Ultrasonic Probe Grooved Piezoelectric Elements Side Lobe Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic probes face challenges in reducing side lobes and achieving uniform sound fields without complicating the apparatus structure and manufacturing process, leading to reliability issues and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The ultrasonic probe design incorporates piezoelectric elements with grooves on their end faces that do not pierce through, allowing for weighting of ultrasonic waves and the use of a conductive member to improve signal transmission and reception, while simplifying the manufacturing process by reducing the number of separation steps and avoiding electrode adhesion problems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If piezoelectric elements are completely divided in the lens direction to weight area density, then side lobes are reduced, but manufacturing steps and cost increase due to positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The piezoelectric element is divided into multiple regions in the lens direction by forming grooves that extend from one end face toward the other end face. These grooves segment the element into first and second regions with different effective areas, achieving weight function without complete division. The grooves are positioned at specific intervals to create the desired weighting effect while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the piezoelectric element are given different effective areas by forming grooves at specific positions. The first region has a larger effective area than the second region, creating local quality variations that produce the weight function. This allows side lobe reduction while avoiding the need to completely divide and reposition elements.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If piezoelectric elements are completely divided in the lens direction, then side lobes are reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to electrode adhesion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves segment the piezoelectric element into regions with different effective areas while maintaining continuous electrode contact. The grooves extend from one end face toward the other but do not completely divide the element, ensuring electrodes remain properly adhered to the piezoelectric material throughout, thus maintaining reliability while achieving side lobe reduction.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If acoustic matching layer is divided at varied intervals to weight area density, then side lobes are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the acoustic matching layer, the invention extracts the weighting function from the matching layer and implements it directly in the piezoelectric element through grooves. This simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need to vary the acoustic matching layer intervals, as the weighting is achieved through the groove pattern in the piezoelectric element itself.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If grooves are formed in acoustic matching layer, then side lobes are reduced, but acoustic crosstalk occurs and desired sound pressure distribution cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The weighting function is extracted from the acoustic matching layer and implemented in the piezoelectric element. By forming grooves in the piezoelectric element rather than the acoustic matching layer, the invention avoids acoustic crosstalk while achieving side lobe reduction. The grooves in the piezoelectric element directly control the ultrasonic wave generation without interfering with the acoustic matching layer's function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively reduces side lobes, uniformalizes sound fields, and enhances the reliability of the ultrasonic probe without increasing manufacturing complexity or costs, resulting in improved resolution and image clarity.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element unit that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the array direction, wherein the piezoelectric element unit includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements that are arranged in parallel at fixed intervals in an array direction
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic probe includes ultrasonic piezoelectric elements that are arranged in a first direction at predetermined intervals and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The respective ultrasonic piezoelectric elements have plural grooves, which are parallel to the first direction and do not pierce through an end face, on at least one end face of two end faces substantially orthogonal to the second direction of the respective ultrasonic piezoelectric elements. The ultrasonic waves are weighted in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction according to shapes and arrangement of the respective plural grooves and transmitted and received. In addition, a conductive member is joined to the end face having the grooves of the respective ultrasonic piezoelectric elements along the third direction.