Three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner
First Claim
1. A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
- a scanner case;
a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof;
swing means for swinging said transducer unit within said scanner case in a direction normal to a scanning plane produced by the plurality of transducer elements; and
angle detection means for detecting a swing angle of the transducer unit relative to the scanner case.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner for acquiring data concerning a three-dimensional area within a living body to be examined. In the inside of a scanner case is encased an array transducer unit. Further, at the end bottom portion of the transducer unit there is provided an array transducer composed of a plurality of transducer elements arranged in line one after another. The electronic scanning of this array transducer produces a two-dimensional scanning plane. In addition, a swinging mechanism is provided for mechanically swinging the transducer unit in a direction normal to the arrangement direction of the transducer elements. This mechanical swing movement of the transducer unit shifts the two-dimensional scanning plane to a direction normal thereto, thereby forming a three-dimensional data acquisition area within the living body. Here, a swing angle of the transducer unit is detected by an angle detector.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
-
a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; swing means for swinging said transducer unit within said scanner case in a direction normal to a scanning plane produced by the plurality of transducer elements; and angle detection means for detecting a swing angle of the transducer unit relative to the scanner case. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
-
a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; acoustic energy propagation means disposed between the end portion of the transducer unit and an inner bottom surface of the scanner case, said means comprising a partition membrane hermetically attached at a peripheral portion thereof to inner side wall portions of the scanner case and attached at a top central portion thereof to the end portion of the transducer unit so as to define a sealed space between the partition membrane, the inner side wall portions and the inner bottom surface of the scanner case, and wherein said sealed space is filled with an acoustic energy propagation medium.
-
-
15. A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising:
-
a scanner case having a concave inner bottom surface of a first curvature; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an end portion defining a convex transmitting/receiving surface having a second curvature, said transducer unit including an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements arranged along said convex transmitting/receiving surface; wherein said first curvature is larger than said second curvature and wherein said second curvature becomes gradually smaller from a central portion of the inner bottom surface to a peripheral portion thereof. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification