Ultrasonic transducer, ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic detection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11642105-B2
Application number	US-202017120235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2020
Priority date	Jun 12, 2018
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer ( 200 ) includes: a piezoelectric vibrator assembly ( 10 ), an acoustic matching layer ( 20 ), a heat sink ( 30 ), and an acoustic absorption layer ( 40 ). The heat sink ( 30 ) comprises a body ( 31 ), and a head portion ( 32 ) and a tail portion ( 33 ). The body ( 31 ) has a central axis extending in a direction from the head portion ( 32 ) to the tail portion ( 33 ). A surface of the tail portion ( 33 ) of the heat sink ( 30 ) disposed away from the head portion ( 32 ) is a first surface ( 331 ). The first surface ( 331 ) is an oblique surface or a tapered surface. The angle between the first surface ( 331 ) and the central axis is an acute angle. The acoustic absorption layer ( 40 ) at least covers the first surface ( 331 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic transducer, comprising:
a piezoelectric-vibrator assembly, having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side and comprising one or more piezoelectric vibrators, wherein the one or more piezoelectric vibrators extend from the first side to the second side;
an acoustic matching layer, arranged on the first side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly;
a heat sink, arranged on the second side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly and comprising:
a body, having a central axis;
a head portion, disposed at one end of the body and facing towards the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly; and
a tail portion, disposed at another end of the body opposite to the head portion and facing away from the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly, wherein the central axis extends in a direction from the head portion to the tail portion; the tail portion comprises a first surface disposed at one side of the tail portion facing away from the head portion, the first surface is an oblique surface or a tapered surface, and an angle between the first surface and the central axis is an acute angle; and

an acoustic-absorption layer, covering at least the first surface,
wherein the tail portion further comprises a side wall connected to the first surface, the first surface is configured to refract a part of ultrasonic waves to the acoustic-absorption layer and reflect another part of the ultrasonic waves to the side wall; and
the acoustic-absorption layer is configured to receive the part of the ultrasonic waves refracted by the first surface.

2. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the oblique surface comprises at least one inclined sub-surface, and an angle between each of the at least one inclined sub-surface and the central axis of the body is an acute angle.

3. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the oblique surface comprises a pair of inclined sub-surfaces intersecting with each other at a straight line and gradually extending away from each other in a direction from the tail portion to the head portion, an angle between the pair of inclined sub-surfaces is an acute angle, and an angle between each of the pair of inclined sub-surfaces and the central axis of the body is an acute angle.

4. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the oblique surface is a pyramid surface comprising a plurality of sub-surfaces, and an angle between each of the plurality of sub-surfaces and the central axis is an acute angle.

5. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tapered surface is a conical surface having a generatrix, an angle between the generatrix of the conical surface and the central axis is less than 90 degrees.

6. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tail portion comprises an outer face, the outer face of the tail portion comprises the first surface and another surface;
the acoustic-absorption layer covers the first surface and the another surface of the tail portion; or
the acoustic-absorption layer covers the outer face of the tail portion, an outer face of the body, and a side wall of the head portion; or
the acoustic-absorption layer covers an outer face of the heat sink.

7. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the heat sink is made of any material selected from the group consisting of monocrystal alumina, monocrystal silicon, and monocrystal silicon carbide.

8. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the second side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly and the heat sink is defined as δ, wherein 0≤δ≤3 mm.

9. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the head portion comprises a second surface disposed at an end of the head portion facing away from the tail end, the acoustic-absorption layer further covers the second surface, and the second surface is spaced from the second side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly via the acoustic-absorption layer.

10. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the head portion comprises a plurality of heat-dissipation portions extending toward the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly, the plurality of heat-dissipation portions are spaced apart from each other, and the acoustic-absorption layer comprises an acoustic-absorption protrusion disposed in a gap defined between every two adjacent heat-radiating portions.

11. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acoustic-absorption layer comprises a side wall covering the first surface of the heat sink, and the head portion further comprises a second surface disposed at an end facing away from the tail portion, the side wall comprises an outer face facing away from the tail portion, and the outer face of the side wall is parallel to the second surface.

12. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tail portion comprises an outer face, the outer face comprises the first surface, and at least the first surface of the outer face of the tail portion is a polished surface.

13. The ultrasonic transducer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acoustic-absorption layer comprises a flexible substrate and particles filled in the flexible substrate;
the flexible substrate is made of any one selected from the group consisting of epoxy, polyurethane, and silicone;
the particles are selected from the group consisting of tungsten powders and lead powders.

14. An ultrasonic probe, comprising:
an ultrasonic transducer, comprising:
a piezoelectric-vibrator assembly, having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side and comprising one or more piezoelectric vibrators, wherein the one or more piezoelectric vibrators extend from the first side to the second side;
an acoustic matching layer, arranged on the first side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly;
a heat sink, arranged on the second side of the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly and comprising:
a body, having a central axis;
a head portion, disposed at one end of the body and facing towards the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly; and
a tail portion, disposed at another end of the body opposite to the head portion and facing away from the piezoelectric-vibrator assembly, wherein the tail portion comprises a first surface disposed at one side of the tail portion facing away from the head portion, and the first surface is an oblique surface or a tapered surface; and

an acoustic-absorption layer, covering at least the first surface,
wherein the tail portion further comprises a side wall connected to the first surface, the first surface is configured to refract a part of ultrasonic waves to the acoustic-absorption layer and reflect another part of the ultrasonic waves to the side wall; and
the acoustic-absorption layer is configured to receive the part of the ultrasonic waves refracted by the first surface.

15. The ultrasonic probe as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
a housing;
an acoustic window, connected to the housing, wherein the acoustic window and the housing cooperatively define a receiving cavity, and the ultrasonic transducer is received in the receiving cavity.

16. The ultrasonic probe as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first surface comprises at least one inclined sub-surface, and an angle between each of the at least one inclined sub-surface and the central axis of the body is an acute angle.

17. The ultrasonic probe as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the first surface comprises a pair of inclined sub-surfaces intersecting with each other at a straight line and grad

Assignees

• Edan Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Zhou Dan
• Chen Lulu
• Luo Hua
• Liu Jianhua
• Ouyang Bo
• Mo Jianhua

Classifications

• A61B8/4444

  related to the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/4494 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title

• B06B1/0677

  and a high impedance backing · CPC title

• B06B1/0607

  using multiple elements (B06B1/064 and B06B1/0688 take precedence) · CPC title