JP2001327501A - Ultrasonic probe for inside of body cavity and ultrasonic diagnostic device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem such that the direction of a scanning surface formed from the tip of an ultrasonic probe for the inside of a body cavity becomes difficult to be specified due to the rotation of a grasping part. SOLUTION: An oscillator array 20a is arrange at the tip of the insertion part of the ultrasonic probe for the inside of the body cavity 10 and can be rocked to both side of the shaft of the insertion part. Its rocking angle η can be detected based on the output signal Sη of a rotation angle detector provided for the motor 36. The probe 10 is provided with a posture sensor 60 for detecting the posture of the grasping part to detect the rotation angle of the grasping part 14 in the surrounding of the shaft of the insertion part based on its output signal Sϕ. Based on information on these rocking angle η and the rotation angle ϕ, the direction of an electronic scanning surface is detected. Information on the detected direction of he electronic scanning surface is displayed on the display 88 of an ultrasonic diagnostic device main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity for performing a diagnosis by inserting an ultrasonic transducer into a body cavity and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the probe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity, which is inserted into a body cavity of a subject to obtain an ultrasonic image of a test site, and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same. FIG. 10 is a front view of a conventional ultrasonic probe inserted into a body cavity. Such an ultrasonic probe has a rod-shaped insertion section 2 to be inserted into a body cavity, and a transducer array is built in a transducer storage section 4 of the insertion section 2. A grip 6 is provided at the end opposite to the insertion section 2, and the operator holds the grip 6 and inserts the insertion section 2 into a body cavity. The insertion section 2
Signals and mechanical movements are transmitted between the transducer housing unit 4 side and the holding unit 6 side by signal lines and wires passing through the inside.

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of the vibrator housing 4. A transducer array 8 of a convex type is arranged in the transducer storage unit 4 so as to face forward of an axis (rod axis) along the insertion direction of the insertion unit. In this figure, the ultrasonic beam formed by the convex transducer array is electronically scanned along the paper surface, and a tomographic image on this scanning surface is obtained.

[0004]

The ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity is used by inserting a tip portion having a built-in ultrasonic vibrator into the body cavity. That is, the direction of the ultrasonic transducer cannot be visually confirmed like a transcutaneous ultrasonic probe. In particular, the grip portion may be configured in a shape that is close to axial symmetry with respect to the rod axis. In this case, it is possible to rotate the gripper around the rod axis and hold it, so that the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer about the rod axis tends to be unclear. From such a thing, it is difficult for the operator to grasp which direction the ultrasonic beam transmitted and received by the ultrasonic transducer is directed, and on which tomographic plane an image is obtained, It is difficult to understand which part of the subject is being observed. Furthermore, when the ultrasonic vibrator is relatively rotatable with respect to the insertion portion, the azimuth state of the ultrasonic vibrator becomes complicated, and the understanding of the part being observed is further improved.
There was a problem that it became difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which it is easy to specify a region to be observed by an ultrasonic beam. The purpose is to:

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity according to the present invention has an ultrasonic vibrator at a distal end thereof, and an insertion portion inserted into the body cavity and an operator outside the body cavity. It has a gripper that is gripped and supports the insertion section, and a posture detecting unit that detects a posture of the gripper.

[0007] The operator holds the grip of the probe and inserts the insertion portion into the body cavity, whereby the ultrasonic vibrator is inserted into the body cavity. Here, the ultrasonic transducer may be either a single transducer or a transducer array. When the posture of the grip portion is changed, the direction of the ultrasonic transducer changes accordingly. According to the present invention, the posture of the grip portion is detected by the posture detecting means, whereby the direction of the ultrasonic transducer inserted into the body cavity can be grasped. The posture detecting means outputs, for example, the rotation angle of the grasping section around the axis of the insertion section and the direction of the axis as information on the posture of the grasping section.

[0008] An ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic vibrator at a tip end thereof, and an insertion portion inserted into the body cavity, and an insertion portion grasped by an operator outside the body cavity. A gripping part to be supported, a posture detecting means for detecting a posture of the gripping part, a vibrator rotating means for rotating the ultrasonic vibrator around an axis of the insertion part relative to the gripping part,
A rotation angle detecting means for detecting a vibrator rotation angle by the vibrator rotating means.

According to the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer is configured to be rotatable around the axis of the insertion portion relative to the grip portion. That is, when the operator operates the vibrator rotating means, only the direction of the ultrasonic vibrator can be changed without rotating the grip portion. The attitude detecting means detects the attitude of the gripper, and the rotation angle detecting means detects the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer about the axis of the insertion section. Based on these detection information, the operator can know which direction the ultrasonic transducer is facing in the body cavity. The detection information is output to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and can be used for control and the like.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the posture detecting means is an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity which detects a rotation angle of the gripper around an axis of the insertion portion.

[0011] Among the postures of the gripping part, the rotation of the insertion part around the axis is particularly difficult for the operator to grasp.
The rotation angle of the gripper about the axis of the insertion part is detected. Accordingly, it is easy to specify the direction of the ultrasonic transducer.

In the ultrasonic probe for body cavity according to the present invention, the posture detecting means includes a gravity sensor attached to the grip.

According to the present invention, for example, the posture of the gravity sensor is detected based on the direction of gravity detected by the gravity sensor and the magnitude of the detected value, whereby the posture of the grip portion to which the gravity sensor is fixed is determined. Is detected.

Another ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to the present invention further comprises: a swinging means for swinging the ultrasound transducer about a swing axis intersecting the axis of the insertion portion; Swing angle detecting means for detecting the swing angle of the ultrasonic transducer.

According to the present invention, not only can the ultrasonic vibrator rotate about the axis of the insertion portion, but also the angle with respect to the axis can be changed by the swinging means. The swing is performed about a swing axis intersecting the axis of the insertion portion, and the swing angle detecting means detects a swing angle of the ultrasonic transducer about the swing axis and outputs the information. The operator can know which direction the ultrasonic transducer is facing in the body cavity based on the swing angle information, the posture information output by the posture detection unit, and the rotation angle information output by the rotation angle detection unit. it can.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity, wherein the oscillation axis is located on a scanning surface of an ultrasonic beam formed by the ultrasonic transducer. .

In this embodiment, when the ultrasonic transducer is a transducer array, two-dimensional observation is possible by forming an electronic scanning surface by electronic scanning. In the case where the ultrasonic transducer is a single transducer, two-dimensional observation on the scanning surface is possible by mechanical scanning. Furthermore, the scanning surface can be shaken by arranging a swing axis on the electronic scanning surface or the mechanical scanning surface and swinging the ultrasonic transducer at the tip of the insertion portion. Thereby, an ultrasonic echo in a three-dimensional space can be obtained, and three-dimensional observation can be performed. Such 3
Even in the case of performing dimensional observation, it is easy to specify the part to be observed by the posture detecting means, the rotation angle detecting means, and the swing angle detecting means.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity has a posture detecting means for detecting a posture of a grip portion gripped by an operator, and the main body portion includes the grip portion. Is provided with attitude display means for displaying the attitude information.

According to the present invention, the posture information of the grip portion is indicated by numerical values and figures on, for example, a display screen of an ultrasonic tomographic image, from which the operator can recognize the direction of the ultrasonic transducer. it can. In addition, the posture information of the gripper may be displayed as the direction of the ultrasonic transducer or the direction of the scanning surface by illustration or the like. By displaying the posture information in this way, the observation site can be accurately specified in the ultrasonic diagnosis.

In another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity crosses an axis of an insertion portion with posture detecting means for detecting a posture of a grip portion gripped by an operator. An ultrasonic vibrator provided so as to be capable of swinging about a swing axis, and a swing angle detecting means for detecting a swing angle of the ultrasonic vibrator; The apparatus further includes a transducer orientation display means for displaying a direction of the ultrasound transducer in the body cavity based on information and a swing state information of the ultrasound transducer.

