JP2682308B2 - Mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a mechanical scanning type as one type of ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. One example thereof is a medical ultrasonic device handbook (corona). The structure described in P28 is known.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe of the above conventional example. As shown in FIG. 3, the transducer 52 is fixed to the inside of the tip of the acoustic window 51, and the ultrasonic signal is transmitted in the inward axial direction. A mirror 53 is provided in the acoustic window 51, is rotated by the rotational movement of the output shaft 55 of the motor 54, reflects the ultrasonic signal sent from the transducer 52 in the circumferential direction, and outputs the ultrasonic echo signal from the circumferential direction. It is designed to reflect on the transducer. The transducer 52 is the signal line 5
It is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body by 6.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below. When an electric signal is applied to the transducer 52 via the signal line 56, it is converted into an ultrasonic signal by the transducer 52 and transmitted in the inward axial direction. The transmitted ultrasonic signal is reflected in the circumferential direction by the mirror 53, passes through the acoustic window 51, and is transmitted to the human body (not shown). The ultrasonic echo signal from the human body is received by the transducer 52 through the path opposite to the above and is converted into an electric signal. This electric signal is sent to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body through the signal line 56. Therefore, the ultrasonic signal can be scanned in the circumferential direction by transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic signal by the transducer 52 and rotating the mirror 53 by driving the motor 54, and the ultrasonic tomographic image in the circumferential direction can be obtained. Can be obtained.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe, the transducer 5 is used.
Since No. 2 is fixed, there is a problem that only one tomographic plane determined by the angle of the reflecting surface of the mirror 53 can be obtained as the scanning surface of the ultrasonic signal transmitted and received by the transducer 52.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and it is possible to obtain images of a plurality of different tomographic planes, and thus to improve the convenience of diagnosis by mechanical scanning. An object of the present invention is to provide a type ultrasonic probe.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is rotatably supported by a device casing , transmits an ultrasonic signal to the front of the device, and transmits an ultrasonic echo signal from the front.
A transducer for receiving, a first drive means for rotating and scanning the transducer, and a device
It is rotatably supported by the housing and reflects the ultrasonic signal sent from the above transducer and transmits it in the direction around the transmitter.
A mirror for reflecting an ultrasonic echo signal from the surroundings to the transducer, and a second driving means for rotating the mirror and scanning a surface orthogonal to the scanning surface by the rotation of the transducer. It is a thing.

[0008]

Therefore, according to the present invention, by rotating the transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic signals, the human body can be scanned with ultrasonic waves to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image, and the transducer faces the mirror. By rotating the mirror while positioning and stopping so that ultrasonic signals are transmitted and received by the transducer through the mirror, an ultrasonic tomographic image is obtained by scanning a surface of the human body different from the above scanning surface. Obtainable.

[0009]

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

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of an essential part of the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transducer 1 is rotatably supported on the front side inside the acoustic window (not shown). That is, the transducer 1 is attached to the rotor 2, and the rotor shaft 3 supporting the rotor 2 is rotatably supported at the front end of the frame 4 via the bearing 5. A shaft 6 is rotatably supported behind the rotor 2 in parallel with the rotor shaft 3 via a bearing 7 on the frame 4, and a cylindrical shaft 8 is mounted on the frame 4 in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 6 so as to have bearings 9 and 10. It is rotatably supported via. A motor 11 for a transducer is supported inside the rear side portion of the frame 4, and an output shaft 12 of the motor 11 is rotatably supported by the frame 4 via a bearing 13. A pinion gear 14 is integrated on the output shaft 12, and the pinion gear 14 is meshed with a transmission gear 15 integrated on the rear side of the shaft 8. The pinion gear 16 and the orthogonal conversion gear 17 are integrated with the front side portion of the shaft 8 and the intermediate portion of the shaft 6, respectively, and the pinion gear 16 and the orthogonal conversion gear 17 are engaged with each other. A timing belt pulley 18 is integrated on the end of the shaft 6, a timing belt pulley 19 is integrated on the end surface of the rotor 2, and a timing belt 20 is endlessly hung on the timing belt pulleys 18, 19. Therefore, the motor 11
Is driven to rotate the shaft 8 via the pinion gear 14 and the transmission gear 15, and the rotation of the shaft 8 causes the pinion gear 16,
The shaft 6 is rotated via the orthogonal conversion gear 17, the timing belt 20 is run by the rotation of the shaft 6 and the timing belt pulley 18, and the rotor 2 and the transducer 1 are rotated by the running of the timing belt 20 via the timing belt pulley 19. It is rotated by the shaft 3.

