JP5049728B2 - Ultrasonic endoscope, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and position sensor fixing method in ultrasonic endoscope - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including the ultrasonic endoscope, and a position sensor fixing method in the ultrasonic endoscope, and particularly used for ultrasonic diagnosis in a digestive tract region or the like. The present invention relates to a technique for fixing a position sensor for detecting the position and posture of an ultrasonic endoscope to the ultrasonic endoscope.

  Diagnosis by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has an advantage that a tomographic image of the diagnostic site can be obtained easily and non-invasively in real time when an operator such as a doctor scans the diagnostic site with an ultrasonic probe. On the other hand, the image quality of an ultrasonic tomogram is inferior to that obtained by a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an MRI apparatus) or an X-ray computed tomography apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an X-ray CT apparatus).

  Therefore, not only an ultrasonic tomographic image but also an image captured by an MRI apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an MRI image) and an image captured by an X-ray CT apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a CT image) are displayed together. In contrast, there is a demand for comprehensive diagnosis.

  For this reason, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, by detecting the position and orientation of the probe with a position sensor attached to the side surface of the ultrasonic probe, an image having the same cross section as the ultrasonic image Is reconstructed from volume data of MRI images and CT images captured in advance. As a result, not only the ultrasound image but also the MRI image and CT image of the same tomographic plane can be synchronized and displayed on the monitor, and diagnosis can be performed while grasping the correspondence between both images in real time. It is said that.

  By the way, although the technique of patent document 1 is applicable to the area | region which performs an ultrasonic diagnosis from body surfaces, such as an abdominal area | region, for example, it uses the ultrasonic endoscope, such as a digestive tract area | region, etc. It may be difficult to apply to an area where ultrasonic diagnosis is performed. For example, when an operator inserts or removes an ultrasound endoscope from or into a subject, the position sensor attached to the peripheral body of the ultrasound probe may be caught in the body cavity of the subject or removed from the subject body cavity. This is because the physical burden on the subject increases.

  In this regard, Patent Document 2 describes that a magnetic sensor for position detection is provided in the housing at the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope. According to this, it is considered that the problem that the magnetic sensor is caught in the body cavity of the subject when the ultrasonic endoscope is inserted and removed can be solved.

International Publication No. WO04-098414 JP-A-11-99155

  However, as described in Patent Document 2, embedding and fixing a magnetic sensor at the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope means that a dedicated ultrasonic endoscope having a built-in magnetic sensor is developed. It is.

  Since it is not preferable in terms of cost to newly develop such a dedicated ultrasonic endoscope, the position of the ultrasonic endoscope is fixed using a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope in the same manner. And detecting the posture.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic endoscope, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and an ultrasonic that can fix a position sensor to the ultrasonic endoscope without changing the configuration of a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope. An object of the present invention is to provide a position sensor fixing method in a sonic endoscope.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention is inserted into a subject, transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a body cavity, images an image in the body cavity, and allows a treatment tool to be inserted. A treatment instrument insertion channel is formed. And the position sensor which detects the position and attitude | position of an ultrasonic endoscope is being fixed by the fixing means in this treatment tool penetration channel, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  That is, in general, a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope is formed with a treatment instrument insertion channel through which a treatment instrument such as forceps is inserted. Therefore, the present invention uses a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope without developing a dedicated ultrasonic endoscope that performs position detection by fixing a position sensor in the channel using the treatment instrument insertion channel. The position sensor can be fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope with a simple configuration using the above. In addition, according to this, there is no risk of dropping the position sensor into the body cavity of the subject when the ultrasound endoscope is inserted into or removed from the subject, or damaging the inside of the body cavity, and this places a burden on the subject. Diagnosis can be made without any problem.

  Since the ultrasonic endoscope is subjected to vibration due to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves and other factors, it is required to securely fix the position sensor when fixing the position sensor in the treatment instrument insertion channel. Therefore, the fixing means may be a balloon inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, and the position sensor may be reliably compressed and fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel by putting a fluid into the balloon and inflating it to compress the position sensor. it can.

  Alternatively, a position sensor fixing recess may be formed on the inner wall of the treatment instrument insertion channel, and the position sensor may be fixed by pressing the position sensor into the fixing recess. According to this, since the location where the position sensor is fixed in the channel is known in advance, it is easy to grasp the relative positional relationship between the position sensor and the transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves.

  On the other hand, the fixing means may be an attachment provided so as to cover the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel and having a fixing hole into which a position sensor inserted from the proximal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel is fitted and fixed. Also in this case, since the position sensor is fitted into the fixing hole, the position sensor can be reliably fixed, and it is easy to grasp the relative positional relationship between the position sensor and the vibrator.

  In addition, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be configured by including the ultrasonic endoscope having the above-described aspect. That is, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus stores the reference three-dimensional volume data of the subject acquired by the image capturing apparatus, and transmits and receives the ultrasonic wave in the body cavity and transmits the image in the body cavity. An ultrasonic endoscope for imaging, an ultrasonic image generating means for generating an ultrasonic tomographic image based on a reflected echo signal measured by the ultrasonic endoscope, and an ultrasonic endoscope fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope A position sensor for detecting the position and orientation of the mirror, reference image generation means for generating a reference tomographic image of the same tomographic plane as the ultrasonic tomographic image from the reference three-dimensional volume data of the storage means based on the output of the position sensor, An image processing means for associating an acoustic tomographic image with a reference tomographic image, and an ultrasonic tomographic image and a reference tomographic image associated with the image processing means are displayed. Constituted by a display means for, the ultrasonic endoscope can be an ultrasonic endoscope according to any one of the above-described embodiments.

In order to solve the above problems, the position sensor fixing method in the ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention fixes the position sensor to the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel through which the treatment instrument formed in the ultrasonic endoscope is inserted. An attachment in which a working hole is formed is attached, a position sensor is inserted from the proximal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel, and is fitted into a fixing hole and fixed. In this case, insert the position sensor from the proximal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel, and once out from the distal end side, fit and fix it in the fixing hole of the attachment, and in that state, attach the attachment to the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel. Also good.

  According to the present invention, an ultrasonic endoscope, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and an ultrasonic endoscope capable of fixing a position sensor to the ultrasonic endoscope without changing the configuration of a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope. A position sensor fixing method in an endoscope can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an ultrasonic endoscope and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described. In the following description, the same functional parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including the same. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 30 includes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 and an ultrasonic endoscope 2.

  The ultrasonic endoscope 2 is inserted into a body cavity of a subject, transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in the body cavity, and captures an image in the body cavity. A position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor for detecting the position and posture of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 is fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope 2 by a position sensor fixing mechanism 3 that is a fixing means. Further, a source generation source 5 for generating a source such as a magnetic field in a coordinate system including the subject is installed, for example, beside a bed on which the subject lies, and ultrasonic endoscopic observation is performed by the position sensor 4 and the source generation source 5. The position and posture of the mirror 2 are detected. A specific fixing mode of the position sensor 4 will be described later.

  On the other hand, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 is divided into a system for generating an ultrasonic tomogram and a system for generating a reference tomogram. The ultrasonic image generation system includes an ultrasonic image generation unit 8 that generates an ultrasonic tomographic image based on an ultrasonic reflected echo signal measured by the ultrasonic endoscope 2 and a plurality of generated ultrasonic tomographic images. A cine memory 9 for storing frames is provided.

  The reference image generation system includes volume image data storage means 7 for storing reference three-dimensional volume data of a subject acquired by a medical image diagnostic apparatus 6 such as an X-ray CT apparatus or an MRI apparatus, and an ultrasonic endoscope. 2, a scan plane acquisition unit 14 that calculates an ultrasonic tomographic plane of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 based on the output signals of the position sensor 4 and the source generation source 5 fixed to 2, and a super plane calculated by the scan plane acquisition unit 14. Reference image generation means 10 for generating a reference tomographic image of the same tomographic plane as the ultrasonic tomographic image from the reference three-dimensional volume data of the volume image data storage means 7 based on the acoustic tomographic plane is provided.

