Patent ID: 6572552
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: B06B,G10K

Abstract:
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing a detectable object to be ultrasonically diagnosed, comprising:an ultrasonically diagnostic probe unit for emitting ultrasonic waves to said detectable object in response to input pulse signals, and receiving an ultrasonic echo from said detectable object to probe said detectable object; a signal transmitting unit operatively connected with said ultrasonic diagnostic probe unit to generate said input pulse signals to be transmitted into said ultrasonic waves by said ultrasonically diagnostic probe unit; a signal receiving unit operatively connected with said ultrasonically diagnostic probe unit for receiving said ultrasonic echo from said detectable object and processing output signals to be converted into an image of said detectable object being observed; and a display unit operatively connected with said signal receiving unit to display said image of said detectable object on the basis of said output signals from said signal receiving unit to ensure an ultrasonically diagnosed state of said detectable object; said ultrasonically diagnostic probe unit comprising an oscillation body having a pair of piezoelectric layers an intermediate layer sandwiched by said piezoelectric layers, an acoustic lens body operative to focus said ultrasonic waves from said oscillation body and being emitted to and reflected by said detectable object, and a supporting body having said oscillation body mounted thereon to ensure that said detectable object is probed by said oscillation body to be ultrasonically diagnosed with said display unit, said oscillation body has a wave propagation direction along which said ultrasonic waves propagate, an azimuthal direction perpendicular to said wave propagation direction, and a minor axis direction perpendicular to said wave propagation direction and said azimuthal direction, and in which at least one of said piezoelectric layers of said oscillation body has a central portion extending along said azimuthal direction and a pair of end portions and integrally formed with said central portion, said intermediate layer of said oscillation body has a central portion extending along said azimuthal direction and a pair of end portions and integrally formed with said central portion, said piezoelectric layers and said intermediate layer of said oscillation body respectively having thicknesses in said wave propagation direction, total thicknesses of said end portions of said piezo electric layers are smaller than that of said central portions of said piezoelectric layers, and said thickness of each end portion of said intermediate layer is larger than that of said central portion of said intermediate layer, and the thickness of each end portion of said intermediate layer is mechanically equal to that of said central portion of said intermediate layer, and said central portion of said intermediate layer has predetermined acoustic impedance ultrasonically different from that of each end portion of said intermediate layer.