KR101427598B1 - Apparatus for detecting variation of multi channel capacity - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a multi-channel capacitance inspection device. The multi-channel capacitance inspection device includes: at least one connector terminal connected to an ultrasound probe; a detection unit which detects the capacitance of each channel in the connected ultrasound probe; a signal conversion unit which converts the capacitance value of each channel detected by the detection unit to a predetermined signal; a signal transmission unit which transmits the converted signal to an image display unit; and an image display unit which outputs the signal transmitted by the signal transmission unit as a graphic or digital value.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for inspecting individual electrostatic capacities of multiple channels, and more particularly, to a multi-channel electrostatic capacitance measuring apparatus for measuring a capacitance of each probe of a probe of a medical ultrasound imaging apparatus, To an inspection apparatus.

In general, an ultrasonic probe, which is a sensor for diagnosing the inside of a human body of a medical ultrasound imaging apparatus, is connected to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus when it is used for medical diagnosis using ultrasound, and is driven by receiving power from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

The ultrasonic probe is connected to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and transmits / receives a control signal for applying a voltage to the ultrasonic oscillation element or an electric signal generated by the ultrasonic oscillation element.

As described above, the ultrasonic probe has an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric effect by reversibly converting a current and a sound wave.

The ultrasonic transducer is configured for both transmission and reception.

When the voltage is applied to the transmission element, the ultrasonic wave is generated. When the generated ultrasonic wave is modulated to generate a reflected wave, the reception element receives the wave and generates an electric signal.

On the other hand, the ultrasonic probe has a cable for transmitting the generated signal.

Since the cable has multiple channels and the number of channels is increased, the ultrasonic diagnostic effect is increased. Therefore, an ultrasonic probe having a maximum number of channels of 256 channels is being generated.

As a result, the ultrasonic probe is exposed to various hazards by the user's hands. Therefore, there is a possibility that the ultrasonic probe may be damaged by the damage of the cable or short-circuited due to cable breakage or leakage of the coolant. We are paying attention to safety management by regular inspection by.

Therefore, the ultrasonic probe needs to manage the state of the ultrasonic probe, such as whether the sensor of the ultrasonic probe is broken or malfunction due to cable damage.

However, the ultrasonic probe performs a high level inspection at the regular inspection by the inspector, but remains a simple inspection at the daily inspection.

In the routine inspection, it is difficult to find a fault that can be tested only by the eye and the appearance is not abnormal.

For example, when the power of the ultrasonic probe is supplied, whether the ultrasonic device including the monitor is normally operated or the cable external appearance of the ultrasonic probe is confirmed by a simple check, but it is difficult to know whether the ultrasonic signal is transmitted or received correctly for each channel.

On the other hand, in the method of measuring the capacitance value of each channel of the ultrasonic probe using the dielectric polarization, when the voltage is applied for a predetermined time, the PZT single crystal device is easily broken, It is difficult to carry out the inspection.

Further, in applying the voltage to the ultrasonic probe, it is difficult to apply a plurality of channels of the ultrasonic probe in a group.

Therefore, it is difficult to measure the whole cable at a high speed of 150 ~ 250 because it is necessary to inspect the channel by capacitance for measuring cable damage and sensor inspection of the ultrasonic probe.

Meanwhile, in the conventional ultrasonic probe inspection system, it is difficult to distinguish the characteristics of the product according to the supply frequency and the bandwidth.

In addition, since a single apparatus has only one measurement mode in a cable damage or sensor state checking apparatus of a conventional ultrasonic probe, it is possible to measure the capacitance It was difficult to get the value.

In the conventional ultrasonic probe cable damage or sensor state check device, since the measurement result of the damage of the ultrasonic probe is not shown or stored in a picture file, reliability of the cable is low because it is necessary to know whether the cable is damaged by only the data number of the monitor .