  Furthermore, a 3D body mark generation unit 11 that generates a three-dimensional visualization image, an image processing unit 12 that associates the ultrasonic tomogram stored in the cine memory 9 and the reference tomogram generated by the reference image generation unit 10, and an image The image forming apparatus includes a monitor 13 that is a display unit that displays an ultrasonic tomographic image and a reference tomographic image associated with each other by the processing unit 12.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 has a mechanism that can easily input reference three-dimensional volume data of a subject imaged by an X-ray CT apparatus or an MRI apparatus, and the volume data is stored in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1. When input, the volume data is stored in the volume image data storage means 7 in the apparatus.

  Of course, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body 1 is directly connected to an X-ray CT apparatus or MRI apparatus via an input / output interface (not shown), receives volume data, and stores volume image data storage means 7 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. You can save it in It is also possible to save the volume data in the volume image data storage means 7 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus via a network or a portable recording medium such as a USB memory. Hereinafter, each component of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 will be described.

  The reference image generation unit 10 extracts volume image data of the subject corresponding to the position information processed by the scan plane acquisition unit 14 from the volume image data storage unit 7 and generates a reference tomographic image. The generated reference tomographic image is processed by the image processing means 12 to be displayed on the monitor 13 on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and is displayed on the monitor 13 on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  The reference image generation means 10 enlarges / reduces the reference image according to the magnification (magnification) of the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by the ultrasonic image generation means 8 and displays it at the same magnification as the ultrasonic tomographic image. It has a function to do.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the function of extracting the out-of-field region according to the visual field of the ultrasonic tomographic image obtained from the ultrasonic endoscope 2 and reducing the luminance of the reference tomographic image corresponding to the region. Have. With such a function, the correspondence between the ultrasonic tomogram and the reference tomogram becomes clear, and the operator can easily grasp the correspondence between the two tomograms.

  Further, the reference image generation means 10 can change the reconstruction speed of the reference tomographic image by changing the image size and the frame rate of the reference tomographic image according to the movement of the ultrasonic endoscope 2. is there. That is, when the motion of the ultrasonic endoscope is fast, the frame rate is prioritized over the image quality, and the reference tomographic image is drawn at high speed. Conversely, when the speed of the ultrasonic endoscope is slow, the image quality is prioritized over the frame rate, and the reference image is reconstructed and drawn. Thereby, the ultrasonic tomographic image follows the movement of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 and the reference tomographic image can be drawn.

  On the other hand, the 3D body mark generation unit 11 draws a three-dimensional visualization image of the imaged region using the reference three-dimensional volume data, and the portion scanned by the ultrasound endoscope 2 by the scan plane acquisition unit 14. The position etc. are calculated. Then, the scan plane obtained based on the calculation result is displayed in a semi-transparent color and displayed in a superimposed manner.

  Accordingly, the operator can grasp the positional relationship between the subject and the scan plane of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 three-dimensionally. For the above-described three-dimensional visualization processing, for example, a known method such as volume rendering or surface rendering can be applied.

  The image processing unit 12 performs processing for displaying the reference tomographic image generated by the reference image generating unit 10 and the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by the ultrasonic image generating unit 8 on the monitor 13 on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Do. For example, the ultrasonic tomographic image and the reference tomographic image may be displayed side by side, or the reference tomographic image may be translucent and superimposed on the ultrasonic image. When superposed, it is easy to compare the ultrasonic tomogram and the reference tomogram with one image. In addition, the images generated by the cine memory 9, the reference image generation means 10, and the 3D body mark generation means 11 may be appropriately combined.

  Next, an aspect of detecting an ultrasonic tomographic plane of an ultrasonic tomographic image captured by the ultrasonic endoscope 2 in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic tomographic plane is a coordinate that includes a subject and is positioned next to a position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor fixed in the ultrasonic endoscope 2 and a bed on which the subject lies. This is realized by a source generation source 5 for generating a source such as a magnetic field in the system, a scan plane acquisition means 14 provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 and the like.

