A compact ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a proximal casing defining a hollow interior and a piezoelectric rod array including a plurality of piezoelectric rods radially spaced-apart from one another and arranged in a longitudinally-oriented direction. The piezoelectric rod array is disposed within the hollow interior. The compact ultrasonic transducer further includes a distal horn including a distal connector configured to engage a waveguide. The distal horn is configured to engage the proximal casing to enclose the piezoelectric rod array within the hollow interior. An ultrasonic surgical instrument including the compact ultrasonic transducer is also provided.

An ultrasound probe is provided for multi-faceted exams, such as for triage and emergency. The probe can include different transducer arrays, such as a linear, a curved linear, and a sector array that are combined into a single hand held unit with a wireless display. Related methods are provided, such as a method for automatically selecting the appropriate array for the user to scan with based on the intended exam and/or location of the probe on the body of a patient.

The technology concerning improvement of resolution of an acoustic wave sensor having a hemispherical shape or the like is provided. An ultrasonic transducer unit includes an ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements, and a probe casing configured to support a plurality of the ultrasonic transducers, and to have a concave portion facing a subject. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements is arranged on a same plane facing a center of curvature of the probe casing. The plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements is arranged in a rotationally symmetrical manner about a normal line connecting the center of curvature of the probe casing to a point on a plane of the ultrasonic transducer.

This invention is the improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data and ultrasound images on the removable memory card. The improved methods provide the steps of the operation of the improved ultrasound apparatus, and the improved ultrasound apparatus includes the microprocessor unit and control organs unit, which provide control of an ultrasound unit, comprising piezoelectric devices, a transmission unit, a battery unit, including battery and battery wireless charging control circuitry, indication unit, and includes a card insertion registration device recognizing the presence of a removable memory card in the ultrasound probe.

An ultrasound endoscope includes an insertion tube configured to be inserted into a subject, the insertion tube including a transducer that includes a plurality of piezoelectric devices that are aligned along a circumferential direction about a center axis of the insertion tube, an observation optical portion configured to capture a subject image, a first built-in material that is different from the observation optical portion, and a support configured to support the observation optical portion and the first built-in material, the transducer including a through hole configured to pierce through along the center axis to insert the support, and the support including a first groove that extends along the center axis, the first groove being configured to support the observation optical portion, and a second groove that extends along the center axis, the second groove being configured to support the first built-in material and communicate with the first groove.

A decontamination device configured to provide, on a short time scale, uniform decontamination of target articles without using expensive electron accelerators and to treat articles to be decontaminated in large quantities.

The device includes a device body composed of a decontamination region and an aeration region, a conveyance means for conveying an article, a mist supply means, a mist control means, and an aeration means. The mist supply means converts a decontamination agent into a decontamination agent mist and supplies the same to the inside of the decontamination region. The mist control means includes vibration boards adjacent to internal wall surfaces of the decontamination region, and these boards are ultrasonically vibrated to generate sound flows from board surfaces by an ultrasound in the vertical direction. The decontamination agent mist supplied to the inside of the decontamination region is pressed by acoustic radiation to concentrate such mist on external surfaces of the article conveyed inside the decontamination region.

A pass box configured to accommodate and decontaminate an article by concentrating a mist of decontamination agent on an article's surface and to reduce a duration of aeration operations. The box includes a decontamination chamber, an aeration chamber in which residue of the decontamination agent is removed from the article's surface, a decontamination agent supply device, a decontamination agent control device, a moving device configured to reposition the article, and an air supply and exhaust device. The decontamination agent supply device converts a chemical into the mist and supplies it into the decontamination chamber. The decontamination agent control device includes vibration boards that are adjacent to internal wall surfaces of the decontamination chamber and that are ultrasonically vibrated to generate sound flows in the vertical direction thereby pressing the mist with acoustic radiation to concentrate the mist on the external surfaces of the article.

The present invention provides a decontamination device capable of accomplishing a decontamination effect with a proper amount of decontamination agent by employing a mist control mechanism and concentrating a mist for decontamination on the surface of an article to be conveyed, and reducing the duration of operations such as aeration to achieve more efficient decontamination works, and a pass box in which the decontamination device is disposed.

The decontamination device of the present invention includes a mist supply means and a mist control mechanism, and the mist supply means converts a chemical for decontamination into a mist for decontamination, and supplies the same to the inside of a working chamber that accommodates the article. The mist control mechanism includes vibration boards disposed adjacent to internal wall surfaces of the working chamber, and the vibration boards are ultrasonically vibrated to generate sound flows from board surfaces by an ultra sound in the vertical direction. The mist for decontamination supplied to the inside of the working chamber is pressed by acoustic radiation pressure to concentrate the mist for decontamination on external surfaces of the article.

Provided is an acoustic lens applied to an ultrasound probe and forming an ultrasound beam by focusing ultrasound transmitted from a piezoelectric transducer, in which: an ultrasound radiation surface of the acoustic lens includes: a first area that is located in a lens center portion and forms a focal point at a position corresponding to a deep portion of the ultrasound beam; and a second area that is located on a lens outer side of the first area and forms a focal point at a position corresponding to a shallow portion of the ultrasound beam, and a focal depth formed by a lens portion of each position of the first area and the second area draws a profile that becomes continuously shallow from a side of the lens center portion to the lens outer side.

Various methods and systems are provided for a multi-frequency transducer array. In one example, the transducer array includes an element formed of one or more sub-elements, at least one sub-element having a different resonance frequency. A frequency range of the transducer array may thereby be broadened.