A mirror 21 is provided behind the transducer 1 inside the acoustic window. A motor 22 for a mirror is supported inside the rear side of the frame 4, and the motor 22
The output shaft 23 is inserted into the cylindrical shaft 8 and is connected to the mirror 21. Therefore, the drive of the motor 22 causes the mirror 21 to rotate about the axis orthogonal to the axis of the transducer 1.

The transducer 1 is a signal line (not shown)
Is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. And
When an electric signal is applied to the transducer 1 through the signal line, the transducer 1 can convert the ultrasonic signal into an ultrasonic signal and send the ultrasonic signal in the acoustic window, that is, the axial direction X of the ultrasonic probe. Is set to. Also,
When an ultrasonic signal is sent inward from the transducer 1, this ultrasonic signal is reflected by the reflecting surface 24 of the rotating mirror 21 and sent out in the acoustic window, that is, in the circumferential direction Y of the ultrasonic probe. However, the reflecting surface 24 is set to 45 degrees with respect to the rotation axis so that the ultrasonic echo signal can be reflected to the transducer 1 by the reflecting surface 24 of the rotating mirror 21.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below. First, a case where only the transducer 1 is used will be described. By driving the transducer motor 11 as described above, the pinion gear 14, the transmission gear 15, the pinion gear 16, the orthogonal conversion gear 17, the timing belt pulley 18, the timing belt 20. The rotor 2 provided with the transducer 1 rotates via the transmission mechanism system such as the timing belt pulley 19. When an electric signal is applied to the transducer 1 via the signal line while the rotor 2 is rotating, it is converted into an ultrasonic signal by the transducer 1 and is transmitted through the acoustic window in the axial direction X to the human body. The ultrasonic echo signal from the human body is received by the transducer 1 through a path opposite to the above. By transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals while rotating the transducer 1 in this manner, a scanning operation in the axial direction X of the ultrasonic probe can be performed. And
By sending the electric signal converted by the transducer 1 to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body through a signal line, the axial direction X
It is possible to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image of.

Next, the case where the transducer 1 and the mirror 21 are used in combination will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the transducer 1 is positioned so that its ultrasonic signal is transmitted in the direction of the rotation axis of the mirror 21. In the stopped state, the mirror motor 22 is driven to rotate the mirror 21. In this state, when the ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the transducer 1 as described above, this ultrasonic signal is incident on the reflecting surface 24 of the mirror 21 at an angle of 45 degrees, and is reflected in the direction Y perpendicular to the rotation axis. ,
It is delivered to the human body through an acoustic window. The ultrasonic echo signal from the human body is received by the transducer 1 through a path opposite to the above. As described above, the transducer 1 is positioned and stopped, and the ultrasonic signal is transmitted and received while rotating the mirror 21, whereby the ultrasonic probe orthogonal to the ultrasonic tomographic plane obtained by the rotation of the transducer 1, the rotor 2, and the like. The fault plane in the circumferential direction of the child can be scanned. Then, the electrical signal converted by the transducer 1 is sent to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body through the signal line, so that an ultrasonic tomographic image in the circumferential direction Y of the ultrasonic probe can be obtained.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, by rotating the transducer 1, an ultrasonic tomographic image can be obtained by performing scanning in the axial direction of the ultrasonic probe, and the transducer 1 of the mirror 21 can be obtained. An ultrasonic tomographic image of a scanning surface orthogonal to the scanning surface obtained by the rotation of the transducer 1 can be obtained by vertically positioning and stopping the mirror 21 and rotating the mirror 21.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, by rotating a transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, a human body can be scanned by ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic tomographic image can be obtained. By positioning the transducer so that it faces the mirror and stopping it, the mirror is rotated, and ultrasonic signals are transmitted and received by the transducer through the mirror, thereby scanning a surface of the human body different from the above scanning surface. An ultrasonic tomographic image can be obtained. Therefore, the convenience of diagnosis can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part showing a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part showing the mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Transducer 3 Rotor 11 Motor for Transducer 21 Mirror 22 Motor for Mirror

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Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An apparatus housing is rotatably supported , transmits an ultrasonic signal to the front of the apparatus, and transmits an ultrasonic echo signal from the front.
A transducer for receiving, a first drive means for rotating and scanning the transducer, and a device
It is rotatably supported by the housing and reflects the ultrasonic signal sent from the transducer to transmit it in the peripheral direction of the device.
A mechanical scanning ultrasonic wave including a mirror that reflects an ultrasonic echo signal from the surroundings to the transducer, and a second driving unit that rotates the mirror and scans a surface orthogonal to a scanning surface due to rotation of the transducer. Probe.