Patent US5152294A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5152294A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1990-12-14
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Granted: 1992-10-06
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Expires: 2010-12-14
Abstract
Abstract A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner for acquiring data concerning a three-dimensional area within a living body to be examined. In the inside of a scanner case is encased an array transducer unit. Further, at the end bottom portion of the transducer unit there is provided an array transducer composed of a plurality of transducer elements arranged in line one after another. The electronic scanning of this array transducer produces a two-dimensional scanning plane. In addition, a swinging mechanism is provided for mechanically swinging the transducer unit in a direction normal to the arrangement direction of the transducer elements. This mechanical swing movement of the transducer unit shifts the two-dimensional scanning plane to a direction normal thereto, thereby forming a three-dimensional data acquisition area within the living body. Here, a swing angle of the transducer unit is detected by an angle detector.
Inventors
- 👤 Takashi Mochizuki
- 👤 Syohgo Iijima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:52
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; A61B8/42; A61B8/4272; A61B8/4281; A61B8/13; A61B8/14; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/4461; A61B8/4483; A61B8/48; A61B8/483; G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/34; G10K11/341; G10K11/35; G10K11/352; G10K11/355; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/916
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; swing means for swinging said transducer unit within said scanner case in a direction normal to a scanning plane produced by the plurality of transducer elements; and angle detection means for detecting a swing angle of the transducer unit relative to the scanner case.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; swing means for swinging said transducer unit within said scanner case in a direction normal to a scanning plane produced by the plurality of transducer elements; and angle detection means for detecting a swing angle of the transducer unit relative to the scanner case.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising acoustic energy coupling means disposed between the end portion of the transducer unit and an inner bottom surface of the scanner case.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 2, wherein said acoustic energy coupling means comprises a flexible partition membrane hermetically attached at a peripheral portion thereof to inner side wall portions of the scanner case so as to define a sealed space between the partition membrane, the inner side wall portions and the inner bottom surface of the scanner case, and wherein said sealed space is filled with an acoustic energy propagation medium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the end portion of the transducer unit is attached to a top central portion of the flexible partition membrane, and wherein the flexible partition membrane is sufficiently loose to allow the transducer unit to swing within the scanner case.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 3, further comprising inlet means provided in the case for accessing the sealed space.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end portion of the transducer unit comprises a convex end surface, and wherein said plurality of transducer elements are arranged in parallel along the convex surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inner bottom surface of the scanner case has a concave shape.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 7, wherein the curvature of the inner bottom surface of the scanner case is smaller than the curvature of the convex end surface of the transducer unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for absorbing ultrasonic waves disposed on inner side wall portions of the scanner case.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 9, wherein said means for absorbing ultrasonic waves comprises silicon rubber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 9, further comprising an operation switch provided on an upper portion of the scanner case for effecting a data acquisition operation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said swing means comprises at least one drive motor and gear means comprising a plurality of gears.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 12, wherein said transducer unit is suspended from a supporting shaft disposed across an interior portion of the scanner case by means of at least one suspension arm mounted to the transducer unit, and wherein the supporting shaft is driven by said drive motor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
131 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; acoustic energy propagation means disposed between the end portion of the transducer unit and an inner bottom surface of the scanner case, said means comprising a partition membrane hermetically attached at a peripheral portion thereof to inner side wall portions of the scanner case and attached at a top central portion thereof to the end portion of the transducer unit so as to define a sealed space between the partition membrane, the inner side wall portions and the inner bottom surface of the scanner case, and wherein said sealed space is filled with an acoustic energy propagation medium.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
131 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements disposed at an end portion thereof; acoustic energy propagation means disposed between the end portion of the transducer unit and an inner bottom surface of the scanner case, said means comprising a partition membrane hermetically attached at a peripheral portion thereof to inner side wall portions of the scanner case and attached at a top central portion thereof to the end portion of the transducer unit so as to define a sealed space between the partition membrane, the inner side wall portions and the inner bottom surface of the scanner case, and wherein said sealed space is filled with an acoustic energy propagation medium.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case having a concave inner bottom surface of a first curvature; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an end portion defining a convex transmitting/receiving surface having a second curvature, said transducer unit including an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements arranged along said convex transmitting/receiving surface; wherein said first curvature is larger than said second curvature and wherein said second curvature becomes gradually smaller from a central portion of the inner bottom surface to a peripheral portion thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
91 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner, comprising: a scanner case having a concave inner bottom surface of a first curvature; a transducer unit encased in said scanner case and having an end portion defining a convex transmitting/receiving surface having a second curvature, said transducer unit including an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements arranged along said convex transmitting/receiving surface; wherein said first curvature is larger than said second curvature and wherein said second curvature becomes gradually smaller from a central portion of the inner bottom surface to a peripheral portion thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 15, further comprising acoustic energy propagation means disposed between the transmitting/receiving surface of the transducer unit and the inner bottom surface of the scanner case.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
89 words
A three-dimensional ultrasonic scanner as claimed in claim 16, wherein said acoustic energy propagation means comprises a partition membrane hermetically attached at a peripheral portion thereof to inner side surfaces of the scanner case and attached at a top central portion thereof to the transmitting/receiving surface of the transducer unit so as to define a sealed space between the partition membrane, the inner side surfaces of the scanner case, and the bottom surface of the scanner case, wherein said sealed space is filled with an acoustic energy propagation medium.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-06 | 1996-04-06 | 1996-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-06 | 2000-04-06 | 2000-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-04-06 | 2004-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |