US 12,078,614 B2
Ultrasound probe
Koji Ibata, Tokyo (JP); Rokuzo Hara, Tokyo (JP); Tomonori Kimura, Tokyo (JP); and Yasuhiro Nishioka, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/713,454.
Application 17/713,454 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2019/046754, filed on Nov. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0229021 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 29/24 (2006.01); B06B 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 29/2412 (2013.01) [B06B 1/045 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasound probe comprising:
a metal case including a bottom wall portion having a vibration surface, and a side wall portion connected to the bottom wall portion;
a coil mounted on one surface of the side wall portion; and
a magnet mounted in such a way as to sandwich the coil between the magnet and the one surface of the side wall portion,
wherein the coil causes an eddy current to occur in the one surface of the side wall portion, and causes the bottom wall portion to vibrate, by using a Lorentz force occurring in the side wall portion because of an interaction between the eddy current and a magnetic field generated by the magnet, and
wherein the bottom wall portion includes a flat-shaped outer bottom wall portion having the vibration surface, a flat-shaped inner bottom wall portion whose one flat surface faces a flat surface of the outer bottom wall portion, the flat surface of the outer bottom wall portion being opposite to the vibration surface, and a connection portion that connects the outer bottom wall portion and the inner bottom wall portion.