JP2005334187A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic probe capable of curving and guiding a puncture needle with small burdens on a patient. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic probe comprises a curved pipe (202) having attaching tools (204) at both ends, and an ultrasonic probe main body (100) whose one end part is turned to an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception part (122), the other end part is turned to a holding part (104) and middle part is turned to a bar-shaped part (102) having a groove (150) in a longitudinal direction into which the curved part can be sunk in the state of attaching the pipe. The bar-shaped part has such thickness that it can be inserted to the rectum. The pipe is made of metal such as stainless steel. The ultrasonic probe main body is made of plastics. The transmission / reception part has ultrasonic transducers (132, 134). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe, and more particularly, to an ultrasound probe that is inserted into a body cavity such as a rectum to perform ultrasound diagnosis and puncture.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a transrectal ultrasonic probe is used when performing an ultrasonic diagnosis from the inside of the rectum. This probe has a rod-like portion that can be inserted into the rectum, and has an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit at its tip. This type of ultrasonic probe can be attached with an attachment for guiding a puncture needle so that the affected part can be punctured in parallel with ultrasonic diagnosis. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-300566 A (page 3-4, FIG. 1-5)

  Depending on the position of the affected area, the puncture needle may need to be curved and guided, and in such a case, an attachment with a curved guide path is used. To do.

  Thus, an object of the present invention is to realize an ultrasonic probe with a small patient burden that can be guided by bending a puncture needle.

  In the present invention for solving the above-described problems, one end is an ultrasonic transmission / reception part, the other end is a grip part, and the middle part is a rod-like part having a longitudinal groove. This is an ultrasonic probe.

It is preferable from the viewpoint that the puncture needle can be curved and guided so as to be provided with a tube that is attached to both ends of the rod-shaped portion and curved in such a way that the middle part sinks into the groove.
The rod-shaped part is preferably thick enough to be inserted into the rectum from the viewpoint of performing transrectal ultrasonic diagnosis and puncture.

  It is good that the surface of the rod-shaped part is made of plastic. It is preferable that the fitting and the tube are made of metal from the viewpoint of appropriately guiding the puncture needle. It is good chemical stability that the metal is stainless steel.

  It is preferable that the transmission / reception unit has an ultrasonic transducer in terms of electrically controlling transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves. It is preferable that the ultrasonic transducer is an array of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers in terms of performing an ultrasonic scan by an electronic scan method. The array is preferably two arrays in which the ultrasonic scanning planes intersect each other, from the viewpoint of diagnosing two cross sections intersecting each other with respect to the same affected area.

  According to the present invention, since the ultrasonic probe has an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving part at one end, a grip part at the other end, and a rod-like part having a longitudinal groove in the middle. An ultrasonic probe with a small patient burden that can be guided by bending the puncture needle can be realized.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the best mode for carrying out the invention. FIG. 1-3 shows the configuration of the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic probe is an example of the best mode for carrying out the invention. An example of the best mode for carrying out the present invention relating to an ultrasonic probe is shown by the configuration of the present probe.

  As shown in the figure, this probe is constituted by a combination of an ultrasonic probe main body 100 and a puncture needle guide 200. The puncture needle guide 200 is detachable from the ultrasonic probe main body 100. FIG. 1 shows a state where both are combined, FIG. 2 shows a state where the ultrasonic probe main body 100 is single, and FIG. 3 shows a state where the puncture needle guide 200 is single. (B) of each figure is AA sectional drawing in each. The ultrasonic probe main body 100 is an example of the ultrasonic probe main body in the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ultrasonic probe main body 100 has a substantially rod-like outer shape bent in a dogleg shape. An enclosure of the ultrasonic probe main body 100 is integrally formed of, for example, a plastic material. For this reason, the enclosure has a smooth surface and is convenient for insertion into a body cavity. An internal unit (unit) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves including an ultrasonic transducer array is accommodated inside the enclosure.

  One side of the dogleg structure is a body cavity insertion portion 102. The body cavity insertion portion 102 is an example of a rod-shaped portion in the present invention. The body cavity insertion portion 102 is a thin rod body having an appropriate length that is thin enough to be inserted into a body cavity such as a rectum. The rod has a diameter of, for example, about 15 mm and a length of, for example, about 200 mm. The distal end of the body cavity insertion portion 102 is an ultrasonic transmission / reception end 122. The transmission / reception end 122 is an example of a transmission / reception unit in the present invention.

  Two wavelength acoustic wave transducer arrays 132 and 134 are provided inside the transmission / reception end 122. The wavelength acoustic wave transducer array is constituted by a one-dimensional array of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers. With these arrays, the two cross-sections 142 and 144 are respectively scanned by an ultrasonic beam. The scanning of the ultrasonic beam is electrically controlled by an electronic scanning method. By scanning two cross sections, images of different cross sections can be obtained for the same affected part.

  A grip 104 is provided on the other side of the dogleg structure. The grip portion 104 has an appropriate thickness so as to be convenient when grasped by the user. The grip portion 104 is an example of a grip portion in the present invention. A signal cable 412 is provided at the rear end of the grip portion 104. By this signal cable 412, the ultrasonic probe main body 100 is connected to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the puncture needle guide 200 includes a pipe 202 and attachments 204 provided at both ends thereof. The pipe 202 and the fixture 204 are made of metal. As the metal material, stainless steel or the like is used. As a result, the puncture needle guide 200 can appropriately guide the metal puncture needle and is chemically stable.

  The inner diameter of the pipe 202 is such that a puncture needle can pass through. That is, the inner diameter of the pipe 202 is about 2 mm, for example, and the outer diameter is about 2.5 mm. Each of the fixtures 204 at both ends has an opening for entering and exiting the puncture needle on the upper surface thereof. The distance between the openings is, for example, about 150 mm. The pipe 202 is an example of a pipe in the present invention. The fixture 204 is an example of a fixture in the present invention.

  The pipe 202 is curved in a generally arc shape. Corresponding to the pipe 202 curved in this way, a groove 150 is provided in the body cavity insertion portion 102 of the ultrasonic probe main body 100. The groove 150 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the body cavity insertion portion 102. The groove 150 has a width of, for example, about 3 mm, and the depth is, for example, about 10 mm at the deepest position.

  Even if such a groove is provided, it is sufficiently possible to secure a space through which the signal lines for the ultrasonic transducer arrays 132 and 134 pass inside the body cavity insertion portion 102. For example, a flexible printed circuit board or the like is used as the signal line.

  The puncture needle guide 200 is attached to the ultrasonic probe main body 100 by sinking the curved portion of the pipe 202 into the groove 150 and sandwiching the side surfaces of the body cavity insertion portion 102 from both sides with the attachments 204 at both ends.

  In this manner, the puncture guide 200 is attached to the ultrasonic probe main body 100 with the curved pipe 202 submerged in the groove 150 of the body cavity insertion portion 102, so that although the pipe 202 is curved, Almost no increase in height due to mounting. Therefore, even if this is inserted, the burden on the patient is not particularly increased.

  By inserting the puncture needle through the pipe 202 with such a device inserted into a body cavity such as the rectum, the puncture needle 300 is bent along the curve of the pipe 202 as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. The affected part can be punctured.

It is a figure which shows an example ultrasonic probe of the best form for implementing this invention. It is a figure which shows an ultrasonic probe main body. It is a figure which shows a puncture needle guide.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Ultrasonic probe main body 102 Body cavity insertion part 122 Transmission / reception end 132,134 Ultrasonic transducer array 104 Grip part 412 Signal cable 200 Puncture needle guide 202 Pipe 204 Fixture 300 Puncture needle

Claims (9)

  An ultrasonic probe characterized in that one end portion is an ultrasonic transmission / reception portion, the other end portion is a grip portion, and a halfway portion is a rod-like portion having a longitudinal groove. A pipe which has a fitting to the rod-like part at both ends and is curved so that the middle sinks into the groove in the attached state;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, comprising: The rod-shaped part is thick enough to be inserted into the rectum,
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. The rod-shaped part is made of plastic;
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The tube and its fitting are made of metal,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The metal is stainless steel;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5. The transmitting / receiving unit has an ultrasonic transducer,
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ultrasonic probe is characterized in that: The ultrasonic transducer is an array of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7. The arrays are two arrays in which ultrasonic scanning planes intersect each other.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8.

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