JP7109985B2 - Ultrasonic probe coupler and ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe coupler and an ultrasonic probe.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus uses an ultrasonic probe to irradiate ultrasonic waves into a subject and receive reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, thereby imaging the interior of the subject.

By the way, an acoustic coupler may be attached to the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe for the purpose of changing the acoustic focal position, expanding the contact area with the subject, and the like. When using an ultrasonic probe with an acoustic coupler attached, in order to propagate the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic probe to the subject, there is a gap between the ultrasonic probe and the acoustic coupler and between the acoustic coupler and the subject surface. An acoustic propagation medium (echo jelly) must be interposed between them.

If the amount of echo jelly interposed between the ultrasonic probe and the acoustic coupler is less than the appropriate amount, air may enter between the ultrasonic probe and the acoustic coupler and the ultrasonic waves may be totally reflected by the air. Therefore, the operator applies an appropriate amount or more of echo jelly to the acoustic emission surface of the ultrasonic probe and attaches the acoustic coupler.

However, if an excessive amount of echo jelly is applied to the ultrasonic probe, when the acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe, the echo jelly will not be properly discharged from between the ultrasonic probe and the acoustic coupler. It becomes difficult to attach to Moreover, even if it is ejected, the echo jelly will be ejected from a position not intended by the operator, and the ultrasonic probe will be covered with the echo jelly and need to be cleaned.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-144028

The problem to be solved by the invention is to make it easy to attach an acoustic coupler to an ultrasonic probe and to reduce the burden of cleaning even when echo jelly is excessively applied.

According to the embodiment, the ultrasonic probe coupler is attached to the acoustic radiation surface side of the ultrasonic probe, and an acoustic propagation medium is interposed between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe coupler includes a structure for moving the acoustic propagation medium outside the transmission range and the reception range of the acoustic radiation surface, and a structure for determining the positional relationship with the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an acoustic coupler and an ultrasonic probe according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic probe to which the acoustic coupler shown in FIG. 1 is attached. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the acoustic coupler according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which echo jelly is applied to the acoustic coupler shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the acoustic coupler shown in FIG. 6 is attached to an ultrasonic probe. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of an acoustic coupler according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of an acoustic coupler according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of an acoustic coupler according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of an acoustic coupler according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of an acoustic coupler according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic probe according to the seventh embodiment. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration when an acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. 13. FIG.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic probe coupler (hereinafter referred to as an acoustic coupler 10) according to the first embodiment and an ultrasonic probe 20 to which the acoustic coupler 10 is attached. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic probe 20 to which the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 1 is attached. Although FIGS. 1 and 2 show the case where a linear probe is used as the ultrasonic probe 20, the type of ultrasonic probe may be a convex type or a sector type.

The ultrasonic probe 20 shown in FIG. 1 has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (not shown) arranged in an array. The ultrasonic probe 20 has an acoustic lens 21 at its tip for converging the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer. Acoustic lens 21 forms the acoustic radiation surface of ultrasound probe 20 .

The ultrasonic probe 20 is formed so that the acoustic coupler 10 can be detachably attached. For example, convex portions 22 and 23 are provided on side surfaces in the short direction of the ultrasonic probe 20, and concave portions provided on the inner wall surface of the acoustic coupler 10 can be fitted. The shapes of the protrusions 22 and 23 may be different from each other, or may be the same.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic coupler 10 is formed to be attachable to the acoustic radiation surface side of the ultrasonic probe 20 . The acoustic coupler 10 is made of, for example, synthetic rubber such as butadiene rubber, and is produced by, for example, integral molding. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 3. FIG.

The acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 includes an object contact portion 11, a peripheral wall portion 12 extending continuously upward around the object contact portion 11, and an opening surrounded by the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12. It has a part 13 . Although the object contact portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are integrated, the boundary between them is indicated by a broken line in FIG.

The object contact portion 11 is a portion whose outer surface comes into contact with the object during ultrasonic diagnosis. On the outer surface, a convex portion 112 is formed extending in the longitudinal direction at a position corresponding to the acoustic lens 21 .

Storing portions 111-1 to 111-10 are formed on the inner wall of the subject contact portion 11 in the longitudinal direction. Storage sections 111-1 to 111-5 and storage sections 111-6 to 111-10 are provided on inner walls facing each other. The reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 are provided such that the inner wall of the subject contact portion 11 is hollowed out along the inner bottom surface 113 of the subject contact portion 11 toward the outer wall by a predetermined depth. The predetermined depth is not limited as long as it does not significantly reduce the strength of the subject contact portion 11 .

The reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 have substantially rectangular openings 1111-1 to 1111-10. The lengths in the lateral direction of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 are substantially the same. The longitudinal lengths of the openings 1111-2 to 1111-4 and 1111-7 to 1111-9 are substantially the same. The longitudinal lengths of openings 1111-1, 1111-5, 1111-6 and 1111-10 are longer than those of openings 1111-2 to 1111-4 and 1111-7 to 1111-9. The longitudinal lengths of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 may be substantially the same.

The reservoirs 111-1 to 111-5 and 111-6 to 111-10 are formed with a predetermined gap between adjacent reservoirs. Thus, by providing a space between the storage portions, the strength of the subject contact portion 11 is maintained. Although FIGS. 3 and 4 show the case where the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 of the storage sections 111-1 to 111-10 are substantially rectangular, the present invention is not limited to this. The shape of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 may be oval, for example.

Groove portions 114-1 to 114-10 are provided in the inner wall of the subject contact portion 11, and are electrically connected to the storage portions 111-1 to 111-10, respectively. The grooves 114-1 to 114-10 are formed upward from the inner bottom surface 113 along the inner wall so that the cross section thereof has, for example, a semicircular shape. The diameters of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 are smaller than the longitudinal lengths of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The diameters of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 may be substantially the same as the longitudinal lengths of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The grooves 114-1 to 114-10 are formed so that the intervals between adjacent grooves are the same. The grooves 114-2 to 114-4 and 114-7 to 114-9 are the openings 1111-2 to 1111-4 and 1111-7 of the storage portions 111-2 to 111-4 and 111-7 to 111-9. 1111-9 so as to pass through substantially the center in the longitudinal direction. Grooves 114-1, 114-5, 114-6, 114-10 are formed by openings 1111-1, 1111-5, 1111-6, It is formed to pass through a position shifted toward the center of the acoustic coupler 10 from the longitudinal center of 1111-10.

The peripheral wall portion 12 is a portion that contacts the ultrasonic probe 20 and is fixed to the ultrasonic probe 20 . The peripheral wall portion 12 may be formed to have higher hardness than the subject contact portion 11 . Grooves 121-1 to 121-10 communicating with the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 are formed on the inner wall of the peripheral wall 12 in the longitudinal direction. The grooves 121-1 to 121-10 are formed upward along the inner wall up to the opening 13 so that the cross section has a constant semicircular shape.

Concave portions 122 and 123 are formed in the inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12 in the lateral direction. The concave portion 122 has a shape corresponding to the convex portion 22 formed on the ultrasonic probe 20 . The concave portion 123 has a shape corresponding to that of the convex portion 23 . The positions where the concave portions 122 and 123 are formed are set based on the acoustic focus position to be changed. This makes it possible to determine the positional relationship between the ultrasonic probe 20 and the acoustic coupler 10 .

The opening 13 has, for example, a curved shape in which the open end in the longitudinal direction is recessed in the direction of the subject contact portion 11 . In addition, the shape of the opening 13 is not limited to a curved shape, and may be a linear shape.

Next, the operation of the configuration as described above will be described.
First, the operator applies an acoustic propagation medium (echo jelly) to the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 . The amount of echo jelly applied at this time is desirably larger than the appropriate amount. After applying echo jelly to the acoustic coupler 10 , the operator attaches the acoustic coupler 10 so that the tip of the ultrasonic probe 20 is accommodated in the acoustic coupler 10 . By attaching the acoustic coupler 10 to the ultrasonic probe 20 , the convex portions 22 and 23 of the ultrasonic probe 20 are fitted into the concave portions 122 and 123 of the acoustic coupler 10 . The operator may apply echo jelly directly to the acoustic emission surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and attach the acoustic coupler 10 to the ultrasonic probe 20 .

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which echo jelly is applied to the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state in which the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20. As shown in FIG. When the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20 , echo jelly is filled between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 . At this time, due to the pressure that pushes the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10, excess echo jelly is removed from the transmission range of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the acoustic radiation surface and the reception range of the ultrasonic waves received from the acoustic radiation surface. They are pushed aside to storage units 111-1 to 111-10 and stored in storage units 111-1 to 111-10.

When the amount of surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10, the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10 causes the excess echo jelly to be stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The echo jelly in the grooves is led out to the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. Here, the diameters of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 are smaller than the longitudinal lengths of the openings 1111-1 to 1111-10 of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. Therefore, part of the echo jelly that moves toward the opening 13 in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 due to the pushing pressure of the ultrasonic probe 20 moves toward the opening 13 of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. pushed back by the inner wall. If there is air between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasound probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10, the repelled echo jelly pushes this air further.

If the surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacities of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10, the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 will be discharged into the groove 121-1. 121-10 and the opening 13 to discharge.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the acoustic coupler 10 has a structure that moves the echo jelly outside the transmission range and reception range (acoustic effective portion) of the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20, that is, for example, , storage portions 111-1 to 111-10, and groove portions 114-1 to 114-10, 121-1 to 121-10 conducting from these storage portions 111-1 to 111-10 to the opening 13 are arranged inside. Have it on the side. When the acoustic coupler 10 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20, if the surface from which ultrasonic waves are emitted from the acoustic coupler 10 is the acoustic radiation surface of the acoustic coupler 10, the storage portions 111-1 to 111-10, and In other words, the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10 are formed on the non-acoustic radiation surface of the acoustic coupler 10. FIG. The acoustic coupler 10 has a structure that determines the positional relationship with the ultrasonic probe 20, that is, recesses 122 and 123 on the inner wall in the lateral direction, for example. By adopting such a configuration, when the acoustic coupler 10 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20, excess echo jelly applied to the acoustic coupler 10 is stored in the storage units 111-1 to 111-10 and , grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10, and is discharged from the opening 13 and the grooves 121-1 to 121-10. As a result, excess echo jelly can be easily discharged from between the acoustic coupler 10 and the ultrasonic probe 20, and the echo jelly can be discharged from the position intended by the operator.

Further, since the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 and the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10 are provided on the inner side surface of the acoustic coupler 10, the acoustic wave of the ultrasonic probe 20 is It doesn't affect the properties.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the case where the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 are formed up to the opening 13 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the grooves formed in the peripheral wall 12 of the acoustic coupler 10 may be integrated into at least one of the grooves.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a longitudinal sectional view of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 8, grooves 121-1 to 121-10 communicating with the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 of the subject contact portion 11 are formed on the inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12 in the longitudinal direction. The grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 are formed in a direction that changes from the upper side to the obliquely upper side from the middle, and are gathered into the groove 121-3. The groove 121-3 is formed up to the opening 13 along the inner wall. The diameter of the groove 121-3 may be the same up to the opening 13, or it may become wider after the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4 and 121-5 are consolidated. The configuration of the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 is the same as the configuration of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5.

In FIG. 8, the case where the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 are linearly bent has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 may be bent in a curved line and merged into the groove 121-3. Similarly, the grooves 121-6, 121-7, 121-9, and 121-10 may be curved and converged into the groove 121-8.

Also, in FIG. 8, the case where the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 are integrated into the groove 121-3 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the grooves 121-1 to 121-5 may be integrated into one groove other than the groove 121-3, or may be integrated into several grooves including the groove 121-3. Similarly, the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 may be integrated into one groove other than the groove 121-8, or may be integrated into several grooves including the groove 121-8.

Next, the operation of the configuration according to the second embodiment will be described.
When the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 8 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20 after applying echo jelly, the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 is filled with echo jelly. At this time, the excess echo jelly is pushed aside to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 by the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10, and is stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10.

When the amount of surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10, the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10 causes the excess echo jelly to be stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The echo jelly in the grooves is led out to the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. The echo jelly led out to the grooves 121-1 to 121-5 is concentrated in the groove 121-3. Also, the echo jelly drawn out to the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 is concentrated in the groove 121-8.

