PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small ultrasound probe which can be advantageously used as the one for loading a catheter.SOLUTION: The ultrasound probe includes: a rectangular piezoelectric ceramic sheet strip having a through-hole extended in the thickness direction near the side an upper electrode layer provided on the upper surface of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet strip a terminal electrode layer for the upper electrode layer which is electrically connected to the upper electrode layer a lower electrode layer provided on the lower surface of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet strip a conductive layer provided on the inner wall surface of the through-hole, which is electrically connected to the lower electrode layer a terminal electrode layer for the lower electrode layer provided on the upper surface of the piezoelectric ceramic sheet strip which is electrically connected to the conductive layer lead wires installed in each of the terminal electrode layer for the upper electrode layer and the terminal electrode layer for the lower electrode layer an acoustic matching layer provided on the upper surface of the upper electrode layer and a sound absorption layer provided on the lower surface of the lower electrode layer.COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT【課題】カテーテル装填用として有利に用いることができる小型の超音波探触子を提供する。【解決手段】厚み方向に伸びた貫通孔を側面近傍に有する矩形の圧電セラミックシート片、該圧電セラミックシート片の上面に備えられた上側電極層と該上側電極層に電気的に接続する上側電極層用端子電極層、該圧電セラミックシート片の下面に備えられた下側電極層、該下側電極層に電気的に接続する上記貫通孔の内壁面に備えられた導電層、該導電層に電気的に接続する圧電セラミックシート片の上面に備えられた下側電極層用端子電極層、上側電極層用端子電極層と下側電極層用端子電極層のそれぞれに付設されたリード線、上側電極層の上面に備えられた音響整合層、そして下側電極層の下面に備えられた吸音層を含む超音波探触子。【選択図】図1
