Patent ID: 7686765
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprising: a transmitting piezoelectric element that transmits an ultrasound to a diagnostic portion of a body in response to an input drive signal; a receiving piezoelectric element that receives an echo produced by reflection of the ultrasound by the diagnostic portion of the body; a substrate having two spaced-apart non-contacting substrate sections, the transmitting piezoelectric element being disposed on and fixed to a surface of one substrate section and the receiving piezoelectric element being disposed on and fixed to a surface of the other substate section; a support member supporting the substrate, the support member having two spaced-apart side wall portions that have tops and bottoms, and a base portion interconnecting the bottoms of the two side wall portions, the two substrate sections being disposed on and supported by the tops of the two side wall portions so that the two substrate sections of the substrate jointly define with the two side wall portions and the base portion of the support member an enclosed gap that attenuates unwanted propagation of the transmitted ultrasound; and an information obtaining circuit that obtains information concerning the diagnostic portion of the body based on the transmitted ultrasound and the received echo.