Also, even if a system in which multiple users check the damage of the ultrasonic probe is used, the measured data is stored in one group. Therefore, data can not be managed in a desired direction for each user, which lowers data management efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to provide a multichannel capacitance inspection apparatus having a plurality of connectors for determining cable and sensor damage of a transducer at a high speed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multichannel capacitance inspection apparatus capable of selecting a measurement apparatus by dividing a product characteristic according to a supply frequency and a bandwidth, thereby performing customized inspection for each product.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multichannel capacitance inspection apparatus capable of improving the reliability of measurement inspection and improving the efficiency of data management by automatically outputting measurement results and storing them as picture files.

In order to achieve the above object, a multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes at least one connector terminal portion for connecting an ultrasonic probe 200, A signal converter for converting the capacitance value of each channel sensed by the sensing unit into a predetermined signal, and a controller for transmitting the converted signal to the image display unit 104 And a video display unit for outputting the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit and the signal transmitting unit as a graphic or digital value.

In addition, capacitance sensing of each channel of the sensing unit 102 is detected by dielectric polarization.

The connector terminal portion is a connector terminal portion formed of four connectors.

The multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the present invention is characterized by recognizing the disconnection, short-circuit, or pre-change position of each channel according to the sensed capacitance value for each channel.

The detected position is farther from the position where the ultrasonic probe 200 is connected as the detected capacitance value of each channel is smaller than the reference value.

The multichannel capacitance tester 100 according to the present invention may further include an input unit for inputting a capacitance measurement mode or setting a reference capacitance value for each channel.

In addition, the number of the channels is variable and the number of channels to be sensed can be adjusted.

Meanwhile, the electrostatic capacitance value for each channel is measured within a period of 150 ms to 250 ms per channel.

In order to measure the value of the electrostatic capacity, the channel can be grouped into 2 ⁿ (n = 0 or natural number) channels and the voltage can be simultaneously applied.

In order to prevent the PZT single crystal device from being damaged, the sensing unit 102 of the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the present invention feeds back the applied voltage and trips the applied voltage according to the feedback voltage ).

As described above, the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the present invention measures capacitances of up to 256 channels at a rate of 150 ms to 250 ms for each channel, and can quickly determine cable and sensor damage of the transducer.

In addition, the multichannel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention can select a measuring device according to a product characteristic according to a supply frequency and a bandwidth, thereby enabling a customized inspection according to a product characteristic.

Meanwhile, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has the effect of improving the reliability of the measurement test and improving the data management efficiency by automatically outputting measurement results, displaying or storing them as picture files.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
2 is a graph showing a bandwidth of an ultrasonic probe in a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a measurement mode in a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for checking whether there is a redundant channel using a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing an example of a result screen when the electrostatic capacity of each channel is inspected using the multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of data management and search in the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
8 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a data output form in the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes at least one connector terminal portion for connecting an ultrasonic probe 200 and at least one connector terminal portion for connecting the ultrasonic probe 200, A signal converter for converting a capacitance value of each channel sensed by the sensing unit into a predetermined signal, and a signal conversion unit for converting the converted signal to a video display unit 104 And a video display unit for outputting a signal transmitted by the signal transmission unit and a graphic or digital value.

The ultrasound probe 200 of the multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is an ultrasonic transducer that is a sensor for diagnosing the inside of a human body by a medical ultrasound imaging apparatus.

The ultrasonic probe 200 is a transducer that converts 20 or more alternating current energy into mechanical vibration of the same frequency, and uses a piezoelectric effect or a magnetostrictive effect.

2 is a graph showing a bandwidth of an ultrasonic probe in a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasonic probe 200 has a different bandwidth depending on the purpose of use, 10 probes have a bandwidth of 10, and 100 probes have a bandwidth of 100.

The bandwidth of the ultrasonic probe 200 means a frequency at which the response output amplitude of the probe is reduced by 70.7% (-3 dB) as shown in FIG.

That is, it means the frequency within the response curve at which the sine wave amplitude is reduced by 70.7% (-3 dB).

For this reason, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can inspect the characteristics of the product to be measured according to the supply frequency and the bandwidth, and the capacitance can be measured by an LCR meter It can be measured using CV Plotter.

The LCR meter is a measuring device for measuring the inductance, the capacitance, and the electric resistance, and can measure the capacitance value of each channel.

The C-V plotter measures the capacitance and conductance and displays the output value according to time, and the voltage measurement can be performed using the level of 30 or 10.

 As described above, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the present invention determines a cable state and a sensor damage of the ultrasonic probe 200. The system measures the capacitance of the 3 and 1 frequency bands and measures the PZT single- Sensor and cable connection status.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasonic probe 200 of the multichannel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed of a PZT single crystal device and has a piezoelectric layer for converting an electric signal and an acoustic signal, .

PZT is a typical Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ ceramics in piezoelectric materials.

It is named zirconate titanate after the initial symbol of lead zirconium titanate.

The PZT single crystal device has an electric coupling coefficient of about 80%, and a material with a high electric coupling coefficient increases the conversion efficiency between electric energy and mechanical energy, thereby improving the product performance.

Since the piezoelectric characteristic of the PZT single crystal device is generally higher than that of a polycrystal by more than two times and a single crystal probe image can be obtained with a high resolution and a high sensitivity by comparing the polycrystalline probe image and the single crystal probe image, 200) is composed of a PZT single crystal array.

 Accordingly, the signals received from the ultrasonic probe 200 are generated in response to ultrasonic energy that impinges on the PZT single crystal elements of the ultrasonic probe 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic probe 200 includes an ultrasonic transducer unit including a PZT single crystal device and a cable.

The PZT single crystal device maintains a high piezoelectricity even when a pulse-shaped electric field is applied at a room temperature within a few seconds, and a dielectric polarization of charges in the solid lattice occurs when a pressure is applied, thereby flowing a current.

Therefore, the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can detect the capacitance of each channel by the dielectric polarization generated by the PZT single crystal device.

Here, the dielectric polarization means that when the voltage is applied, the charge distribution of the material is changed, and polarization is generated at both end faces of the material to generate a voltage.

In the meantime, a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a DC power supply unit 101 for applying a voltage to the ultrasonic probe 200 to measure the capacitance And further comprising:

The permissible voltage of the DC power supply 101 may be varied as needed, but it is preferably 300V at the maximum.

An apparatus for measuring the capacitance value of each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200 in a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an internal relay and an interlock circuit to control an applied voltage The system can be configured.

It is preferable to set the voltage to be connected to the measuring device to 300 Vdc or less because the measuring device may be damaged when a high voltage of 300 Vdc or higher is applied.

In addition, since the set voltage used for each channel is different, it is sequentially applied from a low voltage to a high voltage.

For example, if the applied voltage is up to 300V, instead of measuring 300V from the beginning, measure the channel value at 50V, measure at 96V, and sequentially measure the dielectric polarization from a low voltage to a high voltage in the order of 110V and 170V Measure again the capacitance value per channel as adjusted.

Meanwhile, a signal sensed by the multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be either a digital signal or an analog signal, and the signal can be arbitrarily set in accordance with a measurement product.

The sensing unit 102 can measure both a digital signal and an analog signal. The signal converting unit converts the digital signal or the analog signal into a signal level usable by the testing apparatus or converts the sensing signal.

Since the number of channels of the ultrasonic probe 200 is different for each product, the number of each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200 can be varied and can be adjusted by the number of channels to be measured.

Therefore, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can check the state of a plurality of different ultrasonic probes 200 with one apparatus, It is configured to be compatible with the number of channels.

Meanwhile, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may further include a switch control unit 103 based on a switch interface.

The switch control unit 103 controls ON / OFF of the applied voltage so that the capacitance value can be measured up to a maximum of 256 channels for each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200.

The signal transmission unit transmits a signal having a capacitance value for each channel sensed by the signal conversion unit of the sensing unit to a predetermined signal, to the image display unit 104.

The signal transmitted from the signal transmission unit may be output from the image display unit in a graphic or digital manner and monitored and controlled.

The measurement result of the ultrasonic probe 200 using the multichannel capacitance inspection apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is automatically output and stored and the output data is stored as a picture file so that a third party can not arbitrarily process the output data The reliability of data storage or measurement inspection can be improved, and the performance of each product can be managed by using stored data.

