Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonography device, and method for ultrasonography

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic probe having a mechanism which can prevent attachment of dust or liquid to the surface of an ultrasonic element or to the inside of a device or can prevent intrusion of dust or liquid into the surface of an ultrasonic element or into the inside of a device.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic probe 20 for inspecting a subject W by ultrasonic beams includes: a housing 21; a plurality of ultrasonic elements 22 arranged in a front surface 21a of the housing 21; a through-hole 24 adjacent to the ultrasonic element 22 and penetrating the front wall 21a of the housing 21; and a gas release mechanism for releasing gas from the inside to the outside of the housing 21 through a through-hole 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic inspection device, and an ultrasonic inspection method. [Background technology]

[0002] An ultrasonic inspection device can be used for inspecting heat seals of food packages, etc. Known ultrasonic inspection devices include a transmitting unit having a transmitting surface that transmits an ultrasonic beam toward a test object, and a receiving surface that receives the ultrasonic beam that has passed through the test object, and a plurality of receiving units arranged in an array (WO 2022 / 239265).

[0003] In this ultrasonic inspection device, the total area of ​​the receiving surface is increased by arranging small but highly accurate receiving units in an array, which enables the ultrasonic inspection device to inspect a test object for defects with high accuracy and in a short time, even if the test object to be inspected is large in area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 239265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such ultrasonic inspection devices, if dust or liquid adheres to or penetrates the surface of the ultrasonic probe that constitutes the receiving or transmitting unit, there is a risk that the probe's performance will deteriorate or that a malfunction will occur due to a short circuit in the electrical circuit.

[0006] In addition, if dust or liquid adheres to or penetrates the surface of the ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic inspection device will have to undergo maintenance to restore accuracy, and the effect of shortening the inspection time will be diminished. In particular, dust adhesion occurs cumulatively, so it is desirable to prevent it as much as possible.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic inspection device equipped with a mechanism capable of preventing adhesion or intrusion of dust or liquid onto the surface of the ultrasonic element or into the interior of the device. The present disclosure also aims to provide an ultrasonic inspection method capable of preventing adhesion or intrusion of dust or liquid onto the surface of the ultrasonic element or into the interior of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) An ultrasonic probe according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an ultrasonic probe for inspecting a subject with an ultrasonic beam, the ultrasonic probe comprising: a housing; a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged on a front wall of the housing; through holes adjacent to the ultrasonic elements and penetrating the front wall of the housing; and a gas emission mechanism for emitting gas from the inside to the outside of the housing through the through holes.

[0009] (2) In the ultrasonic probe of (1) above, the plurality of ultrasonic elements may be arranged in an array, and the through-hole may be disposed between adjacent ultrasonic elements.

[0010] (3) In the ultrasonic probe of (1) or (2) above, the ultrasonic element may receive an ultrasonic beam that has passed through a subject.

[0011] (4) In the ultrasonic probe according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the gas release mechanism may release gas by pressurizing the inside of the housing.

[0012] (5) An ultrasonic detection device according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a first ultrasonic probe having a transmitting surface that transmits an ultrasonic beam toward a subject, a second ultrasonic probe arranged opposite the transmitting surface and having a receiving surface that receives the ultrasonic beam that has passed through the subject, and a transport mechanism that moves the subject relative to the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe so that the subject passes between the receiving surface and the transmitting surface, and the second ultrasonic probe is the ultrasonic probe described in (3).

[0013] (6) In the ultrasonic inspection device of (5) described above, it is preferable to provide a control mechanism that controls the gas release mechanism to stop releasing gas when the subject passes between the receiving surface and the transmitting surface.

[0014] (7) An ultrasonic inspection method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure is an ultrasonic inspection method that uses ultrasonic elements to inspect an object moving relatively through an inspection area, and when the object is not passing through the inspection area, gas is released from an area in which the ultrasonic elements are arranged toward the inspection area, and when the object passes through the inspection area, the release of gas is stopped.

[0015] Here, "a through hole adjacent to an ultrasonic element" includes cases where the ultrasonic element and the through hole are in contact with each other at their outer edges, as well as cases where they are separated by a predetermined distance or less, for example, 0.5 mm or less.

[0016] The term "relative movement" includes cases where one is fixed and the other is moved, where one is moved and the other is fixed, or where both are moved in opposite directions. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The ultrasonic probe has a through hole adjacent to the ultrasonic element, and gas is discharged from the inside to the outside of the housing through the through hole, so that dust or liquid can be prevented from approaching from the outside of the housing. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe can prevent dust or liquid from adhering to or penetrating into the surface of the ultrasonic element or the inside of the device.

[0018] The ultrasonic inspection device uses the ultrasonic probe, and therefore can prevent dust or liquid from adhering to or penetrating into the surface of the ultrasonic element or the inside of the device.

[0019] This ultrasonic inspection method prevents any effects on the inspection results from occurring by stopping the release of gas when the specimen passes through the inspection area, while when the specimen is not passing through the inspection area, releasing gas from the area where the ultrasonic elements are placed toward the inspection area, thereby preventing the adhesion or infiltration of dust or liquid. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic inspection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing details of the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic inspection device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial front view showing the configuration of the first ultrasonic probe of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial front view showing the configuration of the second ultrasonic probe of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, for the numerical values ​​described in this specification, only one of the upper limit value and the lower limit value described may be adopted, or the upper limit value and the lower limit value may be arbitrarily combined.

[0022] [Ultrasonic inspection equipment] 1 and 2 includes a first ultrasonic probe 10, a second ultrasonic probe 20, a transport mechanism (not shown), and a control mechanism (not shown). The first ultrasonic probe 10 and the second ultrasonic probe 20 are ultrasonic probes for inspecting a subject X with an ultrasonic beam.

[0023] <First ultrasonic probe> The first ultrasonic probe 10 includes a housing 11, a plurality of ultrasonic elements 12 (see FIG. 3), and a base 13.

[0024] The housing 11 contains therein a plurality of ultrasonic elements 12 and a base 13. The base 13 is fixed to a mounting plate 14 (see FIG. 3, not shown in FIG. 2). This mounting plate 14 is similar to a mounting plate 25 of a second ultrasonic probe 20 described later.

[0025] A material that is heat resistant and does not easily scatter ultrasonic waves is selected as the material for the housing 11. Specifically, the material for the housing 11 may be resin, wood, or the like.

[0026] The ultrasonic element 12 is an ultrasonic transmitter and can transmit an ultrasonic beam. The ultrasonic element 12 can be composed of, for example, a piezoelectric sheet. Examples of the piezoelectric sheet include a sheet using a polymer piezoelectric material such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and a porous film obtained by electretizing a synthetic resin film such as polypropylene.

[0027] 3, the ultrasonic elements 12 are arranged in a line, i.e., in an array, on the base 13. The ultrasonic elements 12 arranged in this array form a transmission surface 11b capable of transmitting ultrasonic beams. The base 13 can be made of, for example, a plate material.

[0028] The base 13 is attached to the inner surface of the side wall as a part of the front wall 11a of the housing 11 so that ultrasonic beams of the multiple ultrasonic elements 12 are transmitted in the direction of the second ultrasonic probe 20. That is, the multiple ultrasonic elements 12 of the first ultrasonic probe 10 are disposed on the inner surface of the side wall of the housing 11. As will be described later, the subject X passes between the first ultrasonic probe 10 and the second ultrasonic probe 20. At this time, the first ultrasonic probe 10 can transmit ultrasonic beams toward the subject X.

[0029] As described above, the first ultrasonic probe 10 has the transmission surface 11b that transmits an ultrasonic beam toward the subject X.

[0030] <Second ultrasonic probe> The second ultrasonic probe 20 is itself an ultrasonic probe of the present invention. The second ultrasonic probe 20 includes a housing 21, a plurality of ultrasonic elements 22, a base 23, a through hole 24, and a gas release mechanism (not shown).

[0031] (Housing) The housing 21 contains therein a plurality of ultrasonic elements 22 and a base 23. As shown in Fig. 2, the base 23 is fixed to a mounting plate 25, which is attached to the side wall of the housing 21 so as to sandwich the base 23 between the mounting plate 25 and the side wall of the housing 21. The base 23, the mounting plate 25, and the side wall of the housing 21 form a front wall 21a of the housing 21, and this front wall 21a separates the inside (internal space) of the housing 21 from the outside.

[0032] A material that is heat resistant and does not easily scatter ultrasonic waves is selected as the material for the housing 21. Specifically, the material for the housing 21 may be resin, wood, or the like.

[0033] (Ultrasonic element) The ultrasonic element 22 is an ultrasonic receiver and is capable of receiving an ultrasonic beam that has passed through the subject X. The ultrasonic element 22 can be formed of, for example, a piezoelectric sheet.

[0034] The multiple ultrasonic elements 22 are configured similarly to the multiple ultrasonic elements 12 of the first ultrasonic probe 10, and are arranged in an array on the front wall 21a (base 23) of the housing 21 (see FIG. 4). Due to the multiple ultrasonic elements 22, the second ultrasonic probe 20 has a receiving surface 21b that is arranged opposite the transmitting surface 11b and receives ultrasonic beams that have passed through the subject X. The receiving surface 21b includes the ultrasonic elements 22 and through-holes 24 adjacent thereto.

[0035] The number of ultrasonic elements 12 of the first ultrasonic probe 10 is the same as the number of ultrasonic elements 22 of the second ultrasonic probe 20, and they are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. In other words, an ultrasonic beam transmitted from an ultrasonic element 12 of one first ultrasonic probe 10 is received by an ultrasonic element 22 of one second ultrasonic probe 20, and an ultrasonic beam transmitted from an ultrasonic element 12 of a different first ultrasonic probe 10 is received by an ultrasonic element 22 of a different second ultrasonic probe 20.

[0036] The number of the ultrasonic elements 22 is appropriately determined from the viewpoint of the size of the region of the object X inspected by one ultrasonic element 22 and the width of the range to be inspected, and can be, for example, 10 to 300.

[0037] The lower limit of the interval between adjacent ultrasonic elements 22 is preferably 0.3 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm, from the viewpoint of the size of the through-hole 24 described later. On the other hand, the upper limit of the interval between adjacent ultrasonic elements 22 is preferably 1.5 mm, and more preferably 1.0 mm, from the viewpoint of coverage of the range to be inspected.

[0038] (Through hole) The through-hole 24 is adjacent to the ultrasonic element 22 and penetrates the front wall 21a of the housing 21. Specifically, the through-hole 24 is formed by a plurality of first through-holes 24a (FIG. 4) and one second through-hole 24b (FIG. 1), and enables gas to be released from the inside of the housing 21 to the outside.

[0039] The first through holes 24a are provided to penetrate the base 23 and the mounting plate 25, and are arranged between adjacent ultrasonic elements 22 and on the outside of each of the ultrasonic elements 22 at both ends. The first through holes 24a are rectangular and extend perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic elements 22. The ultrasonic elements 22 are adjacent to the center of the first through holes 24a. The through holes provided in the mounting plate 25 may be formed as one through hole that intersects with all of the first through holes 24a provided in the base 23 in a front view, like the second through hole 24b described later. Alternatively, if there is a gap between the mounting plate 25 and the base 23, the through hole in the mounting plate 25 may be omitted.

[0040] Since the first through-holes 24a are disposed between the adjacent ultrasonic elements 22, it is possible to suppress interference between the ultrasonic elements 22 via the base 23. This makes it possible to improve the detection resolution of the ultrasonic elements 22. In addition, since the gas discharge mechanism described below discharges gas from between all the adjacent ultrasonic elements 22, it is possible to more reliably prevent adhesion or intrusion of dust or liquid.

[0041] The length of the first through hole 24a in the longitudinal direction is preferably longer than the width of the ultrasonic element 22. In this case, from the viewpoint of preventing interference between the ultrasonic elements 22, the lower limit of the difference between the longitudinal length of the first through hole 24a and the width of the ultrasonic element 22 is preferably 5 mm, more preferably 10 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit of the difference is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 30 mm. Here, the "width of the ultrasonic element" refers to the length in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the first through hole 24a of the receiving element surface where the ultrasonic element 22 can receive ultrasonic waves. The shape of the receiving element surface is a square, a rectangle, a circle, or the like.

[0042] The second through-hole 24b is provided in the side wall of the housing 21 and extends in the arrangement direction of the ultrasonic elements 22 so as to expose the ultrasonic elements 22. By exposing the ultrasonic elements 22 in this manner, the reception sensitivity of the ultrasonic elements 22 can be increased.

[0043] The second through holes 24b intersect with all of the first through holes 24a in a front view. At the positions where the first through holes 24a and the second through holes 24b intersect, that is, between the adjacent ultrasonic elements, through holes 24 that can release gas from the inside to the outside of the housing 21 are formed.

[0044] (Gas release mechanism) The gas release mechanism releases gas from the inside to the outside of the housing 21 through the through-hole 24.

[0045] The gas is not particularly limited, but air is preferable from the viewpoint of cost. In order to prevent deterioration of the specimen X, an inert gas such as N2 gas or Ar gas may be used.

[0046] The gas release mechanism can release gas by pressurizing the inside of the housing 21. Specifically, the housing 21 is configured to be sealed except for the through-hole 24, and a gas inlet 21c is provided for allowing gas to flow into the inside of the housing 21, allowing the gas to flow in through the gas inlet 21c. When the gas release mechanism sends gas into the housing 21 from the gas inlet 21c, the inside of the housing 21 is pressurized, and the gas is released from the inside to the outside of the housing 21 through the through-hole 24 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the through-hole 24.

[0047] By releasing the gas in this manner, the gas release mechanism can be easily configured. In addition, the start / stop of gas release can be controlled by the presence or absence of pressurization (the presence or absence of gas inflow), improving the controllability of gas release.

[0048] <Transfer mechanism> The transport mechanism moves the subject X relative to the first and second ultrasonic probes 10 and 20 so that the subject X passes between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b.

[0049] 1, in the ultrasonic inspection device 1, the subject X is passed between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b by being transferred in the direction of the arrow. The method of transferring the subject X is not particularly limited, and for example, a belt conveyor may be installed so as to pass between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b, and the subject X may be placed on the belt conveyor for transfer.

[0050] As a method for passing between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b, the subject X may be fixed and the ultrasonic inspection device 1 may be moved in the direction opposite to the arrow in Fig. 1. Alternatively, the subject X may be moved in the direction of the arrow and the ultrasonic inspection device 1 may be moved in the direction opposite to the arrow at the same time.

[0051] In either case, the object X can be passed between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b. Then, the part of the object X sandwiched between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b becomes the object of inspection.

[0052] The ultrasonic inspection device 1 uses the ultrasonic probe, and therefore can prevent dust or liquid from adhering to or penetrating into the surface of the ultrasonic element 22 or the inside of the device.

[0053] <Control mechanism> The control mechanism controls the gas releasing mechanism to stop releasing gas when the subject X passes between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b.

[0054] Since the movement of the subject X is achieved by a transport mechanism, the control mechanism can detect from the operation of the transport mechanism that the subject X is passing between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b, and can stop the gas release mechanism from releasing the gas.

[0055] When gas is released, the frequency of the ultrasonic waves may be modulated by the flow speed of the gas. If the modulation is large, the test results may be affected. For this reason, by stopping the gas release from the gas release mechanism when the subject X passes between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b, it is possible to prevent the test results from being affected. On the other hand, when the subject X is not passing between the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b, gas is released, so that it is possible to prevent adhesion or intrusion of dust or liquid.

[0056] The ultrasonic probe has a through hole 24 provided adjacent to the ultrasonic element 22, and gas is discharged from the inside to the outside of the housing 21 through the through hole 24, so that it is possible to prevent dust or liquid from approaching from the outside of the housing 21. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe can prevent adhesion or infiltration of dust or liquid to the surface of the ultrasonic element or inside the device.

[0057] [Ultrasonic inspection method] An ultrasonic inspection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an ultrasonic inspection method for inspecting an object X that moves relatively in an inspection region, using ultrasonic elements 22. The ultrasonic inspection method can be performed, for example, using an ultrasonic inspection device 1 shown in FIG.

[0058] The examination area means an area where a part or all of the subject X is subjected to ultrasonic examination, and in the ultrasonic examination device 1 of FIG. 1, it means a rectangular parallelepiped area having the receiving surface 21b and the transmitting surface 11b as opposing sides.

[0059] In the ultrasonic inspection method, when the subject X is not passing through the inspection region, gas is discharged from the arrangement region of the ultrasonic elements 22 toward the inspection region, and when the subject X passes through the inspection region, the discharge of the gas is stopped.

[0060] The arrangement area refers to a rectangular area of ​​the minimum area including the ultrasonic elements 22 and the adjacent through-holes 24, and in the ultrasonic inspection device 1 of Fig. 1, the arrangement area refers to the receiving surface 21b. When the subject X is not passing through the inspection area, gas is emitted from the receiving surface 21b of the ultrasonic elements 22 toward the inspection area. That is, gas is emitted from the through-holes 24 provided in the receiving surface 21b. On the other hand, when the subject X passes through the inspection area, the emission of gas is stopped. This control can be performed by a control mechanism in the ultrasonic inspection device 1 of Fig. 1.

[0061] In this ultrasonic inspection method, the emission of gas is stopped when the subject X passes through the inspection area, thereby preventing the inspection results from being affected, and when the subject X is not passing through the inspection area, the gas is emitted from the arrangement area of ​​the ultrasonic elements 22 toward the inspection area, thereby preventing the adhesion or infiltration of dust or liquid.

[0062] [Other embodiments] The above-described embodiments do not limit the configuration of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments may include omissions, substitutions, or additions of components of each part of the embodiments based on the description in this specification and common technical knowledge, and all of these should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the case where the second ultrasonic probe is the ultrasonic probe of the present invention has been described, but the first ultrasonic probe may be the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, or the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe may be the ultrasonic probe of the present invention. When the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe are the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, the configurations of both, for example, the through hole and the gas release mechanism, may be the same, or one or both may be different.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the case where the ultrasonic elements of the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe are arranged on the base has been described, but the ultrasonic elements may be arranged on the back surface of the side wall of the housing, or another configuration may be adopted. Also, the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe may have different configurations for the arrangement of the ultrasonic elements.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic elements of the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe have the same configuration, but the ultrasonic elements of the first ultrasonic probe and the second ultrasonic probe may have different configurations. For example, the number of ultrasonic elements and the shape of the receiving element surface may be the same or different.

[0066] In the above embodiment, a case where multiple ultrasonic elements are arranged in an array has been described, but arranging multiple ultrasonic elements in an array is not a necessary constituent requirement, and it is within the intention of the present disclosure that the ultrasonic elements may be arranged in other configurations, for example, in a matrix.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the case where the through holes are arranged between the adjacent ultrasonic elements has been described, but the arrangement of the through holes is not limited to this. For example, the through holes may be provided along the outer edges on both outer sides of the ultrasonic elements arranged in an array.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the gas release mechanism releases gas by pressurizing the inside of the housing, but the gas may be released by other methods. For example, the gas may be forcibly exhausted by using a fan disposed inside the housing.

[0069] In the above embodiment, a transmission type inspection device has been described as an ultrasonic inspection device, but the ultrasonic inspection device is not limited to a transmission type inspection device. Even if the ultrasonic inspection device of the present disclosure is, for example, a reflection type inspection device, the same effects can be obtained. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] As described above, the ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic inspection device, and ultrasonic inspection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can prevent dust or liquid from adhering to or penetrating into the surface of the ultrasonic element or the inside of the device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Ultrasonic inspection equipment 10. First ultrasonic probe 11. Cabinet 11a Front wall 11b Transmission surface 12 Ultrasonic element 13 Foundation 14 Mounting plate 20 Second ultrasonic probe 21 Case 21a Front wall 21b Receiving surface 21c Gas inlet 22 Ultrasonic element 23 Foundation 24 Through hole 24a 1st through hole 24b 2nd through hole 25 Mounting plate X was found

Claims

1. 1. An ultrasonic probe for inspecting a subject with an ultrasonic beam, comprising: A housing and A plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged on a front wall of the housing; a through hole adjacent to the ultrasonic element and penetrating a front wall of the housing; a gas release mechanism that releases gas from the inside to the outside of the housing through the through hole; An ultrasound probe comprising:

2. The ultrasonic elements are arranged in an array, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein the through-hole is disposed between adjacent ultrasonic elements.

3. 3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic element receives an ultrasonic beam that has passed through a subject.

4. 3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the gas release mechanism releases gas by applying pressure to the inside of the housing.

5. a first ultrasonic probe having a transmission surface for transmitting an ultrasonic beam toward a subject; a second ultrasonic probe having a receiving surface disposed opposite to the transmitting surface and configured to receive the ultrasonic beam transmitted through the subject; a transport mechanism that moves the subject relative to the first and second ultrasonic probes so that the subject passes between the receiving surface and the transmitting surface; and Equipped with The ultrasonic inspection device, wherein the second ultrasonic probe is the ultrasonic probe according to claim 3 .

6. 6. The ultrasonic inspection device according to claim 5, further comprising a control mechanism that controls the gas release mechanism to stop releasing gas when the subject passes between the receiving surface and the transmitting surface.

7. 1. An ultrasonic inspection method for inspecting an object that moves relatively through an inspection region using ultrasonic elements, comprising: An ultrasonic inspection method comprising: discharging gas from an area where the ultrasonic elements are arranged toward the inspection area when the object to be inspected is not passing through the inspection area; and stopping the discharge of the gas when the object to be inspected passes through the inspection area.

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