CN114098821A

CN114098821A - Ultrasonic probe

Info

Publication number: CN114098821A
Application number: CN202111601664.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 不公告发明人
Original assignee: Shenzhen Yingyue Medical Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Yingyue Medical Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2021-12-24
Publication date: 2022-03-01

Abstract

The invention discloses an ultrasonic probe, which comprises: a housing; an ultrasonic transducer; the top of the sound transmission structure is provided with a bulge, and the sound transmission structure is arranged at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer; a drive assembly disposed within the housing for driving the acoustically transparent structure; the curved surface structure, the curved surface structure certainly bellying terminal surface orientation the border of sound transmission structure extends, and the bellying left and right sides forms first curved surface, first curved surface includes the concave curved surface section, the concave curved surface section is followed the bellying terminal surface left and right sides downwardly extending. The invention can improve the two-dimensional imaging effect while realizing high-quality instantaneous elastography detection.

Description

Ultrasonic probe

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, in particular to an ultrasonic probe.

Background

Currently, due to the accuracy of the instant elastography technique in diagnosing the degree of fibrosis, it has been recommended by the global major liver disease guidelines, including the world health organization. However, the disadvantage is also obvious, because a single-array element ultrasonic transducer is usually used for detection, the image guidance function is lacked, that is, two-dimensional imaging cannot be performed (the single-array element ultrasonic transducer can only realize one-dimensional imaging, and cannot realize two-dimensional imaging). In the process of instantaneous elastography detection, the positions need to be avoided, otherwise, the result of elasticity detection is abnormal and even wrong. The multi-array-element ultrasonic transducer can realize two-dimensional imaging and observation of a two-dimensional imaging area, thereby realizing an image guide function, and avoiding the area and the position which are not suitable for elastic imaging in the instant elastic imaging detection process through the image guide function.

The instantaneous elastography principle is mainly used for judging the hardness of the liver by measuring the propagation speed of low-frequency shear waves in liver tissue fibers, so that the degree of liver fibrosis is evaluated. Shear waves in instantaneous elastic imaging act on the surface of a detection target by utilizing the mechanical vibration of an ultrasonic transducer, the shear waves are excited in the detection target, and the propagation of the shear waves in the central shaft region under the ultrasonic transducer is tracked and detected. However, when the size of the transducer used for exciting the shear wave becomes large, the excited shear wave has a certain diffraction phenomenon, and the velocity of the shear wave obtained by performing the elastic detection using the shear wave deviates from the true value, which causes deviation or error in the detection result. If the ultrasonic transducer itself is used for vibration excitation to generate shear waves, the size of the ultrasonic transducer is limited, so that the conventional instantaneous elastography has the disadvantages that image guidance and elastography cannot be obtained at the same time.

If the acoustic lens is placed at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer and is set to be in the shape of a vibrating probe in conventional instantaneous elastography, although imaging can be performed by using the multi-array-element ultrasonic transducer placed behind the acoustic lens, the imaging range is still limited by the size of the vibrating size of the acoustic lens, and the problem of poor two-dimensional imaging effect still exists.

Accordingly, the prior art is yet to be improved and developed.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound probe to solve the problem that the image guidance and the elastography cannot be achieved at the same time in the existing instantaneous elastography.

The technical scheme of the invention is as follows:

an ultrasound probe, comprising:

a housing;

an ultrasonic transducer;

the top of the sound transmission structure is provided with a bulge, and the sound transmission structure is arranged at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer;

a drive assembly disposed within the housing for driving the acoustically transparent structure;

the curved surface structure, the curved surface structure certainly bellying terminal surface orientation the border of sound transmission structure extends, and the bellying left and right sides forms first curved surface, first curved surface includes the concave curved surface section, the concave curved surface section is followed the bellying terminal surface left and right sides downwardly extending.

