Ultrasonic transducer

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer, belonging to the field of ultrasonic technology. The ultrasonic transducer of the present invention comprises a substrate, which has a plurality of first mounting holes arranged at intervals; a vibrator, which is used to directionally emit ultrasonic waves outward; a rotating assembly, which comprises a first end and a second end connected to each other; the first end is fixedly connected to the vibrator, and the second end is arranged in the first mounting hole and rotatably connected to the first mounting hole, so as to adjust the position of the vibrator connected to the first end and change the direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted by it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of ultrasonic technology, and in particular relates to an ultrasonic transducer. Background Art

[0002] High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy is a very promising non-invasive treatment technology, and its application in medicine is becoming more and more extensive. On this basis, ultrasonic transducers have been greatly developed, and their types have evolved from the earliest lens-type focusing transducers to the current self-focusing transducers, variable-focus phased transducers, array transducers, and so on.

[0003] However, the inventors have found that the above-mentioned ultrasonic transducers all have the following problems: Currently, mechanical motion devices and phased array transducers are often used to adjust the focal length of ultrasonic transducers used in high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy. However, due to the large size and slow response of mechanical motion devices, and the high cost and complex system of phased array transducers, the focus adjustment steps of ultrasonic transducers are very complicated.

[0004] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a novel ultrasonic transducer. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and provide an ultrasonic transducer with simpler focal length adjustment.

[0006] The technical solution adopted to solve the technical problem of the present invention is an ultrasonic transducer, comprising:

[0007] A base plate having a plurality of first mounting holes arranged at intervals;

[0008] A vibrator, which is used to transmit ultrasonic waves in a directional manner outward;

[0009] A rotating assembly includes a first end and a second end connected to each other; the first end is fixedly connected to the vibrator, and the second end is arranged in the first mounting hole and is rotatably connected to the first mounting hole to adjust the position of the vibrator connected to the first end and change the direction of the ultrasonic wave it emits.

[0010] Preferably, it further comprises: a driving component, which is connected to the rotating component and is used to drive the rotating component to rotate so as to adjust the position of the oscillator.

[0011] Preferably, it further comprises: a position sensor connected to the driving component, which is used to detect the position of the vibrator and send instructions to the driving component according to a preset position so that the driving component drives the rotating component to move.

[0012] Preferably, the position sensor includes: an angle sensor.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a phase shifter, which is connected to the oscillator and is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the oscillator.

[0014] Preferably, the plurality of first mounting holes are divided into a plurality of groups, the centers of the plurality of first mounting holes in each group are located on a circle, the plurality of circles corresponding to the plurality of first mounting holes in different groups are concentric circles, and the distances between the first end and the second end of the rotating assembly in the first mounting holes in the same group are equal.

[0015] Preferably, the centers of the plurality of first mounting holes in each group are evenly distributed on the circle corresponding thereto.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a phase shifter, which is connected to the oscillator and is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the oscillator; the multiple oscillators corresponding to the multiple first mounting holes in each group are connected to the same phase shifter.

[0017] Preferably, it further comprises: a heat dissipation component, which is arranged on the side of the substrate away from the oscillator and is used to dissipate the heat generated by the oscillator.

[0018] Preferably, the heat dissipation component includes: a semiconductor refrigerator.

[0019] Preferably, a second mounting hole is further provided on the substrate;

[0020] The ultrasonic transducer further includes: a B-ultrasound probe, which is arranged in the second mounting hole.

[0021] Preferably, the substrate is a planar substrate.

[0022] Preferably, the substrate is circular or polygonal in shape.

[0023] Preferably, the rotating assembly is a ball head universal joint.

[0024] Preferably, the vibrator is a piezoelectric vibrator.

[0025] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] When the rotating component rotates in the first mounting hole under the action of external force, since the vibrator in the present invention is fixedly connected to the first end of the rotating component, the vibrator will also rotate with the rotating component. At this time, it is obvious that the position of the vibrator has changed, so the direction of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the vibrator will inevitably change.

[0027] It should be noted that if the ultrasonic waves emitted by multiple vibrators in the ultrasonic transducer converge at one point, the point can be called a focus, and the distance from the focus to the center point of the substrate is the focal length. According to the above-mentioned rotation principle, by rotating the rotating components located in different first mounting holes, the direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the vibrators corresponding to the different first mounting holes can be adjusted, that is, the focal position and focal length of the ultrasonic transducer in the present invention can be adjusted. It can be seen from this that the focal length adjustment steps of the ultrasonic transducer provided by the present invention are simple and the cost is low. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a substrate according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another substrate according to Example 1 of the present invention;

[0031] The figures are marked as follows: 1. focus; 2. phase shifter; 3. oscillator; 4. rotating component; 5. substrate; 6. second mounting hole; 7. first mounting hole; 8. heat dissipation component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0033] Embodiment 1:

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an ultrasonic transducer, including: a substrate 5, an oscillator 3, and a rotating component 4; wherein the substrate 5 has a plurality of first mounting holes 7 arranged at intervals; the oscillator 3 is used for emitting ultrasonic waves in an outward directional manner; the rotating component 4 includes a first end and a second end connected to each other, the first end of the rotating component 4 is fixedly connected to the oscillator 3, and the second end of the rotating component 4 is arranged in the first mounting hole 7 and is rotatably connected to the first mounting hole 7.

[0035] Specifically, when the rotating assembly 4 rotates in the first mounting hole 7 under the action of external force, since the vibrator 3 in this embodiment is fixedly connected to the first end of the rotating assembly 4, the vibrator 3 will also rotate with the rotating assembly 4. At this time, it is obvious that the position of the vibrator 3 has changed, so the direction of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the vibrator 3 will inevitably change. It should be noted here that if the ultrasonic waves emitted by multiple vibrators 3 in the ultrasonic transducer converge at one point, the point can be called the focus 1, and the distance from the focus 1 to the center point of the substrate 5 is the focal length. According to the above-mentioned rotation principle, by rotating the rotating assembly 4 located in different first mounting holes 7, the direction of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the vibrator 3 corresponding to the different first mounting holes 7 can be adjusted, that is, the focus 1 position and focal length of the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment are adjusted. It can be seen from this that the focal length adjustment steps of the ultrasonic transducer provided in this embodiment are simple and the cost is low.

[0036] Among them, in this embodiment, preferably, the rotating component 4 can be a ball head universal mechanism, and the vibrator 3 can be a piezoelectric vibrator 3; of course, the rotating component 4 is not limited to the aforementioned ball head universal mechanism, and the vibrator 3 is not limited to the aforementioned piezoelectric vibrator 3, and no limitation is made here.

[0037] In order to more conveniently and quickly adjust the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer provided in this embodiment, preferably, the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment further includes: a driving component. Specifically, the rotating component 4 located in each first mounting hole 7 is connected to a driving component, and the driving component can drive the rotating component 4 connected thereto to rotate, and thereby drive the vibrator 3 fixedly connected to the rotating component 4 to rotate, thereby adjusting the position of the vibrator 3 and changing the direction of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the vibrator 3.

[0038] Preferably, the driving component in this embodiment can be a motor, which has a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft can cooperate and interact with the gear rack structure to drive the rotating component 4 to rotate; wherein the aforementioned gear can be fixed on the rotating shaft by a key connection, and the rack meshing with the gear is connected to the rotating component 4. Of course, those skilled in the art should know that the driving component that drives the rotating component 4 in this embodiment to rotate is not limited to the aforementioned motor, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] In order to improve the focal length adjustment accuracy of the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment, preferably, the ultrasonic transducer also includes: a position sensor. Specifically, a position sensor is provided in each rotating assembly 4 located in different first mounting holes 7, and the position sensor is connected to the driving assembly, and is used to detect the position of the vibrator 3, and according to the preset position, send instructions to the driving assembly so that the driving assembly drives the rotating assembly 4 to move. It should be noted that the preset position refers to the position that the vibrator 3 is expected to eventually reach after adjustment, that is, when each vibrator 3 is in the preset position, the focus 1 of the ultrasonic transducer is located at a predetermined position.

[0040] Of course, the position sensor in this embodiment may not be arranged in the rotating assembly 4, as long as it can detect the position of the vibrator 3 located at different first mounting holes 7, and no limitation is made here.

[0041] Preferably, the position sensor in this embodiment can be an angle sensor, which is used to detect the angle of the vibrator 3; wherein, for each rotating component 4 and the vibrator 3 at the first mounting hole 7, the connection relationship between the two is fixedly connected, so that the angle of rotation of the rotating component 4 is the angle of rotation of the vibrator 3, and on this basis, the aforementioned angle of the vibrator 3 actually refers to: the angle between the axis of the first mounting hole 7 and the axis of the rotating component 4. It can be seen from this that the angle sensor disposed in the rotating component 4 detects the angle of the vibrator 3 connected to the rotating component 4, and compares the angle with the preset angle to obtain a difference, which is the instruction sent by the angle sensor to the driving component, so that the driving component drives the rotating component 4 to rotate, so as to drive the vibrator 3 to rotate to the preset angle.

[0042] Of course, the position sensor in this embodiment may also be other sensors, which is not limited here.

[0043] In order to further improve the focal length adjustment accuracy of the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment, preferably, the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment also includes: a phase shifter 2, which is connected to the oscillator 3 and is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the oscillator 3, so as to ensure that the ultrasonic waves emitted by each oscillator 3 have the same phase when they arrive at the focus 1, so that the position of the adjusted focus 1 is more accurate.

[0044] It should be noted here that the angle sensor in this embodiment is also connected to the phase shifter 2. In this way, when the angle sensor detects the angle of the corresponding oscillator and compares the angle with the preset angle, a difference will be obtained. The difference is the drive signal sent by the angle sensor to the phase shifter 2. At this time, the phase shifter 2 will adjust the phase of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the oscillator 3 according to the drive signal.

[0045] Among them, this embodiment is preferred, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the multiple first mounting holes 7 are divided into multiple groups, the centers of the multiple first mounting holes 7 in each group are located on a circle, and the multiple circles corresponding to the multiple first mounting holes 7 in different groups are concentric circles (for example: Figure 2 or Figure 3 The three circles shown are all concentric circles), and the distances between the first end and the second end of the rotating assembly 4 in the same group of first mounting holes 7 are equal. It should be noted that the number of circles on the substrate 5 is not limited to the three mentioned above, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] Further preferably, the centers of the plurality of first mounting holes 7 in each group are evenly distributed on the circle corresponding thereto. Since a rotating assembly 4 is correspondingly arranged in each first mounting hole 7, and each rotating assembly 4 is fixedly connected to a vibration element 3, the position distribution of the vibration element 3 on the substrate 5 is the same as the position distribution of the first mounting holes 7 on the substrate 5, that is, the plurality of vibration elements 3 are evenly distributed on the substrate 5. This structural arrangement can enhance the ultrasonic intensity at the focus 1 position, so that when the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment is applied to the high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment technology, it has a better treatment effect.

[0047] Of course, in this embodiment, the centers of the multiple first mounting holes in each group may also be randomly distributed on the corresponding circle, which is not limited here.

[0048] More preferably, the multiple oscillators 3 in each group are connected to the same phase shifter 2, that is, one phase shifter 2 can synchronously adjust the multiple oscillators 3 in a group. Figure 2 or Figure 3 It can be seen that the centers of the multiple first mounting holes 7 on the substrate 5 are respectively located on three circles, so at this time, the ultrasonic transducer includes three phase shifters 2. It should be noted that since the distances between the multiple vibration elements 3 corresponding to the multiple first mounting holes 7 in each group and the focus 1 are the same, the phase changes of each vibration element 3 in a group when emitting ultrasonic waves to the focus 1 are also the same. If the phases are to be the same when reaching the focus 1, the phases when they are emitted must be the same. Therefore, a phase shifter 2 can be used to control the multiple vibration elements 3 in a group so that the phases when emitting ultrasonic waves remain the same, thereby reducing the complexity of the phase control of the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment.

[0049] In this embodiment, preferably, the ultrasonic transducer further includes: a heat dissipation component 8 , which is arranged on the side of the substrate 5 away from the vibrator 3 and is used to dissipate the heat generated by the vibrator 3 .

[0050] Preferably, the heat dissipation component 8 may be a semiconductor refrigerator. Of course, the heat dissipation component 8 is not limited to the above-mentioned semiconductor refrigerator, and may also be other heat dissipation devices, which is not limited here.

[0051] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown, a second mounting hole 6 is further provided on the substrate 5 in this embodiment. The second mounting hole 6 is located at the center of the substrate 5, and a B-ultrasound probe is placed therein for contacting the patient's body when the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment is applied to the high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment technology, so as to form an image of the position to be treated for the patient, so as to evaluate the treatment effect in real time.

[0052] Among them, in this embodiment, preferably, the substrate 5 can be a flat substrate 5. Specifically, when the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment is used to treat a patient, if the area of ​​the patient's body part to be treated is small, the flat substrate 5 can make the multiple vibration elements 3 fit completely with the patient's skin, thereby solving the problem of energy loss of the ultrasonic waves emitted outward by the vibration elements 3; at the same time, the B-ultrasound probe set on the substrate 5 can also fit completely with the patient's skin, thereby avoiding the generation of artifacts. Of course, the substrate 5 in this embodiment can also be a curved substrate 5, for example: a curved substrate or a spherical crown substrate, which is not limited here.

[0053] Among them, in this embodiment, the shape of the substrate 5 is preferably circular or polygonal. Of course, the shape of the substrate 5 in this embodiment can also be elliptical, etc., which can be specifically set according to the body part or organ to be treated by the patient, and will not be repeated here.

[0054] In summary, when the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment needs to be adjusted, it can be achieved by rotating the rotating assembly 4 located in different first mounting holes 7 and adjusting the phase appropriately, so that the focal length adjustment of the ultrasonic transducer provided by this embodiment is simple and easy to implement. At the same time, the ultrasonic transducer in this embodiment also includes a heat dissipation assembly 8, which can dissipate the heat generated by the vibrator 3, thereby solving the problem of poor heat dissipation performance and failure when using a medium such as an ultrasonic coupling medium to replace the water medium in the prior art.

[0055] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transducer, characterized in that: include: A base plate having a plurality of first mounting holes arranged at intervals; A vibrator, which is used to transmit ultrasonic waves in a directional manner outward; A rotating assembly, comprising a first end portion and a second end portion connected to each other; the first end portion is fixedly connected to the vibrator, and the second end portion is disposed in the first mounting hole and is rotatably connected to the first mounting hole to adjust the position of the vibrator connected to the first end portion and change the direction of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the vibrator; A driving assembly connected to the rotating assembly and used to drive the rotating assembly to rotate so as to adjust the position of the oscillator; A position sensor connected to the driving assembly, used to detect the position of the vibrator and send instructions to the driving assembly according to a preset position, so that the driving assembly drives the rotating assembly to move; A phase shifter is connected to the oscillator and is used to adjust the phase of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the oscillator.

2. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The position sensor includes: an angle sensor.

3. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multiple first mounting holes are divided into multiple groups, the centers of the multiple first mounting holes in each group are located on a circle, the multiple circles corresponding to the multiple first mounting holes in different groups are concentric circles, and the distance between the first end and the second end of the rotating component in the first mounting holes in the same group is equal.

4. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The centers of the multiple first mounting holes in each group are evenly distributed on the circle corresponding thereto.

5. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The multiple vibration elements corresponding to the multiple first mounting holes in each group are connected to the same phase shifter.

6. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A heat dissipation component is arranged on the side of the substrate away from the vibration element, and is used to dissipate the heat generated by the vibration element.

7. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heat dissipation component includes: a semiconductor refrigerator.

8. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is also provided with a second mounting hole; The ultrasonic transducer further includes: a B-ultrasound probe, which is arranged in the second mounting hole.

9. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate is a planar substrate.

10. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shape of the substrate is circular or polygonal.

11. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating assembly is a ball head universal joint.

12. The ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibrator is a piezoelectric vibrator.

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