According to the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer can swing about a swing axis intersecting the axis of the insertion portion. By these movements, the ultrasonic transducer can change its direction at the tip of the insertion section. Based on the swing angle detected by the swing angle detecting means and the posture of the gripper obtained by the posture detecting means, it is possible to specify how the ultrasonic transducer faces the subject. Since the transducer orientation display means displays the orientation of the ultrasonic transducer, it is possible to perform ultrasonic diagnosis while accurately grasping and specifying the observation site.

Another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity detects posture of a gripper gripped by an operator, and an insertion detector inserted into the body cavity. An ultrasonic vibrator provided rotatably about the axis of the insertion section at the tip of the section, and rotational state detecting means for detecting a rotational state of the ultrasonic vibrator relative to the grip section. And the main body has a transducer orientation display means for displaying the orientation of the ultrasound transducer in the body cavity based on the posture information of the gripper and the rotation state information of the ultrasound transducer. is there.

According to the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer is rotatable about the axis of the insertion portion. By these movements, the ultrasonic transducer can change its direction at the tip of the insertion section. The rotation state of the ultrasonic vibrator refers to a state in which the ultrasonic vibrator is positioned at the tip of the shaft with respect to the insertion portion. The rotation state detection means detects a rotation state relative to the grip. Based on the rotation state and the posture of the gripping portion obtained by the posture detection means, it is possible to specify how the ultrasonic transducer is oriented with respect to the subject. Since the transducer orientation display means displays the orientation of the ultrasonic transducer, it is possible to perform ultrasonic diagnosis while accurately grasping and specifying the observation site.

In another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention, the vibrator azimuth display means displays the ultrasonic tomographic image obtained on the ultrasonic beam scanning surface when viewed from a predetermined viewpoint. It is characterized in that it is converted into an image corresponding to the position of the scanning plane and displayed.

The shape of the scanning area on the scanning plane formed in the three-dimensional space changes according to the viewpoint from which the scanning area is observed. That is, when the viewpoint is fixed at a predetermined position, the shape of the ultrasonic tomographic image obtained on the scanning plane changes according to the direction of the scanning plane by the ultrasonic transducer. According to the present invention, the transducer azimuth display means obtains the orientation of the scanning plane based on the posture information of the grip portion and the rotation state information of the ultrasonic transducer. Then, the ultrasonic tomographic image is converted based on the positional relationship between the direction and the predetermined viewpoint, and an image is generated and displayed as if the ultrasonic tomographic image formed in the three-dimensional space was viewed from the viewpoint. Thereby, the operator can intuitively understand the observation site in the three-dimensional space from the converted ultrasonic tomographic image.

[0026]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to a first embodiment of the present invention. By the way, this ultrasonic probe is a transvaginal probe. The ultrasonic probe 10 includes an insertion portion 12 inserted into a body cavity, and an ultrasonic probe 1 held by an operator outside the body cavity.
The operation is roughly divided into a gripper 14 that performs an operation of “0”. Insertion part 12
Is composed of a vibrator storage section 16 provided at the tip thereof, and a rod section 18 for guiding the vibrator storage section 16 to a desired position in a body cavity. A transducer array 20 is stored in the transducer storage unit 16.
The vibrator unit 20 including “a” is built in. In addition,
The grip portion 14 is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body by a cable 22 pulled out from the rear end.

For example, a convex type transducer array is used as the transducer array 20a. Transducer storage unit 16
Is provided with a swing mechanism 30 for swinging the vibrator unit 20.

The swing mechanism 30 includes a pair of arm members 30 attached to both sides of the vibrator unit 20 in parallel with each other.
a and the arm members 3 while maintaining the parallel state.
A parallel advance / retreat mechanism for mutually reciprocating the forward / backward movement of the pair of arm members 30a includes a connecting arm 30b having both ends rotatably connected to the pair of arm members 30a. The connection arm 30b is rotatably supported at its center about a support axis orthogonal to the central axis (rod axis) of the insertion section 12. By rotating the connecting arm 30b around the support shaft, the parallel advance / retreat operation of the arm member 30a is realized, and the vibrator unit 20 is swung about a swing axis parallel to the support shaft.

In the case of the present embodiment, the operation of the swing mechanism 30 is controlled by the rotation of the rotatable shaft 3 disposed inside the insertion portion 12.
2 is rotated by a motor 36 via a coupling 34. For example, by using a bevel gear for transmitting the rotational driving force between the shaft 32 and the connecting arm 30b, the rotational motion around the rod axis by the motor 36 can be converted into the rotational motion around the support axis.

In FIG. 1, the transducer array 20a forms an electronic scanning surface 40 whose array direction is orthogonal to the paper surface and faces in the front direction in the insertion direction. Vibrator unit 2 described above
With the configuration in which 0 is swung, the electronic scanning surface 40 can be swung in a direction 42 perpendicular to the electronic scanning surface, and the inside of the subject can be three-dimensionally scanned with the ultrasonic beam.

Incidentally, inside the rod portion 18 through which the shaft 32 is inserted, a signal line group 50 (FIG. 1) in which signal lines drawn for each transducer from the transducer array 20a are bundled.
, Only the inside of the gripper 14 is illustrated)
Is also inserted. Therefore, the shaft cover 52 is disposed around the shaft 32, and the shaft 32 and the signal line group 5
Contact with zero is avoided. In addition, the shaft cover 52 is provided with the insertion portion 12 so that the signal line group 50 can be easily inserted.
Is preferably arranged at a position deviated from the center of the axis.

The motor 36 is, for example, a DC servomotor and includes a rotation angle detector for detecting the rotation angle of the shaft 32. The swing angle of the transducer unit 20 can be detected based on the output signal of the rotation angle detector.

The grip 14 is provided with a posture sensor 60 for detecting the posture of the grip 14. Attitude sensor 6
0 can be configured using, for example, a strain gauge element. By detecting the strain of the element due to gravity with the strain gauge element, the grip portion 14 to which the element is attached is detected.
The direction of gravity acting on is detected. This makes it possible to detect the attitude of the gripper 14 based on the direction of gravity. In practical use, the rod axis of the probe 10 is often used in a substantially horizontal posture. Here, in such a case, a case will be described in which the attitude sensor 60 detects the rotation angle of the gripper 14 around the rod axis.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using 0.

The transmission circuit 70 supplies a plurality of channels of transmission pulses to the vibrator array 20a corresponding to the plurality of vibrators constituting the vibrator array 20a. The transmission pulse of each channel is provided with a delay time necessary for forming a transmission beam based on the control of the system controller 72. The multiplexer 74 selects, under the control of the system controller 72, a transducer that forms the transmission / reception aperture among the transducers that constitute the convex transducer array 20a. That is, the transducer selected by the multiplexer 74 is supplied with the transmission pulse from the transmission circuit 70 to form an ultrasonic beam. Multiplexer 7
4, the transmitting / receiving aperture is changed to the vibrator array 2
The ultrasonic beam can be moved along the electronic scanning surface 40 by moving the ultrasonic beam along the transducer plane 0a. This steering angle is referred to as an electronic scanning angle θ.

On the other hand, the receiving system comprises a receiving amplifier circuit 80, A /
It includes a D-converter (analog-to-digital converter) 82, a phasing addition circuit 84, a received signal processing circuit 86, and a display 88.

The receiving amplifier circuit 80 includes a multiplexer 74
The received signal is input from the channel corresponding to the receiving aperture configured by the operation described above, and is amplified. A / D
The converter 82 converts an analog reception signal output from the reception amplification circuit 80 into a digital signal for each channel.

The phasing addition circuit 84 adjusts the phase between the channels using a digital delay device, and then adds the reception signals of the respective channels to each other by the adder to realize the reception focus. Here, the system controller 72 adjusts and controls the delay amount of the digital delay unit for each channel. The phasing addition circuit 84 combines received signals of a plurality of channels by adding them to generate one digital received signal.

The reception signal processing circuit 86 includes the phasing addition circuit 8
Filter processing, logarithmic compression, detection, and the like are performed on the received signal output from 4 to obtain necessary echo information, and further, signal processing such as formation of a B-mode tomographic image is performed. Further, the reception signal processing circuit 86 is provided with a DSC (Di
gital Scan Converter), and also has a function of synthesizing image data. The image data generated by the reception signal processing circuit 86 is displayed on the display 88.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram for explaining an image generating function in the reception signal processing circuit 86. The reception signal processing circuit 86 performs processing such as detection on the reception signal input from the phasing addition circuit 84. The input reception signal is stored in the line memory unit 90 for each ultrasonic beam. The linear-sector conversion unit 92 includes a line memory unit 90
A coordinate conversion and an interpolation process are performed on the received signal data stored in the storage device to generate a fan-shaped (sector-shaped) B-mode tomographic image corresponding to the electronic scanning range.

The affine transformation unit 94 enlarges and enlarges the B-mode tomographic image obtained by the linear-sector transformation unit 92.
It has a function of performing affine transformation such as reduction and rotation.
This function is used to form an image in which an electronic scanning surface in a three-dimensional space described later is seen through from a predetermined line of sight. In the scan converter 96, the B-mode tomographic image generated by the linear-sector converter 92, the affine-converted tomographic image generated by the affine converter 94, and other displays are synthesized on a frame memory. The image data is read out according to the scanning lines of the display 88 and output to the display 88.

The system controller 72 shown in FIG.
For example, the motor 36 is driven in accordance with an instruction given by an operator using an input device such as a key, a mouse, a trackball, or the like on a panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the vibrator array 20a is driven.
Swing around the swing axis.

The system controller 72 controls the motor 36
The amount of rotation of the motor 36 is detected based on the rotation angle detection signal Sη from the rotation angle detector described above, and the swing angle η of the vibrator unit 20 is determined based on this. Further, the system controller 72 obtains the rotation angle φ of the gripper 14 around the rod axis based on the output signal Sφ from the attitude sensor 60.

Here, the reference azimuth of the swing angle η (η = 0 °)
Can be set, for example, in a direction in which the electronic scanning surface 40 is directed straight forward of the ultrasonic probe 10 along the rod axis. The reference azimuth of the rotation angle φ (φ = 0 °) can be defined in two stages. For example, it is possible to define a state in which one direction of the swing axis is directed vertically upward with the rod axis oriented horizontally. For example, the clockwise direction as viewed from the grip portion 14 is defined as the positive direction of φ. be able to. Further, based on the channel number of the transducer of the transducer array 20a,
For example, the direction from the larger channel number to the smaller channel number can be φ = 0 °. The above electronic scanning angle θ
(Θ = 0 °) can be defined as, for example, the central azimuth of the electronic scanning surface 20, that is, the azimuth that coincides with the rod axis in the state of the swing angle η = 0 °. A range with a smaller number can be defined as a positive range of θ, and a range with a larger channel number can be defined as a negative range.

The system controller 72 controls the operation speed, stop, inversion, etc. of the motor 36 based on the information of the detected swing angle η.

The system controller 72 outputs to the reception signal processing circuit 86 information on the detected swing angle η and rotation angle φ, and information on the electronic scanning angle θ set by the control of the multiplexer 74. The reception signal processing circuit 86 performs a process of combining and displaying the angle information with, for example, an ultrasonic tomographic image.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen display of the display 88. The screen display 100 includes a B-mode tomographic image 102 on the left side thereof, and a projection image 1 in a three-dimensional space in which the viewpoint on the transducer storage unit 16 side is viewed from the grasping unit 14 side on the right side.
04 is arranged. The projection image 104 shows an image 106 of the tip of the ultrasound probe 10 and an ultrasound tomographic image 108 formed on the electronic scanning surface formed at the tip.

Here, information on the amplitude of the electronic scanning angle θ is used to generate the B-mode tomographic image 102. Also,
To generate an ultrasonic tomographic image 108 in the projection image 104,
The swing angle η, the rotation angle φ, and the electronic scanning angle θ are used, and the position and shape of the ultrasonic tomographic image 108 change according to these angles. Therefore, the operator determines the position of the electronic scanning plane (the magnitude of the rotation angle φ and the swing angle η) in the subject and the positional relationship of the B-mode tomographic image with respect to the scanning plane (the range of the electronic scanning angle θ).
Can be understood intuitively. In FIG. 4,
The shapes 110 and 112 of the electronic scanning range in which the rotation angle φ and the electronic scanning angle θ are fixed and the swing angle η is changed are indicated by dotted lines.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the screen display of the display 88. The screen display 120 includes a B-mode tomographic image 122 on the left side and a rotation angle φ on the lower right.
(Rotation Angle), swing angle η (Elevation Angle),
Indicators 124, 126, and 128 indicating information of an electronic scanning angle θ (Azimuth Angle) are arranged. The indicator 124 has a reference line 1 indicating a vertical direction (φ = 0 °).
30 and an azimuth indicating line 132 indicating the rotation angle of the gripper 14
Is displayed. In addition, the indicator 126 displays a reference line 134 indicating a reference direction of η (η = 0 °) and a direction indicating line 136 indicating a swing angle. Indicator 128
Represents the entire shape of the scannable range on the electronic scanning surface, and the electronic scanning angle range 138 is displayed therein.
Note that this electronic scanning angle range 138 corresponds to the B-mode tomographic image 12.
It has a shape similar to 2. In addition, numerical display columns 140, 142, and 144 for each angle can be provided alongside each indicator.

[Second Embodiment] In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, a transvaginal probe is exemplified as the ultrasonic probe 200. are doing.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views viewed from directions different from each other by 90 °. Ultrasonic probe 200
Also, a transducer type built in the above is shown in a convex type.

In the present embodiment, in addition to the means for swinging the transducer unit 20 as in the ultrasonic probe 10 of the first embodiment, the transducer unit 20 is further rotated about a rod axis. It has a vibrator rotating means.

The swing unit 210 includes the vibrator unit 2
0 is a means for swinging around a swing axis orthogonal to the rod axis, and corresponds to the means realized by the swing mechanism 30, the shaft 32, the motor 36 and the like in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, the vibrator rotating means has a structure in which a rotatable shaft 212 disposed inside the insertion portion 12 is rotated by the rotating unit 216.
Is configured to include a motor, a rotation angle detector for detecting a rotation angle of the motor, and a coupling interposed between the motor and the shaft 212. The vibrator unit 20 and the swing unit 210 are attached to the tip of the shaft 212. Here, the vibrator unit 20 and the swing unit 21
“0” is configured to rotate around the rod axis together with the shaft 212. Thereby, the electronic scanning surface 4
0 can be rotated about the rod axis.

The relative rotation angle φ _H of the vibrator unit 20 with respect to the grip 14 can be detected based on the output signal Sφ _H of the rotation angle detector built in the rotation unit 216.

On the other hand, as in the first embodiment, the grip 14 is provided with the attitude sensor 60, and the rotation angle φ _G of the grip 14 around the rod axis is equal to the output signal Sφ of the attitude sensor 60. Obtained from _G.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using 00.

The system controller 230 of the present apparatus
It controls various parts of the apparatus such as the multiplexer 74. In particular,
The system controller 230 outputs a drive control signal to the swing unit 210 and the rotation unit 216 in accordance with an instruction given by the operator using an input device such as a key, a mouse, and a trackball on a panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Thereby, the operation of swinging the vibrator array 20a around the swing axis and the rotating operation of the vibrator array 20a about the rod axis with respect to the grip portion 14 are controlled.

The output signal Sη from the rotation angle detector of the swing unit 210 and the output signal S from the rotation angle detector of the rotation unit 216 are transmitted to the system controller 230.
φ _H and an output signal Sφ _G from the attitude sensor 60 are input.

[0061] The system controller 230 detects the amount of rotation of the oscillating unit 210 built-in motor from the output signal Esuita, seeking oscillation angle η of the transducer unit 20 based on this, also the rotary unit from the output signal Esufai _H The rotation amount of the built-in motor 216 is detected, and the rotation angle φ _H around the rod axis relative to the grip portion 14 of the vibrator unit 20 is determined based on the detected rotation amount. Further, the system controller 230
Calculates the rotation angle φ _G of the gripper 14 around the rod axis based on the output signal Sφ _G from the attitude sensor 60.

In the ultrasonic probe 200, the absolute rotation angle φ of the electronic scanning surface 40 around the rod axis is determined by the component φ _H by the rotation unit 216 and the state and operation of the gripper 14 by the operator. person comprising a component phi _G which is caused by rotating this while holding the grip portion 14.

Here, the reference azimuth of the rotation angle φ _G (φ _G = 0
°) can be defined as being the same as the rotation angle φ in the first embodiment. The reference azimuth of the rotation angle φ _H (φ _H = 0 °) is defined to be the same as the rotation angle φ of the first embodiment, for example, in a state where the rod axis is oriented horizontally and φ _G = 0 °. be able to. Note that the same definition as in the first embodiment can be adopted for the swing angle η and the electronic scanning angle θ.

The system controller 230 outputs information on the detected swing angle η, rotation angles φ _G and φ _H , and information on the electronic scanning angle θ set by the control of the multiplexer 74 to the reception signal processing circuit 86. . Received signal processing circuit 86
Then, a process of combining and displaying these angle information with an ultrasonic tomographic image is performed. For example, the reception signal processing circuit 86 performs screen display as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 similar to the first embodiment, and allows the operator to view the direction of the electronic scanning surface (that is, which part of the subject is observed. ) Can be easily understood.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing other examples of display forms of the rotation angle information of the electronic scanning surface 40 based on φ _G and φ _H. FIG. 8 is an example in which indicators 250 and 252 are displayed for φ _G and φ _H , respectively. The indicator 250 has a reference line 26 indicating the vertical direction (φ _G = 0 °).
0 and an azimuth indicating line 262 indicating the rotation angle of the gripper 14 are displayed. The indicator 252 has a direction indication line 26
Reference line 26 indicating the reference direction of gripper 14 corresponding to 2
4 and an azimuth indicating line 266 indicating the relative rotation angle with respect to the gripper 14 are displayed. The combined rotation angle φ (≡φ _G + φ _H ) of these φ _G and φ _H is displayed in a numerical value display column 268.

FIG. 9 shows that φ _G and φ _{H correspond} to one indicator 2.
This is an example of display at 70. In the indicator 270, the vertical direction (φ _G = 0 °) is set to the vertical direction of the indicator, and the azimuth indicating line 27 indicating the rotation angle φ _G of the grip portion 14 is set.
2 is indicated by a dotted line at a position rotated by an angle φ _G from the vertical direction. Also the position rotated by an angle phi _H from the azimuth indication line 272, azimuth indication line 274 indicating the rotational position of the electronic scan plane 40 is displayed. On the indicator 270, the rotation angle of the azimuth indicating line 274 from the vertical direction indicates the combined rotation angle φ.

When the ultrasonic tomographic image data recorded in the recording device is observed off-line, the posture of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the subject is conventionally unknown.
It was difficult to understand which part was being observed. To solve such a problem, the ultrasonic probe 200 and the first
The configuration in which the angle information obtained from the ultrasonic probe 10 according to the embodiment is recorded in the recording device in association with the ultrasonic tomographic image data is extremely effective.

Although the ultrasonic transducer incorporated in the ultrasonic probe 10 is the transducer array 20a, the ultrasonic transducer is a single transducer whose direction can be changed at the tip. Can also be configured. In particular, the scanning surface can be formed by mechanical scanning of a single transducer instead of electronic scanning by the transducer array 20a.

[0069]

According to the ultrasonic probe for body cavity of the present invention, the posture of the grip portion is detected by providing the posture detecting means, and the direction of the ultrasonic beam and the position of the scanning plane can be determined by the operator. Can be grasped. In particular, even if the operator rotates and holds the grip, the rotation angle can be detected. In addition, when the ultrasonic transducer is rotated relative to the grip portion, the rotation angle and the swing angle are detected. In this case, too, the direction of the ultrasonic beam and the position of the scanning surface are determined by the operator. Can be grasped. This makes it easy for the operator to understand which part of the subject is being observed.

According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the angle information such as the rotation angle output from the intracavity ultrasonic probe can be presented to the operator by numerical values or graphical indicators. The user can easily recognize the direction of the ultrasonic beam and the position of the scanning surface, and the operability of the apparatus is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an image generation function in a reception signal processing circuit.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a screen display of a display device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the screen display of the display device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rotation angle display on a display.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the display of the rotation angle on the display.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a conventional ultrasonic probe for a body cavity.

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a distal end portion of a conventional ultrasonic probe for a body cavity.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ultrasonic probe, 12 insertion part, 14 grip part, 1
6 vibrator storage section, 18 rod section, 20 vibrator unit, 20a vibrator array, 30 swing mechanism, 32
Shaft, 36 motor, 40 electronic scanning surface, 60 attitude sensor, 72, 230 system controller, 74
Multiplexer, 84 phasing addition circuit, 86 reception signal processing circuit, 88 display, 92 linear-sector conversion section, 94 affine conversion section, 96 scan converter section, 124, 126, 128 indicator, 210
Swing unit, 216 rotation unit.

Claims (10)

[Claims] An ultrasonic transducer is provided at a distal end, and an insertion portion is inserted into a body cavity, a grip portion that is gripped by an operator outside the body cavity to support the insertion portion, and a posture of the grip portion. An ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity, comprising: posture detecting means for detecting. 2. An insertion section which is provided with an ultrasonic vibrator at a distal end thereof and is inserted into a body cavity, a holding section which is held by an operator outside the body cavity to support the insertion section, and a posture of the holding section. Attitude detecting means for detecting, vibrator rotating means for rotating the ultrasonic vibrator around the axis of the insertion portion relative to the grip portion, and detecting vibrator rotation angle by the vibrator rotating means An ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity, comprising: 3. The ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to claim 1, wherein the posture detecting unit detects a rotation angle of the grip unit around an axis of the insertion unit. An ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity, characterized in that: 4. The ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to claim 1, wherein said posture detecting means includes a gravity sensor attached to said grip portion. Ultrasonic probe for body cavity. 5. The ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is oscillated about an oscillating axis intersecting an axis of the insertion portion. And an oscillating angle detecting means for detecting an oscillating angle of the ultrasonic vibrator. 6. The ultrasonic probe for a body cavity according to claim 5, wherein the oscillation axis is on a scanning surface of an ultrasonic beam formed by the ultrasonic transducer. Internal ultrasonic probe. 7. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity and a main body for displaying an output of the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity, wherein the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity is An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising: posture detecting means for detecting a posture of a grasping portion grasped by an operator; and the main body portion includes posture displaying means for displaying posture information of the grasping portion. . 8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe for a body cavity and a main body for displaying an output of the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity, wherein the ultrasonic probe for a body cavity is An attitude detecting means for detecting an attitude of a gripping portion gripped by an operator; an ultrasonic vibrator provided to be swingable about a swing axis intersecting an axis of the insertion portion; and the ultrasonic vibrator. And a swing angle detecting unit that detects a swing angle of the body portion, wherein the main body portion is configured to move in the body cavity based on posture information of the grip portion and swing state information of the ultrasonic vibrator. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: transducer direction display means for displaying the direction of an ultrasonic transducer. 9. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe for body cavity and a main body for displaying an output of the ultrasonic probe for body cavity, wherein the ultrasonic probe for body cavity is An attitude detecting means for detecting an attitude of a gripping portion gripped by an operator; and an ultrasonic vibrator provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion inserted into a body cavity so as to be rotatable about an axis of the insertion portion. And a rotation state detecting means for detecting a rotation state of the ultrasonic transducer relative to the grip part, wherein the main body part has posture information of the grip part and a rotation state of the ultrasonic transducer. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: transducer direction display means for displaying the direction of the ultrasonic transducer in the body cavity based on information. 10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said transducer orientation display means looks at an ultrasonic tomographic image obtained on a scanning surface of an ultrasonic beam from a predetermined viewpoint. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that converts the image into an image corresponding to the position of the scanning plane when the image is displayed and displays the image.