Omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of all-around intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection device and method, belong to medical ultrasonic detection technical field, the present application is by upper protective layer, metal shielding layer, insulating filler layer, upper layer printing electrode, piezoelectric layer, lower layer printing electrode, lower protective layer composition, wherein piezoelectric layer is by many piezoelectric array element composition radial multilayer ring belt, printing electrode layer is flexible electrode with "spider web structure" and "island-bridge" structure, metal shielding layer is added between protective layer and insulating layer absorption and reflection external electromagnetic wave;Annular positive pole is always connected with ultrasonic acquisition card channel, only need to make negative pole channel alternate connection, different angle radial array element can be made to work simultaneously, can be automatically attached skin, with flexibility and stretch performance, simultaneously using "ring-diameter" addressing flexible circuit design and addressing mode, less occupied ultrasonic acquisition card channel, and can realize automatic multiple position and multiple angle all-around ultrasonic detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, specifically to an all-around intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasound imaging technology is widely used in clinical and medical research fields. By utilizing the propagation and reflection characteristics of sound waves, it can obtain high-resolution images of human tissues and organs based on the echoes, allowing for the observation and analysis of human tissue structure and function. It can also display blood flow velocity and direction through Doppler technology to assess cardiovascular function. Compared with other imaging technologies, ultrasound imaging technology has advantages such as non-invasiveness, real-time operation, and no radiation, reducing patient risks and discomfort.

[0003] Traditional ultrasonic transducers typically use rigid probes made of hard materials, which have the problem of not being able to fit well with complex curved structures and bending parts. They cannot adapt to irregularly shaped detection targets. Moreover, traditional probes are held by the operator, which is unstable, and there is a high degree of difference between operators. The imaging quality depends on the operator's experience. Although ultrasonic imaging is real-time, the bulky probes cannot achieve long-term real-time monitoring in people's daily lives.

[0004] The emergence of flexible ultrasound transducers has provided a solution to the problem of fitting on complex curved surfaces and bending areas. They are flexible and stretchable, with a thin and lightweight structure. To meet the needs of automated, multi-angle, and multi-position ultrasound detection and clinical practice, such as standard clinical practice which involves rotating the ultrasound probe to image the heart in two orthogonal directions, flexible transducers are required to achieve multi-position and multi-angle detection. However, traditional transducers have limitations in performing ultrasound detection at multiple angles, usually requiring multiple transducers or manual adjustment of the probe angle. These methods are complex, costly, and prone to mutual interference. Existing array-type flexible ultrasound transducers are mainly designed for orthogonal direction detection, and can detect up to two directions. Although theoretically, array elements at a certain angle can be made to work by addressing them individually, the different spacing between array elements and the orthogonal direction, as well as the anisotropy of the shape of the electrodes and the arrangement of piezoelectric materials, make echo signal processing difficult. The above solutions cannot meet some clinical needs, and cannot cope with the situation where the relative displacement and angular changes of the skin and internal soft tissue occur during movement after the ultrasound transducer is worn. Therefore, a comprehensive intelligent flexible ultrasound transducer detection device and method are provided. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention discloses an all-around intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device and method to solve the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an all-around intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device, comprising an upper protective layer, a metal shielding layer, an insulating filler layer, an upper printed electrode, a piezoelectric layer, a lower printed electrode, and a lower protective layer. Conductive adhesive layers are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric layer, and these conductive adhesive layers are used to connect the upper and lower printed electrodes. The upper printed electrode, piezoelectric layer, and lower printed electrode are bonded together by the conductive adhesive layers to form a spiderweb structure. Piezoelectric layers are sandwiched at the intersections of the positive and negative electrodes of the spiderweb structure, and are connected together by conductive adhesive layers to form piezoelectric array elements. The piezoelectric array elements form a multi-layered ring structure at the intersections of the spiderweb structure. The upper and lower protective layers are disposed on the outermost sides, and the entire exterior of the upper and lower protective layers is spin-coated and encapsulated.

[0009] Preferably, the spiderweb structure is composed of a negative electrode with a radial structure and a positive electrode with a ring structure. The arrangement direction of each negative electrode is perpendicular to the tangent of the positive electrode. Both the positive and negative electrodes have an "island-bridge" connection structure, and the "island-bridge" connection structure has deformation and tensile properties.

[0010] Preferably, the "island-bridge" connection structure consists of island elements and connecting bridges. The island elements are regular hexagonal electrodes. The spacing between the island elements of the positive electrode increases with the number of layers. The connecting bridge of the positive electrode is a serpentine bridge. The connecting bridge of the negative electrode is two V-shaped bridges with a constant length. The two V-shaped bridges are respectively connected to the two ends of one side of the regular hexagonal island element, with the tips facing outwards. The wiring of the negative electrode comes out from the outside, and the two sets of wiring ends are respectively provided with positive and negative leads. The positive and negative leads are led out in parallel on the same side and do not overlap each other.

[0011] Preferably, the piezoelectric array element is a type-1 piezoelectric composite material, the conductive adhesive layer is solder, and the upper protective layer, insulating filler layer, and lower protective layer are all silicone. The number of piezoelectric array elements is the same as the number of island elements on the positive and negative electrodes. After the directional distribution is determined, the number of array elements m is only related to the number of electrode rings n, and the relationship function is: m = 6n - 5.

[0012] Preferably, the metal shielding layer 2 is a shielding metal mesh 10 with the same overall shape as the electrode and also has an "island-bridge" connection structure.

[0013] Preferably, the all-round intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection method includes the above-mentioned detection device. The spider-web electrode structure does not require individual addressing. It can realize "ring-path" addressing by turning on the switching status of all array elements by connecting different positive pins 14 and negative pins 15. By splicing multiple transducers, automatic detection of multiple positions and multiple angles can be achieved through relays, control circuits and deep learning models.

[0014] Preferably, the "ring-path" addressing mode is as follows: when a positive pole and a negative pole are connected, the array element at the intersection of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole is active; when all positive poles and one negative pole are connected, all array elements at the intersection of each "ring" on the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole, i.e., all array elements in the radial direction, are active; when several positive poles and several negative poles are connected, the array elements at several intersections of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole are active.

[0015] Preferably, the number of channels required for the positive electrode in the "ring-path" addressing method is affected by the number of "rings" n, and the required number of channels is n, while the required number of channels for the negative electrode is 7.

[0016] Preferably, the automatic detection includes detection at multiple angles and positions in the omnidirectional detection. The range of detectable angles depends on the radial number of electrodes. The angle interval can be reduced and the detectable directions can be increased as required. The relationship between the number of detectable directions n and the detection angle interval θ is n*θ=360. In order to improve space utilization, the transducer space occupies a hexagonal shape, which can realize seamless splicing and multiple position detection.

[0017] Preferably, the automatic detection is achieved through relays and control circuits and controlled by a deep learning algorithm in a computer. The detection strategy is as follows: a flexible ultrasonic transducer is placed on the human tissue to be tested, such as muscle tissue or heart. After the patch is attached, one direction of the flexible transducer in the assembly is selected to work and acquire data. Then, the other directions of the same transducer are made to work sequentially. After all directions of the selected patch have been scanned, the above steps are repeated with another transducer. Before detection, the target to be tested is selected. The deep learning model built and trained in the computer identifies and classifies the target, selects the optimal position and angle from the previous detection results, controls the array elements at that position and angle to work, and monitors and automatically returns the required data in real time.

[0018] This invention discloses an omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device and method, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. The electrodes of this omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection device feature an "island-bridge" structure. The "island elements" on the electrodes are designed as regular hexagons, ensuring isotropy of the flexible ultrasonic transducer at all measurable angles. Detection at different angles is not affected by the shape of the "island elements." The bridge connection uses a two-open-to-open "V"-shaped structure, giving the flexible transducer excellent tensile and bending properties, allowing it to adhere to uneven skin surfaces. Furthermore, the regular hexagonal shape of each flexible ultrasonic transducer enables seamless splicing of multiple probes, allowing detection at multiple angles and positions. This solves the problem of skin and internal tissue displacement or rotation during human movement. In summary, this enables comprehensive, long-term monitoring of vital signs.

[0020] 2. The number of positive channels in this all-round intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection method is affected by the number of "rings" n, and the required number of channels is n. The number of negative channels is affected by the angle design. In this case, the required number of channels is 7. The number of controllable activated array elements can increase exponentially with the number of channels. Compared with the traditional flexible ultrasonic transducer with individual addressing, it greatly saves the channel occupation and has a lower cost.

[0021] 3. The flexible ultrasonic transducer addressing method of this all-round intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer adopts the "ring-radius" addressing mode. The positive channel arrangement order is consistent with the array element arrangement order on the "radius". There is no need to sort the positive channel. During the detection, only the connection of the negative channel needs to be controlled to realize the detection at different angles. There is no need to manually adjust the angle. The control strategy is simple and has superior performance. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a flexible ultrasonic transducer;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the positive and negative electrodes are assembled;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the positive electrode ring structure;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the radial structure of the negative electrode;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a metal shielding mesh structure;

[0027] Figure 6 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the electrode section of a flexible ultrasonic transducer;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the addressing operation of the excitation radius array element of a flexible ultrasonic transducer;

[0029] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the addressing operation of a flexible ultrasonic transducer excitation single array element;

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the array element addressing operation of the excitation section of a flexible ultrasonic transducer;

[0031] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative position of the detection direction to the soft tissue of the lower limbs;

[0032] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the direction of the test relative to the heart.

[0033] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of multiple flexible ultrasonic transducers spliced ​​together with the tissue to be tested.

[0034] In the diagram: 1. Upper protective layer; 2. Metal shielding layer; 3. Insulating filler layer; 4. Upper printed electrode; 5. Piezoelectric layer; 6. Lower printed electrode; 7. Lower protective layer; 8. Positive electrode; 9. Negative electrode; 10. Shielding metal mesh; 11. Serpentine bridge; 12. Island element; 13. V-bridge; 14. Positive pin; 15. Negative pin. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This invention discloses an omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device and method, such as... Figure 1-12 As shown, in order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through embodiments.

[0036] like Figure 1-12 The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device and method are shown.

[0037] The device includes an upper protective layer 1, a metal shielding layer 2, an insulating filler layer 3, an upper printed electrode 4, a piezoelectric layer 5, a lower printed electrode 6, and a lower protective layer 7. Conductive adhesive layers are provided on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric layer 5, and the conductive adhesive layers are used to connect the upper printed electrode 4 and the lower printed electrode. The upper printed electrode 4, the piezoelectric layer 5, and the lower printed electrode 6 are bonded together by the conductive adhesive layers to form a spider web structure. The piezoelectric layer 5 is sandwiched at the intersection of the positive and negative electrodes of the spider web structure, and they are connected together by conductive adhesive layers to form piezoelectric elements. The piezoelectric elements form a multi-layer ring structure at the intersection of the spider web structure. The upper protective layer 1 and the lower protective layer 7 are located on the outermost sides of the upper and lower layers, and the entire exterior of the upper protective layer 1 and the lower protective layer 7 is spin-coated and encapsulated.

[0038] The spider web structure is composed of a negative electrode 9 with a radial structure and a positive electrode 8 with a ring structure. The arrangement direction of each negative electrode 9 is perpendicular to the tangent of the positive electrode 8. Both the positive electrode 8 and the negative electrode 9 have an "island-bridge" connection structure, and the "island-bridge" connection structure has deformation and tensile properties.

[0039] The "island-bridge" connection structure consists of island elements 12 and connecting bridges. Island elements 12 are regular hexagonal electrodes. The spacing between island elements 12 of the positive electrode 8 increases with the number of layers. The connecting bridge of the positive electrode 8 is a serpentine bridge 11. The connecting bridge of the negative electrode 9 is two V-shaped bridges 13 with a constant length. The two V-shaped bridges 13 are respectively connected to the two ends of one side of the regular hexagonal island element 12, with the tips facing outwards. The wiring of the negative electrode 9 comes out from the outside, and the ends of the two sets of wiring are respectively provided with positive pins 14 and negative pins 15. The positive pins 14 and negative pins 15 are led out in parallel on the same side and do not overlap each other.

[0040] The piezoelectric array element is a type 1-3 piezoelectric composite material. The conductive adhesive layer is solder. The upper protective layer 1, the insulating filler layer 3, and the lower protective layer 7 are all silicone. The number of piezoelectric array elements is the same as the number of island elements 12 on the positive and negative electrodes. After the directional distribution is determined, the number of array elements m is only related to the number of electrode rings n. The relationship function is: m = 6n - 5.

[0041] The metal shielding layer 2 adopts a shielding metal mesh 10 with the same overall shape as the electrode and also has an "island-bridge" connection structure.

[0042] This all-round intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer detection method includes the above-mentioned detection device. The spider-web electrode structure does not require individual addressing. It can realize "ring-path" addressing by turning on the switching status of all array elements by connecting different positive pins 14 and negative pins 15. By splicing multiple transducers, automatic detection of multiple positions and multiple angles can be achieved through relays, control circuits and deep learning models.

[0043] The "ring-path" addressing mode works as follows: when a positive pole and a negative pole are connected, the array elements at the intersection of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole are active. When all positive poles and one negative pole are connected, all array elements at the intersection of each "ring" on the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole, i.e., all array elements in the radial direction, are active. When several positive poles and several negative poles are connected, the array elements at several intersections of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole are active.

[0044] The number of channels required for the positive electrode in the "ring-path" addressing method is affected by the number of "rings" n, and the required number of channels is n. The number of channels required for the negative electrode is 7.

[0045] The automatic detection includes detection at multiple angles and positions in the omnidirectional detection. The range of detectable angles depends on the radial number of electrodes. The angle interval can be reduced and the detectable directions can be increased as required. The relationship between the number of detectable directions n and the detection angle interval θ is n*θ=360. In order to improve space utilization, the transducer space occupies a hexagonal shape, which can realize seamless splicing and multiple position detection.

[0046] The automatic detection is achieved through relays and control circuits, and is controlled by a deep learning algorithm in a computer. The detection strategy is as follows: a flexible ultrasonic transducer is placed on the human tissue to be tested, such as muscle tissue or heart. After the patch is attached, one direction of the flexible transducer in the assembly is selected to work and acquire data. Then, the other directions of the same transducer are worked sequentially. After all directions of the selected patch have been scanned, the above steps are repeated with another transducer. Before detection, the target to be tested is selected. The deep learning model built and trained in the computer identifies and classifies the target, selects the optimal position and angle from the previous detection results, controls the array elements at that position and angle to work, and monitors and automatically returns the required data in real time.

[0047] In addition to the embodiments described above, researchers in the art can make improvements based on needs and actual usage. To increase the number of array elements operating simultaneously, the number of rings on the positive electrode can be increased; to increase the measurable angle simultaneously, the radial number of electrodes can be increased. The technical features and data of this invention can be combined to form different embodiments, and obvious modifications arising therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0048] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An all-around intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device, comprising an upper protective layer (1), a metal shielding layer (2), an insulating filler layer (3), an upper printed electrode (4), a piezoelectric layer (5), a lower printed electrode (6), and a lower protective layer (7), characterized in that, Conductive adhesive layers are provided on the upper and lower sides of the piezoelectric layer (5), and the conductive adhesive layers are used to connect the upper printing electrode (4) and the lower printing electrode. The upper printing electrode (4), the piezoelectric layer (5) and the lower printing electrode (6) are bonded together by the conductive adhesive layer to form a spider web structure. The piezoelectric layer (5) is sandwiched at the intersection of the positive and negative electrodes of the spider web structure, and they are connected together by the conductive adhesive layer to form a piezoelectric array element. The piezoelectric array element forms a multi-layer ring structure at the intersection of the spider web structure. The upper protective layer (1) and the lower protective layer (7) are provided on the outermost sides of the upper and lower layers. The upper protective layer (1) and the lower protective layer (7) are encapsulated by spin coating on the outside. The spider web structure is composed of a negative electrode (9) with a radial structure and a positive electrode (8) with a ring structure. The arrangement direction of each negative electrode (9) is perpendicular to the tangent of the positive electrode (8). Both the positive electrode (8) and the negative electrode (9) have an "island-bridge" connection structure, and the "island-bridge" connection structure has deformation and tensile properties.

2. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The "island-bridge" connection structure consists of island elements (12) and connecting bridges. The island elements (12) are regular hexagonal electrodes. The spacing between the island elements (12) of the positive electrode (8) increases with the number of layers. The connecting bridge of the positive electrode (8) is a serpentine bridge (11). The connecting bridge of the negative electrode (9) is two V-shaped bridges (13) with constant length. The two V-shaped bridges (13) are respectively connected to the two ends of one side of the regular hexagonal island element (12) with the tips facing outward. The wiring of the negative electrode (9) is routed out from the outside. The ends of the two sets of wiring are respectively provided with positive pins (14) and negative pins (15). The positive pins (14) and negative pins (15) are led out in parallel on the same side and do not overlap each other.

3. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piezoelectric array element is a type 1-3 piezoelectric composite material, the conductive adhesive layer is a soldering agent, the upper protective layer (1), the insulating filler layer (3) and the lower protective layer (7) are all silicone. The number of piezoelectric array elements is the same as the number of island elements (12) on the positive and negative electrodes. After the direction distribution is determined, the number of array elements m is only related to the number of electrode rings n, and the relationship function is: m=6n-5.

4. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal shielding layer (2) adopts a shielding metal mesh (10) with the same overall shape as the electrode and also has an "island-bridge" connection structure.

5. A method for testing an omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer, comprising the testing device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The spider web structure does not require individual addressing. The switching status of all array elements can be adjusted by connecting different positive pins (14) and negative pins (15) to achieve "ring-path" addressing. Multiple transducers can be spliced ​​together, and automatic detection of multiple positions and multiple angles can be achieved through relays, control circuits and deep learning models.

6. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The "ring-path" addressing mode is as follows: when a positive pole and a negative pole are connected, the array element at the intersection of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole is active. When all positive poles and one negative pole are connected, all array elements at the intersection of each "ring" on the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole, i.e., all array elements in the radial direction, are active. When several positive poles and several negative poles are connected, the array elements at several intersections of the "ring" connected to the positive pole and the "path" connected to the negative pole are active.

7. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The number of channels required for the positive electrode in the "ring-path" addressing method is affected by the number of "rings" n, and the required number of channels is n. The number of channels required for the negative electrode is 7.

8. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The automatic detection includes detection at multiple angles and positions in the omnidirectional detection. The range of detectable angles depends on the radial number of electrodes. The angle interval can be reduced and the detectable directions can be increased as required. The relationship between the number of detectable directions n and the detection angle interval θ is n*θ=360.

9. The omnidirectional intelligent flexible ultrasonic transducer testing method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The automatic detection is achieved through relays and control circuits, and is controlled by a deep learning algorithm in a computer. The detection strategy is as follows: a flexible ultrasonic transducer is placed on the human tissue to be tested, such as muscle tissue or heart. After the patch is attached, one direction of the flexible transducer in the assembly is selected to work and acquire data. Then, the other directions of the same transducer are worked sequentially. After all directions of the selected patch have been scanned, the above steps are repeated with another transducer. Before detection, the target to be tested is selected. The deep learning model built and trained in the computer identifies and classifies the target, selects the optimal position and angle from the previous detection results, controls the array elements at that position and angle to work, and monitors and automatically returns the required data in real time.

Images