If the surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacities of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10, the echo jelly aggregated in the grooves 121-3 and 121-8 is discharged into the groove 121-3. , 121 - 8 and the opening 13 .

As described above, in the second embodiment, the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 are integrated into the groove 121-3, and the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 are combined into the groove 121-8. I am trying to concentrate on By adopting such a configuration, the surplus echo jelly is collected in the grooves 121-3 and 121-8 and then discharged from the mouth formed by the grooves 121-3 and 121-8 and the opening 13. It will be done. As a result, the excess echo jelly is easily discharged from between the acoustic coupler 10 and the ultrasonic probe 20, and the echo jelly is discharged from the position intended by the operator, so that the ultrasonic probe 20 can be easily cleaned. becomes. In addition, since there are only two parts where the echo jelly is discharged, the possibility of the hand slipping due to the discharged echo jelly can be reduced, so that the ultrasonic probe 20 can be easily grasped.

(Third embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the case where the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 are formed up to the opening 13 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. For example, at least one of the grooves formed in the peripheral wall portion 12 of the acoustic coupler 10 may be electrically connected to the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 12 .

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a longitudinal sectional view of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 9, grooves 121-1 to 121-10 communicating with grooves 114-1 to 114-10 of the subject contact portion 11 are formed on the inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12 in the longitudinal direction. Holes 124-1 to 124-5 are formed in the grooves 121-1 to 121-5, respectively, and are connected to the outer surface of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5. The diameters of the holes 124-1 to 124-5 are substantially the same as the widths of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5. Also, in each of the grooves 121-6 to 121-10, there are provided holes 124-6 to 124-10 that conduct to the outer surface while the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 are formed upward. .

Although FIG. 9 shows an example in which circular holes 124-1 to 124-5 are formed in grooves 121-1 to 121-5, respectively, the present invention is not limited to this. The shape of the holes 124-1 to 124-10 may be rectangular.

Further, FIG. 9 shows an example in which the holes 124-1 to 124-5 are formed in all of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5, but the present invention is not limited to this. A hole may be provided in at least one of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5.

Next, the action of the configuration according to the third embodiment will be described.
When the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 9 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20 after applying echo jelly, the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 is filled with echo jelly. At this time, the excess echo jelly is pushed aside to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 by the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10, and is stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10.

When the amount of surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10, the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10 causes the excess echo jelly to be stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The echo jelly in the grooves is led out to the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. In addition, the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 by the pressure of pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10 is discharged from the holes 124-1 to 124-10 to the outer surface of the ultrasonic probe 20. .

As described above, in the third embodiment, the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 are provided with the holes 124-1 to 124-10. By adopting such a configuration, excess echo jelly is discharged to the outer surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 through the holes 124-1 to 124-10. As a result, excess echo jelly is easily discharged from between the acoustic coupler 10 and the ultrasonic probe 20, and the echo jelly is discharged from the position intended by the operator. Easy to clean.

The positions of the holes 124-1 to 124-10 provided in the formation direction of the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 are not limited. However, when the holes 124-1 to 124-10 are provided in the vicinity of the subject contact portion 11 in the peripheral wall portion 12, excess echo jelly is discharged from the vicinity of the subject contact portion 11 through the holes 124-1 to 124-10. will be discharged with By doing so, the echo jelly discharged from the ultrasonic probe 20 can be reused between the subject and the ultrasonic probe 20 . That is, it is possible to reduce the labor required to apply echo jelly to the outer surface of the subject contact portion 11 before scanning.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the first to third embodiments, excess echo jelly stored in storage units 111-1 to 111-10 is drawn out through grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. explained in the example. However, it is not limited to this. For example, reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 and grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10 may be used to supply echo jelly.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a longitudinal sectional view of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 10, grooves 121-1 to 121-10 communicating with grooves 114-1 to 114-10 of the subject contact portion 11 are formed on the inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12 in the longitudinal direction. The grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 are formed in a direction that changes from the upper side to the obliquely upper side from the middle, and are gathered into the groove 121-3. The groove 121-3 is formed upward along the inner wall to a position where the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4 and 121-5 are gathered.

Holes 124-1, 124-3, and 124-5 are provided in the grooves 121-1, 121-3, and 121-5, respectively, to communicate with the outer surface. Holes 124-1 and 124-5 are provided at positions where the directions of formation of grooves 121-1 and 121-5 are changed. The hole 124-3 is provided at a position on the groove 121-3 where the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4 and 121-5 are gathered. The diameters of the holes 124-1, 124-3 and 124-5 are substantially the same as the widths of the grooves 121-1, 121-3 and 121-5. The configuration of the grooves 121-6 to 121-10 is the same as the configuration of the grooves 121-1 to 121-5. Holes 124-6, 124-8, and 124-10 communicating with the outer surface are also provided in the grooves 121-6, 121-8, and 121-10, respectively.

Note that the configuration of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the fourth embodiment is not limited to that shown in FIG. For example, the grooves 121-1, 121-2, 121-4, and 121-5 may be bent in a curved line and merged into the groove 121-3. Similarly, the grooves 121-6, 121-7, 121-9, and 121-10 may be curved and converged into the groove 121-8. Also, the number of holes provided in the groove may be seven or more, for example. Also, the positions of the provided holes can be changed. For example, instead of the holes 124-1 and 124-5 respectively provided in the grooves 121-1 and 121-5, for example, the holes 124-2 and 124-4 are formed in the grooves 121-2 and 121-4. They may be provided at respective positions. Further, instead of the holes 124-6 and 124-10 provided in the grooves 121-6 and 121-10, for example, holes 124-7 and 124-9 are provided in the grooves 121-7 and 121-9, respectively. They may be provided at respective positions.

Next, the operation of the configuration according to the fourth embodiment will be described.
When the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 10 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20 after applying echo jelly, the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 is filled with echo jelly. At this time, the excess echo jelly is pushed aside to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 by the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10, and is stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10.

When the amount of surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10, the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 20 into the acoustic coupler 10 causes the excess echo jelly to be stored in the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10. The echo jelly in the grooves is led out to the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. A part of the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-1 and 121-5 is discharged from the holes 124-1 and 124-5. A part of the echo jelly not discharged from the holes 124-1 and 124-5 and the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-2 and 121-4 are concentrated in the groove 121-3. The echo jelly guided to 121-3 and the echo jelly gathered in the groove 121-3 are discharged from the hole 124-3. A part of the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-6 and 121-10 is discharged from the holes 124-6 and 124-10. A part of the echo jelly not discharged from the holes 124-6 and 124-10 and the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-7 and 121-9 are collected in the groove 121-8. The echo jelly guided to 121-8 and the echo jelly collected in the groove 121-8 are discharged from the hole 124-8.

If one scan takes a long time, the echo jelly between the ultrasonic probe 20 and the acoustic coupler 10 may become insufficient due to drying or the like. In such a case, the operator inserts a supply port of a bottle of echo jelly into hole 124-3, for example. The operator presses the bottle in which the supply port is inserted to supply the echo jelly from the bottle into the acoustic coupler 10 . The echo jelly supplied from the hole 124-3 is led out to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 through the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 and 114-1 to 114-10. The echo jelly led out to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 fills the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10, and excess echo jelly is stored. Stored in units 111-1 to 111-10. If more echo jelly than necessary is supplied, the surplus echo jelly is discharged from at least one of holes 124-1, 124-5, 124-6, 124-8, 124-10, for example.

As described above, in the fourth embodiment, at least one of the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 is aggregated, and at least two grooves including the aggregated groove are provided with holes. By adopting such a configuration, the surplus echo jelly is concentrated in one of the grooves and discharged to the outer surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 through the hole. As a result, excess echo jelly is easily discharged from between the acoustic coupler 10 and the ultrasonic probe 20, and the echo jelly is discharged from the position intended by the operator. Easy to clean. Further, by adopting such a configuration, it is possible to supply echo jelly to the inside of the acoustic coupler 10 through the holes provided in the collective grooves.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the case where the acoustic coupler 10 is made of synthetic rubber such as butadiene rubber by integral molding has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. The acoustic coupler 10 may be composed of multiple parts.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 shows an example in which the subject contact portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are separately provided. In addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment, the subject contact portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are provided with attachment mechanisms (not shown) that are detachable from each other.

In addition, in FIG. 11 , the case where the subject contact portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are separately configured has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Acoustic coupler 10 may be composed of three or more parts.

Next, the action of the configuration according to the fifth embodiment will be described.
The operator attaches the peripheral wall portion 12 of the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 11 to the ultrasonic probe 20 . The operator applies echo jelly to the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 to which the peripheral wall 12 is attached. After applying the echo jelly, the operator attaches the subject contact portion 11 to the peripheral wall portion 12 .

When the subject contact portion 11 is attached to the peripheral wall portion 12 , the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10 is filled with echo jelly. At this time, the surplus echo jelly is pushed aside to the storage sections 111-1 to 111-10 by the pressure for attaching the subject contact section 11 to the peripheral wall section 12, and is stored in the storage sections 111-1 to 111-10.

When the amount of surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of storage sections 111-1 to 111-10, the pressure applied to attach subject contact section 11 to peripheral wall section 12 causes storage sections 111-1 to 111-10 to store the echo jelly. The echo jelly in the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10 is led out. If the surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacities of the grooves 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10, the echo jelly guided to the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 will be discharged into the groove 121-1. 121-10 and the opening 13 to discharge.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the subject contact portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are provided separately. By adopting such a configuration, when the subject contact portion 11 is attached to the peripheral wall portion 12 attached to the acoustic coupler 10, surplus echo jelly applied to the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 is It is stored in the storage portions 111-1 to 111-10 and formed by the groove portions 121-1 to 121-10 and the opening portion 13 via the groove portions 114-1 to 114-10 and 121-1 to 121-10. It will be discharged from the mouth. As a result, excess echo jelly can be easily discharged from between the acoustic coupler 10 and the ultrasonic probe 20, and the echo jelly can be discharged from the position intended by the operator.

In the fifth embodiment, the case where the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 shown in the first embodiment are formed in the inner wall of the peripheral wall 12 of the acoustic coupler 10 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. The inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12 may be provided with the groove portion or the groove portion and the hole shown in the second to fourth embodiments.

(Sixth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, when the echo jelly between the ultrasonic probe 20 and the acoustic coupler 10 runs short, the operator inserts an echo jelly bottle supply port into the hole 124-3, for example. explained. In the acoustic coupler 10 according to the sixth embodiment, the case where the echo jelly bottle 14 is connected via the tube 15 will be described.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional view of the acoustic coupler 10 according to the sixth embodiment in the transverse direction. In FIG. 12, the tube 15 is inserted into a hole 124-3 formed in the inner wall of the peripheral wall portion 12, for example. A hole 124-3 is provided in a groove where a plurality of grooves are aggregated, for example, as shown in the fourth embodiment. The tube 15 is connected, for example, to the supply port 141 of the bottle 14 held by a holder.

Next, the operation of the configuration according to the sixth embodiment will be described.
The operator presses the bottle 14 when the acoustic coupler 10 shown in FIG. 12 is attached to the ultrasonic probe 20 and when the echo jelly between the ultrasonic probe 20 and the acoustic coupler 10 is insufficient. When the bottle 14 is pressed, the echo jelly is supplied from the supply port 141 through the tube 15 to the hole 124-3 of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the acoustic coupler 10. FIG. The echo jelly supplied from the hole 124-3 is led out to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 through the grooves 121-1 to 121-10 and 114-1 to 114-10. The echo jelly led out to the reservoirs 111-1 to 111-10 fills the space between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 and the inner bottom surface 113 of the acoustic coupler 10, and excess echo jelly is stored. Stored in units 111-1 to 111-10. If more echo jelly than necessary is supplied, the surplus echo jelly is discharged, for example, through holes 124-1, 124-5 shown in FIG. 10 and holes 124-6, 124- 8,124-10 is discharged.

As described above, in the sixth embodiment, the echo jelly bottle 14 is connected through the tube 15 to the hole provided in the groove portion that gathers the other groove portions in the peripheral wall portion 12 . By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to easily supply echo jelly to the inside of the acoustic coupler 10 as required.

Further, if a hole for ejecting the echo jelly is provided in the vicinity of the subject contact portion 11 in the peripheral wall portion 12, the echo jelly can be ejected in the vicinity of the subject contact portion 11 through the hole. This eliminates the need to apply echo jelly to the outer surface of the object contact portion 11 before scanning.

(Seventh embodiment)
In the first to sixth embodiments, the cases where the acoustic coupler 10 is provided with the reservoir and the groove have been described. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the reservoir and groove may be formed in the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the ultrasonic probe 30 according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration example when a conventional acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe 30 shown in FIG. Although FIGS. 13 and 14 show an example of using a linear probe as the ultrasonic probe 30, the type of ultrasonic probe may be a convex type or a sector type.

The ultrasonic probe 30 shown in FIG. 13 has storage portions 31-1 to 31-3 and groove portions 32-1 to 32-3 formed on one side surface in the longitudinal direction. In addition, storage portions 31-4 to 31-6 and groove portions 32-4 to 32-6 are formed on the other side surface of the ultrasonic probe 20 in the longitudinal direction.

The reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 are provided in the vicinity of the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 30 so that the side surface of the ultrasonic probe 30 is hollowed out by a predetermined depth. The openings 311-1 to 311-6 of the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 have a substantially rectangular shape. The shape of the openings 311-1 to 311-6 is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape, and may be an elliptical shape, for example. The shapes of the openings 311-1 to 311-6 are substantially the same. The reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 are formed with a predetermined gap between adjacent reservoirs. Note that the interval between the storage portions is not essential, and storage portions that are integrally provided in the longitudinal direction may be formed on the longitudinal side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 30 .

The grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are formed from the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 toward the grasping portion 33 of the ultrasonic probe 30, respectively. The grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are formed so that the length formed in the direction of the holding portion 33 is longer than the length of the opening from the inner bottom surface of the acoustic coupler. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, even when the acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe 30, the ends of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 on the side of the grasping portion 33 are covered with the acoustic coupler. can be avoided. The grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are formed to have, for example, semicircular cross sections. The diameters of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are smaller than the longitudinal lengths of the openings 311-1 to 311-6 of the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6. The grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are formed so that the intervals between adjacent grooves are the same. Note that the shape of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 is not limited to this. For example, the diameters of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 may be substantially the same as the longitudinal lengths of the openings of the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6.

Protrusions 34 and 35 are formed on the lateral side surfaces of the ultrasonic probe 30 . The protrusions 34 and 35 have shapes corresponding to recesses (not shown) formed in the inner wall of the acoustic coupler in the lateral direction. The positions where the convex portions 34 and 35 are formed are set based on the acoustic focus position to be changed. This makes it possible to determine the positional relationship between the ultrasonic probe 30 and the acoustic coupler.

Next, the operation of the configuration as described above will be described.
First, the operator applies echo jelly to the inner bottom surface of the acoustic coupler. The amount of echo jelly applied at this time is desirably larger than the appropriate amount. After applying the echo jelly to the acoustic coupler, the operator attaches the acoustic coupler so that the tip of the ultrasonic probe 30 is accommodated in the acoustic coupler. By attaching the acoustic coupler to the ultrasonic probe 30, the convex portion of the ultrasonic probe 30 is fitted into the concave portion of the acoustic coupler. The operator may apply echo jelly directly to the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 30 and attach an acoustic coupler to the ultrasonic probe 30 .

When the acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe 30, echo jelly is filled between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 30 and the inner bottom surface of the acoustic coupler. At this time, due to the pressure of pushing the ultrasonic probe 30 into the acoustic coupler, the surplus echo jelly is removed from the transmission range of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the acoustic radiation surface and the reception range of the ultrasonic waves received by the acoustic radiation surface. They are pushed aside to the storage portions 31-1 to 31-6 of the acoustic wave probe 30 and stored in the storage portions 31-1 to 31-6.

When the amount of excess echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6, it is stored in the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 by the pressure pushing the ultrasonic probe 30 into the acoustic coupler. The echo jelly is led out to the grooves 32-1 to 32-6. Here, the diameters of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 are smaller than the longitudinal lengths of the openings 311-1 to 311-6 of the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6. Therefore, part of the echo jelly that moves toward the grasping portion 33 in the storing portions 31-1 to 31-6 due to the pressing pressure of the ultrasonic probe 30 moves toward the grasping portion 33 side of the storing portions 31-1 to 31-6. pushed back by the inner wall. If there is air between the acoustic radiation surface of the ultrasound probe 30 and the inner bottom surface of the acoustic coupler, the repelled echo jelly pushes this air further.

When the surplus echo jelly exceeds the capacity of the grooves 32-1 to 32-6, the echo jelly guided to the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 is transferred to the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 and the ultrasonic probe. 30 is discharged.

As described above, in the seventh embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 30 has a structure for moving the echo jelly outside the transmission range and reception range of the acoustic radiation surface, that is, for example, the reservoirs 31-1 to 31- 6 and grooves 32-1 to 32-6 formed from the reservoirs 31-1 to 31-6 with predetermined lengths are provided on the side surfaces in the longitudinal direction. The ultrasonic probe 30 has a structure that determines the positional relationship with the acoustic coupler, that is, has protrusions 34 and 35 on the lateral side surfaces, for example. By adopting such a configuration, when the acoustic coupler is attached to the ultrasonic probe 30, the excess echo jelly is stored in the storage portions 31-1 to 31-6, and the groove portions 32-1 to 32- 6, it is discharged from the mouth formed by the grooves 32-1 to 32-6 and the ultrasonic probe 30. FIG. As a result, excess echo jelly can be easily discharged from between the ultrasonic probe 30 and the acoustic coupler, and the echo jelly can be discharged from the position intended by the operator.

According to at least one embodiment described above, even if echo jelly is excessively applied, it is easy to attach the acoustic coupler to the ultrasonic probe, and the burden of cleaning can be reduced.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Acoustic coupler 11... Subject contact part 12... Surrounding wall part 13... Opening part 14... Bottle 141... Supply port 15... Tubes 20, 30... Ultrasonic probe 21... Acoustic lenses 22, 23... Convex parts 31-1 to 31 -6... Storage parts 311-1 to 311-6... Openings 32-1 to 32-6... Grooves 33... Grip parts 34, 35... Convex parts 111-1 to 111-10... Storage parts 1111-1 to 1111- 10... Opening 112... Convex part 113... Inner bottom face 114-1 to 114-10... Groove part 121-1 to 121-10... Groove part 122, 123... Concave part 124-1 to 124-10... Hole

Claims (6)

In an ultrasonic probe coupler that is attached to the acoustic radiation surface side of an ultrasonic probe and that interposes an acoustic propagation medium between itself and the ultrasonic probe,
structure for moving the acoustic propagation medium out of the transmission and reception ranges of the acoustic radiation surface;
A structure that determines the positional relationship with the ultrasonic probe ;
and
The structure for moving the sound propagation medium includes:
a plurality of reservoirs for storing the acoustic propagation medium; a plurality of grooves connected to the plurality of reservoirs for leading out the acoustic propagation medium exceeding the capacity of the reservoirs; a discharge unit that collects the acoustic propagation medium and discharges the collected acoustic propagation medium out of the transmission range and the reception range of the acoustic radiation surface;
Coupler for ultrasonic probe. holes are formed in the plurality of grooves ;
The ultrasonic probe coupler according to claim 1 . the plurality of reservoirs and the plurality of grooves are provided on a non-acoustic radiation surface ;
The ultrasonic probe coupler according to claim 1 or 2 . The positional relationship with the ultrasonic probe is determined by contacting a part of the ultrasonic probe coupler with the ultrasonic probe ,
4. The ultrasonic probe coupler according to claim 1 . consist of a single part ,
The ultrasonic probe coupler according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . composed of a plurality of parts including at least a part provided on the acoustic radiation surface side and a part for fixing the part to the ultrasonic probe ;
The ultrasonic probe coupler according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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