Cutting blade

Abstract

This utility model relates to a cutting blade, belonging to the technical field of ultrasonic probe manufacturing equipment. The cutting blade is disc-shaped and used for rotary cutting of an ultrasonic probe to form piezoelectric array elements. The cutting blade includes a blade body and multiple gradient layers disposed on the outer side of the blade body. The multiple gradient layers are connected sequentially along the radial direction of the blade body, and the thickness of each gradient layer gradually decreases radially outward. Adjacent gradient layers are connected in a stepped manner, and the outer edge of each gradient layer away from the rotation center axis of the cutting blade forms a cutting edge, so that the cutting blade has multiple annular cutting edges arranged at radial intervals. The array elements of the probe cut by this cutting blade are pyramid-shaped, with narrow ends and wide bottoms, which ensures that the formed ultrasonic probe piezoelectric array elements are uniform in size, neatly arranged, and have better stability; effectively improving the resolution and stability of probe imaging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic probe manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a cutting blade. Background Technology

[0002] The ultrasound probe is an important component of ultrasound equipment. Its working principle is to use the piezoelectric effect to convert the excitation electrical pulse signal of the whole ultrasound machine into an ultrasonic signal that enters the patient's body. Then, the ultrasonic echo signal reflected by the tissue is converted into an electrical signal, thereby realizing the detection of the tissue.

[0003] In the manufacturing process of existing ultrasound medical probes, piezoelectric elements are usually arranged in an array to achieve high-precision sound wave transmission and reception. In order to divide the overall piezoelectric sheet into several array elements, multiple array slots need to be cut on its surface so that each array element can work independently and form an array.

[0004] However, in existing technologies, there are no blades specifically developed for cutting the elements of ultrasonic medical probes. The cutting of most ultrasonic probe elements still relies on general-purpose diamond cutting blades. While these blades can perform basic cutting of piezoelectric elements, their stability is insufficient. During ultra-thin, high-precision cutting, problems such as insufficient strength, easy breakage, or cutting trajectory deviation often occur. This results in defects such as chipped edges, serpentine shapes, and oblique cuts in the cut array grooves, leading to poor dimensional consistency between array elements and consequently affecting the performance of the ultrasonic probe. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem of poor cutting effect of existing cutting tools on ultrasonic medical probe array elements.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a cutting blade, which is disc-shaped and used for rotating and cutting an ultrasonic probe to form a piezoelectric array. The cutting blade includes a blade body and multiple gradient layers disposed on the outer side of the blade body. The multiple gradient layers are connected sequentially along the radial direction of the blade body, and the thickness of each gradient layer gradually decreases radially outward. Adjacent gradient layers are connected in a stepped manner, and each gradient layer forms a cutting edge on its outer edge away from the rotation center axis of the cutting blade, so that the cutting blade has multiple annular cutting edges arranged radially at intervals.

[0007] In some examples of this application, the cutting blade includes 2 to 5 gradient layers.

[0008] In some examples of this application, the thickness of the gradient layer is less than 50 μm.

[0009] In some examples of this application, the thickness difference between adjacent gradient layers near the rotation center axis is 8 μm to 12 μm.

[0010] In some examples of this application, the radial length of the gradient layer away from the rotation center axis of the cutting blade is shorter than the radial length of the gradient layer closer to the rotation center axis of the cutting blade.

[0011] In some examples of this application, the radial length difference between adjacent gradient layers is 0.08 mm to 0.12 mm.

[0012] In some examples of this application, the diameter of the cutting blade is 50mm to 60mm.

[0013] In some examples of this application, the thickness of the blade body of the cutting blade gradually decreases radially outward.

[0014] In some examples of this application, the outermost gradient layer of the cutting blade has a V-shaped cross-section, and the cutting edge is formed at the tip of the V-shaped gradient layer.

[0015] In some examples of this application, the cross-section of the gradient layer on the inner side of the cutting blade is a trapezoid, and the cutting edge is opened at the two apex positions of the trapezoidal gradient layer.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0017] This application provides a cutting blade specifically designed for cutting array elements in medical probes. The disc-shaped cutting blade features multiple radially connected gradient layers, with the thickness of each layer gradually decreasing from the inside out, resulting in a progressively thinner, stepped structure. This gradual decrease in blade thickness effectively reduces cutting resistance during the cutting process, preventing defects such as chipping, serpentine cuts, and oblique cuts. Furthermore, the stepped arrangement of multiple cutting edges enhances the blade's stress stability and durability, maintaining good rigidity and cutting performance even under high-speed rotation. The probe array elements cut using this blade are pyramid-shaped, narrow at the ends and wide at the bottom, ensuring uniform size, neat arrangement, and improved stability of the resulting ultrasonic probe piezoelectric array elements. It also eliminates the need for filling adjacent elements with soft material for fixation, effectively improving the resolution and stability of the probe imaging. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a non-scale three-dimensional structural diagram of a cutting blade in some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cutting blade.

[0020] Figure 3This is a front view schematic diagram of the cutting blade in some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the cutting blade.

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified structural diagram at point C.

[0023] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0024] 100. Cutting blade; 10. Blade body; 11. Rotation center axis; 20. Gradient layer; 21. First gradient layer; 22. Second gradient layer; 30. Cutting edge. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this utility model will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this utility model can have various variations in different embodiments, all of which do not depart from the scope of this utility model, and the descriptions and illustrations therein are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit this utility model.

[0026] In the description of this application, it should be understood that, in the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the indications of direction or positional relationships (such as up, down, left, right, front, and back) are merely for the convenience of describing this application 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. These descriptions are appropriate when these elements are in the positions shown in the accompanying drawings. If the description of the positions of these elements changes, these directional indications also change accordingly.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] The cutting of most ultrasonic probe elements still relies on general-purpose diamond cutting blades. While these blades can perform basic cutting of piezoelectric elements, their stability is insufficient. During ultra-thin, high-precision cutting, problems such as insufficient strength, easy breakage, or cutting trajectory deviation often occur. This results in defects such as chipped edges, serpentine shapes, and oblique cuts in the array grooves of the cut probe, leading to poor dimensional consistency between array elements and thus affecting the performance of the ultrasonic probe.

[0029] Therefore, please refer to Figures 1 to 5This embodiment provides a cutting blade 100, which is disc-shaped and used to rotate and cut an ultrasonic probe to form a piezoelectric array element with a stable structure and high consistency.

[0030] The cutting blade 100 includes a blade body 10 and a plurality of gradient layers 20 disposed on the outer side of the blade body 10. The plurality of gradient layers 20 are connected sequentially along the radial direction of the blade body 10, and the thickness of each gradient layer 20 gradually decreases radially outward. Adjacent gradient layers 20 are connected in a stepped manner, and each gradient layer 20 forms a cutting edge 30 at its outer edge away from the rotation center axis 11 of the cutting blade 100, so that the cutting blade 100 has a plurality of annular cutting edges 30 arranged radially spaced apart.

[0031] Specifically, the cutting blade 100 has a disc-shaped structure with the center of the disc serving as the rotation axis 11. Multiple gradient layers 20 are connected in a gradient pattern on the outer side of the blade body 10, with discontinuous connections between adjacent gradient layers 20 to form a stepped shape. The blade body 10 is fixed to a dicing machine or a high-speed rotating device, allowing the gradient layers 20 on the outer edge of the blade body 10 to rotate around the rotation axis 11 to cut the piezoelectric material in the medical ultrasound probe, thereby forming multiple regularly arranged piezoelectric elements.

[0032] During the cutting process, the cutting blade 100 cuts into the piezoelectric wafer at high speed. The inner gradient layer 20 has a relatively large thickness, which provides the necessary structural strength and overall rigidity, thus ensuring that the cutting blade 100 is not prone to vibration or deformation under high-speed conditions. The outer gradient layer 20 has a relatively thin thickness, and the outermost cutting edge 30 contacts the material being cut first, which can significantly reduce the cutting resistance and improve the cutting accuracy.

[0033] The annular cutting edges 30 on multiple gradient layers 20 act sequentially, effectively reducing the load layer by layer. This allows the cutting force to be transmitted radially in a gradual manner, avoiding defects such as chipped edges, serpentine cuts, or beveled cuts caused by concentrated force on a traditional single cutting edge. Furthermore, the stepped connection between the gradient layers 20 not only enhances the stability of the blade structurally but also creates a wedge-shaped force distribution during cutting, ensuring uniform force on the cutting blade 100 and helping to extend its service life.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cutting blade 100 may include 2 to 5 gradient layers 20. The multiple gradient layers 20 may transition from the inside out, each gradient layer 20 forming a ring shape and connected by a stepped structure, with the thickness of adjacent gradient layers 20 gradually decreasing radially outward. The multiple gradient layers 20 form the cutting area of ​​the cutting blade 100, and the radial length of the cutting area can be determined according to the depth of the array slot for the medical probe to be opened.

[0035] For example, the blade body 10 of the cutting blade 100 is connected with a first gradient layer 21 and a second gradient layer 22 from the outside to the inside. The abrupt change in thickness at the connection between the first gradient layer 21 and the second gradient layer 22 forms a stepped structure, and the first gradient layer 21 and the second gradient layer 22 together form a cutting area to cut the medical probe.

[0036] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 5 In this embodiment, the thickness of the blade body 10 of the cutting blade 100 gradually decreases radially outward. The outermost gradient layer 20 of the cutting blade 100 has a V-shaped cross-section, and a cutting edge 30 is formed at the tip of the V-shaped gradient layer 20. The inner gradient layer 20 of the cutting blade 100 has a trapezoidal cross-section, and a cutting edge 30 is formed at the two apex positions of the trapezoidal gradient layer 20.

[0037] Specifically, the thickness of the cutting blade 100 decreases sequentially outward from the rotation center axis 11, making the cross-section of the entire cutting blade 100 resemble a wedge-shaped structure. The outermost first gradient layer 21 of the cutting blade 100 has a V-shaped cross-section, with a cutting edge 30 at the tip of the V-shaped first gradient layer 21. During the cutting process, the wedge-shaped structure effectively reduces cutting resistance, minimizing material peeling and edge chipping when the blade rotates at high speed into the piezoelectric material surface. Moreover, due to the large local pressure at the V-shaped tip, stable cutting can be achieved in the initial stage of entry, thereby improving the consistency and smoothness of the cut. Furthermore, the exposure of the cutting edge 30 of the V-shaped first gradient layer 21 gradually increases inward with the thickness of the first gradient layer 21, thus resolving the contradiction between blade exposure and thickness, and avoiding the edge chipping problem that occurs when cutting array elements with a conventional cutting blade 100.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the gradient layer 20 on the inner side of the cutting blade 100 has a trapezoidal cross-section, with cutting edges 30 at its two apex positions. During rotary cutting, the cutting edges 30 of the trapezoidal gradient layer 20 can participate in cutting sequentially as the material penetrates deeper, forming a stepped load reduction effect and avoiding excessive wear or uneven grooving caused by prolonged stress on a single cutting edge. Simultaneously, the presence of the two cutting edges on the trapezoidal sides allows the blade to distribute and disperse the cutting force in the radial direction, further enhancing the blade's stability.

[0039] Moreover, the medical probe array element cross-section after being cut by the cutting blade 100 with this structure is pyramid-shaped, and the array element has a larger contact area at the bottom, which significantly improves the overall stability of the array element; it avoids the problem of the array element tilting or falling off after cutting, and there is no need to fill the array slot of the probe with additional soft material for fixation, which greatly improves the resolution and stability of the probe imaging.

[0040] Please see Figures 3 to 5 In some embodiments, the cutting blade 100 has a diameter of 50 mm to 60 mm; the gradient layer 20 has a thickness of less than 50 μm.

[0041] Specifically, the cutting blade 100 can have a diameter of 53 mm and a cutting depth that can be controlled between 0.4 mm and 1.5 mm to accommodate the cutting of most ultrasonic probes. The thickness of each gradient layer 20 is less than 50 μm, meaning the maximum thickness of the gradient layer 20 does not exceed 50 μm. This ensures that the width of the array groove formed by the cutting blade 100 when cutting the ultrasonic probe does not exceed 50 μm.

[0042] Narrower array slots reduce the spacing between adjacent array elements, thereby increasing the array element density and enabling the probe to achieve higher imaging resolution and better imaging results. However, because the cutting area is in the micrometer-thickness range, traditional thin-blade cutters are prone to defects such as chipping, oblique cutting, or breakage during high-speed rotary cutting, severely affecting the cutting quality of the array elements. Therefore, the thickness of the cutting blade 100 is designed to gradually increase from the outside to the inside, with multiple gradient layers 20 connected in a stepped transition; while ensuring the ultra-thin and sharp cutting performance of the outer edge of the cutting blade 100, it provides reinforced structural support layer by layer inward. This effectively overcomes the problem of insufficient strength caused by the excessive thinness of a single thin-blade cutter, thus balancing the overall reliability and cutting accuracy of the cutting blade 100.

[0043] Please see Figures 3 to 5 The radial length of each gradient layer 20 is 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm. The radial length of the gradient layer 20 farther from the rotation center axis 11 of the cutting blade 100 is shorter than that of the gradient layer 20 closer to the rotation center axis 11 of the cutting blade 100.

[0044] The radial length of each gradient layer 20 can be selected according to the depth of the ultrasonic probe array slot to accommodate the cutting requirements of different types of probe array elements.

[0045] The gradient layer 20 near the outer edge of the cutting blade 100 has a relatively short radial length, while the inner gradient layer 20 near the center of rotation has a longer radial length. That is, the outer, thinner, and sharper gradient layer 20 of the cutting blade 100 has a shorter length, while the wider inner gradient layer 20 has a longer length, thus achieving an overall performance of "inner stability and outer sharpness." This ensures that the outer layer has good cutting sharpness, while the inner layer provides sufficient support and stability, thereby avoiding problems such as edge chipping, cracking, or blade vibration during cutting.

[0046] like Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the radial length A1 of the outermost first gradient layer 21 can be set to 0.5 mm, and the radial length A2 of the adjacent second gradient layer 22 can be set to 0.6 mm, and a maximum of five gradient layers 20 are sequentially arranged. Preferably, the radial length difference between adjacent gradient layers 20 can be controlled within the range of 0.08 mm to 0.12 mm, so that the cutting blade 100 structure has a more reasonable stress distribution and better overall stability.

[0047] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, the thickness difference between adjacent gradient layers 20 near the rotation center axis 11 is 8 μm to 12 μm.

[0048] Specifically, the thickness difference at the largest end of adjacent gradient layers 20 is 8μm to 12μm, which ensures that the slopes of multiple gradient layers 20 are approximately the same. The thickness reduction ratio of the cutting blade 100 from the center to the outer edge is relatively gradual, which significantly reduces vibration and runout during the cutting process, thus benefiting the structural strength of the blade. Figure 5 As shown, the thickness B1 of the first gradient layer 21 near the rotation center axis 11 can be 20 μm, while the thickness of the second gradient layer 22 near the rotation center axis 11 can be 30 μm.

[0049] This embodiment also provides a method for manufacturing a cutting blade 100. The cutting blade 100 can be made by using a metal binder or a resin binder as a matrix. The surface of the binder is uniformly coated with 1-5 micrometer powders such as tungsten, nickel, and copper, as well as superhard materials such as diamond, silicon carbide, and cubic boron nitride, which are then hot-pressed and sintered multiple times.

[0050] The specific process steps are as follows: First, a superhard material (at least one of diamond, silicon carbide, or cubic boron nitride) is mixed evenly with a metal binder using a mechanical mixer to prepare a preliminary base material. Then, micron-sized metal powders such as tungsten, nickel, and copper are added to a ball mill and mixed at high speed with nano-sized powders such as alumina and silica to obtain a uniform abrasive. Next, the aforementioned base material is added to the abrasive in small batches and fully composited using a ball mill. Finally, the mixed material is hot-pressed and sintered twice to obtain a blade blank of suitable thickness.

[0051] After the blank is formed, the blank is bonded to the thinning machine platform with paraffin wax and gradually thinned to the required thickness (such as below 50μm); then the blade is fixed in the dicing machine, and by adjusting the cutting depth and the grit of the diamond grinding plate, the blade is ground to a depth of multiple times to produce a multi-gradient layer 20 cutting blade 100, and the multiple edges of the cutting blade 100 are sharpened.

[0052] In summary, a cutting blade 100 is provided specifically for cutting array elements of medical probes. The disc-shaped cutting blade 100 has multiple radially connected gradient layers 20, with the thickness of each gradient layer 20 gradually decreasing from the inside out, resulting in a gradually thinning stepped structure for the cutting blade 100 as a whole. The gradually decreasing thickness of the cutting blade 100 effectively reduces the cutting resistance during the cutting process, preventing defects such as chipping, serpentine cuts, and oblique cuts in the cut. Furthermore, the stepped arrangement of the multiple cutting blades 30 improves the stress stability and durability of the cutting blade 100, ensuring good rigidity and cutting performance even under high-speed rotation. The probe array elements cut using this cutting blade 100 are pyramid-shaped, with narrow ends and wide bottoms. This ensures that the resulting ultrasonic probe piezoelectric array elements are uniform in size, neatly arranged, and have better stability. It also eliminates the need to fill adjacent array elements with soft material for fixation, effectively improving the resolution and stability of the probe imaging.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is descriptive and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since the present invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cutting blade characterized in that, The cutting blade is disc-shaped and is used to rotate and cut the ultrasonic probe to form a piezoelectric array element; The cutting blade includes a blade body and multiple gradient layers disposed on the outside of the blade body. The multiple gradient layers are connected sequentially along the radial direction of the blade body, and the thickness of each gradient layer gradually decreases radially outward. The adjacent gradient layers are connected in a stepped manner, and the outer edge of each gradient layer away from the rotation center axis of the cutting blade forms a cutting edge, so that the cutting blade has a plurality of annular cutting edges arranged radially spaced apart.

2. The cutting blade of claim 1, wherein The cutting blade comprises 2 to 5 gradient layers.

3. The cutting blade of claim 2, wherein, The thickness of the gradient layer is less than 50 μm.

4. The cutting blade of claim 3, wherein, The thickness difference between adjacent gradient layers near the rotation center axis is 8 μm to 12 μm.

5. The cutting blade of claim 2, wherein, The radial length of the gradient layer farther from the rotation center axis of the cutting blade is shorter than the radial length of the gradient layer closer to the rotation center axis of the cutting blade.

6. The cutting blade of claim 5, wherein, The radial length difference between adjacent gradient layers is 0.08 mm to 0.12 mm.

7. The cutting blade of claim 1, wherein The diameter of the cutting blade is 50mm to 60mm.

8. The cutting blade of claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the blade body of the cutting blade gradually decreases radially outward.

9. The cutting blade of claim 1, wherein, The outermost gradient layer of the cutting blade has a V-shaped cross-section, and the cutting edge is formed at the tip of the V-shaped gradient layer.

10. The cutting blade of claim 9, wherein, The gradient layer on the inner side of the cutting blade has a trapezoidal cross section, and the cutting edge is located at the two vertices of the trapezoidal gradient layer.

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