TWI850825B - Ultrasonic transducer - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer is provided. The ultrasonic transducer includes a plurality of arc-shaped transducer elements and a controller. The arc-shaped transducing elements are arranged in parallel along the short axis direction. The controller is coupled to the arc-shaped transducer elements. The controller drives the arc-shaped transducer elements, so that the arc-shaped transducer elements provide ultrasonic signals respectively.

Description

Ultrasonic transducer

The present invention relates to a device, and more particularly to an ultrasonic transducer.

Existing ultrasonic transducers can provide ultrasonic signals and receive reflected signals related to the ultrasonic signals. However, when there is an obstacle between the object under test and the ultrasonic transducer, the reflected signal will be blocked. For example, the object under test is the chest cavity. The obstacle is, for example, the ribs. Most of the reflected signals will be blocked. Only a small part of the reflected signal will reach the internal organs in the chest cavity through the intercostal space. The intensity of the ultrasonic signal reaching the object under test is inevitably insufficient. Therefore, how to make the ultrasonic signal avoid obstacles and maintain the intensity of the ultrasonic signal reaching the object under test is one of the research focuses of technical personnel in this field.

The present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer which can make ultrasonic signals avoid obstacles and maintain the intensity of the ultrasonic signals reaching the object to be tested.

The ultrasonic transducer of the present invention comprises a plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements and a controller. The plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements are arranged in parallel along the short axis direction. The controller is coupled to the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements. The controller drives the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements so that the arc-shaped transducer array elements provide ultrasonic signals respectively.

Based on the above, the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention includes the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements. The plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements are driven to generate a sensing space. The sensing space can avoid obstacles between the object under test and the ultrasonic transducer. Therefore, the intensity of the ultrasonic signal reaching the object under test can be maintained. In addition, based on the arc-shaped design of the arc-shaped transducer array element, the ultrasonic transducer can provide a larger sensing space under other detection modes.

In order to make the above features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, embodiments are specifically cited below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the same element symbols appear in different drawings, they will be regarded as the same or similar elements. These embodiments are only part of the present invention and do not disclose all possible implementations of the present invention. More precisely, these embodiments are only examples within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 100 includes arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 and a controller 120. The arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 are arranged in parallel along the short axis direction D1. In addition, the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 are bent in an arc manner along the long axis direction D2. The arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 are configured in the ultrasonic probe 110. The controller 120 is coupled to the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6. The controller 120 drives the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 so that the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6 provide ultrasonic signals SU respectively.

For example, the controller 120 provides a driving signal SC to the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6. The arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 respectively respond to the voltage or phase of the driving signal SC to generate the ultrasonic signal SU.

In this embodiment, the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 are driven to generate a sensing space. The sensing space can avoid obstacles (such as ribs) between the object under test and the ultrasonic transducer 100. Therefore, the intensity of the ultrasonic signal SU reaching the object under test (such as the chest cavity) can be maintained. In addition, based on the arc-shaped design of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6, the ultrasonic transducer 100 can provide a larger sensing space in other detection methods.

Specifically, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 at the same time. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the operation of an arc-shaped transducer array according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to facilitate the illustration of the sensing space SSP1, FIG. 2 only shows the arc-shaped transducer array A1. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 100 operates, for example, in a phase array detection mode or a linear detection mode. Therefore, at least one of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 is driven to generate a fan-shaped sensing space SSP1. In this embodiment, the sensing space SSP1 is a space that the ultrasonic signal SU can reach. Therefore, the enlargement of the sensing space SSP1 increases the signal acquisition. It should be noted that the sensing space SSP1 avoids obstacles OB1 and OB2 (such as ribs or other bones). Therefore, the ultrasonic signal SU will not be blocked by the obstacles OB1 and OB2. The intensity of the ultrasonic signal SU reaching the target object OT in the sensing space SSP1 will not be reduced. In addition, the more the number of arc-shaped transducer arrays A1 to A6 that are driven, the greater the signal intensity in the sensing space SSP1. Therefore, the ultrasonic transducer 100 can control the intensity of the ultrasonic signal SU according to the number of arc-shaped transducer arrays A1 to A6 that are driven. In this way, the ultrasonic transducer 100 has good control linearity. In addition, the fan-shaped sensing space SSP1 can easily sense thin and long targets OT (such as needle-shaped objects). Therefore, the ultrasonic transducer 100 can easily generate the sensing space SSP1 in a linear detection manner to detect the thin and long target OT.

For further specific explanation, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 simultaneously. FIG. 3 is another operation schematic diagram of the arc-shaped transducer array element according to an embodiment of the present invention. In order to facilitate the illustration of the sensing space SSP2, FIG. 3 only shows the arc-shaped transducer array element A1. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 100 operates, for example, in a linear detection manner. Therefore, at least one of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 is driven to generate the sensing space SSP2. It should be noted that the sensing space SSP2 extends along the emission surface direction of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6. The emission surface of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 is an arc-shaped convex surface. Therefore, the sensing space SSP2 is greatly expanded. In this way, the ultrasonic transducer 100 can provide a larger sensing space in a linear detection mode. The existing ultrasonic transducer must use a convex detection mode to generate the sensing space SSP2. Therefore, the ultrasonic transducer 100 can use a simpler linear detection mode to generate the sensing space SSP2.

Please return to the embodiment of FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 can also receive a reflection signal SR. The reflection signal SR is used to generate an ultrasonic image. In this embodiment, the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 receive a reflection signal SR from a sensing space. The arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 to A6 respectively react to the reflection signal SR and deform to generate an electrical signal related to the received reflection signal SR. The electrical signal is provided to the controller 120. An ultrasonic image is generated based on the electrical signal. For example, a processing circuit located outside the ultrasonic transducer 100 receives the electrical signal through the controller 120 and converts the electrical signal into an ultrasonic image.

In this embodiment, the material of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 includes piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is, for example, PZT piezoelectric ceramic (the present invention is not limited thereto). For example, the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 include a plurality of piezoelectric structures or piezoelectric patterns.

The number of arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 in this embodiment is 6. The number of arc-shaped transducer array elements in the present invention can be multiple, and is not limited to the number of arc-shaped transducer array elements in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, arc-shaped transducer array A1 is adjacent to arc-shaped transducer array A2. Arc-shaped transducer array A2 is adjacent to arc-shaped transducer array A3, and so on. In some embodiments, there is a distance between two adjacent arc-shaped transducer array elements among arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6. The distance is less than half of the wavelength of the ultrasonic signal SU and half of the reflected signal SR.

Please refer to FIG. 4 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic transducer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 200 includes a plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements and a back structure BK. The implementation of the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements has been clearly described in the plurality of embodiments of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , and will not be repeated here. In order to clearly illustrate the configuration between the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements and the back structure BK, this embodiment only shows the configuration of the back structure BK and the arc-shaped transducer array element A1. In this embodiment, the back structure BK is used to absorb the reflected noise between the controller (such as the controller 120 shown in FIG. 1 ) and the arc-shaped transducer array element. The back structure BK has an arc-shaped convex surface P1. The arc-shaped transducer array A1 is disposed on the arc-shaped convex surface P1. In addition, the arc-shaped concave surface PCC of the arc-shaped transducer array A1 matches the arc-shaped convex surface P1 of the dorsal structure BK. Therefore, the arc-shaped transducer array A1 can be attached to the arc-shaped convex surface P1 of the dorsal structure BK. The plurality of arc-shaped transducer arrays and the dorsal structure BK are configured in the ultrasonic probe 110.

Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 300 includes arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6, linear transducer arrays L1-L6, and a controller 120. The arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 are arranged in parallel along the short axis direction D1. The arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 are bent in an arc manner along the long axis direction D2. The linear transducer arrays L1-L6 extend along the short axis direction D1 and are arranged in parallel along the long axis direction D2. The extension direction of the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 and the extension direction of the linear transducer arrays L1-L6 are interlaced with each other. In addition, the linear transducer array elements L1 - L6 and the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 - A6 are stacked. The arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 - A6 and the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1 - A6 are arranged in the ultrasonic probe 310 .

The controller 120 is coupled to the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 and the linear transducer arrays L1-L6. The controller 120 drives the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 so that the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 provide ultrasonic signals SU respectively. The linear transducer arrays L1-L6 receive reflected signals SR respectively. In this embodiment, the material of the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 includes piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is, for example, PZT piezoelectric ceramic (the present invention is not limited thereto). For example, the arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6 include a plurality of piezoelectric structures or piezoelectric patterns respectively.

In some embodiments, the material of the linear transducer array L1-L6 includes a piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material is, for example, PZT piezoelectric ceramic. For example, the linear transducer array L1-L6 includes a plurality of piezoelectric structures or piezoelectric patterns. In some embodiments, the linear transducer array L1-L6 includes a plurality of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (cMUT).

It should be noted that in this embodiment, the extension direction of the arc-shaped transducer array A1-A6 and the extension direction of the linear transducer array L1-L6 are interlaced with each other. Therefore, the stacking of the arc-shaped transducer array A1-A6 and the linear transducer array L1-L6 provides a sensing array of the ultrasonic transducer 300. The sensing array has 36 equivalent sensing units. In addition, the arc-shaped transducer array A1-A6 respectively provides ultrasonic signals SU. The linear transducer array L1-L6 respectively receives reflected signals SR. Therefore, the division of labor between the arc-shaped transducer array A1-A6 and the linear transducer array L1-L6 enables the ultrasonic transducer 300 to have a faster response speed. Therefore, the linear transducer array elements L1-L6 quickly receive the reflected signal SR. The reflected signal SR is used to generate a three-dimensional ultrasonic image.

Furthermore, the ultrasonic transducer 300 has a faster response speed. This enables the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6 to receive multi-layer reflection signals SR at different depths in a shorter time. Therefore, a stereoscopic ultrasonic image is generated in a shorter time. The linear transducer array elements L1-L6 respectively react to the reflection signals SR and deform to generate multi-layer electrical signals related to the received multi-layer reflection signals SR. The multi-layer electrical signals are provided to the controller 120. The ultrasonic image is generated according to the multi-layer electrical signals. For example, the processing circuit outside the ultrasonic transducer 300 receives the multi-layer electrical signal through the controller 120, converts the multi-layer electrical signal into a multi-layer ultrasonic image, and combines the multi-layer ultrasonic image into a three-dimensional ultrasonic image.

The number of the linear energy conversion array elements L1 to L6 in this embodiment is 6. The number of the linear energy conversion array elements of the present invention can be multiple, and is not limited to the number of the linear energy conversion array elements in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the arc-shaped transducer array A1 is adjacent to the arc-shaped transducer array A2. The arc-shaped transducer array A2 is adjacent to the arc-shaped transducer array A3, and so on. The linear transducer array L1 is adjacent to the linear transducer array L2. The linear transducer array L2 is adjacent to the linear transducer array L3, and so on. In some embodiments, there is a spacing between two adjacent arc-shaped transducer array elements among the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1-A6. The spacing is less than half of the wavelength of the ultrasonic signal SU and half of the reflected signal SR. Similarly, there is a spacing between two adjacent linear transducer array elements among the linear transducer array elements L1-L6. The spacing is less than half the wavelength of the ultrasonic signal SU and half the wavelength of the reflected signal SR.

Please refer to FIG. 6 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasonic transducer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 400 includes a plurality of arc-shaped transducer arrays (only the arc-shaped transducer array A1 is shown in this embodiment), linear transducer arrays L1 to L6, a back structure BK, and reference potential layers LVR1 and LVR2. The implementation of the plurality of arc-shaped transducer arrays, the linear transducer arrays L1 to L6, and the back structure BK has been clearly described in the plurality of embodiments of FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 , and thus will not be repeated here. The reference potential layer LVR1 is disposed on the emission surface PCV (i.e., the arc-shaped convex surface) of the plurality of arc-shaped transducer arrays. A reference potential VR is applied to the reference potential layer LVR1. The reference potential VR is, for example, a ground potential (the present invention is not limited thereto). In this embodiment, the reference potential layer LVR2 is disposed on the signal receiving surface (i.e., the arc-shaped convex surface) of the linear transducer array elements L1-L6. The reference potential VR is applied to the reference potential layer LVR2. The reference potential layers LVR1 and LVR2 are used to isolate electromagnetic interference. Therefore, the risk of erroneous operation of the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements and the linear transducer array elements L1-L6 due to electromagnetic interference can be reduced.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7 at the same time. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 100 further includes a matching layer ML and an acoustic transparent mirror layer AL. The matching layer ML has a first surface PM1 and a second surface PM2. The first surface PM1 is opposite to the second surface PM2. The matching layer ML is arranged corresponding to the emission surface PE (i.e., the arc convex surface) of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6. In this embodiment, the first surface PM1 of the matching layer ML is an arc-shaped concave surface. The first surface PM1 of the matching layer ML is consistent with the emission surface PE of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6. Therefore, the matching layer ML can be attached to the emission surface PE of the arc-shaped transducer array elements A1~A6. The matching layer 124 has a suitable acoustic impedance to provide a better acoustic impedance match between the ultrasonic transducer 100 and the object under test, so that most of the ultrasonic signal SU can enter and reach the object under test.

In the present embodiment, the acoustic mirror layer AL is disposed corresponding to the second surface PM2 of the matching layer ML. Taking the present embodiment as an example, the acoustic mirror layer AL has a first surface PA1 and a second surface PA2. The first surface PA1 is opposite to the second surface PA2. The second surface PM2 of the matching layer ML is an arc-shaped convex surface. The first surface PA1 of the acoustic mirror layer AL is an arc-shaped concave surface. The second surface PM2 of the matching layer ML is consistent with the first surface PA1 of the acoustic mirror layer AL. Therefore, the acoustic mirror layer AL can be attached to the second surface PM2 of the matching layer ML. The acoustic mirror layer AL can be a lens that the ultrasonic signal SU and the reflected signal SR can penetrate. The acoustic mirror layer AL isolates and protects the ultrasonic probe 110. In this embodiment, arc-shaped transducer arrays A1-A6, matching layers ML, and acoustic mirror layers AL are disposed in the ultrasonic probe 110. In addition, the second surface PA2 of the acoustic mirror layer AL is an arc-shaped convex surface.

In some embodiments, the second surface PM2 of the matching layer ML and the first surface PA1 of the acoustic mirror layer AL may be planes, respectively.

In summary, the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention includes the plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements. The plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements are driven to generate a sensing space. The sensing space can avoid obstacles between the object under test and the ultrasonic transducer. Therefore, the intensity of the ultrasonic signal reaching the object under test can be maintained. Based on the arc-shaped design of the arc-shaped transducer array element, the ultrasonic transducer can provide a larger sensing space under other detection modes. In addition, in some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer further includes a plurality of linear transducer array elements. The reflected signal received by the ultrasonic transducer can be used to generate a stereoscopic ultrasonic image.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above by the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be defined by the scope of the attached patent application.

100, 200, 300, 400: ultrasonic transducer 110, 310: ultrasonic probe 120: controller A1~A6: arc-shaped transducer array AL: acoustic lens layer BK: dorsal structure D1: short axis direction D2: long axis direction L1~L6: linear transducer array LVR1, LVR2: reference potential layer ML: matching layer OT: target P1: arc-shaped convex surface of dorsal structure PA1: first surface of acoustic lens layer PA2: second surface of acoustic lens layer PCC: arc-shaped concave surface of arc-shaped transducer array PCV, PE: emitting surface of arc-shaped transducer array PM1: first surface of matching layer PM2: second surface of matching layer SC: driving signal SR: reflected signal SSP1, SSP2: sensing space SU: ultrasonic signal VR: reference potential

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an operation schematic diagram of an arc-shaped transducer array element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is another operation schematic diagram of an arc-shaped transducer array element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a structural schematic diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

100: Ultrasonic transducer 110: Ultrasonic probe 120: Controller A1~A6: Arc transducer array D1: Short axis direction D2: Long axis direction SC: Drive signal SR: Reflection signal SU: Ultrasonic signal

Claims (8)

An ultrasonic transducer comprises: a plurality of arc-shaped transducer array elements arranged in parallel along a short axis direction; a plurality of linear transducer array elements extending along the short axis direction and arranged in parallel along a long axis direction, and stacked with the arc-shaped transducer array elements, wherein the linear transducer array elements receive a reflected signal, wherein the extending directions of the arc-shaped transducer array elements and the extending directions of the linear transducer array elements intersect with each other to provide a sensing array of the ultrasonic transducer; and a controller coupled to the arc-shaped transducer array elements, configured to drive the arc-shaped transducer array elements so that the arc-shaped transducer array elements provide an ultrasonic signal respectively, wherein the reflected signal is used to generate a stereoscopic ultrasonic image. An ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the arc-shaped transducer array elements is driven to generate a sensing space having a fan shape. An ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 2, wherein the greater the number of driven arc-shaped transducer array elements, the greater the signal intensity in the sensing space. As described in claim 1, the material of the arc-shaped transducer array elements includes piezoelectric material, and each of the arc-shaped transducer array elements has an emitting surface, wherein the emitting surface is used to emit the ultrasonic signal, and the ultrasonic transducer further includes: a matching layer having a first surface, arranged corresponding to the emitting surface; and an acoustic lens layer, arranged corresponding to a second surface of the matching layer. An ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 1, wherein: The arc-shaped transducer array elements receive a reflected signal, and the reflected signal is used to generate an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 1 further comprises: a back structure having an arc-shaped convex surface, wherein the arc-shaped transducer array elements are arranged on the arc-shaped convex surface, and wherein the arc-shaped concave surface of each of the arc-shaped transducer array elements coincides with the arc-shaped convex surface. The ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 1 further includes: a reference potential layer, which is disposed on the signal receiving surface of the linear transducer array elements and is applied with a reference potential. The ultrasonic transducer as described in claim 1 further includes: a reference potential layer, which is disposed on the arc-shaped convex surface of the arc-shaped transducer array elements and is applied with a reference potential.

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