An ultrasound probe and method for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe comprises: a probe array assembly having a probe tip; a first enclosure disposed around a portion of the probe array assembly, where the first enclosure has first and second openings and comprises a thermally conductive material; and one or more thermally conductive fins contained within the first enclosure, each of the one or more thermally conductive fins having one end enclosed within the probe array assembly and a portion extending away from the probe array assembly and in thermal contact with an inner surface of the first enclosure to create a thermal path from the first opening to the second opening in the first enclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible sensor, including a flexible substrate; a plurality of ultrasonic detectors, on the flexible substrate; and a plurality of detection circuits, respectively corresponding to the ultrasonic detectors; wherein each of the detection circuits is between the flexible substrate and the corresponding ultrasonic detector, and configured to drive the ultrasonic detector to emit an ultrasonic wave, and detect a detection signal output by the ultrasonic detector after receiving the ultrasonic wave; each of the ultrasonic detectors includes: a first electrode coupled to the corresponding detection circuit, a second electrode on a side of the first electrode away from the flexible substrate, and a piezoelectric induction layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; a plurality of holes are provided in a region other than a region where the detection circuits are located.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic probe are provided which are capable of reducing a leak current even in combined use of a low voltage transmission circuit and a high voltage transmission circuit including a buffer. The ultrasonic probe includes: a high voltage transmission circuit for transmitting a relatively high voltage; a low voltage transmission circuit for transmitting a relatively low voltage; and a transducer for selectively receiving a voltage transmitted from the high voltage transmission circuit and the low voltage transmission circuit. The high voltage transmission circuit includes: a current source for varying a current generated thereby and a current drawn thereby based on a set signal; a buffer for driving the transducer in accordance with the currents generated and drawn by the current source; and an impedance controller connected to an input terminal and an output terminal of the buffer.

A high-low intensity focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of ultrasound sources, and a controller to control a center frequency and intensity of focused ultrasound outputted from the ultrasound sources, wherein each of the ultrasound sources includes a first ultrasound transducer to output low-intensity focused ultrasound to detect a lesion, and a second ultrasound transducer to output high-intensity focused ultrasound to ablate or remove the detected lesion. The low-intensity focused ultrasound outputted from the first transducer may be used to detect a lesion in a patient's brain by applying a stimulus to the brain, and at the same time, investigating a response, and the high-intensity focused ultrasound outputted from the second transducer may be used to ablate or remove the detected lesion by applying a thermal or mechanical stimulus to the lesion.

A piezoelectric member including metal electrodes with improved adhesiveness to piezoelectric elements is to be provided. A piezoelectric member 102 includes a piezoelectric element 21, and a pair of electrodes 41, 42 respectively formed on a pair of opposing surfaces 21b, 21c of the piezoelectric element 21. The electrodes 41, 42 includes: a base film 41a that is formed on the opposing surfaces 21b, 21c of the piezoelectric element 21 and contains a thiol group; a metal adhesive film 41b formed on the base film 41a; and an electrode film 41c that is formed on the metal adhesive film 41b and is for applying voltage to the piezoelectric element 21. The metal adhesive film 41b is formed with a different material from the electrode film 41c, and has a thickness of 1 to 10 nm.

Aspects of the technology described herein relate to apparatuses and methods for performing elevational beamforming of ultrasound data. Elevational beamforming may be implemented by different types of control circuitry. Certain control circuitry may be configured to control memory such that ultrasound data from different elevational channels is summed with stored ultrasound data in the memory that was collected at different times. Certain control circuitry may be configured to control a decimator to decimate ultrasound data from different elevational channels with different phases. Certain control circuitry may be configured to control direct digital synthesis circuitry to add a different phase offset to complex signals generated by the DDS circuitry for multiplying with ultrasound data from different elevational channels.

A rotational intravascular ultrasound probe for insertion into a vasculature and a method of manufacturing the same. The rotational intravascular ultrasound probe comprises an elongate catheter having a flexible body and an elongate transducer shaft disposed within the flexible body. The transducer shaft comprises a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a drive shaft extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, an ultrasonic transducer disposed near the distal end portion for obtaining a circumferential image through rotation, and a transducer housing molded to the drive shaft and the ultrasonic transducer.

Systems and methods are provided whereby a directional property of an ultrasound transducer element, such as a steering direction, is controlled according to a first driving waveform that is delivered to opposing propagation electrodes and a second driving waveform that is delivered to opposing lateral electrodes. The directional property may be controlled according a phase difference and/or relative amplitude between the first and second driving waveforms, and/or the selective actuation of one or more lateral electrodes when the lateral electrodes are defined in an array. The ultrasound transducer element may be a ring-shaped transducer element and a directional property associated with a focal region may be controlled. In some example embodiments, array elements of an ultrasound transducer array may each include propagation and lateral electrodes, with each array element being driven by respective first and second driving waveforms to focus the ultrasound energy emitted by the ultrasound transducer array.

An ultrasound endoscope includes: an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject; an ultrasound transducer that is provided at a distal end of the insertion portion and includes plural piezoelectric element groups configured to transmit and receive ultrasound; a connector portion that is provided on a proximal end side of the insertion portion and includes plural connectors to which an external device is connected; and a cable portion including plural first coaxial lines connected to the piezoelectric element groups configured to transmit the ultrasound to a first area, and plural second coaxial lines connected to the piezoelectric element groups configured to transmit the ultrasound to a second area, the first coaxial lines being shorter in length than the second coaxial lines, the first area and the second area being where the ultrasound is transmitted.

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.