Ultrasound probe

Abstract

We provide a wirelessly rechargeable ultrasound probe that can improve the charging efficiency of its built-in battery. [Solution] The device comprises a housing (12) having a grip portion (12C) positioned between a front end (12A) and a rear end (12B), an oscillator array (15) positioned inside the front end of the housing, a battery (16) positioned inside the housing, and a flat plate-shaped power receiving coil (17) positioned inside the grip portion of the housing and connected to the battery. The housing has four side plate portions that extend along a center line (C1) extending from the front end to the rear end and surround the grip portion. The power receiving coil is positioned along the inner surface of the first side plate portion (S1) of the four side plate portions, and at least the area of ​​the first side plate portion where the power receiving coil is positioned has a planar outer surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe, and more particularly to a wireless charging type ultrasonic probe that wirelessly charges a built-in battery.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the medical field, ultrasonic diagnostic devices using ultrasonic images have been put into practical use. Generally, this type of ultrasonic diagnostic device includes an ultrasonic probe incorporating a vibrator array and a diagnostic device main body connected to the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic beam is transmitted from the ultrasonic probe toward a subject, and an ultrasonic echo from the subject is received by the ultrasonic probe. For example, an ultrasonic image is generated by electrically processing the received signal in the diagnostic device main body.

[0003] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, in recent years, an ultrasonic diagnostic device has been developed in which a battery is incorporated in an ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic probe and the diagnostic device main body are wirelessly connected by wireless communication. In such an ultrasonic diagnostic device, since a cable for connecting the ultrasonic probe and the diagnostic device main body is unnecessary, the operability and mobility of the ultrasonic probe by the user can be improved.

[0004] However, when charging the battery incorporated in the ultrasonic probe, it is necessary to connect an AC (Alternating Current) / DC (Direct Current) adapter, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, etc. to the ultrasonic probe. Therefore, Patent Document 2 discloses a wireless charging type ultrasonic probe. Electric power is wirelessly supplied from a charger incorporated in the diagnostic device main body or a charger disposed separately from the diagnostic device main body to a power receiving unit incorporated in the ultrasonic probe, and the battery in the ultrasonic probe is charged using this electric power.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 075574 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-196303 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, it is known that charging efficiency deteriorates rapidly as the distance between the charger and the receiving part of the ultrasonic probe increases. Therefore, it is desirable to keep the charger and the receiving part of the ultrasonic probe as close together as possible when charging the battery to ensure efficient charging.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional invention, and aims to provide a wirelessly rechargeable ultrasonic probe that can improve the charging efficiency of the built-in battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above objective can be achieved with the following configuration. [1] A wireless charging type ultrasonic probe that charges its built-in battery wirelessly, A housing having a front end and a rear end, and a grip portion positioned between the front end and the rear end, A transducer array located inside the front end of the housing, The battery is located inside the casing, A flat-shaped power receiving coil is positioned inside the grip portion of the housing and Equipped with, The housing has four side plates that extend along a center line from the front end to the rear end and surround the grip section. An ultrasonic probe in which a power receiving coil is arranged along the inner surface of the first of four side plate sections, and at least the region of the first side plate section in which the power receiving coil is arranged has a planar outer surface. [2] The ultrasonic probe according to [1], wherein the outer surface of the second side plate portion, which is located on the opposite side of the center line from the first side plate portion among the four side plate portions, has a curved shape in at least a part of it. [3] The ultrasonic probe according to [2], comprising a circuit board located inside the second side plate. [4] The ultrasonic probe according to [3], further comprising a heat dissipation member disposed between the circuit board and the inner surface of the second side plate. [5] The ultrasonic probe according to [2], comprising a wireless communication circuit located inside the second side plate. [6] The ultrasonic probe according to [5], further comprising a heat dissipation member disposed between the wireless communication circuit and the inner surface of the second side plate. [7] An ultrasonic probe according to any one of [2] to [6], wherein the ultrasonic probe is provided with a projection located on the outer surface of the third side plate, which is located to the left of the second side plate toward the transducer array, or on the outer surface of the fourth side plate, which is located to the right of the second side plate toward the transducer array, and which indicates the orientation of the ultrasonic probe. [8] The ultrasonic probe according to [7], comprising a light-emitting part disposed on the outer surface of the third side plate or the outer surface of the fourth side plate. [9] The ultrasonic probe according to [7], further comprising an operating button located on the outer surface of the third side plate or the outer surface of the fourth side plate.

[10] A temperature sensor connected to the circuit board and positioned in close proximity to the inner surface of the second side plate, The ultrasonic probe according to [4], wherein the heat dissipation member has an opening formed corresponding to the position of the temperature sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] A housing having a front end portion and a rear end portion and having a grip portion disposed between the front end portion and the rear end portion, a battery disposed inside the housing, and a flat power receiving coil disposed inside the grip portion of the housing and connected to the battery. The housing has four side plate portions that extend along a center line extending from the front end portion to the rear end portion and surround the grip portion, and the power receiving coil is disposed along the inner surface of the first side plate portion among the four side plate portions. At least the region where the power receiving coil is disposed in the first side plate portion has a flat outer surface, so that it is possible to improve the charging efficiency of the built-in battery.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a transmission / reception circuit of an ultrasonic probe in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an image generation unit of an ultrasonic probe in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a view showing an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 held by a holding stand and a device main body. [Figure 9] It is a view showing an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 held by a probe holder of a holding stand. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 and a charger during charging. [Figure 11]It is a plan view showing the ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 held by another charger. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing the ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 1 held by another charger. [Figure 13] It is a side view showing the ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The description of the constituent elements described below is made based on typical embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. In this specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values described before and after "~" as the lower limit value and the upper limit value. In this specification, "identical" and "the same" shall include the error range generally acceptable in the technical field.

[0012] Embodiment 1 In FIGS. 1 to 3, an ultrasonic probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown. The ultrasonic probe 11 includes a housing 12, and the housing 12 has an overall elongated and wide flat shape in a defined direction. The housing 12 has a front end portion 12A disposed at one end in the extending direction, a rear end portion 12B disposed at the other end, and a grip portion 12C disposed between the front end portion 12A and the rear end portion 12B. The grip portion 12C is a portion that is gripped by a user when performing ultrasonic diagnosis using the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0013] For convenience, we will refer to the direction from the front end 12A to the rear end 12B as the +Y direction, the width direction of the wide, flat housing 12 which is perpendicular to the Y direction as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X and Y directions as the Z direction.

[0014] The housing 12 is formed from, for example, an insulating resin, and the grip portion 12C has a cylindrical shape surrounded by four side plate portions that extend along a center line C1, each extending from the front end 12A to the rear end 12B. The four side plate portions consist of a first side plate portion S1 oriented in the -Z direction, a second side plate portion S2 oriented in the +Z direction on the opposite side of the first side plate portion S1, a third side plate portion S3 connecting the first side plate portion S1 and the second side plate portion S2 and oriented in the +X direction, and a fourth side plate portion S4 connecting the first side plate portion S1 and the second side plate portion S2 and oriented in the -X direction. These four side panel sections may also be constructed by combining multiple side panel members.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, when viewed from the X direction, the housing 12 has an external shape in which, although there are some undulating parts, the thickness in the Z direction gradually decreases from near the center in the Y direction towards the front end 12A along the center line C1. Furthermore, a projection 13 is formed on the +X direction side of the front end portion 12A to indicate the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 11, and a light-emitting portion 14 extending in the Y direction along the center line C1 is arranged on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3.

[0016] Figure 4 shows the internal structure of the ultrasonic probe 11. A transducer array 15 is located inside the front end portion 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11. The transducer array 15 has multiple transducers arranged in the X direction, and the ultrasonic emission surface 15A of the transducer array 15 is exposed from the housing 12 and oriented in the -Y direction.

[0017] Inside the housing 12, a flat-shaped battery 16 is positioned along the inner surface of the housing 12, offset from the grip portion 12C towards the front end portion 12A. The battery 16 is positioned offset from the center line C1 in the -Z direction. As described above, the housing 12 has an external shape in which the thickness in the Z direction gradually decreases from near the center in the Y direction towards the front end 12A along the center line C1. Therefore, by positioning the battery 16 at a location biased toward the front end 12A side from the grip portion 12C and along the inner surface of the housing 12, the battery 16 is in an inclined state with respect to the center line C1.

[0018] The power receiving coil 17 is positioned on the +Y side of the battery 16 at a location offset to the -Z direction from the center line C1. The power receiving coil 17 has a flat plate shape that is thinner than the battery 16 and is positioned along the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C. Here, at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 in which the power receiving coil 17 is positioned has a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface, and the power receiving coil 17 is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1, or in very close proximity to the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1.

[0019] Furthermore, inside the housing 12, the circuit board 18 is positioned offset from the center line C1 to the side opposite to the battery 16 and the power receiving coil 17, that is, inside the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C. The circuit board 18 extends along the XY plane from the grip portion 12C to the vicinity of the oscillator array 15 at the front end portion 12A, and two integrated circuits 19 and 20 and a wireless communication circuit 21 are sequentially mounted on the surface of the circuit board 18 on the +Z side along the center line C1 in the +Y direction.

[0020] Furthermore, two temperature sensors 22, each connected to a circuit board 18, are located inside the housing 12. One of the two temperature sensors 22 is located between the two integrated circuits 19 and 20, and the other temperature sensor 22 is located between the integrated circuit 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21, both positioned close to the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C.

[0021] Furthermore, a sheet-like heat dissipation member 23 is placed between the circuit board 18 and the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, and the two integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21 mounted on the circuit board 18 are covered by the heat dissipation member 23. The heat dissipation member 23 is made of a resin sheet whose thermal conductivity has been improved by incorporating a highly thermally conductive filler, for example, and efficiently absorbs heat from the integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21, which become heat sources during operation, thereby preventing malfunctions and failures of the integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21. However, the heat dissipation member 23 has two openings 23A formed corresponding to the positions of the two temperature sensors 22, and the two temperature sensors 22 each face the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 through the corresponding openings 23A of the heat dissipation member 23.

[0022] Next, Figure 5 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with an ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1. The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises an ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 and a device body 41, and the ultrasound probe 11 and the device body 41 are connected by wireless communication.

[0023] The ultrasonic probe 11 has a transmitting / receiving circuit 31 connected to a transducer array 15, to which an image generation unit 32 and a wireless communication circuit 21 are sequentially connected. An ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33 is also connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 31. Furthermore, a communication control unit 34 is connected to the wireless communication circuit 21, a light emission control unit 35 is connected to the light emission unit 14, and a charging control unit 36 ​​is connected to the power receiving coil 17. In addition, a probe control unit 37 is connected to the temperature sensor 22, the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, the communication control unit 34, the light emission control unit 35, and the charging control unit 36. Here, the wireless communication circuit 21 and the probe control unit 37 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange. Furthermore, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side is formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, image generation unit 32, ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, communication control unit 34, light emission control unit 35, charging control unit 36, and probe control unit 37.

[0024] The main unit 41 of the device is equipped with a wireless communication circuit 42, to which a display control unit 43 and a monitor 44 are sequentially connected. A communication control unit 45 is also connected to the wireless communication circuit 42, and the main unit control unit 46 is connected to the wireless communication circuit 42, the display control unit 43, and the communication control unit 45. An input device 47 is also connected to the main unit control unit 46. Here, the wireless communication circuit 42 and the main unit control unit 46 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange.

[0025] Furthermore, the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45, and the main unit control unit 46 form the processor 48 on the main unit 41 side of the device. Furthermore, the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 and the wireless communication circuit 42 of the device body 41 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange, thereby connecting the ultrasonic probe 11 and the device body 41 via wireless communication.

[0026] The transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 11 has multiple transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasound according to a drive signal supplied from the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 and receives ultrasound echoes from the subject and outputs a received signal. Each transducer is constructed by forming electrodes at both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0027] The ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33 transmits an ultrasonic beam and receives an ultrasonic echo based on instructions from the probe control unit 37 by controlling the transmission / reception circuit 31.

[0028] The transmitting and receiving circuit 31 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 15 and generates a sound line signal based on the received signal acquired by the transducer array 15, under the control of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving control unit 33. As shown in Figure 6, the transmitting and receiving circuit 31 has a pulser 51 connected to the transducer array 15, and an amplifier 52, an AD (Analog Digital) converter 53, and a beamformer 54 connected sequentially in series to the transducer array 15.

[0029] The pulser 51 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators and supplies drive signals to multiple transducers of the transducer array 15, adjusting the delay amount, so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducers form an ultrasonic beam, based on a transmission delay pattern selected according to a control signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 15, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves from each transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0030] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object, such as a part of the subject, and the ultrasonic echo propagates toward the transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 11. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 15 is received by each transducer that makes up the transducer array 15. At this time, each transducer that makes up the transducer array 15 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and these received signals are output to the amplification unit 52.

[0031] The amplification unit 52 amplifies the signals input from each transducer constituting the transducer array 15 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 53. The AD conversion unit 53 converts the signals transmitted from the amplification unit 52 into digital received data and transmits this received data to the beamformer 54. The beamformer 54 performs so-called receive focus processing by adding each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 53 with a corresponding delay, according to the sound velocity or sound velocity distribution set based on the reception delay pattern selected according to the control signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33. This receive focus processing generates a sound ray signal in which each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 53 is added in phase and the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed. The sound ray signal thus generated is sent to the image generation unit 32.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the image generation unit 32 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 55, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 56, and an image processing unit 57 are connected in series in sequence. The signal processing unit 55 applies distance-dependent attenuation correction to the sound line signal transmitted from the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate an image signal (B-mode image signal), which is tomographic image information about the tissue within the subject.

[0033] The DSC56 converts the image signal generated by the signal processing unit 55 into an image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal (raster conversion). The image processing unit 57 generates an ultrasonic image signal by applying various necessary image processing, such as brightness correction, gradation correction, sharpness correction, and color correction, to the image signal input from the DSC 56. The ultrasonic image signal generated in this way by the image generation unit 32 is sent to the wireless communication circuit 21.

[0034] The wireless communication circuit 21 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves and communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41. In this process, the wireless communication circuit 21 modulates a carrier based on the image signal sent from the image generation unit 32 to generate a transmission signal, and wirelessly transmits the generated transmission signal to the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41. Examples of carrier modulation methods include ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying), PSK (Phase Shift Keying), QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), and 16QAM (16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation).

[0035] The communication control unit 34 controls the wireless communication circuit 21 so that the ultrasonic image signal is transmitted at the transmission radio wave intensity set by the probe control unit 37. The light emission control unit 35 controls the light emission of the light emission unit 14, which is located on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3 of the housing 12, under the control of the probe control unit 37, to represent various states of the ultrasonic probe 11. When the ultrasonic probe 11 is placed in the charger described later, the charging control unit 36 ​​controls the charging of the battery 16 via the charging coil 17, which is built into the housing 12.

[0036] The temperature sensor 22, located inside the housing 12, detects the temperature inside the housing 12, particularly the temperature near the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, and sends this information to the probe control unit 37. The battery 16 supplies power to various parts within the ultrasonic probe 11. The probe control unit 37 controls each part of the ultrasonic probe 11 based on a program or other data stored in advance.

[0037] The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11. In this process, the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 receives, for example, a transmission signal wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 via the antenna, and outputs an ultrasonic image signal by demodulating the received transmission signal. The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 then sends the ultrasonic image signal output in this manner to the display control unit 43.

[0038] The display control unit 43, under the control of the main unit control unit 46, performs predetermined processing on the ultrasonic image signal transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 42 and displays the ultrasonic image on the monitor 44. The monitor 44 displays the ultrasound image under the control of the display control unit 43 and has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0039] The communication control unit 45 controls the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 so that it receives the transmission signal from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11. The main control unit 46 controls each part of the main body 41 of the device based on a pre-stored program and user operations via the input device 47. The input device 47 is for the user to perform input operations and consists of devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, and touch sensor placed on top of the monitor 44.

[0040] Here, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side, which has a transmitting / receiving circuit 31, an image generation unit 32, an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, a communication control unit 34, a light emission control unit 35, a charging control unit 36, and a probe control unit 37, and the processor 48 on the device body 41 side, which has a display control unit 43, a communication control unit 45, and a main unit control unit 46, may each be composed of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the processor can be composed of hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an FPGA (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a dedicated circuit for executing specific processing, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The processor also has various units or means that execute the various processing in this embodiment. Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processing of a certain processor, these multiple hardware components may be located in physically separate devices or in the same device. Furthermore, in any embodiment, the order of each process performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware is composed of electrical circuits and the like, which are made up of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0041] In this embodiment 1, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side is composed of two integrated circuits 19 and 20 shown in Figure 4.

[0042] Furthermore, this embodiment may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, microcode, or a combination thereof. The software, firmware, and microcode are composed of a program. The program may also be, for example, a group of program modules, each of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on devices that are physically separated from each other. The program code, or code segment, can represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. The program code, or code segment, may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0043] When performing an ultrasound diagnosis using the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus shown in Figure 5, first, under the control of the ultrasound transmission / reception control unit 33 of the ultrasound probe 11, an ultrasound beam is transmitted into the subject from multiple transducers of the transducer array 15 according to a drive signal from the transmission / reception circuit 31. The ultrasound echo from the subject is received by multiple transducers of the transducer array 15, and the received signal, which is an analog signal, is output from the multiple transducers to the transmission / reception circuit 31. The received signal is amplified by the amplification unit 52 of the transmission / reception circuit 31, converted to AD by the AD conversion unit 53, and then subjected to reception focus processing in the beamformer 54 to generate an acoustic ray signal, which is sent from the transmission / reception circuit 31 to the image generation unit 32.

[0044] Furthermore, the signal processing unit 55 of the image generation unit 32 applies attenuation correction due to distance corresponding to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position and envelope detection processing to the sound line signal, thereby generating an image signal which is tomographic image information of the tissue within the subject. This is then converted into an image signal following the scanning method of a normal television signal by the DSC 56, and further, various necessary image processing such as gradation processing is performed by the image processing unit 57 to generate an ultrasonic image signal. The ultrasonic image signal generated in this manner is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 to the main unit 41 of the device, received by the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41, and then the ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 44 via the display control unit 43.

[0045] The operation of each part of the ultrasonic probe 11 is powered by a battery 16 built into the ultrasonic probe 11. However, as the operation consumes power from the battery 16, it becomes necessary to recharge the battery 16. Figure 8 shows the ultrasonic probe 11 and the device body 41 held in a charging stand 61. The device body 41 is assumed to be in the form of a portable, thin computer, commonly known as a tablet. The holding stand 61 has a probe holder 62 and a main body holder 63. The ultrasonic probe 11 is held in the probe holder 62, and the device body 41 is held in the main body holder 63.

[0046] As shown in Figure 9, the probe holder 62 has a recess in which the ultrasonic probe 11 is housed, and a planar holding surface 62A facing the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C of the housing 12 of the housed ultrasonic probe 11. Furthermore, the probe holder 62 incorporates the charger 71, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 10, the charger 71 has a power transmission coil 72 and a wireless power transmission control unit 73 connected to the power transmission coil 72.

[0047] The transmitting coil 72 is for transmitting wireless power to the receiving coil 17 of the ultrasonic probe 11. As shown in Figure 9, it has a flat plate shape and is positioned inside and close to the holding surface 62A of the probe holder 62. The wireless power transmission control unit 73 controls the power transmission coil 72 to generate a magnetic field from the power transmission coil 72 using the power supply voltage supplied from the power supply 74, which is composed of an AC power supply or a DC power supply, and transmit charging power to the power receiving coil 17 of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0048] Here, at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 of the ultrasonic probe 11 where the power receiving coil 17 is located has a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface. The power receiving coil 17 is located in contact with the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1, or in very close proximity to the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1. The power transmitting coil 72 of the charger 71 built into the probe holder 62 is located inside the holding surface 62A of the probe holder 62 and in close proximity to the holding surface 62A.

