JPH076958B2 - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe that includes a plurality of ultrasonic vibration elements arranged in an array and electronically switches the ultrasonic vibration elements to perform a linear scan. Regarding tentacles.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, there is known an ultrasonic probe including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array and electronically switching the ultrasonic transducers to perform a linear scan.

As shown in FIG. 4, this ultrasonic probe 10 has a plurality of ultrasonic vibration elements 12 arranged in an array, and each ultrasonic vibration element 12 is connected via a signal cable 14 to each ultrasonic vibration element 12. Transceivers 16 for transmitting and receiving signals are respectively connected.

Each ultrasonic vibration element 12 is connected to a ground line 18, and the ground line 18 is connected to each transceiver 16 via a ground cable 20.

Next, the operation will be described.

When transmitting the ultrasonic beam, the ultrasonic beam is deflected and focused by giving different delay times to the respective ultrasonic transducers 12.

Further, when receiving an ultrasonic wave (hereinafter referred to as an echo) reflected by the subject, a tomographic image can be obtained by processing the echo signal received by each ultrasonic transducer 12.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] According to the above-described conventional ultrasonic probe, the number of signal cables and transceivers increases each time the number of ultrasonic transducers increases, and the probe increases due to the increase in signal cables. There is a limit to downsizing, and there is a problem that the size of the device increases and the cost increases due to the increase in the number of transceivers, which hinders downsizing particularly when this ultrasonic probe is used for endoscopy. There was a problem.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe in which the number of signal cables and transceivers is reduced while maintaining the number of ultrasonic transducers, thereby reducing the size and cost of the ultrasonic probe.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array, and each of n ultrasonic transducers is divided into n blocks. M ultrasonic vibrating element blocks are configured, and on the other hand, m ultrasonic vibrating element groups are configured by grouping every n ultrasonic vibrating elements having a common transmission relationship over each ultrasonic vibrating element block. An array transducer, m signal cables that are provided for each of the ultrasonic transducer groups, and have one end commonly connected to n ultrasonic transducers that constitute the ultrasonic transducer group, and the m signal cables. M transmitters / receivers respectively connected to the other ends of the signal cables and the n ultrasonic vibrating element blocks provided for each of the n ultrasonic vibrating element blocks. N ground cables, one end of each of which is commonly connected, are provided for each of the transceivers, and each is connected in parallel to the other end of the n ground cables. And m change-over switches for selecting one earth cable connected to the transceiver.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, the plurality of ultrasonic vibration elements are divided into n ultrasonic vibration element blocks (hereinafter, referred to as blocks), and at the same time, m ultrasonic vibration element groups (hereinafter, group) are divided. That is) divided into groups. Here, the ultrasonic transducers forming the group have a common transmission relationship with each other.

m transceivers are connected to each group via m signal cables, while m via n ground cables.
Individual transceivers can be connected to each block. Therefore,
If you select the ground cable with the changeover switch,
A block has been selected, which means that one ultrasonic transducer element in the group is selected.

That is, according to the present invention, in order to reduce the number of signal cables, a common connection relationship of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers called a group is established, and by selecting a block, a plurality of ultrasonic waves in such a common connection relationship are provided. One of the vibration elements is selected. In other words, the present invention is to select the ultrasonic transducers by two selections, group selection and block selection, to reduce the number of signal cables to the maximum. In the embodiments described below, m = 4 and n = 2 are set as an example, but other numerical values may be used.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasonic probe 10 has a plurality (for example, eight) of ultrasonic vibrating elements 12 arranged in an array. The plural ultrasonic vibrating elements 12 are, in this example, two blocks, that is, one block.
It is composed of one block pair 11, which is shown in FIG. 1 divided into two parts, I side and II side. As will be described below, the two ultrasonic vibrating elements having a common transmission relationship between the two blocks constitute the above ultrasonic vibrating element group. That is, the No. 1 ultrasonic transducer 12 on the I side and the No. 5 ultrasonic transducer 12 on the II side are connected in parallel by the signal line 22, and the signal line 22 is connected to the signal cable.
It is connected to the transceiver 16a via 14a.

Further, the signal cable 14a is connected to the a terminal of the switch 24, and the transceiver 16a is connected to the b terminal of the switch 24.

In addition, the first ground cable 20 is connected to the c terminal of the switch 24.
a is connected, and the second ground cable 20b is connected to the d terminal of the switch 24.

Similarly, the No. 2 ultrasonic vibrating element 12 on the I side and the No. 6 ultrasonic vibrating element 12 on the II side are connected in parallel by a signal line 26, and the signal line 26 is transmitted / received via a signal cable 14b. It is connected to 16b.

