Abstract: To be able to control an aperture in ultrasound transducer units comprised such that the signals from a plurality of ultrasound transducers are added and output. An ultrasound probe comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a plurality of delay circuits, and an adder circuit, and configured to be able to control a reception aperture of ultrasound waves. The delay circuit performs a delay processing to reception signals. The adder circuit adds and outputs the reception signals for each predetermined group. The ultrasound probe further comprises a gate means. The gate means switches connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, a transmission unit, a reception unit, a correction unit, an image processing unit and a display unit. The ultrasonic probe includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements. The reception unit stores a plurality of image generation reception signals corresponding to the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements, generates a reception beam in accordance a predetermined reception condition by using each of the stored image generation reception signals, and stores a plurality of correction reception signals corresponding to the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements. The correction unit receives the plurality of correction reception signals and corrects at least one of the transmission conditions and the reception condition based on the plurality of correction reception signals.

Abstract: To provide an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus capable of appropriately assigning a transmission delay time of a group to a transducer without complicated wires. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of the embodiment comprises a plurality of transducers, a timing pulse generator, a switch part, and a switch controller. Ultrasound waves are transmitted to the transducers. The timing pulse generator has output terminals for outputting timing pulses based on a delay time to a channel corresponding to each of the transducers, in which a plurality of output terminals are divided into groups and each group has the output terminals of a specific number greater than two. The timing pulse generator then generates the transmission delay time within a predetermined time range for the each group. The switch part selectively connects the channels with the output terminals.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus that can maintain surface temperature of an ultrasound probe within a safe range, without reduction in performance. The ultrasound probe includes a casing, a transducer, an electronic circuit, and a heat-transfer construction. Elements of the transducer are aligned at one end of the casing and send out ultrasound waves in accordance with their respective delay times. The electronic circuit, disposed in the casing, includes a delay circuit setting delay times and pulsers for generating pulses in accordance with the delay times, the pulses being sent to the transducer. While the electronic circuit is being energized, the heat-transfer construction disposes a member having a low heat conductivity at least either between the electronic circuit and the casing or between the electronic circuit and the transducer. Thereby, heat from the electronic circuit is conducted to the other end of the casing.

Abstract: A bias gate part supplies a bias current to a transmission pulse generator. The transmission pulse generator receives the supply of the bias current, amplifies an input voltage, and supplies an output voltage obtained by the amplification to array transducer elements. In accordance with the timing of transmitting ultrasound waves from the array transducer elements and the level of the output voltage supplied to the array transducer elements, the bias gate part supplies the bias current to the transmission pulse generator while changing the timing of supplying the bias current.

Abstract: To be able to control an aperture in ultrasound transducer units comprised such that the signals from a plurality of ultrasound transducers are added and output. An ultrasound probe comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a plurality of delay circuits, and an adder circuit, and configured to be able to control a reception aperture of ultrasound waves. The delay circuit performs a delay processing to reception signals. The adder circuit adds and outputs the reception signals for each predetermined group. The ultrasound probe further comprises a gate means. The gate means switches connection and disconnection of the signal path for each signal path arranged between the ultrasound transducer and the adder circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes ultrasonic oscillators each having first and second electrodes, a first transmitting circuit that is connected to the first electrode to transmit an electrical signal to the ultrasonic oscillator, and a second transmitting circuit that is connected to the second electrode to transmit an electrical signal to the ultrasonic oscillator.

Abstract: A bias gate part supplies a bias current to a transmission pulse generator. The transmission pulse generator receives the supply 6of the bias current, amplifies an input voltage, and supplies an output voltage obtained by the amplification to array transducer elements. In accordance with the timing of transmitting ultrasound waves from the array transducer elements and the level of the output voltage supplied to the array transducer elements, the bias gate part supplies the bias current to the transmission pulse generator while changing the timing of supplying the bias current.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including oscillation elements configured to transmit toward and receive from a region of a subject, a receiving delay setting unit configured to divide the oscillation elements into oscillation element groups and set a common delay to oscillation elements included in each of the oscillation element groups in accordance with an imaging condition, an adding unit configured to add received signals transmitted from the oscillation elements in accordance with the delay set by the received delay setting unit, and an image generating unit configured to generate image data in accordance with received signal added by adding unit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes ultrasonic oscillators each having first and second electrodes, a first transmitting circuit that is connected to the first electrode to transmit an electrical signal to the ultrasonic oscillator, and a second transmitting circuit that is connected to the second electrode to transmit an electrical signal to the ultrasonic oscillator.

Abstract: In a shock wave generating system, a width of a focused region synthesized from a plurality of focal points formed by a plurality of shock waves is varied by properly controlling delay times and/or drive voltages for a plurality of ring-shaped piezoelectric transducer elements. The shock wave generating system includes a shock wave generating unit having a plurality of shock-wave generating elements and a driving unit for separately driving the plurality of shock-wave generating elements by controlling at least delay times to produce a plurality of shock waves in such a manner that a dimension of a focused region synthesized from a plurality of different focal points formed by the plurality of shock waves, is varied in accordance with a dimension of a concretion to be disintegrated which is present in a biological body under medical examination.

Abstract: An ultrasonic treatment apparatus has an applicator for generating ultrasound for an object to be treated, an ultrasonic probe arranged in the applicator for acquiring tomographic image information of the object to be examined and/or destroyed, and an applicator support for supporting the applicator such that the applicator is movable in several directions. This ultrasonic treatment apparatus further includes a provision for changing an approach direction of the applicator between a downward approach and an upward approach to achieve suitable treatment of the object to be treated, a monitor for displaying the tomographic image information of the object supplied from the ultrasonic probe, and an approach direction indicator for indicating a condition of the approach direction of the applicator, whether in the downward approach or in the upward approach on the monitor.

Abstract: In a shock wave generating apparatus, phase shifts contained in echo signals reflected from a calculus are corrected in order to clearly judge whether or not such a calculus is actually present at a focal point or a near region.

Abstract: An apparatus for destroying a calculus includes an ultrasonic wave generating unit capable of setting a plurality of piezo-electric devices in a drive/reception mode by phase control, a peak value detecting unit for detecting a peak value, in a predetermined time width, of an echo signal in a reception signal received by the piezo-electric devices, a first comparing unit for comparing the peak value detected by the peak value detecting unit with a first predetermined threshold value, a frequency analyzing unit for analyzing a frequency component, in the predetermined time width, of the echo signal in the reception signal, a calculating unit for calculating a predetermined characteristic value on the basis of frequency component data obtained by the frequency analyzing unit, a second comparing unit for comparing the characteristic value obtained by the calculating unit with a second predetermined threshold value, and a display unit for displaying a comparison result of the first comparing unit with a compariso

Abstract: An electromagnetic induction type lithotrity apparatus, having a shock-wave source utilizing electromagnetic induction to generate a shock-wave, and focusing means to focus the shock-wave at a predetermined position, for focusing and irradiating the shock-wave toward a stone in the body of a patient which is located at the predetermined position, thereby pulverizing the stone.

Abstract: To disintegrate a calculus present within a biological body under medical examination, the following steps are employed: irradiating ultrasonic pulses to an interior region of the biological body which contains at least the calculus; receiving echo pulses reflected from the interior region of the biological body to produce reflection signals; detecting both a maximum signal level and a minimum signal level from the reflection signals received during a predetermined time period; setting a first threshold value based on both of said maximum signal level and said minimum signal level; and, focusing a shock wave onto the calculus contained in the interior region of the biological body only while signal levels of the reflection signals exceed the first threshold value.

Abstract: A shock wave lithotrity apparatus comprises an applicator which includes a first transducer for generating ultrasonic waves and for converging the ultrasonic waves on a focal point to treat an object, a second transducer for generating ultrasonic waves at a low level for echography, and a water bag for transmitting the ultrasonic waves to the object. A lithotrity unit and a B-mode imaging unit are respectively connected to the first and second transducers. When a position mode is selected, the second transducer is driven by the B-mode imaging unit and the echography is displayed and the first transducer is driven by the lithotrity unit at a low voltage to detect the intensity of the echo signal. The degree of focus-calculus matching is calculated based on the intensity. The operator adjusts the position of the first transducer by referring to the echography and the matching degree.

Abstract: A calculus destroying apparatus includes piezoelectric elements constituted by arranging a plurality of piezoelectric elements to have a predetermined shape, thereby constituting a shock wave generating source, a first driver for driving the piezoelectric elements by a high voltage pulse so that a shock wave for calculus destruction having a predetermined focal point pressure distribution is generated from the piezoelectric elements, a second driver for driving at least some of the piezolectric elements by a low voltage pulse so that a low pressure ultrasonic wave having a lower pressure and a wider focal point pressure distribution than those of the shock wave is generalized from the piezoelectric elements, a receiver for receiving an echo of the low pressure ultrsonic wave from inside a patient's body via the piezoelectric elements, and a controller for activating the second driver prior to activation of the first driver, and activating the first driver when the intensity of the echo received by the receive

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for disintegrating calculus having a main ultrasonic transducer for emitting a high power ultrasonic shock wave to disintegrate a kidney stone in a patient, and for emitting a weak ultrasonic shock wave, before emitting the high power ultrasonic shock wave. A sound receiver receives sounds generated by the patient's body in response to the weak ultrasonic shock wave, and converts the sounds into electrical signals. A kidney stone confirming circuit receives electrical signals from the sound receiver and determines whether the kidney stone is positioned at the focal point of the main transducer. The apparatus prevents the emission of the high power ultrasonic shock wave when the position of the kidney stone is not coincident with the focal point of the main transducer in order to prevent any harm to the patient's normal tissue.

Abstract: An ultrasonic therapy apparatus includes a treating ultrasonic transducer, a driving section, an imaging ultrasonic transducer, a tomographic image forming section, and a position control section. The treating transducer is driven by the driving section, and generates a treating ultrasonic wave focused at a predetermined focal point in a body of an object to be examined. The imaging ultrasonic transducer is movably arranged, and transmits and receives an imaging ultrasonic wave for obtaining a tomographic image of the object to be examined. The tomographic image forming section drives the imaging transducer to transmit the imaging ultrasonic wave, and forms the tomographic image of the object to be examined based on an ultrasonic echo signal received by the imaging transducer.