Patents by Inventor Shuzo Sano
Shuzo Sano 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: 8758253Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is disclosed which includes a cMUT chip having a plurality of vibration elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity is changed according to a bias voltage and transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an acoustic lens arranged above the cMUT chip, and a backing layer arranged below the cMUT chip. An electric leakage preventing unit is provided at the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface side of the acoustic lens or between the acoustic lens and the cMUT chip. The electric leakage preventing unit can be, for example, an insulating layer such as a ground layer. Such a structure makes it is possible to provide an ultrasonic probe capable of preventing electric leakage from the ultrasonic probe to an object to be examined so as to improve the electric safety and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the probe.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2007Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Shuzo Sano, Akifumi Sako, Takashi Kobayashi, Mikio Izumi
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Patent number: 8551003Abstract: An ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnosis device which can improve electrical safety for an operator are provided. The ultrasonic probe 2 has an insulating portion 62 between a mounting board 43 and a case 25. Since electrical leakage from the internal device of the ultrasonic probe 2 can be prevented, electrical safety of the ultrasonic probe 2 for the operator can be improved. A conductive film 61 is provided on the ultrasonic wave radiation side of a cMUT chip 20, and a conductive member 63 is provided along the insulating member 62. A conductive film 61 and a conductive member 63 are connected by a conductive member 64. A closed space having a ground potential is formed by the conductive film 61, the conductive member 63 and a coaxial cable 55 connected to ground. Main components or the body circuits of the ultrasonic probe 2 are contained in the closed space having the ground potential and shielded electrically from the outside.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Makoto Fukada, Shuzo Sano, Akifumi Sako
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Patent number: 8540640Abstract: An ultrasonic probe (2) comprises a cMUT chip (20), which has a plurality of vibration elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or the sensitivity changes depending on a bias voltage, and transmits/receives an ultrasonic wave; an acoustic lens (26) provided on the ultrasonic wave radiation side of the cMUT chip (20); a backing layer (22) provided on the back side of the cMUT chip (20) for absorbing propagation of the ultrasonic wave; an electric wiring portion (flexible substrate (72)), which is provided from the peripheral portion of the cMUT chip (20) to the side face of the backing layer (22) and has a signal pattern connected with the electrode of the cMUT chip (20) arranged thereon; and a housing (ultrasonic probe cover (25)) for containing the cMUT chip (20), the acoustic lens (26), the backing layer (22) and the electric wiring portion (flexible substrate (72)).Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2008Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Shuzo Sano, Akifumi Sako, Takashi Kobayashi, Mikio Izumi
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Patent number: 8408063Abstract: An ultrasonic probe including a cMUT chip that has plural oscillation elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity varies in accordance with a bias voltage and transmits/receives an ultrasonic wave, an acoustic lens provided at an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception side of the cMUT chip, a backing layer provided to the opposite surface of the cMUT chip to the acoustic lens, and a substrate provided between the backing layer and the cMUT chip. The ultrasonic probe further includes thermal stress suppressing means for suppressing thermal stress occurring due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient caused by temperature variation between the substrate and the backing layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Shuzo Sano, Makoto Fukada, Akifumi Sako
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Publication number: 20110071396Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is provided with a CMUT chip having a plurality of transducer elements that change electromechanical coupling coefficients or sensitivities in accordance with a bias voltage to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, an electric conducting layer formed on the ultrasonic irradiation side of the CMUT chip, an acoustic lens arranged on the ultrasonic irradiation side of the CMUT chip, an insulating layer formed in the direction opposite to the ultrasonic irradiation side of the acoustic lens, a housing unit that stores the CMUT chip in which the electric conducting layer and the insulating layer are fixed with an adhesive and the acoustic lens, wherein the insulating layer is formed by the material that includes at least either silicon oxide or paraxylene to prevent a solvent of the adhesive from soaking into the adhered portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2009Publication date: March 24, 2011Applicant: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATIONInventors: Shuzo Sano, Yasuhiro Yoshimura, Tatsuya Nagata, Makoto Fukada, Akifumi Sako
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Publication number: 20100242612Abstract: An ultrasonic probe including a cMUT chip that has plural oscillation elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity varies in accordance with a bias voltage and transmits/receives an ultrasonic wave, an acoustic lens provided at an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception side of the cMUT chip, a backing layer provided to the opposite surface of the cMUT chip to the acoustic lens, and a substrate provided between the backing layer and the cMUT chip. The ultrasonic probe further includes thermal stress suppressing means for suppressing thermal stress occurring due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient caused by temperature variation between the substrate and the backing layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2008Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATIONInventors: Shuzo Sano, Makoto Fukada, Akifumi Sako
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Publication number: 20100179430Abstract: An ultrasonic probe (2) comprises a cMUT chip (20), which has a plurality of vibration elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or the sensitivity changes depending on a bias voltage, and transmits/receives an ultrasonic wave; an acoustic lens (26) provided on the ultrasonic wave radiation side of the cMUT chip (20); a backing layer (22) provided on the back side of the cMUT chip (20) for absorbing propagation of the ultrasonic wave; an electric wiring portion (flexible substrate (72)), which is provided from the peripheral portion of the cMUT chip (20) to the side face of the backing layer (22) and has a signal pattern connected with the electrode of the cMUT chip (20) arranged thereon; and a housing (ultrasonic probe cover (25)) for containing the cMUT chip (20), the acoustic lens (26), the backing layer (22) and the electric wiring portion (flexible substrate (72)).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2008Publication date: July 15, 2010Inventors: Shuzo Sano, Takashi Kobayashi, Mikio Izumi
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Publication number: 20100154547Abstract: An ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnosis device which can improve electrical safety for an operator are provided. The ultrasonic probe 2 has an insulating portion 62 between a mounting board 43 and a case 25. Since electrical leakage from the internal device of the ultrasonic probe 2 can be prevented, electrical safety of the ultrasonic probe 2 for the operator can be improved. A conductive film 61 is provided on the ultrasonic wave radiation side of a cMUT chip 20, and a conductive member 63 is provided along the insulating member 62. A conductive film 61 and a conductive member 63 are connected by a conductive member 64. A closed space having a ground potential is formed by the conductive film 61, the conductive member 63 and a coaxial cable 55 connected to ground. Main components or the body circuits of the ultrasonic probe 2 are contained in the closed space having the ground potential and shielded electrically from the outside.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2008Publication date: June 24, 2010Inventors: Makoto Fukada, Shuzo Sano, Akifumi Sako
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Publication number: 20100036257Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic probe including: a cMUT chip having a plurality of vibration elements whose electromechanical coupling coefficient or sensitivity is changed according to a bias voltage and transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; an acoustic lens arranged above the cMUT chip: and a backing layer arranged below the cMUT chip. Electric leakage preventing means is provided at the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface side of the acoustic lens or between the acoustic lens and the cMUT chip. The electric leakage preventing means is, for example, an insulating layer such as a ground layer. By using such a structure, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic probe capable of preventing electric leakage from the ultrasonic probe to an object to be examined so as to improve the electric safety and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the probe.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2007Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATIONInventors: Shuzo Sano, Akifumi Sako, Takashi Kobayashi, Mikio Izumi
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Patent number: 6736779Abstract: An ultrasonic probe in which two-dimensional array transducer elements are arrayed convexly both in one direction of the two-dimensional array and in the direction perpendicular to the former direction relative to the direction where an ultrasonic wave is transmitted. By switching a transducer element selecting switch circuit provided near the transducer elements, the shape of the diameter of the probe for transmitting and receiving of ultrasound and the position of the diameter are arbitrarily determined.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2002Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Shuzo Sano, Yutaka Sato, Jun Kubota, Shinji Kishimoto, Ryuichi Shinomura, Satoshi Tamano, Takaya Osawa, Yuichi Miwa, Hiroshi Masuzawa
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Patent number: 5974884Abstract: In an ultrasonic probe, an acoustic matching layer, which is fixed on the front side of a transducer for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving a reflected wave thereof and matches in acoustic impedance the transducer to a living tissue in an object to be examined, is formed in such a structure that the acoustic impedance thereof is varied continuously in the thickness direction from the transducer to the object to be examined.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1998Date of Patent: November 2, 1999Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Shuzo Sano, Mikio Izumi
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Patent number: 5829439Abstract: A needle-like ultrasonic probe includes an inner needle received in a hollow, tubular outer needle for rotation about an axis thereof. The inner needle has a pointed distal end, and a notch is formed in an outer peripheral surface of that portion of the inner needle which is located adjacent to the distal end thereof. At least one ultrasonic transducer, as well as an acoustic lens for converging an ultrasonic wave, produced by the ultrasonic transducer, onto a point near to the outer peripheral surface of the inner needle, is provided in the notch. A filler, having an outer surface conforming to the outer peripheral surface of the inner needle, is fitted in the notch. With this construction, after the inner needle is smoothly stuck into a living tissue, even if it is rotated and axially moved, the living tissue is less affected or damaged by the inner needle.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1996Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Koichi Yokosawa, Shizuo Ishikawa, Ryuichi Shinomura, Yukio Ito, Shuzo Sano, Hiroshi Kanda, Yutaka Sato, Toshio Kondo
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Patent number: 5026664Abstract: A semiconductor IC device having a substrate, a patterned conductor layer for interconnection of regions in the substrate and a passivation layer covering the device is provided with an additional conduction path of a pattern and/or part of the patterned conductor layer is removed for disconnection for the purpose of evaluation of the characteristics of the device. The additional conduction path is formed by forming a hole in the passivation layer to expose a part of the conductor layer, directing, in an atmosphere containing a metal compound gas, an ion beam onto the hole and onto a predetermined portion of the passivation layer on which the additional conduction path of a pattern is to be formed to thereby form a patterned film of the metal decomposed from the metal compound gas and forming an additional conductor on the patterned film.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1989Date of Patent: June 25, 1991Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mikio Hongo, Katsuro Mizukoshi, Shuzo Sano, Takashi Kamimura, Fumikazu Itoh, Akira Shimase, Satoshi Haraichi, Takahiko Takahashi