According to the ultrasonic probe provided by the invention, the sound transmission structure provided with the protruding part is arranged at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer, the protruding part on the sound transmission structure is used for replacing the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer to generate shear waves, and when instantaneous elastic imaging is detected, the sound transmission structure is driven to vibrate by the driving assembly, so that two-dimensional imaging and high-quality instantaneous elastic imaging functions are considered. And through increasing the curved surface structure in bellying both sides, in the formation of image in-process, the concave curved surface section of the first curved surface on the curved surface structure can increase the area with skin contact to can improve two-dimentional formation of image effect. And the concave curved surface section can reduce the pressure effect that the peripheral structure of bellying terminal surface arouses to the contact of skin again, even the effect of having produced the power between concave curved surface section and the skin, but the terminal surface of bellying has been kept away from to the position that produces the effort, therefore can not influence the shear wave under the bellying, can not influence instantaneous elasticity formation of image promptly and detect to when reaching and realizing high quality instantaneous elasticity formation of image and detecting, can improve two-dimensional imaging effect again.

The present invention further provides that the first curved surface further comprises: a convex curved surface section; the convex curved surface section extends to the edge of the sound transmission structure along one end, far away from the end face of the convex part, of the concave curved surface section.

The invention further provides that the sound transmission structure and the ultrasonic transducer are integrally movable, or the sound transmission structure is independently movable.

The invention further provides that when the sound transmission structure and the ultrasonic transducer integrally move, the ultrasonic transducer is directly or indirectly connected with the sound transmission structure.

The invention further provides that a transition structure is arranged between the sound transmission structure and the ultrasonic transducer.

The invention further provides that when the sound transmission structure moves independently, a connecting piece is arranged between the ultrasonic transducer and the sound transmission structure.

The invention further provides that the acoustically transparent structure is arranged coaxially with the ultrasound transducer.

The invention further provides that the curved surface structure further comprises second curved surfaces arranged on the front side and the rear side of the protruding portion, and the second curved surfaces extend to the end surface of the sound transmission structure along the front side and the rear side of the end surface of the protruding portion.

The invention further provides that the angle between the second curved surface and the central axis in the convex part is 0-30 degrees.

The invention is further provided that the joint of the first curved surface and the end surface of the boss is in a shape of an inverted horn or an inverted triangle; the second curved surface with the junction of the terminal surface of bellying is the radius horn shape or the shape of triangle of falling.

The invention further provides that the device also comprises an installation part; the position of the installation part corresponding to the ultrasonic transducer is provided with an opening, the opening and the bulge part form an accommodating cavity, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged in the accommodating cavity and directly or indirectly contacts with the sound transmission structure.

The invention further provides that the shell of the ultrasonic transducer is connected with the mounting part; alternatively, the housing of the ultrasonic transducer is integrally provided with the mounting portion.

The invention further provides that the ultrasound probe further comprises: an elastic medium disposed between the mounting portion and the housing.

The invention further provides that the drive assembly comprises:

a vibrator;

one end of the at least one transmission rod is connected with the vibrator, and the other end of the at least one transmission rod is connected with the mounting part or the ultrasonic transducer.

The invention further provides that the width of the surface of the projection is 5-15 mm.

The invention is further provided with the protruding part in a columnar or circular truncated cone shape.

The invention further provides that the length of the projection surface is less than twice the width of the projection surface.

The invention further provides that the ultrasound probe further comprises: a fixed part; the fixing part is arranged in the shell, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the fixing part; the transmission rod penetrates through the fixing part and is connected with the mounting part.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the structures shown in the drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the overall structure of an ultrasonic probe in the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view 1 of the structure in which the acoustically transparent structure and the ultrasonic transducer vibrate in synchronization in the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the structure of the acoustically transparent structure of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the mounting of the acoustically transparent structure and the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of the acoustically transparent structure and the mounting portion of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the acoustically transparent structure of the present invention at another angle to the mounting portion.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the acoustically transparent structure of the present invention at a further angle to the mounting portion.

Fig. 8 is a partial structural view of the mounting portion of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the positional relationship between the end face of the protruding part and the rib in the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the curved structure and the ribs according to the present invention.

Figure 11 is a schematic view of the acoustically transparent structure of the present invention in contact with skin tissue.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view 2 showing the structure in which the acoustically transparent structure and the ultrasonic transducer vibrate in synchronization in the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view of a structure in which the acoustically transparent structure vibrates alone.

