Multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with single cable and ultrasonic probe

Abstract

The utility model discloses a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable and an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a transducer body comprising at least two array elements capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, each array element comprising an array element positive electrode and an array element negative electrode; the coaxial cable comprises an outer sheath and at least two cables arranged in the outer sheath, and each cable comprises a positive wire core conductor and an insulating layer wrapping the positive wire core conductor; the at least two positive wire core conductors are electrically connected with the at least two array element positive electrodes in a one-to-one correspondence manner; a cathode shielding conductor located outside the at least two cables is arranged in the outer sheath, and the cathode shielding conductor is electrically connected with the at least two array element cathodes. According to the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer, mutual interference between signals in different positive wire core conductors can be reduced, the problems of wire winding and skin breaking are not prone to occurring, the service life of the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer can be prolonged, and the using effect of the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer can be improved; in addition, the single coaxial cable has the advantages of being easy to produce, convenient to assemble with the transducer body and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic technology, specifically to a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer and ultrasonic probe with a single cable. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there are ultrasonic probes that can simultaneously transmit high-frequency and low-frequency ultrasonic signals, achieving high resolution and high penetration depth, respectively. The key component of the ultrasonic probe is the ultrasonic transducer. High-frequency and low-frequency ultrasonic signals are emitted by different ultrasonic transducers, and each ultrasonic transducer is connected to a separate cable.

[0003] Current dual-frequency ultrasound probes have separate cables connecting the high-frequency and low-frequency transducers. During clinical use, these probes require multiple bends, and some require 360° rotation for imaging. This can cause the cables to become tangled and tear, shortening the probe's lifespan and reducing its performance. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer and ultrasonic probe with a single cable, so as to solve the problem that the multiple cables of the existing multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer are prone to tangling or even tearing of the outer sheath during use, which affects the service life and performance of the ultrasonic probe.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable includes:

[0007] The transducer body includes at least two array elements capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, each array element including an array element positive pole and an array element negative pole;

[0008] A coaxial cable includes an outer sheath and at least two cables disposed within the outer sheath, each cable including a positive conductor and an insulating layer wrapped around the positive conductor; at least two positive conductors and at least two array element positive poles are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0009] The outer sheath contains a negative shielding conductor located outside at least two of the cables, and the negative shielding conductor is electrically connected to the negative pole of at least two of the array elements.

[0010] Furthermore, the negative electrode shielding conductor is a sheath negative electrode shielding layer disposed inside the outer sheath and located around the periphery of at least two of the cables.

[0011] Furthermore, at least two of the cables and one end of the negative shielding layer of the sheath extend outward from the end of the outer sheath near the array element, and the portion of the positive conductor extending out of the outer sheath is wrapped by the insulation layer.

[0012] Furthermore, the negative electrode shielding conductor is a negative electrode core conductor disposed in the inner cavity of the outer sheath, and the outer sheath is provided with a grounding shielding layer located on the outer periphery of at least two of the cables and the negative electrode core conductor.

[0013] Furthermore, at least two of the cables and one end of the negative electrode conductor extend outward from the end of the outer sheath near the array element, and the portion of the positive electrode conductor extending out of the outer sheath is wrapped by the cable; the grounding shield is electrically connected to the metal conductor of the ultrasonic probe.

[0014] A multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable includes:

[0015] The transducer body includes at least two array elements capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, each array element including an array element positive pole and an array element negative pole;

[0016] A coaxial cable includes an outer sheath and at least two cables disposed within the outer sheath, each cable including a positive conductor and an insulating outer sheath covering the positive conductor; at least two positive conductors and at least two array element positive poles are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0017] At least two of the insulating outer layers are provided with a cable negative electrode shielding layer located on the outer periphery of the positive electrode conductor, and at least two of the cable negative electrode shielding layers are electrically connected to at least two of the array element negative electrodes in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0018] Furthermore, the insulating outer sheath layer includes an insulating layer and an outer sheath layer. The insulating layer wraps around the outer periphery of the positive electrode conductor, the cable negative electrode shielding layer wraps around the outer periphery of the inner insulating layer, and the outer sheath layer wraps around the outer periphery of the cable negative electrode shielding layer.

[0019] Furthermore, the insulation layer, positive conductor, and negative shielding layer of at least two of the cables extend outward from the end of the outer sheath near the array element; the portion of the positive conductor extending out of the outer sheath is wrapped by the insulation layer.

[0020] Furthermore, the outer sheath has a grounding shield layer located around the periphery of at least two of the cables, and the grounding shield layer is electrically connected to the metal conductor of the ultrasonic probe.

[0021] An ultrasonic probe includes a metal sheath, a spring tube, an outer sheath, a connector, and the aforementioned multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer is mounted on the metal sheath, which is connected to the spring tube. The outer sheath is sleeved around the outer periphery of the spring tube. The connector is connected to an external driver, which drives the spring tube to rotate, thereby causing the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer to rotate.

[0022] This utility model's technical solution has the following advantages: This multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable uses only one coaxial cable to connect multiple array elements. The positive poles of the multiple array elements are respectively connected to multiple positive conductor cores within the coaxial cable, and each of the multiple positive conductor cores has an insulation layer. The negative poles of the multiple array elements are connected by a shared negative shielding layer within the sheath of the coaxial cable. Because the multiple positive conductor cores are separated by insulation layers, this multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer reduces mutual interference between signals within different positive conductor cores, making it less prone to problems such as cable tangling and insulation damage during use, thus improving the service life and performance of the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer. Furthermore, the single coaxial cable also has advantages such as ease of production and convenient assembly with the transducer body. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the transducer body and the coaxial cable in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial cable in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the transducer body and the coaxial cable in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial cable in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the transducer body and the coaxial cable in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial cable in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection relationship between the transducer body and the coaxial cable in Embodiment 4 of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the coaxial cable in Embodiment 4 of this utility model.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0033] 1A, First array element; 1B, Second array element; 2, Coaxial cable; 21, Outer sheath; 22A, First cable; 221A, First positive conductor; 222A, First insulation layer; 223A, First cable negative shielding layer; 224A, First outer sheath; 22B, Second cable; 221B, Second positive conductor; 222B, Second insulation layer; 223B, Second cable negative shielding layer; 224B, Second outer sheath; 23, Filler; 24, Sheath negative shielding layer; 25, Negative conductor; 26, Grounding shielding layer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0035] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 Figure 2 shows a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, comprising a transducer body and a coaxial cable 2. The transducer body includes a metal sheath and a first array element 1A and a second array element 1B disposed within the metal sheath. The first array element 1A and the second array element 1B can independently transmit and receive ultrasonic waves of different frequencies. Both the first array element 1A and the second array element 1B include a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The coaxial cable 2 includes an outer sheath 21, a first cable 22A, a second cable 22B, and a filler 23. The outer sheath 21 is a tubular structure with an inner cavity. The first cable 22A, the second cable 22B, and the filler 23 are all disposed within the inner cavity of the outer sheath 21. The filler 23 fills the space within the inner cavity of the outer sheath 21 not occupied by the first cable 22A and the second cable 22B, thus restricting the positional movement of the first cable 22A and the second cable 22B within the outer sheath 21. Specifically, both the first element 1A and the second element 1B are piezoelectric ceramics; the outer sheath 21 and the filler 23 are both made of insulating material. It should be noted that when the inner cavity of the outer sheath 21 is small, the filler 23 inside the outer sheath 21 can be omitted.

[0039] The first cable 22A includes a first positive conductor 221A and a first insulating layer 222A wrapped around the first positive conductor 221A; the second cable 22B includes a second positive conductor 221B and a second insulating layer 222B wrapped around the second positive conductor 221B. Specifically, both the first positive conductor 221A and the second positive conductor 221B are made of two or more strands of sub-wires twisted together; the first insulating layer 222A and the second insulating layer 222B are made of insulating material. The first positive conductor 221A is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the first array element 1A, and the second positive conductor 221B is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the second array element 1B. Specifically, the first insulating layer 222A and the second insulating layer 222B are made of insulating material. The outer sheath 21 is also provided with a negative shielding conductor located outside the first cable 22A and the second cable 22B. The negative shielding conductor is electrically connected to the negative element of the first cable 22A and the negative element of the second cable 22B.

[0040] In this embodiment, the negative electrode shielding conductor is specifically a sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24 disposed on the inner wall of the outer sheath 21, and the sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24 is a metal conductor. The sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24 wraps around the outer periphery of the filler 23, and the first cable 22A and the second cable 22B are both located within the space shielded by the sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24. One end of the first cable 22A, the second cable 22B, and the sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24 all extend outward from the end of the outer sheath 21 near the array element. The portion of the first positive electrode conductor 221A extending out of the outer sheath 21 is wrapped by the first insulating layer 222A, and the portion of the second positive electrode conductor 221B extending out of the outer sheath 21 is wrapped by the second insulating layer 222B. The sheath negative electrode shielding layer 24 is simultaneously electrically connected to the array element negative electrode of the first cable 22A and the array element negative electrode of the second cable 22B.

[0041] This multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable uses only one coaxial cable 2 to connect two array elements. The positive poles of the two array elements are respectively connected to two positive conductor cores within the coaxial cable 2, and each of the two positive conductor cores has an insulation layer. The negative poles of the two array elements are connected by a shared negative shielding layer 24 within the coaxial cable 2. Because the two positive conductor cores are separated by insulation layers, this multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer reduces mutual interference between signals within different positive conductor cores, and is less prone to problems such as cable tangling and insulation damage during use, thus improving the service life and performance of the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer. Furthermore, the single coaxial cable 2 also offers advantages such as ease of production and convenient assembly with the transducer body.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] like Figure 3 - Figure 4 The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable shown differs from Embodiment 1 in that the negative electrode shielding conductor is specifically a negative electrode core conductor 25 disposed within the outer sheath 21. The negative electrode core conductor 25 is formed by twisting two or more sub-wires. The negative electrode core conductor 25 is disposed inside the filler 23, with one end extending outward from the end of the outer sheath 21 near the array element. The negative electrode core conductor 25 is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the first array element 1A and the negative electrode of the second array element 1B.

[0044] The outer sheath 21 has a grounding shielding layer 26 on its inner wall. The grounding shielding layer 26 is located on the outer periphery of the filler 23. The first cable 22A, the second cable 22B, and the negative electrode conductor 25 are all located within the space shielded by the grounding shielding layer 26. One end of the grounding shielding layer 26 extends outward from the end of the outer sheath 21 near the array element and is electrically connected to a metal conductor of the transducer body, such as a metal sheath for mounting the transducer body, a spring tube connecting the metal sheath, or a metal shell of an ultrasonic probe. The grounding shielding layer 26 is a metal conductor.

[0045] This multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, building upon the advantages of the scheme in Embodiment 1, achieves grounding at the transducer body with array element end by additionally setting a grounding shield layer 26 inside the outer sheath 21. This improves the transducer body's resistance to electromagnetic interference and helps maintain the stability of the subsequently formed ultrasound image. The reason for this effect is that the ultrasound probe includes an insertion end and a transducer body, which are connected by a cable. After the insertion end is inserted into the port on the ultrasound host, it connects to the outer casing of the ultrasound host, thus achieving grounding. The transducer body contains array elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals. When the cable between the insertion end and the transducer body is long, the transducer body is far from the ultrasound host, resulting in poor grounding of the transducer body. The ultrasound signal inside the transducer body is easily interfered with by electromagnetic waves from external devices, affecting the imaging effect and causing diagnostic errors by doctors. This application, through the additional grounding shield layer 26, achieves grounding of the metal conductor on the transducer body, thereby reducing interference from external devices and maintaining image stability.

[0046] Example 3

[0047] like Figure 5 - Figure 6 The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable shown differs from Embodiment 1 in that the first cable 22A includes a first positive conductor 221A and a first insulating outer sheath surrounding the first positive conductor 221A. Inside the first insulating outer sheath, a first cable negative shielding layer 223A is located around the first positive conductor 221A. The second cable 22B includes a second positive conductor 221B and a second insulating outer sheath surrounding the second positive conductor 221B. Inside the second insulating outer sheath, a second cable negative shielding layer 223B is located around the second positive conductor 221B. The first cable negative shielding layer 223A is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the first array element 1A, and the second cable negative shielding layer 223B is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the second array element 1B. Both the first cable negative shielding layer 223A and the second cable negative shielding layer 223B are metallic conductors.

[0048] The first insulating outer layer includes a first insulating layer 222A and a first outer layer 224A. The first insulating layer 222A wraps around the outer periphery of the first positive conductor 221A, the first cable negative shielding layer 223A wraps around the outer periphery of the first insulating layer 222A, and the first outer layer 224A wraps around the outer periphery of the first cable negative shielding layer 223A. The second insulating outer layer includes a second insulating layer 222B and a second outer layer 224B. The second insulating layer 222B wraps around the outer periphery of the second positive conductor 221B, the second cable negative shielding layer 223B wraps around the outer periphery of the second insulating layer 222B, and the second outer layer 224B wraps around the outer periphery of the second cable negative shielding layer 223B. The first outer layer 224A and the second outer layer 224B do not extend outward from the end of the outer sheath 21 near the array element. The first insulating layer 222A, the first outer layer 224A, the second insulating layer 222B, and the second outer layer 224B are all made of insulating material.

[0049] This multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, based on the beneficial effects of the above-described embodiment 1, allows the first array element 1A and the second array element 1B to be wired separately, thus separating them instead of having to be close together. This makes the arrangement of the first array element 1A and the second array element 1B within the transducer body more flexible and facilitates the wiring of the first array element 1A and the second array element 1B.

[0050] Example 4

[0051] like Figure 7 - Figure 8 The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable shown differs from Embodiment 3 in that the inner wall of the outer sheath 21 is provided with a grounding shield layer 26, which is located on the outer periphery of the filler 23. The first cable 22A and the second cable 22B are both located within the space shielded by the grounding shield layer 26. One end of the grounding shield layer 26 extends outward from the end of the outer sheath 21 near the array element and is electrically connected to the metal conductor of the transducer body.

[0052] This multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, based on the beneficial effects of the above-described embodiment 1, can achieve grounding of the transducer body at one end of the array element by additionally setting a grounding shield layer 26 inside the outer sheath 21, thereby improving the transducer body's anti-electromagnetic interference capability and helping to maintain the stability of the subsequently formed ultrasonic image.

[0053] Example 5

[0054] A multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable differs from embodiments one to four above in that the number of array elements in the transducer body is three or more, and the number of cables in the coaxial cable 2 is three or more; the number of array elements and the number of cables in the coaxial cable 2 are the same.

[0055] Example 6

[0056] An ultrasonic probe includes a metal sheath, a spring tube, an outer sheath, a connector, and a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable as described in any of the above embodiments. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer is mounted on the metal sheath, which is connected to the spring tube. The outer sheath is sleeved around the outer periphery of the spring tube. The connector is connected to an external driver, which drives the spring tube to rotate, thereby causing the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer to rotate.

[0057] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, characterized in that, include: The transducer body includes at least two array elements capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, each array element including an array element positive pole and an array element negative pole; The coaxial cable (2) includes an outer sheath (21) and at least two cables disposed within the outer sheath (21), each cable including a positive conductor and an insulating layer wrapped around the positive conductor; at least two positive conductors and at least two array element positive poles are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence; The outer sheath (21) is provided with a negative shielding conductor located outside at least two of the cables, and the negative shielding conductor is electrically connected to the negative pole of at least two of the array elements.

2. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative electrode shielding conductor is a sheath negative electrode shielding layer (24) disposed inside the outer sheath (21) and located on the periphery of at least two of the cables.

3. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 2, characterized in that, At least two of the cables and one end of the negative shielding layer (24) of the sheath extend outward from the end of the outer sheath (21) near the array element, and the portion of the positive conductor extending out of the outer sheath (21) is wrapped by the insulation layer.

4. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative shielding conductor is a negative core conductor (25) disposed in the inner cavity of the outer sheath (21), and the outer sheath (21) is provided with a grounding shielding layer (26) located on the outer periphery of at least two of the cables and the negative core conductor (25).

5. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least two of the cables, one end of the negative conductor (25) extends outward from the end of the outer sheath (21) near the array element, and the portion of the positive conductor extending out of the outer sheath (21) is wrapped by the insulating layer; the grounding shield (26) is electrically connected to the metal conductor of the ultrasonic probe.

6. A multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable, characterized in that, include: The transducer body includes at least two array elements capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, each array element including an array element positive pole and an array element negative pole; The coaxial cable (2) includes an outer sheath (21) and at least two cables disposed within the outer sheath (21), each cable including a positive conductor core and an insulating outer sheath covering the positive conductor core; at least two positive conductor cores and at least two array element positive poles are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence. At least two of the insulating outer layers are provided with a cable negative electrode shielding layer located on the outer periphery of the positive electrode conductor, and at least two of the cable negative electrode shielding layers are electrically connected to at least two of the array element negative electrodes in a one-to-one correspondence.

7. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 6, characterized in that, The insulating outer sheath includes an insulating layer and an outer sheath. The insulating layer wraps around the outer periphery of the positive electrode conductor, the cable negative electrode shielding layer wraps around the outer periphery of the insulating layer, and the outer sheath wraps around the outer periphery of the cable negative electrode shielding layer.

8. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 7, characterized in that, The insulation layer, positive conductor, and negative shielding layer of at least two of the cables extend outward from the end of the outer sheath (21) near the array element; the portion of the positive conductor extending out of the outer sheath (21) is wrapped by the insulation layer.

9. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer sheath (21) has a grounding shield (26) located around the periphery of at least two of the cables, and the grounding shield (26) is electrically connected to the metal conductor of the ultrasonic probe.

10. An ultrasonic probe, characterized in that, The device includes a metal sheath, a spring tube, an outer sheath, a connector, and a multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer with a single cable as described in any one of claims 1-5 or 6-9. The multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer is mounted on the metal sheath, which is connected to the spring tube. The outer sheath is sleeved around the outer periphery of the spring tube. The connector is connected to an external driver, which drives the spring tube to rotate, thereby causing the multi-frequency ultrasonic transducer to rotate.

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