JPH05329156A - Ultrasonic probe with observational function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an ultrasonic probe with an observational function which has a small diameter and by means of which an ultrasonic tomographic image and a front visible image can be obtd. and which is insertible into a blood vessel when used. CONSTITUTION:In this ultrasonic probe 100, an ultrasonic oscillator 7 obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image is fixed on an apex hard part 2a of a rotating coil shaft and is rotated by means of a hollow flexible coil shaft 2 and an observational means by which the front is observable is positioned on this rotating apex hard part 2a. The observational means is e.g. an observational optical system 4 contg. IG/LG and the apex is guided to the front face of a sheath 1 and it is provided in such a way that it is rotatable integrally with the shaft to make the outer diameter of the probe small and, as the result, it becomes remarkably smaller than the case where the observational means and a system of ultrasonic functions are separated, and in addition, both the ultrasonic tomographic imaging and observation of the object to be examined in front of the probe are possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe having an observation function, and more particularly to an ultrasonic probe having an observation function, which can be reduced in diameter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A combination of an optical system and an ultrasonic probe is known as a so-called ultrasonic endoscope. In this type of conventional ultrasonic endoscope, the observation means (IG, LG) and the ultrasonic function (rotation transmission system such as a flexible coil or a signal cable bundle) are separated. The diameter of the insertion part is about 12 mm, and it is used exclusively for the digestive tract. FIG. 13 shows a combination mode of the ultrasonic probe and the endoscope. Figure (a) shows the light guide
An endoscope 403 having an endoscope 403 having an 401 and an image guide 402 has an ultrasonic probe 405 inserted in a channel (CH) 404, and FIG. 2B shows an endoscope having an endoscope optical system 411. The ultrasonic endoscope 414 is a type in which a cap portion 413 for accommodating an ultrasonic scanning portion (scanning portion) 412 is provided at the tip of the mirror, and the ultrasonic endoscope 414 shown in FIG. Are fixed in parallel with each other, and an endoscope optical system 421 extends in a form that still extends over the ultrasonic scanning unit (scan unit) 422. All of the above are optical systems (I
(G, LG) and the ultrasonic function are separate entities, and
Type is inefficient in space and has a large outer diameter. In addition, in the type of FIG. 7C, in addition to the above, the optical system 421 obstructs the field of view of scanning, and the ultrasonic field of view is correspondingly lacked. On the other hand, in the type shown in FIG. 6C, there are still the same points as those shown in FIG. 7A, and the observation window is laterally inclined at the rear position of the scanning unit 412, and the endoscope field of view is lacking. It will be.

[0003]

On the other hand, recently, the diameter of ultrasonic probes has been reduced, and a probe with an extremely small diameter of φ1 mm class has been proposed, and approaches to the blood vessel wall and the like have been advanced.
For such a blood vessel wall, not only the ultrasonic function,
Although there is a need to see it directly with the eyes, it is difficult to reduce the outer diameter of the gastrointestinal tract with the above-mentioned configuration, and there is a limit to reducing the diameter. Therefore, under the present circumstances, an ultrasonic probe having a probe outer diameter that is thin enough to pass through a blood vessel and having an optical system observing function and an ultrasonic wave function has not yet been realized.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe with an observation function which can be made thin enough to be applied to blood vessels and which can also observe an ultrasonic function and a specimen part in front of the probe. To do.

[0005]

According to the present invention, the following ultrasonic probe with an observation function is provided. An ultrasonic transducer that is attached to a rotating support body to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image, a hollow flexible shaft for rotating the support body, and an observation means that is arranged in the support body and that allows forward observation. Is an ultrasonic probe with an observation function.

[0006]

According to the ultrasonic probe with an observation function of the present invention,
An ultrasonic transducer for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image is attached to a rotating support body and rotated by a hollow flexible shaft, and an observation means capable of forward observation is arranged on the support body thus rotated. By rotatably providing it with the flexible shaft, the outer diameter of the probe can be made smaller, and the diameter of the probe can be made much smaller than in the case where the observation means and the ultrasonic functional system are separate bodies. It is also possible to observe the image and the specimen part in front of the probe.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to the present invention. Further, FIG. 3 is a system diagram showing an example of an outline of the overall configuration of the diagnostic device when the ultrasonic probe with an observation function is used as a probe to be inserted into a small diameter portion and used. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 100 indicates an ultrasonic probe with a small diameter optical system that can be applied to a blood vessel as an ultrasonic probe with an observation function.In the illustrated example, the system is an ultrasonic probe with an optical system for blood vessels 100, It can be configured by including a processor with a light source 200 to which the probe 100 is connected, and a monitor 300 for displaying an image signal obtained by the processor 200 as an image.

This device system is a diagnostic system in which the outer diameter of the probe is so thin that it can be inserted into a blood vessel, and the optical system observing function and ultrasonic function are combined.
At 0, the ultrasonic image 310 and the optical image 320 are displayed on the screen 301. Ultrasound image 310 is an optical ultrasound probe
When 100 is inserted into a blood vessel and used, its depth direction, that is, it is displayed as a tomographic image used for diagnosis of the internal tissue part of the blood vessel wall in the direction orthogonal to the probe insertion direction,
On the other hand, for the optical image 320, an optical image in front of the insertion probe (for example, a visible image showing the property of the blood vessel wall surface) is displayed as an observation image. The light source processor 200 supplies an image signal to the monitor 300 to display these images.

The ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system can be connected to the processor 200 with a light source by a probe connector 101. Ultrasonic probe 100 with small diameter optical system
Specific examples of the connection between the light source processor 200 and the light source processor 200, and the respective configurations inside the processor will be described later.

An ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system is mounted on a rotating support to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image, an ultrasonic transducer, a hollow flexible shaft for rotating the support, and an ultrasonic transducer arranged inside the support. , And an observation means capable of observing forward, as shown in FIG. 1 as an example of the configuration of the insertion tip, and also in each part (AA line, BB
As shown in Fig. 2 (a) to (c), the entire diameter is reduced and the sheath 1 with a smaller diameter can rotate with a certain clearance from the inner surface of the sheath. A hollow flexible coil shaft 2 as a rotation transmitting means that is inserted through
In addition, an ultrasonic coaxial cable 3 and an observation means 4 for obtaining an optical image of an observation field of view in front of the probe are both provided inside the coil shaft 2.

Here, the observation means 4 is put in the coil shaft 2 together with the coaxial cable 3 and is rotated integrally.
In this example, is a light guide (L) consisting of an optical fiber for guiding the illumination light for irradiating the front of the probe through the observation window 5 made of a transparent member attached to the distal end opening of the sheath 1.
G) and an image guide (IG) using an optical fiber that guides the visual field image in front of the probe to the hand side. In another example, the observation means that can be observed in the forward direction is not limited to the fiber body including the LG / IG, but the structure between the sheath and the coil shaft doubles as the LG to promote the reduction in diameter. it can. On the contrary, in still another example, instead of the IG, the CCD may be arranged inside the sheath tip so as to face the front surface of the probe.

The flexible coil shaft 2 for transmitting the rotational driving force to the tip side is, for example, a double close-wound coil,
After the tip of the probe, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the inside of the sheath 1 extends toward the distal end on the proximal side with the coaxial cable 3 and the observation means 4 inserted (see, for example, FIGS. 4 and 5). In the present example, the coil shaft 2 also serves as a housing for holding the ultrasonic transducer and the observation means by its tip portion itself. For this reason, the coil shaft 2 is appropriately hardened at a portion near the tip portion (a portion corresponding to, for example, a portion closer to the tip from the CC line in FIG. 1) extending over a required range in the axial direction from the tip thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (c), a part of the tip hardening coil shaft portion 2a is removed into a substantially semi-cylindrical shape to form an opening.

Regarding the support of the ultrasonic transducer, in this example, the backing material 6 is arranged in the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a, and the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface is located above the backing material 6 to expand the tip hardening portion 2a. A vibrator 7 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is arranged and fixed so as to face the part. To mount these, use a conductive adhesive that also electrically connects the coaxial cable 3 to the transducer electrodes, an insulating adhesive that insulates the required parts, and a resin that fills and solidifies the relevant parts. You can The conductive adhesives 11, 12, 13 and the insulating material portions 14, 15, 16 etc. in FIG. 1 are a part of their mounting function members, and for example, the conductive adhesive for the core wire portion of the coaxial cable 3 is used.
Reference numeral 11 provides wiring and fixing to one electrode of the vibrator 7. Also,
The conductive adhesive 12 around the outer conductor portion is also adhered and fixed to the inner surface of the coil shaft 2 of the conductor, and thus the outer conductor is electrically connected to the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a which also serves as a housing. , Is electrically connected to the other electrode of the vibrator 7 via the conductive adhesive 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (b), the observing means 4 passes between the lower surface (back surface) of the backing material 6 and the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a to reach the tip portion, and the fiber end surface thereof is formed. Are integrated and disposed together with the vibrator 7 and the like in the structure in the tip curing portion 2a so that the probe faces the front of the probe. An end member 21 is fixed to the tip portion of the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a, and an objective lens 22 is provided there. In this example, the objective lens 22 is attached to the end member 21 at the center position so that its optical axis center coincides with the rotation center axis 23 of the coil shaft 2 (Fig. 2 (a)), and the tip of the observation means 4 is It is guided to the position of the objective lens 22 and faces the observation window 5 at the tip of the sheath 1. Further, a translucent ultrasonic wave transmission medium 24 is put around the coil shaft 2.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the vibrator 7 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is rotationally driven by the coil shaft 2 to perform mechanical radial scanning, and the observation means 4 composed of IG and LG is connected to the coil shaft 2 as well. It is possible to obtain an ultrasonic probe with an observation function, which is integrally rotatably provided and has an optical system without increasing the outer diameter of the ultrasonic probe. As shown in the figure, by inserting the observation means 4 into the coil shaft 2 and rotating them integrally, the outer diameter of the probe can be made smaller, and compared to the case where the observation means and the ultrasonic functional system are separate bodies. The diameter will be much smaller. Even in the inspection of the blood vessel part,
Not only the ultrasonic function but also the need to see directly with the eyes can be easily met. With the system in Fig. 3, the endoscope observation on the screen 301 of the monitor 300 through the processor with light source 200 can be performed as ultrasonic image observation. This can be performed at the same time, and the specimen portion in front of the probe can be seen, so that the diagnostic effect can be further improved.

By connecting the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system,
The processor 200 with a light source that rotationally drives the coil shaft 2, irradiates illumination light, transmits and receives an image signal, and the like can be configured as follows, for example. Referring to FIG. 4 showing the configuration of the connection between the probe 100 and the processor 200, the probe connector 101 has a sheath 1 attached to the end of the connector body and a coil shaft 2 attached to the end of a hollow shaft 30. Bearing 30
It is rotatably supported by 31. The coaxial cable 3 and the observation means 4 in the coil shaft 2 are inserted so as to further extend in the shaft 30. Ultrasonic probe with optical system
The entire 100 including the shaft 30 can be attached / detached to / from the processor 200 by the probe connector 101.
It is attached to the insertion part 201a of 1 for use. In the figure, 32 is an oil seal and 33 is a C ring.

The shaft 30 of the probe 100 is inserted into the exterior housing 201 as shown in the drawing when it is attached. Inside the housing, facing the shaft insertion position, there are provided a probe receiving member 34, a gear 35 of a rotary drive mechanism, an ultrasonic signal transmitting unit 36, an illumination light source unit, an optical image system optical system device, and the like. Set up. The gear 35 is arranged in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the insertion shaft 30 so as to be fitted with the spline shaft portion 30a on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and the gear 35 is meshed with a gear 38 driven by a motor 37. Through shaft 30
(Therefore, the coil shaft 2) is rotationally driven. Further, the gear 38 is provided with a potentiometer 39 for obtaining angle information at the time of rotation, and its detection output is input to the control circuit 40.

The coaxial cable 3 in the shaft 30 is electrically and mechanically connected to a slip ring 41 provided on the outer periphery in the vicinity of the tip of the shaft, and is connected to an ultrasonic wave processing circuit 40a via a signal transmission section 36. It The circuit 40a includes a probe 10
It can be configured to include a transmission system that applies a high frequency pulse to the 0 ultrasonic transducer to drive it, a reception system of an echo signal, and the like, and a signal for imaging an echo is supplied to the control circuit 40.

The observation means 4 in the shaft 30 is, in this example,
The fiber bundle entrance end of the LG42 is connected to the probe receiving member 34.
The probe receiving member 34 is mounted so as to be exposed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft at the position, and an illumination light guide inlet 43 is provided facing the fiber end of the probe receiving member 34, and a mirror 44 is arranged opposite to this. The mirror 44 irradiates the light from the lamp device 45 composed of a white light through the lens 46, and in this example, the RGB filter 47 which rotates is arranged in the optical path thereof, which is controlled by the control circuit 40. It is rotationally driven by the filter driving motor 48.

The fiber bundle of the IG49 of the observation optical system 4 extends to the tip of the shaft 30 and is attached so that the end face of the fiber bundle is exposed at the shaft end face. Here, in this example, the center of the fiber bundle of IG49 is the probe 10
Center of rotation of shaft 30 at 0 (hence coil shaft
It is attached and arranged on the shaft end surface of the shaft 30 so as to coincide with the rotation center axis 23) of 2. In the housing of the processor 200, an optical system support portion 51A is fixedly attached according to the position of the shaft end portion of the shaft 30, and a CCD 50 is provided with a required lens and the like on this, and an image information signal by the CCD 50 is controlled by a control circuit. Enter 40. The control circuit 40 in the light source processor 200 is connected to the monitor 300 to display an optical image and an ultrasonic image (FIG. 3).

As described above, the ultrasonic transducer, the light guide fiber (LG) 42 and the image guide fiber (IG) 49.
Ultrasonic probe with optical system 10
In the ultrasonic probe system including 0, a processor device with a light source connected to it, and a monitor 300 for image display, when the processor has the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the light source image 320 and the ultrasonic image 310 are , Can be obtained as follows. Probe 100 to processor 20
When the probe 100 is mounted to 0, the shaft 30 of the probe 100 is engaged with the gear 35 in the processor 200 by the spline shaft portion 30a so that the probe 30 can be rotationally driven. At the same time, the electrical connection of the ultrasonic transmission / reception system is also performed by the slip ring 41 and the signal transmission portion. 36, and the LG 42 and the IG 49 are also joined to the optical system as shown in the figure.

In the above-mentioned state, if the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system is inserted into the site to be diagnosed for diagnosing the inside of the blood vessel and the inside of the vessel wall, and the coil shaft 2 is rotated through the shaft 30, the peripheral surface of the shaft 30 Since the fiber bundle end face of the LG42 faces the lamp device 45 via the mirror 44, the illumination light is incident on the LG42 only when the LG42 fiber end face is in a rotational position facing the lamp so as to receive light. Then, the light is guided to the tip side of the probe through this, and the objective lens
22. The light is emitted to the front of the probe 100 through the observation window 5.
Then, in synchronism with the timing, the control circuit 40 takes in a visible image from the probe tip side through the IG49 and receives the signal from the CCD50 which is received on the imaging surface, forms an image by this, and monitors 300 on the front surface of the probe. Project optical image 320 of. Further, in this case, the optical image 320 can be obtained as a color image by the time division method using the RGB filter 47. On the other hand, for displaying an ultrasonic tomographic image, an echo signal obtained by radial scanning of the rotating ultrasonic transmitting / receiving transducer 7 may be transmitted via the slip ring 41 to form an image, and the ultrasonic wave may be displayed on the monitor 300. The image 310 can be projected.

In the case of the processor 200 with a light source shown in FIG. 4, the diagnosis using the optical system and the ultrasonic function together can be performed as described above. FIG. 4 is used in combination with the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the present invention applicable to a small-diameter blood vessel.
The configuration of the processor 200 of is an example of a suitable combination. In the case of a system that uses a fiberscope for blood vessels as an approach to the inside of a blood vessel, it is impossible to make a diagnosis in the depth direction, whereas when using this ultrasonic probe system that combines an optical system and an ultrasonic function, It is possible to perform effective diagnosis in the depth range before and after treatment as well as in the depth direction before and after treatment, and at the same time, diagnose the properties including the color of the blood vessel wall and the stenosis in front of the probe. An ultrasonic endoscopic diagnosis device can be realized. In addition,
Although the RGB filter 47 is used in the illustrated example, when the CCD 50 is a single-chip color chip, it can be configured without providing the RGB filter in the illumination light source section.

FIG. 5 shows another preferred example of the processor 200 with a light source used in combination with the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system. In the case of FIG. 4, the CCD 50 is fixed on the processor side, but in this example, it is rotated together with the CCD. Basically,
The mounting on the outer housing 201, the rotary drive system, the ultrasonic image system, etc. may be the same as those in FIG.
In Fig. 5, the observation means 4 in the shaft 30 is such that the fiber bundles of both LG42 and IG49 extend to the tip of the shaft 30, and the fiber incidence end of the LG42 is arranged around the IG49 fiber bundle in a ring shape. Exposed on the shaft end face.

On the other hand, the fiber bundle of IG49 is the shaft 30
It is configured to extend and be attached to the rotary optical system holding portion 51B that rotates integrally with the rotary optical system holding portion 51B. The holding unit 51B is provided with a CCD 50 together with a lens and the like, and an image information signal is taken out through the slip ring 52 by the CCD 50 and an electrical low tension circuit is provided.
Supply to 53. Therefore, in this configuration, when the coil shaft 2 of the ultrasonic probe with an optical system 100 is rotationally driven, the CCD 50 is rotated up to the holding portion. Further, as shown in the figure, the illumination light source is configured by a lamp 54, mirrors 55 and 56, and a condenser lens 57.
The illumination light shall be incident on the end of the ring-shaped fiber of 42.

In this example, since the CCD 50 is rotated together with the CCD 50, an erect image is displayed on the monitor 300 by applying a low tension with an electric circuit. Specifically, when rotating the CCD50 as a unit,
The image obtained by the rotating CCD 50 is once stored in a frame memory, and the image data in the frame memory is read out in a manner in which the image data in the frame memory is rotated in the reverse direction of the rotation of the shaft 30 (and thus the coil shaft rotation of the probe 100). Can be done by In the system of FIG. 3, the processor with light source 200 may have the above-mentioned configuration.

6 and 7 show another embodiment of the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the LG / IG-incorporated observation means 4 was guided through the back surface of the backing material 6, whereas in the present embodiment, this point is further devised, and the observation means uses the ultrasonic transducer It is arranged on the side opposite to the sound wave transmitting / receiving surface, and is joined to the back surface of the vibrator with, for example, epoxy resin. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is preferable to partially loosen the fibers of LG42 of LG42 and IG49 of the observation means 4 and impregnate them with the resin to form the backing portion 61.
Specifically, the LG fiber is a transducer that extends over a predetermined range in the structure in the tip hardened portion 2a of the coil shaft 2.
Apply resin evenly on the back of 7 (Fig. 7), and
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (b), the backing member 6 is not used, but the LG 42 and the IG 49 are combined to form a backing portion 61. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals (this point also applies to each example described later). According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to separately incorporate the backing material used in the above-mentioned embodiments, so that the structure becomes simpler and as shown in FIGS.
In this case, according to the thickness of the backing material 6, the inner diameter of the coil shaft to be used is set to be large corresponding to the thickness of the backing material 6, whereas such a thing can be avoided in this embodiment. It is possible to further reduce the diameter.

8 and 9 show another embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to the above-described embodiment in which the IG and LG observing means are incorporated in the coil shaft, in the present embodiment, as mentioned above, the illuminating light guiding means is also provided between the sheath and the coil shaft. By utilizing this, the liquid interposed between the sheath and the flexible shaft guides the illumination light to the tip of the probe. The main parts will be described below. In FIG. 8, in the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system of the present embodiment, a distal end hard portion 63 is attached to the distal end of the coil shaft 2 inside the sheath 1 in the illustrated example. Unlike the above embodiment, the coil shaft 2 itself does not directly constitute the rotation supporting portion, but such a separate tip hard portion may be used. In this embodiment, only the IG49 is used as the observation means to be inserted into the coil shaft 2, and the tip hard part 63
The IG49 is arranged in the structure according to and the tip of the fiber bundle is guided to the objective lens system 64 (FIG. 9). As for the light guide, a fiber 66 for guiding the illumination light is installed in an appropriate fixing portion 65 on the light source side at hand, and the illumination light is made to enter the sheath from the entire peripheral surface of the sheath 1 via a mirror 67.

Here, the sheath 1 is an optically transparent one, and in the example shown in the drawing, a high reflectance, such as silver, is applied to the entire outer peripheral surface of the sheath 1 in the range excluding the incident part and the sheath tip part. , Aluminum or the like is applied to form a coating film 68. Then sheath 1
The ultrasonic transmission medium 24 between the coil shaft 2 and
As well as being acoustically matched to the living body,
In particular, select and use one with low optical attenuation (such as water). In FIG. 8, 69 indicates a lens system on the output end face side.

In this embodiment, with the above-mentioned configuration, the illumination light can be made to enter the sheath 1 from the entire circumference, and
The liquid 24 interposed between the sheath 1 and the coil shaft 2 can guide the illumination light to the probe tip without inserting the LG fiber into the coil shaft 2, and the sheath 1 tip to the probe can be used. The front can be illuminated. In order to realize a small-diameter ultrasonic endoscope capable of foreseeing according to the present invention, when the IG and LG made of both fibers are built in the coil shaft, the LG fiber will also be inserted, so that The inner diameter of the shaft is made thicker as much as it is commensurate with the tendency to increase the overall diameter. However, in the present embodiment, this can be avoided and the diameter can be further reduced. Also, for ultrasonic scanning, the coil shaft 2 is rotated from the rotary drive source at hand, but at this time, the number of insertion members that can be stored inside the coil shaft 2 is small, compared to the case where there are many insertion members. Can reduce the frictional resistance with
It is also possible to expect smoother rotation. In addition,
In the above description, the IG 49 is guided to the tip to obtain an optical image. However, instead of the method of the objective IG, the CCD may be arranged in the tip rigid portion 63 so that the CCD is directly positioned at the tip. In this case, the coaxial cable 3
And the CCD cable will be inserted, and the effects of the above-mentioned diameter reduction will be further enhanced. Further, the coating film 68 may be applied to the inner surface of the sheath 1 instead of the outer surface.

FIG. 10 shows still another embodiment of the present invention in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. This embodiment also corresponds to a modification of the coating film 68,
As shown in the drawing, the coating film 68 is formed on the inner surface of the sheath 1, and the IG 49 is inserted as a flat member having the illustrated shape. In this case, it is possible to effectively use the space inside the coil shaft by making the IG49 into such a shape, which makes it possible to reduce the probe outer diameter and further reduce the diameter, and the number of IGs made of fibers. Can be increased and the accuracy of the optical image can be improved.

Next, another example of the present invention will be shown by way of example. In this embodiment, the probe outer diameter is made thin, and also has an optical system function and an ultrasonic wave function, and in that case, the endoscope field of view (forward observation field of view) and the ultrasonic field of view are ensured without fail. In particular, the observation means capable of observing forward is improved so that the field of view can be enlarged with a great effect without making the structure complicated. Basically, the observation means is fixed behind the ultrasonic transducer, and a transparent observation window is provided at the sheath tip to allow forward observation, or the sheath tip is made optically transparent, and mechanical scan scanning is performed inside the sheath. Incorporating the oscillator and the observation means so that they can rotate integrally with the rotation transmission means for
1, Fig. 6, Fig. 8, Fig. 10), and the image is obtained by passing the IG fiber through a non-rotating CCD and receiving the image at the end on the proximal side, and displaying it on the monitor. This is also the same including the configuration of FIG. 4, but in the present embodiment, the following configuration is further added. That is, the optical axis center position of the IG fiber is not aligned with the rotation center axis due to the above-mentioned rotation drive but is biased, and this is used as the obtained field of view.
The image is obtained with a parallax of the rotation diameter of the IG fiber optical axis (endoscope optical axis), so that the front of the probe can be seen in a wide range on the monitor screen.

Hereinafter, the main part of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in Fig. 11, ultrasonic probe with optical system
100 is basically the same as that in FIG. 1 above, but the arrangement position of the IG / LG inclusion observation means 4 in the structure inside the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a is different from that in FIG. The center position of the IG fiber bundle is set with the amount of deviation X from the center axis 23. In this case, the optical field in front of the probe in the illustrated state is in the range shown by reference numeral 70, and this rotates about the axis 23 when the coil shaft is driven and rotated.

Regarding the structure on the near side of the probe 100,
The O-ring is basically the same as the one shown in Fig. 4 above.
A rotary support 72 having 71, a hollow rotary shaft 30, a slip ring 41 for connection with an ultrasonic diagnostic system, gears 35, 38,
And a motor 37 and the like. LG42 of the observation means 4
It is arranged at the axial end of the shaft 30 so as to coincide with the rotation center axis 23, and illumination light is introduced from a light source 74 via a mirror 73 to this. On the other hand, for the IG49, attach it to the end of the shaft axis with a deviation Y from the rotation center axis 23
Face the CCD50 of camera 75. As described above, in the present embodiment, the IG 49 is displaced from the rotation center axis 23 to set the mounting position on each end side.

In the combination mode of the ultrasonic probe and the endoscope of FIG. 13 mentioned above, in the type of FIG.
It has already been mentioned that the ultrasonic field of view is lacking, and the endoscope field of view is missing in the type shown in FIG.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the observation means 4 capable of observing the front also rotates integrally, and as a result, the oscillator
7 and the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by 7, they are not in a relationship of interfering with each other's field of view, and therefore can be ensured without missing both fields of view (this point is the same in other embodiments as well. Further, particularly in the case of this example, a wider visual field can be obtained even in the forward observation in the small-diameter blood vessel wall by setting the displacement amount of the IG49 as described above.

This point can be explained as follows. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram on the screen 301 of the optical image system of the monitor 300 (FIG. 3). FIG. 12 (a) is a screen at a certain moment, and reference numeral 76 is an endoscope at a certain moment. The field of view, that is, the field of view corresponding to the optical field 70 by the IG 49 in FIG. 11 is represented.

Now, referring to FIG. 11, when the displacement amounts X and Y on the respective end sides of the rotation center shaft 23 and the IG 49 are set in the relation of X = Y, on the monitor shown in FIG. 12 (a). The shift γ between the center and the center of the optical visual field at a certain moment has a relationship of X = Y = γ. In this configuration, the IG49 is the coil shaft 2
The rotation speed of the ultrasonic transducer is for scanning and scanning, so the rotation speed is fast.
An optical field of view can be obtained in the range of a large circle as shown by reference numeral 77 (that is, the obtained field of view is an image obtained with a parallax corresponding to the rotation diameter of the endoscope optical axis, so it is possible to see it in a wide range apparently. Will be possible). Therefore, the probe 100
When the coil shaft 2 is rotated during use, the amount of deviation γ (= X = Y) between the rotation center of the optical field of view and the center on the monitor,
A wide field of view is apparently obtained, and the present embodiment has such advantages.

Next, still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This Example corresponds to a specific example of the case where the CCD is provided at the distal end portion so that the CCD can be observed forward, instead of the IG, as described above, and particularly at the distal end portion of the ultrasonic probe with a blood vessel optical system. A CCD is directly provided as an observation means so that a visible image of the front of the probe can be obtained. Explaining the main part, as shown in FIG. 14, the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system has the CCD 50 arranged at the tip of the coil shaft tip hardening portion 2a which also functions as the housing, and the CCD cable 80
Together with the LG 42 is guided to the hand side through the structure inside the tip hardening portion 2a. In the figure, reference numeral 81 denotes an objective lens made of plastic and disposed between the CCD 50 and the tip of the optically transparent sheath 1.

Also in the case of the probe 100 according to this embodiment, a suitable ultrasonic probe with a small diameter optical system for blood vessels can be obtained and can be used in the system shown in FIG. The rotation drive of the coil shaft 2 and the transmission / reception of ultrasonic system signals may be the same as those in the processor device having the configuration shown in FIG. 4, and the ultrasonic image 310 is displayed on the monitor 300 by the processor 200 with a light source. It can be obtained in the same manner as in each of the examples. On the other hand, in this way the probe
When the CCD50 is installed directly on the tip of the housing part inside the sheath 1 of 100, the CCD50 receives the visible image in front of the probe, but since the CCD50 is rotated together with the coil shaft 2, the following optical image is stored in the processor 200 in the processor 200. Such processing may be performed. That is, the obtained image is temporarily taken into the frame memory and the image data of the frame memory is
The CCD image that does not rotate is read as an optical image on the monitor 300 by reading the data while rotating it in the reverse direction of the probe rotation.
Display as 320.

Also in this embodiment, as in the case of the above-described embodiments, an ultrasonic probe with an optical system having a small diameter (about 1 to 2 mm) that can obtain a visible image in front of the probe and enables ultrasonic diagnosis of blood vessels. It is possible to know the property inside the blood vessel wall and to detect the property (color etc.) of the wall surface and the narrowed part in front of the probe. In addition, comparing this with the one in Fig. 15, it is shown in Fig. 15 (a), (b) (Note that Fig. 15 (b) is B- of Fig. 15 (a).
The sheath 1 is used as a multi-lumen tube, and the LG42 and CC are
D cable 80 (electrical cable) is arranged, CCD 50 is provided at the tip, and the ultrasonic transducer in the large lumen 86 is rotated to obtain an ultrasonic image, but in comparison with this example,
In the case of FIG. 14, a multi-lumen is not required, and it is possible to easily achieve a further reduction in diameter.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show an application example of the ultrasonic probe with an optical system according to the present invention. In particular,
An example of using it in combination with a multi-laser probe having a lumen for an ultrasonic probe will be shown. In the figure, reference numeral 91 is a flexible multi-laser probe, which has an insertion lumen 92 for an ultrasonic probe, and a plurality of fibers 93 for guiding a laser are circumferentially arranged on the tip surface.
In such a multi-laser probe, in this example,
At a part on the hand side after a certain distance from the tip, the fibers 93 are concentrated as shown in FIG.
A portion without the fiber 93 is provided at a constant portion in the circumferential direction indicated by T. Then, the above insertion lumen 92
It is assumed that the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system having a reduced diameter for blood vessels according to the present invention is inserted therethrough.

The multi-laser probe is used for laser angioplasty for cauterizing and expanding a stenosis in a blood vessel using the laser probe. When performing the laser angioplasty, the cauterization condition is checked. Therefore, an ultrasonic probe can be used together. However, conventionally, in a laser probe, it was blocked by an optical fiber,
Since the observation image cannot be obtained, it is necessary to repeat the operation of taking out the ultrasonic probe from the laser probe, observing, retracting and irradiating the laser, and the procedure is complicated, and the laser with the ultrasonic probe still appears Irradiation may occur and the ultrasonic probe may be damaged. On the other hand, in the case of this example, as shown in the figure, the fiber 93 is not inserted in a part after a certain distance from the tip as shown by the arrow T in FIG. Even with the ultrasonic probe with system 100, an ultrasonic image of the corresponding portion can be obtained. In this way, there is no risk of laser irradiation with the ultrasonic probe 100 with the optical system still exposed and damage to the ultrasonic probe 100 with the optical system. In order to obtain an observation image with the sonic probe 100,
Observation and cauterization can be done easily. As the ultrasonic probe 100 with an optical system to be used, any of the above-mentioned respective embodiments can be used.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above. As described above, it is particularly suitable for use as an ultrasonic probe with an observation function for blood vessels, but it can be implemented by being inserted and used in a small-diameter specimen part other than that. In addition, although each example is described individually, it goes without saying that the techniques can be applied individually, and one or more of them can be combined with one or more of the other (e.g., the method shown in FIGS. 11 and FIG. 14 are also used).

[0045]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe with an observation function, which can be made thin enough to be applied to a blood vessel and can also observe an ultrasonic function and a specimen part in front of the probe. Therefore, it is possible to improve the diagnostic performance of the small-diameter specimen part, particularly the blood vessel part.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing states (a to c) of respective cross sections near the probe tip along the line AA, the line BB, and the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic device system to which the probe of the same example is applied.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of a processor with a light source in the same system including the probe and an inter-processor connection unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the processor.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a diagram showing a state of a cross section taken along line BB in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a view showing an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a diagram showing a state of a cross section taken along line BB in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a view showing another example of the ultrasonic probe with an observation function of the embodiment according to FIG. 8 and is used for explaining a main part thereof.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a screen of an optical image system on the monitor in the same example.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a combination mode of the ultrasonic probe and the endoscope.

FIG. 14 is a view showing an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a configuration diagram of a comparative example shown in comparison with FIG.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-laser probe having an ultrasonic probe with an observation function according to the present invention.

17 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional state of the laser probe in the range from the AA line to the BB line in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 sheath 2 coil shaft 3 coaxial cable 4 observation means 5 observation window 6 backing material 7 transducer 11 to 13 conductive adhesive 21 end member 22 objective lens 23 rotation center axis 24 ultrasonic transmission medium 30 shaft 31 bearing 32 oil seal 34 Probe receiving member 35,38 Gear 36 Signal transmission unit 37 Motor 39 Potentiometer 40 Control circuit 41 Slip ring 42 Light guide (LG) 43 Illumination optical inlet 44 Mirror 45 Lamp unit 46 Lens 47 RGB filter 48 Motor 49 Image guide (IG) 50 CCD 51A Optical system support 51B Rotating optical system support 52 Slip ring 53 Electrical rotation circuit 54 Lamp 55,56 Mirror 57 Condenser lens 61 Backing part 63 Tip hard part 64 Objective lens system 65 Fixed part 66 Fiber 67 Mirror 68 Coating Membrane 69 Lens system 70 Optical field of view 71 O-ring 72 Rotating support 73 Mirror 74 Light source 75 CCD camera 8 0 CCD cable 81 Plastic objective lens 91 Multi-laser probe 92 Insertion ramen 93 Fiber 100 Ultrasonic probe with optical system 101 Probe connector 200 Processor with light source 201 Exterior housing 300 Monitor 301 Screen 310 Ultrasonic image 320 Optical image

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yasuhiko Omagari 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Innovator Shinsho Akui 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tsuguhisa Sasai 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic transducer which is attached to a rotating support body to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image, a hollow flexible shaft which rotates the support body, and an observation means which is arranged on the support body and enables forward observation. An ultrasonic probe with an observation function, which is made of