A backing member includes: a resin body including a lower surface and an upper surface opposite to each other; a plurality of leads each of which extends in a first direction from the lower surface toward the upper surface, and that are embedded at pitches in the resin body; and a plurality of insulating spacers each of which is provided between adjacent ones of the leads and extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and that contact the leads.

An ultrasound probe including a probe body having a mounting area and a flexible lip around said mounting area for sealing a space between the mounting area and a subject contacted by the ultrasound probe; and a number of ultrasound transducer elements mounted in the mounting area. The probe body further includes an inlet to said space and an outlet from said space for facilitating a fluid flow through said space when sealed. Also included are an ultrasound system including such an ultrasound probe and a method of subjecting a subject to ultrasound waves generated with such an ultrasound probe.

The invention relates to a measurement device for the blood flow of an individual, for example for the detection of bubbles. The device comprises an acoustic emitter and a case with an emission surface capping the acoustic emitter. The emission surface is terminated at one end by a clavicular contact portion perpendicular to the emission surface and suited for coming to rest against a clavicle bone of the individual and is terminated at another end by a shoulder contact portion perpendicular to the emission surface and suited for coming to rest against a bone of the shoulder of the individual. A vertical distance between the middle of an active zone of the emission surface and the clavicular contact portion is less than 20 mm. A transverse distance between the middle of the active zone and the shoulder contact portion is included between 20 and 50 mm.

A probe for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is used for performing a test upon a subject is provided. The probe includes a case which forms an exterior of the probe, a piezoelectric object which is provided on an inside of the case and which generates an ultrasonic wave, a sound absorbing layer which is provided at a rear surface of the piezoelectric object and which prevents the ultrasonic wave from being delivered to a rear portion of the piezoelectric object, an acoustic matching layer which delivers the generated ultrasonic wave to a subject by matching a sound impedance of the piezoelectric object with a sound impedance of the subject, and a sound lens which concentrates the generated ultrasonic wave and radiates the concentrated ultrasonic wave toward the subject.

Optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator-based acoustic sensors, imaging systems that make use of the acoustic sensors, and methods of detecting ultrasound waves using the acoustic sensors are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a relative position between arrays of a flexible array device. The flexible array device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of arrays arranged at a predetermined interval in a deformable substrate, and the method includes measuring the first capacitance between adjacent arrays, measuring the second capacitance between the adjacent arrays after deformation of the substrate, and determining a relative position between the adjacent arrays based on the first capacitance measurement value and the second capacitance measurement value. According to an embodiment, the relative position between the arrays may be determined by measuring the capacitance between the adjacent arrays of the plurality of arrays arranged in the deformable substrate and measuring a change in capacitance caused by the deformation (contraction, relaxation, bending) of the substrate.

Provided are a resin material for an acoustic lens including a resin (a) containing at least one of an epoxy group, a carbon-carbon double bond group, a methylol group, or a phenolic hydroxyl group; and a resin (b) containing a structural unit having a polysiloxane bond, and an acoustic lens, an acoustic wave probe, an acoustic wave measurement apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, a photoacoustic wave measurement apparatus, and an ultrasound endoscope in which the resin material is used.

An ultrasonic probe for acquiring an ultrasonic image is provided. The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer generating an ultrasonic signal and including a lens provided to transmit the ultrasonic signal to the outside, a case accommodating the transducer and having an opening at one side so that the lens is brought into contact with an external target object, and a buffer member provided along a circumference of the transducer to protect the transducer from external impact and disposed between the case and the transducer.

A pliable cover adapted to cover an active area of an ultrasound probe is described. The ultrasound probe includes a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements. The pliable cover includes a polymer layer that holds a coupling agent (4) that couples the ultrasound transducer elements to a body surface and a regular pattern of channels extending through the pliable cover. An ultrasound probe arrangement is also described and includes the pliable cover. An ultrasound system including the ultrasound probe arrangement, and a method of positioning the ultrasound probe in a region of a body are also described.

A replaceable attachment for an ultrasound probe includes a ring-like fastening region for fastening the attachment to the ultrasound probe, and a flexible membrane arranged on the fastening region. A first liquid or gel-like contact medium is applied to an inner contact surface of the membrane. The contact surface makes contact with an end face of the ultrasound probe when an attachment is fastened to the ultrasound probe. Before the attachment is fastened, the first contact medium is distributed on the contact surface in such a manner that, in an array region of the contact surface, a quantity of the first contact medium per surface is at least twice as large as in a remaining region of the contact surface. A positioning and extent of the array region is adapted to a positioning and extent of a piezo array of the ultrasound probe.