JPH0313287Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe, particularly an ultrasound probe with multiple transducers used for ultrasound diagnosis in the ophthalmology field. be.

[Summary of the idea]

The present invention is an ultrasonic probe with an array of transducers, in which a fixation mark is attached at least to the ultrasonic emission side to fix the line of sight of the eye being examined and obtain accurate measurement results. It is.

[Conventional technology]

When measuring axial length, anterior chamber depth, crystalline lens thickness, vitreous depth, etc. in ultrasound diagnosis in the field of ophthalmology (hereinafter referred to as ``axial length measurement''), the direction of the ultrasound beam is aligned with the ophthalmic axis (visual axis). or the optical axis). Therefore, it is necessary to fix the subject's line of sight. Conventionally, there are the following two types of methods used for such ultrasonic measurements.

(a) A-mode method...The A-mode method emits ultrasonic pulses from the transducer (piezoelectric element) of the probe, and generates echoes due to impedance mismatch from the interface between two tissues with different acoustic impedances. The pulse (reflected wave) is received by a piezoelectric element,
This is a method of displaying this to obtain position information of the mismatched part. This method is uncertain because it must be determined from the waveform alone whether the eye axis and the ultrasound beam are aligned. Also, although it is good for measuring axial length, it is difficult for other tests. In a probe used in the A-mode method, a fixation light is generally attached to the opposite side of the ultrasound emission surface, and the subject is made to gaze at this light to fix the line of sight of the eye being examined.

(b) B-mode method...The B-mode method is to sequentially change the emission position or angle of ultrasonic pulses according to the target cross-section to obtain a tomographic image, and detect mismatched areas based on the reflected waves of each emitted pulse. This method displays position information in a composite manner. The B-mode method is effective for ultrasonic diagnosis other than axial length measurement. This method includes a mechanical scanning type and an electronic scanning type. Among these, the probe used for electronic scanning B mode has a large number of strip-shaped transducers arranged.
This is placed on the subject's eyeball and the subject is instructed not to move his/her eyeball, or the subject is made to stare at something with the eye that is not being tested, thereby fixing the line of sight of the eye being tested. The operator adjusts the way the probe is applied to align the eye axis with the ultrasound beam (whether or not they are aligned is determined by looking at the B-mode tomographic image on the device), and when they are aligned, the operator adjusts the distance. is being measured.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In the case of a probe with an array of transducers like the one above,
It is difficult to obtain the necessary conditions using methods of fixating the eyeballs using verbal commands such as "look to the right,""look to the left," and "stop." Furthermore, even if the eye other than the test eye is made to gaze at something, this will not accurately align the eye axis of the test eye with the ultrasound beam. Therefore, measurement results were often inaccurate.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple method for aligning the ultrasound beam with the eye axis in an ultrasound probe with an array of transducers used in B-mode electronic scanning ultrasound diagnostic equipment, and to provide accurate The purpose is to enable distance measurement.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention solves the above problems by providing a fixation mark on at least the ultrasonic emission surface side of a probe having an array of transducers.

[Effect]

When the subject is made to gaze at the above mark directly or through an acoustic intervention such as water or a bag filled with water or oil, the vibration of the eyeball stops and the ultrasound beam and eye axis align. .

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an acoustic lens, 2 is an acoustic matching layer, 3 is a vibrator, and 4 is a backing (back)
material, 5 is a mark. In this example, mark 5 is a clearly colored mark that is different from the surroundings, and this is
It can be provided not only on the surface of the acoustic lens 1 as shown in the figure, but also on the surface of the acoustic matching layer 2 or arrayed vibrator 3 if the layer thereon is transparent.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. 6 is a light emitting diode, and 7 is a lead wire. In this example, a light emitting body such as a light emitting diode is provided as a mark, and this can be provided not only on the surface of the arrayed vibrator 3 as shown in the figure, but also on the surface of the acoustic matching layer 2 or the acoustic lens 1. good.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 8 is a transparent layer. In this example, a part of an acoustic lens 1, an acoustic matching layer 2, and a vibrator 3 are cut out, and a light emitting diode 6 is attached to the cutout part.

4 and 5 are a perspective view and a sectional view, respectively, showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 9 is an optical fiber, 10 is a light emitting source, and 11 is a light emitting end. The light emitting source 10 is provided on the back of the vibrator 3 or on the device body (not shown). Also, the light emitting end 1
1 may be located not only on the surface of the illustrated acoustic lens 1 but also on the surface of the acoustic matching layer 2 or the surface of the vibrator 3.

In all of the above examples, the beam is placed at the center of the probe in order to align the eye axis of the ultrasound beam, but in addition to this mark, for example, a mark for fixation is placed on the ultrasound emission surface or elsewhere. By placing multiple marks at the locations of A tomographic image can be easily obtained when

Furthermore, although the above description has been made using an example of a probe in which the transducers are arranged in a straight line, the present invention can also be applied to other probes in which the transducers are arranged in a circular arc. be.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, in an electronic scanning ultrasonic diagnostic device, the mark of the probe of the present invention is placed on the subject directly or with an acoustic inclusion such as water or a bag filled with water or oil. By directing the patient to gaze through the eye, it is possible to easily stop the movement of the eyeball and align the ultrasound beam with the eye axis. In this case, since the operator can perform the operation while viewing the tomographic image of the eyeball, accurate and reproducible axial length measurement is possible. Furthermore, by providing a plurality of marks, there is an advantage that ultrasonic examination other than axial length measurement can be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the second embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the invention.
and FIG. 5 are a perspective view and a sectional view, respectively, showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 3... vibrator, 5, 6, 11... mark.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] An ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of transducers are arranged and a visible mark is provided on the ultrasonic emission surface side, and the mark is constituted by an optical fiber and a light emitting source. An ultrasonic probe featuring: