JP2020114289A - Ultrasonic device fixture - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fixture for solid gel which improves treatment efficiency and realizes safety and comfort that is fitted to an ultrasonic probe end part.SOLUTION: In order to solve the problem, the current invention takes the following measure. That is, in a fixture for fixing solid gel to an ultrasonic probe, the solid gel and an ultrasonic emitting surface of the ultrasonic probe are apart, the fixture is composed of a first member and a second member, fixes the solid gel by pinching it, and controls ultrasonic waves emitted by the surface of the solid gel according to sizes of an opening provided for the first member and an opening provided for the second member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ultrasonic device used in an ultrasonic therapeutic device or a beauty device that utilizes a heat effect or a vibration effect by ultrasonic waves, or an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that displays an internal tissue image of a living tissue of a patient.

When ultrasonic waves are applied to the human body, the heat generated when the ultrasonic waves are absorbed by the human body produces a thermal effect, and the irradiation site can be warmed to a relatively deep depth. In addition, the vibrational action due to ultrasonic vibration produces microscopic bubbles inside the human body as a mechanical action, and the generation and resonance vibration, the collapse phenomenon is called so-called cavitation, and the physical tissue is directly stimulated in the micro region. Can be given. The bubble generation phenomenon due to the thermal action and the mechanical action is utilized in a therapeutic device and a beauty device. It is also known that stimulation by mechanical action of ultrasonic waves promotes bone fusion at a fracture site, and is used as a fracture treatment device.

Furthermore, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has been developed and is used for medical diagnosis by irradiating a human body with ultrasonic waves and visualizing a reflected wave from a tissue to diagnose internal organs. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is an ultrasonic probe (probe) that has both the function of generating and transmitting ultrasonic waves to the human body, the function of receiving reflected waves (echoes) from tissue due to the difference in acoustic impedance, and the function of transmitting and receiving. ), a processing unit that processes received data and a display unit that displays an image.

In the case of an ultrasonic generator of a therapeutic device or a beauty device that uses ultrasonic waves, an ultrasonic probe having only a transmission function is used. In either case, when the probe and human tissue are simply contacted, air is mixed in the contact surface, and since the acoustic impedance of air is quite small, it is large based on the difference between the acoustic impedance of the probe and human tissue. Reflected waves are generated on the contact surface, which makes it difficult to perform appropriate treatment, cosmetic treatment, and diagnosis. Therefore, generally, an ultrasonic gel (gel) having an acoustic impedance close to that of human body tissue is used as an acoustic coupling agent. The ultrasonic gel is generally a jelly-like water-soluble gel made of a polymer, ethanol, glycerin, or the like. The ultrasonic gel has a characteristic that the acoustic impedance is close to that of human tissue, and due to its viscosity, it also plays a role of improving the slip on the contact surface of the probe and improving the operability.

A general ultrasonic gel has a viscous liquid state, and is directly applied to an affected area during treatment, treatment, diagnosis and the like, and is used while being spread with the tip of a probe. After use, it is necessary to wipe off with paper or cloth. While the gel is being applied, some patients may feel uncomfortable due to the sticky feeling of the gel itself, slimy skin sensation, and temperature difference such as cold or warm. In addition, since gel may enter the eyes and mouth, it is difficult to use depending on the site.

Under such circumstances, there is a demand for using a solid gel, which is not a liquid, for treatment, treatment, diagnosis and the like. Examples of the solid gel include a hydrogel in which water is retained in a polymer network structure such as Aqua Joint (registered trademark No. 5467295, Nissan Chemical Co., Ltd.). Although the solid gel has a composition of 80% or more of water, it remains solid. Molecules constituting the solid gel include, for example, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, agar and the like. Similar to the water-soluble gel, it has an acoustic impedance similar to that of human tissue and is used in ultrasonic therapeutic devices, ultrasonic diagnostic devices, and the like.

Hereinafter, in the present specification, as a device for irradiating the human body with ultrasonic waves, a treatment device, a diagnostic device, a beauty device, etc. may be mentioned, which is simply referred to as a treatment device. It is said that the treatment and diagnosis using the treatment device and the beauty treatment using the beauty device are simply treated. A user is a person who performs a treatment using a treatment device, a diagnosis using a diagnostic device, or an operation using a beauty device. A person who receives these treatments, diagnoses, and beauty treatments is simply called a patient. Therefore, unless stated otherwise, the description of the therapeutic device does not exclude the diagnostic device and the beauty device, and even if it is described as a patient, it does not mean only a person with an injury or a disease, but an examination. It also means the person who receives it and the person who receives beauty treatment.

JP, 2008-259541, A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-516319

There are Patent Documents 1 and 2 as techniques in which the above solid gel is applied to ultrasonic diagnosis or treatment. Patent Document 1 is a fixture for a reference deformable body (solid gel) attached to the tip of an ultrasonic echo. The flat plate structure provided on the reference deformable body is sandwiched from above and below. Between the fixtures at that time, a gap corresponding to the thickness of the flat plate portion provided in the reference deformable body is provided, so as not to impair the flexible deformation of the reference deformable body when contacting the body surface, The feature is that it is attached to the transmitting and receiving surface of the probe. Patent Document 2 discloses a housing cover provided with a receiving cavity for storing the solid gel provided in contact with an ultrasonic transducer arranged at the tip of the ultrasonic probe in order to use the solid gel at the tip of the ultrasonic device. Is. The solid gel is fixed by surface tension, frictional force, or notch or notch structure. Both of them relate to a method of fixing a solid gel, and have a structure in which the solid gel is always in direct contact with an ultrasonic oscillator or a tip metal cover provided with the oscillator as a common structure. Generally, the ultrasonic gel is in direct contact with the skin, and therefore is adjusted to the same weakly acidic pH as the skin for sterilization. In addition, a preservative may be contained in some cases. Therefore, there is a demerit of corrosion when the metal surface is in contact for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended to quickly wipe off the used gel after diagnosis with an ultrasonic probe or treatment with an ultrasonic probe. However, in the case of the structure in which the gel and the metal are constantly in contact with each other as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, corrosion is unavoidable. If the solid gel is removed after each diagnosis or treatment, it can be prevented, but this will lead to a reduction in the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. It is also conceivable that the gel surface will be contaminated during repeated removal procedures.

In addition, the ultrasonic physiotherapy equipment standard (IEC 60601-2-5) defines the contact surface temperature of the patient regarding the contact surface temperature of the treatment head, and it is stipulated that it should not exceed 43 degrees under simulated use conditions. .. In order to comply with such temperature regulation, an ultrasonic therapeutic device often has a function of constantly monitoring the contact state with the patient's skin and controlling the output in the non-contact state. When using a solid gel in a state where it is always in contact with the probe, it is determined that it is always in contact with the patient's skin, and there is a possibility that ultrasonic waves may continue to be output even if they do not actually contact, and the output is continuous. When the patient is in contact with the patient, the fever continues on the contact surface of the patient, and the treatment head is suddenly applied to the skin in an unintentionally high temperature state, which may cause discomfort or burns.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and provide an ultrasonic gel fixing tool to be mounted on the tip of an ultrasonic probe, which improves treatment efficiency and realizes safety and comfort.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following means. That is, in the fixture for fixing the solid gel to be brought into contact with the skin of the patient to the ultrasonic probe, the solid gel and the ultrasonic wave emitting surface of the ultrasonic probe are separated from each other.

(2) Furthermore, the fixture of the present invention is composed of a first member and a second member, and the solid gel is fixed by being sandwiched between the first member and the second member. The ultrasonic waves emitted from the surface of the solid gel are controlled by the sizes of the first opening provided and the second opening provided in the second member.

(3) Furthermore, in the fixture of the present invention, when the solid gel is pressed during treatment and comes into contact with the emission surface of the ultrasonic probe, since the solid gel has elasticity, the solid gel has a certain shape. In consideration of the retained deformation, the size of the first opening and the second opening of the fixture is the size in contact with the surface from which the ultrasonic wave of the ultrasonic probe is emitted. However, larger than the ultrasonic wave emission area from the ultrasonic probe emission surface, the size of the one that is not in contact with the ultrasonic probe is a size equal to or larger than the emission portion where the ultrasonic wave is emitted, the solid gel The ultrasonic wave emission portion from the patient contact surface is characterized in that it is the same as the ultrasonic wave emission portion of the ultrasonic probe.

(4) Furthermore, in the fixture of the present invention, the size of at least one opening of the first opening and the second opening of the fixture is determined by the ultrasonic wave emitting portion from the ultrasonic probe emitting surface. By providing the opening of the fixture so as to have a smaller area, when the solid gel is pressed against the ultrasonic probe output surface during treatment, ultrasonic output from the ultrasonic probe output surface is obtained. It is characterized in that the ultrasonic wave emission portion from the patient contact surface of the solid gel is made to have a constant area by limiting only the portion where the solid gel is in contact with the ultrasonic probe emission surface.

According to the present invention, in a method of use for fixing a solid gel to the tip of an ultrasonic probe, it is possible to reduce the risk of corrosion and increase the treatment efficiency by contacting the ultrasonic probe only when the solid gel is in contact with the affected area. it can. In addition, since the contact determination can be effectively functioned, the safety can be further improved.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a therapeutic device that can inexpensively and easily control the range of ultrasonic output acting on a patient according to the size of the protruding portion of the fixture without changing the size of the ultrasonic probe. There is. As one of them, it is possible to control the output range of the ultrasonic waves irradiated from the patient contact surface end of the solid gel by changing the size of the protruding portion of the fixing tool lower part, and to the affected area. Can be used properly. For example, for an abdomen that needs to irradiate a large area, use a fixture that has a small protrusion below the fixture, that is, a large opening area below the fixture, so that ultrasonic waves can be applied to a wide area. For such a relatively narrow affected area, a fixing tool is used in which the protruding portion under the fixing tool is large, that is, the opening area is small so that the ultrasonic irradiation area is constant. In either case, the fixing tool can be used properly without changing the solid gel and the ultrasonic probe.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the state which attached the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention to the ultrasonic probe front-end|tip. It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of the ultrasonic probe tip equipped with the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the pinching method of the solid gel of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the use condition which contacted the patient's skin surface of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the use condition which contacted the patient's skin surface of the other aspect of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the use condition which contacted the patient's skin surface of the other aspect of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the other aspect of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the state which attached the other aspect of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention to the ultrasonic probe front-end|tip. It is explanatory drawing explaining the other aspect of the fixing tool which fixes the solid gel of this invention, and the structure of the mounted ultrasonic probe tip.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, as a device for supplying ultrasonic waves, a therapeutic device that performs treatment using ultrasonic waves will be described as an example, but even an ultrasonic diagnostic device that utilizes the reverberation of ultrasonic waves can be used. It may be a treatment device that uses a combination of other treatment devices such as a frequency treatment device.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a probe 1 of an ultrasonic therapeutic device according to the present invention. The fixture 11 is attached to the tip portion 12 of the probe 1 to fix the solid gel 13. The fixing tool 11 is attached to the tip portion 12 of the ultrasonic probe by a predetermined method (screw, friction fitting, etc.) described later. In addition to this, the probe 1 has a connection cord for supplying electric power from the treatment device main body, and the treatment device is configured by combining the probe 1 and the treatment device main body, but the description is omitted because it is not an essential part of the present invention. ..

