ULTRASONIC PROBE AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe for attaining a pulse subtraction method without enlarging the ultrasonic probe, and to provide ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. SOLUTION: A straight polarity vibrator 3a and a reverse polarity vibrator 3b are polarized mutually in opposite directions and alternately arranged in a direction to be orthogonally crossed with the surface of array ultrasonic vibrators so as to be rotationally-symmetrical by 180° with an axis, which passes the center of the surface of array, as a rotary axis. In the first transmission, the straight polarity vibrator 3a is driven so as to transmit ultrasonic wave. In the second transmission, the reverse polarity vibrator 3b is driven so as to transmit the ultrasonic wave. The phase of a signal received by the reverse polarity vibrator 3b is inverted by a phase inverting part 6. The signals obtained by the first and second transmission are added so as to acquire a signal only with a nonlinear component. Then, an image based on the nonlinear component is obtained. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT