Sheath tube far-end structure and ultrasonic imaging catheter

Abstract

The invention provides a sheath tube far-end structure and an ultrasonic imaging catheter, and relates to the technical field of medical instruments, and the sheath tube far-end structure comprises a transducer array, a control chip and a backing piece; the transducer array comprises a plurality of transducer array elements which are arranged in the same plane at intervals; the control chip comprises a chip main body and connecting parts, the planes, where the transducer array elements are located, of the chip main body are arranged in parallel, the connecting parts are arranged between the chip main body and the transducer array, one ends of the connecting parts are connected with the chip main body, the other ends of the connecting parts are connected with the transducer array elements, and a plurality of connecting parts are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the transducer array elements; the back lining piece is arranged on the side, away from the transducer array, of the chip body, the transducer array and the control chip can be connected and assembled after being manufactured separately, the yield can be effectively controlled, the transducer array module can adapt to transducer arrays of different types, and the universality and flexibility of the technology are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and more particularly, to a distal structure of a sheath tube and an ultrasonic imaging catheter. Background Art

[0002] An ultrasonic catheter is a medical device that integrates an ultrasonic probe at the distal end of the catheter and is mainly used for intracardiac ultrasonic imaging and intravascular ultrasonic imaging. The basic structure of an ultrasonic catheter includes: a catheter body, a distal structure, and a connecting part.

[0003] The design of the distal structure of an ultrasonic catheter should improve miniaturization, flexibility, and durability as much as possible while meeting imaging performance. The traditional distal structures mainly adopt two structures: a linear array probe and a matrix array probe. Among them, the linear array probe is a 1D probe when in use and can only form a 2D image, which is not conducive to the diagnosis of diseases. There is a contradiction between the huge number of array elements of the matrix array probe and the limited number of channels on the ultrasonic host.

[0004] To solve this contradiction, a relatively common method is to connect several array elements in a row, column, or sparse matrix to form an array element group, and then select different array element groups through an electronic switch. However, during manufacturing, a customized chip needs to be used, and the ultrasonic transducer and the customized chip are made into an integrated structure through semiconductor processes. Therefore, a low yield rate of the transducer and the customized chip will directly affect the overall yield rate of the integrated structure, making it difficult to control the yield rate of the integrated structure. At the same time, a customized chip cannot be used with different transducers, which limits flexibility. In addition, if the transducer needs to be modified according to the usage scenario, its integrated customized chip also needs to be modified accordingly, increasing the design cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a distal structure of a sheath tube to alleviate the technical problems in the prior art that the ultrasonic transducer and the customized chip are made into an integrated structure through semiconductor processes, resulting in difficult control of the yield rate, low usage flexibility, and high cost.

[0006] This application provides a distal structure of a sheath tube, including: a transducer array, a control chip, and a backing member; the transducer array includes a plurality of transducer array elements spaced apart in the same plane; the control chip includes a chip body and a connecting part, the chip body is arranged parallel to the plane where the plurality of transducer array elements are located, the connecting part is arranged between the chip body and the transducer array, one end of the connecting part is connected to the chip body, and the other end is connected to the transducer array element. There are a plurality of connecting parts and they are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of transducer array elements; the backing member is arranged on the side of the chip body away from the transducer array.

[0007] Further, the distal structure of the sheath tube further includes a flexible circuit board; the flexible circuit board is electrically connected to the chip body, and the flexible circuit board is used for transmitting signals.

[0008] Further, the flexible circuit board includes a first circuit board and a second circuit board; the first circuit board is connected to one end of the chip body close to the sheath tube; the second circuit board covers a surface of the backing member away from the chip body and is connected to the chip body.

[0009] Further, a plurality of the transducer array elements are linearly arranged to form an array element, and a plurality of the array elements are linearly arranged to form the transducer array.

[0010] Further, there are a plurality of the chip bodies; the plurality of chip bodies are stacked and electrically connected to each other.

[0011] Further, there are a plurality of the chip bodies; the plurality of chip bodies are spliced and connected in the same plane and electrically connected.

[0012] Further, the connection part and the transducer array are connected by an anisotropic conductive film process.

[0013] Further, the connection part is a connection bump; the connection bump and the chip body are integrally connected to the chip body by an inverted packaging process.

[0014] Further, the connection part is a solder ball; the solder ball is welded to the chip body.

[0015] The purpose of the present application is also to provide an ultrasonic imaging catheter, including a system interface module and an ultrasonic catheter; the system interface module is used to connect an ultrasonic host and the ultrasonic catheter; the ultrasonic catheter includes the provided distal structure of the sheath tube, and the distal structure of the sheath tube is arranged at one end of the ultrasonic catheter away from the system interface module.

[0016] Beneficial effects:

[0017] In this application, the transducer array is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to achieve ultrasonic imaging. The control chip is used to control the operation of the transducer array and process ultrasonic signals. The backing member is used to optimize the acoustic performance. The chip body is directly connected to the transducer array through the connecting portion, eliminating complex wiring and relay circuits, making the overall structure more compact and reducing the overall thickness of the distal end of the sheath tube. Moreover, with this connection structure, the transducer array and the control chip can be separately manufactured and then connected and assembled, without adopting an integrated manufacturing structure. The yield rates of the transducer array and the control chip can be effectively controlled. At the same time, this connection structure can be adapted to different types of transducer arrays such as PMUT, CMUT, or traditional PZT, improving the versatility and flexibility of the technology.

[0018] The ultrasonic imaging catheter system interface module and the ultrasonic catheter provided by this application; among them, the ultrasonic catheter includes the provided distal end structure of the sheath tube, and the distal end structure of the sheath tube has the above technical effects, which will not be elaborated here. Description of the Drawings

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of this application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the distal end structure of the sheath tube provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the transducer array and the control chip in the distal end structure of the sheath tube provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the distal end structure of the sheath tube when the connecting portion is a solder ball provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of the transducer array elements in the distal end structure of the sheath tube provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the ultrasonic catheter provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Reference Signs:

[0026] 100 - Transducer array; 110 - Transducer element; 200 - Control chip; 210 - Chip body; 220 - Connection part; 300 - Backing piece; 400 - Flexible circuit board; 410 - First circuit board; 420 - Second circuit board; 500 - Passive device; 1 - System interface module; 11 - System connector; 12 - Front end of catheter connector; 2 - Ultrasound catheter; 21 - Rear end of catheter connector; 22 - Handle; 23 - Sheath tube. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Components of the embodiments of the present application usually described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0028] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application claimed, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0030] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship when the product of this application is usually placed. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying 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 to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] In addition, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or hanging, but can be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly inclined.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "installed", "connected", and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] For the convenience of understanding this embodiment, the technical terms designed in the present application will be briefly introduced below.

[0034] TGC is a technology used to improve the quality of ultrasonic images in the field of ultrasonic imaging, namely time gain compensation. The TGC system compensates for this attenuation by adjusting the gain of the receiving amplifier. Specifically, for the echo signals from deeper tissues, the system increases the gain; while for the echo signals from shallower tissues, the gain is reduced. This can ensure the uniform brightness of the entire image and improve the quality and contrast of the image to compensate for the weakening of the signal intensity caused by the attenuation of ultrasonic waves when propagating in tissues. As the penetration depth of ultrasonic waves increases, their energy gradually weakens, resulting in weaker echo signals from deeper parts than those from shallower parts.

[0035] PMUT is a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer that utilizes the characteristics of piezoelectric materials to achieve the conversion between electrical energy and mechanical energy. When a voltage is applied, the piezoelectric material deforms and generates ultrasonic waves; conversely, when ultrasonic waves are received, the piezoelectric material generates an electrical signal.

[0036] CMUT is a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer, which is a miniature transducer used to generate and receive ultrasonic signals and is widely used in medical imaging, non-destructive testing, and other sensing applications.

[0037] PZT is lead zirconate titanate, which is a common piezoelectric material. PZT is widely used in ultrasonic transducers, sensors, and actuators.

[0038] CMOS is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, which is a technology used to manufacture integrated circuits. This technology uses two types of transistors, NMOS (n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor) and PMOS (p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor), which work in a complementary manner: when one is conducting, the other is cut off, and vice versa. This design can greatly reduce the static power consumption and improve the signal integrity.

[0039] After introducing the technical terms involved in the present application, next, the application scenarios and design concepts of the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced.

[0040] To solve the contradiction between the large number of array elements on the matrix probe and the limited number of channels on the ultrasound mainframe, custom chips (ASICs) are now often used to solve this contradiction through beamforming. In this method, the ultrasonic transducer and the custom chip need to be integrated using CMOS semiconductor technology to reduce costs and simultaneously achieve control of the transducer array elements. However, during production, the ultrasonic transducer and the custom chip are integrated from the processing stage, so it is very difficult to control the yield. A low yield of the transducer will directly affect the yield of the chip. In addition, if the transducer needs to be modified, the integrated custom chip also needs to be modified accordingly, which increases the design cost from a design perspective and results in a custom chip not being able to be used with different transducers, limiting flexibility. Finally, only PMUT or CMUT ultrasonic transducers can adopt this design. Therefore, the materials of ultrasonic transducers are limited to these two materials and cannot use traditional PZT materials.

[0041] The following further describes the present application in detail through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 In this embodiment, the distal structure of the sheath tube provided includes a transducer array 100, a control chip 200, and a backing member 300.

[0043] Among them, the transducer array 100 includes a plurality of transducer elements 110 arranged at intervals in the same plane. The control chip 200 includes a chip body 210 and a connection part 220. The chip body 210 is arranged parallel to the plane where the plurality of transducer elements 110 are located. The connection part 220 is provided between the chip body 210 and the transducer array 100. One end of the connection part 220 is connected to the chip body 210, and the other end is connected to the transducer element 110. There are a plurality of connection parts 220 and they are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of transducer elements 110. The backing member 300 is arranged on the side of the chip body 210 away from the transducer array 100.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, each transducer element 110 in the transducer array 100 works independently, emits and receives ultrasonic signals, and realizes high-resolution imaging through electronic scanning.

[0045] Both ends of the connection part 220 are respectively connected to the chip body 210 and the transducer element 110 to realize the transmission of the transmitted signal and the received signal, so as to realize the precise control of the control chip 200 over the transducer element 110. The integrated design in which the control chip 200 is directly connected to the transducer array 100 through the connection part 220 reduces signal transmission loss, improves imaging efficiency and reliability, and reduces the noise introduced by the cable in traditional ultrasound.

[0046] Moreover, the backing member 300 in this embodiment is disposed on the side of the chip body 210 away from the transducer array 100, and can absorb the backward-propagating ultrasound, thereby absorbing the excess acoustic energy, reducing the acoustic interference, and further improving the imaging quality.

[0047] In the distal sheath structure provided in this embodiment, since the chip body 210 is connected to a plurality of transducer elements 110 in the transducer array 100 one-to-one through a plurality of connecting portions 220, the intermediate structure is saved, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the distal sheath, and enabling individual control of the transmission and reception of each element, achieving high-resolution beamforming and scanning. At the same time, the control chip 200 and the transducer array 100 can be designed and manufactured separately, thereby replacing the integrated structure, reducing the manufacturing difficulty and cost, and enabling individual control of the yield rates of the control chip 200 and the transducer array 100, thereby improving the overall yield rate.

[0048] In addition, in the structure where the chip body 210 is connected to a plurality of transducer elements 110 in the transducer array 100 one-to-one through a plurality of connecting portions 220, it also provides convenience for subsequent function expansion (such as multi-modal imaging, blood flow monitoring, etc.), and only needs to integrate the corresponding functional modules in the chip body 210 to achieve. In this structure, the control chip 200 can be adapted to different types of transducer arrays 100 (such as PMUT, CMUT or traditional PZT), improving the versatility and flexibility of the technology.

[0049] In this embodiment, the distal sheath structure further includes a flexible circuit board 400. The flexible circuit board 400 is electrically connected to the chip body 210, and the flexible circuit board 400 is used to transmit signals.

[0050] Among them, the flexible circuit board 400 has the characteristics of being bendable and having a thin thickness. It can be bent and twisted during use, which is very convenient, and the thin thickness can reduce the occupied space to ensure the overall thickness of the distal sheath structure.

[0051] Moreover, in this embodiment, passive devices 500 such as decoupling capacitors and thermistors are also provided on the flexible circuit board 400.

[0052] Specifically, the flexible circuit board 400 in this embodiment includes a first circuit board 410 and a second circuit board 420. The first circuit board 410 is connected to one end of the chip body 210 close to the sheath 23. The second circuit board 420 covers the side of the backing member 300 away from the chip body 210 and is connected to the chip body 210.

[0053] In this embodiment, the connection points of the first circuit board 410 and the second circuit board 420 with the chip body 210 are respectively located at both ends of the chip body 210, so as to ensure the consistency and stability of the power supplies on both sides of the chip body 210.

[0054] Moreover, in this embodiment, after the second circuit board 420 is covered on the side of the backing member 300 away from the chip body 210, it is connected to the chip body 210. The first circuit board 410 is located on the side of the chip body 210 away from the backing member 300 and is connected to the chip body 210. In this structure, the first circuit board 410 and the second circuit board 420 surround and enclose the customized chip and the backing member 300, thereby realizing the support and protection of the chip body 210 and the backing member 300.

[0055] In this embodiment, a plurality of transducer elements 110 are linearly arranged to form an array element, and a plurality of array elements are linearly arranged to form a transducer array 100.

[0056] Among them, each transducer element 110 in a single array element works independently to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals, so that the linearly arranged array elements can cover a certain imaging area, thereby realizing high-resolution 2D imaging. The linear arrangement of the array elements can achieve 3D imaging through electronic scanning.

[0057] Specifically, it should be noted that in this embodiment, in the chip body 210 opposite to each transducer element 110, an independent ultrasonic transmitting and receiving circuit is provided. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving circuit is connected to the opposite transducer element 110 through the connecting portion 220, thereby realizing the independent control of each element and laying a foundation for electronic scanning.

[0058] As an implementable way, when there are many functions integrated at the ultrasonic imaging probe end, multiple chip bodies 210 can be provided. The multiple chip bodies 210 are stacked and electrically connected to each other.

[0059] In this structure, due to the increase in functions, the circuit area in the chip body 210 of the control chip 200 increases accordingly. However, limited by the tiny volume of the intracardiac ultrasonic probe, the circuit area cannot be infinitely enlarged. At this time, the chip bodies 210 can be stacked to increase the circuit area, thereby realizing more functions. In this structure, the TGC is placed on the sub-array, so as to perform TGC compensation amplification for each sub-array.

[0060] As an implementable way, when the number of transducer elements 110 is large, multiple chip bodies 210 can be provided. At this time, the multiple chip bodies 210 are spliced and connected in the same plane and electrically connected.

[0061] Specifically, in the distal end of the sheath tube provided in this embodiment, since the transducer array 100 and the control chip 200 do not adopt an integrated manufacturing mechanism, when the number of transducer elements 110 is large and a single chip body 210 cannot achieve the connection of all transducer elements 110, the control of the transducer array 100 can be achieved by splicing multiple chips, so as to realize the individual connection and control of the transducer elements 110 in all transducer arrays 100, without re-designing the chip body 210, thereby reducing the design cost.

[0062] In this embodiment, the connection part 220 and the transducer array 100 are connected by an anisotropic conductive film process.

[0063] Specifically, the anisotropic conductive film is a special conductive material. The anisotropic conductive film process can achieve a connection pitch in the micron range, which is suitable for the connection requirements of high-density transducer elements 110. Moreover, the anisotropic conductive film process can simultaneously achieve the electrical connection of multiple connection points, thus meeting the requirements of multi-element independent control.

[0064] In addition, the thin design and space-saving characteristics of the anisotropic conductive film process make the distal structure more compact and lightweight. At the same time, the high mechanical strength and stability of the anisotropic conductive film process ensure the long-term reliability of the device in a complex environment.

[0065] As an implementable method, the connection between the connection part 220 and the transducer array 100 can also be achieved by a conductive adhesive process or the like.

[0066] In this embodiment, the connection part 220 is a connection bump. The connection bump and the chip body 210 are integrally connected to the chip body 210 through an inverted packaging process.

[0067] Specifically, the control chip 200 in this embodiment uses the inverted packaging process commonly used in semiconductor packaging technology to form connection bumps on the chip body 210. The connection bumps and the chip body 210 form an integrated structure, and one end of the connection bump away from the chip body 210 is correspondingly linked to the transducer element 110 through an anisotropic conductive film process.

[0068] In this structure, when emitting ultrasonic waves, the high-voltage electrical pulses generated by the chip body 210 are applied to the transducer element 110 through the connection bump. When receiving ultrasonic waves, the voltage generated by the ultrasonic waves received by the transducer element 110 is conducted to the circuit in the chip body 210 through the connection bump, thereby realizing the connection between the transducer element 110 and the circuit in the chip body 210.

[0069] As an implementable method, refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4, the connecting portion 220 adopts a solder ball structure. The solder balls are welded to the chip body 210.

[0070] In this structure, solder balls are soldered on the chip body 210 to replace the connecting bumps, eliminating the need to fabricate the chip body 210 and the connecting bumps together. This structure is often used when multiple chip bodies 210 need to be spliced, making the use of the control chip 200 more flexible. Moreover, under this structure, the material of the transducer array 100 can be flexibly selected, not limited to CMUT and PMUT transducers.

[0071] Refer to Figure 5 , the ultrasonic imaging catheter provided in this embodiment includes a system interface module 1 and an ultrasonic catheter 2.

[0072] Among them, the system interface module 1 is used to connect the ultrasonic host and the ultrasonic catheter 2. The ultrasonic catheter 2 includes a provided distal sheath structure, which is disposed at one end of the ultrasonic catheter 2 away from the system interface module 1.

[0073] Specifically, the system interface module 1 in this embodiment includes a system connector 11, a cable, and a front end of a catheter connector 12. The system connector 11 is used to connect the ultrasonic host, and the front end of the catheter connector 12 is used to connect to the ultrasonic catheter 2. The system connector 11 and the front end of the catheter connector 12 are connected by a cable.

[0074] Among them, a circuit can be placed inside the system connector 11 to implement functions such as a tuning circuit, a low-voltage power supply module, digital signal level conversion, and storing the catheter ID. The low-voltage power supply module is responsible for further dividing and stabilizing the low-voltage power provided by the ultrasonic host system. In actual use, due to different design requirements of the chips inside the ultrasonic catheter 2, multiple different low-voltage powers may be required. However, the ultrasonic system host generally only provides 1 to 2 low-voltage powers. Therefore, multiple low-voltage powers need to be generated inside the system connector 11. At the same time, to further compensate for the cable voltage drop caused by the cable, the low-voltage power supply module also provides a cable voltage drop compensation function.

[0075] The ultrasonic catheter 2 in this embodiment specifically further includes a rear end of a catheter connector 21, a handle 22, a sheath 23, and a provided distal sheath structure.

[0076] Specifically, the rear end of the catheter connector 21, the handle 22, the sheath 23, and the distal sheath structure are connected in sequence, and the ultrasonic catheter 2 and the system interface module 1 are connected through the front end of the catheter connector 12 and the rear end of the catheter connector 21.

[0077] Moreover, in this embodiment, the handle 22 and the sheath 23 form a linkage structure. Two rotary wheels are provided on the handle 22 to pull 4 traction ropes. The wall of the sheath 23 is connected to 4 guiding wires to realize the 4-way bending of the distal end of the sheath to achieve the bending function of the sheath 23, so that the sheath 23 can smoothly enter the blood vessel. The distal end structure of the sheath is arranged in the sheath 23 and at the end far from the handle 22, and the sheath 23 can protect the distal end structure of the sheath.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A sheath distal end structure, characterized in that: It comprises: a transducer array (100), a control chip (200) and a backing member (300); The transducer array (100) comprises a plurality of transducer array elements (110) arranged at intervals in the same plane; The control chip (200) comprises a chip body (210) and a connecting portion (220); the chip body (210) is arranged in parallel with a plane where a plurality of the transducer array elements (110) are located; the connecting portion (220) is arranged between the chip body (210) and the transducer array (100); one end of the connecting portion (220) is connected to the chip body (210), and the other end is connected to the transducer array element (110); there are a plurality of connecting portions (220) and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of the transducer array elements (110); The backing member (300) is arranged on a side of the chip body (210) away from the transducer array (100).

2. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sheath distal end structure also includes a flexible circuit board (400); The flexible circuit board (400) is electrically connected to the chip body (210), and the flexible circuit board (400) is used to transmit signals.

3. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible circuit board (400) comprises a first circuit board (410) and a second circuit board (420); The first circuit board (410) is connected to an end of the chip body (210) close to the sheath tube (23); The second circuit board (420) is covered on a side of the backing member (300) away from the chip body (210), and is connected to the chip body (210).

4. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of the transducer array elements (110) are linearly arranged to form an array element, and a plurality of the array elements are linearly arranged to form the transducer array (100).

5. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are multiple chip bodies (210); A plurality of the chip bodies (210) are stacked and arranged, and the plurality of the chip bodies (210) are electrically connected to each other.

6. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are multiple chip bodies (210); A plurality of chip bodies (210) are spliced ​​and connected in the same plane and are electrically connected.

7. The sheath distal end structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The connection portion (220) and the transducer array (100) are connected via an anisotropic conductive film process.

8. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting portion (220) is a connecting protrusion; The connection bump is integrally connected to the chip body (210) through a flip-packaging process.

9. The sheath distal end structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting portion (220) is a solder ball; The solder ball is connected to the chip body (210) by welding.

10. An ultrasound imaging catheter, characterized in that: It comprises a system interface module (1) and an ultrasonic catheter (2); The system interface module (1) is used to connect the ultrasound host and the ultrasound catheter (2); The ultrasonic catheter (2) comprises a sheath distal end structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sheath distal end structure is arranged at an end of the ultrasonic catheter (2) away from the system interface module (1).

Images