[0049] Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, when the planar outer surface of the first side plate portion S1 is brought into contact with the planar holding surface 62A of the probe holder 62, and the ultrasonic probe 11 is held in the probe holder 62, the power receiving coil 17 of the ultrasonic probe 11 and the power transmitting coil 72 of the charger 71 will be facing each other and in close proximity.

[0050] In this state, the wireless power transmission control unit 73 of the charger 71 generates a magnetic field from the transmitting coil 72, causing the receiving coil 17 and the transmitting coil 72 to be magnetically coupled, and power is transmitted from the transmitting coil 72 to the receiving coil 17. As a result, the battery 16 is charged in the ultrasonic probe 11 under the control of the charging control unit 36. Furthermore, it is desirable that the distance between the receiving coil 17 and the transmitting coil 72 during charging be, for example, about 5 mm or less.

[0051] Thus, in the ultrasonic probe 11, the power receiving coil 17 is arranged along the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C, and at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 on which the power receiving coil 17 is located has a planar outer surface. By bringing the planar outer surface of the first side plate portion S1 into contact with the planar holding surface 62A of the probe holder 62 and holding the ultrasonic probe 11 in the probe holder 62, the power receiving coil 17 of the ultrasonic probe 11 and the power transmitting coil 72 of the charger 71 can be brought close to each other and facing each other. Therefore, it becomes possible to efficiently charge the battery 16.

[0052] Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe 11 is configured such that at least a portion of the outer surface of the second side plate portion S2, which is located on the opposite side of the center line C1 from the first side plate portion S1 to the fourth side plate portion S4 surrounding the grip portion 12C, is curved. This makes it easier for the user to grasp the grip portion 12C and improves the operability of the ultrasonic probe 11. Furthermore, since the projection 13 is formed on the +X side of the front end 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11, when the user grasps the grip portion 12C, the presence of the projection 13 makes it easy to grasp the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 11, thereby improving operability.

[0053] Furthermore, since the ultrasonic probe 11 has a light-emitting part 14 located on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3 of the grip portion 12C, various states of the ultrasonic probe 11 can be indicated by changing the way light is emitted from the light-emitting part 14 under the control of the light emission control unit 35. for example, • Startup status of the ultrasonic probe 11 • Wireless connection status between the ultrasonic probe 11 and the main unit 41 of the device • Battery level 16 • Battery 16 charge status Error state • Software update status of the ultrasound probe 11 However, the notification is given by changing the color and pattern of the light emission.

[0054] Furthermore, the temperature near the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, detected by the two temperature sensors 22, is sent to the probe control unit 37, and under the control of the light emission control unit 35, the heating state of the ultrasonic probe 11 can be indicated by light emission from the light emission unit 14. Generally, the surface temperature of an ultrasonic probe is limited to a temperature specified by safety standards. However, by changing the way the light-emitting part 14 emits light according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22, the user can easily and intuitively grasp the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 11. Furthermore, the user can use the way the light-emitting part 14 emits light to determine if the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 11 has exceeded a predetermined temperature, and use this as a guideline to temporarily suspend the use of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0055] Furthermore, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22 reaches a predetermined threshold, the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33 can adjust the drive signal supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 31 to the transducer array 15 to reduce the frame rate of the ultrasonic imaging, stop the ultrasonic imaging, or take other measures to lower the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0056] In addition, the probe holder 62 of the holding stand 61 shown in Figure 8 holds the ultrasonic probe 11 in an upright position and charges the battery 16, but this is not the only option, and a charger 75 as shown in Figures 11 and 12 can also be used. This charger 75 has a planar holding surface 75A that extends almost horizontally, and the ultrasonic probe 11 is held on the holding surface 75A of the charger 75 in an almost horizontal position such that the center line C1 is parallel to the holding surface 75A.

