Ultrasonic probe inserted into body cavity

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic probe inserted into a body cavity. The present invention addresses the problem of improving the image quality of an ultrasonic image formed using a body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe. And moreover, the degree of freedom of design is improved. M electronic circuits (IC1-IC5) are connected to the oscillator array (80). Each of the electronic circuits (IC1-IC5) has a multiplexer (MU) and i receivers (R1 to R4). The multiplexer (MU) has i * j + k input terminals and i output terminals, where j is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and k is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than i. A wiring circuit (200) including M electronic circuits (IC1-IC5) is connected to i signal lines (L1-L4) without repeated connection to i oscillators constituting a reception opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intra-body cavity insertable ultrasonic probe, and more particularly to a technology for connecting a plurality of signal lines to a transducer array. Background Art

[0002] As an intracavity insertable ultrasonic probe, a thin-diameter probe such as an intravascular ultrasonic (IVUS: Intravascular Ultrasound) probe is known. This type of probe is also called a catheter-type ultrasonic probe.

[0003] In a conventional electronic scanning IVUS probe, a ring-shaped FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) substrate is disposed in the front end thereof, a ring-shaped transducer array is disposed inside the ring-shaped FPC substrate, and a plurality of electronic circuits connected to the transducer array are disposed.

[0004] Patent document 1 discloses an electronic scanning IVUS probe. A plurality of ICs are mounted on an FPC substrate disposed in the front end of the probe. Each IC has a 16-to-1 multiplexer that connects one oscillator selected from 16 oscillators to one signal line. One received signal is obtained each time a transmission or reception is performed. Patent document 2 discloses an electronic scanning IVUS probe.

[0005] Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose a mechanism for simultaneously acquiring a plurality of reception signals and transmitting them to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body. In particular, they do not disclose an IC having input terminals whose number is not an integral multiple of the number of simultaneous receptions.

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-544560

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-165865

[0008] In order to improve the quality of ultrasonic images generated using an intracavitary insertion type ultrasonic probe, it is desirable to simultaneously acquire a plurality of received signals. Based on this premise, it is desirable to increase the degree of freedom in the design of the intracavitary insertion type ultrasonic probe. Summary of the invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an intra-cavity insertable ultrasonic probe that improves the quality of ultrasonic images. Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to provide an intra-cavity insertable ultrasonic probe that improves the degree of freedom in design.

[0010] The intra-body cavity insertable ultrasonic probe involved in the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a ring-shaped vibrator array; i signal lines, where i is an integer greater than 2; and a wiring circuit, which has a plurality of multiplexers arranged in parallel between the vibrator array and the i signal lines, each of the multiplexers having: i×j+k input terminals, which input a plurality of receiving signals from the vibrator array, where j is an integer greater than 1, and k is an integer greater than 1 and less than i; and i output terminals, which are connected to the i signal lines, and the wiring circuit connects the i signal lines without duplication for the i vibrators constituting each receiving opening during a receiving beam scanning process in which a plurality of receiving openings are sequentially set for the vibrator array.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the image quality of ultrasonic images is improved. Alternatively, according to the present invention, it is related to a body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe, which can improve the degree of freedom in design. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an electronic scanning IVUS probe according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the front end portion is shown.

[0015] Figure 3 A diagram showing the expanded state of a component.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the installed state of components.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the electronic circuit involved in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a circuit diagram showing the entire receiving system involved in the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a circuit diagram showing a part of the receiving system involved in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing a transmission element group and a reception element group.

[0021] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing a method of transmitting control data.

[0022] Fig.10 It is a figure which shows the FPC board for wiring involved in 1st Example.

[0023] Fig.11It is a diagram showing the structure of an electronic circuit involved in the second embodiment.

[0024] Fig.12 This is a circuit diagram showing the entire receiving system involved in the second embodiment.

[0025] Fig.13 This is a circuit diagram showing a part of the receiving system involved in the second embodiment.

[0026] Fig.14 This is a circuit diagram showing the entire receiving system involved in the third embodiment.

[0027] Fig.15 This is a circuit diagram showing a part of the receiving system involved in the third embodiment.

[0028] Fig.16 It is a diagram showing the structure of an electronic circuit according to a modification example.

[0029] Fig.17 This is a circuit diagram showing the entire receiving system involved in the fourth embodiment.

[0030] Fig.18 This is a circuit diagram showing a part of the receiving system involved in the fourth embodiment.

[0031] Explanation of symbols

[0032] 12-probe, 18-vibrator array, 22-electronic circuit group, 34-FPC substrate, 44-component, 52-electronic circuit, 62-transmitting circuit, 74-receiving circuit, 200-wiring circuit, MU-multiplexer, R1~R4-receivers, L1~L4-signal lines. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0034] (1) Overview of Implementation

[0035] The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe involved in the embodiment has: a ring-shaped transducer array; i (where i is an integer greater than 2) signal lines; and a wiring circuit having a plurality of multiplexers. The plurality of multiplexers are arranged in parallel between the transducer array and the i signal lines. Each multiplexer has: i×j+k input terminals, into which a plurality of receiving signals from the transducer array are input, where j is an integer greater than 1 and k is an integer greater than 1 and less than i; and i output terminals, which are connected to the i signal lines. In the process of receiving beam scanning in which a plurality of receiving openings are sequentially set for the transducer array, the wiring circuit connects the i signal lines to the i transducers constituting each receiving opening without duplication.

[0036] The number of signal lines i is equivalent to the number of received signals that can be transmitted in parallel at the same time, that is, the number of simultaneous receptions. It may be a general structure to set the number of oscillators connected to each multiplexer to an integer multiple of the number of simultaneous receptions i, but for the convenience of design, this general structure may not be adopted. In this case, the above structure involved in the embodiment works effectively.

[0037] In the above structure, the number of input terminals i×j+k of each multiplexer is not an integer multiple of the number of signal lines i. If the number of signal lines i is divided by the number of input terminals i×j+k, a remainder k is generated. Based on this structure, the wiring circuit connects i signal lines to the i oscillators constituting the receiving opening without repeated connection. Here, repeated connection is usually a state in which multiple oscillators are connected to one signal line at the same time, or a state in which multiple signal lines are connected to one oscillator at the same time. The wiring circuit performs wiring according to the above remainder k, that is, avoids repeated connection and realizes a one-to-one connection.

[0038] According to the above configuration, multiple reception signals can be obtained simultaneously by one transmission and reception, thereby improving the image quality of ultrasonic images. In addition, the number of transducers, the number of multiplexers, the number of input terminals, and the number of signal lines can be determined independently, thereby improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0039] In an embodiment, each multiplexer includes i×j+k connection paths for cyclically connecting i output terminals in a one-to-one manner from a first input terminal as a first input terminal to a last input terminal as an i×j+kth input terminal.

[0040] In one embodiment, each multiplexer has only i×j+k connection paths. In another embodiment, each multiplexer has (i×j+k)+(i-1) connection paths. The additional i-1 connection paths are used to avoid duplicate connections in the second situation described later. As each multiplexer, a multiplexer with (i×j+k)×i connection paths can also be used, but in this case, the circuit scale of the multiplexer becomes larger. In an embodiment, each multiplexer has a number of connection paths that is greater than (i×j+k) and less than (i×j+k)×i.

[0041] In an embodiment, the plurality of multiplexers are M (where M is an integer greater than or equal to 2) multiplexers. In a first condition where a receiving opening is set across an x-th multiplexer and an x+1-th multiplexer adjacent in the electronic scanning direction, the wiring circuit connects the y+1-th signal line to the first input terminal of the x+1-th multiplexer when the y-th signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the x-th multiplexer, where x is 1, 2, ..., M-1, and y is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i, and is the first when y=i.

[0042] According to the above structure, in the electronic scanning of the receiving opening from the first multiplexer to the Mth multiplexer, duplicate connection can be naturally avoided. In the structural example described later, the multiplexer closest to one side of the FPC substrate is set as the first multiplexer, and the multiplexer closest to the other side of the FPC substrate is set as the Mth multiplexer. However, among the M multiplexers arranged in a ring, any multiplexer can be determined as the first multiplexer.

[0043] In an embodiment, the i×j+k input terminals in the M-th multiplexer include a used portion and an unused portion arranged in the electronic scanning direction. In a second condition in which a receiving opening is set across the M-th multiplexer and the first multiplexer, the wiring circuit connects the z-th (where z is an integer greater than 1 and less than i) signal line to the last input terminal of the used portion in the M-th multiplexer and the z+1-th (where z=i is the first) signal line to the first input terminal of the first multiplexer.

[0044] According to the above structure, even if part of the input terminal group in the Mth multiplexer is unused, duplicate connection can be avoided in the above second condition. With the electronic scanning of the receiving opening, the connection relationship between the i signal lines and the i oscillators can be reset to the initial connection state or the stable connection state at the end of the second condition (i.e., when all the receiving openings fall within the responsible range of the first multiplexer).

[0045] In an embodiment, the plurality of multiplexers include at least one first multiplexer and at least one second multiplexer. In at least one first multiplexer, all i×j+k input terminals are used. In at least one second multiplexer, the i×j+k input terminals include a used portion and an unused portion. The used portion is composed of a plurality of input terminals, and the unused portion is composed of one or more input terminals. Usually, the unused portion is set on the downstream side of the used portion in the electronic scanning direction. The first multiplexer is a multiplexer in which all input terminals are used, and the second multiplexer is a multiplexer in which some input terminals are not used.

[0046] In the case where the wiring circuit has a receiving opening set between the first multiplexer and the next multiplexer, when the last input terminal of the first multiplexer is connected to the y-th signal line, the y+1-th (where y=i, the first) signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the next multiplexer. The next multiplexer may be the first multiplexer.

[0047] On the other hand, in the case where the wiring circuit has a receiving opening set between the second multiplexer and the next multiplexer, when the z-th signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the used part in the second multiplexer, the z+1-th (the first when z=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the next multiplexer. The next multiplexer may be the first multiplexer. A plurality of second multiplexers may be included in the plurality of multiplexers constituting the wiring circuit.

[0048] The intracavity insertion type ultrasound probe according to the embodiment further includes M electronic circuits provided between the transducer array and the i signal lines. Each electronic circuit includes: a multiplexer; and i receivers provided between i output terminals of the multiplexer and the i signal lines.

[0049] Each receiver is, for example, an amplifier. By amplifying the received signal in each receiver, the quality of the ultrasonic image can be improved. A transmitting circuit can be provided in each electronic circuit. The transmitting circuit can be composed of i×j+k transmitters connected to i×j+k vibrators. In an embodiment, the plurality of electronic circuits have the same structure. Thus, the manufacturing cost of the probe can be reduced.

[0050] The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe involved in the embodiment also includes a circuit board having a wiring pattern for connecting i signal lines to a plurality of electronic circuits. In the embodiment, each electronic circuit has i internal signal lines extending from i receivers. The i internal signal lines are connected to the above wiring pattern. A specific internal signal line among the i internal signal lines has two connection points. The portion between the two connection points in the specific internal signal line acts as a jumper (short-circuit) connecting the two separate signal lines in the wiring pattern. According to this structure, cross wiring can be easily avoided, so a circuit board having a single wiring pattern layer can be used. More than three connection points can be set on the specific internal signal line. At this time, more than two connection points are generated. Each connection point can act as a jumper.

[0051] In an embodiment, the wiring circuit includes a sub-multiplexer provided between i output terminals of the first multiplexer and i signal lines. In the second condition, the Mth multiplexer, the first multiplexer and the sub-multiplexer connect i signal lines to i transducers constituting the receiving aperture without duplication.

[0052] Depending on the combination of the number of oscillators, the number of signal lines, the number of multiplexers, and the number of input terminals, there may be a risk of duplicate connection in the second situation. By using a sub-multiplexer, the wiring freedom can be increased, so that duplicate connection can be reliably avoided. In the case where the structures of multiple electronic circuits are made the same, multiple sub-multiplexers corresponding to the multiple multiplexers are set. However, sub-multiplexers other than the first sub-multiplexer do not function. Each sub-multiplexer can be composed of multiple switch circuits.

[0053] In the embodiment, the wiring circuit includes an additional connection path group consisting of i-1 additional connection paths added to the first multiplexer. In the second condition, the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer connect i signal lines to i transducers constituting the receiving aperture without duplication.

[0054] As described above, depending on the combination of the number of oscillators, the number of signal lines, the number of multiplexers, and the number of input terminals, there may be a risk of duplicate connection in the second situation. In this case, the additional connection path group works effectively. When the structures of multiple electronic circuits are made the same, an additional connection path group is provided in each multiplexer. However, in multiplexers other than the first multiplexer, the additional connection path group does not work. In addition, additional connection paths exceeding j-1 may also be provided in the above-mentioned first multiplexer. As described above, in an embodiment, each multiplexer has connection paths of a number greater than (i×j+k) and less than (i×j+k)×i.

[0055] (2) Details of implementation methods

[0056] Figure 1 The ultrasonic diagnostic device involved in the embodiment is shown in the figure. The ultrasonic diagnostic device is used in ultrasonic examination of a living body (human). The ultrasonic diagnostic device has a device body 10 and an intracavity insertion type ultrasonic probe (hereinafter referred to as a probe) 12. Specifically, the probe 12 is an electronic scanning IVUS probe inserted into a blood vessel 14. The structure described in detail below can also be applied to other probes (for example, an ultrasonic endoscope for bronchus).

[0057] The probe 12 is a flexible long member. The outer diameter of the probe 12 is, for example, in the range of 1 to 3 mm. The outer diameter of the probe 12 may be less than or greater than this range.

[0058] The front end portion 12A of the probe 12 is provided with a transducer array 18 having a ring shape. The transducer array 18 is composed of, for example, dozens or hundreds of transducers arranged in a ring shape. Transmitting openings and receiving openings are set on the transducer array 18. Ultrasonic waves are radiated from the transmitting openings, and reflected waves are received through the receiving openings. The ultrasonic beam (transmitting and receiving integrated beam) 20 is radially scanned by electronic scanning of these openings.

[0059] An electronic circuit group 22 is provided in the front end portion 12A. The electronic circuit group 22 is electrically connected to the transducer array 18. The electronic circuit group 22 performs electronic scanning of the transmission aperture and the reception aperture. The electronic circuit group 22 is composed of a plurality of electronic circuits. The number of electronic circuits is, for example, in the range of 4 to 8, and may be 5 or 6. Each electronic circuit is, for example, composed of an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0060] The probe 12 has a hollow channel formed along its central axis. A guide wire 16 is inserted into the channel. More precisely, the probe 12 advances in the blood vessel 14 along the guide wire 16 that has been arranged in the blood vessel 14.

[0061] The transceiver 24 is an electronic circuit that functions as a transmission control circuit and a reception beam former. Transmission control data is sent from the transceiver 24 to the electronic circuit group 22. During transmission, the electronic circuit group 22 generates a plurality of transmission signals. These transmission signals are sent to the transducer array 18, whereby the transducer array 18 forms a transmission beam.

[0062] During reception, a plurality of reception signals output in parallel from the transducer array 18 are transmitted to the transceiver 24 via the electronic circuit group 22. The transceiver 24 applies phasing and addition to the plurality of reception signals. In this way, reception beam data is generated. The electronic circuit group 22 may perform reception sub-beamforming.

[0063] An interface unit is provided between the probe 12 and the transceiver 24, but Figure 1 In the figure, the illustration is omitted. Along with the radial scanning of the ultrasonic beam, a plurality of reception beam data are sequentially transmitted from the transmission and reception unit 24 to the image forming unit 28 via the data processing unit 26.

[0064] The data processing unit 26 has a detection circuit, a filter circuit, a logarithmic conversion circuit, etc. The image forming unit 28 is composed of a digital scan converter (DSC). A tomographic image is formed by a plurality of receiving beam data through the DSC. The tomographic image is displayed on the display 30. The tomographic image is, for example, a dynamic image showing a transverse section of the blood vessel 14. A dynamic image showing a longitudinal section of the blood vessel can be displayed on the display 30. At this time, a tomographic image showing a longitudinal section of the blood vessel can be generated by connecting a plurality of transverse section data in the direction of the blood vessel center axis. A three-dimensional image can be displayed on the display 30.

[0065] The control unit 32 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes programs. The control unit 32 controls the operation of each component in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. The display 30 is composed of an organic EL display device, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc. An operation panel (not shown) is connected to the control unit 32.

[0066] exist Figure 2 A cross section of a probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 Schematically showing the transverse cross section of the front end portion 12A. The FPC substrate 34 is a thin film component for wiring with flexibility. The FPC substrate 34 has a ring shape. A transducer array 18 is provided inside the FPC substrate 34. The transducer array 18 is composed of a plurality of transducers 18a arranged in a ring shape. The ultrasonic wave transmitted from each transducer 18a is transmitted through the FPC substrate 34 and then radiated into the living body. The reflected wave from the living body is transmitted through the FPC substrate 34 and then received by each transducer 18a. As shown in the figure, the ultrasonic beam 20 is radially scanned (reference symbol 36).

[0067] A cylindrical backing 38 is provided inside the transducer array 18. The backing 38 is a member for attenuating ultrasonic waves radiated backward from each transducer 18a. A tube 40 is provided inside the backing 38. The interior of the tube 40 is a channel 42 for inserting a guide wire.

[0068] exist Figure 3 Component 44 is shown in an expanded state. Component 44 is arranged in the front end of the probe. Component 44 is composed of FPC substrate 34, transducer array 18, electronic circuit group 22, etc. Electronic circuit group 22 is composed of multiple electronic circuits 52. Symbol 54 represents a signal line group provided between the front end of the probe and the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic device. When receiving, the wiring circuit 200 connects multiple transducers constituting the receiving opening without duplication, that is, connects multiple signal lines in a one-to-one manner. The wiring circuit 200 includes multiple multiplexers described later.

[0069] exist Figure 4 The component 44 is shown in an installed state. The FPC substrate 34 is rolled up and has a cylindrical shape. In this state, one side 56 and the other side 58 of the FPC substrate 34 are close to or connected. The vibrator array 18 and the electronic circuit group 22 are provided on the inner side of the FPC substrate 34. For example, the direction from the one side 56 toward the other side 58 is the electronic scanning direction. Among the M (where M is an integer greater than 2) electronic circuits 52 constituting the electronic circuit group 22, the electronic circuit closest to the one side 56 is the first electronic circuit 52, and the electronic circuit closest to the other side 58 is the Mth electronic circuit 52.

[0070] exist Figure 5 , an electronic circuit 52 according to the first embodiment is shown. The electronic circuit 52 is an integrated circuit, specifically, an ASIC. The electronic circuit 52 is connected to a specific transducer group 72 in the transducer array. The transducer group 72 is composed of i×j+k transducers. The transducer group connected to the Mth electronic circuit is composed of transducers of a number less than i×j+k.

[0071] Here, i corresponds to the number of signal lines for receiving signal transmission. For example, i=4. At this time, 4 receiving signals are transmitted in parallel at the same time. j is an integer greater than 1. k is an integer greater than 1 and less than i. When the number of signal lines i is divided by the number of transducers constituting the transducer group 72 (i×j+k), a remainder k is generated. For example, j is 3 and k is 1. In the illustrated structural example, i×j+k=13.

[0072] The electronic circuit 52 includes a transmission circuit 62, a receiving circuit 74, and a multiplexer MU. The transmission circuit 62 is composed of, for example, i×j+k transmitters 64. Each transmitter 64 includes a delay generator 66, a waveform generator 68, and an amplifier 70. The delay generator 66 sets the transmission delay (delay time). The waveform generator 68 generates a transmission signal. The delayed transmission signal is amplified by the amplifier 70. The amplified transmission signal is output to the corresponding transducer. In fact, i×j+k transmission signals are output in parallel to the transducer group 72. Thus, a transmission beam is formed.

[0073] The multiplexer MU has i×j+k input terminals and i output terminals. Furthermore, the multiplexer MU has a connection path group consisting of i×j+k connection paths connecting the i×j+k input terminals and the i output terminals. From the connection path group, at most i connection paths are selected simultaneously. The multiplexer MU has a plurality of switches for path selection. As the multiplexer MU, a multiplexer that can fully withstand the transmission voltage is used.

[0074] The receiving circuit 74 is composed of i receivers 76. Specifically, each receiver 76 is a preamplifier. When i reception signals are output in parallel from the multiplexer MU, all of them are amplified, and the amplified i reception signals are sent to i signal lines 78. The i signal lines 78 are used to simultaneously transmit i reception signals in parallel toward the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0075] When transmitting, each unused transmitter 64 is set to the disconnected state, and all connections between the i×j+k input terminals and the i output terminals are cut off in the multiplexer MU. When receiving, the transmission circuit 62 is set to the disconnected state, and each unused receiver 76 is also set to the disconnected state. In the multiplexer MU, a connection path corresponding to each receiver 76 used at each time is selected from the connection path group.

[0076] M electronic circuits 52 are arranged in the front end of the probe. The M electronic circuits 52 include M multiplexers MU. In the first embodiment, the wiring circuit 200 is composed of the M multiplexers MU.

[0077] exist Figure 6 The receiving system involved in the first embodiment is shown in FIG. Figure 6 M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 are shown. In the illustrated structural example, M is 5. The electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 are connected to the transducer array 80. The transducer array 80 is composed of N transducers arranged in the electronic scanning direction. In the illustrated structural example, N is 64. Symbol 82 represents a receiving opening located at a specific position. The receiving opening 82 is composed of i transducers. In the illustrated structural example, i is 4.

[0078] Symbol 84 indicates the electronic scanning direction. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , the electronic circuit IC1 located on the far left is the initial (first) electronic circuit, and the electronic circuit IC5 located on the far right is the final (fifth) electronic circuit. This numbering is for the sake of convenience, and any electronic circuit can be determined as the initial electronic circuit. As described later, in the final electronic circuit, there may be an unused portion that is not connected to the transducer array 80. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , among the N transducers, the transducer located on the far left is the first transducer #1, and the transducer located on the far right is the Nth (64th) transducer.

[0079] As described above, each electronic circuit IC1 to IC5 has a multiplexer MU and i receivers R1 to R4. In addition, each electronic circuit IC1 to IC5 has: i internal signal lines provided at the output side of the i receivers R1 to R4; and i connection points (pads) 87 connected to the i internal signal lines. The i connection points 87 are connected to i signal lines L1 to L4.

[0080] As described above, the multiplexer MU has i×j+k input terminals and i output terminals. In addition, the multiplexer MU has a connection path group 83 composed of i×j+k connection paths connecting the i×j+k input terminals and the i output terminals. Figure 6 In , i1 represents the first input terminal, and i13 represents the last input terminal. o1 to o4 represent i output terminals. The multiplexer MU connects i signal lines arranged in a predetermined order in a 1-to-1 manner from the first input terminal to the last input terminal among i×j+k input terminals. The multiplexer MU also functions as a transmission and reception separation circuit.

[0081] The five electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 have the same structure. The input terminals i1 to i13 of the multiplexer MU in the first electronic circuit IC1 are connected to the first transducer group consisting of transducers #1 to #13. The input terminals i1 to i13 of the multiplexer MU in the second electronic circuit IC2 are connected to the second transducer group consisting of transducers #14 to #26. The input terminals i1 to i13 of the multiplexer MU in the third electronic circuit IC3 are connected to the third transducer group consisting of transducers #27 to #39. The input terminals i1 to i13 of the multiplexer MU in the fourth electronic circuit IC4 are connected to the fourth transducer group consisting of transducers #40 to #52. The input terminals i1 to i12 of the multiplexer MU in the fifth electronic circuit IC5 are connected to the fifth transducer group consisting of transducers #53 to #64. In the illustrated configuration example, the last input terminal 86a of the multiplexer MU in the fifth electronic circuit IC5 is not used. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , the input terminal is marked with an X. The first multiplexer MU to the fourth multiplexer MU are all-input-terminal-use multiplexers (first multiplexers), and the fifth multiplexer MU is a partial-input-terminal-unuse multiplexer (second multiplexer).

[0082] The M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 arranged in the electronic scanning direction have M multiplexers MU arranged in the electronic scanning direction. These multiplexers constitute the wiring circuit 200. In order to prevent duplicate connection from occurring during the process of electronically scanning the receiving opening in the electronic scanning direction, in the first embodiment, the signal lines L1 to L4 are connected to the electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 in a manner that satisfies the following first connection condition.

[0083] Focusing on the x-th (where x is 1, 2, ..., M-1) multiplexer and x+1-th multiplexer that are adjacent in the electronic scanning direction (typically, when a receiving opening is set across them), if the y-th (where y is an integer greater than 1 and less than i) signal line is connected to the last input terminal i13 in the x-th multiplexer, then the y+1-th (where y is the first when y=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal i1 in the x+1-th multiplexer.

[0084] Let's explain it specifically. In the first electronic circuit IC1, the output terminals o1, o2, o3, o4 of the multiplexer MU (i.e., the receivers R1, R2, R3, R4) are connected to the signal lines L1, L2, L3, L4 (the order of recording each symbol column refers to the connection order). In the second electronic circuit IC2, the output terminals o1, o2, o3, o4 of the multiplexer MU are connected to the signal lines L2, L3, L4, L1. In the third electronic circuit IC3, the output terminals o1, o2, o3, o4 of the multiplexer MU are connected to the signal lines L3, L4, L1, L2. In the fourth electronic circuit IC4, the output terminals o1, o2, o3, o4 of the multiplexer MU are connected to the signal lines L4, L1, L2, L3. In the fifth electronic circuit IC5 , the output terminals o1 , o2 , o3 , and o4 of the multiplexer MU are connected to the signal lines L1 , L2 , L3 , and L4 .

[0085] In the fifth electronic circuit IC5, a used portion and an unused portion arranged in the electronic scanning direction are generated in the input terminal group of the multiplexer MU. Specifically, as described above, the last input terminal 86a is an unused portion.

[0086] By applying the first connection condition, even if a reception aperture is set across two multiplexers MU adjacent to each other in the electronic scanning direction in the range from the first multiplexer MU to the M-th multiplexer MU, duplicate connection does not occur. In the first embodiment, as described below, even if a reception aperture is set across the M-th multiplexer MU and the first multiplexer MU, duplicate connection can be avoided without using a special mechanism.

[0087] exist Figure 7 1 and 2 show the M-th multiplexer MU and the first multiplexer MU. Reference numeral 86 indicates a gap or seam between one side and the other side of the FPC substrate. The input terminal row of the M-th multiplexer MU is composed of a used portion 84 and an unused portion 85 arranged in the electronic scanning direction. The unused portion 85 is the 13th input terminal.

[0088] exist Figure 7 In the figure, the receiving opening 82 is composed of four vibrators from vibrator #62 to vibrator #1. To these vibrators, the 10th, 11th and 12th input terminals in the 5th multiplexer MU are connected, and the 1st input terminal in the 1st multiplexer MU is connected. The 10th, 11th and 12th input terminals in the 5th multiplexer MU are connected to the signal lines L2, L3, and L4, and the signal line L1 is connected to the 1st input terminal in the 1st multiplexer MU. In this way, duplicate connection will not occur. As shown by symbol 83, even if the receiving opening is shifted by 1 pitch in the electronic scanning direction, duplicate connection will not occur. The same applies thereafter.

[0089] It is generally considered that when setting the receiving opening across the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer, in order to avoid duplicate connection, the following second connection condition only needs to be satisfied.

[0090] In the case where the zth (where z is an integer greater than 1 and less than i) signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the used part in the Mth multiplexer, the z+1th (where z=i is the first) signal line is connected to the first input terminal in the first multiplexer. In the first embodiment, since the last signal line L4 is connected to the last input terminal i12 of the used part in the last multiplexer, the second connection condition described above is naturally satisfied. If the second connection condition is not naturally satisfied, a mechanism for satisfying the second connection condition is added. This will be described later.

[0091] use Figure 8 , the transmission opening and the receiving opening set in the first embodiment are explained. Symbol 88 represents the transmission and reception number. Symbol 90 and symbol 92 represent the transmission element group and the receiving element group used in each transmission and reception. The transmission element group is a plurality of vibrators constituting the transmission opening. The receiving element group is a plurality of vibrators constituting the receiving opening. In the example shown in the figure, the transmission opening is composed of 12 vibrators, and the receiving opening is composed of 4 vibrators. Figure 8 What is shown is an example, and various transceiver sequences can be employed.

[0092] exist Fig. 9 An example of a method for transmitting control data is shown in FIG. 9. The electronic circuit group 94 is composed of M electronic circuits 96-1 to 96-M. Each electronic circuit 96-1 to 96-M has a shift register SF. The M shift registers are connected in a ring. By inputting a series of control data to a specific shift register, the required data is set for all the shift registers. Each electronic circuit 96-1 to 96-M operates according to these data.

[0093] exist Fig.10 FIG. 1 shows an FPC substrate 110 in the first embodiment. M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 are mounted on the FPC substrate 110. Each electronic circuit IC1 to IC5 has the same structure. Here, if we focus on the electronic circuit IC1, the electronic circuit IC1 has i internal signal lines g1 to g4 connected to i receivers R1 to R4. In addition, the electronic circuit IC1 has four connection points 100 to 106 provided on the i internal signal lines g1 to g4 and a connection point 108 additionally provided on a specific internal signal line g1. Each connection point is a pad or a terminal.

[0094] The FPC substrate 110 has a wiring pattern 111. The wiring pattern 111 has a plurality of signal lines 112 to 124. The signal line 112 is used to connect the signal line L1 to specific five receivers (see a to e). The signal line 114 and the signal line 120 are used to connect the signal line L2 to specific five receivers. The signal line 116 and the signal line 122 are used to connect the signal line L3 to specific five receivers. The signal line 118 and the signal line 124 are used to connect the signal line L4 to specific five receivers.

[0095] exist Fig.10 In the structural example shown, two connection points 100 and 108 are provided on a specific internal signal line g1. As required, a portion 109 between the two connection points 100 and 108 in the specific internal signal line g1 functions as a jumper (short-circuit). That is, two signal lines (reference symbols 109a, 109b, 109c) separated in the Y direction included in the wiring pattern 111 can be connected through the portion 109. Thus, as the FPC substrate 110, an FPC substrate having a single wiring layer can be used. This FPC substrate is thinner and more flexible than an FPC substrate having multiple wiring layers. As required, two or more connection points are provided for each of the multiple internal signal lines g1 to g4.

[0096] Next, use Figure 11 to Figure 13 The second embodiment is described. Fig.11 2 shows an electronic circuit 52A according to the second embodiment. Fig.11 In, with Figure 5 The same elements as those shown are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

[0097] In the electronic circuit 52A, a sub-multiplexer SMU is provided at the subsequent stage of the receiving circuit 74 composed of i receivers 76. The sub-multiplexer SMU is a mechanism for preventing duplicate connection under certain conditions. The sub-multiplexer SMU is composed of a plurality of switch circuits, for example. In the second embodiment, the wiring circuit 202 is composed of M multiplexers MU and M sub-multiplexers SMU.

[0098] exist Fig.12 2 shows a receiving system according to the second embodiment. The receiving system includes M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5. They have the same structure. The transducer array is composed of N transducers. In the illustrated structure example, M is 5 and N is 64. The number of signal lines i is 3.

[0099] Each electronic circuit IC1~IC5 has a multiplexer MU, i receivers R1~R3 ​​and a sub-multiplexer SMU. The multiplexer MU has i×j+k input terminals and i output terminals. In addition, the multiplexer MU has a connection path group consisting of i×j+k connection paths connecting the i×j+k input terminals and the i output terminals. Here, i×j+k is 13 in the illustrated structural example. That is, i is 3, j is 4, and k, which is equivalent to the remainder, is 1. The last input terminal in the Mth multiplexer is not used (refer to the X mark). Since the sub-multiplexer SMU input does not send a signal, a circuit with a relatively low withstand voltage can be used as the sub-multiplexer SMU.

[0100] In the illustrated configuration example, the sub-multiplexer SMU is composed of two switch circuits S1 and S2. The switch circuit S1 is provided at the subsequent stage of the receiver R1 and selects one of the two signal lines. The switch circuit S2 is provided at the subsequent stage of the receiver R2 and selects one of the two signal lines.

[0101] The signal lines connected directly below the switch circuits S1 and S2 are signal lines that are stably selected, and the signal lines displayed diagonally below and to the right of the switch circuits S1 and S2 are signal lines that are exceptionally selected. In fact, only the sub-multiplexer SMU in the first electronic circuit IC1 functions, and the sub-multiplexers SMU in the other electronic circuits IC2, IC3, IC4, and IC5 do not function. That is, the lines 132 and 134 indicated by the dotted lines are not actually used.

[0102] In the second embodiment, i signal lines L1 to L4 are connected to M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 in a manner that satisfies the first connection condition. On the premise that any switch circuits S1 and S2 are in a stable selection state, in the range from the first electronic circuit IC1 to the Mth electronic circuit IC5, when the yth signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the xth multiplexer, the y+1th (where the 1st is the case when y=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the x+1th multiplexer. Thus, duplicate connection does not occur during the electronic scanning process of the receiving opening from the first electronic circuit IC1 to the Mth electronic circuit IC5.

[0103] exist Fig.13 2 shows a situation in which the receiving opening 136 is set across the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer in the second embodiment. In this case, wiring is performed so as to satisfy the second connection condition.

[0104] That is, when the zth signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the used part in the Mth multiplexer, the z+1th (the first when z=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal in the first multiplexer.

[0105] Specifically, when the receiving opening 136 is set, in the first electronic circuit IC1, the switch circuit S1 selects the output line 140 as an exception among the two output lines 138 and 140. As a result, the signal lines L3, L1, and L2 are connected to the three transducers constituting the receiving opening 136. Next, when the receiving opening 142 is set, the switch circuit S1 maintains the selection of the output line 140, and the switch circuit S2 selects the output line 146 as an exception among the two output lines 144 and 146. As a result, the signal lines L1, L2, and L3 are connected to the three transducers constituting the receiving opening 136.

[0106] In this way, in the second situation where the receiving opening is set across the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer, the switch circuits S1 and S2 play an auxiliary role to avoid duplicate connection.

[0107] When all the reception openings fall within the responsible range of the first multiplexer MU (reference symbol 148), the switch circuit S1 selects the output line 138 and the switch circuit S2 selects the output line 144. That is, the initial wiring state or the stable wiring state is restored.

[0108] use Figure 14-15 The third embodiment is described. The structure involved in the third embodiment is basically the same as the structure involved in the second embodiment. However, in the third embodiment, M is 6, N is 64, and i is 3. The number of input terminals of each multiplexer, i×j+k, is 11. Here, j is 3, and k is 2. The input terminal column of the Mth multiplexer includes a used portion and an unused portion arranged in the electronic scanning direction. The unused portion is composed of 2 input terminals (refer to the 2 X marks). Fig.14 In the example, the first multiplexer MU to the fifth multiplexer MU are all input terminal use multiplexers (first multiplexer), and the sixth multiplexer MU is a multiplexer that does not use some input terminals (second multiplexer). In addition, it is also considered that the last input terminal in the fifth multiplexer MU and the last input terminal in the sixth multiplexer MU are not used.

[0109] The receiving system involved in the third embodiment has M electronic circuits IC1 to IC6. The wiring circuit 204 is composed of M multiplexers MU and M sub-multiplexers. Each sub-multiplexer is composed of a switch circuit S1 and a switch circuit S2. In the third embodiment, in the above-mentioned second condition, the switch circuit S1 and the switch circuit S2 in the first electronic circuit IC1 also play a supporting role. The switch circuits other than the two switch circuits do not work, and these switch circuits keep stably selecting specific signal lines (solid lines). For example, in the second electronic circuit IC2, the signal lines (dashed lines) 154 and 156 are not selected.

[0110] In the third embodiment, in the first condition, i signal lines L1 to L3 are cyclically connected to the M electronic circuits IC1 to IC6 in a manner that satisfies the first connection condition. That is, on the premise that any switch circuits S1 and S2 are in a stable selection state, in the range from the first electronic circuit IC1 to the Mth electronic circuit IC5, when the yth signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the xth multiplexer, the y+1th (where the 1st is the case when y=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the x+1th multiplexer. Thus, duplicate connection does not occur during the electronic scanning process of the receiving aperture from the first electronic circuit IC1 to the Mth electronic circuit IC6.

[0111] exist Fig.15 1 shows the operation of the third embodiment under the second condition. The input terminal row in the Mth multiplexer is composed of a used portion 157 and an unused portion 158 arranged in the electronic scanning direction. A receiving opening 159 is set across the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer. At this time, wiring is performed in a manner that satisfies the above-mentioned second connection condition.

[0112] That is, when the zth signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the used portion 157 in the Mth multiplexer, the z+1th (the first when z=i)th signal line is connected to the first input terminal in the first multiplexer. The switch circuits S1 and S2 operate to satisfy the second connection condition.

[0113] Specifically, the first signal line L1 is connected to the last input terminal of the use portion 157 via the receiver R3. At the time of setting the receiving aperture 159, the switch circuit S1 selects the output line 162. That is, the signal line L2 is selected. As a result, the three reception signals output from the three transducers constituting the receiving aperture 159 are sent to the signal lines L3, L1, and L2.

[0114] Then, at the time of setting the receiving aperture 164, the switch circuit S1 maintains the selection of the output line 162, and the switch circuit S2 selects the output line 168. That is, the signal line L3 is selected. Thus, the three reception signals output from the three transducers constituting the receiving aperture 164 are transmitted using the signal lines L1, L2, and L3.

[0115] When all the reception apertures fall within the responsible range of the first multiplexer MU (reference symbol 170), the switch circuit S1 selects the signal line 160 and the switch circuit S2 selects the signal line 166. That is, the initial wiring state or the stable wiring state is restored.

[0116] exist Fig.16 A modification example related to the second embodiment and the third embodiment is shown in FIG. Fig.16 In, with Fig.11 The same elements as those shown are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

[0117] The electronic circuit 52B does not have a sub-multiplexer SMU. The sub-multiplexer SMU is attached to the subsequent stage of the first electronic circuit 52B. The wiring circuit 206 is composed of M multiplexers MU and 1 sub-multiplexer SMU. According to this modification, each electronic circuit can be miniaturized while satisfying the second connection condition. The sub-multiplexer SMU can be mounted on the wiring FPC substrate.

[0118] Next, use Fig.17 and Fig.18 The fourth embodiment is described. Fig.17 In the fourth embodiment, the receiving system includes M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5. The M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 have the same structure. In the illustrated structure example, M is 5, N is 64, and i is 3. Each electronic circuit IC1 to IC5 includes a multiplexer MU and i receivers R1 to R3. The last input terminal in the Mth multiplexer is not used (see X mark).

[0119] Each multiplexer MU has i×j+k input terminals i1 to i13 and i output terminals o1 to o3. The i×j+k input terminals i1 to i13 are connected to i×j+k oscillators. The i output terminals are connected to i signal lines L1 to L3. In the illustrated configuration example, i×j+k is 13, i.e., j is 4 and k is 1.

[0120] Each multiplexer MU has a connection path group 174. The connection path group 174 includes a connection path group 175, which is composed of j×j+k connection paths for cyclically connecting i signal lines L1 to L3 for i×j+k oscillators. In addition, the connection path group 174 includes an additional connection path group 176, which is composed of i-1 connection paths (additional connection paths) for avoiding duplicate connections in the second situation described above. In the example shown in the figure, the additional connection path group 176 is composed of i-1 additional connection paths, specifically, 2 additional connection paths (see two thick lines).

[0121] In the first electronic circuit IC1, in a stable state, the first input terminal is connected to the first signal line L1, and the second input terminal is connected to the second signal line L2. In the second condition, in the first electronic circuit IC1, the first input terminal is connected to the second signal line L2, and the second input terminal is connected to the third signal line L3. The M-1 additional connection path groups included from the second multiplexer MU to the M-th multiplexer MU do not function. Only the additional connection path group included in the first multiplexer MU functions only in the second condition to avoid duplicate connection.

[0122] In the fourth embodiment, i signal lines L1 to L3 are connected to M electronic circuits IC1 to IC5 in a manner that satisfies the first connection condition. That is, when the yth signal line is connected to the last input terminal in the xth multiplexer, the y+1th (the first when y=i) signal line is connected to the first input terminal in the x+1th multiplexer. At this time, the y+2th (the second when y=i) signal line is connected to the second input terminal in the x+1th multiplexer. The same is true for the other input terminals in the x+1th multiplexer.

[0123] exist Fig.18 1 shows the operation of the fourth embodiment in the second condition. A receiving opening 179 is set across the Mth electronic circuit IC5 and the first electronic circuit IC1. The last input terminal i12 of the used portion in the Mth multiplexer MU is connected to the first signal line L1 via the receiver R3. That is, y=1. At this time, by the action of the first multiplexer MU (by utilizing the additional connection path group 176), the second signal line L2 is connected to the first input terminal i1 in the first multiplexer MU instead of the first signal line L1 (reference symbol 177).

[0124] Then, when the receiving opening 180 is set, in the first multiplexer MU, the connection between the second signal line L2 and the first input terminal i1 is maintained, and the third signal line L3 is connected to the second input terminal instead of the second signal line L2 (reference symbol 178). When all the receiving openings fall within the range of the first multiplexer MU (reference symbol 182), the initial connection state or the stable connection state is restored.

[0125] According to the first embodiment, duplicate connection is naturally avoided in the second situation. Generally, when the last input terminal of the used part in the M-th multiplexer is connected to the i-th signal line, duplicate connection is naturally avoided. According to the second, third and fourth embodiments, since a mechanism for avoiding duplicate connection in the second situation is provided, duplicate connection is avoided by using this mechanism.

Claims

1. An intracavity insertion type ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: include: A ring-shaped array of oscillators; i signal lines, where i is an integer greater than 2; and a wiring circuit having a plurality of multiplexers arranged in parallel between the transducer array and the i signal lines, Each of the multiplexers has: i×j+k input terminals for inputting a plurality of reception signals from the vibrator array, wherein j is an integer greater than 1, and k is an integer greater than 1 and less than i; and i output terminals connected to the i signal lines, The wiring circuit connects the i signal lines to i transducers constituting each of the receiving apertures without duplication during a receiving beam scanning process in which a plurality of receiving apertures are sequentially set for the transducer array.

2. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each multiplexer includes j×j+k connection paths, and the connection paths are used to cyclically connect the i output terminals in a one-to-one manner from the first input terminal as the 1st input terminal to the last input terminal as the i×j+kth input terminal.

3. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiplexers are M multiplexers, where M is an integer greater than 2. In a first condition in which a receiving opening is set for the wiring circuit across the x-th multiplexer and the x+1-th multiplexer adjacent to each other in the electronic scanning direction, the y-th signal line is connected to the last input terminal of the x-th multiplexer, and the y+1-th signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the x+1-th multiplexer, wherein x is 1, 2, ..., M-1, y is an integer greater than 1 and less than i, and is the first when y=i.

4. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, characterized in that: The i×j+k input terminals in the Mth multiplexer include a used portion and an unused portion arranged in the electronic scanning direction, In the second condition in which a receiving opening is set across the Mth multiplexer and the first multiplexer, the wiring circuit is connected to a zth signal line for the last input terminal of the used part in the Mth multiplexer, and a z+1th signal line is connected to the first input terminal of the first multiplexer, where z is an integer greater than 1 and less than i, and is the first when z=i.

5. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiplexers include at least one first multiplexer and at least one second multiplexer, In the at least one first multiplexer, all of the i×j+k input terminals are used, In the at least one second multiplexer, the i×j+k input terminals include a used portion and an unused portion.

6. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: comprising M electronic circuits arranged between the vibrator array and the i signal lines, Each of the electronic circuits comprises: the multiplexer; and i receivers are arranged between the i output terminals of the multiplexer and the i signal lines.

7. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 6, characterized in that: The plurality of electronic circuits have the same structure.

8. The intra-body cavity insertable ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, characterized in that: A circuit board is included, the circuit board having a wiring pattern connecting the i signal lines to the plurality of electronic circuits.

9. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the electronic circuits has i internal signal lines extending from the i receivers, The i internal signal lines are connected to the wiring pattern, A specific internal signal line among the i internal signal lines has two connection points, A portion between the two connection points in the specific internal signal line functions as a jumper line connecting two separate signal lines in the wiring pattern.

10. The intra-body cavity insertable ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, characterized in that: The wiring circuit includes a sub-multiplexer provided between i output terminals of the first multiplexer and the i signal lines, In the second condition, the M-th multiplexer, the first multiplexer, and the sub-multiplexer connect the i signal lines to the i transducers constituting the receiving aperture without duplication.

11. The intra-body cavity insertion type ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, characterized in that: The wiring circuit includes an additional connection path group consisting of i-1 additional connection paths added to the first multiplexer, In the second condition, the M-th multiplexer and the first multiplexer connect the i signal lines to the i transducers constituting the receiving aperture without duplication.

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