The various symbols in the drawings: 1. a housing; 2. an acoustically transparent structure; 21. a boss portion; 22. a curved surface structure; 221. a first curved surface; 2211. a concave curved surface section; 2212. a convex curved surface section; 222. a second curved surface; 23. an installation part; 3. an ultrasonic transducer; 4. a drive assembly; 41. a vibrator; 42. a transmission rod; 5. an accommodating cavity; 6. an elastic medium; 7. an ultrasonic coupling agent; 8. a connecting member; 9. a connecting device; 10. an elastic pad; 11. a fixed part.

Detailed Description

The present invention provides an ultrasonic probe, and in order to make the objects, technical solutions and effects of the present invention clearer and clearer, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

In the embodiments and claims, the articles "a", "an", "the" and "the" may include plural forms as well, unless the context specifically dictates otherwise. If there is a description of "first", "second", etc. in an embodiment of the present invention, the description of "first", "second", etc. is for descriptive purposes only and is not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Further, "connected" or "coupled" as used herein may include wirelessly connected or wirelessly coupled. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes all or any element and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the prior art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In addition, technical solutions between various embodiments may be combined with each other, but must be realized by a person skilled in the art, and when the technical solutions are contradictory or cannot be realized, such a combination should not be considered to exist, and is not within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1 to 13, the present invention provides a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic probe.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, an ultrasonic probe of the present invention includes: the ultrasonic transducer comprises a shell 1, an ultrasonic transducer 3, a sound transmission structure 2, a driving assembly 4 and a curved surface structure 22. Wherein, a convex part 21 is arranged at the top of the sound transmission structure 2, and the sound transmission structure 2 is arranged at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer 3; the driving assembly 4 is arranged in the shell 1 and is used for driving the sound transmission structure 2; curved surface structure 22 certainly bellying 21 terminal surface orientation the border of sound transmission structure 2 extends, and the bellying 21 left and right sides forms first curved surface 221, first curved surface 221 includes concave curved surface section 2211, concave curved surface section 2211 is followed the bellying 21 terminal surface left and right sides downwardly extending.

Specifically, the ultrasonic transducer 3 is disposed on the housing 1, the ultrasonic transducer 3 is a multi-array-element ultrasonic transducer, the acoustic transmission structure 2 is disposed at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer 3, the acoustic transmission structure 2 is directly or indirectly in contact with the tissue to be detected, and the array direction of the multi-array-element ultrasonic transducer 3 corresponds to the curved surface structure 22, that is, the imaging surface of the multi-array-element ultrasonic transducer 3 corresponds to the curved surface structure 22. Wherein, the sound transmission structure 2 has a distinct convex portion 21, and the convex portion 21 is used to vibrate on the surface of the detected tissue to generate shear waves. The ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic transducer 3 can propagate in the acoustically transparent structure 2, and the ultrasonic signal detection of the tissue can be realized through the acoustically transparent structure 2. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 3 may be linear or convex. In the present embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 3 is a convex array transducer capable of two-dimensional imaging of a large area with a small size.

In order to enhance the two-dimensional B-image imaging effect, the curved surface structures 22 are added on two sides of the protruding portion 21, the curved surface structures 22 have the first curved surface 221, the first curved surface 221 is a concave curved surface section 2211, the concave curved surface section 2211 extends downwards along the left side and the right side of the end surface of the protruding portion 21, and the whole is a concave curved surface, as shown in fig. 3 to 5. The concave curved section 2211 extends downward along the end surface of the protruding portion 21, and the concave curved section 2211 of the first curved surface 221 on the curved structure 22 can increase the area in contact with the skin, so that the two-dimensional imaging effect can be improved. The concave curved section 2211 can reduce the pressure effect caused by the contact of the peripheral structure of the end face of the convex part 21 on the skin, and even though the action of force is generated between the concave curved section 2211 and the skin, the position of the generated action of force is far away from the end face of the convex part 21, so that the influence on the shear wave right below the convex part 21 is avoided, namely, the instantaneous elastic imaging detection is not influenced, and the two-dimensional imaging effect can be improved while the high-quality instantaneous elastic imaging detection is realized. During instantaneous elasticity detection, the sound transmission structure 2 is driven to vibrate, and when the protruding boss 21 is used for vibration, high-quality instantaneous elasticity imaging detection can be obtained, so that the purposes of two-dimensional imaging and high-quality instantaneous elasticity imaging are achieved.

Referring to fig. 4 to fig. 6, in a further implementation manner of an embodiment, the first curved surface 221 further includes: convex curved surface segment 2212; the convex curved section 2212 extends to the edge of the sound-transmitting structure 2 along the end of the concave curved section 2211 far away from the end face of the convex part 21.

Specifically, when the protruding portion 21 and the tissue skin generate squeezing vibration, the surrounding tissue forms a cluster around the convex curved section 2212, and the convex curved section 2212 can better make the skin tissue relatively far away from the end face of the protruding portion 21 and the sound transmission structure 2 fully contact. During imaging, the convex curved section 2212 of the curved structure 22 can increase the contact area with the skin, easily form an ultrasound propagation channel, and thus can improve two-dimensional imaging effect, as shown in fig. 10. In addition, although the convex curved section 2212 and the skin tissue generate force due to contact, the position where the acting force is generated is relatively far away from the end face of the protruding portion 21, so that the shear wave distribution right below the protruding portion 21 is not affected, that is, the conventional elastography detection is not affected, and the two-dimensional imaging effect can be improved while the high-quality instantaneous elastography detection is achieved.

It should be noted that, since the convex curved section 2212 is protruded enough, the periphery adjacent to the end face of the convex portion 21 may still have a gap, and normally, the air gap is not particularly large (the gap is smaller as the fat is more) as long as the user is not particularly thin, as shown in fig. 11, the gap may be filled with the ultrasonic couplant 7, so as to make the sound transmission structure 2 with the curved structure 22 better contact with the skin tissue, and help to form a signal transmitting and receiving channel of the ultrasonic transducer 3, thereby helping to realize the two-dimensional ultrasonic imaging guidance function.

It should be further noted that, in the detection process, attention needs to be paid to the position and the direction of the curved surface structure 22, and the first curved surfaces 221 on both sides of the protruding portion 21 need to be placed in the rib gap, so as to ensure that the ultrasonic transducer 3 can avoid the rib for two-dimensional imaging.

Referring to fig. 2, in a further implementation of an embodiment, the acoustically transparent structure 2 is arranged coaxially with the ultrasound transducer 3.

Specifically, the sound-transmitting structure 2 is disposed coaxially with the ultrasonic transducer 3, that is, the protrusion 21 is also disposed coaxially with the ultrasonic transducer 3, so that an ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic transducer 3 can be transmitted out of the sound-transmitting structure 2, and ultrasonic signal detection on a detected tissue is achieved through the sound-transmitting structure 2.

Referring to fig. 3 to 6, in some embodiments, the end surface of the protrusion 21 may be circular, oval, square, or the like, and the end surface of the protrusion 21 may also be convex or concave. In some embodiments, the protruding portion 21 is in a shape of a column or a circular truncated cone, and the cross section of the protruding portion 21 is in an ellipse or a circle, that is, the protruding portion 21 may be in a shape of a cylinder, an elliptic cylinder, or a circular truncated cone, but is not limited to the above shape, and may also be in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. Taking the case where the protrusion 21 is an elliptic cylinder, the cross section of the protrusion 21 is elliptic and the end surface thereof is also elliptic. Wherein, in order to ensure the detection quality of the instantaneous elastography, the vertical height between the end face of the boss 21 and the upper surface of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is 2-30mm, for example, 15 mm.

The end surface s of the protruding part 21 directly or indirectly acts on the surface of the tissue to be detected, and under the action of mechanical vibration, the end surface s of the protruding part 21 directly and oppositely generates mechanical vibration action with the skin. In order to be able to better generate a shear wave field suitable for transient elastography detection by means of vibrations in the rib space, the dimension d1 for the end face s of the projection 21 must not be too large, the length d1 of the minor axis of the ellipse being 5-15mm, as shown in fig. 9. The curved structure 22 is placed between the ribs for the user to be examined, as shown in fig. 10. Wherein, the array direction of the array elements of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is arranged corresponding to the length direction (extending direction of the dimension d 2) of the surface of the convex part 21, and the arrangement facilitates two-dimensional imaging by using the multi-array element ultrasonic transducer. The end surface s of the protruding portion 21 mechanically vibrates to act on the rib gap, and because the position of the rib is relatively fixed, the end surface of the protruding portion 21 presses the skin tissue of the rib gap into the rib gap under the action of the mechanical vibration, and compared with the rib fixing position, an obvious fault is formed, and the fault is favorable for generating shear waves. The dimension d1, which determines the size of the slice plane and directly has a large effect on the shear wavefield generated, is located in the rib space. The dimension d1 should not be too large, and too large dimension can produce diffraction effect on the one hand, is unfavorable for elastic detection, and on the other hand is difficult to place in rib clearance, also is unfavorable for elastic detection. Dimension d1 is consistent with the range of conventional instantaneous elastography probe sizes, typically 5mm,7mm, 10mm for the three model S, M, XL probes, respectively. The model S is suitable for children with narrow rib gaps, and the probe of the model M is adopted for conventional adults, and the probe of the model XL with larger size is adopted for obese patients. The dimension d2 parallel to the rib direction, i.e. the long radius d2 of the protrusion 21, and the dimension d2 also have an influence on the generation of the shear wave field, but the influence on the generation of the shear wave field is smaller than that of the dimension d1, because the protrusion 21 lacks the rib supporting effect when vibrating in the direction parallel to the rib, the formed fault force is weaker, and the influence on the shear wave field is smaller. The appropriate increase of the dimension d2 facilitates two-dimensional imaging of the multi-element ultrasonic transducer 3 placed behind it, but at the same time, considering the diffraction effect caused by the oversize, the length of the surface of the boss 21 is less than twice the width of the surface of the boss 21, i.e. the relationship between the dimension d1 and the dimension d2 is: d2<2 × d 1.

It will be appreciated that if the boss 21 is cylindrical, i.e. the cross-section of the boss 21 is circular, the diameter of the circle is 5-15 mm.

Referring to fig. 3 to 7, in a further implementation manner of an embodiment, the curved surface structure 22 further includes second curved surfaces 222 disposed at front and rear sides of the protruding portion 21, and the second curved surfaces 222 extend to the end surface of the sound-transmitting structure 2 along the front and rear sides of the end surface of the protruding portion 21; wherein, the included angle between the second curved surface 222 and the central axis of the convex part 21 is 0-30 °.

Specifically, the second curved surface 222 is located on an adjacent side of the first curved surface 221 and on an opposite side of the protruding portion 21, and the second curved surface 222 is the same as the first curved surface 221 and is distributed with the protruding portion 21 in a central symmetry manner. The included angle between the second curved surface 222 and the central axis of the protruding portion 21 is 0-30 °, and is approximately a plane, so that during the vibration process, the portion of the protruding portion 21 located between the second curved surfaces 222 can enter the gap between the ribs without being blocked, thereby forming effective vibration. In one implementation, the angle between the second curved surface 222 and the protruding portion 21 may be 0 °.

In some embodiments, the end surfaces of the second curved surface 222 and the protruding portion 21 are made of a rigid sound-transmitting material for supporting vibration to complete shear wave excitation, and the first curved surface 221 may be made of a rigid sound-transmitting material or an elastic sound-transmitting material. In some embodiments, the curved surface structure 22 may be integrally provided with the protruding portion 21, or may be a separate structure.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, in a further embodiment of an embodiment, a connection portion between the first curved surface 221 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 is in a shape of a rounded corner or an inverted triangle; the joint of the second curved surface 222 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 is in a shape of a rounded corner or an inverted triangle.

Specifically, the first curved surface 221 and the second curved surface 222 both extend downward along the end surface of the protruding portion 21, and the joint of the first curved surface 221 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 and the joint of the second curved surface 222 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 are rounded or processed by chamfering or triangulation, so that the joint of the first curved surface 221 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 and the joint of the second curved surface 222 and the end surface of the protruding portion 21 are smooth, and in the detection process, the comfort level of contact with the skin can be increased.

Referring to fig. 4 and 8, in a further implementation of an embodiment, the ultrasound probe further includes: a mounting portion 23; the mounting portion 23 is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to the ultrasonic transducer 3, the opening and the protrusion portion 21 form an accommodating cavity 5, and the ultrasonic transducer 3 is disposed in the accommodating cavity 6 and directly or indirectly contacts the sound transmission structure 2.

Specifically, the boss portion 21 is provided on the mounting portion 23, and the sound transmission structure 2 is connected to the driving unit 4 through the mounting portion 23. The ultrasonic transducer 3 can be accommodated in the accommodating cavity 5 formed by the mounting portion 23 and the protruding portion 21, and is in direct or indirect contact with the sound-transmitting structure 2. Thus, the mounting portion 23 is not limited to be made of a sound-transmitting material, as long as the ultrasonic transducer 3 can form an ultrasonic propagation channel with the boss portion 21. In some embodiments, the acoustically transparent structure 2 and the mounting portion 23 may be integrally formed.

Referring to fig. 2, 12 and 13, in a further embodiment of an embodiment, the acoustically transparent structure 2 is integrally movable with the ultrasound transducer 3, or the acoustically transparent structure 2 is separately movable.

Referring to fig. 2 and 12, in a further implementation of an embodiment, the driving assembly 4 includes: the ultrasonic transducer comprises a vibrator 41 and at least one transmission rod 42, wherein one end of the at least one transmission rod 42 is connected with the vibrator 41, and the other end of the at least one transmission rod 42 is connected with the mounting part 23 or the ultrasonic transducer 3.

Specifically, when the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 move integrally, the transmission rod 42 is connected to the mounting portion 23 or the ultrasonic transducer 3 to synchronously drive the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate. When the sound-transmitting structure 2 vibrates alone, the driving rod 42 is connected to the mounting portion 23 to drive the sound-transmitting structure 2 alone to vibrate, as shown in fig. 2. In some embodiments, there may be 2 or 4 drive links 42.

When the sound-transmitting structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 are integrally movable, the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound-transmitting structure 2 are directly or indirectly connected, as shown in fig. 2 and 12.

For example, when the ultrasound transducer 3 is directly connected to the acoustically transparent structure 2, in one implementation, the ultrasound transducer 3 is directly abutted against the bottom surface of the acoustically transparent structure 2.

Referring to fig. 2, in an embodiment, the housing of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is adhered to the mounting portion 23, or the housing of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is integrally disposed with the mounting portion 23.

Specifically, the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 may be connected and fixed in an adhering manner, so as to ensure that the upper surface of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is tightly attached to the mounting portion 23 or the protruding portion 21. In addition, the mounting portion 23 may also serve as a housing of the ultrasonic transducer 3, so that the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 are integrally disposed, thereby achieving close fitting of the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the mounting portion 23 or the protruding portion 21.

Referring to fig. 12, in a further implementation of an embodiment, when the acoustically transparent structure 3 is integrally movable with the ultrasound transducer 2, the ultrasound probe further includes: a connecting device 9; the ultrasonic transducer 3 is arranged on the connection means 9. The ultrasound transducer 3 is indirectly connected to the acoustically transparent structure 2 by a connecting means 9.

Specifically, a groove structure (marked in the figure) is arranged on the connecting device 9, and the ultrasonic transducer 3 is clamped with the connecting device 9 through the groove structure. The transmission rod 42 is connected with the connecting device 9, and the driving assembly 4 drives the connecting device 9 to synchronously drive the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate.

With reference to fig. 12, further, an elastic pad 10 is disposed between the connecting device 9 and the ultrasonic transducer 3, the elastic pad 10 is disposed at the bottom of the groove structure, and after the ultrasonic transducer 3 is mounted on the connecting device 9, an upward force is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 3, so that the connection between the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2 is tighter. In one implementation, the resilient gasket 10 may be a rubber gasket.

In another implementation manner, a transition structure (not shown) is disposed between the acoustically transparent structure 2 and the ultrasound transducer 3, the transition structure is made of an acoustically transparent material, an ultrasound signal can pass through the transition structure, and the ultrasound transducer 3 and the acoustically transparent structure 2 are connected through the transition structure. The transition structure can be formed by a capsule cavity with an elastic membrane or made of a sound-transmitting elastic cushion with certain elasticity, and the elasticity of the transition structure can provide a squeezed force which can ensure that the transition structure and the sound-transmitting structure 2 and the transition structure are tightly attached to the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 3, so that no gap exists between the sound-transmitting structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3, and the transmission of ultrasonic signals is facilitated.

According to the ultrasonic imaging device, the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2 are driven to synchronously vibrate by the driving assembly 4, so that the mechanical impact phenomenon between the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 can be avoided, a gap is prevented from being generated between the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 in the vibration process, the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 are kept in a close fit state in the vibration process, the ultrasonic signals sent by the ultrasonic transducer 3 arranged behind the sound transmission structure 2 can be smoothly transmitted to the detected tissue without being blocked, and the influence of the mechanical vibration generated by the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 on the detection and imaging of the ultrasonic signals is avoided. Meanwhile, the damage of the mechanical impact phenomenon between the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 to the surface of the ultrasonic transducer 3 in the vibration process is also avoided.

Referring to fig. 13, in some embodiments, when the acoustically transparent structure 2 is independently movable, a connecting member 8 is disposed between the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the acoustically transparent structure 2.

Specifically, when the driving assembly 4 drives the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate independently, a gap is generated between the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2, and by arranging the connecting piece 8 between the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the sound transmission structure 2, the connecting piece 8 has sound transmission and deformation capabilities and can move along with the sound transmission structure 2 when the sound transmission structure 2 vibrates. The connecting member 8 can maintain the connection between the sound-transmitting structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3, so as to avoid the problem that the ultrasonic signal cannot be propagated due to the gap generated when the sound-transmitting structure 2 vibrates alone.

It should be noted that the movement of the sound-transmitting structure 2 alone includes a case where the ultrasonic transducer 3 can vibrate in the opposite direction of the sound-transmitting structure 2 when the sound-transmitting structure 2 alone vibrates.

In one implementation, the connector 8 is an elastic acoustically transparent bag connected between the ultrasound transducer 3 and the acoustically transparent structure 2; wherein, the elastic sound transmission bag is internally provided with a sound transmission medium 6. In some embodiments, the acoustically transparent medium may be a medium in which ultrasonic signals, such as water, glycerol, and the like, may propagate.

Specifically, the elastic sound transmission bag is attached to the surface of the ultrasonic transducer 3 and the surface of the sound transmission structure 2, and a sound transmission medium 6 capable of transmitting ultrasonic signals is arranged in the elastic sound transmission bag, when the sound transmission structure 2 vibrates alone, the elastic sound transmission bag can generate certain deformation under the pulling of the sound transmission structure 2, and the deformation can keep the connection between the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3, so that the ultrasonic signals emitted by the ultrasonic transducer 3 can be smoothly transmitted to a detection target through the sound transmission structure 2 without being blocked.

Referring to fig. 13, in some embodiments, when the acoustically transparent structure 2 is vibrated alone, the ultrasound probe further includes: a fixed part 11; the fixing portion 11 is arranged in the shell, the ultrasonic transducer 3 is arranged on the fixing portion 11, and the transmission rod 42 penetrates through the fixing portion 11 and is connected with the mounting portion 23 to drive the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate independently.

Specifically, the fixing portion 11 is fixedly connected to the housing 1, a channel (not shown) adapted to the size of the transmission rod 42 is disposed on the fixing portion 11, the transmission rod 42 is inserted into the fixing portion 11 through the channel, and the channel has a guiding function on the transmission rod 42. When the driving assembly 4 drives the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate, the fixing portion 11 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 do not vibrate, the sound transmission structure 2 is connected with the transmission rod 42, or the transmission rod 42 is connected with the mounting portion 23 to drive the sound transmission structure 2 to vibrate independently, and an ultrasonic signal transmission channel between the sound transmission structure 2 and the ultrasonic transducer 3 is realized through the connecting piece 8.

In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 3 may not be fixed on the fixing portion 11, but directly fixed and connected to the housing 1, and the transmission rod 42 is connected with the mounting portion 23 to drive the sound-transmitting structure 2 to vibrate independently.

Referring to fig. 1, in a further implementation of an embodiment, the ultrasound probe further includes: an elastic medium 6, the elastic medium 6 being disposed between the mounting portion 23 and the housing 1. Alternatively, the elastic medium 6 is arranged between the connection means 9 and the housing 1.

In particular, the mounting portion 23 or the connecting means 9 is connected directly or indirectly to the housing 1 via the elastic medium 6 to form a closed ultrasound probe. The elastic medium 6 has a telescopic function, so that the sound transmission structure 2 can vibrate under the driving of the vibrator and is kept connected with the shell.

In summary, the ultrasonic probe provided by the invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. the acoustic transmission structure is arranged at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer, the acoustic transmission structure is provided with an obvious convex part, the convex part in the acoustic transmission structure is utilized to replace the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer in the conventional instantaneous elastic imaging to generate shear waves, and the two-dimensional imaging and the high-quality instantaneous elastic imaging can be considered at the same time; 2. in order to further give consideration to two-dimensional imaging and high-quality instantaneous elasticity imaging, the two sides of the imaging surface of the ultrasonic transducer, which are tangent to the convex part, are subjected to curved surface design, the curved surface design is favorable for protruding the convex part, simultaneously, the contact between a sound transmission structure and the skin of a detected tissue can be improved, and an ultrasonic propagation channel is easy to form, so that the two-dimensional imaging is favorable; 3. the other two sides of the protruding part are designed to be approximately straight surfaces, so that the size of the protruding structure in the rib gap direction, which is beneficial to generating shear waves, can be kept, and when elastic detection is carried out, the imaging surface of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in parallel to the rib gap, so that ideal shear waves can be generated to realize high-quality elastic imaging detection, and better two-dimensional imaging can be realized by utilizing the curved surface design.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples described above, but that modifications and variations may be effected thereto by those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description, and that all such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe, comprising:

a housing;

an ultrasonic transducer;

the curved surface structure extends from the end face of the bulge part towards the edge of the sound transmission structure, and first curved surfaces are formed on the left side and the right side of the bulge part; the first curved surface comprises a concave curved surface section, and the concave curved surface section extends downwards along the left side and the right side of the end surface of the protruding part.

2. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the first curved surface further comprises: a convex curved surface section; the convex curved surface section extends to the edge of the sound transmission structure along one end, far away from the end face of the convex part, of the concave curved surface section.

3. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the acoustically transparent structure is movable integrally with the ultrasound transducer or is movable separately.

4. The ultrasound probe of claim 3, wherein the ultrasound transducer is directly or indirectly connected to the acoustically transparent structure when the acoustically transparent structure is integrally movable with the ultrasound transducer.

5. The ultrasound probe of claim 4, wherein a transition structure is disposed between the acoustically transparent structure and the ultrasound transducer.

6. The ultrasound probe of claim 3, wherein a connection is provided between the ultrasound transducer and the acoustically transparent structure when the acoustically transparent structure is alone active.

7. The ultrasound probe of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the acoustically transparent structure is disposed coaxially with the ultrasound transducer.

8. The ultrasound probe of claim 1, wherein the curved structure further comprises second curved surfaces disposed on front and rear sides of the boss, the second curved surfaces extending along front and rear sides of the end surface of the boss to the end surface of the acoustically transparent structure.

9. The ultrasound probe of claim 8, wherein the angle between the second curved surface and the central axis of the boss is 0-30 °.

10. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, wherein a junction of the first curved surface and the end surface of the boss portion is rounded-horn-shaped or inverted-triangular-shaped; the second curved surface with the junction of the terminal surface of bellying is the radius horn shape or the shape of triangle of falling.

11. The ultrasound probe of claim 4 or 6, further comprising a mounting portion; the position of the installation part corresponding to the ultrasonic transducer is provided with an opening, the opening and the bulge part form an accommodating cavity, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged in the accommodating cavity and directly or indirectly contacts with the sound transmission structure.

12. The ultrasound probe of claim 11, wherein the housing of the ultrasound transducer is connected to the mounting portion; alternatively, the housing of the ultrasonic transducer is integrally provided with the mounting portion.

13. The ultrasound probe of claim 11, further comprising: an elastic medium disposed between the mounting portion and the housing.

14. The ultrasound probe of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly comprises:

a vibrator;

15. The ultrasound probe of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the surface of the boss is 5-15mm wide.

16. The ultrasound probe of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the boss is cylindrical or frustoconical.

17. The ultrasound probe of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the length of the lobe surface is less than twice the width of the lobe surface.

18. The ultrasound probe of claim 14, further comprising: a connecting device; the ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the connecting device, and the transmission rod is connected with the fixing part.

19. The ultrasound probe of claim 14, further comprising: a fixed part; the fixing part is arranged in the shell, and the ultrasonic transducer is arranged on the fixing part; the transmission rod penetrates through the fixing part and is connected with the mounting part.