JP2594586B2 - Ultrasound endoscope - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope provided with an ultrasonic vibrator at the distal end of an insertion section.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of ultrasonic endoscopes provided with an ultrasonic transducer at the distal end of an insertion portion of an endoscope have been conventionally proposed. The ultrasonic endoscope transmits information obtained by performing ultrasonic scanning using an ultrasonic vibrator to an observation position via a signal line, and displays the information as an ultrasonic image on a monitor.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the conventional ultrasonic image is displayed only for each two-dimensional ultrasonic scan, and in order to obtain a three-dimensional ultrasonic image, it is necessary to obtain a series of ultrasonic images for a series of different positions on the subject. Have to resynthesize it. This operation is easy by using a large-scale operation mechanism in the case of an ultrasonic image by ultrasonic injection from outside the body, but it is difficult to obtain a good series of ultrasonic images in a body cavity. there were. In other words, when in a body cavity,
The ultrasonic transducer provided at the distal end of the insertion section must be moved in the insertion axis direction within the distal end of the insertion section to obtain an ultrasonic image for each different position, but realizes proper movement along the insertion axis. This is because there is no means. Inevitably, the method relied on obtaining a three-dimensional ultrasonic image of the inside of the body cavity by applying ultrasonic waves from outside the body. Could not be obtained.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and aims to improve ultrasonic diagnosis by synthesizing a highly accurate three-dimensional ultrasonic image by a series of ultrasonic scans in a body cavity. It is what it was.

[Means and actions for solving the problems]

The present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope provided with an ultrasonic vibrator at an insertion end portion of the endoscope for achieving the above object, wherein the ultrasonic vibrator is rotated about an insertion axis of the endoscope. A first ultrasonic motor to be driven and a second ultrasonic motor to reciprocate the ultrasonic transducer substantially in the insertion axis direction of the endoscope are located closer to the operator than the first ultrasonic motor. As described above, each is provided in the insertion end portion of the endoscope, thereby realizing proper movement of the ultrasonic transducer,
By synthesizing a series of ultrasonic images, a highly accurate three-dimensional ultrasonic image can be obtained.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows the internal configuration of the insertion tip according to the ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention. An ultrasonic transducer 2 is provided inside the insertion tip 1, and is rotated about the insertion axis in the direction of arrow A by the first ultrasonic motor 3, and is ultrasonically scanned through the window 7 in the outer peripheral direction of the insertion tip. do. The first ultrasonic motor 3 is constituted by a stator 4 fixed in the insertion tip and a rotor 5 opposed to the stator 4. The rotor 5 rotates by sending a signal, and the ultrasonic motor fixed to the rotor 5. The sonic vibrator 2 rotates. Almost the entire insertion portion is flexible and extends to the operation portion. Inside the insertion tip 1, one end of an axis 8 along the insertion axis is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator 2.
, And the other end is slidably supported by the support member 10. The support member 10 is fixed to a rotating member 17 via a bearing ball 19 held by a fixing member 18 in the insertion tip 1 so as to rotate simultaneously with the rotation of the shaft 8. Second
The signal line 20 of the ultrasonic motor 11 and the vibrator cable 9 are guided to the operation section via the support member 10 and the slip ring. The shaft 8 may be rigid, but if it has a slight flexibility, even if the insertion tip 1 is bent, the shaft 8 bends slightly outside the support member 10 and smoothly slides with the support member 10. realizable. Reference numeral 9 denotes a transducer cable for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the ultrasonic transducer 2. Next, a second ultrasonic motor 11 for reciprocating the shaft 8 in the insertion axis direction is provided on the outer periphery of the shaft 8. A rotor (slider) 13 is fixed to the shaft 8, and a stator 12 fixed to a rotating member 14 via a bearing ball 16 held by a fixing member 15 in the insertion portion 7 is provided on the outer periphery. Since the shaft 13 is pressed, the rotor 13 is rotated by the rotation of the shaft 8, and the stator 12 is also rotated at the same time. That is, the shaft 8 is rotatably held via ring-shaped bearings formed of 14, 15, and 16. The ultrasonic motor is configured to reciprocate in the insertion axis direction by applying a signal.

Between the first ultrasonic motor 3 and the second ultrasonic motor 11 at the insertion distal end portion 1, there is provided a telescopic member 6 which expands and contracts in the insertion axis direction. This is one in which the cavity is made of extensible rubber or the like.

With the above configuration, the second ultrasonic motor 11
When the shaft 8 is inserted deepest while sliding the shaft 8 into the support member 10, the ultrasonic transducer 2 comes closest to the insertion axis direction as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the shaft 8 is slid in the opposite direction, the ultrasonic transducer 2 is separated to the maximum extent, as shown in FIG.

To synthesize a three-dimensional ultrasonic image, the endoscope end is set to the state shown in FIG. 1 or FIG.
Is rotated to obtain an ultrasonic image at that position. Next, the shaft 8 is moved in one direction to obtain an ultrasonic image at that position in the same manner as described above. By repeating such operations continuously while accurately grasping the amount of movement of the shaft 8 by the second ultrasonic motor 11, a plurality of two-dimensional ultrasonic images on the same axis are obtained. By combining these two-dimensional ultrasonic images, a three-dimensional ultrasonic image can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, a configuration may be employed in which a bearing is interposed between the rotor 5 and the shaft 8 of the first ultrasonic motor 3 so that the rotor 5 is rotatable, and the second ultrasonic motor 11 is not rotated. If the ultrasonic vibrator 2 does not rotate, the inside of the insertion distal end 1 is configured to be long in the insertion axis direction without using the elastic tool 6 so that the ultrasonic vibrator 2 reciprocates inside. Is also good.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer can be appropriately moved on the same axis by the linear ultrasonic motor within the distal end portion of the endoscope. It is possible to obtain an appropriate two-dimensional ultrasonic image, improve the ultrasonic diagnosis in the body cavity, and make the ultrasonic endoscope small and not affected by the image rotation by the endoscope angle operation be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention, and FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Insert end part 2, ... Ultrasonic vibrator 3 ... 1st ultrasonic motor, 6 ... Elastic tool 7 ... Insertion part, 8 ... Shaft 10 ... Support member 11 ... 2nd Ultrasonic motor

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor: Tsuguhisa Sasai 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside O-limpus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor: Yutaka Oshima 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside the Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroki Hibino 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside the Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masaaki Hayashi 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideo Adachi 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-57-9439 (JP, A) 60-119930 (JP, A) JP-A-62-141979 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ultrasonic endoscope having an ultrasonic vibrator provided at an insertion end portion of an endoscope, wherein a first ultrasonic wave for rotating the ultrasonic vibrator around an insertion axis of the endoscope. A motor and a second ultrasonic motor for reciprocating the ultrasonic vibrator substantially in the insertion axis direction of the endoscope so that the inner ultrasonic motor is located closer to the operator than the first ultrasonic motor. An ultrasonic endoscope provided inside an insertion end of the endoscope.