Ultrasound probe

Abstract

To improve assembly accuracy in manufacturing an ultrasonic probe.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic probe includes: multiple ultrasonic oscillators 320; a base substrate 500; and multiple electronic circuit modules. The base substrate connects respectively the multiple ultrasonic oscillators to multiple FPC313 respectively installed to the multiple electronic circuit modules. Providing a gap GY between the electronic circuit modules allows for shape errors in individual electronic circuit modules to some extent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in the specification and drawings relate to an ultrasound probe. [Background technology]

[0002] Ultrasound diagnostic equipment transmits ultrasound waves to a target (patient) and receives reflected waves (echoes) from within the target to image the inside of the target, and in recent years, two-dimensional array ultrasonic probes (also called two-dimensional array probes) are mainly used. Two-dimensional array probes have a large number of ultrasonic transducers (also called elements) arranged two-dimensionally in a lattice pattern, so it is difficult to control the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by directly driving all the elements from the main body of the ultrasound diagnostic equipment. Therefore, the elements are divided into subarrays, and a dedicated IC (ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that performs partial delay addition for each subarray is provided inside the ultrasound probe.

[0003] At this time, for example, a plurality of electronic circuit modules, each of which has a predetermined number of elements (or a predetermined number of subarrays) as one module, are connected without gaps to the underside of a large number of elements arranged two-dimensionally in a lattice shape. Each electronic circuit module has a backing material, an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits), and an ASIC. In each electronic circuit module, the FPC is folded so as to surround the backing material, and wiring is drawn out, and the drawn wiring is connected to the ASIC. According to this connection method, it is possible to realize an ultrasonic probe with a large-scale array structure by dividing the connection destinations of the elements into a plurality of electronic circuit modules and stacking the electronic circuit modules in one direction (for example, the elevation direction).

[0004] In the above connection method, in order to closely connect a plurality of electronic circuit modules so as to match the dimensions of the substrate on which the elements are arranged, it is necessary to manufacture each electronic circuit module with high precision. However, in the above connection method, it is difficult to suppress the bending and distortion that occurs when the FPC is bent, so there is a possibility that the assembly precision will decrease when manufacturing the ultrasonic probe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-97774 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-200838 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One of the problems to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings is to improve the assembly accuracy during the manufacture of an ultrasonic probe. However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings are not limited to the above problem. Problems corresponding to the effects of each configuration shown in the embodiments described later can also be positioned as other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a first substrate, and a plurality of electronic circuit modules. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers are uniformly arranged in at least one direction. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected to the first substrate. The plurality of electronic circuit modules are connected to the first substrate at predetermined intervals. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the ultrasound probe according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of a cross-sectional view of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an example of a top view of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a plurality of ultrasonic transducers according to the first embodiment as viewed from the direction of ultrasonic radiation. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7 in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a wiring pattern on the base substrate of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of the probe main body according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 10 in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 10 in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the structure of a probe main body according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 13 in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 13 in the Z-axis direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and an apparatus main body 20. The apparatus main body 20 is connected to an external device 40 via a network 100. The apparatus main body 20 is also connected to an output device 50 and an input device 60.

[0011] The ultrasonic probe 10 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (also simply referred to as elements), matching layers provided on the plurality of elements, and a backing material (rear acoustic load material) that prevents ultrasonic waves from propagating backward from the elements. The ultrasonic probe 10 is detachably connected to the device body 20. The ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment is a two-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged, for example, along a first element arrangement direction (elevation direction) and a second element arrangement direction (azimuth direction). The ultrasonic probe 10 will be described in detail later.

[0012] 1 is a device that generates an ultrasonic image based on a reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 10. As shown in FIG 1, the device main body 20 includes an ultrasonic transmission circuit 21, an ultrasonic reception circuit 22, a processing circuit PC, an internal storage circuit 27, an image memory 28 (cine memory), an image database 29, an input interface 30, a communication interface 31, and an output interface 33.

[0013] The ultrasonic transmission circuit 21 is a processor that supplies a drive signal to the ultrasonic probe 10. The ultrasonic transmission circuit 21 is realized by, for example, a trigger generation circuit, a delay circuit, a pulser circuit, and the like. The trigger generation circuit repeatedly generates a rate pulse for forming a transmission ultrasonic wave at a predetermined rate frequency. The delay circuit provides each rate pulse generated by the trigger generation circuit with a transmission delay time for each element required for focusing the ultrasonic waves generated from the ultrasonic probe 10 into a beam shape and determining the transmission directivity. The pulser circuit applies a drive signal (drive pulse) to the ultrasonic probe 10 at a timing based on the rate pulse. By changing the transmission delay time provided to each rate pulse by the delay circuit, the transmission direction from the surface of the element can be arbitrarily adjusted.

[0014] The ultrasonic receiving circuit 22 is a processor that performs various processes on the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 10 to generate a received signal. The ultrasonic receiving circuit 22 generates a received signal corresponding to the reflected wave signal of the ultrasonic wave acquired by the ultrasonic probe 10. Specifically, the ultrasonic receiving circuit 22 is realized by, for example, a preamplifier, an A / D converter, a demodulator, a beamformer, and the like. The preamplifier amplifies the reflected wave signal received by the ultrasonic probe 10 for each channel and performs a gain correction process. The A / D converter converts the gain-corrected reflected wave signal into a digital signal. The demodulator demodulates the digital signal. For example, the beamformer gives a delay time required to determine the reception directivity to the demodulated digital signal and adds up multiple digital signals to which the delay time has been given. The addition process of the beamformer generates a received signal in which the reflection component from the direction corresponding to the reception directivity is emphasized.

[0015] The processing circuit PC is, for example, a processor that functions as the core of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. The processing circuit PC executes a program stored in the internal storage circuit 27 to realize a function corresponding to the program. The processing circuit PC includes, for example, a B-mode processing function 23, a Doppler processing function 24, a three-dimensional processing function 25, a display control function 26, and a system control function 32. Each function executed by the processing circuit PC may be incorporated as a program as described above, or a dedicated hardware circuit capable of executing each function may be incorporated in the processing circuit PC or the device main body 20.

[0016] The B-mode processing function 23 is a function that generates B-mode data based on the reception signal received from the ultrasonic reception circuit 22. The processing circuit PC that executes the B-mode processing function 23 performs, for example, envelope detection processing and logarithmic compression processing on the reception signal received from the ultrasonic reception circuit 22 to generate data in which the signal intensity is expressed by the brightness of luminance (hereinafter, B-mode data). The generated B-mode data is stored in a RAW data memory (not shown) as B-mode RAW data on a two-dimensional ultrasonic scan line (raster). The B-mode RAW data may be stored in an internal storage circuit 27 described later.

[0017] The Doppler processing function 24 is a function that generates a Doppler waveform and Doppler data based on the reception signal received from the ultrasound receiving circuit 22. The processing circuit PC that executes the Doppler processing function 24 extracts a blood flow signal from the reception signal, generates a Doppler waveform from the extracted blood flow signal, and generates data (hereinafter, Doppler data) in which information such as average velocity, variance, and power is extracted for multiple points from the blood flow signal.

[0018] The three-dimensional processing function 25 is a function that generates two-dimensional image data or three-dimensional image data (hereinafter also referred to as volume data) based on the data generated by the B-mode processing function 23 and the Doppler processing function 24. The processing circuit PC that executes the three-dimensional processing function 25 executes RAW-pixel conversion to generate two-dimensional image data composed of pixels.

[0019] Moreover, the processing circuit PC executing the three-dimensional processing function 25 executes RAW-voxel conversion, including an interpolation process that takes into account spatial position information, on the B-mode RAW data stored in the RAW data memory to generate volume data composed of voxels in a desired range. The processing circuit PC then performs a rendering process on the generated volume data to generate rendered image data. Hereinafter, the B-mode RAW data, two-dimensional image data, volume data, and rendered image data are collectively referred to as ultrasound data.

[0020] The display control function 26 is a function that executes various processes such as dynamic range, brightness, contrast, gamma curve correction, and RGB conversion on various image data generated by the three-dimensional processing function 25, and displays the image data on the output device 50. The processing circuit PC that executes the display control function 26 may generate a user interface (GUI: Graphical User Interface) that allows an operator to input various instructions via the input interface 30, and display the GUI on the output device 50.

[0021] The system control function 32 is a function that controls the overall operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic device 1. As an example, the system control function 32 causes the processing circuit PC to generate column delay data related to two-dimensionally arranged elements. The column delay data is delay data determined for each element row for each direction when using a two-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged along a first element array direction and a second element array direction. The processing circuit PC also generates delay data for each subarray related to the delay of the entire system, and transfers the generated delay data to the ultrasonic transmission circuit 21 as an analog signal.

[0022] The internal storage circuit 27 has a processor-readable storage medium, such as a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, or a semiconductor memory. The internal storage circuit 27 stores a program for achieving ultrasonic transmission and reception, a program for performing image processing, a program for performing display processing, various data, and the like. The above programs and various data may be pre-stored in the internal storage circuit 27, or may be stored in a non-transient storage medium and distributed, and may be read from the non-transient storage medium and installed in the internal storage circuit 27.

[0023] Furthermore, the internal storage circuitry 27 stores B-mode image data, two-dimensional image data, volume data, rendering image data, and the like generated by the processing circuitry PC in accordance with a storage operation input via the input interface 30. The internal storage circuitry 27 is also capable of transferring the stored data to an external device 40, etc. via the communication interface 31.

[0024] The internal storage circuit 27 may be a drive device that reads and writes various information between the internal storage circuit 27 and a portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, or a flash memory. The internal storage circuit 27 can also write the stored data to the portable storage medium and store the data in the external device 40 via the portable storage medium.

[0025] The image memory 28 includes a processor-readable storage medium, such as a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, or a semiconductor memory. The image memory 28 stores image data corresponding to a plurality of frames immediately before a freeze operation input via the input interface 30. The image data stored in the image memory 28 is displayed continuously (cine display), for example.

[0026] The image database 29 stores image data transferred from the external device 40. For example, the image database 29 receives and stores past medical image data related to the same patient acquired in a past examination and stored in the external device 40. The past medical image data includes ultrasound image data, CT (Computed Tomography) image data, MR image data, PET (Positron Emission Tomography)-CT image data, PET-MR image data, and X-ray image data.

[0027] Note that image database 29 may store desired image data by reading image data recorded on a storage medium such as an MO, a CD-R, or a DVD.

[0028] The input interface 30 receives various instructions from an operator via the input device 60. The input device 60 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a panel switch, a slider switch, a trackball, a rotary encoder, an operation panel, and a touch command screen (TCS). The input interface 30 is connected to the processing circuit PC via, for example, a bus. The input interface 30 converts an operation instruction input by the operator into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal to the processing circuit PC. Note that the input interface 30 is not limited to only those that are connected to physical operation components such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, an example of the input interface 30 also includes an electric signal processing circuit that receives an electric signal corresponding to an operation instruction input from an external input device provided separately from the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and outputs the electric signal to the processing circuit PC.

[0029] The communication interface 31 is connected to an external device 40 via, for example, a network 100, and performs data communication with the external device 40. The external device 40 is, for example, a database of a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) which is a system for managing data of various medical images, or a database of an electronic medical record system for managing electronic medical records to which medical images are attached. The external device 40 is, for example, an X-ray CT device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) device, a nuclear medicine diagnostic device, an X-ray diagnostic device, or any other medical image diagnostic device other than the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that the standard for communication with the external device 40 may be any standard, and may be, for example, DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine).

[0030] The output interface 33 is, for example, an interface for displaying display image data from the processing circuit PC on the output device 50. The output device 50 is any display such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display, a CRT display, etc. The output device 50 may be a touch panel type display that also serves as the input device 60. The output interface 33 is connected to the processing circuit PC via, for example, a bus, and outputs an electrical signal from the processing circuit PC to the output device 50.

[0031] The above describes the basic configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to the first embodiment. Next, a detailed configuration of the ultrasound probe 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, an ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment includes a connection unit 200 (also called a POD), a cable 230, and a probe body 300 (also called a HEAD). The connection unit 200 is connected to the device body 20. The cable 230 connects the connection unit 200 and the probe body 300. The probe body 300 exchanges control signals and data with the device body 20 via the cable 230 and the connection unit 200.

[0033] The probe body 300 includes an electronic circuit unit 310 and a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320. The electronic circuit unit 310 includes a plurality of transmission / reception ICs 311 (transmission / reception circuits). Each of the plurality of transmission / reception ICs 311 receives column delay data from a processing circuit PC (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "processing circuit PC") that executes the system control function 32 of the device body 20 via a communication control circuit (not shown), and receives a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 21. Each of the plurality of transmission / reception ICs 311 sets the amount of delay of the element for each subarray that it controls based on the column delay data and the drive signal, and controls the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves at a predetermined timing. Note that a memory circuit may be provided in the connection unit 200, and the memory circuit may store the column delay data from the processing circuit PC.

[0034] The ultrasonic transducers 320 are arranged uniformly in at least one direction. Specifically, the ultrasonic transducers 320 are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, for example, in a lattice pattern at a constant pitch in two orthogonal directions. The transmission / reception IC 311 sets the delay amount of each element of the ultrasonic transducers 320, and ultrasonic waves generated based on a drive signal are transmitted toward the subject P at a timing according to the delay amount. The ultrasonic transducers may be referred to as acoustic conversion elements.

[0035] When ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 10 to the subject P, the transmitted ultrasonic waves are successively reflected by discontinuous surfaces of acoustic impedance in the tissues of the subject P, and are received as reflected waves by the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320. The amplitude of the received reflected waves depends on the difference in acoustic impedance at the discontinuous surfaces where the ultrasonic waves are reflected. When the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is reflected by the surface of a moving blood flow or a heart wall, the reflected waves undergo a frequency shift due to the Doppler effect depending on the velocity component of the moving body in the ultrasonic transmission direction. The ultrasonic probe 10 receives the reflected waves from the living body P, converts them into electrical signals, and transmits them to the device body 20.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a detailed configuration of a transmission / reception IC 311 in an electronic circuit unit 310 of the probe main body 300. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the transmission / reception IC 311 includes an IC control circuit 330 and a plurality of sub-array units 350.

[0037] The IC control circuit 330 calculates the delay amount of each element belonging to each subarray for each subarray from column delay data acquired from a communication control circuit included in the connection section 200, for example, and sets the delay amount in each of the subarray units 350.

[0038] Each of the sub-array units 350 includes an adder circuit 351 and a plurality of element transmitter and receiver circuits 352. An element transmitter and receiver circuit 352 is provided for each channel. The element transmitter and receiver circuit 352 includes a delay circuit, a transmission amplifier circuit, a transmission / reception separation circuit, and a reception amplifier circuit.

[0039] The adder circuit 351 adds the received signals delayed by the delay circuits of the multiple element transceiver circuits 352. The delay circuit included in the element transceiver circuit 352 receives the delay amount from the IC control circuit 330, the drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 21, and the received signal from the transducer from the reception amplifier circuit, and sets the delay amount for the transmitted and received signals. The transmission amplifier circuit included in the element transceiver circuit 352 receives the drive signal from the delay circuit and amplifies the drive signal. The transmission and reception separation circuit included in the element transceiver circuit 352 separates the drive signal related to transmission from the echo signal received by the element. The reception amplifier circuit included in the element transceiver circuit 352 receives the echo signal from the transmission and reception separation circuit and amplifies the echo signal.

[0040] Each of the multiple subarray units 350 receives a drive signal from the ultrasonic transmission circuit 21 and a delay amount from the IC control circuit 330. Each of the multiple subarray units 350 controls the timing of ultrasonic transmission and reception of elements in an assigned subarray based on the drive signal and the delay amount.

[0041] The above describes the functional configuration of the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. Next, the physical structure of the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0042] Fig. 4 is an example of a cross-sectional view of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is an example of a top view of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. In the following description, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the axis along the first direction, i.e., the elevation direction, is defined as the X-axis, and the axis along the second direction, i.e., the azimuth direction, is defined as the Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis. Also, the axis perpendicular to the XY plane is defined as the Z-axis.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the probe body 300 included in the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320, a base substrate 500, and an electronic circuit unit 310.

[0044] The ultrasonic transducers 320 are two-dimensionally arranged along the X-axis (elevation direction) and the Y-axis (azimuth direction). The ultrasonic transducers 320 are divided into a plurality of transducer modules, each having a predetermined number of elements. FIG. 6 is a view of the ultrasonic transducers according to the first embodiment as viewed from the direction of ultrasonic radiation. The ultrasonic transducers 320 are divided into five transducer modules AM1, AM2, AM3, AM4, and AM5, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6. A base substrate 500 is provided on the lower surface (surface on the positive side of the Z-axis) of the ultrasonic transducers 320.

[0045] The base substrate 500 is, for example, made of an FPC or the like. The base substrate 500 is, for example, a flexible wiring board. The base substrate 500 is provided between the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320 and the electronic circuit unit 310. The base substrate 500 has a non-divided structure and supports the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320. The base substrate 500 is a double-sided board with copper foil wiring patterns on the front and back. The base substrate 500 electrically connects the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320 and the electronic circuit unit 310 on a module-by-module basis. Since the base substrate is an FPC, the radiation of ultrasonic waves to the rear side of the element is effectively transmitted to the rear side and then attenuated. Therefore, adverse effects on the generated image, for example, deterioration of convergence, can be avoided. The base substrate 500 may be made of a multi-layer rigid substrate.

[0046] The electronic circuit unit 310 includes, for example, electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5. The electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 are electrically connected to the transducer modules AM1, AM2, AM3, AM4, and AM5, respectively, via the base substrate 500. The electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 are arranged on a surface opposite to the surface on which the transducer modules AM1, AM2, AM3, AM4, and AM5 are arranged, in the thickness direction of the base substrate 500. The electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 are stacked in the X-axis direction (elevation direction). The number of electronic circuit modules included in the electronic circuit unit 310 is not limited to five. For example, the number of electronic circuit modules can be increased or decreased according to the number of ultrasonic transducers 320 (the size of the ultrasonic transducer array composed of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320) or the number of transducer modules.

[0047] Each of the electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 includes a backing material 312 and an FPC 313. The physical structure of the electronic circuit modules will be described below. The FPC 313 may be called a flexible wiring board.

[0048] The backing material 312 prevents ultrasonic waves from propagating backward (positive direction of the Z axis) with respect to the acoustic radiation direction of the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320. An FPC 313 is fixed to a part of the surface of the backing material 312.

[0049] The FPC 313 is fixed to a part of the surface of the backing material 312. Specifically, the FPC 313 is folded so as to be substantially in contact with a surface (first surface) on the negative side of the Z axis, a surface on the positive side of the X axis, and a surface on the negative side of the X axis of the backing material 312, and is fixed to at least the first surface. The surface on the negative side of the Z axis of the backing material 312 is a surface parallel to the base substrate 500. This gives the FPC 313 a two-layer structure along the X axis direction.

[0050] The width of the backing material 312 in the elevation direction is designed to be smaller than the module pitch, taking into consideration the width of the two FPCs 313 between the two adjacent electronic circuit modules and bending or warping when the FPCs 313 are bent. The module pitch corresponds to the width of the transducer module in the X-axis direction, for example. Adjacent electronic circuit modules are disposed with a predetermined interval between them. The predetermined interval is, for example, a distance at which the two FPCs 313 between the two adjacent electronic circuit modules do not come into contact with each other.

[0051] Furthermore, each of the electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 includes, for example, eight transceiver ICs 311. That is, the electronic circuit unit 310 includes a total of 40 transceiver ICs.

[0052] The eight transmission / reception ICs 311 are directly mounted on the FPC 313 having a two-layer structure by, for example, COF (Chip On Film) technology so as to sandwich the FPC 313 having a two-layer structure in the X-axis direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, in the electronic circuit module EM1, four transmission / reception ICs 311 are directly mounted on the FPC 313 from the negative direction side of the X-axis. Similarly, in the electronic circuit module EM1, four transmission / reception ICs 311 are directly mounted on the FPC 313 from the positive direction side of the X-axis. Directly mounting the transmission / reception ICs 311 on the FPC 313 means that electrode pads provided on the FPC 313 and input pins on the ultrasonic transducer side of the transmission / reception ICs 311 are wired by FPC wiring. This makes it possible to reduce the number of output pins on the device main body side of the transmission / reception ICs 311. Therefore, for example, a general connection method such as FPC connector connection can be used for connection to another control board.

[0053] 4 and 5, for example, an FPC 313 included in the electronic circuit module EM1 is connected to an FPC connector 314. The FPC connector 314 is connected to a cable 315. The cable 315 is connected to a cable connector 316. The cable connector 316 is connected to a cable 317. The cable 317 is connected to the connection unit 200 as a part of the cable 230 shown in FIG. 2, for example. The same applies to other electronic circuit modules.

[0054] The reflected wave signals generated by the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320 belonging to the multiple transducer modules are transmitted to the device main body 20 via the FPC 313, FPC connector 314, cable 315, cable connector 316, and cable 317 of the multiple electronic circuit modules corresponding to the multiple transducer modules, respectively.

[0055] In addition, a gap is generated between the base substrate 500 and the multiple FPCs 313 directly below the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320, and acoustic radiation to the back surface of the base substrate 500 (the surface on the positive side of the Z axis) is not performed effectively, and the convergence of the waveform deteriorates. To avoid this, a non-conductive resin, for example, an epoxy resin, is filled in the gap between the base substrate 500 and the multiple FPCs 313. After the non-conductive resin is filled in the gap, it is hardened under pressure, and the base substrate 500 and the FPCs 313 are pressure-welded and bonded. As a result, the filled non-conductive resin structurally serves as a support for the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320, and helps to improve the reliability of the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0056] As described above, by stacking the electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5 in the X-axis direction (elevation direction), it is possible to increase the number of transceiver ICs 311 to be connected.

[0057] The above describes the physical structure of the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the first embodiment. Next, the structure of the probe main body according to the first embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0058] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of the probe main body according to the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, adjacent electronic circuit modules are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other. In addition, a filler FP is provided between adjacent electronic circuit modules. For the filler FP, for example, a material constituting the backing material, a part of a material constituting the backing material, or an epoxy resin is used. By providing the filler FP between adjacent electronic circuit modules, the strength of the probe main body can be improved.

[0059] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view cut in the Z-axis direction along line AA in FIG. 7. Line AA is a line along the elevation direction (X-axis direction). Thus, FIG. 8 shows a cross section parallel to the XZ plane. In the following explanation, the structure between electronic circuit modules EM1 and EM2 will be mainly described. This structure is similar to the structure between electronic circuit modules EM2 and EM3, the structure between electronic circuit modules EM3 ​​and EM4, and the structure between electronic circuit modules EM4 and EM5.

[0060] 8, the transducer module AM1 and the transducer module AM2 are electrically connected to the electronic circuit module EM1 and the electronic circuit module EM2, respectively, via the base substrate 500. The electronic circuit modules EM1 and EM2 are joined to the base substrate 500 with a predetermined interval (gap GY) therebetween. The distance of the gap GY is designed in consideration of bending errors such as flexure and distortion of the FPC313 bent in the Z-axis direction. For example, assuming that the bending error in one FPC313 is 0.01 mm, the electronic circuit modules can be arranged without contacting each other if the distance between adjacent FPC313 is 0.02 mm or more. A filler FP is provided in the gap GY.

[0061] The surface of the base substrate 500 has a plurality of electrode pads that are aligned with the inter-element pitch of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320. The back surface of the base substrate 500 has a plurality of electrode pads that are connected to an electronic circuit module. The plurality of electrode pads provided on the surface of the base substrate 500 and the plurality of electrode pads provided on the back surface of the base substrate 500 are electrically connected one-to-one. In other words, the base substrate 500 can connect the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320 to the plurality of FPCs 313 provided on the plurality of electronic circuit modules, respectively.

[0062] The pitch between electrode pads provided on the base substrate 500 (hereinafter, wiring pitch) is related to the shape error when assembling the electronic circuit module. For example, if the wiring pitch of the base substrate 500 is 0.1 mm, in order to arrange five electronic circuit modules without providing a gap GY, the allowable shape error in the assembly of each electronic circuit module needs to be kept to 0.02 mm. In addition, as described above, it is necessary to take into account the bending error of the FPC, so there is a possibility that the manufacturing cost will increase in order to satisfy the above shape error.

[0063] On the other hand, by providing the gap GY between the electronic circuit modules as in this embodiment, it is possible to tolerate some degree of shape error of each electronic circuit module. For example, even if the wiring pitch of the base substrate 500 is 0.08 mm, which is narrower than the above-mentioned 0.1 mm, the allowable shape error is 0.04 mm because only the individual electronic circuit modules need to be considered. Therefore, by providing the gap GY, the allowable shape error is larger than when the gap GY is not provided. Since the allowable shape error is larger, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0064] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a wiring pattern in the base substrate of Fig. 8. Wiring BW that connects a plurality of electrode pads provided on the front and back surfaces is provided in the base substrate 500. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, the wiring pitch on the back surface of the base substrate 500 is smaller than the wiring pitch on the front surface of the base substrate 500. This is to provide a gap GY between the electronic circuit modules.

[0065] By providing the gap GY between the electronic circuit modules, the electronic circuit modules can be individually arranged on the base substrate 500. For example, if the gap GY is not provided, if an error occurs in the arrangement of the reference electronic circuit module, errors will occur in all other electronic circuit modules. Furthermore, if there is variation in the shapes of the individual electronic circuit modules, it is necessary to take into consideration the variation in all electronic circuit modules during assembly. Therefore, it was necessary to first connect the electronic circuit modules and then arrange them on the base substrate 500. However, if the gap GY is provided, it is only necessary to consider the arrangement of the individual electronic circuit modules, and therefore the electronic circuit modules can be individually arranged as described above. Furthermore, since the individual electronic circuit modules are independent, even if there is variation in the shapes of the individual electronic circuit modules, the influence during assembly is reduced.

[0066] As described above, the ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged evenly in at least one direction, a first substrate to which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected, and a plurality of electronic circuit modules connected to the first substrate at predetermined intervals. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe can, for example, tolerate a manufacturing error of each electronic circuit module to a certain degree, thereby improving the assembly accuracy during manufacturing.

[0067] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, a gap is provided between the electronic circuit modules, whereas in the second embodiment, a spacer is further provided in the gap.

[0068] Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of a probe body according to the second embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, a probe body 300A according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320, a base substrate 500, and electronic circuit modules EM1, EM2, EM3, EM4, and EM5. A filler FP and a spacer SP are provided in the gap between adjacent electronic circuit modules. For example, two spacers SP are provided in the azimuth direction, but the number and shape of the spacers are not important.

[0069] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in the Z-axis direction in Fig. 10. Line BB is a line along the elevation direction (X-axis direction). Thus, Fig. 11 shows a cross section parallel to the XZ plane.

[0070] In Fig. 11, a filler FP and a spacer SP are provided in the gap between the electronic circuit module EM1 and the electronic circuit module EM2. The spacer SP has, for example, the same width as the gap. Alternatively, the spacer SP may have a width that takes into account the shape error of the adjacent electronic circuit module. In other words, the width of the gap may be predetermined or may be determined by the spacer SP.

[0071] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view cut in the Z-axis direction along line CC in Fig. 10. Line CC in Fig. 10 is a line along the azimuth direction (Y-axis direction). Thus, Fig. 12 shows a cross section parallel to the YZ plane. The cross-sectional view in Fig. 12 includes a filler FP and two spacers (spacers SP-1 and SP-2) as shown by line CC in Fig. 11.

[0072] By providing a spacer in the gap between adjacent electronic circuit modules, the probe body 300A can be assembled in the same manner as in the past without compromising assembly accuracy. Specifically, the assembly method first aligns the electronic circuit module EM1 with respect to the base substrate 500, places a spacer SP on the aligned electronic circuit module EM1, and places the electronic circuit module EM2 so as to sandwich the placed spacer SP. Then, after the spacer SP is sandwiched between the two electronic circuit modules, a filler material FP is filled in the gap. Thereafter, the spacer and the electronic circuit module are placed in the same manner, and each time a new gap is created, a filler material is filled in. As a result, after the reference electronic circuit module is aligned, alignment of other electronic circuit modules can be omitted.

[0073] In addition, the reference electronic circuit module is not limited to an electronic circuit module installed at the end of the base substrate (e.g., electronic circuit module EM1 or electronic circuit module EM5), but may be an electronic circuit module installed near the center of the base substrate (e.g., electronic circuit module EM3).

[0074] As described above, the ultrasonic probe according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged evenly in at least one direction, a first substrate to which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected, and a plurality of electronic circuit modules connected to the first substrate at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe includes spacers provided between the plurality of electronic circuit modules and having a predetermined interval. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe can be easily assembled during manufacturing because the interval between the two electronic circuit modules can be adjusted by the spacers, for example.

[0075] (Third embodiment) In the first and second embodiments, the connection of electronic circuit modules in the elevation direction is described. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the connection of electronic circuit modules in the azimuth direction is described. Note that in the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, the axis along the azimuth direction is the X-axis, and the axis along the elevation direction is the Y-axis perpendicular to the X-axis.

[0076] Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the structure of a probe body according to the third embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, a probe body 300B according to the third embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 320A, a base substrate 500A, and electronic circuit modules EM11, EM12, and EM13.

[0077] The ultrasonic transducers 320A are arranged at a constant pitch in one-dimensional direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 13). As in the first embodiment, the delay amount of each element of the ultrasonic transducers 320A is set by the transmission / reception IC 311, and ultrasonic waves generated based on a drive signal are transmitted toward the subject P at a timing according to the delay amount. The ultrasonic transducers 320A may be further divided along the X-axis direction.

[0078] The base substrate 500A is, for example, made of an FPC or the like. The base substrate 500A is, for example, a flexible wiring board. The base substrate 500A is provided between the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320A and the electronic circuit modules EM11, EM12, and EM13. The base substrate 500A supports the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320A. The base substrate 500A has a divided structure and is divided into each of the electronic circuit modules EM11, EM12, and EM13. The base substrate 500A electrically connects the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320A and the electronic circuit modules EM11, EM12, and EM13 on a module basis.

[0079] Each of the electronic circuit modules EM11, EM12, and EM13 includes a backing material 312A, an FPC 313A, a metal member 3121, and a support member 3122. The physical structure of the electronic circuit module will be described below. The FPC 313A may be called a flexible wiring board.

[0080] Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken in the Z-axis direction along line DD in Fig. 13. Line DD is a line along the azimuth direction (X-axis direction). Thus, Fig. 14 shows a cross section parallel to the XZ plane. Note that Fig. 14 shows a cross section related to electronic circuit module EM11, but other electronic circuit modules have similar cross sections.

[0081] The backing material 312A prevents ultrasonic waves from propagating backward (positive direction of the Z axis) with respect to the acoustic emission direction of the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320A. The width of the backing material 312A in the azimuth direction (X axis direction) is designed, for example, to match the width of the multiple ultrasonic transducers 320A in the azimuth direction. Also, the width of the backing material 312A in the elevation direction (Y axis direction) is designed, for example, to match the width of an electronic circuit module or a module including ultrasonic transducers in the elevation direction. An FPC 313A is fixed to a part of the surface of the backing material 312A.

[0082] The FPC 313A is fixed to a part of the surface of the backing material 312A. Specifically, the FPC 313A is bent so as to be substantially in contact with the surface (first surface) on the negative side of the Z axis of the backing material 312A, the surface on the positive side of the X axis, and the surface on the negative side of the X axis, and is fixed to at least the first surface. The surface on the negative side of the Z axis of the backing material 312A is a surface parallel to the base substrate 500A. This gives the FPC 313A a two-layer structure along the X axis direction.

[0083] The metal member 3121 supports the backing material 312A. Specifically, the metal member 3121 is fixed so as to contact the surface of the backing material 312A on the positive side of the Z axis. Moreover, the metal member 3121 is provided with a shape (for example, a groove) for fixing and supporting the support member 3122 on the surface (the surface on the positive side of the Z axis) opposite to the surface to which the backing material 312A is fixed. Note that the metal member 3121 may have a convex portion formed instead of the groove portion. Moreover, the groove portion may be called a concave portion.

[0084] The support member 3122 is fixed to the groove of the metal member 3121 and supports the metal member 3121. For example, metal or hard resin is used for the support member 3122. The support member 3122 is fixed to the probe body 300 by a fixing member (not shown) and can stably hold the metal member 3121. The shape of the support member 3122 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped with the bottom surface of the metal member 3121 as one side, and may be a shape having a convex portion that engages with the bottom surface and the groove of the metal member 3121. Furthermore, when a convex portion is formed on the metal member 3121, the support member 3122 may be a shape having a concave portion that engages with the convex portion.

[0085] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view cut in the Z-axis direction along the line EE in Fig. 13. The line EE in Fig. 13 is a line along the elevation direction (Y-axis direction). Thus, Fig. 15 shows a cross section parallel to the YZ plane. The cross-sectional view in Fig. 15 also includes the groove portion of the metal member 3121, as shown by the line EE in Fig. 14.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 15, the probe body 300B according to the third embodiment is configured with an ultrasonic transducer, a base substrate, and an electronic circuit module as one module. Specifically, the probe body 300B is configured with three modules: a first module having an electronic circuit module EM11, a second module having an electronic circuit module EM12, and a third module having an electronic circuit module EM13. By configuring the probe body with a plurality of modules, for example, the yield can be increased in the assembly of the probe body compared to configuring the probe body with a single module. Note that the number of modules is not limited to three.

[0087] As described above, the ultrasonic probe according to the third embodiment is constructed by connecting a plurality of identical modules. The module includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged evenly in at least one direction, a first board to which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected, an acoustic load material, a second board that is bent so as to contact three faces of the acoustic load material and is fixed to at least a first face of the three faces and connected to the first board, and a metal member that is fixed to a face opposite to the first face of the acoustic load material. The metal member has a shape that fixes and supports a support member on a face opposite to the face to which the acoustic load material is fixed. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe can stably support the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the first board, the acoustic load material, and the second board by the metal member, thereby increasing the strength of a single module.

[0088] The term "processor" used in the above description means, for example, a circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (for example, a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)). The processor realizes its function by reading and executing a program stored in a memory circuit. Note that each processor in this embodiment is not limited to being configured as a single circuit for each processor, and may be configured as one processor by combining multiple independent circuits to realize its function. Furthermore, multiple components in FIG. 1 may be integrated into one processor to realize its function.

[0089] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to improve the assembly accuracy during the manufacture of the ultrasonic probe.

[0090] Although some embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Ultrasound diagnostic equipment 100 Network 200 Connection 230,315,317 Cable 300, 300A, 300B Probe body 310 Electronic Circuit Unit 312,312A Backing material 3121 Metal parts 3122 Support member 314 FPC Connector 316 Cable Connector 320,320A Ultrasonic Transducer 500,500A base board AM1, AM2, AM3, AM4, AM5 Resonator Module BW Wiring EM1,EM2,EM3,EM4,EM5,EM11,EM12,EM13 Electronic circuit module FP Filler GY Gap SP, SP-1, SP-2 spacer

Claims

1. A plurality of ultrasonic transducers uniformly arranged in at least one direction; a first substrate having an undivided structure to which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected; a plurality of electronic circuit modules connected to the first substrate at predetermined intervals; Equipped with Each of the plurality of electronic circuit modules has electrode pads corresponding to two or more ultrasonic transducers in an arrangement direction in which the plurality of electronic circuit modules are arranged, An ultrasonic probe, wherein the pitch in the arrangement direction between electrode pads corresponding to one electronic circuit module on a surface of the first substrate to which the multiple electronic circuit modules are connected is smaller than the pitch in the arrangement direction between electrode pads on a surface of the first substrate to which the multiple ultrasonic transducers are connected.

2. A filler material provided between each of the plurality of electronic circuit modules. Further comprising: The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 .

3. The filler is at least one of a material constituting an acoustic load material, a part of a material constituting an acoustic load material, and an epoxy resin. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2 .

4. a spacer provided between each of the plurality of electronic circuit modules and having the predetermined interval; Further comprising: The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Each of the plurality of electronic circuit modules comprises: An acoustic load material; a second substrate that is bent so as to be in contact with three surfaces of the acoustic load material, fixed to at least a first surface of the three surfaces, and connected to the first substrate; Equipped with The first surface is a surface parallel to the first substrate. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. each of the plurality of electronic circuit modules includes a metal member fixed to a surface of the acoustic load opposite to the first surface; The metal member has a shape for fixing and supporting a support member on a surface opposite to a surface to which the acoustic load material is fixed.

6. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5.

7. The metal member has at least a concave portion or a convex portion as the shape.

7. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6.

8. the plurality of electronic circuit modules are connected to the first substrate such that the folded surfaces of the second substrate are adjacent to each other; The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. An ultrasonic probe constructed by connecting a plurality of identical modules, The module comprises: A plurality of ultrasonic transducers uniformly arranged in at least one direction; a first substrate to which the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are connected; An acoustic load material; a second substrate that is bent so as to be in contact with three surfaces of the acoustic load, fixed to at least a first surface of the three surfaces, and connected to the first substrate; a metal member fixed to a surface of the acoustic load member opposite to the first surface; Equipped with The metallic member has a shape for fixing and supporting a support member on a surface opposite to a surface to which the acoustic load material is fixed.

10. The metal member has at least a concave portion or a convex portion as the shape.

10. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9.

11. The same modules are connected in plurality in the azimuth direction. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9 or 10.

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