Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Fukase

Hirokazu Fukase 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).

  • Patent number: 11052425
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes: an acoustic element that generates an ultrasonic wave and detects the ultrasonic wave; a support that supports the acoustic element on a side opposite to a test object side; and a heat dissipation material disposed on a side of the support opposite to the acoustic element, wherein an attenuation/thermal conduction material made of an attenuating material containing a thermally conductive material is disposed in contact with the heat dissipation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Fukase
  • Publication number: 20180290176
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes: an acoustic element that generates an ultrasonic wave and detects the ultrasonic wave; a support that supports the acoustic element on a side opposite to a test object side; and a heat dissipation material disposed on a side of the support opposite to the acoustic element, wherein an attenuation/thermal conduction material made of an attenuating material containing a thermally conductive material is disposed in contact with the heat dissipation material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventor: Hirokazu FUKASE
  • Patent number: 9831413
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe of the present disclosure includes an ultrasound element unit 1, to which a flexible substrate 7 is connected, the flexible substrate 7 including lamination of a ground layer 7e and a signal layer 7a via an insulation layer 7c. The flexible substrate 7 includes a bending part and a flat part. The signal layer 7a includes a linear first signal line and a linear second signal line that are adjacent to each other. The ground layer 7e at the bending part includes a linear first ground line and a linear second ground line that are adjacent to each other. The first signal line and the first ground line are opposed to each other, and the second signal line and the second ground line are opposed to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Patent number: 8834377
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe that enables the sensibility irregularity between arrays to be reduced is disclosed. This piezoelectric element contains: a piezoelectric element 1; a first electrode layer 2 formed on one side of the piezoelectric element 1; one or more conductive acoustic matching layers 5 layered via an adhesive layer 4 on the first electrode layer 2; a first film 7 which is layered via an adhesive layer 6 on the acoustic matching layer 5 and in which an electrode pattern is formed on the side of the adhesive layer 6; a second electrode layer 3 formed on the other side of the piezoelectric element 1; and a second film 15 which is layered via an adhesive layer 14 on the second electrode layer 3 and in which an electrode pattern is formed on the side of the adhesive layer 14, wherein the adhesive layers 4, 6 and 14 are thermosetting two-component type adhesives in which graphite powder is uniformly distributed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouji Ooura, Hirokazu Fukase
  • Publication number: 20140132114
    Abstract: An ultrasound probe of the present disclosure includes an ultrasound element unit 1, to which a flexible substrate 7 is connected, the flexible substrate 7 including lamination of a ground layer 7e and a signal layer 7a via an insulation layer 7c. The flexible substrate 7 includes a bending part and a flat part. The signal layer 7a includes a linear first signal line and a linear second signal line that are adjacent to each other. The ground layer 7e at the bending part includes a linear first ground line and a linear second ground line that are adjacent to each other. The first signal line and the first ground line are opposed to each other, and the second signal line and the second ground line are opposed to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Patent number: 8237336
    Abstract: A technology is disclosed which provides an array scanning type ultrasound probe capable of preventing a diminution of ultrasound of a piezoelectric device at the time of transmission and at the time of reception due to its damage and thereby reducing a sensitivity deterioration of a diagnostic image. According to the technology, included are an electroacoustic conversion unit formed by arranging multiple piezoelectric devices and multiple acoustic matching layers in a predetermined direction, each of the multiple piezoelectric devices being an electroacoustic conversion device, the multiple acoustic matching layers being respectively stacked on the multiple piezoelectric devices; and a signal flexible board transferring electric signals to be transmitted to and received from the multiple piezoelectric devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Publication number: 20120060613
    Abstract: A technology is disclosed which provides an array scanning type ultrasound probe capable of preventing a diminution of ultrasound of a piezoelectric device at the time of transmission and at the time of reception due to its damage and thereby reducing a sensitivity deterioration of a diagnostic image. According to the technology, included are an electroacoustic conversion unit formed by arranging multiple piezoelectric devices and multiple acoustic matching layers in a predetermined direction, each of the multiple piezoelectric devices being an electroacoustic conversion device, the multiple acoustic matching layers being respectively stacked on the multiple piezoelectric devices; and a signal flexible board transferring electric signals to be transmitted to and received from the multiple piezoelectric devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Patent number: 8084922
    Abstract: A technology is disclosed which provides an array scanning type ultrasound probe capable of preventing a diminution of ultrasound of a piezoelectric device at the time of transmission and at the time of reception due to its damage and thereby reducing a sensitivity deterioration of a diagnostic image. According to the technology, included are an electroacoustic conversion unit formed by arranging multiple piezoelectric devices and multiple acoustic matching layers in a predetermined direction, each of the multiple piezoelectric devices being an electroacoustic conversion device, the multiple acoustic matching layers being respectively stacked on the multiple piezoelectric devices; and a signal flexible board transferring electric signals to be transmitted to and received from the multiple piezoelectric devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Publication number: 20100198077
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe that enables the sensibility irregularity between arrays to be reduced is disclosed. This piezoelectric element contains: a piezoelectric element 1; a first electrode layer 2 formed on one side of the piezoelectric element 1; one or more conductive acoustic matching layers 5 layered via an adhesive layer 4 on the first electrode layer 2; a first film 7 which is layered via an adhesive layer 6 on the acoustic matching layer 5 and in which an electrode pattern is formed on the side of the adhesive layer 6; a second electrode layer 3 formed on the other side of the piezoelectric element 1; and a second film 15 which is layered via an adhesive layer 14 on the second electrode layer 3 and in which an electrode pattern is formed on the side of the adhesive layer 14, wherein the adhesive layers 4, 6 and 14 are thermosetting two-component type adhesives in which graphite powder is uniformly distributed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouji Ooura, Hirokazu Fukase
  • Publication number: 20100187952
    Abstract: A technology is disclosed which provides an array scanning type ultrasound probe capable of preventing a diminution of ultrasound of a piezoelectric device at the time of transmission and at the time of reception due to its damage and thereby reducing a sensitivity deterioration of a diagnostic image. According to the technology, included are an electroacoustic conversion unit formed by arranging multiple piezoelectric devices and multiple acoustic matching layers in a predetermined direction, each of the multiple piezoelectric devices being an electroacoustic conversion device, the multiple acoustic matching layers being respectively stacked on the multiple piezoelectric devices; and a signal flexible board transferring electric signals to be transmitted to and received from the multiple piezoelectric devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fukase, Kouji Ooura
  • Patent number: 6551247
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic probe of high performance and high quality. The ultrasonic probe comprises a high molecular material having a conductive layer and is disposed between a piezoelectric element and an acoustic matching layer. The high molecular material has an acoustic impedance substantially equal to that of the acoustic matching layer. The ultrasonic probe thus configured can be formed into a slim shape which is easy to operate without degrading the performance thereof, such as sensitivity or frequency characteristics or the like. The ultrasonic probe is structured so as not to cause an electrical problem due to breakage of wire even if the piezoelectric element is cracked by a mechanical impact or the like, and thus a high quality ultrasonic probe can be provided, and noise can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koetsu Saito, Yasushi Koishihara, Junichi Takeda, Hirokazu Fukase
  • Patent number: 6418084
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and an acoustic lens provided on an ultrasonic transmission/reception side of the piezoelectric element. The acoustic lens is formed in an acoustic lens shape by vulcanization formation through addition of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di-t-butyl peroxy hexane as a vulcanizing agent to a composition prepared by addition of silica (SiO2) particles in an amount of 40 wt % to 50 wt % to silicone rubber with a dimethylpolysiloxane structure including vinyl groups. Thus, the ultrasonic transmission and reception sensitivity is improved and the degradation in frequency characteristics is diminished. Consequently, higher resolution of an ultrasonic image and higher sensitivity can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koetsu Saito, Hirokazu Fukase
  • Publication number: 20020006079
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and an acoustic lens provided on an ultrasonic transmission/reception side of the piezoelectric element. The acoustic lens is formed in an acoustic lens shape by vulcanization formation through addition of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di-t-butyl peroxy hexane as a vulcanizing agent to a composition prepared by addition of silica (SiO2) particles in an amount of 40 wt % to 50 wt % to silicone rubber with a dimethylpolysiloxane structure including vinyl groups. Thus, the ultrasonic transmission and reception sensitivity is improved and the degradation in frequency characteristics is diminished. Consequently, higher resolution of an ultrasonic image and higher sensitivity can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Koetsu Saito, Hirokazu Fukase
  • Publication number: 20010021807
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe of high performance and high quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Inventors: Koetsu Saito, Yasushi Koishihara, Junichi Takeda, Hirokazu Fukase