IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,696,671
Granted Patent B2
US 7,696,671 · App. 11/665,208 · Granted Apr 13, 2010

Array ultrasonic transducer having piezoelectric devices

Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation; Olympus Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,696,671
App. No.
11/665,208
Granted
Apr 13, 2010
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (6)

1. An array ultrasonic transducer comprising transducer elements each including a plurality of transducer sub elements, wherein:

the transducer elements include a conductive sheet for electrically connecting:

piezoelectric devices divided into a plurality of pieces by forming first dicing grooves on an acoustic matching layer and a piezoelectric device plate that are mounted together;

a board connected to the piezoelectric devices in such a manner that the board is adjacent to the divided piezoelectric devices; and

electrodes formed on main surfaces of the piezoelectric devices and electrode patterns formed on main surfaces of the board, by coating surfaces in the vicinity of locations at which the board and the piezoelectric devices are connected together with a conductive sheet, and wherein:

the piezoelectric device is divided in such a manner that the piezoelectric devices respectively correspond to the transducer sub elements, and the board is divided in such a manner that the board respectively correspond to the transducer elements, by forming second dicing grooves between two adjacent first dicing grooves formed on the piezoelectric devices and the board being coated with the conductive sheet and on the acoustic matching layer.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 27, 2016
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039344/0502 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2015
From: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036276/0543 →
RECORD TO CORRECT THE EXECUTION DATE OF YUKIHIKO SAWADA ON REEL 091332 FRAME 0814 Recorded Jun 8, 2007
From: SAWADA, YUKIHIKO; MIZUNUMA, AKIKO; WAKABAYASHI, KATSUHIRO; IMAHASHI, TAKUYA; SATO, SUNAO
To: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.; OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019662/0892 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2007
From: SAWADA, YUKIHIKO; MIZUNUMA, AKIKO; WAKABAYASHI, KATSUHIRO; IMAHASHI, TAKUYA; SATO, SUNAO
To: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.; OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019332/0814 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2004-301572 · Oct 15, 2004 · national
JP 2004-321470 · Nov 5, 2004 · national
JP 2005-024385 · Jan 31, 2005 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20080037808A1 · Feb 14, 2008