Mechanical ultrasonic scanner
First Claim
1. A mechanical ultrasonic scanner for providing an ultrasonic scanning beam comprising:
- a housing;
a transducer element arranged in said housing;
means for swinging said transducer element; and
means for detecting a swinging angle of said transducer element, said detecting means including a first member which is swung together with said transducer element, and a second member having front and rear surfaces and attached to said housing in a manner such that the rear surface of said second member is in contact with the housing and the front surface of the second member faces to a part of a front surface of said first member which defines a swinging locus plane of the first member, said detecting means causing one of the first and second members to generate a magnetic field at least in a space between the front surface of the second member and the part of the swinging locus plane of the first member, causing the other of the first and second members to detect a strength of the magnetic field which changes in correspondence with a swinging angle of the first member, and detecting the swinging angle of said transducer element on the basis of the change in strength of the detected magnetic field.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mechanical ultrasonic scanner includes a transducer element which is swingably supported in a housing, and a sensor for detecting a swinging angle of the transducer element. The sensor includes a permanent magnet swung together with the transducer element, and a magnetoresistive element fixed to the housing to be opposite to a swinging locus of the permanent magnet. The permanent magnet generates a magnetic field between the permanent magnet and the magnetoresistive element. The magnetoresistive element detects a strength of the magnetic field which changes in correspondence with a swinging angle of the magnet, so that the swinging angle of the transducer element is detected on the basis of the change in the strength of the magnetic field. Even if the housing contains a sound transmitting medium, the magnetic field generated by the sensor is not adversely affected by the sound transmitting medium. Therefore, the swinging angle of the transducer element can be accurately detected to accurately obtain a radiating/returning direction of an ultrasonic beam, thus accurately reconstructing an image. In addition, the position of the transducer element can be controlled with high precision.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A mechanical ultrasonic scanner for providing an ultrasonic scanning beam comprising:
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a housing; a transducer element arranged in said housing; means for swinging said transducer element; and means for detecting a swinging angle of said transducer element, said detecting means including a first member which is swung together with said transducer element, and a second member having front and rear surfaces and attached to said housing in a manner such that the rear surface of said second member is in contact with the housing and the front surface of the second member faces to a part of a front surface of said first member which defines a swinging locus plane of the first member, said detecting means causing one of the first and second members to generate a magnetic field at least in a space between the front surface of the second member and the part of the swinging locus plane of the first member, causing the other of the first and second members to detect a strength of the magnetic field which changes in correspondence with a swinging angle of the first member, and detecting the swinging angle of said transducer element on the basis of the change in strength of the detected magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A mechanical ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
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a volume-rigid housing; a transducer element arranged in said housing; means for swinging said transducer element; a liquid sound transmitting medium which is contained in said housing, and in which said transducer element is dipped; and means for adjustably compressing said sound transmitting medium in said housing with respect to ambient, at least during the scanning of said transducer, whereby formation of bubbles from said sound transmitting medium is prevented. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A mechanical ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer element swingably supported in said housing; drive force generating means including a drive shaft for generating a drive force of swinging movement; and a link mechanism for transmitting the drive force from said drive force generating means to said transducer element, said link mechanism including (a) a first link member having a distal end and a proximal end which is fixed to said drive shaft, (b) a second link member having a distal end and a proximal end which is rotatably coupled to said distal end of said first link member, and (c) a third link member which has a proximal end rotatably coupled to said distal end of said second link member, and a distal end rotatably supported in said housing, said transducer element coupled to the third link member, whereby when said drive shaft is swung, said link members in said link mechanism are moved, so that said transducer element is swung. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A mechanical ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
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a housing; a transducer element swingably supported in said housing; drive force generating means for generating a drive force of swinging movement; and transmitting means for transmitting the drive force to said transducer element to swing said transducer element, said drive force generating means including (a) a drive shaft made of a permanent magnet having one side, in a radial direction serving as a north pole, and the other side, in a radial direction, serving as a south pole, (b) a stator having a pair of opposite surfaces which are spaced apart from and face with surfaces of the sides of said drive shaft, said drive shaft being surrounded by the opposite surfaces of said stator and located within a space formed by the opposite surfaces of said stator, and (c) coil means for periodically exciting said pair of opposite surfaces of said stator, so that said pair of opposite surfaces are periodically magnetized to north and south poles to swing said drive shaft. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification