Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic imaging apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus. An ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe comprising: a piezoelectric layer; the backing layer and the piezoelectric layer are arranged in a stacked mode; the flexible circuit board is used for being connected with a connector, the flexible circuit board comprises a main body part and an extension part, and the main body part is at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer and electrically connected with the piezoelectric layer; the extension part extends from the main body part to the side, away from the piezoelectric layer, of the backing layer along the outer wall of the backing layer, and is in a multi-layer stacking shape on the side, away from the piezoelectric layer, of the backing layer. The ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic imaging equipment can meet the signal transmission requirement when the number of channels is larger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to an ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging device. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing popularity of minimally invasive interventional surgery, it has become one of the commonly used diagnostic and treatment methods to insert an ultrasound probe into the patient's body to detect the lesion. For example, intracardiac ultrasound probes are often used to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Such ultrasound probes usually include connected piezoelectric layers, integrated circuits (ASICs), adapter boards, cables and other components. During the test, the ultrasound probe is sent into the patient's body through a catheter, and the ultrasonic signal is transmitted and received through the piezoelectric layer. The received signal is transmitted to the adapter board through the ASIC, and then to the cable through the adapter board. The cable transmits the signal to the outside of the body, and then to the host through the connector on the operating handle for imaging display. However, in this type of structure, due to the small inner cavity size of the catheter, the number of cables is greatly limited, resulting in its inability to meet the transmission requirements of multi-channel signals. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic imaging device that can meet the signal transmission requirements when there are more channels.

[0004] An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

[0005] Piezoelectric layer;

[0006] A backing layer and the piezoelectric layer are stacked; and

[0007] A flexible circuit board is used to connect to a connector, the flexible circuit board includes a main body and an extension part, the main body is at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer and is electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer, the extension part extends from the main body along the outer wall of the backing layer to the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer, and is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the extension portion includes a bonding sub-portion and a stacking sub-portion, the stacking sub-portion is in a multi-layer stack on the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer, and the main body portion and the stacking sub-portion are connected through the bonding sub-portion bonded to the outer wall of the backing layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state, a notch is formed on the main body and the bonding sub-part in an area away from the piezoelectric layer along a first direction, wherein the first direction is a length direction of the flexible circuit board.

[0010] In some embodiments, a connection between two adjacent layers in the stacked sub-portion has a slit at a portion of a first direction, wherein the first direction is a length direction of the flexible circuit board.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of slits are close to one end of the piezoelectric layer along the first direction, and their projections along a third direction are staggered in sequence in the first direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the flexible circuit board includes two extension portions, which extend from the two ends of the main body along the second direction along the outer wall of the backing layer to the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer, and are both stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer. The second direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the flexible circuit board and to the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, one of the extension portions is stacked on a side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer to form a first stacking sub-portion, and the other extension portion is stacked on a side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer to form a second stacking sub-portion, and the first stacking sub-portion and the second stacking sub-portion are stacked sequentially along the stacking direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ultrasound probe includes a catheter, the flexible circuit board includes an acoustic head connecting section and a lead-out section arranged along a first direction, the acoustic head connecting section and the lead-out section both include the extension portion, and at least the acoustic head connecting section includes the main body portion, the piezoelectric layer is disposed on the acoustic head connecting section, and the lead-out section passes through the catheter, wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board;

[0015] The sound head connecting section and the lead-out section are integrally formed, or the sound head connecting section and the lead-out section are separately arranged and fixedly connected.

[0016] In some embodiments, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section has a connection area connected to the corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section, and the projections of the connection areas of each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section along the third direction are staggered in sequence in the first direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer.

[0017] In some embodiments, a projection of the connection region along the third direction is located within the piezoelectric layer.

[0018] In some embodiments, one of the layers of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section has a connection area connected to a corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section, and a plurality of the connection areas are arranged along the first direction.

[0019] In some embodiments, each of the connection regions includes a plurality of connection sites arranged along the first direction;

[0020] Alternatively, each of the connection regions includes a plurality of connection sites arranged along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to a stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer.

