TWI639413B - Ultrasonic sensing device and ultrasonic patch with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasonic sensor includes a signal transmitting layer for transmitting an ultrasonic wave, a signal receiving layer for receiving an ultrasonic wave reflected by a measured object, and forming a signal receiving layer corresponding to a sensing signal of the measured object, and a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The signal receiving layer is disposed on the first surface. The signal transmitting layer is disposed on the second surface. The flexible circuit board further includes a plurality of sensing elements and at least one connector all located on the first surface, and the plurality of sensing elements are configured to pass a sensing signal formed by the signal receiving layer through the at least A connector is transmitted to a reading device for further conversion into image information or data information corresponding to the measured object. The invention also provides a patch using the ultrasonic sensor.

Description

Ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic patch with ultrasonic sensor

The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor and an ultrasonic patch using the ultrasonic sensor.

Ultrasonic sensors have been widely used in medical diagnostic equipment due to their safety and accuracy. Ultrasonic sensors in this type of medical diagnostic equipment usually include a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and a signal transmitting layer and a signal receiving layer respectively located on both sides of the TFT substrate. The signal receiving layer is received from the signal transmitting layer and passes through the measured object ( (For example, a finger) reflects the ultrasonic wave to form a sensing signal corresponding to the measured object, and further transmits the sensing signal to an external circuit through a TFT array on the TFT substrate to form image information corresponding to the measured object.

However, this type of ultrasonic sensor requires a TFT array to transmit signals. The structure of the TFT array is complex and the molding process is difficult, resulting in a complicated structure and molding process for the entire ultrasonic patch.

In view of the above, it is necessary to provide an ultrasonic sensor with a simplified structure and molding process and an ultrasonic patch using the ultrasonic sensor.

An ultrasonic sensor includes a signal transmitting layer for transmitting an ultrasonic wave, a signal receiving layer for receiving an ultrasonic wave reflected by a measured object, and forming a signal receiving layer corresponding to a sensing signal of the measured object, and a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The signal receiving layer setting On the first surface. The signal transmitting layer is disposed on the second surface. The flexible circuit board further includes a plurality of sensing elements and at least one connector all located on the first surface, and the plurality of sensing elements are configured to pass a sensing signal formed by the signal receiving layer through the at least A connector is transmitted to a reading device for further conversion into image information or data information corresponding to the measured object.

The ultrasonic sensor of the present invention uses a flexible circuit board formed with the sensing element instead of a conventional TFT substrate. Since the structure and molding process of the sensing element are simpler than the TFT array, Therefore, the structure and molding process of the entire ultrasonic patch are simplified.

10‧‧‧ Ultrasonic Patch

11‧‧‧ protective layer

12‧‧‧ contact layer

12a‧‧‧contact surface

100‧‧‧ Ultrasonic Sensor

110‧‧‧flexible circuit board

101‧‧‧first surface

102‧‧‧Second surface

111, 211, 311‧‧‧ sensing elements

3111‧‧‧first sensing element

3112‧‧‧Second sensing element

112‧‧‧Connector

1120‧‧‧Plastic body

1121‧‧‧Terminal

113‧‧‧Bend area

120‧‧‧Signal sending layer

121‧‧‧first electrode

122‧‧‧The first piezoelectric film

123‧‧‧Second electrode

130‧‧‧Signal receiving layer

131‧‧‧Second piezoelectric film

132‧‧‧Third electrode

140‧‧‧Optical glue

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic patch provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged structure diagram of the ultrasonic sensor shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the flexible circuit board in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged schematic view along the IV line in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged schematic view of a modified embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged schematic view of another modified embodiment of FIG. 4.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The ultrasonic patch 10 according to the first preferred embodiment can be, for example, a heart rate monitor, which can monitor the user's health status, such as blood flow, blood pressure, heart rate, etc., in real time and continuously. The ultrasonic patch 10 includes a protective layer 11, an ultrasonic sensor 100, and a contact layer 12. The protective layer 11 is disposed on a side of the ultrasonic sensor 100 to protect it from external damage. The material of the protective layer 11 is, for example, cloth or plastic. The contact layer 12 is disposed on the other side of the ultrasonic sensor 100 for The contact layer 12 is in contact with the skin of the subject, and the contact layer 12 is a material that can be in close contact with human skin, such as medical latex.

The ultrasonic sensor 100 is used to detect the physiological parameters of the measured object attached to the contact layer 12, such as blood flow and heart rate, to form corresponding detection signals. The ultrasonic patch 10 analyzes the detection signals to obtain image information or data information corresponding to the health status of the user. The ultrasonic sensor 100 detects the condition of the human subcutaneous tissue, such as blood flow and heart rate. The technology is a conventional technology, and it will not be repeated here. The technology uses the Doppler effect.

The image information or data information outputs the detection result (image information or data information corresponding to the health status of the user) in real time by a reading device (not shown). The reading device may be integrated in the ultrasonic sensor 100 or other external devices, such as a mobile phone, a computer, and the like. The reading device and the ultrasonic patch 10 are connected in a wireless or wired manner.

Further, the ultrasonic sensor 100 includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 110 and a signal receiving layer 130 and a signal transmitting layer 120 respectively disposed on two opposite surfaces of the flexible circuit board 110. The signal receiving layer 130 and the signal transmitting layer 120 are respectively adhered to two sides of the flexible circuit board 110 through an adhesive layer 140. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 140 is an optical clear adhesive (OCA). The thickness of the optical adhesive 140 is less than 20 μm and the hardness is not less than 85 HB, so as to achieve ultra-fine bonding. The signal transmitting layer 120 is used for transmitting ultrasonic waves, and the signal receiving layer 130 receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject.

The protection layer 11 is disposed on a surface of the signal transmission layer 120 away from the flexible circuit board 110 to protect the signal transmission layer 120. The contact layer 12 is disposed on a surface of the signal receiving layer 130 away from the flexible circuit board 110. A surface of the contact layer 12 remote from the signal receiving layer 130 forms a contact surface 12 a to contact the skin of the user.

The signal transmitting layer 120 includes a first electrode 121, a first piezoelectric film 122, and a second electrode 123 stacked in this order. The second electrode 123 is closer to the flexible circuit board 110 than the first electrode 121. Different voltages are applied to the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 123, and the first piezoelectric thin film 122 generates vibration according to a voltage difference between the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 123, and emits an ultra-high voltage. Sonic. The signal receiving layer 130 includes a second piezoelectric thin film 131 and a third electrode 132 that are stacked, and the second piezoelectric thin film 131 is closer to the flexible circuit board 110 than the third electrode 132. The second piezoelectric film 131 and the second electrode 123 are respectively attached to the surface of the flexible circuit board 110 through the adhesive layer 140. The third electrode 132 is in a sheet shape. In a modified embodiment, the third electrode 132 may be divided into a plurality of electrode units corresponding to the plurality of sensing elements 111 respectively. The function of the signal transmission layer 120 will be described in detail below.

The first piezoelectric thin film 122 and the second piezoelectric thin film 131 are both piezoelectric materials, and may be, for example, polyvinylidene fluoroide (PVDF), lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (piezoelectric ceramic transducer, PZT) or a composite of both. The first electrode 121, the second electrode 123, and the third electrode 132 are all conductive metal materials, such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), indium tin oxide (ITO), and zinc oxide (ZnO ), Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) -polystyrenesulfonic acid (Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT), carbon nanotubes (Carbon Nanotube, CNT), silver nanowire (Ag nano wire, ANW) and one or a compound of graphene, but not limited thereto. The first electrode 121, the second electrode 123, and the third electrode 132 may be the same material or different materials. The first piezoelectric thin film 122 and the second piezoelectric thin film 131 may be the same material or different materials. In this embodiment, the first piezoelectric film 122 is PZT, and the second piezoelectric film 131 is PVDF. The material of the sensing element 111 may be silver (Ag), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide (ZnO), poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)- One of Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, PEDOT), Carbon Nanotube (CNT), Ag nano wire (ANW), and graphene Compounds, but not limited to this. The flexible circuit board 110 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to each other. A signal receiving layer 130 is disposed on the first surface 101, and the signal transmitting layer 120 is disposed on the second surface 102 and is opposite to the signal receiving layer 130.

Please refer to FIG. 3 together. Further, the flexible circuit board 110 includes a plurality of sensing elements 111 and two connectors 112. The plurality of sensing elements 111 transmits the sensing signals received by the signal receiving layer 130 to the reading device through the connector 112. The plurality of sensing elements 111 are located on the first surface 101 and correspond to the signal receiving layer 130, so that the sensing elements 111 can be electrically coupled to the third electrode 132 of the signal receiving layer 130. The plurality of sensing elements 111 are arranged in a straight line. The two connectors 112 are both disposed on the first surface 101 and symmetrically disposed on both sides of the plurality of sensing elements 111. Each of the connectors 112 includes a plastic body 1120 and a plurality of terminals 1121 fixed in the plastic body 1120 and extending outward. The plurality of sensing elements 111 are respectively electrically connected to the plurality of terminals 1121, and the signals are transmitted to the reading device through the plurality of terminals 1121 of the two connectors 112. Each of the sensing elements 111 is only electrically connected to a corresponding one of the terminals 1121 through a conductive line on the flexible circuit board 110. In a modified embodiment, the two connectors 112 can also be integrated into one. At this time, all the terminals 1121 connected to the plurality of sensing elements 111 are fixed in a plastic body 1120.

In another modified embodiment, the number of the connectors 112 may not be more than two, and the number of the connectors 112 may be set according to a wiring space in the flexible circuit board 110. The flexible circuit board 110 can be bent and attached to opposite sides of the ultrasonic sensor 100, so that the structure of the ultrasonic sensor 100 is compact. The ultrasonic sensor 100 is bent along a region between the plurality of sensing elements 111 and a connector 112, and the region is defined as a bent region 113 (as shown in FIG. 2).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, each of the sensing elements 111 is in a strip shape, the plurality of sensing elements 111 are arranged in a row, and the direction in which the plurality of sensing elements 111 are arranged is not the same. The extension directions are perpendicular to each other. The plurality of sensing elements 111 are used for receiving a sensing signal from the signal receiving layer 130, and transmitting the received sensing signals to the reading device through a flexible circuit board 110 and a connector 112 to Into image or data information for users to read.

The working principle of the ultrasonic patch 10 is that, in actual work, the side of the ultrasonic patch 10 provided with the contact layer 12 is applied to the skin surface, for example, to be worn on On the wrist. Applying a voltage between the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 123 causes the first piezoelectric film 122 to vibrate under the action of a voltage to emit an ultrasonic wave. Ultrasonic waves are sent to the human body through the flexible circuit board 110 and the signal receiving layer 130 to enter the subcutaneous tissue, and part of the ultrasonic waves are reflected from the subcutaneous tissue to the signal receiving layer 130, and are affected by changes in the state of the hand subcutaneous tissue, such as blood flow The effect of the change causes a corresponding change in the intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave, causing a corresponding change in the vibration of the second piezoelectric film 131 in the signal receiving layer 130, thereby generating a sensing signal corresponding to the user's blood flow, such as The amount of charges generated on the second piezoelectric film 131 is different, so that the charge distribution on the surface of the third electrode 132 is also uneven, and the charges on the surface of the third electrode 132 are coupled to the plurality of sensing elements. 111. The plurality of sensing elements 111 transmit the sensing signals to the reading device through the two connectors 112 to further convert them into image information or data information. Each of the sensing elements 111 is coupled to the third electrode 132, so that the charge on the third electrode 132 is transmitted to the reading device via the sensing element 111.

Please refer to FIG. 6. The structure of the ultrasonic patch of the second embodiment is basically the same as the structure of the ultrasonic patch of the first embodiment. The difference is that the plurality of sensing elements 211 are arranged in a matrix. The sensing element 211 is square. Of course, the sensing element 211 may be a triangle, a circle, an oval, or other suitable shapes. It should be noted that the same elements in this embodiment as those in the first embodiment described above are assigned the same reference numerals. The plurality of sensing elements 211 are used to receive the sensing signals from the signal receiving layer 130 (see FIG. 2), and transmit the received sensing signals to the wireless communication board 110 and the connector 112 through the flexible circuit board 110 and the connector 112. The reading device is converted into image or data information for users to read. Specifically, each of the sensing elements 211 is coupled to the third electrode 132 to transmit a sensing signal, such as a charge, generated by the second piezoelectric film 131 to the reading device.

Please refer to FIG. 7. The structure of the ultrasonic patch of the third embodiment is basically the same as the structure of the ultrasonic patch of the first embodiment. The difference is that the plurality of sensing elements 311 include a plurality of strip-shaped first sensors. The sensing element 3111 and a plurality of strip-shaped second sensing elements 3112, each of the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 extending in a first direction (X-axis direction) and sequentially arranged in a row in a second direction (Y-axis direction). . The plurality of first sensing elements 3111 are disposed at intervals, and the plurality of second sensing elements 3112 are disposed at intervals. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. Each of the plurality of second sensing elements 3112 extends along the second direction and is arranged in a row along the first direction. The plurality of first sensing elements 3111 and the plurality of second sensing elements 3112 are insulated from each other and intersect with each other. For example, an entire piece may be disposed between the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 and the plurality of second sensing elements 3112. An insulation layer (not shown) or an insulation layer is provided at each intersection. In this embodiment, the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 and the plurality of second sensing elements 3112 are perpendicular to each other.

The plurality of terminals 1121 are electrically connected to the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 or the plurality of second sensing elements 3112, respectively. In this embodiment, the plurality of terminals 1121 are electrically connected to the plurality of first sensing elements 3111, respectively. The plurality of first sensing elements 3111 can be electrically connected to the plurality of terminals 1121 by, for example, a wire (not shown) formed on the flexible circuit board 110. The plurality of sensing elements 311 are configured to receive a sensing signal from the signal receiving layer 130, and transmit the received sensing signal to the reading device for conversion into image or data information for use. Person reads.

Specifically, a capacitor is formed at each intersection of the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 and the plurality of second sensing elements 3112, and each of the first sensing elements 3111 is connected to the third electrode. 132 couplings. Due to the existence of the measured object, the vibration frequencies of the second piezoelectric thin film 131 are inconsistent, and the generated current is uneven, and further, the third electrode 132 is unevenly distributed with electric charges, thereby causing the same as the The capacitances corresponding to the plurality of first sensing elements 3111 coupled to the third electrode 132 generate corresponding changes, and are further transmitted to the reading device. The second sensing electrode of this embodiment is grounded. In a modified embodiment, the third sensing electrode may also be given a constant voltage or a periodically varying voltage.

The ultrasonic sensor of the present invention uses a flexible circuit board formed with the sensing element instead of a conventional TFT substrate. Since the structure and molding process of the sensing element are simpler than those of the array, The structure and forming process of the ultrasonic patch are simplified. In addition, in the present invention, the flexible circuit board having flexibility is used instead of the rigid TFT substrate of the conventional technology, and it is easier to form the ultrasonic patch having flexibility so as to more closely adhere to human skin.

In summary, the present invention has indeed met the requirements for an invention patent, and a patent application has been filed in accordance with the law. However, the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those who are familiar with the technology of this case make equivalent modifications or changes according to the spirit of the present invention. All should be covered by the following patent applications.

Claims (9)

An improvement of an ultrasonic sensor is that it includes a signal transmitting layer for transmitting ultrasonic waves; a signal receiving layer for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the measured object and converts them into sensing signals corresponding to the measured object; flexibility The circuit board includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the signal receiving layer is disposed on the first surface, the signal transmitting layer is disposed on the second surface, and the flexible circuit board includes The plurality of sensing elements on the first surface, each of which is a block electrode, the plurality of sensing elements are located on the first surface and directly correspond to the signal receiving layer; the plurality of sensing elements It is used for transmitting the sensing signal formed by the signal receiving layer to a reading device, so as to be further converted into image information or data information corresponding to the measured object. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing elements are in a strip shape and arranged in a row, and a direction in which the plurality of sensing elements are arranged and an extending direction thereof are perpendicular to each other. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing elements are arranged in an array. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 3, wherein each of the sensing elements is square, triangular, circular, or oval. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensing elements include a plurality of spaced first sensing elements and a plurality of spaced second sensing elements, and the plurality of first sensing elements The sensing element and the plurality of second sensing elements are insulated from each other and intersect. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the signal receiving layer includes an electrode and a piezoelectric film disposed in a stack, the piezoelectric film is attached to the first surface, and the electrode is in contact with the first surface. The plurality of sensing elements are electrically coupled. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board includes at least one connector, and the sensing signal is transmitted to the reading device via the at least one connector. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the connectors includes a plastic body and a plurality of terminals fixed in the plastic body, and the plurality of sensing elements are transmitted through the plurality of terminals. Sensing signal. An ultrasonic patch includes a protective layer, a contact layer, and the ultrasonic sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The ultrasonic sensor is disposed between the protective layer and the contact layer. The contact layer is configured to be attached to the measured object, and the protective layer is configured to protect the ultrasonic sensor.