JPH02121646A - Shock wave treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily grasp the crushing degree of an object to be crushed by obtaining Doppler data by detecting the phase of the reflected component of the ultrasonic wave from the object to be crushed in a living body and making said data audible. CONSTITUTION:A shock wave treatment apparatus has the first means 13 obtaining doppler data by detecting the phase of the reflected component of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the object 22 to be crushed in a living body and the second means 28 for making the Doppler data audible. By these means, the crushing degree of said object 22 crushed by the shock wave transmitted from a shock wave applicator 15 can be grasped easily and it is unnecessary to irradiate a living body with the shock wave in necessary or more quantity. Further, if a switch circuit 27 for preventing the shock wave component transmitted to the living body from becoming audible is added, objective Doppler sound can be sharply monitored. The first and second means can be realized from a phonocardiograph.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] fObject of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is directed to the use of disrupted substances existing in a living body, such as cancer cells,
The present invention relates to a shock wave treatment device that destroys and treats stones, etc. using the focused energy of shock waves.

(Prior art) As a device for crushing stones in a living body, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-49
There is one disclosed in 843. FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the ultrasonic applicator of this device.

The ultrasonic applicator 1 shown in the figure has a rear hole of a predetermined shape in the center, a concave vibrator 2 formed with a predetermined curvature, and a concave vibrator 2 on the back surface thereof. It has a backing material 3 adhered in a similar manner. Ultrasonic probe 4
is arranged so that the wave transmitting/receiving surface (ultrasonic array) 4a is on the same curved surface as the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface of the concave camera element 2 or at a position set back from that surface. Note that 5 is necessarily a water bag, and 6 is a living body.

By the way, when the above-mentioned device is used to crush a calculus in a living body, it is necessary to align the focal point of the shock wave with the calculus, and this is called focal point positioning. This focal point positioning is performed by displaying a marker indicating the shock wave focal point position along with an 8-mode image (tomographic image) of the living body on the display means, and aligning the focal point marker with the stone on the display screen. is possible. Here, the marker indicates the focal point position determined geometrically by the applicator 1.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, it is difficult to confirm the degree of crushing of the object to be crushed on the above-mentioned B mode. Therefore, there was a risk that the living body would be irradiated with shock waves more than necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a shock wave treatment device that facilitates understanding of the degree of crushing of objects to be crushed.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has a shock wave generating means for transmitting a shock wave toward a living body, and the shock wave transmitted from the shock wave generating means destroys an object to be crushed in the living body. In a shock wave therapy device designed to crush an object in a living body, the first means obtains Doppler information by phase-detecting the reflected component of the ultrasonic wave transmitted toward the object to be crushed in the living body, and the second means makes this Doppler information audible. It has two means.

(Function) The crushing impact wave generates a large pressure (several 100 to 1000 bar) at the focal point. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, at the moment when the shock wave 24 hits the object 23 to be crushed, the object 23 to be crushed receives a large pressure and moves in the F direction. After this shock wave 24 has passed, the object 24 to be crushed is subjected to pressure from the surrounding tissue of the object as shown in FIG. ．Move your legs.

Here, if the object 24 to be crushed is not crushed by the above-mentioned shock wave, the object 24 to be crushed will vibrate attenuated while retaining its original shape, but if it is crushed, the object 24 will vibrate attenuated as shown in FIG. The small pieces of the object to be crushed 24 are moved to the four-sided hull depending on the relative position to the shock wave focal point and the surrounding situation.

Therefore, by transmitting ultrasonic waves toward an object to be crushed and detecting the phase of the reflected component to obtain Doppler information, it is possible to grasp the degree of crushing of the object from this Doppler information.

Therefore, in the present invention, Doppler information is obtained by the first means, and this Doppler information is made audible by the second means, thereby making it easier to understand the degree of crushing of the object to be crushed.

Here, the Doppler information can be obtained by 1q using a pulsed Doppler method or a continuous wave Doppler method. In addition, the first
．． The second means can be realized by a Doppler phonocardiograph.

Furthermore, if the third means prevents the 11-wave components transmitted toward the living body from becoming audible, the target Doppler sound can be clearly monitored.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to Examples.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention.

16 is a shock wave applicator, and this applicator 1
Reference numeral 6 includes a shock wave generating means 16a formed in a spherical shape, and a water bag 16b that efficiently transmits the shock waves generated by the means 16a to the living body P. Shock wave generating means 16
A may be a concave vibrator as shown in FIG. 8, or may include a spirally wound coil and a metal film disposed close to the coil. Naruden vi!
An inductive sound source may also be applied. Water bag 16b is bellows part 1
It has 6C and is expandable and retractable. An ultrasonic probe 17 is attached to the center of this shock wave applicator 16. This ultrasonic probe 17 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves toward the living body P, and has a plurality of transducers 17a arranged in an array at its tip.

21 is a pulsar, and the shock wave generating means 16a is driven by this pulsar 21. The timing of this drive is controlled by the timing controller 2Q.

The shock wave generation timing signal from the timing controller 20 is transmitted to the pulser 21 and also to the switch 27.

This switch circuit 27 connects and disconnects the transmission path of the Doppler sound signal in synchronization with the shock wave generation timing signal.

26 is a crushing clock generating section that generates a crushing clock, and this crushing clock is transmitted to the timing controller 20 via a frequency dividing circuit 24 arranged at a subsequent stage. Further, 10 is necessary for an RPG (rate pulse generator), and this RPGIO is necessary for generating rate pulses. The generated rate pulse is sent to the transmission/reception control section 11. DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 14. and is taken into the delay circuit 23. The delay circuit 23 delays the rate pulse for a predetermined period of time, and the delayed rate pulse is taken into the timing controller 20. 25 is a system controller, and this system controller 25 is in charge of controlling the operation of the entire apparatus of this embodiment.

Further, the transmission/reception control unit 11 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves via the ultrasound probe 17, and consists of a transmission system and a reception system. The transmission system includes a transmission delay unit that gives a predetermined delay time to the rate pulse, and a pulser that generates a drive pulse to excite the transducer in the ultrasound probe 17 in accordance with this delay output. The reception system includes a preamplifier that amplifies the ultrasound echo received by the ultrasound probe 17, a reception delay section that gives a predetermined delay time to this amplified output, and an adder that adds this delayed output. etc.

(The B-mode processing circuit 12 and the Doppler processing circuit 13 are arranged at the subsequent stage of the transmission/reception control section 11.

The B-mode processing circuit 12 includes a detector that performs amplitude detection of the output (added output) of the transmission/reception control section 11, an A/D (analog-digital) converter that converts this JE wide wave output into a digital signal, etc. The A/D conversion output is transmitted to the DSC 14.

The DSC 14 has a frame memory.
At 14, scan conversion between the sampling system and the display system is performed. The data write timing to the frame memory within the DSC 14 is determined by the data take-in timing signal from the delay counter 19. The scan conversion output from the DSC 14 is then transmitted to the display section 15, where a B-mode image of the living body is visualized.

The Doppler processing circuit 13 includes a phase detection circuit that detects the phase of ultrasound echoes and a sample gate setting processing circuit that performs sample gate setting processing, and the Doppler information is extracted as an audio output. The signal is transmitted to the speaker 28 via the switch circuit 27 and made audible.

Here, the Doppler processing circuit 13 forms a first means in the present invention, and the spill force 28 forms a second means in the present invention.

Next, the operation of the embodiment device configured as described above will be explained.

Ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received by the transmission/reception control section 11 via the ultrasound probe 17, and a B-mode image of the living body P is formed in the frame memory in the DSC 14 through processing by the B-mode processing circuit 12, which is displayed on the display section 15. displayed above.

Furthermore, when the timing controller 20 sends out a shock wave generation timing signal, the pulser 21 outputs a drive signal, and thereby the shock wave generation means 16a generates a shock wave that is focused within the living body P.

Here, details of shock wave generation timing control will be explained.

FIG. 2 shows the operation timing of the device of this embodiment.

The output of RPGlo (rate pulse) is sent to the delay circuit 23
The signal is delayed by a time t, and then taken into the timing controller 20. On the other hand, the crushing clock generator 2
6 is frequency-divided by the frequency dividing circuit 24 and transmitted to the timing controller 20. Then, the timing controller 20 outputs a shock wave generation timing signal at the time when the output of the delay circuit 23 rises for the first time after the output of the frequency dividing circuit 24 becomes high level. A shock wave is generated at the rising edge of this shock wave generation timing signal. According to such timing control, the position where the influence of the shock wave appears in the B-mode image can be arbitrarily controlled. That is, by changing the delay time in the delay circuit 23, the part affected by the shock wave can be located at the outermost edge of the B-mode image, for example, as shown by 15a in FIG.

On the other hand, when the ultrasound echo is taken into the Doppler processing circuit 13, phase detection is performed in this processing circuit 13, Doppler information is taken out as audio output, and it is transmitted to the speaker 28 via the switch circuit 27. It is made audible here. By monitoring this Doppler sound, it is possible to easily grasp the degree of crushing of the object to be crushed. Here, the above-mentioned Doppler information collection is performed by the pulse alignment method, and Doppler information is obtained at the sample gate position set on the B-mode image. In other words, by setting the above-mentioned sample gate in advance at a location where an object to be crushed exists, Doppler information only in the vicinity of the object to be crushed can be obtained.

In addition to the pulse alignment method, it is also possible to apply the continuous wave Doppler method. In this case, a transducer dedicated to continuous wave Doppler should be provided near the ultrasonic probe 17 for collecting B-mode image information, or a part of the transducer group of the probe 17 (17b) should be provided as shown in FIG. ) may be used to transmit and receive continuous waves.

Furthermore, if a shock wave component is mixed into the Doppler sound made audible by the speaker 28, it may become difficult to monitor the Doppler sound. Therefore, in the device of this embodiment, the shock wave component is masked by turning on and off the switch circuit 27 in synchronization with the shock wave generation timing signal from the timing controller 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the switch circuit 27 is turned off (open state) at the rising timing of the output of the timing controller 20, and signal transmission to the speaker 28 is blocked for a predetermined period of time. In this way, the shock wave component is not mixed into the Doppler sound, so the Doppler sound can be clearly monitored.

Therefore, the third means in the present invention is realized by this switch circuit 27.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment.

This embodiment uses a Doppler phonocardiograph 30.

This Doppler phonocardiograph 30 includes an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving section 30a, a Doppler phonocardiograph main body 30b, and a speaker 30c.

The ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving unit 30a transmits ultrasonic waves toward the object 22 to be crushed within the living body P, and receives the reflected components. Main body 30b
Then, Doppler information is obtained from the reflected components of the ultrasonic waves, and the information is made audible by the speaker 30G. Therefore, the main body 30b realizes the first means of the present invention, and the speaker 30c realizes the second means of the present invention.

In the main body 30b, the shock wave component is masked in synchronization with the shock wave generation timing signal from the timing controller 20, and its specific configuration is the same as that shown in FIG. Therefore, the third means of the present invention is also realized by this main body 30b.

Even with this configuration, since Doppler sound can be monitored, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be achieved.

In addition, the shift frequency of the ultrasonic wave is determined from the received echo of the ultrasonic wave, and based on this, CFM (color flow mapping) is performed.
! 2a processing may be performed, and this processed image may be superimposed on the 8-mode image and displayed. This CFM processing can be executed using the same circuit used for blood flow imaging.

This CFM image display has the following advantages.

It is thought that the Doppler signal of a fragmented object, such as a stone, is larger than that of other tissues. Therefore, if a relatively weak shock wave is transmitted during positioning, the stone position can be determined using the CFM described above.
It is possible to determine L2 with certainty on e. Of course, even if a powerful shock wave is sent for crushing, the position of the object to be crushed will be within the CF.
It is clear from the M image.

Furthermore, when a strong shock wave is applied to living tissue, the tissue deforms and moves, so the position of the focal point of the actually transmitted shock wave can be confirmed on the above CFM image.

Furthermore, the state of movement of the crushed object differs depending on whether the object is crushed by shock wave irradiation or not, and the size of the small pieces caused by the crushing. The above CFin! You can check it above.

Therefore, by displaying CFM@ in addition to making Doppler information audible as described above, it becomes easier to confirm the degree of crushing of the object to be crushed, and effective shock wave treatment becomes possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a shock wave therapy device that can easily grasp the degree of crushing of an object by making ultrasonic Doppler information audible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an operation timing diagram of the device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram of main parts when collecting Doppler information using the continuous wave Doppler method. , FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment, FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are illustrations of movement of objects to be crushed by shock waves, and FIG. 8 is an illustration of a conventional example. 13... Doppler processing circuit (first means), 16...
Shock wave applicator, 16a... Shock wave generating means, 17... Ultrasonic probe, 22... Object to be crushed, 2
7... Switch circuit (third means), 28... Speaker (second means), 30... Doppler phonocardiograph, P... Living body. Fig. Broom・3 Fig. Broom broom Fig. 3

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a shock wave treatment device that has a shock wave generating means for transmitting shock waves toward a living body, and is configured to crush an object to be crushed in the living body by the shock waves transmitted from the shock wave generating means, a first means for obtaining Doppler information by phase-detecting a reflected component of an ultrasound wave transmitted toward an object;
A shock wave therapy device comprising a second means for making this Doppler information audible. (2) The shock wave therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the Doppler information is obtained by a pulsed Doppler method. (3) The shock wave therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the Doppler information is obtained by a continuous wave Doppler method. (4) The shock wave therapy device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the first means and the second means are realized by a Doppler phonocardiograph. (5) Claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, further comprising a third means for preventing the shock wave component transmitted toward the living body from becoming audible.
Shock wave therapy device as described.