[0021] In some embodiments, when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state, the acoustic head connecting section is connected to the lead-out sections on both sides along a third direction, wherein the third direction is a stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer and the backing layer.

[0022] In some embodiments, the lead-out segment includes a plurality of lead-out sub-segments arranged in sequence along the first direction, and any adjacent lead-out sub-segments are connected.

[0023] In some embodiments, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section is disconnected from each other;

[0024] Alternatively, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section is connected as a whole at one end close to the connector along the first direction, and is disconnected or connected as a whole at the other end.

[0025] In some embodiments, the end of the lead-out section away from the acoustic head connection section is used to directly connect to the connector;

[0026] Alternatively, the end of the lead-out section away from the sound head connecting section is used to be connected to the connector via a cable.

[0027] An ultrasonic imaging device comprises the ultrasonic probe mentioned above, and also comprises the connector and a host, wherein the ultrasonic probe and the host are connected via the connector.

[0028] In the above-mentioned ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic imaging device, the piezoelectric layer can transmit and receive ultrasonic signals, and is electrically connected to the main body of the flexible circuit board, so that the received signal can be transmitted to the connector via the flexible circuit board. Since the flexible circuit board has the characteristics of high integration, under the same size conditions, it can meet the signal transmission of more channels compared to cables. In addition, the extension portion extends from the main body along the outer wall of the backing layer to the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer, and is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer. In the prior art, under the premise of a certain size of the catheter lumen, the number of cables that can be passed through it is also limited. Since only one transmission channel can be set in each cable, this leads to the fact that when using cable transmission, the total number of transmission channels that can be set is extremely limited due to the size of the catheter lumen. In the present application, a flexible circuit board is used to transmit signals. Due to the characteristics of the highly integrated flexible circuit board, under the same size, a single-layer flexible circuit board can already lay out a larger number of transmission channels. On this basis, the flexible circuit board is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer away from the piezoelectric layer, and each layer can be provided with a transmission channel, thereby further increasing the total number of transmission channels to meet the transmission needs of more channel signals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the end face of an ultrasonic probe in one embodiment of the present application (components such as the piezoelectric layer are omitted).

[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board and the piezoelectric layer in the ultrasound probe shown in FIG. 1 when in an unfolded state.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an end face of an ultrasonic probe in another embodiment of the present application.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board and the piezoelectric layer in the ultrasound probe shown in FIG. 3 when in an unfolded state.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board in the ultrasound probe shown in FIG. 3 in a folded state.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the ultrasound probe shown in FIG. 3 .

[0035] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section, the lead-out section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section when the flexible circuit board shown in FIG. 8 is in a folded state.

[0038] FIG. 10 is a side view of the sound head connecting section and the lead-out section in another embodiment of the present application.

[0039] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a lead-out section when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0040] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section, the lead-out section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0041] 13 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section, the lead-out section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0042] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the lead-out section and the connector when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0043] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section, the lead-out section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in another embodiment of the present application.

[0044] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the acoustic head connection section, the lead-out section and the piezoelectric layer when the flexible circuit board is in an unfolded state in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0045] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound probe in a folded state on a flexible circuit board in another embodiment of the present application (the catheter is omitted).

[0046] Reference numerals:

[0047] 100, piezoelectric layer;

[0048] 200, backing layer;

[0049] 300, flexible circuit board; 310, main body; 320, extension; 321, fitting sub-section; 322, stacking sub-section; 3221, first stacking sub-section; 3222, second stacking sub-section; 330, notch; 340, slit; 350, acoustic head connecting section; 351, first pad group; 360, lead-out section; 361, second pad group; 362, lead-out sub-section;

[0050] 400, catheter;

[0051] 500, cable;

[0052] 600. Connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0054] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0055] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0056] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0058] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0059] Referring to Fig. 1, Fig. 3, Fig. 6 and Fig. 14, an ultrasonic probe provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a piezoelectric layer 100, a backing layer 200 and a flexible circuit board 300. The backing layer 200 and the piezoelectric layer 100 are stacked, the flexible circuit board 300 is used to connect with the connector 600, and the flexible circuit board 300 includes a main body 310 and an extension 320, the main body 310 is at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 and is electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer 100, and the extension 320 extends from the main body 310 along the outer wall of the backing layer 200 to the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100.

[0060] In the ultrasonic probe in the above embodiment, the piezoelectric layer 100 can transmit and receive ultrasonic signals, and is electrically connected to the main body 310 of the flexible circuit board 300, so that the received signal can be transmitted to the connector 600 through the flexible circuit board 300. Since the flexible circuit board 300 has the characteristics of high integration, it can meet the signal transmission of more channels compared with the cable 500 under the same size conditions. In addition, the extension part 320 extends from the main body 310 along the outer wall of the backing layer 200 to the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100. In the prior art, under the premise that the inner cavity size of the catheter 400 is certain, the number of cables that can be passed through it is also limited. Since only one transmission channel can be set in each cable, this leads to the fact that when cable transmission is adopted, the total number of transmission channels that can be set is extremely limited due to the inner cavity size of the catheter 400. In the present application, a flexible circuit board 300 is used to transmit signals. Due to the highly integrated characteristics of the flexible circuit board 300, a single-layer flexible circuit board 300 can be equipped with more transmission channels under the same size. On this basis, the flexible circuit board 300 is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and each layer can be equipped with a transmission channel, thereby further increasing the total number of transmission channels to meet the transmission requirements of more channel signals.

[0061] The length direction of the flexible circuit board 300 is defined as the first direction, the width direction of the piezoelectric layer 100 (i.e., the width direction of the flexible circuit board 300 in the unfolded state) is defined as the second direction, the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 is defined as the third direction, and any two of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are perpendicular. The extension direction of the extension portion 320 on the outer wall of the backing layer 200 is defined as the third direction. In the third direction, the main body portion 310 is at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the flexible circuit board 300 includes a substrate (PI or PET), a metal conductor layer (such as copper foil), an insulating film, and a cover film, and each layer is bonded by an adhesive, wherein the metal conductor layer is used to transmit electrical signals. That is, the transmission channel is set in the metal conductor layer. When the flexible circuit board 300 is folded, the microstructure of each layer in the multi-layer stacked structure also includes the above-mentioned film layer.

[0063] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, in some embodiments, the extension portion 320 includes a bonding sub-portion 321 and a stacking sub-portion 322. The stacking sub-portion 322 is stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and the main body portion 310 and the stacking sub-portion 322 are connected via the bonding sub-portion 321 that is bonded to the outer wall of the backing layer 200.

[0064] Specifically, one end of the laminating sub-section 321 is connected to the end of the main body 310 along the second direction, and the other end is connected to the stacking sub-section 322. The stacking sub-section 322 is repeatedly bent on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100 to present a multi-layer stacking shape.

[0065] The fitting sub-portion 321 and the stacking sub-portion 322 are integrally formed, and the extension portion 320 and the main body portion 310 are integrally formed. During assembly, the main body portion 310 is first fixed between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200, and then the extension portion 320 is bent relative to the main body portion 310, so that the extension portion 320 fits the outer wall of the backing layer 200, and extends along the third direction from the outer wall of the backing layer 200 to the side away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and then the stacking sub-portion 322 is formed in a multi-layer stacked shape by repeated bending on the side away from the piezoelectric layer 100.

[0066] It is understandable that the number of layers of the stacked sub-sections 322 formed is related to the inner cavity size of the catheter 400. The larger the inner cavity size of the catheter 400, the more stacked layers can be accommodated, so the number of stacked layers can be increased as much as possible during manufacturing, thereby increasing the total number of transmission channels.

[0067] In some embodiments, the main body 310 is fixed between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 by welding, binding connection, etc.

[0068] Preferably, in some embodiments, the fitting sub-portion 321 in the extension portion 320 is fixed to the outer wall of the backing layer 200 by bonding or the like to improve the structural strength.

[0069] Preferably, in some embodiments, any two adjacent layers in the stacking sub-section 322 are fixed by bonding or other methods to further improve the structural strength.

[0070] 1 to 4 , in some embodiments, when the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state, a notch 330 is formed on the main body 310 and the bonding sub-part 321 in a first direction away from the piezoelectric layer 100 , wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board 300 .

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 at the same time, it can be understood that when the notch 330 is set in the above manner, and the flexible circuit board 300 is folded to present the state shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, the area on the flexible circuit board 300 where the notch 330 is opened can only form the stacking sub-section 322, and will not form the laminating sub-section 321 and the main body 310. That is, from the perspective of FIG. 5, the main body 310, the laminating sub-section 321 and the stacking sub-section 322 are all present in the left end area, and the right end area only has the stacking sub-section 322, without the main body 310 and the laminating sub-section 321. The area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 that is away from the piezoelectric layer 100 along the first direction (that is, the right end area from the perspective of FIG. 5) is exactly the area that passes through the catheter 400. The signal received by the piezoelectric layer 100 is transmitted to the laminating sub-section 321 through the main body 310, and then transmitted to the stacking sub-section 322, and then transmitted to the outside of the body through the catheter 400 through the stacking sub-section 322. Referring to FIG. 17 , in some embodiments, the notch may not be provided on the flexible circuit board 300. In this case, the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 only exist in a partial area of ​​the flexible circuit board 300 along the first direction. In the perspective of FIG. 17 , the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 only exist in a partial area of ​​the left end of the flexible circuit board 300.

[0072] As mentioned above, the main body 310 is at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200. Specifically, when the notch 330 is provided (as shown in FIG. 5 ), the area on the flexible circuit board 300 where the notch 330 is provided will not form the main body 310, and at this time, the main body 310 is entirely located between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200; when the notch 330 is not provided (as shown in FIG. 17 ), in the main body 310, only the area close to the piezoelectric layer 100 along the first direction is located between the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200.

[0073] In the above embodiment, by providing a notch 330 in the area away from the piezoelectric layer 100 along the first direction on the main body 310 and the fitting sub-part 321, it is possible to pass through the catheter 400 to reach the outside of the body only through the stacking sub-part 322. Compared with the flexible circuit board 300 with a larger cross-sectional size passing through the catheter 400 as a whole to reach the outside of the body, the stacking sub-part 322 with a smaller cross-sectional size can better adapt to the narrow inner cavity of the catheter 400. When the inner cavity size of the catheter 400 is constant, the space saved by the main body 310 and the fitting sub-part 321 can be used to accommodate stacking sub-parts 322 with more stacked layers, so as to further increase the number of transmission channels and better meet the transmission requirements of multi-channel signals.

[0074] 1 to 4 , in some embodiments, a connection between two adjacent layers in the stacking sub-portion 322 has a slit 340 at a portion of a first direction, wherein the first direction is a length direction of the flexible circuit board 300 .

[0075] Specifically, in the unfolded state, a slit 340 extending along the first direction is cut out in a part of the flexible circuit board 300. After assembly, the slit 340 is located exactly at the connection between two adjacent layers in the stacking sub-section 322, so that the connection between two adjacent layers in the stacking sub-section 322 is partially disconnected. Such a setting can facilitate the bending and stacking of the flexible circuit board 300 during assembly, reducing the difficulty of assembly.

[0076] In some embodiments, the slits may be arranged continuously along the first direction, or may be arranged discontinuously along the first direction.

[0077] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 , preferably, in some embodiments, a plurality of slits 340 are arranged in a staggered manner in the first direction near one end of the piezoelectric layer 100 along the first direction, and the projections along the third direction are arranged in sequence in the first direction. That is, when the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state, a plurality of slits 340 are arranged in a stepped manner in the first direction near one end of the piezoelectric layer 100. Such an arrangement can reserve sufficient space for wiring inside the flexible circuit board 300 to facilitate wiring.

[0078] It should be noted that the “projection along the third direction” appearing in the embodiments of the present application refers to projecting the component onto a projection plane perpendicular to the third direction.

[0079] Referring to Figures 3 to 6, in some embodiments, the flexible circuit board 300 includes two extension portions 320, which extend from the main body 310 along the outer wall of the backing layer 200 at both ends along the second direction to the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and are both stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100. The second direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the flexible circuit board 300 and to the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200.

[0080] Specifically, when the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state, the two extension parts 320 are symmetrically connected to the two sides of the main body 310 along the second direction. By providing two groups of extension parts 320, the number of stacked layers on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100 can be increased, thereby further increasing the number of transmission channels and better meeting the transmission requirements of multi-channel signals.

[0081] Referring to Figures 3 to 6, in some embodiments, one of the extension portions 320 is stacked on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100 to form a first stacking sub-portion 3221, and the other extension portion 320 is stacked on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100 to form a second stacking sub-portion 3222, and the first stacking sub-portion 3221 and the second stacking sub-portion 3222 are stacked sequentially along the stacking direction.

[0082] Specifically, after the two extension portions 320 extend from both sides of the backing layer 200 to the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, one of the extension portions 320 is repeatedly bent to form a first stacking sub-portion 3221 stacked on the surface of the backing layer 200, and then the other extension portion 320 is repeatedly bent to form a second stacking sub-portion 3222 stacked on the surface of the first stacking sub-portion 3221, that is, the two stacking sub-portions are sequentially stacked on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100. This method of stacking the two stacking sub-portions sequentially can have a higher degree of compression during pressing, thereby reducing the stacking thickness and better matching the narrow inner cavity of the catheter 400.

[0083] In other embodiments, the two extension portions 320 may be first bonded together on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100 , and then the whole is repeatedly bent into a stacked shape, that is, the two extension portions 320 are cross-stacked.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 and FIG. 7 , in some embodiments, the ultrasound probe includes a catheter 400, the flexible circuit board 300 includes a sound head connecting section 350 and a lead section 360 arranged along a first direction, the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead section 360 both include an extension portion 320, and at least the sound head connecting section 350 includes a main body portion 310, the piezoelectric layer 100 is disposed on the sound head connecting section 350, and the lead section 360 passes through the catheter 400, wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board 300. The sound head connecting section 350 and the lead section 360 are integrally formed, or the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead section 360 are separately disposed and fixedly connected.

[0085] Specifically, when the flexible circuit board 300 is set as a split structure, the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are separately set and fixedly connected, and the two can be fixed by welding, bonding, binding connection, etc. During the assembly process, the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 can be respectively extended from both ends of the conduit 400, and the assembly is more convenient. When a notch 330 is set on the flexible circuit board 300 (as shown in FIG. 5 ), the area on the flexible circuit board 300 where the notch 330 is opened will not form the main body 310. At this time, only the sound head connecting section 350 has the main body 310, and the lead-out section 360 does not have the main body 310. When the notch 330 is not set on the flexible circuit board 300 (as shown in FIG. 17 ), the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 have the same structure, that is, both include the main body 310.

[0086] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the acoustic head connection section 350 and the lead section 360 are fixed by welding. Further, after the acoustic head connection section 350 and the lead section 360 are connected, they are bent as a whole. That is, after the two are connected, the extension portions 320 of the two extend along the outer wall of the backing layer 200 to the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100, and form a multi-layer stacked structure on the side of the backing layer 200 away from the piezoelectric layer 100.

[0087] After assembly, the sound head connection section 350 and the lead section 360 both include a stacked subsection 322 in a multi-layer stack, each layer of the stacked subsection 322 of the sound head connection section 350 includes a first pad group 351, and each layer of the stacked subsection 322 of the lead section 360 includes a second pad group 361. Each first pad group 351 is welded to the second pad group 361 of the corresponding layer to achieve the connection between the sound head connection section 350 and the lead section 360. Among them, the first pad group 351 includes at least one first pad, and the second pad group 361 includes at least one second pad.

[0088] Referring to Figures 1, 3 and 7, in some embodiments, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section 350 has a connection area connected to the corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360, and the connection areas of the various layers of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section 350 are projected along the third direction and are staggered in sequence in the first direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200.

[0089] Specifically, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section 350, that is, each layer in the stacked subsection 322 of the sound head connection section 350. When the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are connected by welding, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section 350 has a connection area, that is, the aforementioned first pad group 351. The projection of the connection area of ​​each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section 350 along the third direction, that is, the projection of the first pad group 351 on each layer along the third direction. After the projection of the first pad group 351 on each layer along the third direction is staggered along the first direction, when the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state shown in Figure 7, the first pad group 351 on each layer is arranged in a stepped manner. With such arrangement, after assembly, the welding positions of each layer of the stacked subsections 322 in the acoustic head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 can be staggered in the first direction to avoid them all being concentrated in one area and causing the stacking thickness there to be too large, thereby better matching the narrow inner cavity of the catheter 400.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 8 , and FIG. 9 , in some embodiments, the projection of the aforementioned connection region along the third direction is located within the piezoelectric layer 100 .

[0091] Specifically, when the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are connected by welding, that is, the projection of the first pad group 351 along the third direction is located within the piezoelectric layer 100. When the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state shown in FIG8 , that is, the distribution range of the first pad group 351 along the first direction does not exceed the piezoelectric layer 100. With such a configuration, after the assembly is completed, all welding positions can be located within the piezoelectric layer 100, that is, from the perspective of FIG1 , all welding positions are located below the piezoelectric layer 100. Then, when the piezoelectric layer 100 completes the subsequent packaging process, the welding position can be just packaged inside, thereby improving the connection strength of the welding position and making it less likely to break.

[0092] 1, 3, 15 and 16, in some embodiments, one of the layers of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connecting section 350 has a connection area connected to the corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360, and the multiple connection areas are arranged along the first direction.

[0093] Unlike the multi-layer stacked structure of the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 shown in FIG7 , in which each layer is connected, in this embodiment, only one layer of the multi-layer stacked structure of the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 needs to be connected, and the specific position of the connected layer in the third direction is not limited, which mainly depends on the stacking method. By connecting only one layer, the connection process of the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out section 360 can be simplified, and the operation is more convenient.

[0094] Specifically, when the sound head connection section 350 and the lead section 360 are connected by welding, each connection area is also a first pad group 351. That is, after the sound head connection section 350 is stacked, the multiple first pad groups 351 are all located in the same layer, and correspondingly, after the lead section 360 is stacked, the multiple second pad groups 361 are also all located in the same corresponding layer, and each first pad group 351 is welded to the second pad group 361 at the corresponding position in the first direction.

[0095] It should be noted that, although in the above embodiment, only one layer of the multi-layer stacked structure of the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 needs to be connected, it does not mean that the transmission channel is only set on this layer. In fact, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure of the sound head connection section 350 is provided with a transmission channel, and the transmission channels of other layers can be connected to this layer, and then transmitted to the lead-out section 360 through this layer.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 15 , in some embodiments, each connection region includes a plurality of connection sites arranged along a first direction.

[0097] Specifically, when the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are connected by welding, each connection position is also a pad. That is, each first pad group 351 includes a plurality of first pads arranged along the first direction; correspondingly, each second pad group 361 includes a plurality of second pads arranged along the first direction; each first pad is welded to the second pad at the corresponding position.

[0098] Alternatively, referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 and FIG. 16 , each connection region includes a plurality of connection positions arranged along a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer 100 and the backing layer 200 .

[0099] Specifically, when the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are connected by welding, each connection position is also a pad. That is, each first pad group 351 includes a plurality of first pads arranged along the second direction; correspondingly, each second pad group 361 includes a plurality of second pads arranged along the second direction; each first pad is welded to the second pad at the corresponding position. When the pads in the two pad groups are arranged in this direction, the pad group can occupy a smaller size in the first direction, thereby increasing the number of pad groups arranged in the first direction to further enhance the connection strength.

[0100] 1 , 3 , 7 and 10 , in some embodiments, when the flexible circuit board 300 is in the unfolded state, the acoustic head connecting section 350 is connected to the lead-out sections 360 on both sides along the third direction.

[0101] Specifically, the third direction is the thickness direction of the flexible circuit board 300. From the perspective of FIG10, two layers of lead-out sections 360 are respectively laid on the upper and lower sides of the sound head connecting section 350. Among them, each layer of lead-out sections 360 can be arranged in the shape shown in FIG7, with one layer laid above the sound head connecting section 350 and the other side laid below the sound head connecting section 350, and then the sound head connecting section 350 and the lead-out sections 360 on the upper and lower sides thereof are stacked as a whole.

[0102] Furthermore, when the acoustic head connection section 350 and the lead section 360 are connected by welding, the upper and lower surfaces of the acoustic head connection section 350 are both provided with a first pad group 351, and each layer of the lead section 360 is welded through a plurality of second pad groups 361 and the corresponding first pad group 351. With such a configuration, both sides of the acoustic head connection section 350 can transmit signals, and the number of stacking layers of the stacking sub-section 322 in the acoustic head connection section 350 can be reduced under the premise of a certain number of channels, thereby facilitating the reduction of the cross-sectional size of the stacking sub-section 322 in the acoustic head connection section 350, making it easier to extend into a narrower detection position.

[0103] 1 , 3 , 7 and 11 , in some embodiments, the lead-out section 360 includes a plurality of lead-out sub-sections 362 sequentially arranged along a first direction, and any adjacent lead-out sub-sections 362 are connected.

[0104] Specifically, the multiple lead-out sub-segments 362 can be connected by welding, bonding, binding, etc.

[0105] 1 , 3 , 7 and 12 , in some embodiments, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 is connected as a whole at one end close to the connector 600 along the first direction, and is disconnected or connected as a whole at the other end.

[0106] Specifically, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 is disconnected from each other at the end connected to the sound head connection section 350, and is connected as a whole at the end connected to the connector 600. From the perspective of Figure 12, that is, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 is connected as a whole in the right end area, and is disconnected from each other in the left end area, that is, a slit 340 is provided between each layer in the left end area. Such a configuration not only facilitates folding and assembly through the slit 340, but also facilitates the connection of the right end area as a whole to the connector. Of course, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 can also be connected as a whole at the end connected to the sound head connection section 350.

[0107] Alternatively, referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 3 , FIG. 7 and FIG. 13 , in some embodiments, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 is disconnected from each other.

[0108] When the sound head connection section 350 and the lead-out section 360 are connected by welding, that is, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section 360 is separately arranged and is respectively welded to the corresponding first pad group 351 through the second pad group 361.

[0109] Referring to FIGS. 1 , 3 , 7 and 14 , in some embodiments, the end of the lead-out section 360 that is away from the acoustic head connection section 350 is used to be connected to the connector 600 via a cable 500 .

[0110] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the end of the lead-out section 360 that is away from the acoustic head connection section 350 is used to directly connect to the connector 600. For example, the end of the lead-out section 360 that is away from the acoustic head connection section 350 is plugged and matched with the connector 600.

[0111] 1 , 3 and 14 , an ultrasonic imaging device provided in an embodiment of the present application includes the ultrasonic probe in any one of the above embodiments, and also includes a connector 600 and a host, and the ultrasonic probe and the host are connected via the connector 600 .

[0112] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0113] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe comprises: A piezoelectric layer (100); A backing layer (200) and the piezoelectric layer (100) are stacked; and A flexible circuit board (300) is used to connect to a connector (600), the flexible circuit board (300) comprising a main body (310) and an extension part (320), the main body (310) being at least partially located between the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200) and being electrically connected to the piezoelectric layer (100), the extension part (320) extending from the main body (310) along the outer wall of the backing layer (200) to a side of the backing layer (200) facing away from the piezoelectric layer (100), and being in a multi-layer stacked shape on a side of the backing layer (200) facing away from the piezoelectric layer (100).

2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension portion (320) includes a bonding sub-portion (321) and a stacking sub-portion (322); the stacking sub-portion (322) is in a multi-layer stacked shape on the side of the backing layer (200) away from the piezoelectric layer (100); the main body portion (310) and the stacking sub-portion (322) are connected via the bonding sub-portion (321) bonded to the outer wall of the backing layer (200).

3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the flexible circuit board (300) is in an unfolded state, a notch (330) is provided in an area on the main body (310) and the bonding sub-part (321) away from the piezoelectric layer (100) along a first direction, wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board (300).

4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, characterized in that: A portion of the connection between two adjacent layers in the stacking sub-section (322) has a slit (340) in the first direction, wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board (300).

5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of slits (340) are located close to one end of the piezoelectric layer (100) along the first direction, and their projections along a third direction are staggered in sequence in the first direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200).

6. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The flexible circuit board (300) comprises two extension parts (320), and the two extension parts (320) respectively extend from the two ends of the main body (310) along the outer wall of the backing layer (200) to the side of the backing layer (200) away from the piezoelectric layer (100), and both are stacked in multiple layers on the side of the backing layer (200) away from the piezoelectric layer (100), and the second direction is perpendicular to the length direction of the flexible circuit board (300), and perpendicular to the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200).

7. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6, characterized in that: One of the extension portions (320) is stacked on a side of the backing layer (200) away from the piezoelectric layer (100) to form a first stacking sub-portion (3221), and the other extension portion (320) is stacked on a side of the backing layer (200) away from the piezoelectric layer (100) to form a second stacking sub-portion (3222), and the first stacking sub-portion (3221) and the second stacking sub-portion (3222) are stacked in sequence along the stacking direction.

8. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe comprises a catheter (400), the flexible circuit board (300) comprises an acoustic head connecting section (350) and a lead section (360) arranged along a first direction, the acoustic head connecting section (350) and the lead section (360) both comprise the extension portion (320), and at least the acoustic head connecting section (350) comprises the main body (310), the piezoelectric layer (100) is arranged on the acoustic head connecting section (350), and the lead section (360) passes through the catheter (400), wherein the first direction is the length direction of the flexible circuit board (300); The sound head connecting section (350) and the lead-out section (360) are integrally formed, or the sound head connecting section (350) and the lead-out section (360) are separately arranged and fixedly connected.

9. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section (350) has a connection area connected to the corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section (360), and the projections of the connection areas of the various layers of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section (350) along the third direction are staggered in sequence in the first direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200).

10. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9, characterized in that: The projection of the connection area along the third direction is located within the piezoelectric layer (100).

11. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: One of the layers of the multi-layer stacked structure in the sound head connection section (350) has a plurality of connection areas connected to the corresponding layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section (360), and the plurality of connection areas are arranged along the first direction.

12. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 11, characterized in that: Each of the connection regions includes a plurality of connection sites arranged along the first direction; Alternatively, each of the connection regions comprises a plurality of connection positions arranged along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200).

13. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the flexible circuit board (300) is in an unfolded state, the acoustic head connecting section (350) is connected to the lead-out section (360) on both sides along a third direction, wherein the third direction is the stacking direction of the piezoelectric layer (100) and the backing layer (200).

14. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: The lead-out section (360) comprises a plurality of lead-out sub-sections (362) arranged in sequence along the first direction, and any adjacent lead-out sub-sections (362) are connected.

15. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section (360) is disconnected from each other; Alternatively, each layer of the multi-layer stacked structure in the lead-out section (360) is connected as a whole at one end close to the connector (600) along the first direction, and is disconnected or connected as a whole at the other end.

16. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, characterized in that: One end of the lead-out section (360) that is away from the sound head connection section (350) is used to be directly connected to the connector (600); Alternatively, the end of the lead-out section (360) facing away from the sound head connection section (350) is used to be connected to the connector (600) via a cable (500).

17. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: The ultrasonic imaging device comprises the ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 16, and further comprises the connector (600) and a host, wherein the ultrasonic probe and the host are connected via the connector (600).

Images