Ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 7,993,056 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amemiya, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US12/163,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 374/29, 374/43, 374/44, 374/117, 374/118, 374/119, 374/208
• US Class Current: 374/117
• 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: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasonic probe in which a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor are located posterior to an oscillator; and a surface temperature calculation device for calculating a surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe on the basis of a first detection temperature Ta detected by the first temperature sensor and a second detection temperature Tb detected by the second temperature sensor. Also, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasonic probe in which a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor are embedded in a backing material; and a surface temperature calculation device for calculating a surface temperature Ts of the ultrasonic probe on the basis of a first detection temperature Ta detected by the first temperature sensor and a second detection temperature Tb detected by the second temperature sensor.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor located posterior to an oscillator.

16. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor are embedded in a backing material.

17. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising an acoustic matching layer located anterior to said oscillator.

18. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 17, further comprising an acoustic lens located adjacent to said acoustic matching layer.

2. An ultrasonic probe comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor embedded in a backing material.

3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein said first temperature sensor is positioned at a first point on a central axis of said backing material, and said second temperature sensor is positioned at a second point further from a surface of said ultrasonic probe than the first point on the central axis.

19. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, further comprising an oscillator, wherein said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor are located posterior to said oscillator.

20. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 19, further comprising an acoustic matching layer located anterior to said oscillator and posterior to an acoustic lens.

4. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor located posterior to an oscillator; and

a surface temperature calculation device configured to calculate a surface temperature of said ultrasonic probe based on a first detection temperature detected by said first temperature sensor and a second detection temperature detected by said second temperature sensor.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, a thermal resistance between a surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said temperature sensor is Rb.

10. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an external temperature sensor configured to detect an external temperature, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature of said ultrasonic probe based on a first detection temperature detected by said first temperature sensor, a second detection temperature detected by said second temperature sensor, and the external temperature.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb+(Ta−

Te)Ra/Re

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, the external temperature is Te, a thermal resistance between the surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor is Rb, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and the outside is Re.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe comprising a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor embedded in a backing material; and

a surface temperature calculation device configured to calculate a surface temperature of said ultrasonic probe based on a first detection temperature detected by said first temperature sensor and a second detection temperature detected by said second temperature sensor.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first temperature sensor is positioned at a first point on a central axis of said backing material, and said second temperature sensor is positioned at a second point further from a surface of said ultrasonic probe than the first point on the central axis.

8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, a thermal resistance between a surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said temperature sensor is Rb.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, a thermal resistance between a surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said temperature sensor is Rb.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an external temperature sensor configured to detect an external temperature, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature of said ultrasonic probe based on a first detection temperature detected by said first temperature sensor, a second detection temperature detected by said second temperature sensor, and the external temperature.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first temperature sensor is positioned at a first point on a central axis of said backing material, and said second temperature sensor is positioned at a second point further from a surface of said ultrasonic probe than the first point on the central axis.

14. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb+(Ta−

Te)Ra/Re

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, the external temperature is Te, a thermal resistance between the surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor is Rb, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and the outside is Re.

15. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said surface temperature calculation device is configured to calculate the surface temperature by the following expression:

Ts=Ta+(Ta−

Tb)Ra/Rb+(Ta−

Te)Ra/Re

where the surface temperature is Ts, the first detection temperature is Ta, the second detection temperature is Tb, the external temperature is Te, a thermal resistance between the surface of said ultrasonic probe and said first temperature sensor is Ra, a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor is Rb, and a thermal resistance between said first temperature sensor and the outside is Re.