Crosslinked molding, sound medium using it and ultrasonic coupler

• US 5,318,035 A
• Filed: 12/01/1992
• Issued: 06/07/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Hideo, Konno, Mitsuru, Inoue, Yuichi, Konno, Masayuki, Shirai, Fumiya, Horiuchi, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis
• Application Number:
  US07/983,713
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 128/662.03, 73/644, 264/85, 264/240, 264/272.16, 264/DIG. 42
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/02 Mechanical acoustic impedances; Impedance matching, e.g. by horns; Acoustic resonators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/42 Processes of molding involving cross linking

Abstract

A crosslinked molding, a process for producing the same, a sound medium using the same, and an ultrasonic coupler using the same are disclosed. The crosslinked molding comprises a crosslinked molding comprising a composition containing a rubbery elastic body comprising a hydrophobic high molecular weight material having at least one double bond in the molecule and an oily component dissolving the rubbery elastic body, the composition being crosslinked by the addition of an organic peroxide or by the irradiation of a radiation and molded.

Claims

1. A crosslinked molding, wherein said molding comprises a molded composition comprising:

a rubbery elastic body, wherein said rubbery elastic body comprises a hydrophobic high molecular weight material having at least one double bond in the molecule, dissolved in an oily component,

and wherein said composition has been crosslinked by the addition of an organic peroxide or by irradiation with radiation.

2. The crosslinked molding of claim 1, wherein the oily component is selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils, mineral oils, ester oils, animal oils and liquid emulsifying agents.

3. The crosslinked molding of claim 1, wherein the oily component is a dibasic acid ester or an organic compound having a benzene ring in the molecule and a specific gravity at 25°

C. of at least 0.95.

4. The crosslinked molding of claim 1, wherein the crosslinked molding is formed on one surface of an oil resistant plastic substrate.

5. The crosslinked molding of claim 4, wherein a primer layer comprising:

(a) a synthetic resin component, wherein said resin component is not dissolved in or swelled by the oily component of the crosslinked molding composition, and

(b) a rubber component comprising a hydrophobic high molecular weight material having at least one double bond in the molecule, wherein said rubber component is compatible with the synthetic resin component,

is formed on the surface of said oil resistant plastic substrate.

6. The crosslinked molding of claim 4, wherein a porous layer selected from the group consisting of paper, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, net, continuous foam and a plane fastener is formed at a part of the surface of the oil resistant plastic substrate and the crosslinked molding is formed on the inside of the porous layer and on the surface thereof.

11. An ultrasonic coupler comprising an ultrasonic probe-fixing member adapted to be connected to an ultrasonic probe and the crosslinked molding of claim 1 connected to the fixing member, wherein said ultrasonic coupler is positioned between the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface of the ultrasonic probe and a testee, and wherein a porous layer is formed at a part of the ultrasonic probe-fixing member and a sound medium comprising the crosslinked molding is formed on the inside of the porous layer and on the surface thereof.

12. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 11, wherein the internal sound velocity at normal temperature is from 1,300 to 1,600 m/sec., the sound impedance is from 1.0 to 1.7×

10⁶ kg/m² ·

second, and the attenuation ratio is from 0 to 3.0 dB/cm·

MHz.

13. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic coupler contains at least one of inorganic fillers, plastic beads, and fibers, as an attenuation controlling agent.

14. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 11, wherein the surface of the crosslinked molding is covered with an oil resistant plastic film.

15. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 14, wherein a reinforcing material for the crosslinked molding is formed adjacent to the crosslinked molding or is partially or wholly embedded in the crosslinked molding.

16. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 15, wherein the reinforcing material is formed in a position which is outside of the path of the ultrasonic pulses transmitted from the ultrasonic probe.

17. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 16, wherein the reinforcing material is formed in a perpendicular direction to an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving plane of the ultrasonic probe.

18. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 15, wherein the reinforcing material is immersed in the gel composition solution for forming the crosslinked molding before the gel composition solution is gelled, and wherein the resulting ultrasonic coupler integrates the crosslinked molding and the reinforcing material in one body.

19. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 15, wherein the reinforcing material comprises a flexible material selected from a net, a plastic film, a paper, a nonwoven fabric, and a woven fabric.

20. The ultrasonic coupler of claim 15, wherein the reinforcing material has an uneven lower edge.

7. A process for producing a crosslinked molding comprising the steps of:

(1) pouring a composition for forming the crosslinked molding into a mold having a definite form, or forming a film, wherein said composition comprises;

a first rubber component comprising a hydrophobic high molecular weight material, wherein said material is compatible with an oily component and has at least one double bond in the molecule dissolved in

an oily component;

(2) forming on the surface of an oil resistant plastic substrate a primer layer composition comprising;

(a) a synthetic resin component, wherein said resin component is not dissolved in or swelled by the oily component of the crosslinked molding composition, and

(b) a second rubber component comprising a hydrophobic high molecular weight material having at least one double bond in the molecule, wherein said second rubber component is compatible with the synthetic resin component;

(3) contacting the surface of the composition for forming the crosslinked molding poured into the mold, or formed into a film in step (1), with the primer layer composition on the surface of the oil resistant plastic substrate of step (2); and

(4) crosslinking each composition contacted in step (3).

8. The process of producing a crosslinked molding of claim 7, wherein the synthetic resin component which is not dissolved in or not swelled with the oily component is a synthetic resin which is the same as or similar to the oil resistant plastic substrate.

9. The process of producing the crosslinked molding of claim 7, wherein the 2nd rubber component is a liquid rubber having a fluidity under the working temperature.

10. The process of producing the crosslinked molding of claim 7, further comprising a step of forming a adhesive layer or a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the opposite surface of the substrate to the surface of forming the primer composition layer.