JP2575395B2 - Antenna device for NMR measurement - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to the use of a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope to introduce an antenna coil transendoscopically into a body to perform NMR measurement in the body. The present invention relates to a possible NMR measurement antenna device.

[Problems to be Solved by the Related Art and the Invention] Conventionally, in the detection and diagnosis of epidermal cancer or the like occurring on the inner surface of the digestive tract of the human body, particularly on the upper layer of the stomach wall, the site of occurrence is determined by endoscope or X-ray photography In general, a method of detecting a malignancy and diagnosing malignancy by collecting a living tissue at the site has been common.
However, in such a conventional method, since the sampling site is relatively wide, it is not possible to make an immediate diagnosis, and the labor for collecting the living tissue is great, and furthermore, the human body is damaged. There was a problem that it would.

On the other hand, in recent years, non-invasive methods for diagnosing the human body using the nuclear magnetic resonance (hereinafter, referred to as NMR) phenomenon have been developed. For example, in an NMR imaging apparatus using the NMR phenomenon, a human body is placed in a magnetic field, a high frequency of a predetermined frequency is applied, a nucleus having a spin in the human body is excited, and a NMR of a predetermined frequency from the excited nucleus is excited. A tomographic image is obtained by detecting the signal and processing it by a computer.
The tomographic image obtained by this NMR imaging device is
It is extremely useful for diagnosis of cancer and the like. That is, it is generally known that NMR signals obtained from cancer cells and normal cells have different relaxation times. By measuring the relaxation times, it is possible to diagnose whether or not the cancer is present.

However, the NMR imaging apparatus has to process a huge amount of NMR signals in order to obtain a tomographic image. Therefore, a high-speed and large-capacity computer is required, and the whole apparatus becomes large and expensive.

In addition, conventionally, when an abnormal part is visually found during endoscopic observation, there is a demand to determine to some extent whether or not the abnormal part is, for example, a malignant one. On the other hand, the NMR imaging apparatus is expensive and large, and has a problem that it is difficult to associate a visually recognized portion with a tomographic image.

To cope with this, for example, as shown in JP-A-59-88140, an NMR in which a high-frequency coil for forming a high-frequency magnetic field and detecting an NMR signal is provided at the distal end of the endoscope insertion portion. Endoscopes have been proposed. According to this NMR endoscope, by pressing the high-frequency coil against an abnormal site and detecting an NMR signal of the abnormal site, a physiological change of the abnormal site, for example, detection or diagnosis of whether or not cancer is possible becomes possible. .

By the way, the lesion in the body cavity is endoscopically
When performing the NMR measurement by inserting the high-frequency antenna coil into the body cavity of the subject through the treatment tool channel of the endoscope, the high-frequency antenna coil is pressed against a target site in the body cavity, for example, for several tens of seconds to several minutes. Without it, accurate measurements cannot be made. However, conventionally, it has been difficult to fix the high-frequency antenna coil to a target portion by operating an endoscope.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has been made for NMR measurement in which an antenna coil can be easily fixed to a target site in a body cavity using a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope. It is intended to provide an antenna device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] An NMR measurement antenna device according to the present invention is an NMR measurement antenna device inserted into a body cavity through a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope, and is inserted into the treatment instrument channel. A suction tube capable of protruding a suction port from an outer surface of the endoscope, and an antenna coil disposed near the suction port are provided.

[Operation] In the present invention, the target site in the body cavity is sucked by the protrudable suction tube, so that the antenna coil arranged near the suction port of the protrudable suction tube is fixed to the target site in the body cavity. Is done.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tip portion of an NMR measurement antenna device.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an endoscope apparatus, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a use state of an antenna apparatus for NMR measurement, and FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the NMR measurement antenna device 20 of the present embodiment is inserted into the treatment instrument channel 2 of the direct-view type endoscope 1, for example, and is inserted into the body cavity 4 of the subject 3. It has become so.

The endoscope 1 has an elongated, for example, flexible insertion section 5, and a large-diameter operation section 6 is connected to the rear end of the insertion section 5. An eyepiece 7 is connected to the rear end of the operation unit 6,
A flexible universal cord 8 extends laterally from the operation unit 6. The universal code 8
A connector 9 is provided at the tip of the connector 9.
Are connected to the light source device 10. Also,
The operation section 6 is provided with an insertion port 11 communicating with the treatment instrument channel 2.

