Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 20060100513A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00

Abstract

An ultrasonic probe comprises a transducer part, a heat-receiving part, a refrigeration unit and a cable unit. The cable unit includes a signal line, a refrigerant supply tube, a refrigerant ejection tube and a heat insulator. The heat-receiving part absorbs heat generated from the transducer part. The refrigerant supply tube supplies a refrigerant from the refrigeration unit to the heat-receiving part. The refrigerant ejection tube sends the refrigerant for ejecting heat of the heat-receiving part to the refrigeration unit. The heat insulator is arranged around the refrigerant supply tube. A set of the refrigerant supply tube, the refrigerant ejection tube and the heat insulator is arranged at a center of the cable unit substantially while the signal line is arranged around at least one of the refrigerant supply tube, the refrigerant ejection tube and the heat insulator.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit having a transducer part and a heat-receiving part, the transducer part being configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave, the heat-receiving part being configured to absorb heat generated from the transducer part;

a refrigeration unit configured to refrigerate the heat-receiving part; and

a cable unit having a signal line, a refrigerant supply tube, a refrigerant ejection tube and a heat insulator, the signal line being configured to communicate a signal between the transducer part and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the refrigerant supply tube being configured to supply a refrigerant from the refrigeration unit to the heat-receiving part, the refrigerant ejection tube being configured to send the refrigerant for ejecting heat of the heat-receiving part to the refrigeration unit, the heat insulator being arranged around the refrigerant supply tube;

wherein a set of the refrigerant supply tube, the refrigerant ejection tube and the heat insulator is arranged at a center of the cable unit substantially while the signal line is arranged around at least one of the refrigerant supply tube, the refrigerant ejection tube and the heat insulator.

2. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant supply tube and the refrigerant ejection tube are configured to be a common multi-channel tube with a circular section which has at least two independent channels in a length direction, one channel being used for the refrigerant supply tube while an other channel is used for the refrigerant ejection tube.

3. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the multi-channel tube has a space on a partition between the refrigerant supply tube and the refrigerant ejection tube.

4. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit having a transducer part and a heat-receiving part, the transducer part being configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave, the heat-receiving part being configured to absorb heat generated from the transducer part;

a refrigeration unit configured to refrigerate the heat-receiving part; and

a cable unit having a signal line, a refrigerant supply tube and a refrigerant ejection tube, the signal line being configured to communicate a signal between the transducer part and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the refrigerant supply tube being configured to supply a refrigerant from the refrigeration unit to the heat-receiving part, the refrigerant ejection tube being configured to send the refrigerant for ejecting heat of the heat-receiving part to the refrigeration unit;

wherein one of the refrigerant supply tube and the refrigerant ejection tube is arranged at a center of the cable unit while an other tube includes sub-tubes arranged at equal intervals substantially in positions on a circle away from the one.

5. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the other tube includes at least three sub-tubes.

6. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, further comprising a heat insulator around the refrigerant supply tube.

7. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit;

a connector unit configured to communicate a signal with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core; and

a cable unit connecting the probe unit with the connector unit,

wherein the probe unit includes;

a probe case;

a transducer configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from a object, the transducer being arranged in the probe case;

a shield arranged in the probe case to surround inside the probe case;

a heat conduction part arranged between the shield and the transducer to conduct heat form the transducer to the shield; and

a endotherm part configured to absorb heat of the shield.

9. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 7,

wherein the endotherm part is arranged between the probe case and the shield.

10. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 7,

wherein the endotherm part is arranged in the cable unit side of the transducer inside the shield.

8. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit;

a connector unit configured to communicate a signal with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core; and

a cable unit connecting the probe unit with the connector unit,

wherein the probe unit includes;

a probe case;

a transducer configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from a object, the transducer being arranged in the probe case;

a circuit board connected to the transducer to perform at least one of generation of an ultrasonic driving signal to be given to the transducer and processing of an ultrasonic reception signal received from the transducer;

a shield arranged in the probe case to surround inside the probe case;

a heat conduction part arranged between the shield and the circuit board to conduct heat form the circuit board to the shield; and

a endotherm part configured to absorb heat of the shield.

11. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 8,

wherein the endotherm part is arranged between the probe case and the shield.

12. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 8,

wherein the endotherm part is arranged in the cable unit side of the circuit board inside the shield.

13. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit;

a connector unit configured to communicate a signal with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core; and

a cable unit connecting the probe unit with the connector unit,

wherein the probe unit includes;

a probe case;

a transducer configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from a object, the transducer being arranged in the probe case; and

a shield arranged in the probe case to surround the transducer to absorb heat from the transducer and shield the transducer from an electromagnetic wave.

14. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

a probe unit;

a connector unit configured to communicate a signal with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core; and

a cable unit connecting the probe unit with the connector unit,

wherein the probe unit includes;

a probe case;

a transducer configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave to and from a object, the transducer being arranged in the probe case;

a circuit board connected to the transducer to perform at least one of generation of an ultrasonic driving signal to be given to the transducer and processing of an ultrasonic reception signal received from the transducer; and

a shield arranged in the probe case to surround the circuit board to absorb heat from the circuit board and shield the circuit board from an electromagnetic wave.

15. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

an ultrasonic transmission and reception unit having an ultrasonic transducer, a heat-receiver and a housing case, the ultrasonic transducer transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave, the housing case housing the ultrasonic transducer and the heat-receiver; and

a probe connector unit configured to connect the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core,

wherein the probe connector unit includes;

a radiator having refrigerant channels connected each other to radiate heat of a refrigerant passing through the refrigerant channels;

a circulation part configured to circulate the refrigerant between the heat-receiver and the radiator; and

a connector case housing the radiator and the circulation part.

16. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 15,

wherein the radiator has the refrigerant channels along an inside face of the connector case.

17. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 15,

wherein the connector case has an outer surface formed in uneven.

18. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 15,

further comprising a cooling fan configured to form an air channel along the refrigerant channels.

19. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 15,

further comprising a partition separating a circuit part from the radiator and the circulation part in the connector case, the circuit part communicating a signal between the probe connector unit and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus core.

20. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 15,

further comprising a temperature detection unit arranged inside at least one of the housing case and the connector case;

and

a refrigerant flux control unit configured to adjust a flux of the refrigerant given to the heat-receiver in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

21. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 17,

wherein the connector case has the outer surface which faces to the radiator.

22. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 18,

wherein the cooling fan is arranged in the connector case.

23. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 18,

further comprising a temperature detection unit arranged inside at least one of the housing case and the connector case,

wherein the cooling fan is configured to set a rotational velocity of a fan in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

24. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 20,

wherein the refrigerant flux control unit is configured to give the refrigerant to the heat-receiver after changing the flux of the refrigerant sent forth from the circulation part.

25. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 20,

wherein the circulation part includes a pump having a refrigerant regulating valve on a vent of the refrigerant, and

the refrigerant flux control unit is configured to adjust the flux of the refrigerant by controlling a valve travel of the refrigerant regulating valve.

26. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 20,

wherein the temperature detection unit is arranged around at least one of the ultrasonic transducer, the heat-receiver and the radiator.

27. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe according to claim 15;

and

an image generating unit configured to generate image data in accordance with a signal acquired through transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave by the ultrasonic probe.