PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent contact failure and leakage without normally exposing an electric contact, and meet the demand for quick charging in charging an ultrasonic probe.SOLUTION: This ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting an ultrasonic wave according to a plurality of driving signals, and receiving an ultrasonic echo to output a plurality of received signals a signal processing part taking a secondary battery as a power source and conducting the signal processing for the plurality of received signals outputted from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate a transmission signal a power receiving part connected to a charging circuit for charging the secondary battery and converting supply energy supplied from an external power feeder system by radio to electric energy to perform charging by radio a casing for storing the ultrasonic transducers, the signal processing part and the power receiving part and a charging terminal, one end of which is connected to the charging circuit, the other end being exposed to the outside of the casing, which is used for charging by wire from an external power supply terminal.COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】超音波プローブへの充電において、通常時には電気接点を露出させずに接触不良や漏電を防止し、急速充電を行いたい場合にはその要請にも応える。【解決手段】この超音波プローブは、複数の駆動信号に従って超音波を送信すると共に、超音波エコーを受信して複数の受信信号を出力する複数の超音波トランスデューサと、二次電池を電源とし、複数の超音波トランスデューサから出力される複数の受信信号に対して信号処理を施すことにより伝送信号を生成する信号処理部と、二次電池への充電を行う充電回路に接続され、外部給電装置から無線により供給される供給エネルギーを電気エネルギーに変換して無線充電を行う受電部と、超音波トランスデューサ、信号処理部、及び、受電部を収容する筐体と、一端が充電回路に接続され、他端が筐体の外部に露出しており、外部電源端子からの有線充電に用いられる充電端子と、を具備する。【選択図】図1
