Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/12—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings
  • A61B8/0808—Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings for diagnosis of the brain
  • A61B8/0816—Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings for diagnosis of the brain using echo-encephalography
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4444—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device related to the probe
  • A61B8/445—Details of catheter construction
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
  • G10K—SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G10K11/00—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
  • G10K11/18—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound
  • G10K11/24—Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound for conducting sound through solid bodies, e.g. wires

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for ultrasound exa- mination, such as in connection with ultrasound diag ⁇ nostics, non-destructive testing or the like, and an ultrasonic conductor for carrying out the method.
• Ultrasonic systems are known for imaging internal or-. gans.
• An ultrasonic transducer is brought in contact with the skin of the patient.
• the transducer trans ⁇ mits a sound field into the patient. Usually sound with a frequency of between 1 and 10 MHz is applied.
• the field is reflected with varying intensity from interfaces between the organs of the patient, and these reflections can after suitable computing be u- tilized for imaging the internal organs.
• ultrasound possesses the advantage of being totally harmless and painless.
• the object of the invention is therefore to provide a method that overcomes these drawbacks, and which can therefore produce better images than it has so far been possible.
• the ultrasonic conductor can in effect direct the 10. ultrasound to a position close to the organ which is to be examined.
• the dimensions of the ultrasonic transducer become insignificant, and it becomes pos ⁇ sible to examine areas that are otherwise hard to get access to. 15
• ⁇ same ultrasonic conductor is used to pick up and to return the ultrasound reflected from the organ since this in a simple manner provides the best image pos-
• the ultrasonic conduc ⁇ tor by means of an invasive technique is led through the patient to the organ to be examined, it becomes 25 possible to produce detailed images of deeper lying organs or organs which are otherwise hard to get ac ⁇ cess to. For instance it becomes possible to lead the ultrasonic conductor into the brain through blood vessels supplying blood to the brain.
• An ultrasonic conductor for carrying out the method according to the invention may be characteristic in that the ultrasonic conductor consists of one or more fibres of a usually homogenous material, as referred to in claim 4.
• the ultrasonic conductor consists of one or more fibres of a usually homogenous material, as referred to in claim 4.
• every fibre as referred to in claim 5, is sur ⁇ rounded by an acoustic insulation material with an acoustic Impedance differing significantly from the acoustic impedance of the homogenous material in the fibre, a number of fibres can be tied closely toge- ther to form a bundle without any risk that sound is transmitted from one fibre to the other.
• the homogenous material may be a liquid, placed in a tube of the insulation material.
• the ultrasonic conductor possesses means for coupling together the ultrasonic conductor with an ultrasonic transducer.
• these coupling devi- ces permit the ultrasonic conductor to be used to ⁇ gether with several different transducers.
• such coupling means may contribute to providing a better utilization of the transducer since this may, if necessary, be applied elsewhere, while the ultra- sonic conductor is being placed at the desired point in the patient.
• the ultrasonic conductor can without dif- ficulty be led along complicated paths.
• a further preferred embodiment of the ultrasonic con ⁇ ductor is characteristic in that, as referred to in claim 8, the fibre or fibres have a cross sectional area that varies along the length of the ultrasonic conductor. Thus, it becomes possible to obtain a higher sound Intensity by area at the free end of the ultrasonic conductor.
• the ultrasonic conductor consists of a fibre bundle which in turn consists of arranged fibres, i.e. where all individual fibres in 10.. a bundle always have the same position in relation to each other.
• the ultrasonic conductor may just like that be connected to a sector transducer which is either mechanic or electronic of the phased-array type.
• an ultrasonic conductor made of one or seve ⁇ ral glass fibres e.g. in the form of light conduc ⁇ tors, as referred to in claim 10, will always possess good qualities.
• fig. 1 shows the principle of the invention exem- 25 plified by scanning of the brain of the patient with an ultrasonic conductor accor ⁇ ding to the invention
• fig. 2 shows an ultrasonic conductor according to 30 the invention connected to an ultraso ⁇ nic transducer
• fig. 3 shows a section through a single fibre in an ultrasonic _• conductor according to the invention
• fig. 4 shows a flexible ultrasonic conductor with arranged fibres
• 5 fig. 5 shows a transducer which is provided with a stand-off cell for deflecting the ultra ⁇ sound.
• FIG. 1 shows how an ultrasonic conductor 7 according to the invention can be used for the examination of an organ 9, here the brain, in a patient 10.
• the ultrasonic conductor is led to the brain through. 15 an artery 8.
• the ultrasonic conductor 7 penetrates into the body at the point 6.
• the examination may for instance be a sector scanning.
• An ultrasonic field 11 will arise at the end 13 of the ultrasonic conductor 7.
• the sound field reflected from the brain is again
• the signal picked up can by means of generally known computing produce an image 12 of the organ 9 on the scanner 1, 2.
• the transducer 4 will of course have to be used as transmitter and
• Fig. 2 shows in detail how the image formation can take place when the ultrasonic conductor 7 consists of arranged fibres.
• The- ultrasound will therefore be led from the end 13 of the ultrasonic conductor 7 di ⁇ rect to the individual transmitter/receiver crystals In the transducer 4 which need only be an ordinary sector transducer.
• Fig. 3 illustrates how the sound intensity increases if the cross section of the fibres diminish from a to b.
• each fibre 7' should be surrounded by - an acoustically insulating material 14 whose acoustic impedance differs significantly from the impedance of the homogenous material in the fibre.
• the insulating material 14 may, if required, be constructed as a tube. This makes it possible for the homogenous sound conducting material to be a li ⁇ quid.
• fig. 4 shows a preferred embodiment where the ultrasonic conductor 7 is made up of arranged flexible fibres 7' with diminishing cross sections. The fibres are insulated from each other.
• Fig. 5 shows an ultrasonic transducer 4 which is re- leasably connected with a stand-off cell 15 which acts as ultrasonic conductor.
• the stand-off cell is bent at an angle which in the shown example is 90°, and at the same time it has a cross sectional area diminishing away from the transducer 4. In this man ⁇ ner the stand-off cell may deflect and concentrate the sound field 11 extending from the end of the stand-off cell.
• the stand-off cell is advantageously made of a homo ⁇ genous material with low acoustic impedance.
• the stand-off cell 15 is provided with a bore 17 pa ⁇ rallel to the sound field 11.
• the stand-off cell 15 can act as needle control when a needle 16 is in ⁇ serted into the patient in order that the needle may be observed on its way through the patient thereby preventing damage to internal organs.
• An ultrasonic conductor according to the invention can be used anywhere where an ultrasonic examination is required. Besides in the medico technique the in ⁇ vention can also be used e.g. by ultrasonic control. of welding seams and for similar tasks.
• the ultraso ⁇ nic conductor 7 can also be used where an ultrasonic field is to be turned e.g. 90°.
• the ultrasonic conductor 7 can be used together with all known types of ultraso ⁇ nic transducers. For medical purposes it may thus be connected with multi-element transducers, sector transducers (mechanical as well as phased-array) and single-element transducers.
• the ultrasonic conductor can also be used together with a puncture stand-off cell and thus lead the ultrasound from the transducer to the place where a needle is to be inserted.
• the ultrasonic conductor 7 can on the whole be made of any homogenous material.
• glass fibres have proved to be advantageous since they have a high de ⁇ gree of homogeneity, small diameter, good sound con ⁇ ductance and a high flexibility.
• fibres of metal or plastics can also ,be used.
• the individual fibres are twisted or wound in a suitable manner, just as the individual fibres may be given the length and/or diameter that produces the required result.
• ultrasonic conductors accord ⁇ ing to the invention can also be used for removing e.g. tartar or kidney stone, in that the sound may be transmitted direct to the stone that is to be remo ⁇ ved.
• fibres of varying ma ⁇ terial in order that there will be fields with higher or lower impedance. Hereby an easier penetration in ⁇ to tissue etc. is achieved.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Neurology (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8129083

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1985
  • 1985-09-02 DK DK399485A patent/DK399485D0/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1986
  • 1986-09-02 AU AU63710/86A patent/AU6371086A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1986-09-02 WO PCT/DK1986/000099 patent/WO1987001269A1/en unknown
  • 1986-09-02 EP EP19860905244 patent/EP0235216A1/de active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events