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tip portion 12 with the fixture 11 attached, showing the solid gel 13 attached to the fixture. The fixture 11 is composed of a first member and a second member for fixing the solid gel 13. Hereinafter, the fixture upper part 111 and the fixture lower part 112 are designated by the names and reference numerals corresponding to the first member and the second member, respectively, but the first member and the second member are referred to as the fixture upper part and the fixture lower part, respectively. Is not specified and is merely attached for convenience of description. Similarly, for the opening 1 provided in the first member and the opening 2 provided in the second member, corresponding names and reference numerals are given. The fixture upper part 111 has an opening A1111, the fixture lower part 112 has an opening B1121, and extends in the axial direction of the probe so as to cover a cover 122 described later. The solid gel 13 includes a gel protruding portion 131 and a flat plate portion 132. An ultrasonic transducer 121 that emits ultrasonic waves is covered from the outside at the tip 12 of the ultrasonic probe with a metal cover 122. The ultrasonic oscillator 121 is fixed on the substrate 123 and electrically connected by a conductor wire (not shown).

The ultrasonic oscillator 121 is an electronic component that is driven by a voltage applied from the outside to generate and output ultrasonic waves. The cover 122 is a metal component that covers the ultrasonic transducer 121 from the outside. Desirably, the cover 122 is made of a material such as aluminum or stainless steel that can be easily processed.

The solid gel 13 is fixed by the upper part 111 of the fixture and the lower part 112 of the fixture sandwiching the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel from above and below. As the means for fixing the lower part 112 of the fixture and the tip portion 12, a screw thread structure may be provided in the lower part 112 of the fixture and the cover 122, or a method such as friction fitting or quick joint may be used. Alternatively, a method in which a convex portion is provided on one side and a concave portion is provided on the other side and they are fitted and fixed (snap fit) may be used. The coupling between the upper part 111 of the fixture and the lower part 112 of the fixture is realized by the same means. Further, the upper part of the fixing tool 111 and the lower part of the fixing tool 112 may be separated from each other or may be opened and closed by providing a hinge or the like for connecting the two companies. In that case, a method using friction fitting or a combination of uneven portions is adopted. The gel protrusion 131 of the solid gel 13 is stored so as to protrude from the opening A1111 of the fixture upper portion 111.

It is preferable that both the upper fixing tool 111 and the lower fixing tool 112 are made of a resin or a metal that is easy to form, such as plastic, and have a material whose acoustic impedance greatly differs from that of the cover 122.

The upper part 111 of the fixture is provided with a protrusion A1112 extending in the axial direction in order to securely grip the solid gel 13. The protruding portion A1112 has a thickness equivalent to the width of the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13, and forms a space 15 between the fixture upper portion 111 and the fixture lower portion 112. The lower part 112 of the fixture extends at right angles to the axial direction to support the solid gel 13, has a protrusion B1122 having a certain thickness to form an opening B1121, and further covers the cover 122 in the axial direction. Has been stretched to. Since the protrusion B1122 supporting the solid gel 13 has a certain thickness in the fixture lower portion 112, the formed opening B1121, the cover 122 and the solid gel 13 are separated from each other to form the void 14. At this time, the protrusion B1122 of the lower fixture 112 is shorter than the protrusion A1112 of the upper fixture 111. That is, the area of the opening B1121 is larger than that of the opening A1111.

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13 is sandwiched by the protruding portion A 1112 of the upper fixing tool 111 and the protruding portion B 1122 of the lower fixing tool 112. The dotted line is the original contour or outer shape of the flat plate portion 132, but since the flat plate portion 132 is a solid gel and has elasticity, it is pressed from above by the projecting portion A1112 of the fixture upper portion 111 and deformed. Since the deformed gel has the space 15, the stress due to the pressure from above can be released. With the above structure, when the ultrasonic probe is slid and moved with respect to the patient's skin surface, the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transducer are surely transmitted without the solid gel 13 being displaced, and the therapeutic effect of ultrasonic irradiation is obtained. To get

FIG. 3B shows a structure in which the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13 is similarly sandwiched, but the surface of the projecting portion A1112 of the fixture upper portion 111 of the sandwiched portion which is in contact with the solid gel 13 is attached to the fixture 11. It is not a plane parallel to the flat plate portion 132 before it is inclined but has a sloped shape with respect to the flat plate portion 132. By pressing the flat plate portion 132 on the inclined surface, it is possible to clamp the flat plate portion 132 with a stronger pressure, and thus it is possible to strengthen the prevention of displacement during the mobile use during treatment.

The case where the ultrasonic probe provided on the tip portion 12 of the fixture 11 equipped with the solid gel 13 is actually used for treatment will be described. The solid gel 13 is put on the lower part 112 of the fixture in advance, and the upper part 111 of the fixture is further covered and fixed by a predetermined means, and then the tip part 12 is mounted. At this time, the protrusion A1112 of the fixture upper portion 111 presses the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13 from above, so that the solid gel 13 can be reliably gripped. Alternatively, the lower part 112 of the fixture is first attached to the tip portion 12 of the probe 1. The solid gel 13 is placed thereon, and the fixture upper portion 111 is covered from above and fixed by a predetermined means. Here, the solid gel 13 may be preliminarily placed on the lower part 112 of the fixture and then mounted on the tip portion 12, and subsequently, the upper part 111 of the fixture may be covered and fixed. That is, the order of fixing does not particularly affect the essence of the invention, as long as the solid gel 13 is reliably fixed to the tip portion 12 of the probe 1. The same fixing method is also applied to the form in which the upper part 111 of the fixture and the lower part 112 of the fixture are connected by a hinge or the like.

For the ultrasonic probe equipped with the solid gel 13 on the fixture 11 and provided on the tip 12, the power of the ultrasonic treatment device body (not shown) is turned on, and information on the output required for the treatment (frequency, waveform, treatment time, etc.) ) Is set, a predetermined electric signal is supplied to the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic transducer 121 generates ultrasonic waves using this electric signal as a drive signal. However, in the case where the ultrasonic therapy device has an output detection unit and has a function of controlling the output while constantly monitoring the contact state with the patient (hereinafter referred to as “contact state monitoring function”), the probe 1 is connected to the patient. In the case of non-contact, since the void 14 is formed between the solid gel 13 and the cover 122, it is judged as a non-contact state, the electric signal is not supplied to the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic wave is not output. ..

When the gel protrusion 131 of the solid gel 13 is sufficiently pressed against the patient's skin from the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 4A, the solid gel 13 is pressed and deforms from the opening B1121 toward the cover 122. .. The deformed solid gel 13 is shown by a dotted line. When the solid gel 13 is deformed and comes into contact with the cover 122, it is determined that the solid gel 13 is in contact with the contact state monitoring function, an electric signal is supplied to the ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic waves are emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 121. It is generated and is irradiated to the patient through the cover 122 and the solid gel 13.

Generally, in ultrasonic treatment or diagnosis, a probe or a probe is not fixed at one place, but is moved by sliding the surface of the patient's skin. In this embodiment, the solid gel is securely fixed by the upper and lower fixtures, and in use, the solid gel is pressed against the skin until the solid gel 13 and the metal cover 122 at the tip portion of the probe 1 come into contact with each other. ..

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the end of the void 14 in FIG. 4A. As shown in the figure, when the solid gel 13 is pressed against the patient's skin, the solid gel deforms, but since it has elasticity, it does not fill the gap 14 and comes into a gap 141 when it comes into contact with the cover 122. That is, the contact area with the cover 122 is reduced by the gap 141, and the emission area of the ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 121 and transmitted through the solid gel 13 is also the same. Therefore, the protruding portion B1122, which is a structure for supporting the solid gel of the lower fixture 112 in consideration of the gap, is made shorter than the protruding portion A1112 of the upper fixture 111, that is, the opening B1121 is widened from the opening A1111, and the probe B of the probe 1 is expanded. It is possible to make the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the patient contact surface the same as the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1 by making it larger than the ultrasonic wave emitting portion and by making the size of the opening A1111 larger than the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1. it can. By changing the sizes of the opening 1111 of the upper part of the fixture 111 and the opening B1121 of the lower part of the fixture 112 in this way, it is possible to control the actual emitting area of the ultrasonic waves on the patient contact surface of the solid gel 13. Become. In the space 15, the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13 shown in FIG. 3 is deformed.

In the above embodiment, in order to make the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the patient contact surface the same as the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1, the size of the opening B1121>the size of the opening A1111≧the ultrasonic wave emitting part of the probe 1. However, as another condition, the size of the opening B1121≧the size of the opening A1111>the size of the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1 may be satisfied. The same effect can be obtained by the relation of size≧size of opening B1121>size of ultrasonic wave emitting portion of probe 1.

When the ultrasonic probe is separated from the patient and the treatment is stopped, the solid gel 13 returns to its original shape due to its elasticity, and the void 14 is formed again. Here, when the ultrasonic therapy device has a contact state monitoring function, it is determined to be non-contact, the signal supply to the ultrasonic transducer is stopped, and the ultrasonic output is stopped. Since the temperature rise due to the constant irradiation of ultrasonic waves is prevented and the wiping of the gel is not necessary, a comfortable and highly safe treatment can be performed. Further, since the gel and the metal cover are in contact only during the treatment, the possibility of cover corrosion can be suppressed as much as possible.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the size of the opening B1121 of the lower part 112 of the fixture is made smaller than the size of the ultrasonic wave emitting part of the probe 1. At this time, when the solid gel protrusion 131 is pressed against the patient's skin, the solid gel 13 is deformed toward the cover 122 as shown by the dotted line, and when the solid gel 13 comes into contact with the cover 122, the ultrasonic therapy device has a contact state monitoring function. If so, the ultrasonic waves pass through the solid gel 13 and are directed toward the skin of the patient. At this time, the ultrasonic wave output from the probe is narrowed to a range in which the solid gel 13 is deformed to fill the void 14, that is, an area smaller than the opening B1121 of the lower part 112 of the fixture. That is, even if the contact surface of the solid gel with the skin at the tip of the probe extends over the entire solid gel protrusion 131, the emitting area of the ultrasonic wave is less than the area of the opening B1121 of the lower part 112 of the fixture, and the emitting area is constant. It becomes possible to perform local treatment. In other words, if you want to irradiate ultrasonic waves only in a narrow area, you do not need to make the ultrasonic transducer small, use a small cover, make the probe small, make the solid gel small, etc. By making the opening B1121 smaller than the size of the sheath, ultrasonic treatment in a narrower range can be easily realized at low cost without changing the configuration of the probe. The size here indicates an area, a diameter, or a length in a predetermined direction. Although the surface of the upper part of the fixture 111 that contacts the solid gel 13 is a plane parallel to the flat plate portion 132 of the solid gel 13 in FIG. 5, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. The surface of the 111 that contacts the solid gel 13 may be configured to be inclined with respect to the flat plate portion 132. In this case, the prevention of displacement of the solid gel 13 during treatment can be further strengthened.

As another modified example, FIG. 6 shows a case where the opening A1111 is smaller than the size of the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1. The size of the opening B1121 may be larger than the size of the opening A1111. In this case, it is necessary to change the shape of the solid gel 13 in accordance with the protruding portion A1112 of the fixed portion upper portion 111. With this configuration, it is possible to control the emitting portion of the ultrasonic wave on the contact surface with the skin depending on the size of the opening A1111, and similarly it is possible to perform local treatment with a constant emitting area. .. In this configuration, the solid gel 13 is more firmly fixed by the protruding portion A1112, the solid gel 13 is easily pressed against the cover 122 of the probe 1 during use, and the treatment efficiency is improved.

