Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, which records an image onto a recording medium by flying an ink-droplet from a surface of an ink by a pressure of ultrasonic beam, is characterized by comprising ultrasonic generating element array which has a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged in array for emitting ultrasonic beams, driving means for applying a plurality of pulses having different phases each other to converging ultrasonic beams by interfering said plurality of ultrasonic beams with each other emitted from said ultrasonic generating elements of a part of said ultrasonic generating element array, which are simultaneously driven, with sequentially shifting said ultrasonic generating elements simultaneously driven to an array direction, and converging means for converging each of said plurality of ultrasonic beams in a direction of perpendicular to the array direction.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic probe includes the steps of forming electrodes on two surfaces of a piezoelectric single crystal made of a complex perovskite compound and then adhering the piezoelectric single crystal on a backing material, dicing the piezoelectric single crystal to form an arrayed piezoelectric single-crystal transducer, and poling the arrayed piezoelectric single-crystal transducer in the electric field of 0.5 to 2 kV/mm at a temperature of 80° C. or less.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe has strip-formed oscillators formed of a piezoelectric crystal material arranged in an array form. Metal layers are formed by a first layer of at least one of Ti, Ni and Cr, a second layer of at least one of Cu and Ni, and a third layer of at least one of Cu, Au, Pt, Ag and Pd. A backing material is fixed to the oscillators through the metal layers. With this structure, it is possible to manufacture an ultrasonic probe having a high sensitivity while maintaining a favorable dicing process, even while using a backing material having a low acoustic impedance and soft properties.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus uses supersonic waves focused on an ink holding container to inject ink from the ink surface onto a recording medium. A piezoelectric element driven by a first driving signal serves as the supersonic wave generator. The piezoelectric element can also be driven by a second driving signal to effectively circulate the ink in the holding container. The second driving signal results in an acoustic pressure at the ink surface lower than the acoustic pressure necessary for injecting the ink onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus records an image onto a recording medium by flying an ink-droplet from an ink surface by a pressure of an ultrasonic beam. The apparatus including an ultrasonic generating element array having a plurality of ultrasonic elements arranged in an array for emitting ultrasonic beams, a driving device for applying a plurality of pulses having different phases from each other, and a converging device for converging the ultrasonic beams by interfering the ultrasonic beams with each other. The generating elements are simultaneously driven and sequentially shifted in an array direction, and the converging device converging the ultrasonic beams in a direction perpendicular to the array direction.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink holding chamber, an ultrasonic wave generator having a piezoelectric transducer structure consisting of a piezoelectric member, and first and second electrodes formed on opposing surfaces of the piezoelectric member, and a driver for driving the piezoelectric transducer structure. The piezoelectric transducer structure is coupled acoustically with the ink liquid. The apparatus further includes ultrasonic wave focusing member formed on the ultrasonic wave generator and including an acoustic lens for focusing an ultrasonic wave generated from the ultrasonic wave generator in a vicinity close to a surface of the ink liquid, and a supporting member for supporting the ultrasonic wave generator on an opposite side to the ultrasonic wave focusing member.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe provided with an ultrasonic wave-transmitting/receiving element comprising a 1-3 type or 2-2 type composite piezoelectric body exposing a piezoelectric monocrystal from at least one of the faces of the composite piezoelectric body, and an electrode mounted on at least one of the faces of the composite piezoelectric body, wherein the composite piezoelectric body comprises a piezoelectric monocrystal whose electromechanical coupling coefficient ratio k.sub.33 /k.sub.t is 1.6 or more, and a resin whose acoustic impedance Zp is 4.times.10.sup.6 kg/m.sup.2 s or less.

Abstract: A driving circuit controls a time for applying a drive signal to a piezoelectric element so as to bring a control in the number of ink droplets squirted from a liquid surface of liquid ink according to a gray scale level of an image to be printed on a printed object. According to application of the drive signal, acoustic waves emitted from a piezoelectric element array are focused in a main scanning direction, made incident to an acoustic lens via an acoustic matching layer, further focused in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and focused in a vicinity of the liquid surface in a point form. In the vicinity of the liquid surface, an ink liquid mound is formed by means of pressure (discharging pressure) generated by the focused acoustic waves and then from a tip of the ink liquid mound an ink droplet according to the application time is squirted. The squirted ink droplet is ejected and stuck to the printed object.

Abstract: A device for performing identification by sensing the fingerprint of a finger includes an input unit. The input unit is constituted by a plurality of linear contact electrodes formed on a substrate, and a pressure-sensitive sheet formed on the linear contact electrodes and a resistance thereof changes in accordance with a pressure applied thereto. When the finger touches the surface of the pressure-sensitive sheet, a change in resistance is caused between the electrodes, and this change is converted to data of a one-dimensional electrical signal distribution. The obtained data is compared with registered data, thereby performing identification. The time required for signal processing necessary in the identification device can be decreased.

Abstract: Provided is a diagnostic ultrasound system producing an image whose brightness is enhanced by a contrast medium by implementing contrast echography based on intravenous injection. A diagnostic ultrasound system comprises a probe for converting an electrical driving signal into a corresponding transmission ultrasound wave and converting an echoed ultrasound wave into a corresponding electrical echo signal. The system still comprises a unit for transmitting the transmission ultrasonic wave to a subject by providing the probe the electrical driving signal substantially consisting of a fundamental component of a given driving frequency. The non-fundamental component is typically a second harmonic. A non-fundamental component of the driving frequency is intentionally lowered in power relative to the fundamental component by a suppressing element in the transmitting unit.

Abstract: An ultrasound medical treatment apparatus includes an ultrasound applicator for applying ultrasound irradiation to a treatment target. The treatment apparatus also includes an ultrasound imaging device that transmits ultrasound pulses to image the treatment target. The treatment apparatus is capable of reducing noises occurring at an ultrasound imaging device due to the ultrasound irradiation generated by the ultrasound application during ultrasound medical treatment. The noises may be reduced by increasing a transmission power of the ultrasound pulses. Alternatively, the noises may be reduced by subtracting pre-recorded noise components from the ultrasound pulses received by the ultrasound imaging device, where the pre-recorded noise components are characteristic of noise occurring at the ultrasound imaging device due to the ultrasound irradiation generated by the ultrasound applicator.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus for raising tissue temperature for hypothermic treatments, including an ultrasonic source for generating an ultrasonic treatment wave and a driving means for driving the ultrasonic source such that a frequency of the ultrasonic treatment wave generated by the ultrasonic source changes with time. The frequency of the ultrasonic treatment wave is changed along the time axis. By this change in frequency, some bubbles formed by cavitation as a result of the ultrasonic treatment wave are divided, and some bubbles are collapsed and therefore eliminated. Side effect cavitation and spread of a thermal degeneration area is suppressed, and thermal degeneration can be accurately induced in a desired area, thereby realizing a reliable, safe ultrasonic thermotherapy. Since cavitation is positively suppressed, the total treatment period can be shortened because cavitation would otherwise interfere with and slow down the thermal degeneration process.

Abstract: A device for performing identification by sensing the fingerprint of a finger includes an input unit. The input unit is constituted by a plurality of linear contact electrodes formed on a substrate, and a pressure-sensitive sheet formed on the linear contact electrodes and a resistance thereof changes in accordance with a pressure applied thereto. When the finger touches the surface of the pressure-sensitive sheet, a change in resistance is caused between the electrodes, and this change is converted to data of a one-dimensional electrical signal distribution. The obtained data is compared with registered data, thereby performing identification. The time required for signal processing necessary in the identification device can be decreased.

Abstract: An ultrasound medical treatment system capable of determining the hot spot at high spatial resolution, and preventing the displacement of the hot spot from the focal point. In the system, the imaging device for obtaining image data of a treatment portion containing a treatment target and an irradiation device for applying radiation onto the treatment target are controlled in such a manner that the imaging device is controlled to obtain hot spot detection image data after the irradiation device is controlled to apply radiation at a prescribed level, so that a hot spot indicating a change due to a temperature change caused by the radiation at the prescribed level can be detected from the hot spot detection image data. The irradiation device is then controlled to apply a treatment radiation at a treatment level higher than the prescribed level according to the detected hot spot.

Abstract: A piezoelectric material with a high fracture toughness and a large electromechanical coupling coefficient is disclosed. This piezoelectric material contains a composition which is represented by xPb(Sc.sub.1/2 Nb.sub.1/2)O.sub.3 -yPbTiO.sub.3 -zPbZrO.sub.3 -wPb(Me.sub.1/3 Nb.sub.2/3)O.sub.3, where Me is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn and Ni, and x+y+z+w=1.00, x, y, z, and w being values falling within region which is defined by connecting points a, b, c, and d and which excludes a line ab, the points a, b, c, and d existing on the faces of a regular trigonal pyramid having apices P.sub.1, P.sub.2, P.sub.3, and P.sub.4 which correspond to Pb(Sc.sub.1/2 Nb.sub.1/2)O.sub.3, PbTiO.sub.3, PbZrO.sub.3 and Pb(Me.sub.1/3 Nb.sub.2/3)O.sub.3, respectively, and the points a, b, c, and d having the following coordinate values when the apices P.sub.1, P.sub.2, P.sub.3, and P.sub.4 have coordinate values of (X.sub.1, Y.sub.1, Z.sub.1, W.sub.1 =1, 0, 0, 0), (X.sub.2, Y.sub.2, Z.sub.2, W.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric single crystal which has a large electromechanical coupling coefficient and hardly brings about depolarization due to the effect of heat in, e.g., the steps of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving element. The piezoelectric single crystal consists essentially of a general formula:Pb{[M1.sub.1/3 Nb.sub.(2/3)-(2z/3) Ta.sub.2z/3 ].sub.1-x-y Ti.sub.x M2.sub.y }O.sup. 3wherein M1 represents at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ni, and Mg, M2 represents at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Fe, Bi, Rh, and Ir, and x, y, and z are defined as 0.05.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.2, 0.00001.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.01, and 0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.1, respectively.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosing system includes a probe having an vibrator made of a plurality of spaced piezoelectric; material elements arranged in a matrix, first electrodes arranged on one surface of the vibrator in an array of rows parallel to each other, and second electrodes arranged on another surface of the vibrator in an array of rows parallel to each other and orthogonally to the first electrodes.Particularly, the piezoelectric material elements are spaced by spacer segments arranged between the electrode rows and formed from a high molecular weight material with less acoustic impedance than the piezoelectric material, a Shore hardness D50 or more (JIS) and a thickness of about 1/10 to 1/2 of the piezoelectric elements. The ultrasonic diagnosing system uses a phased array technique to provide tomograms at mutually orthogonal and spatially close positions with sufficient sensitivity.

Abstract: A thrombus resolving treatment apparatus of this invention has an ultrasonic radiator for radiating a therapeutic ultrasonic wave to a thrombus portion, an ultrasonic probe for obtaining B mode image data of an interior of a patient's body, a first ultrasonic imaging unit for visually displaying the B mode image data supplied from the ultrasonic probe, a catheter inserted in the blood vessel, an ultrasonic transducer, provided to the catheter, for obtaining cross-sectional image data of an interior of a blood vessel, and a second ultrasonic imaging unit for visually displaying the cross-sectional image data supplied from the ultrasonic transducer.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving element which uses a piezoelectric member constituted by a solid-solution based single crystal of zinc lead niobate-lead titanate, so that low-frequency driving can be achieved, the thickness of the piezoelectric member in the direction of vibration can be decreased, matching with a transmitting/receiving circuit can be easily made, and the sensitivity can be improved. The ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving element having a piezoelectric member constituted by a solid-solution based single crystal of zinc lead niobate-lead titanate and a pair of electrodes formed on an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface of the piezoelectric member and a surface opposite to the transmitting/receiving surface, respectively.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe system is disclosed, which is designed to allow connection of a DC power supply capable of applying a voltage higher than the coercive electric field of each of a plurality of piezoelectric layers thereto, and includes a polarization turn over circuit means for, when the DC power supply is driven, turning over the polarity of the DC power supply so as to direct electric fields of every two adjacent layers constituting the piezoelectric layers in substantially opposite directions or electric fields of all the layers in the same direction.