JP2005168885A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe which enables a user to easily identifies the machine kind of the ultrasonic probe even in the case of usage in a dark place and provides excellent operability. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe exchanges ultrasonic wave with the inside of the body of a subject and transmits a reception signal to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, wherein at least a part of a housing to surround a piezoelectric element for exchanging the ultrasonic wave is constituted of a phosphorescene material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe used for ultrasonic diagnosis, and more particularly to an ultrasonic probe that can easily recognize the type of ultrasonic probe even in use in a dark place. Is.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus generally has a configuration in which an ultrasonic probe is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body via a cable, and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a living body using the ultrasonic probe. The obtained in vivo information is displayed as an image on the monitor of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. In diagnosis using such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, diagnosis is often performed in a dark place so that a diagnostic image displayed on a monitor can be seen more clearly. However, in the dark place, the visibility of the operation panel of the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the operation element (keyboard) provided with the operation panel is lowered, and there is a problem that erroneous operation is likely to occur. As a solution to this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses that the operation panel and the operation element are made of a luminous material, thereby improving the visibility in these dark places and improving the operability with respect to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. A method of improvement has been proposed.

In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, generally, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received while scanning a piezoelectric element built in an ultrasonic probe. In order to realize an accurate diagnosis, an obtained diagnostic image is used. It is important to understand the correlation between the probe and the scanning direction of the ultrasonic probe. In Patent Document 2, a groove indicating the scanning direction is formed on the surface of the ultrasonic probe to facilitate the understanding of the correlation between the image and the scanning direction of the ultrasonic probe. A configuration has been proposed in which diagnosis can be performed while recognizing the operation direction.
JP-A-10-201759 JP 2001-286476 A

  In ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, in order to improve diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, multiple types of ultrasonic probes are connected to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, depending on the size and position of the test object during diagnosis. In some cases, an optimal ultrasonic probe is selected and used. In such a case, under illumination, by visually recognizing the appearance of the ultrasound probe, the model can be identified and the optimum ultrasound probe can be selected. However, in the above-described diagnosis in a dark place, there is a problem that it is difficult to identify the model because it is difficult to visually recognize the external shape of the ultrasonic probe. For such problems, conventionally, a method of visually recognizing the appearance of the ultrasonic probe by using auxiliary light provided in the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or display light of the monitor has been adopted. . However, the ultrasonic probe is often used at a location away from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and in that case, since the ultrasonic probe receives less light, it is difficult to visually recognize the external shape. .

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic probe that can easily identify the type of ultrasonic probe and can realize excellent operability even when used in a dark place.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a subject's body and transmits the received signals to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. A piezoelectric element that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; and a housing that surrounds the piezoelectric element, wherein at least a part of the housing has a phosphorescent property.

  According to the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, at least a part of the housing of the ultrasonic probe emits light even when used in a dark place, so that the appearance of the ultrasonic probe can be visually confirmed. . Therefore, even when a plurality of types of ultrasonic probes are prepared, it is easy to select an ultrasonic probe, and it is possible to efficiently perform an ultrasonic diagnosis operation.

  In the above-described ultrasonic probe of the present invention, the portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing can be formed of a resin molded body containing a phosphorescent material. In this case, the main body of the housing itself can be made of a material having a luminous property. Moreover, the part which has the luminous property of a housing can also be comprised by forming the coating film containing a luminous material on the surface of a housing main body.

  In the ultrasonic probe, it is preferable that an identification mark for identifying a model of the ultrasonic probe is formed on the surface of the housing. In this case, it is also possible to form the identification mark with a material having a phosphorescent property and to function as a portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing.

  In the ultrasonic probe, it is preferable that a portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing emits afterglow of a plurality of colors.

  In the ultrasonic probe, it is preferable that a concave or convex portion is formed on the surface of the housing, and the concave or convex portion indicates an ultrasonic scanning direction.

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

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention. The ultrasonic probe includes a probe main body 1 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from a living body, a cable 2 that extends from the probe main body 1, and a connector 3 that is provided at an end of the cable 2. It has. The ultrasonic probe is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body by a connector 3, and signals are exchanged between the probe main body 1 and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body via the connector 3 and the cable 2. .

  In the probe main body 1, a piezoelectric element unit (which will be described in detail later) that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is built in a housing 11 that is a housing. The housing 11 includes a head portion including an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface, and a grip portion that follows the head portion, and the cable 2 is drawn from an end portion of the grip portion. An acoustic lens 14 is disposed on the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface of the probe body 1.

  In the present invention, as described above, at least a part of the housing 11 has a luminous property. This phosphorescent part is placed in a bright place when the light energy supply is cut off by absorbing external light energy such as illumination light or sunlight (ie, in a dark place). ) Also shows light emission as afterglow.

  As one form of such a housing 11, the form in which at least one part was comprised with the molded object of the resin containing a luminous material is mentioned. Such a housing 11 can be formed, for example, by adding a phosphorescent material to a resin and kneading and molding the resin by a method such as compression molding or injection molding.

  The resin used as the main material is not particularly limited, and various thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins can be used. Examples include acrylic resins, polyester resins, epoxy resins, phenol resins, polyolefin resins such as polypropylene, and polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate. Moreover, it is preferable that this resin has transparency so that the luminous material to be added can sufficiently absorb and emit light.

The phosphorescent material is not particularly limited, and any material having phosphorescent properties such as a sulfide-based phosphorescent material and an oxide-based phosphorescent material can be used. Examples of the sulfide-based phosphorescent material include zinc sulfide and calcium sulfide-based phosphorescent material to which copper or bismuth is added as an activator. Specific examples thereof include ZnS · Cu, ZnCdS · Cu, CaS · Bi, CaS · CaSrS. -A compound such as Bi is used. As the oxide-based phosphorescent material, a rare earth alkaline earth aluminate phosphorescent material with added can be mentioned as an activator, and specific examples _{thereof, SrAl 2 O 4: Eu,} Dy, CaAl 2 O 4: Eu, Nd, etc. are mentioned.

  Note that the afterglow color of the phosphorescent material is not particularly limited. For example, a plurality of types of phosphorescent materials may be used to emit afterglow of a plurality of colors. Further, the intensity and duration of afterglow are not particularly limited.

  In addition, content of the luminous material in such a resin molding is although it does not specifically limit, For example, it is 0.05 to 30 weight%, Preferably it is 2 to 5 weight%.

  In this embodiment, the housing 11 may be entirely composed of a resin containing a phosphorescent material, but only a part thereof may be composed of a resin containing a phosphorescent material. As such a structure, for example, a housing body is molded with a resin that does not contain a phosphorescent material, a concave portion is provided on the surface, and a resin part containing the phosphorescent material is fitted in the concave portion, A structure in which a resin layer containing a phosphorescent material is laminated on the surface, or a housing body is molded from a resin containing a phosphorescent material, and the surface does not contain a phosphorescent material. Examples include a structure in which layers are stacked.

  Another form of the housing 11 includes a form in which a paint containing a phosphorescent material is applied to at least a part thereof. As the paint, a mixture of the same phosphorescent material as described above, an organic vehicle and a solvent can be used. Furthermore, the coating material may contain a hardening | curing agent etc. suitably. Also in this case, the content of the phosphorescent material in the formed coating film is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.05 to 30% by weight, preferably 1 to 5% by weight. In addition, as a material which comprises a housing main body, the resin similar to the above can be used.

  Also in this embodiment, a coating film containing a phosphorescent material may be formed on the entire surface of the housing main body, but a coating film can be formed only on a part thereof.

  In this embodiment, it is preferable to form a translucent protective film on the coating film in order to suppress the abrasion of the coating film. The material of such a protective film is not particularly limited, and for example, a resin similar to that exemplified as the constituent material of the housing can be used. Moreover, as the formation method, the method of sticking as a sheet | seat or a film, the method of apply | coating as a coating material etc. are employable, for example.

  An identification mark 12 for identifying the type of probe is provided on the surface of the housing 11. The identification mark 12 is composed of, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, patterns, and combinations thereof. The identification mark 12 is preferably formed on a partial surface of the housing 11 having a phosphorescent property in order to improve visibility in a dark place. Such an identification mark 12 can be formed by a method such as printing.

  Further, the identification mark 12 itself can be made of a material containing a phosphorescent material. In this case, the identification mark 12 functions as a portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing 11 as described above. That is, when the identification mark 12 is made of a material containing a phosphorescent material, it is not necessary to provide a separate portion having a phosphorescent property in the housing 11. Also in this case, it is possible to use a plurality of types of phosphorescent materials to emit a plurality of colors of afterglow.

  Examples of a method for forming such an identification mark 12 include a method of applying a paint containing a phosphorescent material on the surface of the housing 11 and a method of printing with ink containing a phosphorescent material. It is also possible to employ a method in which a recess having the shape of the identification mark 12 is provided on the surface of the housing 11 and a resin part including a phosphorescent material is fitted into the recess.

  When the identification mark 12 is formed by printing or coating, it is preferable to form a translucent protective film on the identification mark 12 in order to suppress wear and the like. The material and forming method of such a protective film are the same as those described above for forming on a coating film containing a phosphorescent material.

  Further, the housing 11 is formed with a convex portion 13 for allowing the operator to recognize the ultrasonic scanning direction of the probe. Such a convex portion 13 is provided in the grip portion of the housing 11, and due to the presence of the convex portion 13, the shape of the grip portion is asymmetric with respect to the central axis (axis perpendicular to the transmission / reception surface). It is comprised so that. According to such a configuration, since the grip portion has an asymmetric shape with respect to the central axis, the operator senses how the probe is gripped when gripping the grip portion. It is possible to judge by. If the direction of the probe can be determined, the ultrasonic scanning direction can also be determined. It goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained by forming a concave portion instead of the convex portion 13.

  Next, an example of the configuration inside the housing 11 of the probe body 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of the probe body 1. As described above, the probe main body 1 includes the piezoelectric element unit 10 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves and the housing 11 that surrounds the piezoelectric element unit 10.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the piezoelectric element unit 10. The piezoelectric element unit 10 includes a piezoelectric element 20 and a signal board 18 and a ground board 17 electrically connected thereto. As the piezoelectric element 20, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic such as barium titanate is used, and a signal electrode 16 and a ground electrode 15 are formed on the front and back surfaces, respectively. The signal board 18 and the ground board 17 are electrically connected to the signal electrode 16 and the ground electrode 15, respectively. Further, an acoustic matching layer 23 for efficiently transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and an acoustic lens 14 for converging the ultrasonic waves and increasing the resolution of the in-vivo region of interest are provided on the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface of the piezoelectric element 20. It has been. A backing layer 19 for absorbing ultrasonic waves is disposed on the back surface (the surface opposite to the transmitting / receiving surface) of the piezoelectric element 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a cable substrate 22 is built in the housing 11. The cable substrate 22 is connected to the signal substrate 18 and the ground substrate 17 of the piezoelectric element unit 10 via the connector 21 and is electrically connected to the signal line of the cable 2. Thereby, electrical connection between the piezoelectric element unit 10 and the cable 2 is achieved.

  Next, the operation method and operation of the ultrasonic probe will be described. First, the connector 3 of the ultrasonic probe is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body. An operator grasps the probe main body 1 and brings it into contact with the living body surface to be inspected. Then, an electrical signal (transmission signal) is transmitted from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body to the piezoelectric element unit 10 of the probe body 1 via the cable 2. In the piezoelectric element unit 10, the electrical signal is converted into an ultrasonic signal by the piezoelectric element 20, and this is transmitted to the living body. The ultrasonic signal transmitted to the living body is reflected by a test object (for example, an organ, a blood vessel, etc.) in the living body. The reflected wave is received by the piezoelectric element 20, converted into an electric signal (received signal), and transmitted to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. The received signal is subjected to signal processing in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, and a diagnostic image is constructed. By performing this operation while scanning the ultrasonic wave in the piezoelectric element 20, two-dimensional information of the test object can be obtained.

  In the ultrasonic diagnosis by the above operation, there are cases where a plurality of types of ultrasonic probes are connected to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and an optimal model is selected and used as needed. In this case, the operator needs to select one ultrasonic probe from a plurality of types.

  In a bright place, the model can be identified by visually recognizing the external shape of the ultrasound probe, and the ultrasound probe can be easily selected based on the identification. In particular, when an identification mark is attached to the surface of the housing of the probe, it is possible to select a desired model more reliably.

  On the other hand, in the dark place, at least a part of the housing of the ultrasound probe emits light, so that the light is used to identify the model and easily based on the identification. Can be selected. In particular, when the entire probe is made of a phosphorescent material or an identification mark is attached to the surface of the probe housing, a desired model can be selected more reliably. In addition, since this light emission is realized by a phosphorescent material, it is not necessary to provide a light emission mechanism separately in the probe, so that it is possible to avoid an increase in the weight or an increase in size of the probe. is there.

  In the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, since at least a part of the housing has a phosphorescent property, even when used in a dark place, the model of the ultrasonic probe can be visually recognized by light emission of at least a part of the housing. Therefore, it is easy to select a probe when a plurality of types of ultrasonic probes are prepared, and it is possible to efficiently carry out the ultrasonic diagnostic work. Therefore, it is effective for application to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus utilized in various medical fields.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the probe main body which comprises the said ultrasonic probe. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the piezoelectric element unit which comprises the said ultrasonic probe.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe main body 2 Cable 3 Connector 10 Piezoelectric element unit 11 Housing 12 Identification mark 13 Convex part 14 Acoustic lens 15 Ground electrode 16 Signal electrode 17 Ground board 18 Signal board 19 Backing layer 20 Piezoelectric element 21 Connector 22 Cable board 23 Acoustic matching layer

Claims (7)

An ultrasonic probe for transmitting / receiving ultrasonic waves to / from the subject's body and transmitting the received signal to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body,
An ultrasonic probe comprising: a piezoelectric element that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; and a housing that surrounds the piezoelectric element, wherein at least a part of the housing has a phosphorescent property. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing is a resin molded body containing a phosphorescent material. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the portion having a phosphorescent property of the housing is a portion in which a coating film containing a phosphorescent material is formed on the surface of the housing. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein an identification mark for identifying a model of the ultrasonic probe is formed on the surface of the housing. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein a portion having a phosphorescent property of the housing functions as the identification mark. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the portion having the phosphorescent property of the housing emits afterglow of a plurality of colors. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion or a convex portion is formed on the surface of the housing, and the concave portion or the convex portion indicates an ultrasonic scanning direction.

Images