An unillustrated image guide made of, for example, a fiber bundle is inserted into the insertion section 5. The distal end surface of the image guide is arranged at an image forming position of an objective lens system (not shown) provided at the distal end of the insertion section 5. Then, the subject image formed by the objective lens system is transferred to the eyepiece 7 by the image guide.
Side, and is observed from this eyepiece 7. Further, the insertion portion 5 and the universal cord 8
A light guide (not shown) is inserted into the inside, and by this light guide, illumination light from the light source device 10 connected via the connector 9 is transmitted to the distal end portion of the insertion portion 5, and the light guide emits light. The light is emitted from the end and irradiates the subject through a light distribution lens (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the NMR measurement antenna device 20 of the present embodiment has, for example, a suction tube 21 which has flexibility and is inserted into the treatment instrument channel 2. . The distal end of the suction tube 21 is enlarged in a funnel shape, and the opening at the distal end of the funnel-shaped portion 22 is a suction port 23. Slightly in front of the suction port 23, for example, a single-turn loop-shaped antenna coil 25 for NMR measurement centered on the axial direction of the suction tube 21 is provided. The loop of the antenna coil 25 is formed slightly larger than the suction port 23, and is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the suction port 23. Both ends of the antenna coil 25 are bent rearward and in the direction of the central axis, and as shown in FIG.
Is connected to a cable 26 embedded in the suction tube 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the base side of the cable 26 is connected to an NMR transmission / reception circuit 31, and the base side of the suction tube 21 is connected to a suction device 32. Then, as shown in FIG.
The suction port 23 of the suction tube 21 faces the measurement target portion 30 in the body cavity 4, and is suctioned by the suction device 32 so that the suction port 23 is adsorbed to the measurement target portion 30. Further, the suction port 23 is used for the measurement target portion 30.
Thus, the antenna coil 25 disposed slightly in front of the suction port 23 is tightly fixed to the measurement target portion 30.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, the antenna device 20 is designed to be used in combination with an NMR device 15 arranged so as to surround the subject 3. This NMR apparatus 15
A means for generating a static magnetic field such as a permanent magnet, a normal magnet, or a superconducting magnet is provided.

Further, the NMR measurement means including the antenna coil 25,
For example, it is configured as shown in FIG.

That is, the high frequency corresponding to the nuclide to be measured is NM
The high-frequency signal is output from a high-frequency generator 35 in the R transmitting / receiving circuit 31, and this high-frequency
25, and a high-frequency signal is transmitted from the antenna coil 25 to the living body. The capacitor section
36 is a capacitor C1 in parallel with the antenna coil 25,
A capacitor C2 in series with the antenna coil 25,
These form a matching circuit that performs impedance matching between the antenna coil 25 side and the NMR transmitting / receiving circuit 31 side.

In the present embodiment, the antenna coil 25 performs both transmission and reception, and an NMR signal from a living body is received by the antenna coil 25, and the NMR signal is transmitted through the capacitor unit 36 to the NMR signal. The signal is input to the NMR signal detection unit 37 in the transmission / reception circuit 31. And this NM
The R signal detection unit 37 can obtain information (NMR parameters) such as relaxation time (T1, T2).

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, a static magnetic field is applied to the subject 3 by the NMR apparatus 15. In addition, the treatment instrument channel 2 of the endoscope 1
The antenna device 20 for NMR measurement is inserted therein, the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 1 is inserted into the body cavity 4 from the mouth or the like of the subject 3, and the light source device 10 is inserted into the light guide of the endoscope 1. Illumination light is supplied, and an image of a subject due to the illumination light is observed from the eyepiece 7. When performing NMR measurement, as shown in FIG. 4, the distal end side of the antenna device 20 is protruded from the treatment instrument channel 2, and the suction port 23 of the suction tube 21 is connected to the body cavity 4.
To the measurement target part 30 in the inside. Then, when suction is performed by the suction device 32, the suction port 23 is moved to the measurement target portion 30.
Adsorb to. When the suction port 23 is attracted to the measurement target portion 30, the antenna coil 25 disposed slightly in front of the suction port 23 is tightly fixed to the measurement target portion 30. In this state, a high frequency is transmitted from the high frequency generator 35 to the antenna coil 25, and a high frequency signal is transmitted from the antenna coil 25 to the measurement target portion 30. Then, the NMR signal from the measurement target portion 30 is received by the antenna coil 25 and measured by the NMR signal detection unit 37, so that a physiological change of the measurement target portion 30, for example, whether or not cancer is detected, can be detected. Become.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the suction tube as suction means is provided behind the high frequency antenna coil 25 for NMR measurement.
Since 21 suction ports 23 are arranged, the suction port 23 is
By adsorbing the antenna coil 30, the antenna coil 25 can be easily fixed to the measurement target portion 30 in the body cavity 4.

In this embodiment, the loop of the antenna coil 25 may be formed slightly smaller than the suction port 23, and the antenna coil 25 may be arranged on the inner peripheral side of the suction port 23.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an NMR measurement antenna device and a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, a funnel-shaped portion 22 at the end of the NMR measurement antenna device 20 of the first embodiment and a storage portion 16 for the antenna coil 25 are provided at the distal end of the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 1. . The storage portion 16 is formed by a funnel-shaped recess slightly larger than the funnel-shaped portion 22 and the antenna coil 25. When the funnel-shaped part 22 and the antenna coil 25 are stored in the storage part 16, the distal end of the antenna coil 25 is in the same plane as the distal end face of the insertion part 5 of the endoscope 1 or at the distal end. It is arranged inside the plane.