The void 14 normally contains air, and the air in the void is compressed by the pressure when the solid gel 13 is pressed against the skin and comes into contact with the skin. There is also a portion that is pushed out from the gap of or the gap between the lower part 112 of the fixture and the cover 122. Here, an air hole may be provided in the fixture as a passage for air. FIG. 7 is an example in which the air holes 16 are provided in the lower part 112 of the fixture of the fixture. By providing the air holes through which the air can be smoothly discharged, the solid gel 13 comes into contact with the cover 122 and a smooth treatment can be performed without pressing the solid gel 13 against the skin. After the treatment is completed, the force for pressing the solid gel away from the skin disappears, and the elasticity of the solid gel 13 causes the void 14 to return to its original size. Therefore, outside air enters through the air holes 16 and the solid gel 13 The space between the cover 122 and the cover 122 is quickly re-formed. Since the gap between the solid gel 13 and the cover 122 is promptly secured except during the treatment, a further effect of preventing the corrosion of the cover 122 is obtained. Although the air hole 16 is provided at one place in the example of FIG. 7, two or more air holes 16 may be provided, and the shape may be a slit, a semicircle, or a polygon. .. Further, the air slit may have a linear shape, a curved shape, or a structure having a branch in the middle as long as it can be secured as an airway. Further, although the hole structure is used in the embodiment of FIG. 7, a groove shape may be formed along the contact surfaces of the lower fixture 112 and the upper fixture 111 and the contact surface with the solid gel. It suffices if at least the air in the void 14 can be exhausted when the contact is made. Alternatively, at least air can flow into the void 14 when the solid gel 13 is separated from the cover 122.

8 and 9 are modifications in which the cross-sectional shape of the solid gel 13 is different. It is supposed to be used when the target area to be irradiated with ultrasonic waves is small, and the solid gel 13 has a structure in which the gel protruding portion 131 is provided with an inclined surface to make the contact surface with the skin smaller, and the flat plate portion 132 is similarly formed. Prepare Since the contact area is small, an appropriate treatment can be performed by aiming at an affected area in a narrow area such as a fingertip during the treatment. Further, by adopting a sloped structure instead of a right angle, it is possible to prevent the protruding portion 131 of the solid gel from being cut or peeled off when the probe is slid and used. The fixture upper portion 111 has a cross-sectional shape that matches the shape of the solid gel 13 of this modification. Further, for the purpose of reducing the ultrasonic wave irradiation region, the size of the opening B1121 of the fixture lower portion 112 is made smaller than the size of the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1 as in FIG. The size of the opening B1121 in this case is such that if the contact surface of the gel protrusion 131 with the skin is the ultrasonic irradiation area, the gap between the gel and the skin when the gel is deformed when pressed is taken into consideration. It is slightly larger than the contact surface. For the purpose of irradiating a smaller region than that, the size of the opening B1121 may be further reduced. The size of the opening A1111 may be equal to or larger than the opening B1121.

8 and 9 is a case where the size of the opening B1121 is smaller than the size of the ultrasonic wave emitting portion of the probe 1 as in FIG. 5, but the size of the opening A1111 is smaller than the size of the probe A1<probe 1 as in FIG. The same effect can be obtained even if the opening B1121 is larger than the opening A1111.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various combinations and the like can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is possible to

1 Probe 11 Fixture 111 Fixture Upper Part 1111 Opening A
1112 Projection A
112 Lower part of fixing tool 1121 Opening B
1122 protrusion B
12 Tip part 121 Ultrasonic transducer 122 Cover 123 Substrate 13 Solid gel 131 Gel protruding part 132 Flat plate part 14 Void 141 Gap 15 Space 16 Air hole

Claims (4)

A fixture for mounting a solid gel to be brought into contact with the skin of a patient with respect to the ultrasonic probe, wherein the solid gel and a surface of the ultrasonic probe for emitting an ultrasonic wave are separated from each other. .. The fixture has a first member and a second member, and sandwiches the solid gel between the first member and the second member, depending on the size of the second opening provided in the first member. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein ultrasonic waves emitted from the surface of the solid gel are controlled. The size of one of the first opening and the second opening that contacts the surface of the ultrasonic probe that emits ultrasonic waves is larger than the size of the emitting part that emits ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe. The fixture according to claim 2, wherein the size of the non-exposed portion is equal to or larger than the emitting portion from which the ultrasonic wave is emitted from the ultrasonic probe. The fixture according to claim 2, wherein the size of at least one of the first opening and the second opening is smaller than the emitting portion from which the ultrasonic wave is emitted from the ultrasonic probe.

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