JP6755147B2 - Cables, ultrasonic probes, and ultrasonic endoscopes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to cables, ultrasonic probes, and ultrasonic endoscopes.

Conventionally, there is known a cable in which a shield formed by weaving a plurality of metal wires is arranged on the outer circumference of the lead wire.

At the ends of the shield, multiple metal wires may come apart. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connection terminal that prevents the end portion of the shield from being separated by sandwiching and crimping the end portion of the shield.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-166074

By the way, in an ultrasonic endoscope, a plurality of piezoelectric elements are arranged at the tip of an insertion portion inserted into a subject, and the plurality of piezoelectric elements and a plurality of coaxial wires are connected to each other. A shield is arranged on the outer circumference of the plurality of coaxial wires.

Here, when the connection terminal of Patent Document 1 is used for an ultrasonic endoscope, crimping prevents a plurality of coaxial cables from moving relative to the connection terminal. Then, when the cable is bent when assembling the ultrasonic endoscope, a load may be applied to the internal wiring of each coaxial line, which may cause breakage or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is a cable, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic probe that can prevent the end portion of the shield from coming apart and prevent the wiring inside the coaxial wire from breaking. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic endoscope.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the cable according to one aspect of the present invention has a tubular shield formed by weaving a plurality of metal wires and an adhesive on the outer periphery of the end portion of the shield. The holding member that holds the shape of the shield and the holding member that is inserted into the inside of the shield and can move relative to the holding member along the longitudinal direction of the shield. It is characterized by including a plurality of coaxial wires.

Further, the cable according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by including a film covering the outer periphery of the plurality of coaxial wires.

Further, the cable according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the holding member is an annular member made of metal, alloy or resin.

Further, the cable according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the holding member is a coiled member made of a metal or alloy having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the shield.

Further, the cable according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the outer diameter of the holding member is smaller than the outer diameter of the cable.

Further, the ultrasonic probe according to one aspect of the present invention accommodates the above cable, a plurality of piezoelectric elements connected to the plurality of coaxial lines, and at least a part of the cable and the plurality of piezoelectric elements. It is characterized by including a housing.

Further, the ultrasonic probe according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the holding member is housed inside the housing.

Further, the ultrasonic probe according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the housing has a positioning portion that comes into contact with a part of the holding member to position the housing and the cable.

Further, the ultrasonic endoscope according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned ultrasonic probe is provided at the tip of an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the end portion of the shield from coming apart and to suppress the generation of stress on each coaxial line due to the arrangement of the holding member, and the insertion direction of the coaxial line into the holding member. Does not regulate relative movement to. This makes it possible for the coaxial wires to move relatively out of alignment when the cable is curved, and the stress applied to the coaxial wires due to the curvature can be relaxed, and the wiring inside the coaxial wires can be prevented from breaking. , Ultrasonic probes, and ultrasonic endoscopes can be realized.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the tip end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the cable of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the cable of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the tip of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the housing and the cable shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tip of the cable according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the cable of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method of manufacturing the cable of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the cable, ultrasonic probe, and ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following embodiments, a cable used for an ultrasonic endoscope will be described as an example, but the present invention can be generally applied to a cable provided with a shield.

Further, in the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are appropriately designated by the same reference numerals. In addition, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the dimensional relationship of each element, the ratio of each element, etc. may differ from the reality. Even between drawings, there may be parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic endoscope 100 according to the first embodiment has an insertion portion 101 having an imaging unit arranged at the tip thereof and inserted into a subject, and a base end of the insertion portion 101. An operation unit 102 connected to the side, a universal cord 103 extending from the side of the operation unit 102, and an observation device and an ultrasonic wave connected to the universal cord 103 to control the ultrasonic endoscope 100. A connector portion 104 connected to a light source device or the like for supplying illumination light to the endoscope 100 is provided. In the present specification, the direction in which the insertion portion 101 is inserted is referred to as the "insertion direction", the tip end side in the insertion direction is referred to as the "tip end side", and the proximal end side in the insertion direction is referred to as the "base end side".

