Ultrasonic probe

Abstract

In an ultrasonic probe including an element part 1 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a relay cable 2 connected to the element part 1 and an oscillation mechanism part for oscillating the element part, a cross section of the relay cable 2 , which is taken perpendicularly to a rotation axis 3 of the oscillation that is provided to the element part 1 by the oscillation mechanism part, has at least two arc-shaped parts smoothly connected each other, more specifically, S-shape arc-shaped parts or reversed S-shaped parts. In addition, the relay cable 2 is drawn from the surface of the element part 1 facing the rotation axis 3 . In this manner, the stress applied to the relay cable 2 during the oscillation of the element part 1 can be dispersed, thereby improving durability of the relay cable 2.

1 . An ultrasonic probe comprising an element part for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a relay cable connected to the element part and an oscillation mechanism part for oscillating the element part, wherein a cross section of the relay cable, that is taken perpendicularly to a rotation axis of the oscillation provided to the element part by the oscillation mechanism part, has at least two arc-shaped parts smoothly connected each other.  
     
     
         2 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the relay cable is drawn from the surface of the element part on the side of the rotation axis.  
     
     
         3 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the relay cable perpendicular to the rotation axis has two arc-shaped parts positioned point-symmetrically about an assumed point and shaped similarly to each other.  
     
     
         4 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the relay cable perpendicular to the rotation axis has a S-shape or a reversed S-shape.  
     
     
         5 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation axis is located at a curvature center of at least one of the arc-shaped parts that compose a cross section of the relay cable perpendicular to the rotation axis of the relay cable.  
     
     
         6 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the relay cable is structured as a laminate of plural flexible printed boards or plural flexible flat cables.  
     
     
         7 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 6 , wherein the plural flexible printed boards or the plural flexible flat cables are laminated in a state being in contact with each other but not fixed.  
     
     
         8 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 6 , wherein the flexible printed boards or the flexible flat cables have signal lines formed on the one sides and ground lines formed on the other sides.  
     
     
         9 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 8 , wherein the element part includes an array element formed by arraying plural oscillators, and the flexible printed boards or the flexible flat cables have plural signal lines corresponding respectively to the oscillators.  
     
     
         10 . The ultrasonic probe according to  claim 9 , wherein the plural oscillators are divided into plural groups, received signals of the oscillators are processed for each of the groups, the flexible printed boards or the flexible flat cables have plural signal lines corresponding respectively to the oscillators, and the signal lines are bound together for each of the groups.