Patent ID: 11944492
Assignee: ASAHI INTECC CO., LTD.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B  G | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. A guide wire comprising:
a guide wire body; and
a medical ultrasonic sensor array positioned at a distal end part of the guide wire body, the medical ultrasonic sensor array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic sensors having a plurality of first electrode plates, a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a second electrode plate, wherein
each of the ultrasonic sensors has a respective one of the first electrode plates and a respective one of the piezoelectric elements sandwiched between the second electrode plate and the respective one of the first electrode plates,
each first electrode plate of each ultrasonic sensor is separated from each other first electrode plate of each other ultrasonic sensor,
the second electrode plate is a single body electrode plate shared by the plurality of the ultrasonic sensors,
the second electrode plate includes a plurality of cavities,
each cavity extends in a direction of thickness of the medical ultrasonic sensor array,
each cavity is formed in a surface of the second electrode plate at which the piezoelectric elements connect to the second electrode plate at a position between connection regions connecting a respective pair of the piezoelectric elements to the second electrode plate,
the medical ultrasonic sensor array is positioned such that an ultrasonic sender-receiver face of the first electrode plate of each of the ultrasonic sensors faces in a direction of insertion of the guide wire body, and
the medical ultrasonic sensor array is positioned further distal than a metallic core shaft of the guide wire.