An intelligent ultrasonic probe and a detection method applied to the probe

Abstract

The application relates to an intelligent ultrasonic probe applied to the field of ultrasonic beauty, which comprises a control unit, an analog front-end circuit and an ultrasonic transducer, the analog front-end circuit comprises an ultrasonic emission excitation circuit and a received signal processing circuit, the ultrasonic emission excitation circuit comprises a power amplification circuit and a transmission signal generator, the received signal processing circuit comprises a low-noise amplification circuit, a compensation circuit, a filter circuit and an A / D conversion circuit, and the ultrasonic transducer comprises a focused ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer. The application has a compact and simple structure, can dynamically adjust the focusing depth of ultrasonic energy in real time, obtain a gray-scale image of skin tissue structure, and accurately identify the layered skin tissue of a human face.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic beauty, specifically to an intelligent ultrasonic probe and a detection method applied to the probe. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, Ultherapy and ultrasound cannons have frequently been among the flagship procedures offered by medical aesthetic institutions, and are often listed as one of the "most worthwhile" minimally invasive cosmetic procedures on social media. Ultherapy and ultrasound cannons utilize the principle of focused ultrasound, focusing ultrasound energy on the subcutaneous fascia layer, fat layer, etc., forming a micro-thermal coagulation point. This causes the body tissue to contract, while simultaneously improving local blood circulation and stimulating collagen regeneration and remodeling. Currently, most Ultherapy and ultrasound cannons on the market use probes with fixed focal depths. Medical professionals select a probe with an appropriate focal length based on the client's facial skin characteristics, such as the fullness of collagen. However, this method of selecting a probe based solely on experience cannot accurately identify facial skin layers and automatically adjust the focal depth, often resulting in significant errors. Choosing the wrong probe can lead to unsatisfactory cosmetic results or, in severe cases, serious medical accidents. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention proposes an intelligent ultrasonic probe and a detection method applied to the probe, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, that traditional ultrasonic probes cannot identify the layers of human facial skin tissue and automatically adjust the focusing depth.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an intelligent ultrasonic probe for use in the field of ultrasonic beauty, comprising a control unit, an analog front-end circuit, and an ultrasonic transducer. The analog front-end circuit includes an ultrasonic emission excitation circuit and a receiving signal processing circuit. The ultrasonic emission excitation circuit includes a power amplifier circuit and a transmission signal generator. The receiving signal processing circuit includes a low-noise amplifier circuit, a compensation circuit, a filter circuit, and an A / D conversion circuit. The ultrasonic transducer includes a focused ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer.

[0005] Preferably, the focused ultrasonic transducer adopts phased-array focusing and is composed of five piezoelectric ceramic ring elements of gradually decreasing size. The piezoelectric ceramic rings are hard piezoelectric ceramic rings PZT-8, which can adopt concave spherical design and planar circular design.

[0006] Preferably, the ultrasound imaging transducer is a high-frequency transducer suitable for imaging superficial skin, with a frequency above 7.5MHz, which is different from the operating frequency of the focused ultrasound transducer to avoid mutual interference during operation. The ultrasound imaging transducer is composed of a single-element ceramic disc and adopts an integrated transceiver design. The ultrasound imaging transducer is made of piezoelectric materials, including lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics, lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead zinc niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, as well as potassium sodium niobate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, sodium bismuth titanate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, barium titanate piezoelectric ceramics, etc.

[0007] Secondly, this invention provides a detection method for an intelligent ultrasonic probe. The method includes: first, a signal generator generates a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier circuit to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. The excitation pulse excites the elements of a focused ultrasonic transducer array. The outer elements have the smallest delay, which gradually increases from the outside in, with the inner elements having the largest delay. Let the focal length be F, and the distances from element 1 and element 2 to the transducer center be respectively... , The acoustic path difference ΔS between the two array elements is: .

[0008] Therefore, the time difference Δt between the pulses emitted by array element 1 and array element 2 is: Where c is the propagation speed of ultrasound in human tissue, the array elements in the outer ring vibrate earliest, and the other array elements vibrate in sequence, while the array elements in the inner ring vibrate latest, so that the pulse waves of different array elements arrive at a certain area at the same time, thereby forming a focused sound beam. The control unit obtains the additional phase difference between the two array elements according to the time difference between the two array elements, adjusts the phase difference of the transmitted signals between the array elements, and realizes the real-time dynamic adjustment of the focusing depth of ultrasound energy.

[0009] A signal generator produces a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier circuit to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. The transmitted excitation pulse excites the ultrasound imaging transducer. The signal receiving circuit first amplifies the ultrasound echo signal received by the transducer through a low-noise amplifier circuit, and then compensates for the attenuation of the ultrasound echo signal through a compensation circuit. The attenuation is related to the sound path and the transducer's operating frequency. The longer the sound path of the reflected echo and the higher the transducer's operating frequency, the greater the attenuation. Next, the ultrasound echo signal is subjected to anti-aliasing filtering, and then converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit and transmitted to the control unit to obtain a grayscale image of the skin tissue structure, thereby realizing the differentiation and recognition of human facial skin tissue.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, this invention has a compact and simple structure, can dynamically adjust the focusing depth of ultrasonic energy in real time, obtain grayscale images of skin tissue structure, and accurately identify the layering of human facial skin tissue. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ultrasonic emission excitation circuit of an intelligent ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the receiving signal processing circuit of an intelligent ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic transducer in an intelligent ultrasonic probe provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a focused ultrasonic transducer in an intelligent ultrasonic probe, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of an ultrasonic imaging transducer in an intelligent ultrasonic probe, provided as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working method of an intelligent ultrasonic probe provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Specific implementation methods

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] See Figure 1 In a first aspect, the present invention provides an intelligent ultrasonic probe for use in the field of ultrasonic beauty, comprising a control unit, an analog front-end circuit, and an ultrasonic transducer, wherein the analog front-end circuit includes an ultrasonic emission excitation circuit and a receiving signal processing circuit.

[0020] See Figure 2 The ultrasonic emission excitation circuit includes a power amplifier circuit and an emission signal generator.

[0021] See Figure 3The receiving signal processing circuit includes a low-noise amplifier circuit, a compensation circuit, a filter circuit, and an A / D conversion circuit.

[0022] See Figure 4 The ultrasonic transducer includes a focused ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer.

[0023] Preferably, the focused ultrasonic transducer adopts phased-array focusing and is composed of five piezoelectric ceramic ring elements of gradually decreasing size. The piezoelectric ceramic rings are hard piezoelectric ceramic rings PZT-8, with concave spherical and planar circular designs.

[0024] Preferably, the ultrasound imaging transducer is a high-frequency broadband transducer suitable for superficial skin imaging, with a frequency above 7.5MHz, which is different from the operating frequency of the focused ultrasound transducer to avoid mutual interference during operation. The ultrasound imaging transducer is composed of a single-element ceramic disc and adopts an integrated transceiver design. The ultrasound imaging transducer is made of piezoelectric materials, including lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics, lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead zinc niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, as well as potassium sodium niobate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, sodium bismuth titanate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, barium titanate piezoelectric ceramics, etc.

[0025] Secondly, the present invention provides a detection method for intelligent ultrasonic probes, the method comprising: (see reference) Figure 7 In this embodiment of the invention, a mechanical scanning method is used, in which the entire ultrasonic probe is mounted on a sliding guide rod. Driven by a motor, the ultrasonic probe moves rapidly left and right, expanding the coverage of focused ultrasound and ultrasound imaging.

[0026] See Figure 5 The transmitter generates a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. This excitation pulse excites the transducer elements. The outer elements have the smallest delay, which gradually increases from the outside in, with the inner elements having the largest delay. Let the focal length be F, and the distances from element 1 and element 2 to the transducer center be respectively... , The acoustic path difference ΔS between the two array elements is: .

[0027] Therefore, the time difference Δt between the pulses emitted by array element 1 and array element 2 is: Where c is the propagation speed of ultrasound in human tissue, the array elements in the outer ring vibrate earliest, and the other array elements vibrate in sequence, while the array elements in the inner ring vibrate latest, so that the pulse waves of different array elements arrive at a certain area at the same time, thereby forming a focused sound beam. The control unit obtains the additional phase difference between the two array elements based on the time difference between the two array elements, adjusts the phase difference of the transmitted signals between the array elements, and realizes real-time dynamic adjustment of the focused depth of ultrasound energy.

[0028] See Figure 6 The transmitter generates a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier circuit to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. The transmitted excitation pulse excites the ultrasound imaging transducer. The signal receiving circuit first amplifies the reflected ultrasound echo signal received by the transducer through a low-noise amplifier circuit. Then, it compensates for the attenuation of the ultrasound echo signal through a compensation circuit. The attenuation is related to the sound path and the transducer's operating frequency. The longer the sound path of the reflected echo and the higher the transducer's operating frequency, the greater the attenuation. Next, the ultrasound echo signal is subjected to anti-aliasing filtering. The ultrasound echo signal is converted into a digital signal through an A / D conversion circuit and transmitted to the control unit to obtain a grayscale image of the skin tissue structure, thereby realizing the differentiation and recognition of human facial skin tissue.

[0029] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent ultrasonic probe applied to the field of ultrasonic beauty, characterized in that, The intelligent ultrasonic probe includes a control unit, an analog front-end circuit, and an ultrasonic transducer; the analog front-end circuit includes an ultrasonic transmission excitation circuit and a receiving signal processing circuit; the ultrasonic transmission excitation circuit includes a power amplifier circuit and a transmission signal generator; the receiving signal processing circuit includes a low-noise amplifier circuit, a compensation circuit, a filter circuit, and an A / D conversion circuit; the ultrasonic transducer includes a focused ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic imaging transducer.

2. The intelligent ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The focused ultrasonic transducer employs phased-array focusing and consists of five piezoelectric ceramic ring elements of progressively smaller size. These piezoelectric ceramic rings are rigid PZT-8 rings, featuring a concave spherical design and a planar disc design. The sound beam is focused by controlling the pulse emission time difference between each element, and the control unit can adjust the phase difference of the emitted signal according to the time difference between the elements, achieving real-time dynamic adjustment of the ultrasonic energy focusing depth. The distances from element 1 and element 2 to the transducer center are respectively... , With a focal length of F, the acoustic path difference ΔS between two array elements satisfies the formula The time difference Δt between the pulses emitted by array element 1 and array element 2 satisfies the formula c is the speed at which ultrasound waves propagate through human tissues.

3. The intelligent ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic imaging transducer is a high-frequency, broadband transducer suitable for superficial skin imaging, with a frequency above 7.5 Hz, which is offset from the operating frequency of the focused ultrasound transducer to avoid mutual interference during operation. It is composed of a single-element ceramic disc and adopts an integrated transceiver design. The piezoelectric materials used include lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics, lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, lead zinc niobate-lead titanate piezoelectric ceramics or single crystals, as well as potassium sodium niobate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, sodium bismuth titanate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, and barium titanate piezoelectric ceramics. The received ultrasonic echo signal is amplified by a low-noise amplifier circuit, attenuation is compensated by a compensation circuit, anti-aliasing is filtered by a filter circuit, and converted into a digital signal by an A / D conversion circuit and transmitted to the control unit to obtain a grayscale image of the skin tissue structure, realizing the differentiation and identification of human facial skin tissue.

4. A detection method applied to the intelligent ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method includes: First, a signal generator generates a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier circuit to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. The excitation pulse is used to excite the elements of a focusing ultrasonic transducer. By controlling the outer elements to have the minimum delay, the delay gradually increases from the outside to the inside, and the inner elements to have the maximum delay, the pulse waves from different elements arrive at a certain area simultaneously to form a focused sound beam. The control unit obtains an additional phase difference based on the time difference between the elements and adjusts the phase difference of the transmitted signals between the elements to achieve real-time dynamic adjustment of the ultrasonic energy focusing depth. Second, the signal generator generates a pulse transmission signal, which is then amplified by a power amplifier circuit to obtain a high-voltage excitation signal. The excitation pulse is used to excite the ultrasonic imaging transducer. The receiving signal processing circuit sequentially amplifies the ultrasonic echo signal received by the ultrasonic imaging transducer through a low-noise amplifier circuit, compensates for the attenuation of the ultrasonic echo signal through a compensation circuit, performs anti-aliasing filtering through a filter circuit, and performs A / D conversion. The conversion circuit converts the ultrasound echo signal into a digital signal and transmits it to the control unit to obtain a grayscale image of the skin tissue structure, thereby enabling the differentiation and identification of human facial skin tissue. Furthermore, a mechanical scanning method is used, in which the entire ultrasound probe is mounted on a sliding guide rod. Driven by a motor, the ultrasound probe moves rapidly left and right, expanding the coverage of focused ultrasound and ultrasound imaging.

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