ULTRASONIC PROBE FOR INTRA-CAVITY DIAGNOSIS AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic probe for intra-cavity diagnosis comprising an ultrasonic transducer array disposed at a tip of said probe, said ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array, and an electric circuit including at least some of necessary electric elements for activating said ultrasonic transducers, said electric circuit being formed as a layer laid under said ultrasonic transducers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A diagnostic ultrasonic probe for use in body cavities has at its tip an ultrasonic transducer array, which has a layered structure wherein a flexible circuit board, an electric circuit, a backing material, a piezoelectric element array, an acoustic impedance matching layer and an acoustic lens are formed atop another on a supporting member. The electric circuit includes at least one of amplifiers for amplifying echo signals from ultrasonic transducers, switches for switching over between sending the echo signals from the ultrasonic transducers and receiving drive signals for exciting the ultrasonic transducers, a multiplexer for selective-switching between the echo signals as well as between the drive signals, an A/D converter for converting the echo signals from an analog form to a digital form, and a D/A converter for converting the drive signals from a digital form to an analog form.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. An ultrasonic probe for intra-cavity diagnosis comprising an ultrasonic transducer array disposed at a tip of said probe, said ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array, and an electric circuit including at least some of necessary electric elements for activating said ultrasonic transducers, said electric circuit being formed as a layer laid under said ultrasonic transducers.
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15-16. -16. (canceled)
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18-20. -20. (canceled)
Specification