 In the drawing, reference numeral 17 is an observation window, and 18 is an illumination window.

 Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, when inserting the insertion section 5 of the endoscope 1 into the body cavity 4, if the distal end of the antenna device 20 is stored in the storage section 16, the distal end of the antenna device 20 is Since it does not protrude from the distal end surface of the insertion section 5 of the endoscope 1, insertion becomes easy.

 Other functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

7 to 9 relate to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion portion, and FIG.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the figure, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a use state of the present embodiment.

The present embodiment is an example of an antenna device used in combination with a side-view type endoscope.

As shown in FIG. 8, the distal end portion 41 of the insertion portion 40 of the side-view type endoscope has, on one side, an illumination window 42 from the distal end side and an observation window.
43 and an air supply / water supply nozzle 44 opening toward the observation window 43
Are provided along the axial direction of the insertion portion 40. Also,
On the side of the illumination window 42 and the observation window 43, a substantially circular groove 45
As shown in FIG. 7, a suction port 46 is provided substantially at the center of the bottom of the groove 45, and a suction channel 47 provided in the insertion portion 40 is provided in the suction port 46. Are in communication. A suction device is provided at the base side of the suction channel 47.
32 are to be connected. The groove 45 is concentric with the groove 45 and has, for example, a one-turn loop shape.
An antenna coil 50 for NMR measurement is provided. Both ends of the antenna coil 50 are connected to a cable 52 inserted into a treatment instrument channel 51 provided in the insertion section 40. The base side of the cable 52 is connected to the NMR transmission / reception circuit 31.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the groove 45 provided on the side of the distal end portion 41 is opposed to the measurement target portion 30 in the body cavity, and when the suction is performed by the suction device 32, the groove 45 is measured. The antenna coil 50 is attracted to the target portion 30 and is closely fixed to the measurement target portion 30.

Other configurations, operations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are longitudinal sectional views of a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion section according to a modification of the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, both ends of the antenna coil 50 are bent toward the center of the loop, further bent toward the suction channel 47, and the cable 52 is connected to the antenna coil 50. Is inserted into the suction channel 47, thereby eliminating the need for the treatment instrument channel 51. Other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the treatment instrument channel 51 is also used as a suction channel, the opening of the treatment instrument channel 51 to the groove 45 is used as the suction port 46, and the suction channel 47 is unnecessary. Other configurations are the same as in the third embodiment.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and for example,
As in the third embodiment, a groove continuous with the suction port may be provided at the distal end of the direct-view type endoscope, and the antenna coil may be provided in this groove. Further, the antenna device 20 including the suction tube 21 and the antenna coil 25 as in the first embodiment may be inserted into the treatment tool channel of the side-view type endoscope.

Further, the shape of the antenna coil is not limited to that shown in each of the above embodiments. For example, a saddle-shaped antenna coil may be provided on the side of the distal end of the insertion section of the endoscope.

Furthermore, the antenna coil may be attached to the distal end of the insertion section of the endoscope.

The endoscope is not limited to a fiber scope, but may be an electronic scope provided with a solid-state image sensor as an imaging means. The endoscope may be a rigid endoscope without being limited to a flexible endoscope.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a suction port of a protrudable suction tube is arranged near an NMR measurement antenna coil inserted into a body cavity through a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope. Since the target portion is sucked by the suction tube, the antenna coil can be easily fixed to the target portion in the body cavity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 5 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a distal end portion of the antenna device for NMR measurement, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an endoscope device, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an NMR measuring means, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an NMR measuring antenna device and a tip of an endoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 to 9 relate to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the distal end portion of the endoscope insertion portion, FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 7, and FIG. FIGS. 10 and 11 are longitudinal sectional views of a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion section according to a modification of the third embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope, 2 ... Treatment tool channel 20 ... NMR measurement antenna device 21 ... Suction tube, 23 ... Suction port 25 ... Antenna coil 31 ... NMR transmission / reception circuit 32 ... Suction unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yutaka Oshima 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroki Hibino 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside the Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takeaki Nakamura 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside the Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Shuichi Takayama 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tadao Hagino 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo In Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-59-67929 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An NMR measurement antenna device inserted into a body cavity via a treatment instrument channel of an endoscope, wherein the suction port is inserted into the treatment instrument channel, and a suction port can protrude from an outer surface of the endoscope. An antenna device for NMR measurement, comprising: a suction tube; and an antenna coil disposed near the suction port.