Abstract: First terminal fitting accommodating chambers (61A) are arranged in a width direction in a housing (41) of a connector (40) for receiving first terminal fittings (42). A second terminal fitting accommodating chamber (61B) for receiving a second terminal fitting (42) is adjacent the first terminal fitting accommodating chambers (61A) in a height direction and between the first terminal fitting accommodating chambers (61A) in the width direction. First lances (64A) are in the first terminal fitting accommodating chambers (61A) for engaging the inserted terminal fittings (42) and are deformable into first deformation spaces (65A) lateral to the second terminal fitting accommodating chamber (61B). A second lance (64B) is in the second terminal fitting accommodating chamber (61B) for engaging the second terminal fitting (42) and is deformable into a second deformation space (65B) between the first terminal fitting accommodating chambers (61A).

Abstract: A connector (10) is provided with substantially round large terminals (12) connected with ends of shielded wires (SW), a small terminal (13) connected with an end of an insulated wire (W) and a housing (11) in which two large cavities (27) for receiving the large terminals (12) are arranged side by side and a small cavity (28) for receiving the small terminal (13) is arranged at a position between the two large-size cavities (27) and displaced from the both large cavities (27) in a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the large cavities (27).

Abstract: A transducer wiring pad group provided in a distal end portion of an ultrasound transducer printed circuit board provided with signal patterns that transmit and receive signals to and from a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a flexible printed circuit board wiring pad group arranged in a longitudinal axis direction of the ultrasound transducer printed circuit board, a second signal pattern group that is connected between the transducer wiring pad group and the flexible printed circuit board wiring pad group and bends at substantially degrees in the middle thereof, and a relay flexible printed circuit board that is connected to the flexible printed circuit board wiring pad group and changes a direction of a signal pattern into the longitudinal axis direction are provided.

Abstract: A micromachined ultrasound transducer including a plurality of ultrasound transducer cells each of which includes a substrate on which a bottom electrode is formed, and a membrane provided apart from the substrate and having an upper electrode formed thereon, said ultrasound transducer generating ultrasound with the membrane vibrating when voltage is applied between the bottom electrode and the upper electrode, comprises: a vibration propagation suppression unit suppressing propagation of vibration of said each ultrasound transducer cell to an adjacent ultrasound transducer cell.

Abstract: A ultrasonic transducer of the invention comprises: a transducer cell including a first electrode and a second electrode disposed separated from the first electrode by an air gap portion; and an electret for applying a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode. The electret is disposed in a region where at least a part thereof does not overlap with the transducer cell when viewed from a transmitting direction of ultrasonic waves.

Abstract: A blood-vessel detecting device includes a partially-deforming device which can be inserted into the body cavity so as to come into contact with the tissue surface in order to deform a part of the tissue surface so that turbulence is generated in a blood flow within blood vessels extending underneath the tissue surface, thereby enabling detection of the presence or absence of blood vessels underneath the tissue surface. Turbulent sound due to the turbulence generated at a part of the tissue surface deformed by the partially-deforming device is converted into electric signals by a converting device, following which the electric signals are subjected to signal processing such as amplification and so forth by a signal processing device.

Abstract: An ultrasound endoscope has an ultrasound probe which is disposed at a distal end side of a distal end rigid portion configuring a distal end portion out of a flexible tube portion, a bending portion and the distal end rigid portion configuring an insertion portion, and forms an ultrasound scanning surface having a normal line in a direction orthogonal to an endoscope insertion axis L1, and a treatment instrument outlet of a treatment hole in the distal end rigid portion. The ultrasound probe is configured by a plurality of ultrasound transducers arranged in a convex circular arc shape, and a center of curvature of the plurality of ultrasound transducers is disposed at a proximal end side from the treatment instrument outlet.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer manufactured by using a micromachining process comprises: a first electrode into which a control signal for transmitting ultrasound is input; a substrate on which the first electrode is formed; a second electrode that is a ground electrode facing the first electrode with a prescribed space between the first and second electrodes; a membrane on which the second electrode is formed and which vibrates and generates the ultrasound when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes; a piezoelectric film contacting the membrane; and a third electrode electrically continuous to the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) device, comprises: a cMUT obtained by processing a silicon substrate by using a silicon micromachining technique; and an oscillator circuit having the cMUT as a capacitor, and outputting a frequency modulation signal by modulating a frequency of an oscillation signal to be output on the basis of a change of capacitance of the cMUT.

Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) device, comprising: a cMUT formed on a semiconductor substrate; a DC high-voltage generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating a DC high-voltage signal to be superposed on a driving signal for the cMUT; a driving signal generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating the driving signal; and a superposition unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for branching the DC high-voltage signal output from the DC high-voltage generation unit and for superposing one of the branched DC high-voltage signals on the other of the branched DC high-voltage signals via the driving signal generation unit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer according to the invention includes a flexible sheet, a rigid body portion including a lower electrode made of at least a thin-film conductive material on a surface of the flexible sheet, a dividing portion which divides the rigid body portion into segments, and a plurality of transducer elements including the divided rigid body portion, has at least one transducer cell composed of one of the segments, an insulating partition portion bonded to the segment, an air gap portion surrounded by the partition portion, an upper electrode opposed to the lower electrode extending to the partition portion to sandwich the air gap portion therebetween, and an upper insulating layer formed on the upper electrode, and includes an upper protection film which continuously covers a surface portion of the transducer elements and the dividing portion.

Abstract: 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 tow or more layers, and at least one layer of them comprises a high dielectric constant film.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer cell according to the present invention includes: a substrate; a charge holding portion provided on the substrate; a lower electrode provided on the charge holding portion and used to input and output a signal; and a vibration membrane provided above the lower electrode to be separated from the lower electrode with a cavity, and configured to include at least an insulating film and an upper electrode provided on the insulating film.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention includes: two or more ultrasonic transducer cells, each of which has a lower electrode, a first insulating layer placed on the lower electrode, a cavity placed on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer placed on the cavity, and an upper electrode placed above the second insulating layer; channels which communicate the cavities with each other; the second insulating layer placed on the channels; holes formed in the second insulating layer placed on the channels; and sealing portions which seal the holes, where that part of the sealing portions which enters the channels is the same in cross-sectional shape as the holes.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer of a capacitance type includes a pair of electrodes disposed to be opposed to each other and a vibration film including one of the pair of electrodes. The ultrasonic transducer includes n (n is a natural number equal to or larger than 1) air gap layers interposed between the pair of electrodes and m (m is a natural number equal to or larger than 1) insulating layers interposed between the pair of electrodes. In the ultrasonic transducer, a following Formula (1) is satisfied: d1?{?dn+?(tm/Km)}/3 ??(1) where, dn indicates a thickness of an nth air gap layer, d1 indicates a thickness of an air gap layer for allowing the vibration film to vibrate, tm indicates a thickness of an mth insulating layer, and Km indicates a dielectric constant of the mth insulating layer.

Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is constituted by a plurality of transducer elements comprising plural transducer cells that are mutually connected in parallel and comprises: a silicon substrate; a bottom electrode placed on the top surface of the silicon substrate; an upper electrode placed opposite to the bottom electrode and apart therefrom by a prescribed air or vacuum; a membrane for supporting the bottom electrode; and a membrane supporting part for supporting the membrane, wherein the cMUT comprises a third electrode which has an electrical continuity to the bottom electrode and which corresponds to either one of the transducer cells of a prescribed number of the transducer subelement or of the transducer elements, and a fourth electrode which is a ground electrode electrically connected to the bottom electrode.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic endoscope having ultrasonic transducers for scanning ultrasonic wave in a living body three-dimensionally, an ultrasonic image creating portion of an ultrasonic observing apparatus for creating ultrasonic volume data based on an ultrasonic signal captured by the ultrasonic endoscope, a two-dimensional image select knob, keyboard, trackball, computing/control portion and display control portion for selecting a tomographic plane from the ultrasonic volume data by designating the angle of rotation about the straight line through two points designated on the ultrasonic volume data as the axis of rotation, and a monitor for displaying the tomographic plane selected during a scanning operation as a two-dimensional ultrasonic image.