KR-20260065862-A - Ultrasonic transducer

Abstract

An ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer comprises a back mass; a front mass; an ultrasonic actuator array; an ultrasonic horn array; and a blade having a bend. These components are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the transducer. One or more of the back mass, the front mass, and the ultrasonic horn array include means for controlling the orientation of motion along a vibration energy transfer path. This advantageously compensates for asymmetry in the vibration pattern of the transducer introduced by radial asymmetry of the blade. This compensation is to the extent that it depends on the specific application of the device. The ultrasonic transducer is preferably intended for surgical, therapeutic, and/or diagnostic applications.

Inventors

• 페누 니콜라
• 클리어리 레베카
• 키야시코 알렉산드르

Assignees

• 나미 써지컬 리미티드

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20240905

Priority Date

20230905

Claims (19)

1. As an ultrasonic transducer, Back mass; front mass; An ultrasonic actuator array maintained between a back mass and a front mass; Ultrasonic horn array located in front of the front mass body; and It includes a blade having a bending portion, and At least the back mass, ultrasonic actuator array, front mass, and ultrasonic horn array are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the transducer, and Vibrations generated by the ultrasonic actuator array are conducted along the vibration energy transfer path into the front mass and into the ultrasonic horn array, and An ultrasonic transducer comprising one or more of a back mass, a front mass, and an ultrasonic horn array, for controlling the orientation of motion along a vibration energy transfer path.
2. In paragraph 1, An ultrasonic transducer in which vibrations generated by an ultrasonic actuator array are conducted along a vibration energy transfer path into a front mass and into an ultrasonic horn array, and are amplitude-amplified by an ultrasonic horn array.
3. In paragraph 1 or 2, An ultrasonic transducer in which the front mass, ultrasonic horn array, and blade form an integrated structure.
4. In paragraph 3, An ultrasonic transducer in which the front mass, ultrasonic horn array, and blade are formed as a single structure.
5. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 4, An ultrasonic transducer in which the front mass and/or ultrasonic horn array is radially asymmetric.
6. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, One or more of the back mass, front mass, and ultrasonic horn array comprise a plurality of openings oriented toward the longitudinal axis and intersecting the vibration energy transfer path, an ultrasonic transducer.
7. In paragraph 6, An ultrasonic transducer having at least one of a plurality of openings having a non-geometric shape.
8. In paragraph 6 or 7, An ultrasonic transducer in which multiple openings are arranged in a radially asymmetric pattern.
9. In any one of paragraphs 6 through 8, An ultrasonic transducer in which a plurality of openings are arranged such that there is at most one, optionally zero, plane of reflection symmetry parallel to and coincident with the longitudinal axis.
10. In any one of paragraphs 6 through 9, An ultrasonic transducer having a plane parallel to and coincident with the longitudinal axis, wherein one side of the plane has a greater number of openings than the other side.
11. In any one of paragraphs 6 through 10, An ultrasonic transducer comprising 20 or fewer openings.
12. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 11, At least one of a back mass, a front mass, and an ultrasonic horn array is made of at least two materials: a first material having a first density and a second material having a second density, wherein the second density is different from the first density, an ultrasonic transducer.
13. In Paragraph 12, An ultrasonic transducer in which the density of at least one of the back mass, front mass, and ultrasonic horn array varies across a plane parallel to and coincident with the longitudinal axis.
14. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 13, An ultrasonic transducer in which one or more of a back mass, an ultrasonic actuator array, a front mass, and an ultrasonic horn array have a shape that is radially asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis.
15. In Paragraph 14, An ultrasonic transducer having an asymmetrical shape in the radial direction, with an ultrasonic horn array.
16. In paragraph 15, An ultrasonic transducer having a tapered portion that is radially asymmetric in the ultrasonic horn array.
17. A component kit comprising a component operable to be assembled into an ultrasonic transducer of any one of claims 1 to 16.
18. A surgical instrument comprising an ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 16.
19. A method of operating an ultrasonic transducer according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising the step of applying an electric signal to an ultrasonic actuator array to generate vibrations that are conducted along a vibration energy transfer path into a front mass and into an ultrasonic horn array and amplitude-amplified by the ultrasonic horn array.

