An ultrasonic probe including a plurality of transducer elements for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave from inside of an object to be examined, electrodes for applying a voltage to the transducer elements, and an acoustic matching layer for taking a matching of an acoustic impedance between the transducer elements and the object to be examined, wherein the acoustic matching layer includes a plurality of materials each of which has a different acoustic impedance and has an anisotropy in acoustic characteristic between an ultrasonic wave-transmitting direction from the transducer elements and a direction perpendicular to the ultrasonic wave-transmitting direction.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application relates to the contents disclosed in the application Ser. No. 09/154694 filed Sep. 17, 1998 entitled "An ultrasonic probe having an acoustic matching layer in which the acoustic impedance is varied continuously in the thickness direction, a method of manufacturing thereof, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the ultrasonic probe", by Shuzo Sano and Mikio Izumi and by the same Applicant as that of the present application.
An ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric oscillator layer having plural arranged piezoelectric oscillators for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and plural electrodes formed in the piezoelectric oscillators, an acoustic lens for focusing or diffusing the ultrasonic waves, and an acoustic matching layer that is provided between the piezoelectric oscillator layer and the acoustic lens and includes a resin base and fine particles, which have electric conductivity, mixed in the resin base.