[0057] The charger 75 has a flat plate-shaped power transmission coil 76 positioned directly below the holding surface 75A and close to the holding surface 75A. As shown in Figure 12, when the planar outer surface of the first side plate portion S1 is brought into contact with the planar holding surface 75A of the charger 75 and the ultrasonic probe 11 is held on the charger 75, the power receiving coil 17 of the ultrasonic probe 11 and the power transmission coil 76 of the charger 75 are positioned close to each other and facing each other. Therefore, the battery 16 can be charged efficiently in the same manner as the probe holder 62 of the holding stand 61 shown in Figure 8. In this case as well, it is desirable that the distance between the receiving coil 17 and the transmitting coil 76 during charging be, for example, about 5 mm or less.

[0058] In the above embodiment 1, the projection 13 is formed to protrude from the front end 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11 on the +X side, but this is not the only possible configuration. The projection 13 can also be formed to protrude from the front end 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11 on the -X side. Similarly, in the above embodiment 1, the light-emitting part 14 is arranged on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3 of the grip portion 12C facing the +X direction, but it is not limited to this, and the light-emitting part 14 may also be arranged on the outer surface of the fourth side plate portion S4 of the grip portion 12C facing the -X direction.

[0059] Embodiment 2 Figure 13 shows the ultrasonic probe 81 according to Embodiment 2. This ultrasonic probe 81 is similar to the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1, except that instead of the light-emitting part 14, an operation button 82 is located on the outer surface of the third side plate S3 of the grip part 12C of the housing 12, and the other configurations are the same as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1.

[0060] As shown in Figure 14, in the ultrasonic probe 81, the probe control unit 83 is connected to the temperature sensor 22, image generation unit 32, ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33, communication control unit 34, charging control unit 36, and operation button 82. The ultrasonic probe 81 side processor 84 is formed by the transmission / reception circuit 31, image generation unit 32, ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33, communication control unit 34, charging control unit 36, and probe control unit 83. The probe control unit 83 controls each part of the ultrasonic probe 81 based on a program or the like that is stored in advance. Furthermore, the main unit 41 of the apparatus used in Embodiment 1 is used as is in Embodiment 2 and is wirelessly connected to the ultrasonic probe 81.

[0061] The operation button 82 is operated by a user who is holding the grip portion 12C of the ultrasonic probe 81, and the ultrasonic probe 81 performs an operation according to the operation of the operation button 82 under the control of the probe control unit 37A. By operating the operation button 82, for example, the ultrasound probe 81 can be activated, the wireless connection between the ultrasound probe 81 and the main unit 41 of the device can be established, and the ultrasound diagnostic mode can be selected.

[0062] In the ultrasonic probe 81 according to Embodiment 2, similar to the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1, at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C of the housing 12 in which the power receiving coil 17 is located has a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface, making it possible to efficiently charge the battery 16 using the probe holder 62 shown in Figures 8 and 9, or the charger 75 shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0063] Embodiment 3 The ultrasonic probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 has an image generation unit 32, as shown in Figure 5, and the ultrasonic image signal generated by the image generation unit 32 is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 to the main body of the device 41, but is not limited to this. Figure 15 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with an ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 3. The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises the ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 3 and a device body 41A, and the ultrasound probe 11A and the device body 41A are connected by wireless communication.

[0064] The ultrasonic probe 11A is the same as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5, but with the image generation unit 32 removed and the wireless communication circuit 21 directly connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, and a probe control unit 37A used instead of the probe control unit 37. The other configurations are the same as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe 11A has the same housing 12 as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1. The main unit 41A is the same as the main unit 41 in Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5, but with an image generation unit 32 newly connected between the wireless communication circuit 42 and the display control unit 43, and a main unit control unit 46A connected to the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45 and the image generation unit 32 instead of the main unit control unit 46. The other configurations are the same as the main unit 41 in Embodiment 1.

[0065] In the ultrasonic probe 11A, the ultrasonic probe 11A-side processor 38A is formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, communication control unit 34, light emission control unit 35, charging control unit 36, and probe control unit 37A. Furthermore, in the main body 41A of the device, the image generation unit 32, the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45, and the main body control unit 46A form the processor 48A on the main body 41A side.

[0066] The sound line signal generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 of the ultrasonic probe 11A is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 to the main unit 41A of the device. The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41A receives the sound line signal, and the image generation unit 32 performs attenuation correction and envelope detection processing on it to generate an ultrasonic image signal. The ultrasonic image is then displayed on the monitor 44 via the display control unit 43. In this way, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with the ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 3 can also display ultrasound images on the monitor 44, just as the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with the ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1.

[0067] Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe 11A has the same housing 12 as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1, and at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C of the housing 12 in which the power receiving coil 17 is located has a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface. Therefore, the battery 16 can be efficiently charged using the probe holder 62 shown in Figures 8 and 9, or the charger 75 shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0068] In Embodiment 1, the device body 41 shown in Figure 8 has the form of a portable, thin computer known as a tablet, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a stationary device body 41 can also be used. Similarly, the device body 41A in Embodiment 3 can be in the form of a portable, thin computer or a stationary device body 41A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 11,11A,81 Ultrasonic probe, 12 Housing, 12A Front end, 12B Rear end, 12C Grip part, 13 Projection, 14 Light-emitting part, 15 Transducer array, 15A Ultrasonic emission surface, 16 Battery, 17 Power receiving coil, 18 Circuit board, 19,20 Integrated circuit, 21,42 Wireless communication circuit, 22 Temperature sensor, 23 Heat dissipation member, 23A Opening, 31 Transmit / receive circuit, 32 Image generation unit, 33 Ultrasonic transmit / receive control unit, 34,45 Communication control unit, 35 Light emission control unit, 36 Charging control unit, 37,37A,83 Probe control unit, 38,38A,48,48A,84 Processor, 41,41A Main unit, 43 Display control unit, 44 Monitor, 46,46A Main unit control unit, 47 Input device, 51 Pulser, 52 Amplifier unit, 53 AD conversion unit, 54 beamformer, 55 signal processing unit, 56 DSC, 57 image processing unit, 61 holding stand, 62 probe holder, 62A, 75A holding surface, 63 main unit holder, 71, 75 charger, 72, 76 power transmission coil, 73 wireless power transmission control unit, 74 power supply, 82 operation button, C1 center line, S1 first side plate, S2 second side plate, S3 third side plate, S4 fourth side plate.

Claims

1. A wireless charging ultrasound probe that charges its built-in battery wirelessly, A housing having a front end and a rear end, and a grip portion positioned between the front end and the rear end, A vibrator array disposed inside the front end of the housing, The battery, which is located inside the housing, A flat plate-shaped power receiving coil is disposed inside the grip portion of the housing and Equipped with, The housing has four side plate portions that extend along a center line extending from the front end to the rear end and surround the grip portion. An ultrasonic probe in which the power receiving coil is arranged along the inner surface of the first side plate among the four side plate portions, and at least the region of the first side plate portion in which the power receiving coil is arranged has a planar outer surface.

2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the second side plate portion, which is located on the opposite side of the center line from the first side plate portion among the four side plate portions, has at least a portion of a curved shape.

3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, further comprising a circuit board disposed inside the second side plate portion.

4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, further comprising a heat dissipation member disposed between the circuit board and the inner surface of the second side plate.

5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, further comprising a wireless communication circuit disposed inside the second side plate portion.

6. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5, further comprising a heat dissipation member disposed between the wireless communication circuit and the inner surface of the second side plate.

7. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 2 to 6, comprising a projection disposed on the outer surface of the third side plate located to the left of the second side plate toward the transducer array, or on the outer surface of the fourth side plate located to the right of the second side plate toward the transducer array, for indicating the orientation of the ultrasonic probe.

8. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, further comprising a light-emitting portion disposed on the outer surface of the third side plate portion or the outer surface of the fourth side plate portion.

9. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, further comprising an operating button located on the outer surface of the third side plate or the outer surface of the fourth side plate.

10. The circuit board is connected to a temperature sensor which is positioned close to the inner surface of the second side plate, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the heat dissipation member has an opening formed corresponding to the position of the temperature sensor.

Images