Ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device
Provided is a device that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from an entire periphery of a specimen while preventing a movement of the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device includes: an oscillator array that is arrayed with an oscillator, the oscillator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a fixing tool that is disposed between the oscillator array and the specimen and retains the specimen; and a drive mechanism that presses at least a part of the fixing tool against the specimen as to retain the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array passes through the fixing tool and irradiates on the specimen, and as for the oscillator array, the oscillator array and the fixing tool are disposed in a positional relationship such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by and/or passing through by the specimen and passing through the fixing tool is received.
1. An ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device, comprising:
an oscillator array that is arrayed with an oscillator, the oscillator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave;
a fixing tool that is disposed between the oscillator array and a specimen and retains the specimen;
a drive mechanism that presses at least a part of the fixing tool against the specimen so as to retain the specimen;
a guide member into which a tip of the specimen is inserted; and
a liquid injection mechanism that injects the liquid between the guide member and the specimen such that the liquid and the tip inside the guide member are in contact,
wherein an ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array passes through the fixing tool and irradiates on the specimen, the oscillator array and the fixing tool are disposed in a positional relationship such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by and/or passing through the specimen and passing through the fixing tool is received, and
wherein the fixing tool retains a part of the specimen that is not inserted into the guide member.
2. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing tool is formed of a material having an acoustic impedance with respect to the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array equivalent to that of the specimen.
3. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the oscillator array has a shape that two-dimensionally surrounds at least a part of a periphery of the specimen.
4. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the oscillator array includes at least one pair of oscillators disposed at opposing positions with the specimen sandwiched therebetween.
5. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing tool includes an elastic membrane member and containing a liquid, and
the drive mechanism includes a fixing tool pressure adjustment unit that inflates the membrane member by increasing an amount of the liquid contained in the membrane member so as to press the membrane member against at least a part of the specimen, thereby retaining the specimen.
6. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing tool is a member having a predetermined shape, and
the drive mechanism includes a mechanism that applies a force to move the member in a direction where the member is pressed against the specimen.
7. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 6 , wherein the oscillator array is disposed in the member.
8. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 7 , further comprising an image generation unit that generates an image of the specimen by performing a predetermined calculation using a reception signal received by the oscillator,
wherein after the member is moved by the drive mechanism in the direction where the member is pressed against the specimen, the image generation unit determines a distance between the oscillator and the specimen and uses the distance information to perform the calculation, thereby generating an image.
9. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator that moves the oscillator array relative to the specimen.
10. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid is filled between the oscillator array and the fixing tool.
11. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the specimen is a hand, and the guide member has a shape that guides a position of a finger of the hand.
12. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid injection mechanism injects and discharges the liquid between the fixing tool and the specimen.
13. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 12 , wherein the liquid discharged via the liquid injection mechanism is held in a separate container from the liquid injected.
14. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second fixing tool that fixes the specimen further outside the fixing tool.
15. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 1 , further comprising a dryer.
16. The ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device according to claim 15 , wherein on a condition that the liquid is discharged from between the fixing tool and the specimen, the dryer dries the specimen.