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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface formed by arranging a plurality of transducer cells each of which includes a membrane having a first electrode and a supporting film for supporting the first electrode, and also includes a second electrode arranged being opposite to the first electrode and being spaced apart from the first electrode at a prescribed interval, wherein: the transducer cells are arranged on the basis of resonant frequencies of the transducer cells.

Abstract: Within the tip portion of a cylindrical shaped sheath a capacitive ultrasonic transducer which is an array type two-dimensionally arrayed on the outer surface of the cylindrical face is disposed. Capacitive ultrasonic transducer units employ m capacitive ultrasonic transducer elements arrayed in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical face as a division unit, thereby providing an arrangement wherein the respective capacitive ultrasonic transducer units are readily disposed in the circumferential direction, whereby radial scanning or the like can be performed within a body cavity.

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

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe apparatus which applies a RF pulse signal with a DC bias signal superimposed thereon to c-MUTs and transmits/receives an ultrasound wave is configured such that a transmission control system includes bias regulators which regulate the voltage value of the DC bias signal, a reception control system has a plurality of different frequency band pass filtering characteristics including at least those for a low pass and high pass and a frequency band pass filtering processing section which can select at least one frequency band pass filtering characteristic from those frequency band pass filtering characteristics. The apparatus controls voltage settings of the bias regulators in conjunction with the selection of frequency band pass filtering characteristics of the frequency band pass filtering processing section.

Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.

Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.

Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.

Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.