewed from the scanning direction.

FIG. 6 A represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 B represents a side view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 represents a front view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the ninth Embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 represents a perspective view showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic probe according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 represents a block chart showing the outline constitution of the head side of the ultrasonic wave image processing device according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe comprising: an ultrasonic transducer section having a plural of ultrasonic transducers wherein ultrasonic waves are transmitted to a subject to be examined and the reflection waves are received from said subject to be examined;a low attenuation medium; anda probe shell housing said low attenuation medium and said ultrasonic transducer section, said low attenuation medium locating at the contact surface side of said subject to be examined;wherein said ultrasonic transducer section transmits ultrasonic waves to said subject to be examined and receives the reflection waves from said subject to be examined through said low attenuation medium.

2. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 further comprising: a convergence component for converging ultrasonic waves, whereinsaid ultrasonic transducer section having said plural of ultrasonic transducers provided in a row in the scanning direction, transmitting ultrasonic waves to said subject to be examined and receiving the reflection waves from said subject to be examined;said convergence component converges said ultrasonic waves to be transmitted and received in the slice direction perpendicular to said scanning direction; andsaid probe shell houses said low attenuation medium, said convergence component and said ultrasonic transducer section in order, said low attenuation medium locating at the contact surface side of subject to be examined.

3. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: the position of the contact surface side with said test body substantially equals the position of the focus of said ultrasonic waves.

4. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: said low attenuation medium is tapered toward said contact surface side.

5. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein: the area of a first surface of the low attenuation medium facing said convergence component is larger than the area of a second surface of the low attenuation medium located opposing said first surface.

6. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: the width of said low attenuation medium gradually narrows toward said contact surface side in said slice direction.

7. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: the attenuation rate of the ultrasonic waves of said low attenuation medium counts at 0.2 [dB/mm·MHz] or less.

8. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: said low attenuation medium is a solid body.

9. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein: said low attenuation medium is constituted including resin.

10. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising: a puncture needle guide installed in said low attenuation medium to guide the puncture needle into said subject to be examined.

11. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 10 further comprising: a convergence component for converging ultrasonic waves, wherein;said ultrasonic transducer section having said plural of ultrasonic transducers provided in a row in the scanning direction that transmits ultrasonic waves to said subject to be examined and receives the reflection waves from said subject to be examined;said convergence component converges said ultrasonic waves to be transmitted and received in the slice direction perpendicular to said scanning direction;said probe shell houses said low attenuation medium, said convergence component, and said ultrasonic transducer section in order, said low attenuation medium locating at the contact surface side of said subject to be examined; andsaid puncture needle guide is installed to guide said puncture needle in parallel to the plane including said transmission direction and said scanning direction.

12. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, wherein: said puncture needle guide is installed to guide said puncture needle in a direction perpendicular to said scanning direction and also in perpendicular to said slice direction.

13. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, wherein: said puncture needle guide is installed near the center position of said slice direction on said contact surface side of said low attenuation medium.

14. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, wherein: said puncture needle guide is installed such that it is in parallel to the plane including said transmission direction and said scanning direction.

15. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 10, wherein: said puncture needle guide is installed covering from the side surface of said low attenuation medium to said contact surface side of said low attenuation medium.

16. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 10, wherein; a concave part in the shape of a notch is formed on said low attenuation medium,said puncture needle guide is provided on a coupling part to couple with said concave part, andsaid puncture needle guide is placed on said low attenuation medium by the coupling of said coupling part with said concave part.

17. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, wherein: said low attenuation medium has a surface with a concave face at said contact surface side, and the width of said scanning direction is gradually widened from the surface contacting said convergence component to said contact surface side.

18. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, wherein: the contact surface side of said low attenuation medium is convex.

19. An ultrasonic probe comprising: an ultrasonic transducer section with ultrasonic transducers installed in a row in the scanning direction that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject to be examined and receives the reflection waves from said subject to be examined;a convergence component for converging the ultrasonic waves to be transmitted and received in the slice direction perpendicular to said scanning direction;a low attenuation medium in solid state formed such that it is tapered toward the contact surface side of said subject to be examined;and a probe shell housing said low attenuation medium, said convergence component and said ultrasonic transducer section in order, said low attenuation medium locating at the contact surface side of said subject to be examined, wherein;said ultrasonic transducer section transmits ultrasonic wave to said subject to be examined and receives the reflection waves from said subject to be examined through said low attenuation medium,and the position of the top end of the contact surface side to said subject to be examined substantially equal the position of the focus of ultrasonic wave.

20. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 19 further comprising; a puncture needle guide installed on said low attenuation medium such that said puncture needle is parallel to the plane including said transmission direction and said scanning direction to guide to said subject to be examined.

21. An apparatus for obtaining an ultrasonic image comprising: an ultrasonic transducer section arranged with a plural of ultrasonic transducers that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject to be examined and receive the reflection waves from said subject to be examined;a low attenuation medium; anda probe shell housing said low attenuation medium and said ultrasonic transducer section, said low attenuation medium locating at the contact surface side of said subject to be examined, wherein:said ultrasonic transducer section has an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to said subject to be examined through said low attenuation medium and receives the reflection waves from said subject to be examined;a transmission/reception section that makes said ultrasonic probe transmit ultrasonic waves and receives the reflection waves received by said ultrasonic probe; andan image processing section producing an ultrasonic wave image data according to the output from said transmission/reception section.

22. An apparatus for obtaining an ultrasonic image according to claim 21 further comprising: a puncture needle guide installed on said low attenuation medium to guide the puncture needle into said subject to be examined.

23. An apparatus for obtaining an ultrasonic image according to claim 21, wherein: said transmission/reception section makes said ultrasonic probe transmit ultrasonic waves at a transmission output level by setting the temperature at the contact surface side with said subject to be examined to within a range between 30° C. and 50° C.