Description

Ultrasonic transducer The present invention relates primarily, but not exclusively, to an ultrasonic transducer and a method of operating an ultrasonic transducer. Ultrasonic transducers are known in the industry for various applications. One such application is in ultrasonic surgical devices (for hard or soft tissues, and for wound cleaning), which employ ultrasonic vibrations to enhance cutting, sealing, and cleaning performance, and utilize transducers mounted on handheld devices. Ultrasonic transducers convert high-frequency electrical signals into mechanical vibrations. In ultrasonic surgical devices, transducers are designed to operate at a predetermined frequency. The frequency of the vibration typically depends on the type of tissue being contacted, such as skin, muscle, artery, or bone. The benefits of using ultrasonic surgical devices include the ability to coagulate blood vessels within a localized area, thereby minimizing damage to surrounding tissues and reducing blood loss. Vibration of an ultrasonic transducer is typically achieved using a piezoelectric ring (in a piezoelectric stack), and when exposed to a high-frequency electrical signal, the piezoelectric ring generates a force along the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic transducer to induce the desired vibrational motion. To optimize performance, the transducer typically includes a front mass and a back mass designed to resonate at a desired frequency. This resonance condition facilitates the efficient amplification of vibrations in the desired vibration mode (i.e., longitudinal). A common requirement for ultrasonic surgical devices is that the surgical blade is bent, which improves the blade's visibility during operation. However, this intentional bending introduces asymmetry into the transducer's vibration pattern, which is detrimental to the transducer's performance. This issue is particularly critical for small devices operating at half wavelengths, as the nodal plane at the center of the piezoelectric stack is asymmetrical, affecting the radial stress on the piezoelectric ring. Generally, there is a need for an ultrasonic transducer that solves one or more of the problems identified above. Additional objects and subjects of the invention will become apparent by reading the following description. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an ultrasonic transducer is provided, and the ultrasonic transducer is, Back mass; front mass; An ultrasonic actuator array maintained between a back mass and a front mass; Ultrasonic horn array located in front of the front mass body; and It includes a blade having a bending portion, and At least the back mass, ultrasonic actuator array, front mass, and ultrasonic horn array are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the transducer, and Vibrations generated by the ultrasonic actuator array are conducted along the vibration energy transfer path into the front mass and into the ultrasonic horn array, and One or more of the back mass, front mass, and ultrasonic horn array include means for controlling the orientation of motion along the vibration energy transfer path. The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly discovered that asymmetry in the vibration pattern of a transducer introduced by the radial asymmetry of the blade (i.e., asymmetric standing waves with respect to the longitudinal axis) can be compensated by including means for controlling the orientation of motion along the vibration energy transfer path. This compensation is to the extent that it depends on the specific application of the device. For example, in applications where it is desirable to maximize the longitudinal motion of the blade and minimize the bending (transverse) motion of the blade, asymmetry can be compensated to a greater extent. In cases where asymmetric motion of the blade is desirable for different applications, asymmetry can be compensated to a smaller extent. The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly discovered that an ultrasonic transducer can be designed so that the orientation of motion is symmetric or asymmetric depending on the specific application of the device. To the best of the applicant's knowledge, the prior art does not recognize a problem related to one or more components of an ultrasonic transducer (and preferably a blade) being radially asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the prior art does not teach to include means for controlling the orientation of motion and compensating for said radial asymmetry. Preferably, vibrations generated by the ultrasonic actuator array (conducted along the vibration energy transfer path into the front mass and into the ultrasonic horn array) are amplitude-amplified by the ultrasonic horn array. In some embodiments, the front mass, the ultrasonic horn array, and/or the blade are separate components. In some embodiments, the front mass and the ultrasonic horn array form an integral structure (i.e., an integral com