  The position sensor 4 and the source generation source 5 are electrically connected to the scan plane acquisition unit 14. The scan plane acquisition unit 14 includes a scan plane coordinate storage section and a scan plane coordinate calculation section, and information such as the position / tilt angle of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 obtained by the position sensor 4 and the source generation source 5 is provided. The position information is acquired, the three-dimensional position and the inclination angle of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 are calculated, and the scan plane of the ultrasonic endoscope is calculated. The calculated scan section is processed by the image processing unit 12 and associated with the ultrasonic image generated by the ultrasonic image generating unit 8.

  In addition, although the position detection by a magnetic field was illustrated as an example of a position detection, it is not limited to this, A various well-known position detection method can be used if it can be used.

  Through the above-described processes, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1 can generate a reference tomographic image having the same cross-section, magnification, and field of view corresponding to the ultrasonic tomographic image obtained by the ultrasonic endoscope 2. A composite image can be generated. The composite image and the 3D body mark are displayed on the same monitor 13 on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Therefore, the operator can easily grasp the correspondence relationship between the ultrasonic tomogram and the reference tomogram, and by comparing these images, a comprehensive diagnosis can be effectively performed on the subject. It becomes possible.

  The above image processing steps are described in International Publication WO 04-098414 (A1), and this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus also uses the same image processing to perform ultrasonography in ultrasonic diagnosis in the digestive tract region or the like. An acoustic tomogram and a reference tomogram can be displayed.

  Next, the configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope 2 constituting the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope 2. The ultrasonic endoscope 2 is flexible and has an operation unit (not shown) for adjusting the angle and the like and operating the ultrasonic endoscope itself, and the body cavity from the nasal cavity and oral cavity of the subject. The insertion part 15 inserted in is provided.

  The distal end of the insertion unit 15 is similar to a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope, and includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit including a transducer that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves from the body cavity of the subject toward the diagnosis site, and light in the body cavity. And an observation window (not shown) equipped with a small camera or the like for observing the inside of the body cavity, and these are electrically connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 1. Has been.

  In addition, a treatment tool insertion channel 16 through which a treatment tool such as a forceps or the like (not shown) for supplying an ultrasonic transmission medium such as cleaning of the observation window or deaerated water or a forceps is formed at the distal end of the insertion portion 15. ing. In general, such a treatment instrument insertion channel is formed in a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope.

  The treatment instrument insertion channel 16 penetrates the inside of the ultrasonic endoscope and communicates with a treatment instrument insertion port (not shown) disposed in the vicinity of the operation unit, and a treatment instrument such as forceps is inserted into the treatment instrument. It is configured to be able to reach the body cavity of the subject through the inside of the ultrasonic endoscope from the mouth. The ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention employs a configuration in which the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 is used to fix the position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor at a predetermined position in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16.

  Below, the Example which fixes the position sensor 4, such as a magnetic sensor, to the predetermined position in the treatment tool penetration channel 16 which is the characterizing part of this invention is described.

  In the first embodiment, a balloon is used as the position sensor fixing mechanism 3 in order to fix the position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor at a predetermined position in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the position sensor 4 and the balloon 18 are inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel 16. The proximal end portion of the balloon 18 is connected to a blower (not shown) installed outside, and the balloon 18 expands on the inner wall side of the catheter 17 when air is supplied from the blower. In this way, air is supplied to the balloon 18 as a fluid to be inflated, and the position sensor 4 is pressed and fixed by pressing the position sensor 4 against the inner wall of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16. In addition, fluid other than air can be supplied to inflate the balloon.

  According to the present embodiment, generally, a treatment instrument insertion channel for inserting a treatment instrument such as forceps formed in a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope is used to fix a position sensor, and the treatment instrument insertion channel is inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel. The position sensor can be fixed. As a result, the position sensor can be fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope with a simple configuration using a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope without developing a dedicated ultrasonic endoscope for position detection.

  In addition, according to this, there is no risk of dropping the position sensor into the body cavity of the subject when the ultrasound endoscope is inserted into or removed from the subject, or damaging the inside of the body cavity, and this places a burden on the subject. Diagnosis can be made without any problem.

  In addition, since an ultrasonic endoscope is subjected to vibration due to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves and other factors, it is required to securely fix the position sensor. The position sensor is compressed by a balloon inserted in the treatment instrument insertion channel. By fixing, the position sensor can be reliably fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel. In consideration of the position sensor 4 touching the tissue within the body of the subject, it is preferable to coat the position sensor 4.

  In the second embodiment, in order to fix the position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor at a predetermined position in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16, the position sensor shown in FIG. A catheter 17 having a fixing mechanism is manufactured. A balloon 18 for fixing the position sensor 4 such as a magnetic sensor to a predetermined position in the catheter 17 is provided on the inner wall of the catheter 17, and the catheter 17 is attached to the treatment instrument in the ultrasonic endoscope 2 on the outer wall of the catheter 17. Balloons 19 that are fixed at predetermined positions in the insertion channel 16 are provided.

  The base end portions of the balloons 18 and 19 are connected to blowers (not shown) installed outside, respectively. When air is supplied from the blowers, the balloons 18 and 19 are, as shown in FIG. The catheter 17 expands on the inner wall side and the outer wall side.

  The position sensor 4 inserted into the catheter 17 is moved to the inner wall of the catheter where the balloon 18 is not installed by the expansion of the balloon 18. If the balloon 18 is further expanded, the position sensor 4 is finally fixed in such a manner as to be sandwiched between the balloon 18 and the inner wall of the catheter. Since air is also supplied to the balloon 19 disposed on the outer wall of the catheter 17 at the same time, the catheter 17 and the position sensor 4 are connected to the treatment instrument insertion channel as shown in FIG. 16 is fixed.

  Similarly, in this embodiment, the position sensor is fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope with a simple configuration using a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope without developing a dedicated ultrasonic endoscope for position detection. be able to. In addition, when inserting / removing the ultrasound endoscope from / into the subject, the position sensor is pulled into the body cavity of the subject to drop it off, or the inside of the body cavity is not damaged, and diagnosis is performed without imposing a burden on the subject. Can do.

  Further, the position sensor can be reliably fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel by pressing and fixing the position sensor with a balloon inserted in the treatment instrument insertion channel.

  In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), two pairs of balloons 18 inside the catheter and balloons 19 outside the catheter are prepared, and air is supplied to each balloon, whereby the center inside the catheter is In this mode, the position sensor 4 is fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when air is supplied to the two balloons 18 in the catheter 17, the position sensor 4 is compressed in the catheter 17 by the two balloons 18 and fixed in the catheter 17. Further, by supplying air to the two balloons 19, the catheter 17 and the position sensor 4 are fixed at predetermined positions in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16, as shown in FIG.

  According to this embodiment, the position sensor 4 can be fixed at the center of the catheter. It is also possible to adjust the fixed position of the position sensor by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the balloon.

  In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, an air flow hole 20 for placing a balloon is provided on the outer wall of the catheter 17, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the air flow hole is provided. The balloon 21 is arranged inside and outside the catheter 17 so as to cover it.

  In this embodiment, the base end portion of the balloon 21 disposed outside the catheter 17 is connected to a blower (not shown) installed outside, and when air is supplied from the blower to the balloon 21, The balloon 21 arranged on the outer wall expands. When air is further supplied, the air flows into the balloon 21 disposed on the inner wall of the catheter 17 through the air flow hole 20 provided in the catheter 17, and the balloon 21 is expanded.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the position sensor 4 inserted into the catheter 17 is fixed to the inner wall of the catheter 17 by the expansion of the balloon 21 on the inner wall side of the catheter 17, and the balloon on the outer wall side of the catheter 17 is further fixed. The catheter 17 and the position sensor 4 are fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 by the expansion of 21.

  According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to supply air independently to each of the balloons on the inner wall side and the outer wall side of the catheter 17, and it is only necessary to supply air to one balloon. Can be

  As mentioned above, although the 1st-4th Example utilizes the compression fixation by a balloon as the position sensor fixing mechanism 3, Example 1 which presses and fixes the position sensor 4 to the inner wall of the treatment tool penetration channel 16, As for 2 and 4, a position sensor fixing recess may be formed on the inner wall of the treatment instrument insertion channel, and the position sensor may be fixed by pressing the position sensor into the fixing recess.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 (A) and 8 (B), a recess for fixing the position sensor may be formed at the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel, or FIGS. 8 (A) and 8 (C). ), A fixing recess may be formed along the insertion axis direction of the position sensor of the treatment instrument insertion channel.

