Probe and information acquiring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016302767-A1
Application number	US-201615089916-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In order to provide a technology that does not require, in a probe, provision of a bias voltage storage unit and a communication unit and, in an apparatus main body, provision of a communication unit configured to communicate to/from the probe and a unit configured to control a bias voltage based on a value obtained by the communication, there is provided a probe including a plurality of cells, the cell including a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to be opposed to the first electrode across a gap. The plurality of cells include: a first cell configured to perform at least one of transmission or reception of an ultrasound wave; and a second cell in which pull-in occurs at a voltage lower than a pull-in voltage of the first cell and which is configured to be short-circuited at a time of the pull-in.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A probe, comprising a plurality of cells, the cell comprising a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to be opposed to the first electrode across a gap,
the plurality of cells comprising:
a first cell configured to perform at least one of transmission or reception of an ultrasound wave; and
a second cell in which pull-in occurs at a voltage lower than a pull-in voltage of the first cell and which is configured to be short-circuited at a time of the pull-in.

2 . The probe according to claim 1 , further comprising a bias voltage control unit,
wherein the bias voltage control unit is configured to automatically adjust, through use of short-circuiting of the second cell, a bias voltage to be applied to the first cell to a voltage value lower than the pull-in voltage of the first cell.

3 . The probe according to claim 2 , wherein the bias voltage control unit is configured to apply a predetermined DC voltage to the second cell via a resistance voltage dividing circuit in which a division unit to be applied with the predetermined DC voltage is grounded with a capacitor, and apply a voltage of the division unit to the first cell via a low-pass filter.

4 . The probe according to claim 3 , wherein the bias voltage control unit is configured to adjust the voltage of the division unit based on a time constant of a monostable multivibrator.

5 . The probe according to claim 1 , wherein a bias voltage to be applied to the first cell is adjusted to a voltage value lower than the pull-in voltage of the first cell based on a detection result obtained by a detection unit of an apparatus main body, the detection unit being configured to detect short-circuiting of the second cell.

6 . The probe according to claim 1 , wherein the first cell and the second cell are electrically connected to a common DC power supply circuit.

7 . The probe according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first electrode is fixed onto a substrate, and wherein the second electrode is disposed on a vibrating membrane, which is movably supported above the substrate by a support portion, and is configured to vibrate together with the vibrating membrane.

8 . The probe according to claim 7 , wherein adjustment of a pull-in voltage of the second cell relative to the pull-in voltage of the first cell is performed by adjusting a ratio between areas of the vibrating membranes of the first cell and the second cell.

9 . The probe according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second cell further comprises a third electrode on a surface of the vibrating membrane that is opposed to the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is disposed on a surface of the vibrating membrane that is opposite to the surface on which the third electrode is disposed, and wherein the second electrode and the third electrode are electrically connected to each other by through wiring passing through the vibrating membrane.

10 . The probe according to claim 1 , wherein the first cell and the second cell are disposed on the same substrate.

11 . An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
the probe according to claim 1 ; and an apparatus main body to which the probe is to be detachably connected.

12 . An information acquiring device, comprising:
a probe configured to receive an ultrasound wave from an object to convert the ultrasound wave into an electric signal; and a processing unit configured to acquire information on the object through use of the electric signal from the probe, wherein the probe comprises the probe according to claim 1 .

13 . The information acquiring device according to claim 12 , wherein the probe is configured to transmit an ultrasound wave from the probe to the object, and receive the ultrasound wave reflected by the object.

14 . The information acquiring device according to claim 12 , wherein the probe is configured to receive an ultrasound wave generated by irradiating the object with light.

15 . The information acquiring device according to claim 14 , further comprising a light source configured to irradiate the object with the light.

16 . The information acquiring device according to claim 12 , wherein the processing unit comprises an image forming unit configured to form an image of the object through use of at least a signal received from the first cell.

17 . A probe comprising:
a plurality of cells, the cell comprising a first electrode and a second electrode disposed so as to be opposed to the first electrode across a gap; and a bias voltage control unit; wherein the plurality of cells comprises
a first cell configured to perform at least one of transmission and reception of an ultrasound wave; and
a second cell in which pull-in occurs at a voltage lower than a pull-in voltage of the first cell and which is configured to be short-circuited at a time of the pull-in, and
wherein the bias voltage control unit is configured to automatically adjust, through use of short-circuiting of the second cell, a bias voltage to be applied to the first cell to a voltage value lower than the pull-in voltage of the first cell.

18 . The probe according to claim 17 , wherein the bias voltage control unit is configured to apply a predetermined DC voltage to the second cell via a resistance voltage dividing circuit in which a division unit to be applied with the predetermined DC voltage is grounded with a capacitor, and apply a voltage of the division unit to the first cell via a low-pass filter.

19 . An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
the probe according to claim 17 ; and an apparatus main body to which the probe is to be detachably connected.

20 . An information acquiring device, comprising:
a probe configured to receive an ultrasound wave from an object to convert the ultrasound wave into an electric signal; and a processing unit configured to acquire information on the object through use of the electric signal from the probe, wherein the probe comprises the probe according to claim 17 .

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Gemma Naoyo
• Kandori Atsushi

Classifications

• B06B1/0292

  Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type · CPC title

• A61B8/4483 Primary

  characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer · CPC title

• A61B8/4461 Primary

  Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe · CPC title