Further, the signal cable 14b is connected to the a terminal of the switch 28, and the transceiver 16b is connected to the b terminal of the switch 28.

Also, the first earth cable 20 is connected to the c terminal of the switch 28.
a is connected, and the second ground cable 20b is connected to the d terminal of the switch 28.

Hereinafter, the 3rd ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the I side, the 7th ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the II side, the 4th ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the I side, and the 8th ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the II side Connected as well.

The first ground cable 20a is connected to each I-side ultrasonic vibration element 12 via the ground line 18a, and the second ground cable 20b is connected to each II-side ultrasonic vibration element via the ground line 18b. It is connected to the element 12.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the ultrasonic beam is generated by the ultrasonic vibrating elements 12 of Nos. 1, 2, and 3 on the I side, the switches 24, 28, and 32 are connected as shown in FIG. 3 (a).

Then, the I-side first ultrasonic transducer 12 is connected to the signal line 22.
The signal cable 14a, the ground line 18a, and the first ground cable 20a form a closed circuit with the transmission / reception unit 16a, and the signal is transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 16a.

Similarly, the second ultrasonic transducer 12 on the I side is the transmitter / receiver 16b.
And a closed circuit, and is driven by a signal from the transmitting / receiving unit 16b. The ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the I side 3 also forms a closed circuit with the transmitting / receiving unit 16c and is driven by a signal from the transmitting / receiving unit 16c.

Then, if the delay time of each of the ultrasonic transducers 12 on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sides is selected to an appropriate value, a focused beam such as A or B can be obtained.

At this time, since the a terminals and the d terminals of the switches 24, 28, 32 are connected to each other, the ultrasonic vibrating elements 12 of Nos. 5, 6, 7 on the II side are not driven because both ends are short-circuited.

Further, when the scan shifts from the I side to the II side, the 4th ultrasonic transducer 12 on the I side and the 5th ultrasonic transducer 12 on the II side are
Since the 1st ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the non-driving side and the 8th ultrasonic vibration element 12 on the II side cannot be driven at the same time, each ultrasonic vibration on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th side of the I side The delay time of element 12 is chosen to be an appropriate value to obtain a focused beam such as D.

Similarly, the delay time of each ultrasonic vibrating element 12 on the II side 5, 6, and 7 is selected to an appropriate value to obtain a focused beam like E.

At this time, by connecting the switches 24, 28, 32 as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the ultrasonic vibrating elements 12 of Nos. 5, 6, and 7 on the II side are driven, and the I side 1, 2, 3 The respective ultrasonic transducers No. 12 are not driven because both ends are short-circuited.

After that, the focused beams such as F, G, and H are obtained by the same operation, and the images at both ends can be generated by the focused beams of A and H, so that the image quality can be improved.

Then, when receiving an ultrasonic wave (hereinafter referred to as an echo) reflected by the subject, a tomographic image can be obtained by processing the echo signal received by each ultrasonic vibration element 12.

In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made using an example in which the number of ultrasonic transducers is 8, but the present invention is not limited to the number of ultrasonic transducers, and the greater the number of ultrasonic transducers, the greater the number. It is effective.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the plurality of ultrasonic vibration elements are made up of one ultrasonic vibration element block pair has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be made up of two or more block pairs.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a common connection relationship of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers called a group is established, and a block is selected by selecting an earth cable, and such a common connection relationship is established. Since one is selected from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers in the above, the number of signal cables and the number of transceivers can be significantly reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a conventional ultrasonic probe. 12 …… Ultrasonic probe 16,16a to 16d …… Transceiver 20a …… First earth cable 20b …… Second earth cable 24,28,32,36 …… Switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of ultrasonic vibration elements arranged in an array, wherein n ultrasonic vibration element blocks are formed by dividing m ultrasonic vibration elements into blocks.
An array transducer in which m ultrasonic vibrating element groups are formed by grouping every n ultrasonic vibrating elements having a common transmission relationship over each ultrasonic vibrating element block, and each ultrasonic vibrating element group M signal cables each having one end commonly connected to n ultrasonic transducers that form an ultrasonic transducer group, and m connected to the other ends of the m signal cables.
N transceivers and n earth cables provided for each of the n ultrasonic vibrating element blocks and having one end commonly connected to m ultrasonic vibrating elements forming each ultrasonic vibrating element block And one ground cable that is provided for each of the transceivers, is connected in parallel to the other end of the n ground cables, and selects one ground cable that is connected to each transceiver from the n ground cables. An ultrasonic probe including: a changeover switch and a switch.