  In this way, if a recess for fixing the position sensor is formed in advance on the inner wall of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16, the location where the position sensor is fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 is known in advance. It is easy to grasp the relative positional relationship with a transducer that transmits and receives sound waves.

  These do not use a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope as it is, but use a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope in which a fixing recess is not formed, and a predetermined position in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16. The position sensor can be fixed to the

  When such a fixing recess is not formed, for example, the distance from the treatment instrument insertion port to the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 and the distance of the vibrator from the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 are grasped in advance. Thus, the relative positional relationship between the position sensor and the vibrator can be grasped. That is, for example, the position sensor is inserted by the distance from the treatment instrument insertion port to the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16, and the position sensor is pulled out from the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 by the distance of the vibrator. In this state, the position of the position sensor and the vibrator coincide with each other, and the relative distance between the position sensor and the vibrator is grasped by inserting and removing the position sensor so that the desired relative distance is obtained from this state. It becomes possible.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the position sensor may be fixed by inserting the position sensor and the balloon into the treatment instrument insertion channel in a state where the ultrasonic endoscope is inserted into the subject. The position sensor may be fixed in advance before insertion into the subject, and then an ultrasonic endoscope may be inserted into the subject.

  By the way, in Examples 1-4, since the position sensor 4, the catheter 17, and the catheter 17 and the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 are fixed and released by the amount of air supplied to each balloon, it is necessary to monitor the pressure in the balloon. There is. Therefore, a pressure gauge that displays the pressure in the balloon may be disposed at the joint between the balloon and the blower. Accordingly, if excessive pressure is generated in the balloon in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 due to some influence, the supply of air can be stopped. Further, even if the balloon bursts, it can be detected and dealt with quickly.

  According to the first to fourth embodiments, the position sensor 4 and the catheter 17 and the catheter 17 and the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 can be easily fixed and released by adjusting the air supply amount to each balloon. Can do. Therefore, even if another ultrasonic inspection using a general-purpose ultrasonic endoscope is performed before and after performing the ultrasonic inspection by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is possible to insert the catheter 17 from the other ultrasonic inspection. It is possible to smoothly shift to the ultrasonic examination or from this ultrasonic examination to another ultrasonic examination, and it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator and the subject.

  Regarding the fixing of the position sensor, the first to fourth embodiments fix the position sensor using a balloon, but this embodiment uses an attachment before inserting the ultrasonic endoscope into the subject. The position sensor 4 is fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, a fixing hole 26 is formed so as to cover the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 and to which the position sensor 4 inserted from the proximal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel is fitted and fixed. An attachment 22 is created.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9B, the position sensor 4 is inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 provided in the ultrasonic endoscope 2, and is inserted through the treatment instrument insertion channel 16. The attachment 22 is attached to the position sensor 4 that appears from the tip of the insertion portion 15 as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 9D, the attachment 22 is attached to the insertion portion 15 of the ultrasonic endoscope 2. Thereby, the position sensor 4 can be fixed at a predetermined position in the treatment instrument insertion channel 16.

  Note that an attachment may be attached to the distal end of the ultrasonic endoscope in advance, and a position sensor may be inserted from the proximal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel 16 to be fitted into a fixing hole and fixed.

  As for the shape of the attachment 22, in addition to the shape covering the entire distal end of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope, the most of the distal end of the insertion portion is formed by the ultrasonic endoscope used as shown in FIG. An attachment 23 for covering, an attachment 24 for covering half of the distal end portion as shown in FIG. 10 (B), an attachment 25 for covering only the treatment instrument insertion channel portion as shown in FIG. 10 (C), etc. can be employed. Of course, it is also possible to fix the position sensor in the treatment instrument insertion channel other than the attachment shape shown here.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including the same. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between reference three-dimensional volume data and a reference tomogram. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of an ultrasonic endoscope. It is a figure which shows 1st Example regarding fixation of a position sensor. It is a figure which shows 2nd Example regarding fixation of a position sensor. It is a figure which shows 3rd Example regarding fixation of a position sensor. It is a figure which shows 4th Example regarding fixation of a position sensor. It is a figure which shows the modification of 1st, 2nd, 4th Example. It is a figure which shows 5th Example regarding fixation of a position sensor. It is a figure which shows the modification of 5 Examples.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 2 Ultrasonic endoscope 3 Position sensor fixing mechanism 4 Position sensor 6 Medical image diagnostic apparatus 7 Volume image data storage means 8 Ultrasonic image generation means 10 Reference image generation means 12 Image processing means 13 Monitor 14 Scanning surface acquisition means 16 Treatment instrument insertion channel 17 Catheter 18, 19, 21 Balloon 20 Air flow holes 22-25 Attachment 30 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

Claims (6)

In an ultrasonic endoscope that is inserted into a subject and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a body cavity and images an image in the body cavity,
The ultrasonic endoscope has a treatment instrument insertion channel through which a treatment instrument is inserted, and a position sensor for detecting the position and posture of the ultrasonic endoscope is provided in the treatment instrument insertion channel by a fixing means. Become fixed,
The fixing means is a balloon inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, and the position sensor is compressed and fixed by inflating a fluid into the balloon.
The treatment instrument insertion channel is formed a recess for fixing of the position sensor to the inner wall, an ultrasonic endoscope, wherein the position sensor in a recess for the fixing is characterized by comprising fixed. In an ultrasonic endoscope that is inserted into a subject and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a body cavity and images an image in the body cavity,
The ultrasonic endoscope has a treatment instrument insertion channel through which a treatment instrument is inserted, and a position sensor for detecting the position and posture of the ultrasonic endoscope is provided in the treatment instrument insertion channel by a fixing means. Become fixed,
The fixing means is a balloon inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, and the position sensor is compressed and fixed by inflating a fluid into the balloon.
The position sensor is disposed in the treatment instrument insertion channel in a state of being inserted into a catheter, the balloon is provided inside and outside the catheter, and the position sensor is catheterized by inflation of the balloon inside the catheter. An ultrasonic endoscope characterized in that the catheter and the position sensor are fixed in the treatment instrument insertion channel by inflation of a balloon outside the catheter. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 2 , wherein a fluid flow hole is formed in the catheter, and a balloon inside and outside the catheter communicates with each other through the fluid flow hole. In an ultrasonic endoscope that is inserted into a subject and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves in a body cavity and images an image in the body cavity,
The ultrasonic endoscope has a treatment instrument insertion channel through which a treatment instrument is inserted, and a position sensor for detecting the position and posture of the ultrasonic endoscope is provided in the treatment instrument insertion channel by a fixing means. Become fixed,
It said fixing means includes a wherein said provided to cover the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel, a attachment inserted position sensor is fixed holes to be fitted and fixed is formed from the base end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel an ultrasonic endoscope to be. Storage means for storing the reference three-dimensional volume data of the subject acquired by the image capturing device, and an ultrasound endoscope that is inserted into the subject and transmits / receives ultrasound in the body cavity and captures an image in the body cavity An ultrasonic image generating means for generating an ultrasonic tomographic image based on a reflected echo signal measured by the ultrasonic endoscope, and a position and orientation of the ultrasonic endoscope fixed to the ultrasonic endoscope A reference sensor for detecting a tomographic image of the same tomographic plane as the ultrasonic tomographic image from reference three-dimensional volume data of the storage means based on the output of the position sensor, and the ultrasonic tomography An image processing means for associating an image with the reference tomographic image, and an ultrasonic tomographic image and a reference tomography associated with each other by the image processing means In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a display means for displaying,
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the ultrasonic endoscope is the ultrasonic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . In a method of fixing a position sensor for detecting the position and posture of an ultrasonic endoscope to an ultrasonic endoscope that is inserted into a subject and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in the body cavity and captures an image in the body cavity.
An attachment in which a fixing hole for the position sensor is formed is attached to the distal end of a treatment instrument insertion channel through which the treatment instrument formed in the ultrasonic endoscope is inserted, and the position from the base end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel A position sensor fixing method in an ultrasonic endoscope, wherein a sensor is inserted and fixed in the fixing hole.

Images