Ultrasonic device, probe, electronic instrument, diagnostic device, and processing device

• US 9,271,699 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kano, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): IMPINK, BRADLEY GERALD
• Application Number:
  US13/771,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4411 Device being modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0607 using multiple elements B06B1/064 and B06B1/0688 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0622 on one surface

Abstract

An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic element group, a first to an Nth driving electrode lines, first and second terminals. The ultrasonic element group includes a plurality of ultrasonic elements forming “N” columns arranged along a second direction intersecting with a first direction with each of the “N” columns including a plurality of the ultrasonic elements arranged along the first direction, “N” being a natural number that is equal to or more than 2. The first to the Nth driving electrode lines are arranged along the first direction. An ith driving electrode line is connected to the ultrasonic elements constituting an ith column among the “N” columns, with “i” being a natural number equal to or less than “N”. The first terminal is connected to one end of the ith driving electrode line, and the second terminal is connected to the other end of the ith driving electrode line.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic device comprising:

an ultrasonic element group including a plurality of ultrasonic elements, the ultrasonic elements forming “

N”

columns arranged along a second direction intersecting with a first direction with each of the “

N”

columns including a plurality of the ultrasonic elements arranged along the first direction, “

N”

being a natural number that is equal to or more than 2;

a first to an Nth driving electrode lines arranged along the first direction;

a first terminal from which a first driving signal for driving the ultrasonic elements, which is an alternating voltage, is supplied to the ultrasonic elements; and

a second terminal from which a second driving signal for driving the ultrasonic elements, which is an alternating voltage, is supplied to the ultrasonic elements,

an ith driving electrode line among the first to the Nth driving electrode lines being connected to the ultrasonic elements constituting an ith column among the “

N”

columns, with “

i”

being a natural number that is equal to or less than “

N”

, the first terminal being connected to one end of the ith driving electrode line, the second terminal being connected to the other end of the ith driving electrode line.

2. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the “

N”

columns includes an “

M”

number of the ultrasonic elements arranged along the first direction, with the “

M”

number being a natural number that is equal to or more than 3.

3. The ultrasonic device according to claim 2, wherein

the ultrasonic elements are configured such that the number “

M”

is set equal to or less than a number “

a”

, with the number “

a”

of the ultrasonic elements having sound pressure distribution characteristics of ultrasonic waves in the first direction, which are output from the ultrasonic element group, that have a half value of a peak sound pressure at center of a column of the ultrasonic elements when input of the first driving signal only to the first terminal is applied.

4. The ultrasonic device according to claim 2, wherein

the ultrasonic elements are configured such that the number “

M”

is set equal to or less than a number “

b”

, with the number “

b”

of the ultrasonic elements having sound pressure distribution characteristics of ultrasonic waves in the first direction, which are output from the ultrasonic element group, that have a single peak when input of the first driving signal to the first terminal and of the second driving signal to the second terminal is applied, and with a number “

b+1”

of the ultrasonic elements having the sound pressure distribution characteristics that have double peaks when the input of the first driving signal to the first terminal and of the second driving signal to the second terminal is applied.

5. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a driving signal output circuit configured to output the first and second driving signals to the first and second terminals, respectively.

6. The ultrasonic device according to claim 5, wherein

amplitude of the alternating voltage of the first driving signal output to the first terminal is different from amplitude of the alternating voltage of the second driving signal output to the second terminal.

7. The ultrasonic device according to claim 6, wherein

the driving signal output circuit has an output amplifier, a first variable resistance for adjusting amplitude of the first driving signal to the first terminal provided between the output amplifier and the first terminal, and a second variable resistance for adjusting amplitude of the second driving signal to the second terminal provided between the output amplifier and the second terminal.

8. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the “

N”

columns includes an “

M”

number of the ultrasonic elements arranged along the first direction, with the “

M”

number being a natural number that is equal to or more than 2, and the ultrasonic element group is a group of the ultrasonic elements arranged in a matrix pattern having the “

M”

number of rows and the “

N”

columns in which the “

N”

columns of the ultrasonic elements are arranged.

9. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of common electrode lines arranged along the second direction.

10. The ultrasonic device according to claim 9, further comprising

a shared common electrode line commonly-connected to the common electrode lines and arranged along the first direction.

11. The ultrasonic device according to claim 10, further comprising

terminals provided at both ends of the shared common electrode line for supplying a common voltage to the ultrasonic element group.

12. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

the ultrasonic device according to claim 1.

13. An electronic instrument comprising:

the ultrasonic device according to claim 1.

14. A diagnostic device comprising:

the ultrasonic device according to claim 1; and

a display section.

15. A processing device comprising:

the ultrasonic device according to claim 1; and

a driving signal output circuit configured to output the first and second driving signals to the first terminal and the second terminal of the ultrasonic device, respectively.

16. An ultrasonic device comprising:

an ultrasonic element column in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements are arranged;

a driving electrode line connected to the ultrasonic elements;

a first terminal that is connected to one end of the driving electrode line and from which a first driving signal for driving the ultrasonic elements, which is an alternating voltage, is supplied to the ultrasonic elements; and

a second terminal that is connected to the other end of the driving electrode line and from which a second driving signal for driving the ultrasonic elements, which is an alternating voltage, is supplied to the ultrasonic elements.

17. An ultrasonic device comprising:

an ultrasonic element column in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements are arranged; and

a driving electrode line connected to the ultrasonic elements,

driving signals for driving the ultrasonic elements, which are alternating voltages, being supplied to the ultrasonic elements from both ends of the driving electrode line.