Ultrasound probe and method of manufacturing ultrasound probe

1. An ultrasound probe comprising:

a piezoelectric transducer having a front face side facing a radiation direction of ultrasound waves and a back face side facing a direction that is opposite to the radiation direction of ultrasound waves;

a backing material provided on the back face side of said piezoelectric transducer, and having a first width substantially equal to a width of said piezoelectric transducer in widthwise direction perpendicular to said radiation direction;

a flexible substrate located between said backing material and said piezoelectric transducer, provided with a wiring pattern on a surface that is facing the piezoelectric transducer, and folded in a direction substantially opposite said radiation direction around an end of said backing material widthwise; and

a covering member that covers said wiring pattern, wherein:

a front face of a layer located on the front face side with regard to said wiring pattern has a width substantially equal to said first width, with a back face formed to have a second width shorter than said first width; and

said covering member covers said wiring pattern extending at least from a folded section of said flexible substrate to a space between said layer and said backing material due to a difference between said first width and said second width.

2. An ultrasound probe comprising:

a plurality of piezoelectric transducers each having a front face side facing a radiation direction of ultrasound waves and a back face side facing a direction that is opposite to the radiation direction of ultrasound waves, and aligned in a direction perpendicular to said radiation direction;

a backing material provided on the back face side of said plurality of piezoelectric transducers, and having a width substantially equal to a length of alignment of said plurality of piezoelectric transducers;

a flexible substrate located between said backing material and said plurality of piezoelectric transducers, provided with a wiring pattern on a surface that is facing the plurality of piezoelectric transducers, and folded in a direction substantially opposite said radiation direction around an end of said backing material in the alignment direction of said plurality of piezoelectric transducers; and

a covering member for covering said wiring pattern, wherein:

a cutout is provided on a back face section of a layer located on a front side with regard to said wiring pattern, the cutout being open outward; and

said covering member covers said wiring pattern extending at least from a folded section of said flexible substrate to said cutout.

3. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein said layer is provided between said flexible substrate on said backing material and said piezoelectric transducer, and is an intermediate layer made of a material with higher acoustic impedance than said piezoelectric transducer.

4. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein said layer is said piezoelectric transducer.

5. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein said back face of said layer and said wiring pattern on said flexible substrate are in direct contact, and a side of said layer and said covering member are bonded with an adhesive.

6. The ultrasound probe according to claim 1 , wherein an adhesive layer is situated between said wiring pattern and said layer.

7. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound probe, the ultrasound probe including a piezoelectric transducer that has a front face side facing a radiation direction of ultrasound waves and a back face side facing a direction that is opposite to the radiation direction of ultrasound waves, an intermediate layer made of a material with higher acoustic impedance than said piezoelectric transducer, a backing material having a first width substantially equal to a width of said piezoelectric transducer, a flexible substrate provided with a wiring pattern, and a covering member for covering said wiring pattern, the method comprising:

forming a second width shorter than said first width in said intermediate layer;

by connecting said backing material together with said flexible substrate to said intermediate layer, forming a space surrounded by a step formed by said first width and said second width in said intermediate layer and said flexible substrate, and placing an end of said covering member covering said wiring pattern within that space; and

folding said flexible substrate.

8. A method of manufacturing an ultrasound probe, the ultrasound probe including a plurality of piezoelectric transducers each having a front face side facing a radiation direction of ultrasound waves and a back face side facing a direction that is opposite to the radiation direction of ultrasound waves, and aligned perpendicularly to said radiation direction, an intermediate layer made of a material with higher acoustic impedance than said plurality of piezoelectric transducers, a backing material having a width substantially equal to a length of alignment of said plurality of piezoelectric transducers, a flexible substrate provided with a wiring pattern, and a covering member for covering said wiring pattern, the method comprising:

forming a step by providing a cutout on the back face side of said intermediate layer;

by connecting said backing material together with said flexible substrate to said intermediate layer, forming a housing for said covering member surrounded by said step in said intermediate layer and said flexible substrate, and placing an end of said covering member covering said wiring pattern within that housing; and

folding said flexible substrate.

9. The ultrasound probe according to claim 2 , wherein said layer is provided between said flexible substrate on said backing material and the plurality of piezoelectric transducers, and is an intermediate layer made of a material with higher acoustic impedance than the plurality of piezoelectric transducers.

10. The ultrasound probe according to claim 2 , wherein said layer is the plurality of piezoelectric transducers.

11. The ultrasound probe according to claim 2 , wherein said back face of said layer and said wiring pattern on said flexible substrate are in direct contact, and a side of said layer and said covering member are bonded with an adhesive.

12. The ultrasound probe according to claim 2 , wherein an adhesive layer is situated between said wiring pattern and said layer.