An electrostrictive element that can prevent the breakage includes a current collector that is constituted by sheet-shaped carbon nanotube aggregates, and can expand in the fiber direction in a state in which carbon nanotubes overlap with each other, when a dielectric film expands.

Provided are an electrostrictive element comprising film electrodes that have a good elasticity and conductivity, and a manufacturing method therefor. Film electrodes 3 of an electrostrictive element 1 are sheet-shaped carbon nanotube aggregates 6, and can expand in the fiber direction while maintaining a state in which carbon nanotubes 7 overlap with each other, when the dielectric film 2 expands.

A PZT transducer-horn integrated ultrasonic driving structure consists of a nut, a bolt, a left PZT circular stack, a flange, a right PZT truncated stack and a horn. The horn, the right PZT truncated stack, the flange and the left PZT circular stack are arranged in sequence and connected via the bolt and then fastened via the nut; the right PZT transducer is a truncated cone-shaped stack formed by PZT circular plates; and the right PZT transducer and the horn are integrated to form the ultrasonic driving structure. Considering the dimension of PZT on two sides of the flange and the horn meet the requirements for ultrasonic vibration node and antinode, the dimension of round contour of the circular PZT stack and flange is reduced to increase the thickness of the truncated PZT stack and flange. With the integrated structure, the effect of reducing the contour dimension of the ultrasonic driving surgical device can be obtained, and the outer diameter is reduced to the range of 8-10 mm as compared with the range of 12-15 mm in the prior art, thereby further meeting the application requirements.

Disclosed is a method of fabricating an ultrasonic medical device. The method includes machining a surgical tool from a flat metal stock, contacting a face of a first transducer with a first face of the surgical tool, and contacting a face of a second transducer with an opposing face of the surgical tool opposite the first transducer. The first and second transducers are configured to operate in a D31 mode with respect to the longitudinal portion of the surgical tool. Upon activation, the first transducer and the second transducer are configured to induce a standing wave in the surgical tool and the induced standing wave comprises a node at a node location in the surgical tool and an antinode at an antinode location in the surgical tool.

Disclosed is an ultrasonic medical device that may include a surgical tool having a proximal end, an end effector, and a waveguide between them, a first transducer in mechanical communication with a first face of the surgical tool, and a second transducer in mechanical communication with an opposing face of the surgical tool, opposite the first transducer. The first transducer and the second transducer are configured to operate in a D31 mode with respect to the waveguide of the surgical tool. Another aspect comprises a method of fabricating the ultrasonic medical device, in which the surgical tool is machined from a portion of a flat metal stock so that the surgical tool has a longitudinal axis oriented at an angle with respect to a grain direction of the flat metal stock thereby optimizing an operational characteristic of the surgical tool.

Disclosed is an ultrasonic surgical instrument comprising a transducer base plate, first and second piezoelectric elements positioned on opposite faces of the transducer base plate. The transducer base plate is coupled to a waveguide. The waveguide is electrically coupled to the first and second piezoelectric elements by a conductive adhesive. The first and second piezoelectric elements are electrically coupled to an ultrasonic signal generator through an electrode. A thermal conductor conducts thermal energy away from the first and second piezoelectric elements. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating such an ultrasonic surgical instrument.

Various ultrasonic surgical instruments are disclosed. At least one disclosed surgical instrument includes a waveguide including a blade and a transducer base plate. The transducer base plate coupled to the waveguide to define a joint at an interface between the waveguide and the transducer base plate. The transducer base plate including first and second sides defining corresponding first and second flat faces configured to receive first and second piezoelectric elements. The first and second piezoelectric elements are configured to operate in a D31 mode.

Various ultrasonic instruments are disclosed. The ultrasonic instruments include an ultrasonic waveguide acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer. Several techniques for acoustically coupling the ultrasonic transducer to the ultrasonic waveguide are disclosed.

The invention is an actuating drive for deflecting an actuating element using a solid body actuator (2) when an electrical voltage or an alternating magnetic field is applied, to cause a change in length. A housing (1) encloses the solid body actuator to define an interspace (13) in a fluid-tight manner. Furthermore, the solid body actuator includes a hollow duct (6) having one end connected to a first hollow conduit (20) passing through the housing and the other end opening into the interspace (13). The interspace is additionally connected in a fluid-tight manner to a second hollow conduit (21) passing through the housing.

A vibration actuator difficult to be affected by an external force. A vibration element is held by a shaft. A driven element is held in pressure contact with an elastic body, and a bearing member is joined to the driven element in a manner rotatable about the shaft as a rotational axis. Vibrations excited in the vibration element cause the vibration element and the driven element to rotate relative to each other about the shaft. In the driven element, a connecting portion connects between a main body and a gear provided outside the main body. The degree of freedom of the main body with respect to the bearing member is restricted in other directions than a direction of rotation thereof and a thrust direction of the shaft. The connecting portion has a lower flexural rigidity in a direction parallel to the rotational axis than the main body and the gear.