The insertion portion 101 includes a tip portion 111 provided at the tip, a bendable curved portion 112 provided on the proximal end side of the distal end portion 111, and a flexible portion 112 provided on the proximal end side of the curved portion 112. A flexible tube portion 113 having a property is provided. The base end of the flexible pipe portion 113 is continuously provided on the tip end side of the operation portion 102. A wire (not shown) is inserted inside the insertion portion 101, and the bending portion 112 is curved according to the operation received by the operation portion 102.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the tip end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic probe 1 has a plurality of piezoelectric elements 2 having a prismatic shape and are arranged so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction, and the piezoelectric elements 2 are placed on the outer surface side of the ultrasonic probe 1. The acoustic matching layer 3 provided respectively, the acoustic lens 4 provided on the side opposite to the side in contact with the piezoelectric element 2 of the acoustic matching layer 3, the substrate 5 connected to each piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric element 2, and the substrate 5 are connected. Cable 6
A housing 7 that houses a portion including at least a part of the piezoelectric element 2 and the cable 6 and a backing material (not shown) provided on the side opposite to the side in contact with the acoustic matching layer 3 of the piezoelectric element 2 are provided. The backing material is filled in a hollow space formed between the acoustic matching layer 3 and the wall portion that forms a cup and accommodates the substrate 5.

Each piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric element 2 converts an electric pulse signal into an ultrasonic pulse (acoustic pulse) and irradiates the subject, and at the same time, electrically expresses an ultrasonic echo reflected by the subject by a voltage change. It is converted into an echo signal and output.

The acoustic matching layer 3 matches the acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric element and the observation target in order to efficiently transmit sound (ultrasonic waves) between the piezoelectric element 2 and the observation target. The acoustic matching layer 3 may be formed of a plurality of layers made of different materials, or may be a single layer depending on the characteristics of the piezoelectric element 2 and the observation target.

The acoustic lens 4 covers the acoustic matching layer 3 and the outer surface of the wall portion. The acoustic lens 4 forms a part of the outer surface of the ultrasonic probe 1. The acoustic lens 4 is formed by using silicone, polymethylpentene, epoxy resin, polyetherimide, or the like, and has a function of squeezing ultrasonic waves with one surface having a convex or concave shape to form an acoustic matching layer 3. The passed ultrasonic waves are emitted to the outside, or ultrasonic echoes from the outside are taken in. The acoustic lens 4 can be arbitrarily provided, and may have a configuration that does not have the acoustic lens 4.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the cable 6 is bonded to a tubular shield 61 formed by braiding a plurality of metal wires (including an alloy) and an adhesive 63 to the outer periphery of the end end on the tip side of the shield 61. A plurality of holding members 62 that are arranged to hold the shape of the shield 61, and a plurality of holding members 62 that are inserted inside the shield 61 and are movable relative to the holding member 62 along the longitudinal direction of the shield 61. 64, a film 65 covering the outer periphery of the plurality of coaxial wires 64, and a coating 66 covering the outer periphery of the shield 61.

The plurality of metal wires (shielded wires) of the shield 61 have a configuration in which, for example, a copper wire is plated with a hard material such as silver or tin. The shield 61 is grounded on the proximal end side.

The holding member 62 is an annular member made of, for example, a metal, an alloy or a resin. The inner diameter of the holding member 62 substantially coincides with the outer diameter of the shield 61. The outer diameter of the holding member 62 is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the cable 6 in order to reduce the size of the housing 7. The holding member 62 is housed inside the housing 7.

The adhesive 63 is, for example, an adhesive made of resin.

Each coaxial wire 64 is a coaxial wire whose coating covers the periphery of the conducting wire. The plurality of coaxial wires 64 are each connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements 2 on the distal end side, and are connected to an ultrasonic observation device (not shown) via the connector portion 104 on the proximal end side. Then, each coaxial line 64 transmits an electrical pulse signal from the ultrasonic observation device to the piezoelectric element 2, and also transmits an electrical echo signal output by the piezoelectric element 2 to the ultrasonic observation device. When the holding member 62 and the shield 61 are adhered to each other by using the adhesive 63, the film 65 is interposed between the shield 61 and the plurality of coaxial wires 64, so that the plurality of coaxial wires 64 may be formed. Adhesive 63 is not attached.

The film 65 is, for example, a film made of plastic. Instead of the film 65, a thin-walled pipe having good insulation and sliding properties such as Teflon (registered trademark) and polyimide may be used. The film 65 covers the outer circumference of the coaxial line 64 to protect the plurality of coaxial lines 64.

The coating 66 is made of, for example, rubber and covers the shield 61 to protect the entire cable 6.

The housing 7 is made of, for example, resin, and keeps the inside watertight together with the acoustic lens 4.

The backing material attenuates unnecessary ultrasonic vibration generated by the operation of the piezoelectric element 2. The backing material is formed by using a material having a large damping rate, for example, an epoxy resin in which a filler such as alumina or zirconia is dispersed, or a rubber in which the above-mentioned filler is dispersed.

Here, in the cable 6, the holding member 62 and the adhesive 63 prevent the tip of the shield 61 from coming apart, and the adhesive 63 does not adhere to the plurality of coaxial wires 64, and the holding member By arranging the 62, it is possible to suppress the generation of stress on the individual coaxial wires 64, and the relative movement of the coaxial wires 64 with respect to the holding member 62 in the insertion direction is not restricted. Therefore, a plurality of coaxial wires 64 are inserted into the shield 61 so as to be relatively movable with respect to the holding member 62 along the longitudinal direction. As a result, the stress applied to the coaxial wire 64 due to the bending when the cable is bent can be relaxed. As a result, when the cable is curved when assembling the ultrasonic endoscope, the coaxial wires 64 can move relatively out of alignment, and the curvature reduces the load on the internal wiring of each coaxial wire 64. However, it is prevented that the wiring inside the coaxial wire 64 is broken. Therefore, the cable 6 is a cable that can prevent the end portion of the shield from coming apart and prevent the wiring inside the coaxial wire from breaking.

Although the cable 6 used for the ultrasonic endoscope 100 has been described in the above-described first embodiment, the cable 6 can also be used for devices other than the ultrasonic endoscope 100.

(Modification example 1)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable according to the first modification of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the cable 6A according to the first modification does not include the film 65, and otherwise has the same configuration as the cable 6 according to the first embodiment.

Next, a method of manufacturing the cable 6A will be described. 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the method of manufacturing the cable of FIG. 4. First, when manufacturing the cable 6A, an annular ring 8 is used. The ring 8 is made of, for example, Teflon (registered trademark) having water repellency. The ring 8 includes a grip portion 81 for gripping the ring 8 and an insertion portion 82 to be inserted between the coaxial wire 64 and the shield 61.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the grip portion 81 of the ring 8 is gripped, and the insertion portion 82 is inserted between the coaxial wire 64 and the shield 61.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the adhesive 63 is injected between the shield 61 and the holding member 62. At this time, since the insertion portion 82 of the ring 8 is interposed between the coaxial wire 64 and the shield 61, the adhesive 63 is prevented from adhering to the coaxial wire 64. As a result, the coaxial wire 64 is inserted into the shield 61 so as to be relatively movable with respect to the holding member 62 along the longitudinal direction.

Here, since the ring 8 has water repellency, it is difficult to adhere to the adhesive 63, and the ring 8 can be pulled out after the adhesive 63 has hardened. Then, by pulling out the ring 8, the cable 6A shown in FIG. 4 can be manufactured.

Even in a cable that does not have a film as in the first modification, by using the ring 8, it is possible to prevent the end of the shield from coming apart and to prevent the wiring inside the coaxial wire from breaking. Can be realized.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the cable according to the second modification of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the cable 6B according to the second modification has a configuration in which a part of the insertion portion 82 is left between the coaxial wire 64 and the shield 61. Such a cable 6B can be manufactured by injecting the adhesive 63 and then cutting the insertion portion 82 by forming the ring 8 with a material such as resin. Also in this configuration, a state in which the coaxial wire 64 is inserted into the shield 61 so as to be relatively movable with respect to the holding member 62 along the longitudinal direction is realized.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tip of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention along the insertion direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the ultrasonic probe 11 according to the second embodiment includes a cable 16 and a housing 17, and the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. ..

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the insertion direction of the housing and the cable shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the cable 16 is partially adhered with an adhesive 163 so as to cover the outer periphery of the coating 66, and includes a holding member 162 made of resin or the like. The adhesive 163 adheres and fixes between the shield 61 and the holding member 162 and between the holding member 162 and the coating 66.

The housing 17 includes a stepped portion 171 as a positioning portion. The step portion 171 comes into contact with a part of the holding member 162 (a portion covering the outer periphery of the coating 66 of the holding member 162) to position the housing 17 and the cable 16.

In the ultrasonic probe 11, the holding member 162 not only prevents the end portion of the shield 61 from coming apart, but also has a function of positioning the housing 17 and the cable 16.

Although the cable 16 used for the ultrasonic endoscope has been described in the second embodiment described above, the cable 16 can also be used for a device other than the ultrasonic endoscope.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tip of the cable according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the cable 26 according to the third embodiment includes a holding member 262 which is a coiled member made of a metal or alloy having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the shield 61. Since the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining the method of manufacturing the cable of FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the inner diameter D1 of the holding member 262 is smaller than the outer diameter of the shield 61. The holding member 262 is expanded to an inner diameter D2 larger than the outer diameter of the shield 61, and the coaxial wire 64 and the shield 61 are inserted inside the holding member 262. Then, the state shown in FIG. 12 is obtained, and in this state, the adhesive 63 is applied from the outer periphery of the holding member 262. As a result, the holding member 262 and the adhesive 63 can prevent the tip of the shield 61 from coming apart. At this time, since the film 65 is interposed between the shield 61 and the coaxial wire 64, the adhesive 63 does not adhere to the coaxial wire 64. Further, the elastic force of the holding member 262 inward in the radial direction is not too strong, and the movement of the coaxial wire 64 along the longitudinal direction is not restricted. As a result, a state in which the plurality of coaxial wires 64 are inserted into the shield 61 so as to be relatively movable with respect to the holding member 262 along the longitudinal direction is realized.

Although the convex type ultrasonic probe has been described in the above-described embodiment, it can also be applied to linear type, radial type and other ultrasonic probes.

Further, as the ultrasonic endoscope, a small-diameter ultrasonic miniature probe having no optical system may be applied. Ultrasonic miniature probes are usually inserted into the biliary tract, bile ducts, pancreatic ducts, trachea, bronchi, urethra, and ureters and used to observe surrounding organs (pancreatic duct, lung, prostate, bladder, lymph nodes, etc.).

Further, as an ultrasonic endoscope, an extracorporeal ultrasonic probe that irradiates ultrasonic waves from the body surface of a subject may be applied. Extracorporeal ultrasound probes are commonly used to observe abdominal organs (liver, gallbladder, bladder), breasts (particularly mammary glands), and thyroid glands.

Further effects and variations can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and typical embodiments expressed and described as described above. Thus, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general concept of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents.

1, 11 Ultrasonic probe 2 Piezoelectric element 3 Acoustic matching layer 4 Acoustic lens 5 Substrate 6, 6A, 6B, 16, 26 Cable 7, 17 Housing 8 Ring 61 Shield 62, 162, 262 Holding member 63, 163 Adhesive 64 Coaxial Wire 65 Film 66 Coating 81 Grip part 82 Insert part 100 Ultrasonic endoscope 101 Insert part 102 Operation part 103 Universal cord 104 Connector part 111 Tip part 112 Curved part 113 Flexible tube part 171 Stepped part

Claims (9)

With a tubular shield formed by weaving multiple metal wires,
A holding member which is arranged by being adhered to the outer periphery of the end portion of the shield and holds the shape of the shield, and
A plurality of coaxial wires that are inserted inside the shield and are movable relative to the holding member along the longitudinal direction of the shield.
A film that covers the outer periphery of the plurality of coaxial wires and is interposed between the shield and the plurality of coaxial wires to prevent the adhesive from adhering to the plurality of coaxial wires.
A cable characterized by being equipped with. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the cable covers the outer periphery of the shield and includes a coating whose tip is adhesively fixed to the holding member by the adhesive . The cable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member is an annular member made of metal, alloy or resin. The cable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member is a coiled member made of a metal or alloy having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the shield. The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer diameter of the holding member is smaller than the outer diameter of the cable. The cable according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A plurality of piezoelectric elements connected to the plurality of coaxial wires, respectively,
A housing that houses at least a part of the cable and the plurality of piezoelectric elements.
An ultrasonic probe characterized by being equipped with. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6, wherein the holding member is housed inside the housing. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the housing has a positioning portion that abuts a part of the holding member to position the housing and the cable. An ultrasonic endoscope according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the ultrasonic probe is provided at the tip of an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject.