ULTRASONIC PROBE AND ULTRASONIC IMAGING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic probe comprising;
- a composite piezoelectric element comprising a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged through gaps on a plane and a filler filled in each of the gaps;
an adhesive layer positioned in an ultrasonic wave irradiating direction orthogonal to the plane, said adhesive layer being in contact with a first plate surface of said composite piezoelectric element; and
a complete reflector layer joined to said composite piezoelectric element through said adhesive layer to reflect an ultrasonic elastic oscillation generated in said composite piezoelectric element substantially toward said first composite piezoelectric element plate surface, wherein said composite piezoelectric element comprises a plate-like connector portion comprising said plurality of piezoelectric elements, said plate-like connector portion covering said composite piezoelectric element.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic probe includes: a composite piezoelectric element including piezoelectric elements arranged through gaps on a plane and a filler filled in each of the gaps; an adhesive layer positioned in an ultrasonic wave irradiating direction orthogonal to the plane, the adhesive layer being in contact with one plate surface of the composite piezoelectric element; and a complete reflector layer joined to the composite piezoelectric element through the adhesive layer to reflect an ultrasonic elastic oscillation generated in the composite piezoelectric element substantially toward the composite piezoelectric element plate surface. The composite piezoelectric element has a plate-like connector portion constituted by only the piezoelectric elements, the plate-like connector portion covering the whole of the composite piezoelectric element.
42 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic probe comprising;
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a composite piezoelectric element comprising a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged through gaps on a plane and a filler filled in each of the gaps; an adhesive layer positioned in an ultrasonic wave irradiating direction orthogonal to the plane, said adhesive layer being in contact with a first plate surface of said composite piezoelectric element; and a complete reflector layer joined to said composite piezoelectric element through said adhesive layer to reflect an ultrasonic elastic oscillation generated in said composite piezoelectric element substantially toward said first composite piezoelectric element plate surface, wherein said composite piezoelectric element comprises a plate-like connector portion comprising said plurality of piezoelectric elements, said plate-like connector portion covering said composite piezoelectric element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprising:
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an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit an ultrasonic echo to a subject and to receive the ultrasonic echo reflected from the subject; an image acquiring section configured to acquire tomographic image information on the subject; a display section configured to display the tomographic image information; and a control section configured to control the transmission, the reception, the acquisition and the display, wherein said ultrasonic probe comprises; a composite piezoelectric element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged through gaps on a plane and a filler filled in each of the gaps; an adhesive layer positioned in an ultrasonic wave irradiating direction orthogonal to the plane, said adhesive layer being in contact with a plate surface of said plurality of composite piezoelectric element; and a complete reflector layer joined to said composite piezoelectric element through said adhesive layer to reflect an ultrasonic elastic oscillation generated in said composite piezoelectric element substantially toward said composite piezoelectric element plate surface, wherein said composite piezoelectric element comprises a plate-like connector portion comprising said plurality of piezoelectric elements, said plate-like connector portion covering said composite piezoelectric element.
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Specification