Ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device capable of easily setting an ultrasonic wave irradiation direction for the inside of the body of an object person to a desired direction and suppressing the reception of unnecessary reflected waves.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 includes an ultrasonic wave generation element 20 that transmits an ultrasonic wave into the body of a user 100 and receives a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave, and a transmission body 50 that is disposed in a transmission path of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic wave generation element 20. The transmission body 50 includes a contact surface 52 that comes into contact with the user 100 directly or via another member, and an irradiation surface 54 that comes into contact with a transmitting and receiving surface 22 of the ultrasonic wave generation element 20. The contact surface 52 is curved. The irradiation surface 54 is disposed facing a contact surface 52 side, and is disposed inclined with respect to a reference plane S1 that is a least square plane of a projection surface P1 obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 52 in an irradiation direction of the ultrasonic wave.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, an echo probe used in diagnostic imaging, which is a typical ultrasound transmitting and receiving device, is configured so that the skin contact surface of the probe and the ultrasound elements are arranged parallel to each other. In this configuration, for organs or tissues that cannot be observed by holding the probe perpendicular to the skin surface, a technique is required to hold the probe so that it indents the subject's skin. For example, if there is tissue (pubic bone) between the skin and the probe, such as the bottom of the bladder, which blocks the transmission of ultrasound, the probe must be angled more than usual to avoid this.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device used as a wearable device, which is configured such that an angle is formed between the skin contact surface of the probe and the ultrasonic element. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-168712 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when it is necessary to irradiate ultrasound at an angle greater than normal, such as at the bottom of the bladder, the ultrasound signal (transmitted signal or received echo signal) is reflected within the acoustic transmission path, preventing observation of the target signal.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to easily determine the direction of ultrasound irradiation inside the body of a subject in a desired direction and to suppress the reception of unnecessary reflected waves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device of the present disclosure includes: a transceiver unit that transmits ultrasound waves into the subject's body and receives reflected waves of the ultrasound waves; a transmitter disposed in a transmission path of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitter / receiver, the transmitter has a contact surface that contacts the subject directly or via another member, and an irradiation surface that contacts a transmitting / receiving surface of the transmitting / receiving unit, the contact surface is curved; The irradiation surface is arranged facing the contact surface and is arranged at an angle with respect to a least-squares plane of a surface on the contact surface that is obtained by projecting the irradiation surface in the direction of irradiation of the ultrasonic waves. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The technology disclosed herein can provide an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device that can easily determine the direction of ultrasonic radiation into the body of a subject in a desired direction and can suppress the reception of unnecessary reflected waves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic example of the electrical configuration of an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device included in the monitoring system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device shown in FIG. 1 is worn by a user. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating how the ultrasound transmitting and receiving device shown in FIG. 1 irradiates the bladder with ultrasound. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the transmitter and the ultrasonic generating element are assembled into the housing. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the transmitting body and its surroundings in the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a transmitter and its periphery in an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the transmitter and its surroundings in the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device of the third embodiment.

[0010] [1] A transceiver unit that transmits ultrasound waves into the body of a subject and receives reflected waves of the ultrasound waves; a transmitter disposed in a transmission path of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitter / receiver, the transmitter has a contact surface that contacts the subject directly or via another member, and an irradiation surface that contacts a transmitting / receiving surface of the transmitting / receiving unit, the contact surface is curved; The irradiation surface is arranged facing the contact surface and is inclined with respect to a least-squares plane of a surface on the contact surface that is a projection of the irradiation surface in the direction of the ultrasonic wave irradiation. Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device.

[0011] When receiving reflected waves of ultrasound irradiated to a predetermined location inside the subject's body, it is expected that the predetermined location will deviate from the direction of the contact surface of the ultrasound transmitting / receiving device. Therefore, in the configuration [1] above, the irradiation surface of the transmitter is arranged at an angle with respect to the least-squares plane of the surface of the contact surface projected onto the direction of ultrasound irradiation, allowing the angle of the ultrasound irradiated into the body relative to the contact surface to be set at a desired magnitude. This makes it easier to determine the desired direction of ultrasound irradiation inside the subject's body (the direction in which the ultrasound is to be irradiated). However, in such a configuration in which the irradiation surface is arranged at an angle, ultrasound is likely to be reflected within the transmitter, making it easier for the transmitter / receiver to receive unwanted reflected waves (ultrasound reflected from the contact surface and transmitted through the area between the irradiation surface and the contact surface). Therefore, in the configuration [1] above, the transmitter arranged in the ultrasound transmission path has a curved contact surface. This allows reflections that may occur at the contact surface to be scattered, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. Therefore, reception of unnecessary reflected waves by the transmitter / receiver can be suppressed, and measurements based on reflected waves reflected from predetermined locations inside the subject's body can be performed satisfactorily.

[0012] [2] The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device according to [1], wherein the contact surface is a curved surface that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of irradiation of the ultrasonic waves.

[0013] The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device described in [2] can scatter reflections that may occur on the curved surface of the contact surface that is concave in the opposite direction to the direction of ultrasonic radiation, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. Furthermore, it is easier to focus the ultrasonic waves radiated to a specific location inside the subject's body, increasing their intensity, and enabling better measurements based on the reflected waves from the specific location.

[0014] [3] The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device according to [1], wherein the contact surface is a curved surface that is convex in the direction of the ultrasonic wave irradiation.

[0015] The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device [3] can scatter reflections that may occur on curved surfaces that are convex in the direction of ultrasonic irradiation at the contact surface, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Basic configuration of ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10, etc. Fig. 1 illustrates an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 according to the first embodiment. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 is, for example, a wearable device worn on the body of a user (subject) 100 as shown in Fig. 2, and monitors the inside of the body of the user 100. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 functions as a bladder fundus monitoring device that irradiates ultrasonic waves into the body of the user 100 and monitors the movement of the bladder fundus 112 of the user 100 by ultrasonic waves.

[0017] 1, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 includes an ultrasonic generating element 20, a control unit 30, a transmitting and receiving circuit 40, a communication unit 32, and an alarm unit 34. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 is capable of communicating with an external device 190. In the example of FIG. 1, a monitoring system 1 is configured including the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 and the external device 190.

[0018] The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the first embodiment includes a housing 14, components (such as the ultrasonic generating element 20, control unit 30, transmission / reception circuit 40, communication unit 32, and notification unit 34 shown in FIG. 1 ) that are integral with the housing 14, and an attachment unit (not shown) that attaches the housing 14 to the user 100. The components (such as the ultrasonic generating element 20, control unit 30, transmission / reception circuit 40, communication unit 32, and notification unit 34) are housed inside the housing 14. In the example of FIG. 3 , the housing 14 forms a wearable body 12. Note that, in the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the first embodiment, the housing 14 and the components (such as the ultrasonic generating element 20, control unit 30, transmission / reception circuit 40, communication unit 32, and notification unit 34) are integrally provided, but this is not limiting, and the components such as the control unit 30, transmission / reception circuit 40, communication unit 32, and notification unit 34 may be provided separately from the housing 14.

[0019] 2 and 3, the attachment part is not shown. The attachment part is a fixture (such as a clip, belt, tape, or clothing with a special structure) that secures the housing 14 to the body of the user 100 or to something worn by the user 100 (such as clothing). The attachment part may be configured to attach the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 to the user 100 in a predetermined position. The predetermined position is, for example, a position in which ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20 strike the bladder bottom 112 (FIG. 3). The bladder bottom 112 is a part that is configured by a predetermined site (bladder bottom position) that constitutes the inner wall of the bladder 110 inside the body of the user 100 and a group of tissues consisting of pelvic floor muscles.

[0020] The ultrasonic wave generating element 20 is an element that functions as both a wave transmitting ultrasonic element and a wave receiving ultrasonic element, and corresponds to an example of a "transmitting / receiving unit." The ultrasonic wave generating element 20 transmits ultrasonic waves into the body of the user 100 and receives reflected waves (ultrasound waves) that are returned after being reflected by an object.

[0021] In the example of FIG. 1, the ultrasonic wave generating element 20 is composed of a piezoelectric element. When a transmission signal (drive signal) of a predetermined resonance frequency is applied, the element emits ultrasonic waves based on the bending vibration of the vibrator. The ultrasonic wave generating element 20 emits ultrasonic waves corresponding to the transmission signal in a predetermined direction. When the ultrasonic waves emitted in a predetermined direction from the ultrasonic wave generating element 20 are reflected by an object present in the predetermined direction, the reflected waves generated by the reflection are received by the ultrasonic wave generating element 20. The ultrasonic wave generating element 20 converts the reflected waves (ultrasound waves) received by itself into electrical signals. The control unit 30 calculates the distance to the object reflecting the ultrasonic waves based on the received waveform.

[0022] The transmitting and receiving circuit 40 includes a signal generating circuit 42 and a receiving circuit 44. In the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10, the ultrasonic generating element 20 and the transmitting and receiving circuit 40 function as an ultrasonic sensor.

[0023] The signal generating circuit 42 includes an electric circuit that drives the ultrasonic generating element 20 to generate ultrasonic waves. The signal generating circuit 42 includes, for example, an oscillation circuit that generates an AC signal, and an amplification circuit that amplifies the AC signal generated by the oscillation circuit and supplies the amplified signal to the ultrasonic generating element 20. The signal generating circuit 42 drives the ultrasonic generating element 20 in response to instructions from the control unit 30.

[0024] The receiving circuit 44 includes, for example, an amplifier circuit, a low-pass filter circuit, an AD conversion circuit, etc. The amplifier circuit generates an amplified signal by amplifying a reception signal generated by the ultrasonic generating element 20 when the ultrasonic generating element 20 receives an ultrasonic wave (for example, a reflected wave). For example, the receiving circuit 44 may be configured to convert the amplified signal generated by the amplifier circuit into digital data and provide the digital data to the control unit 30.

[0025] The control unit 30 functions as a control means for controlling the overall operation of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10. The control unit 30 is an information processing device having various information processing functions such as a calculation function, a storage function, an input / output function, and a read function. The control unit 30 is configured to include a control device such as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The control unit 30 may also include a memory, a timer, etc.

[0026] The communication unit 32 is a device that communicates with an external device using a known wireless communication method or a wired communication method. For example, the communication unit 32 can communicate wirelessly with the external device 190 using a known wireless communication method. The communication unit 32 cooperates with the control unit 30 to transmit various types of information to the external device 190. The communication unit 32 also cooperates with the control unit 30 to receive various types of information from the external device 190.

[0027] The external device 190 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The external device 190 has a display device (such as an image display), an audio output device (such as a speaker), a storage device, a communication device, etc. The external device 190 communicates with the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10, and has a function of receiving information from the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 and a function of transmitting information to the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10.

[0028] The notification unit 34 has a display device that displays information such as numbers and symbols. Furthermore, the notification unit 34 has an audio output device such as a speaker. The notification unit 34 may be provided in the external device 190.

[0029] 1-2. Detailed configuration of the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 4 and 5, the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 further includes a transmitter 50 and a backing material 60. The transmitter 50 and the backing material 60 are mostly disposed within the housing 14, for example, in an integrated state.

[0030] The transmitter 50 is disposed in the transmission path of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20. The transmitter 50 has a shape similar to a triangular prism. The transmitter 50 is made of a resin material such as ABS or PPS. The transmitter 50 is attached to the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14, for example. Specifically, the bottom of the transmitter 50 (the portion on the side of a contact surface 52, which will be described later) is fitted into a rectangular opening 18 in the bottom wall 16.

[0031] The transmitter 50 has a contact surface 52, an irradiation surface 54, and an adjacent surface 56. Note that Fig. 5 shows a predetermined cross section that passes through the contact surface 52 and the irradiation surface 54 and is perpendicular to the irradiation surface 54. In other words, the cross section shown in Fig. 5 is a plane that is perpendicular to a direction parallel to the boundary line between the contact surface 52 and the irradiation surface 54 (the direction along arrow D shown in Fig. 4).

[0032] The contact surface 52 comes into contact with the user 100 directly or via another member. For example, the contact surface 52 may come into contact with the user 100 via a member such as ultrasound testing gel (a member having relatively high ultrasonic conductivity). The contact surface 52 is exposed to the outside through the opening 18 of the housing 14. The contact surface 52 is flush with the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 16 of the housing 14.

[0033] The contact surface 52 is a curved surface that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20 (toward the inside of the transmitter 50). The contact surface 52 is a three-dimensionally curved surface that is cut out into a spherical shape. For example, the curvature of the contact surface 52 is constant.

