Patents by Inventor Akiko Mizunuma
Akiko Mizunuma has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7327072Abstract: An ultrasonic wave oscillator is configured in a manner that an acoustic matching member is formed on the ultrasonic wave emission side of an electromechanical transducer element, a backing material is fixed with adhesive on the other side thereof, and the electromechanical transducer element is fixed by connection members pressing it respectively from opposite directions.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2007Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignees: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corp.Inventors: Takanao Fujimura, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hideo Adachi, Takeharu Nakazato, Sunao Sato
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Publication number: 20080018206Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic transducer which is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements having an electrode on each of two opposite surfaces, an acoustic matching layer arranged on the first surface that is one of the two opposite surfaces, a wiring board so arranged on the acoustic matching layer as to be in contact with the piezoelectric element, and a conductor electrically connecting the wiring board with the electrode on the second surface that is one of the two opposite surfaces. This ultrasonic transducer is characterized in that the surface of the wiring board on the same side as the second surface of the piezoelectric element is positioned relatively lower than the second surface of the piezoelectric element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2005Publication date: January 24, 2008Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Takuya Imahashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Sunao Sato
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Publication number: 20070299345Abstract: A capacitive ultrasonic transducer (c-MUT) comprising a silicon substrate and a transducer element which comprises transducer cells, each of which is constituted by a first electrode equipped on the top surface of the silicon substrate, a second electrode placed opposite to the first electrode with a predetermined gap therefrom and a membrane for supporting the second electrode, wherein a trench is equipped between the adjacent transducers and a conductive film is formed in the trench.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2005Publication date: December 27, 2007Inventors: Hideo Adachi, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Atsushi Osawa, Tatsuo Kaimai, Shinji Yasunaga, Kiyoshi Nemoto, Miyuki Murakami, Kousei Tamiya, Yu Kondo
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Publication number: 20070293762Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer arraying at even intervals ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and layering a plurality of acoustic matching layers on them, comprising an transducer shape forming member made of a fiber-reinforced thermosetting PPE for filling a gap formed on the side face of the ultrasonic transducer with the same material as that of the acoustic matching layer, mixing a colorant in a division member adjacent to a predefined ultrasonic transducer from among a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and arraying the plurality thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2005Publication date: December 20, 2007Inventors: Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Sunao Sato
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Publication number: 20070287920Abstract: An electronic radial ultrasonic probe comprising an electronic radial array which comprises a plurality of ultrasonic transducers being continuously arrayed circularly around an insertion axis as center and also for which a transmission/reception of an ultrasonic wave is controlled by electronically selecting the plurality of ultrasonic transducer, comprises: a support member equipped on the electronic radial array; a lock member featured with a cavity in which the support member is inserted and with a lock groove for locking a balloon which is mounted in a manner to cover the electronic radial array and in which an ultrasonic medium is filled; and a filler member which is constituted by an adhesive material converting from a fluid state to a solid state, and is filled in the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2005Publication date: December 13, 2007Inventors: Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Takuta Imahashi, Sunao Sato
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Publication number: 20070216257Abstract: An ultrasonic wave oscillator is configured in a manner that an acoustic matching member is formed on the ultrasonic wave emission side of an electromechanical transducer element, a backing material is fixed with adhesive on the other side thereof, and the electromechanical transducer element is fixed by connection members pressing it respectively from opposite directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2007Publication date: September 20, 2007Inventors: Takanao Fujimura, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hideo Adachi, Takeharu Nakazato, Sunao Sato
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Publication number: 20070164632Abstract: It becomes possible to obtain high sound pressure in a high frequency domain by a capacitive ultrasonic transducer which comprises a membrane on which one electrode is formed, a cavity constructed in its backface, and a substrate on which these are mounted and supported and on whose surface an electrode is provided, on a surface in an ultrasonic transmission and reception side, characterized in that the membrane comprises two or more layers, and at least one layer of them comprises a high dielectric constant film.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2006Publication date: July 19, 2007Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Hideo Adachi, Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Etsuko Omura, Yoshiyuki Okuno, Shuji Otani, Miyuki Murakami, Kiyoshi Nemoto, Kozaburo Suzuki, Naomi Shimoda
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Publication number: 20070164631Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface formed by arranging a plurality of transducer cells each of which includes a membrane having a first electrode and a supporting film for supporting the first electrode, and also includes a second electrode arranged being opposite to the first electrode and being spaced apart from the first electrode at a prescribed interval, wherein: the transducer cells are arranged on the basis of resonant frequencies of the transducer cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2006Publication date: July 19, 2007Applicant: Olympus CorporationInventors: Hideo Adachi, Etsuko Omura, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Takuya Imahashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Shuji Otani, Miyuki Murakami, Kiyoshi Nemoto, Kozaburo Suzuki, Naomi Shimoda
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Publication number: 20070167814Abstract: Within the tip portion of a cylindrical shaped sheath a capacitive ultrasonic transducer which is an array type two-dimensionally arrayed on the outer surface of the cylindrical face is disposed. Capacitive ultrasonic transducer units employ m capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements arrayed in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical face as a division unit, thereby providing an arrangement wherein the respective capacitive ultrasonic transducer units are readily disposed in the circumferential direction, whereby radial scanning or the like can be performed within a body cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2006Publication date: July 19, 2007Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hideo Adachi, Yukihiko Sawada, Takuya Imahashi, Masayoshi Omura, Etsuko Omura, Akiko Mizunuma, Shuji Otani, Miyuki Murakami, Kiyoshi Nemoto, Kozaburo Suzuki, Naomi Shimoda
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Publication number: 20070083119Abstract: An ultrasonic probe apparatus which applies a RF pulse signal with a DC bias signal superimposed thereon to c-MUTs and transmits/receives an ultrasound wave is configured such that a transmission control system includes bias regulators which regulate the voltage value of the DC bias signal, a reception control system has a plurality of different frequency band pass filtering characteristics including at least those for a low pass and high pass and a frequency band pass filtering processing section which can select at least one frequency band pass filtering characteristic from those frequency band pass filtering characteristics. The apparatus controls voltage settings of the bias regulators in conjunction with the selection of frequency band pass filtering characteristics of the frequency band pass filtering processing section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2006Publication date: April 12, 2007Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Hideo Adachi, Yoshiyjki Okuno, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Takuya Imahashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Masayoshi Omura, Etsuko Omura, Kozaburo Suzuki, Shuji Otani, Naomi Shimoda, Miyuki Murakami, Kiyoshi Nemoto
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Patent number: 6821253Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2003Date of Patent: November 23, 2004Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Sayuri Sato, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Tomoki Funakubo
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Publication number: 20030187356Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2003Publication date: October 2, 2003Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Sayuri Sato, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Tomoki Funakubo
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Patent number: 6558323Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2001Date of Patent: May 6, 2003Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Sayuri Sato, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Tomoki Funakubo
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Publication number: 20020156373Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2001Publication date: October 24, 2002Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Sayuri Sato, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Tomoki Funakubo
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Patent number: 5884627Abstract: An ultrasonic probe comprising a coaxial cable 11 capable of transferring an energizing pulse voltage and an echo signal, at least one piezoelectric element 5, an acoustic matching layer 7 disposed on a sound transmitting face side of each piezoelectric element 5 and an acoustic backing layer 8 disposed on its opposite side, the above ultrasonic probe being adapted to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave, wherein each piezoelectric element 5 has the following distribution of spontaneous polarization according to positions of the piezoelectric element. The spontaneous polarization of the ultrasonic probe of the present invention has differences such that the spontaneous polarization is caused to be strong at a position where the absolute value of Bessel function J.sub.0 (x/a) is large while the spontaneous polarization is weak at a position where the absolute value of J.sub.0 (x/a) is small.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 1996Date of Patent: March 23, 1999Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Katsuhiko Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma
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Patent number: 5255681Abstract: The ultrasonic wave diagnosing apparatus of this invention comprises a controlling circuit controlling the rotation, advance and retreat of an ultrasonic wave oscillator, a DC power source feeding an electric power to a DC motor rotating the ultrasonic wave oscillator, a DC motor controlling circuit inputting a controlling signal from the above mentioned controlling circuit and controlling the voltage of the above mentioned DC power source, a photointerrupter detecting the position of the ultrasonic wave oscillator by the advance and retreat, a stepping motor advancing and retreating the above mentioned ultrasonic wave oscillator and a record controlling apparatus controlling an auxiliary memorizing apparatus which can record an ultrasonic wave image obtained by the above mentioned ultrasonic wave oscillator so that, in order to reverse the rotation by inverting the phases of controlling signals A and B of the stepping motor advancing and retreating the above mentioned ultrasonic wave oscillator, a position dType: GrantFiled: November 27, 1991Date of Patent: October 26, 1993Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.Inventors: Toshiro Ishimura, Koichi Matsui, Takahiro Echizenya, Yoshihisa Taniguchi, Akiko Mizunuma