In the meantime, the terminal portion of the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be constituted by at least one connector, preferably a connector terminal portion including four connectors.

The connector has a variety of connectors such as Samsung, Siemens, GE, and Philips, which are Korean medical companies. Among them, four connectors with the highest frequency are set in advance to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the inspection system.

Because of the four connectors, the terminal unit can obtain the capacitance values of the different ultrasonic probes 200 at the same time in one apparatus.

In some cases, five connectors and six connectors may be used.

That is, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can drive four different measurement methods in one apparatus.

In the meantime, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can detect the disconnection, short-circuit, or line-change position of each channel according to the capacitance value of each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200.

The location

The position measured from the connected position becomes longer as the measured value is smaller than the reference value due to the value of the capacitance C sensed by the sensor.

Where C is the capacitance, C ₀ is the reference capacitance, A is the cross-sectional area of the cable, and d is the position from the connection to the probe.

For example, if the reference value and the measured value are the same, it means that there is no abnormality in the ultrasonic probe 200.

If the reference value and the measured value are different by 50% as described above, it means that the position of short circuit, disconnection or line change is at 1/2 point of the measuring distance. If the reference value and the measured value are 30% Which means that the position is at 1/3 of the measuring distance.

In this way, it is easy to repair or maintain the abnormal cable because it can identify the position of disconnection, short circuit or line change in each channel in the cable channel.

In addition, the capacitance value and the reference value for each channel measured by the ultrasonic probe 200 may be different for each channel, and the capacitance value measured for the same value may be changed in disconnection, short-circuit, or line at another position.

Meanwhile, in order to measure the capacitance value, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can simultaneously apply voltages grouping 2 ⁿ (n = 0 or natural number) .

That is, in the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when a voltage is applied, voltages are simultaneously applied in groups of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, The value can be measured.

Therefore, although the time required to measure the capacitance value of each existing channel is examined for each channel, the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention takes a long time So that the capacitance value can be measured at a high speed, such as between 150 and 250 per channel.

In the meantime, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention inputs a mode for measuring the capacitance value of each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200, or a capacitance value And an input unit that can be set.

The input means of the input unit is preferably a keyboard or a touch panel, but may be any input means capable of selecting and inputting a measurement mode.

In addition, a PIN map of the ultrasonic probe 200 can be added to the connector through the input unit according to the connector to be inspected.

The PIN MAP is a numeric or graphical representation of the discrete value of the capacitance for the pin.

4 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a measurement mode in the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is an inspection item according to a process mode, and it is divided into a cable inspection, a PZT array inspection, and a transducer inspection .

In the finished product process, the capacitance of the transducer is measured, and it can be classified into the normal channel, the bad channel, and the dead channel for each channel.

The bad channel means that the measured capacitance value differs from the reference value, and the dead channel means the missing state in which the capacitance value can not be measured.

In order to prevent damage to the PZT single crystal device due to the dielectric polarization, the sensing unit 102 of the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention feeds back the applied voltage, And the applied voltage is tripped according to the applied voltage.

When a PZT single crystal device is destroyed when a voltage is applied for a predetermined period of time, adjacent PZT single crystal devices are damaged, and the PZT array can not be used. Therefore, in order to prevent such a phenomenon, ) Is a function of monitoring the feedback voltage to trip the voltage.

 The PZT array inspection is an inspection for measuring the ultrasonic reception sensitivity of the PZT single crystal device sensor of the ultrasonic probe 200 and is a test for measuring a response signal according to the ultrasonic energy that impacts the PZT single crystal devices.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for checking whether there is a redundant channel using a multi-channel capacitance tester according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, if the channel is overlapped by checking the PIN map of the connector, information of the redundant channel is informed to prevent duplication of channels.

Also, when measuring the electrostatic capacitance value of the ultrasonic probe 200 using the multi-channel electrostatic capacity testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it can be confirmed in green when there is no overlapping channel, , The information of the channel and the check result of the redundant channel are switched from green to red so that the user can easily check the color change.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing an example of a result screen when capacitance is tested for each channel using the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the color is separated according to the measured capacitance value, the color can be easily distinguished by the user in the case of green or the like when the color is acceptable, the color of red when the color is not acceptable, I have separated the test result indicator into three.

For example, when the capacitance value of each channel of the ultrasonic probe 200 is measured using the multi-channel capacitance tester 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, If it is confirmed, it indicates that the probe has failed, and the position from the connection position to the probe is confirmed by the red color because the capacitance value is different due to disconnection, short circuit or line change of the channel.

Therefore, it is possible to easily recognize the occurrence of an abnormality in the channel by the color change on the output screen, thereby increasing the efficiency of maintenance, and it is possible to grasp the position where the abnormality is generated by the sensed capacitance value.

7 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of data management and search in the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The results measured by the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention are configured to be managed by year and month, and the information on the working period is automatically stored, , Pass, fail, etc. can be searched and inquired.

In addition, search results management function can be provided to search and manage date, worker, measurement model, product number, acceptance and rejection information.

Channel electric capacitance inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a separate authority to use the system for checking the damage of the ultrasonic probe 200, thereby reducing the risk of loss and equipment errors.

In other words, if a plurality of users use a system for checking whether the ultrasonic probe 200 is damaged or not, the measured data is stored in one group and the efficiency of data management is lowered. However, according to the embodiment of the present invention The multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 can prevent data loss and equipment errors in advance by granting a right to use a program as a user login function, and can manage data in a desired direction for each user have.

8 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a data output form in the multi-channel capacitance tester according to the embodiment of the present invention.

8, a user may arbitrarily designate the result of measuring the state of the ultrasonic probe 200 using a multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention through various output forms Data is output and stored, and the output data is stored as a picture file so that third parties can not process it arbitrarily, thereby improving the reliability of data storage and measurement inspection.

As described above, the multi-channel capacitance testing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can measure the electrostatic capacity of up to 256 channels at a rate of 150 ms to 250 ms per channel and measures the capacitance according to the product characteristics according to the supply frequency and bandwidth The equipment can be selected so that customized inspection is possible according to the products.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto. The scope of protection of the present invention is limited only by the matters described in the claims, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements of the technical idea of the present invention. Accordingly, these modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art.

100: Multi-channel capacitance tester
101: DC power supply (DC POWER supply)
102:
103: Switch control section
104:
200: Ultrasonic probe
201: Ultrasonic probe unit
202: Cable

Claims (10)

At least one connector terminal portion for connecting an ultrasonic probe;
A sensing unit for sensing a capacitance of each channel of the connected ultrasonic probe;
A signal converter for converting a capacitance value of each channel sensed by the sensing unit into a predetermined signal;
A signal transmission unit for transmitting the converted signal to a video display unit; And
And a video display unit for outputting the signal transmitted by the signal transmission unit in a graphic or digital form.
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method according to claim 1,
And the capacitance sensing of each channel of the sensing unit is sensed by dielectric polarization.
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the connector terminal portion is a connector terminal portion including four connectors
Multichannel capacitance tester.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
And detects a disconnection, a short-circuit, or a line-in position of each channel according to the sensed capacitance value for each channel.
Multichannel capacitance tester.
5. The method of claim 4,
The identified position
And the farther from the position where the ultrasonic probe is connected, the farther the detected capacitance value of each channel is smaller than the reference value,
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inspection apparatus further comprises an input unit for inputting a capacitance measurement mode or setting a capacitance value as a reference for each channel
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the number of channels is variable and the number of channels to be sensed can be adjusted
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the capacitance value for each channel is measured within a time period between 150 ms and 250 ms per channel
Multichannel capacitance tester.
The method of claim 1,
That the voltage grouped into the channel 2 ^{n (n} = 0 or a natural number) channels to measure the value of the capacitance, characterized in that at the same time can be applied
Multichannel capacitance tester.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the sensing unit feeds back the applied voltage in order to prevent the PZT single crystal device from being damaged and trips the applied voltage according to the fed back voltage
Multichannel capacitance tester.

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