[0034] The bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 is three-dimensionally curved so as to be recessed inward of the housing 14. The outer surface of the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 is flush with the contact surface 52. The outer surface of the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 is continuously connected to the contact surface 52. For example, the curvature of the curved surface formed by the outer surface of the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 and the contact surface 52 is constant.

[0035] The irradiation surface 54 is a surface that contacts the transmitting / receiving surface 22 of the ultrasonic generating element 20. The irradiation surface 54 is, for example, a flat surface. The irradiation surface 54 is, for example, rectangular. The irradiation surface 54 is arranged inside the housing 14. The irradiation surface 54 is arranged on the opposite side to the contact surface 52. The irradiation surface 54 is arranged facing the contact surface 52. The irradiation surface 54 is arranged at an angle with respect to a least-squares plane (also referred to as a reference plane S1) of a plane (projection plane P1) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 52 in the ultrasonic wave irradiation direction (the direction showing the ultrasonic wave Wa in the transmitter 50 in FIG. 5). The least-squares plane of the projection plane P1 on the contact surface 52 is a plane that approximates the projection plane P1 using the least-squares method. The least-squares plane is, for example, a plane parallel to the arrow D shown in FIG. 4. It is a plane perpendicular to the ultrasonic wave irradiation direction. The projection plane P1 is also a plane obtained by projecting from the irradiation plane in the normal direction (orthogonal direction) of the irradiation plane .

[0036] The inclination angle θ1 of the irradiation surface 54 with respect to the reference surface S1 is preferably greater than 40°, and is, for example, 50°.

[0037] The curved contact surface 52 can scatter reflections that may occur at the contact surface 52, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. It is preferable that the reflected waves that are attenuated at the contact surface 52 are only those that are reflected within the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10. The reflected waves that are attenuated at the contact surface 52 also include ultrasonic waves that are reflected at the contact surface 52 and deviate from the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 52.

[0038] The transmitting / receiving surface 22 of the ultrasonic generating element 20 is, for example, rectangular. The transmitting / receiving surface 22 is a surface onto which ultrasonic waves are irradiated. For example, the ultrasonic waves are irradiated in a direction perpendicular to the transmitting / receiving surface 22. The transmitting / receiving surface 22 is parallel to the irradiation surface 54. Like the irradiation surface 54, the transmitting / receiving surface 22 is also disposed at an angle with respect to the reference plane S1.

[0039] The adjacent surface 56 is disposed inside the housing 14. The adjacent surface 56 is disposed on the side opposite to the contact surface 52. The adjacent surface 56 is disposed adjacent to the contact surface 52 and the irradiation surface 54. The adjacent surface 56, together with the contact surface 52 and the irradiation surface 54, constitutes the outer peripheral surface of the transmitting body 50.

[0040] The adjacent surface 56 has a pair of side surfaces 56A and a plurality of protrusions 56B. The side surfaces 56A are flat. One side surface 56A is continuous with the contact surface 52. The other side surface 56A is continuous with the irradiation surface 54. The pair of side surfaces 56A are, for example, on the same plane.

[0041] The multiple protrusions 56B are arranged between the pair of side surfaces 56A. The multiple protrusions 56B are aligned along the direction in which the pair of side surfaces 56A are aligned. The protrusions 56B protrude outward so as to be convex. The protrusions 56B are triangular (e.g., equilateral) when viewed from the direction along arrow D shown in FIG. 4. The adjacent surface 56 has an uneven shape with the multiple protrusions 56B. The protrusions 56B have a shape (sweep shape) that extends in a direction perpendicular to the cross section shown in FIG. 5 (the direction along arrow D in FIG. 4).

[0042] The adjacent surface 56 attenuates ultrasonic waves that are reflected by the contact surface 52 and fall outside the region between the irradiation surface 54 and the contact surface 52. It is preferable that the reflected waves attenuated by the adjacent surface 56 are only those that are reflected within the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10.

[0043] The transmitting body 50 further has a pair of outer surfaces 58. The pair of outer surfaces 58 are surfaces that face each other in the direction along the arrow D in Fig. 4. The pair of outer surfaces 58 are continuous with the contact surface 52, the irradiation surface 54, and the adjacent surface 56.

[0044] The backing material 60 is in contact with the adjacent surface 56. The backing material 60 includes a member having spring properties (elasticity). The backing material 60 is, for example, an elastic body or a rubber-like substance containing a powder of a relatively large mass, such as ferrite or ceramics. The material of the backing material 60 is, for example, different from the material of the transmitting body 50. The elastic modulus of the backing material 60 is preferably smaller than the elastic modulus of the transmitting body 50. The material of the backing material 60 is selected based on, for example, acoustic impedance, elastic modulus, density, etc. The backing material 60 can be formed, for example, by potting.

[0045] The backing material 60 is attached to the transmitter 50, the ultrasonic generating element 20, and the edge of the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 around the opening 18. The backing material 60 is in contact with the entire surface of most of the adjacent surface 56 (except for one side surface 56A). Specifically, the backing material 60 penetrates between the convex portions 56B and is in contact with the entire uneven portion of the adjacent surface 56. The backing material 60 is also in contact with a portion of the irradiation surface 54 that is not in contact with the ultrasonic generating element 20 and a portion of the ultrasonic generating element 20 that is not in contact with the irradiation surface 54. The backing material 60 may also be in contact with a pair of outer side surfaces 58. The height of the backing material 60 from the bottom wall 16 of the housing 14 is selected based on, for example, the attenuation coefficient, etc.

[0046] 1-3. Mounting of ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 When receiving reflected waves of ultrasound waves irradiated to a predetermined location inside the body of the user 100, it is expected that the predetermined location will deviate from the direction in which the contact surface 52 of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 faces. In such a case, it is necessary to perform a procedure of grasping the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 so as to indent the skin of the user 100. For example, if there is tissue (pubic bone) between the skin and the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 that blocks transmission, such as the bladder bottom 112, it is necessary to angle the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 more than usual to avoid this.

[0047] Therefore, in the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the first embodiment, the irradiation surface 54 of the transmitter 50 is configured to be inclined with respect to a least-squares plane (reference plane S1) of the plane (projection plane P1) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 52 in the direction of ultrasonic irradiation. Therefore, the angle of the ultrasonic waves irradiated into the body of the user 100 with respect to the contact surface 52 can be set to a desired value (for example, an angle toward the bladder bottom 112 while avoiding the pubic bone) without indenting the skin of the user 100. This makes it easier to determine the direction of ultrasonic irradiation into the body of the user 100 in a desired direction (the direction in which the ultrasonic waves are to be irradiated, for example, the direction toward the bladder bottom 112). Therefore, a procedure for changing the angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 is not required, and further, indentation into the skin of the user 100 is not required. In particular, when the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 is a wearable device, it can be used with only light contact.

[0048] 1-4. Operation of the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 3, when an ultrasonic wave Wa is emitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20 to the bottom 112 of the bladder of the user 100, the ultrasonic generating element 20 (receiving unit) receives a reflected wave Wb (ultrasound) from the bottom 112 of the bladder based on the ultrasonic wave Wa from the ultrasonic generating element 20. The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 can non-invasively detect the distance from the ultrasonic generating element 20 to the bottom 112 of the bladder based on the received reflected wave Wb (ultrasound).

[0049] Ultrasonic waves irradiated from the transmitting / receiving surface of the ultrasonic generating element 20 enter the transmitting body 50 from the irradiation surface 54, pass through the transmitting body 50, and are irradiated into the body of the user 100 from the contact surface 52. Reflected waves of ultrasonic waves Wa generated inside the transmitting body 50 may propagate through the region between the irradiation surface 54 and the contact surface 52 and return to the transmitting / receiving surface 22 via the irradiation surface 54. In particular, in the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 of the first embodiment, the irradiation surface 54 is disposed at an angle with respect to the reference plane S1. This makes it easier for ultrasonic waves to be reflected within the transmitting body 50, and makes it easier for unwanted reflected waves (ultrasonic waves reflected by the contact surface 52 and propagating through the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 52) to be received by the ultrasonic generating element 20. The unwanted reflected waves may include ultrasonic waves reflected by the contact surface 52 and traveling outside the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 52.

[0050] Therefore, in the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the first embodiment, the transmitter 50 arranged in the transmission path of the ultrasonic waves has a curved contact surface 52. This makes it possible to scatter reflections that may occur at the contact surface 52, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. This makes it possible to suppress reception of unnecessary reflected waves by the ultrasonic generating element 20, and to perform good measurements based on reflected waves reflected from a predetermined location inside the body of the user 100 (for example, the bladder bottom 112).

[0051] The convex portions 56B of the adjacent surface 56 scatter the reflected ultrasonic waves generated at the adjacent surface 56, dispersing the concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. Furthermore, the change in acoustic impedance of the adjacent surface 56 is gradually changed by the convex portions 56B, thereby reducing the reflectivity and dissipating unnecessary reflected waves outside the transmission path (transmitter 50), thereby reducing the noise level.

[0052] The backing material 60 in contact with the adjacent surface 56 reduces the reflectivity at the adjacent surface 56, and can dissipate unwanted reflected waves (ultrasonic waves that are reflected by the contact surface 52 and deviate from the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 52) to the outside from the transmitting body 50. Furthermore, the backing material 60 can convert unwanted reflected waves into thermal energy, which can prevent them from re-entering the transmission path (transmitting body 50) and reduce the noise level.

[0053] 1-5.Examples of effects The ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 according to the first embodiment includes an ultrasonic generating element 20 (transmitting / receiving unit) that transmits ultrasonic waves into the body of a user 100 (subject) and receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves, and a transmitter 50 that is arranged on a transmission path of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20. The transmitter 50 has a contact surface 52 that contacts the user 100 directly or via another member, and an irradiation surface 54 that contacts the transmitting / receiving surface 22 of the ultrasonic generating element 20. The contact surface 52 is curved. The irradiation surface 54 is arranged facing the contact surface 52 and is inclined with respect to a least-squares plane (reference plane S1) of a plane (projection plane P1) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 52 in the direction of ultrasonic wave irradiation.

[0054] When receiving reflected waves of ultrasound irradiated to a predetermined location inside the body of the user 100, it is expected that the predetermined location will deviate from the direction in which the contact surface 52 of the ultrasound transmitting and receiving device 10 faces. Therefore, in the configuration of the ultrasound transmitting and receiving device 10 according to the first embodiment, the irradiation surface 54 of the transmitter 50 is arranged at an angle with respect to a least-squares plane (reference plane S1) of the plane (projection plane P1) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 52 in the direction of ultrasound irradiation. This makes it possible to set the angle of the ultrasound irradiated into the body with respect to the contact surface 52 at a desired magnitude. This makes it easier to determine the direction in which ultrasound is irradiated into the body of the user 100 in the desired direction (the direction in which the ultrasound is to be irradiated). However, in a configuration in which the irradiation surface 54 is arranged at an angle, ultrasound is likely to be reflected within the transmitter 50, making it easier for the ultrasound generating element 20 to receive unwanted reflected waves (ultrasound waves reflected by the contact surface 52 and propagating through the area between the irradiation surface 54 and the contact surface 52). Therefore, in the configuration of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 according to the first embodiment, the transmitter 50 arranged in the transmission path of the ultrasonic waves has a curved contact surface 52. This makes it possible to scatter reflections that may occur at the contact surface 52, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. This makes it possible to suppress reception of unnecessary reflected waves by the ultrasonic generating element 20, and to perform good measurements based on reflected waves reflected from predetermined locations inside the body of the user 100.

[0055] In the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 according to the first embodiment, the contact surface 52 is a curved surface that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of ultrasonic radiation. This configuration can scatter reflections that may occur on the curved surface of the contact surface 52 that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of ultrasonic radiation, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. Furthermore, it is easy to focus the ultrasonic waves radiated to a predetermined location inside the body of the user 100, increasing their intensity, and enabling better measurement based on the reflected waves reflected from the predetermined location.

[0056] 2. Second embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the shape of the contact surface of the transmitting body, but is otherwise the same as the first embodiment. Note that the same components as the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] 2-1.Configuration of transmitter 250 6, the transmitter 250 has a contact surface 252, an irradiation surface 54, and an adjacent surface 56. The contact surface 252 is exposed to the outside through the opening 18 of the housing 14. The contact surface 252 is flush with the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 216 of the housing 14.

[0058] The contact surface 252 is a curved surface. The contact surface 252 is a curved surface that is convex in the direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20 (outside the transmitter 50). The contact surface 252 is three-dimensionally curved and is a surface that is a part of a sphere. For example, the curvature of the contact surface 252 is constant.

[0059] Bottom wall 216 of housing 14 is three-dimensionally curved so as to be convex outward from housing 14. The outer surface of bottom wall 216 of housing 14 is flush with contact surface 252. The outer surface of bottom wall 216 of housing 14 is continuously connected to contact surface 252. For example, the curvature of the curved surface formed by the outer surface of bottom wall 216 of housing 14 and contact surface 252 is constant.

[0060] The irradiation surface 54 is disposed at an angle with respect to a least-squares plane (also referred to as a reference plane S2) of a plane (projection plane P2) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 252 in the direction of ultrasonic wave irradiation (the direction showing the ultrasonic wave Wa inside the transmitter 50 in FIG. 6). The least-squares plane of the projection plane P2 on the contact surface 252 is a plane obtained by approximating the projection plane P2 using the least-squares method. The least-squares plane is, for example, a plane parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the paper (the direction corresponding to the direction of arrow D in FIG. 4). The projection plane P2 is also a plane obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 in the normal direction (orthogonal direction) of the irradiation surface 54.

[0061] The inclination angle θ2 of the irradiation surface 54 with respect to the reference surface S2 is preferably greater than 40°, and is, for example, 50°.

[0062] The curved contact surface 252 can scatter reflections that may occur at the contact surface 252, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. It is preferable that the reflected waves attenuated at the contact surface 252 are only those reflected within the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10. The reflected waves attenuated at the contact surface 252 may also include ultrasonic waves that are reflected at the contact surface 252 and deviate from the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 252.

[0063] 3. Third embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of the transmitter, but is otherwise the same. Note that the same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] 3-1. Configuration of transmitter 350 As shown in Fig. 7, the transmitter 350 has a main body 350A and an exterior part 350B. The main body 350A has the same configuration as the transmitter 50 of the first embodiment. The exterior part 350B is formed integrally and inseparably with the main body 350A. The transmitter 350 forms a bottom wall part of a housing (not shown) (a housing having an open bottom end compared to the housing 14 of the first embodiment). The exterior part 350B forms a wall part around the main body 350A on the bottom wall part of the housing.

[0065] The transmitter 350 has a contact surface 352, an irradiation surface 54, and an adjacent surface 56. The contact surface 352 is exposed to the outside from the lower end side of the housing (not shown). The contact surface 352 is formed by the bottom surface of the main body 350A (the surface corresponding to the contact surface 52 in the first embodiment) and the bottom surface of the exterior part 350B.

[0066] The contact surface 352 is a curved surface that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic generating element 20 (toward the inside of the transmitter 50). The contact surface 352 is a three-dimensionally curved surface that is cut out into a spherical shape. For example, the curvature of the contact surface 352 is constant.

[0067] The irradiation surface 54 is disposed at an angle with respect to a least-squares plane (also referred to as a reference plane S3) of a plane (projection plane P3) obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 on the contact surface 352 in the direction of ultrasonic wave irradiation (the direction showing the ultrasonic wave Wa inside the transmitter 350 in FIG. 7). The least-squares plane of the projection plane P3 on the contact surface 352 is a plane obtained by approximating the projection plane P3 using the least-squares method. The least-squares plane is, for example, a plane parallel to the front-to-rear direction of the paper (the direction corresponding to the direction of arrow D in FIG. 4). The projection plane P3 is also a plane obtained by projecting the irradiation surface 54 in the normal direction (orthogonal direction) of the irradiation surface 54.

[0068] The inclination angle θ3 of the irradiation surface 54 with respect to the reference surface S3 is preferably greater than 40°, and is, for example, 50°.

[0069] The curved contact surface 352 can scatter reflections that may occur at the contact surface 352, dispersing concentrated noise and reducing the noise level. It is preferable that the reflected waves attenuated at the contact surface 352 are only those reflected within the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10. The reflected waves attenuated at the contact surface 352 may also include ultrasonic waves that are reflected at the contact surface 352 and deviate from the region between the transmitting / receiving surface 22 and the contact surface 352.

[0070] <Other embodiments> The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of features of the above-described or following embodiments is possible within a range that does not contradict. Furthermore, any feature of the above-described or following embodiments may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0071] In the first to third embodiments, the least-squares plane of the projection surface is defined as the reference plane for the tilt of the irradiation surface, but the reference plane may be defined in other ways. For example, a plane passing through a corner of the projection surface (four corners in the first to third embodiments) may be defined as the reference plane. Also, for example, a plane tangent to the projection surface at a predetermined position (such as a position where it intersects with the line of the irradiation path of the ultrasonic wave Wa shown in FIG. 5, etc.) may be defined as the reference plane.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the contact surface 52 has a three-dimensional curved shape (the shape of a surface cut out into a spherical shape). However, the contact surface 52 may have a shape swept in the direction along the arrow D shown in FIG. 4 (the shape of a surface cut out into an arch shape with the same cross section). That is, the contact surface 52 may be a curved surface whose cross-sectional shape is the same at all positions in the direction along the arrow D shown in FIG. 4. Similarly, in the second embodiment, the contact surface 252 may have a shape swept in a predetermined direction (the direction corresponding to the arrow D shown in FIG. 4) (the shape of a surface cut out into an arch shape with the same cross section). Similarly, in the third embodiment, the contact surface 352 may have a shape swept in a predetermined direction (the direction corresponding to the arrow D shown in FIG. 4) (the shape of a surface cut out into an arch shape with the same cross section).

[0073] In the first to third embodiments, examples have been shown in which the curvature of the contact surface is constant as a whole, but the curvature may be different depending on the position on the contact surface.

[0074] In the first to third embodiments, the shape of the adjacent portion of the transmitting body may be other shapes. For example, the arrangement direction of the convex portions may be different from that of the first to third embodiments. For example, concave portions may be provided instead of convex portions.

[0075] In the first to third embodiments, the adjacent surface of the transmitting body may be a flat surface without any protrusions or the like.

[0076] In the third embodiment, the transmitter 350 has the exterior part 350B. However, the transmitter 250 of the second embodiment may be provided with an exterior part having the same configuration as the exterior part 350B.

[0077] In the first to third embodiments, the material of the backing material 60 is different from the material of the transmitting body 50, but they may be the same.

[0078] In the first to third embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 is a wearable device, but is not limited to a wearable device, such as a handheld type.

[0079] In the first to third embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device 10 is configured to include one ultrasonic generating element 20, but may include a plurality (for example, 100 or more) of ultrasonic generating elements 20. It is sufficient that the transmitting / receiving surface 22 of at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic generating elements 20 is disposed at an angle with respect to the reference plane of the contact surface.

[0080] In the first to third embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 may include a battery. For example, the battery may have a low capacity of 1000 mAh or less. For example, if the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 10 is a handheld type, a battery of about 3000 mAh may be used.

[0081] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: Monitoring System 10: Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device 12: Wearable body 14: Housing 16: Bottom wall 18: Aperture 20: Ultrasonic generating element (transmitter / receiver) 22: Transmitting and receiving surface 30: Control section 32: Communications Department 34: Information Department 40: Transmitting and receiving circuit 42: Signal generation circuit 44: Receiver circuit 50: Communication Body 52: Contact surface 54: Irradiation surface 56: Adjacent surface 56A: Side 56B: Convex part 58: External surface 60: Backing material 100: User (target person) 110: Bladder 112: Bladder base 190: External device 216: Bottom wall 250: Transmission Body 252: Contact surface 350: Transmission Body 350A: Main body 350B: Exterior part 352: Contact surface P1,P2,P3: Projection plane S1,S2,S3: Reference plane

Claims

1. a transceiver unit that transmits ultrasound waves into the subject's body and receives reflected waves of the ultrasound waves; a transmitter disposed in a transmission path of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transmitter / receiver, the transmitter has a contact surface that contacts the subject directly or via another member, and an irradiation surface that contacts a transmitting / receiving surface of the transmitting / receiving unit, the contact surface is curved; The irradiation surface is arranged facing the contact surface and is inclined with respect to a least-squares plane of a surface on the contact surface that is obtained by projecting the irradiation surface in the direction of the ultrasonic wave irradiation. Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device.

2. The contact surface is a curved surface that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of irradiation of the ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1 .

3. The contact surface is a curved surface that is convex in the direction of the ultrasonic wave irradiation. The ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1 .

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