Abstract: To provide an ultrasonograph capable of generating a transmission beam comprising a main beam having a uniform width over a wide range in an ultrasonic wave propagation direction by one-time transmission of an ultrasonic pulse. A weighted mean value of a plurality of transmission delay time values corresponding to focal lengths of transmission pulse waves having a plurality of focal points which are set in the ultrasonic wave propagation direction is calculated for each of elements constituting a transmission aperture and used as the delay time. Waves are actually transmitted with the weighted mean value as delay time. As the weight used for obtaining the delay time mean value, first, a transmission effective aperture width according to each transmission focal length is selected, and a weight in the direction of the transmit aperture realizing the width is calculated and is used in a focal length direction.

Abstract: Blood-flow image display equipment for displaying a CFM image that is not affected by a motion of a tissue in an object area during capturing of images or is affected in a reduced manner.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a Doppler velocity detecting technique capable of performing velocity detection and analysis with a suppressed error while excellently distinguishing a clutter signal, and provides an ultrasonographic device using the technique.

Abstract: Ultrasonic treatment equipment is provided which repeats therapeutic ultrasound exposure while measuring a degree of vessel constriction on a therapeutic ultrasound exposure basis.

Abstract: There is provided a ultrasonic motion detecting device that detects a three-dimensional motion of an object. The ultrasonic motion detecting device, comprises first and second ultrasonic transducers 13 having piezoelectric elements arranged in an array, which transmit ultrasonic waves to an object and acquire reflection signals from the object, a motion detection unit 20 that extracts an estimation region which is used for estimating a motion of the object from the reflection signals that are acquired by the first and second ultrasonic transducers, and detects a three-dimensional motion within the estimation region; and an image display unit 19 that displays the three-dimensional motion within the estimation region, wherein ultrasonic wave scanning surfaces due to the first and second ultrasonic transducers cross over each other.

Abstract: A sensor and sensor module with small power consumption and high reliability are disclosed. The sensor includes a capacitor having a capacitance varying with a physical quantity, a capacitance-voltage conversion circuit for converting the capacitance of the capacitor into a voltage, and a control signal generation circuit for generating a plurality of control signals. The capacitor has a frequency-capacitance characteristic with a resonant frequency. In a measurement of the physical quantity, the capacitance of the capacitor is measured with one of the control signals having a first frequency which is much higher or much lower than the resonant frequency. In a self-diagnosis of the sensor, the capacitance of the capacitor is measured with another one of the control signals having a second frequency which is equal or close to the resonant frequency.

Abstract: In a semiconductor diaphragm type electro-acoustic transducer device having no necessity for a DC bias voltage applied as a result of a charge-stored layer being provide between electrodes, electro-mechanical conversion efficiency undergoes a change owing to time-dependent change in a quantity of stored electricity due to leakage of charge, and so forth. As for sensitivity of signal reception, provided by an ultrasonic array-transducer made up of the electro-acoustic transducer devices each as a basic unit, not only a main beam sensitivity undergoes drift as a result of drift in the electromechanical conversion efficiency, but also there result deterioration in an acoustic S/N ratio, and deterioration in directionality of an ultrasonic beam.

Abstract: In a sonodynamic treatment apparatus including: a first ultrasound radiating unit for radiating diagnostic ultrasound; a second ultrasound radiating unit for radiating treatment ultrasound; an echo detection unit for detecting an ultrasound echo; a diagnostic controller for radiating the diagnostic ultrasound with the first ultrasound radiating unit and detecting the ultrasound echo corresponding the diagnostic ultrasound; an echographic controller for processing an echographic image on the basis of the detected ultrasound echo; and a treatment controller for radiating the treatment ultrasound with the second ultrasound radiating unit, radiation of the treatment ultrasound with the second ultrasound radiating unit is controlled to have a predetermined exposure duration and a predetermined pause duration of the treatment ultrasound, and the echographic image is generated on the basis of the ultrasound echo during the pause duration of the treatment ultrasound exposure with the diagnostic image generator.

Abstract: The present invention aims to stabilize sound-electricity conversion characteristics of a diaphragm-type sound-electricity conversion device as well as to decrease the noise level of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the sound-electricity conversion device. The sound-electricity conversion device is configured by a capacitor cell including a lower electrode formed on a silicon substrate and an upper electrode over the lower electrode, the lower and upper electrodes sandwiching a cavity. An electrode short-circuit prevention film is formed on the upper electrode on the cavity side. The electrode short-circuit prevention film is formed of a material with an electrical time constant shorter than 1 second and longer than 10 microseconds, such as silicon nitride containing a stoichiometrically excessive amount of silicon.

Abstract: According to the invention, an ultrasonic apparatus for therapeutical use suitable for remedy by the irradiation of an ultrasonic wave low in the degree of convergence using medicine that stays in a disease region, reduces the threshold of cavitation caused by an ultrasonic wave and secondarily generates active oxygen by the acoustic cavitation caused by the ultrasonic wave is provided. The ultrasonic apparatus for therapeutical use is provided with a belt wearable in a position (on the abdomen of a patient) that surrounds a diseased part and unit ultrasonic radiators can be mounted in an arbitrary position of the belt.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is disclosed for reducing the influence of electromagnetic wave leakage to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device even when the probe is inside the MRI gantry. The ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric material, an acoustic matching layer provided on the ultrasonic radiation side of the piezoelectric material, and backing material provided on a rear side of the piezoelectric material. A transmit beam former is used to control a transmit focal point of ultrasonic waves inside the body of a subject. A receive beam former controls a receive beam focal point of electronic waves inside the body of the subject. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus also includes a switch capable of electrically disconnecting the ultrasonic probe from a transmit/receive switch.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe comprises therapeutic transducers which include a plurality of arrayed first transducer elements and emit therapeutic ultrasounds to a subject, and diagnostic transducers which include a plurality of arrayed second transducer elements and emit diagnostic ultrasounds to the subject and receive the diagnostic ultrasounds, wherein the therapeutic transducers are stacked over the diagnostic transducers.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic imaging device having an image synthesizing unit, correlation between images to be synthesized is computed for balancing between an improvement in contrast resolution and an improvement in spatial resolution, and an amount of displacement between the images is computed. When the amount of displacement is large, the signals after envelop detection are synthesized. When the amount of displacement is small, RF signals are synthesized. Alternatively, the mixing frequency may be variable according to the amount of displacement, and the balance between an improvement in spatial resolution and that in contract resolution is achieved according to a degree of the positional displacement.

Abstract: An apparatus for making paper includes a stirring tank and a paper making portion. The stirring tank includes: an outer cylinder; a middle cylinder disposed concentrically with the outer cylinder; a raw-material feeding port for feeding raw-material into said stirring tank; a stirring mechanisms; and a top plate for holding the outer and middle cylinders in a predetermined position. The paper making portion is installed below the stirring tank and includes: a wire cloth and a paper making frame having an opening for holding said wire cloth, and the opening is connected to a suction unit. The stirring mechanisms are uniformly disposed above the wire cloth. In addition, a plurality of raw-material feeding ports are uniformly disposed above the wire cloth.

Abstract: An apparatus for making paper includes a stirring tank and a paper making portion. The stirring tank includes: an outer cylinder; a middle cylinder disposed concentrically with the outer cylinder; a raw-material feeding port for feeding raw-material into said stirring tank; a stirring mechanisms; and a top plate for holding the outer and middle cylinders in a predetermined position. The paper making portion is installed below the stirring tank and includes: a wire cloth and a paper making frame having an opening for holding said wire cloth, and the opening is connected to a suction unit. The stirring mechanisms are uniformly disposed above the wire cloth. In addition, a plurality of raw-material feeding ports are uniformly disposed above the wire cloth.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method combines dynamically focused reception and coded transmission/reception technologies by inexpensive circuitry. A receive aperture is divided into smaller apertures. Correspondingly, a receive beam former is divided into receive sub-beam formers 36a to 36n by which a phase alignment and summing process is performed. Thereafter, coded signals are compressed in decoders 37a to 37n in a time axis direction. Output signals from the decoders are once again subjected to a phase alignment and summing process in a second beam former.

Abstract: To provide an ultrasonograph capable of generating a transmission beam comprising a main beam having a uniform width over a wide range in an ultrasonic wave propagation direction by one-time transmission of an ultrasonic pulse. A weighted mean value of a plurality of transmission delay time values corresponding to focal lengths of transmission pulse waves having a plurality of focal points which are set in the ultrasonic wave propagation direction is calculated for each of elements constituting a transmission aperture and used as the delay time. Waves are actually transmitted with the weighted mean value as delay time. As the weight used for obtaining the delay time mean value, first, a transmission effective aperture width according to each transmission focal length is selected, and a weight in the direction of the transmit aperture realizing the width is calculated and is used in a focal length direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasonic imaging system capable of extracting structure-emphasized image data in which the structure of a tissue in a living body is emphasized and texture-emphasized image data in which a texture pattern coming from properties of a tissue in a living body is emphasized from B-mode image data, and obtaining a synthesized image obtained by weighting and combining the two extracted image data pieces.

Abstract: There are provided an ultrasonic imaging system and method which can correct a phase shift effect to image a real change in acoustic impedance in a living body.

Abstract: According to the invention, an ultrasonic apparatus for therapeutical use suitable for remedy by the irradiation of an ultrasonic wave low in the degree of convergence using medicine that stays in a disease region, reduces the threshold of cavitation caused by an ultrasonic wave and secondarily generates active oxygen by the acoustic cavitation caused by the ultrasonic wave is provided. The ultrasonic apparatus for therapeutical use is provided with a belt wearable in a position (on the abdomen of a patient) that surrounds a diseased part and unit ultrasonic radiators can be mounted in an arbitrary position of the belt.