Patents by Inventor Sunao Sato

Sunao Sato 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).

  • Publication number: 20080200814
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer in a cylindrical shape including a plurality of piezoelectric devices, an acoustic matching layer stacked on a principal plane on a sound emitting plane side, an acoustic lens on a plane of the acoustic matching layer opposite to a plane facing the piezoelectric devices, and a backing material stacked on another principal planes of the piezoelectric devices; an endoscopic observation and endo-therapy unit provided, for performing endoscopic image observation, at a proximal end side of the ultrasonic transducer; a cable ass'y including a plurality of cables for transmitting signals to and from the ultrasonic transducer. In the above configuration, the cable ass'y is arranged in such a manner that the cable ass'y passes through an inside portion of the ultrasonic transducer, and is connected to the ultrasonic transducer at a distal end side of the ultrasonic transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Imahashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20080119738
    Abstract: An ultrasound endoscope comprises an ultrasonic probe where a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements for transmitting/receiving ultrasounds are arranged in a nearly cylindrical form, a distal rigid section which configures the tip of an endoscopic insertion tube and in which the ultrasonic probe is provided, a bending tube to which the distal rigid section is connected and which bends with remote operation, a flexible tube connected to the bending tube, and a signal line bundle which is a bundle of signal lines corresponding to respective ultrasonic transducer elements for transmitting a drive signal driving each of the ultrasonic transducer elements and which passes through the insides of the distal rigid section, the bending tube, and the flexible tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Inventors: Takuya Imahashi, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Hidemichi Aoki, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20080084137
    Abstract: An electronic radial type ultrasonic transducer, in which electrode pads to be electrically connected to signal wires are formed on a printed circuit board, forms the electrode pads on the top surface of the printed circuit board in a radial pattern and also exposes the electrode pads relative to the outer circumference of the printed circuit board, configures a wire by coating, in a predetermined thickness, the entirety of a substrate constituting the substrate of the wire with a different kind of conductive metal that is different from the substrate, and melts the different kind of metal at both ends of the wire, thereby electrically connecting the electrode pads to the ultrasonic transducer by way of the wire and electrically connecting the ultrasonic transducer to the signal wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20080051655
    Abstract: An ultrasonic endoscope includes an insertion section, an operation section, an optical observation system, and an ultrasonic observation system. The optical observation system is disposed in the insertable section, and has an objective lens located on a face of a distal end of the insertion section. The ultrasonic observing system is disposed in the insertion section, and has an ultrasonic transducer disposed on the face of the distal end of the insertion section or further forward than the distal end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Masatoshi SATO, Kunihide KAJI, Takayuki SUZUKI, Junji SHIONO, Takayasu MIKKAICHI, Shinichi TSUTAKI, Toshihiro SHIZUKA, Takeharu NAKAZATO, Sunao SATO, Akiko MIZUNUMA
  • Publication number: 20080037808
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer in which lead wire connection is facilitated even when piezoelectric devices are divided in order to prevent lateral vibrations from affecting longitudinal vibrations is manufactured by a method comprising: a step in which first dicing grooves are formed on an acoustic matching layer and a piezoelectric device plate that are mounted together in order to form a plurality of piezoelectric devices; a step in which a board and the respective piezoelectric devices are connected together; a step in which surfaces in the vicinity of locations at which the board and the piezoelectric devices are connected together are coated with a conductive sheet; and a step in which the plurality of transducer elements are formed by forming second dicing grooves between the first dicing grooves formed on the piezoelectric devices and the board that is coated with the conductive sheet and on the acoustic matching layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Takuya Imahashi, Sunao Sato
  • Patent number: 7327072
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignees: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Takanao Fujimura, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hideo Adachi, Takeharu Nakazato, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20080018206
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Imahashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20070293762
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Yukihiko Sawada, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Akiko Mizunuma, Takuya Imahashi, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20070287920
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Takuta Imahashi, Sunao Sato
  • Publication number: 20070216257
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Takanao Fujimura, Yukihiko Sawada, Akiko Mizunuma, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hideo Adachi, Takeharu Nakazato, Sunao Sato