Ultrasound probe, ultrasound transducer unit, and ultrasound endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12324703-B2
Application number	US-202318219797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2023
Priority date	Apr 7, 2021
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

An ultrasound probe includes: a transducer array in which a plurality of transducers configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves are arrayed with longitudinal directions of the transducers aligned; and a pair of housings each having a plate shape, the housings being configured to sandwich the transducers, the housings including a first conductive portion provided on a first face positioned on a side of each of the transducers, an insulating portion provided on an outer edge portion of a second face that is positioned on an opposite side of the first face, a second conductive portion provided on the second face, and a third conductive portion electrically connecting the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound probe comprising:
a plurality of transducers arrayed with a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of transducers aligned, each of the plurality of transducers having sides extending in the longitudinal direction and terminating at a pair of opposing ends; and
a pair of housing plates configured to sandwich the plurality of transducers, each of the pair of housing plates extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of the housing plates including:
a first material being electrically conductive, the first material provided on a first face adjacent to one of the pair of opposing ends of the plurality of transducers,
a second material being electrically insulative, the second material provided on an outer edge of a second face opposing the first face, the outer edge including a region obtained by projecting each of the plurality of transducers on the second face in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of transducers,
a third material being electrically conductive, the third material provided on the second face, and
a fourth material configured to electrically connect the first material and the third material.

2. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an acoustic matching layer positioned in a direction in which each of the plurality of transducers transmits ultrasonic waves, the acoustic matching layer facing each of the transducers,
wherein the pair of housing plates are configured to hold first and second end sides, respectively, of the acoustic matching layer in the longitudinal direction.

3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein the first material is disposed on a portion of the first face obtained by projecting each of the plurality of transducers on the first face in the longitudinal direction.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 3 , wherein the first material is provided toward a center of the first face from the outer edge including the region, and the first material is disposed on an area of the first face that is half or more of an area of the first face.

5. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of housing plates include a portion that is electrically insulative and is provided at an outer edge of the first face.

6. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of housing plates include a portion that is electrically insulative and are provided on a side face connecting the first face and the second face.

7. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the pair of housing plates further comprising a through hole extending from the first face to the second face.

8. The ultrasound probe according to claim 7 , wherein the fourth material is provided in the through hole.

9. The ultrasound probe according to claim 8 , wherein the fourth material is provided on an inner face of the through hole.

10. The ultrasound probe according to claim 8 , wherein the fourth material is a wiring inserted in the through hole.

11. The ultrasound probe according to claim 8 , wherein the third material is located on the second material, the third material surrounds the through hole.

12. The ultrasound probe according to claim 11 , wherein the second material is provided between the first material and the third material.

13. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the pair of housing plates include:
a semicircular portion having a semicircular shape, and
an extension portion having a side substantially coinciding with a diameter of the semicircular portion, the extension portion connecting two ends of an arc of the semicircular portion.

14. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein a grounding wire connected to the transducers is electrically connected to the first material.

15. An ultrasound endoscope comprising:
an ultrasound probe including:
a plurality of transducers arrayed with a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of transducers aligned, each of the plurality of transducers having sides extending in the longitudinal direction and terminating at a pair of opposing ends; and
a pair of housing plates configured to sandwich the plurality of transducers, each of the pair of housing plates extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of the housing plates including:
a first material being electrically conductive, the first material provided on a first face each of adjacent to one of the pair of opposing ends of the plurality of transducers,
a second material being electrically insulative, the second material provided on an outer edge of a second face opposing the first face, the outer edge including a region obtained by projecting each of the plurality of transducers from the first face on the second face in the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of transducers,
a third material being electrically conductive, the third material provided on the second face, and
a fourth material configured to electrically connect the first material and the third material; and

an insertion portion having a distal end provided with the ultrasound probe, the insertion portion being configured to be inserted into a subject.

16. The ultrasound endoscope according to claim 15 , wherein each of the pair of housing plates further comprising a through hole extending from the first face to the second face.

17. The ultrasound endoscope according to claim 16 , wherein the fourth material is provided in the through hole.

18. The ultrasound endoscope according to claim 17 , wherein the third material is located on the second material, the third material surrounds the through hole.

19. The ultrasound endoscope according to claim 18 , wherein the second material is provided between the first material and the third material.

20. The ultrasound endoscope according to claim 15 , wherein each of the pair of housing plates include:
a semicircular portion having a semicircular shape, and
an extension portion having a side substantially coinciding with a diameter of the semicircular portion, the extension portion connecting two ends of an arc of the semicircular portion.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Satoshi

Classifications

• A61B8/4477

  using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes · CPC title

• A61B8/445

  Details of catheter construction · CPC title

• B06B1/0633

  Cylindrical array · CPC title

• A61B8/4488

  the transducer being a phased array · CPC title

• A61B8/4483

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title