JPH04244143A - Rotatable type ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform inhibition or the like of heat generation caused by slide contact between a hood tube and a rotation transmitting cable as done in a radial scanning or the like while enabling the supply of a light acting as an ultrasonic propagation medium efficiently with an ultrasonic probe being inserted into a part desired for inspection in vivo or the like. CONSTITUTION:A water supply connector 32 is connected to a hood tube 14 composing the outermost layer of a cord 12 of an ultrasonic probe 10 and a water supply piping 33 is connected to the water supply connector 32 from a water supply tank 34 while a clearance 31 is provided as opening for the flow out of the liquid between the tip of the hood tube 14 and a rotary member 11 provided with an ultrasonic vibrator 13. Thus, the supply of a ultrasonic propagation medium is performed utilizing the inside of the hood tube 14 as liquid passage while heat generation is inhibited between the hood tube 14 and the rotation transmitting cable 15.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe that is inserted into a patient's body and performs ultrasonic examination by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves through the body cavity wall. The present invention relates to a rotatable ultrasonic probe in which a sonic transducer is rotatable.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, ultrasonic testing devices that are inserted into the body and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves from a position near the affected area have come into use. Ultrasonic probes have also been developed that are inserted into the body through a channel section through which forceps or other treatment tools are inserted, and that allow ultrasonic examinations to be performed under the supervision of an endoscope. There is a particularly strong demand for ultrasonic probes inserted endoscopically to be smaller in diameter, and for this purpose, a single-plate ultrasonic transducer is attached to the tip of a flexible thin-diameter cord. The signal cable from the ultrasonic transducer is inserted into this cord.

[0003] Ultrasonic scanning methods include an electronic scanning method and a mechanical scanning method. In the case of electronic scanning, a large number of ultrasonic transducers must be installed, so the ultrasonic probe that is inserted endoscopically as described above can only be equipped with a single-plate ultrasonic transducer. For this purpose, it is of a mechanical scanning type in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received while mechanically moving an ultrasonic transducer in a predetermined direction. In this case, the scanning direction includes a linear scanning type in which the ultrasonic transducer is moved in a linear direction, and a radial scanning type in which the ultrasonic transducer is rotated.

In a mechanical radial scanning type ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transducer is attached to a rotating member,
It is necessary to drive this rotating member to rotate. However, due to the need for smaller diameters, it is not possible to provide a rotational drive mechanism at the tip of the cord to directly drive the rotational member. For this purpose, the rotary member must be rotated by remote control from outside the channel of the endoscope, and the rotation transmission means must be flexible and efficiently transfer the rotational torque. must be configured to communicate. In response to the above requirements, rotation transmission cables have traditionally been constructed using multiple coil springs consisting of an inner tight coil spring wound in one direction and an outer tight coil spring wound in the opposite direction. . This rotation transmission cable is entirely flexible under normal conditions, and when it is rotated in the direction in which the inner coil spring expands in diameter, the outer coil spring contracts in diameter, causing both The coil springs come into close contact with each other and the entire rotation transmission cable is rotated around the axis. This rotation transmission cable is inserted into a flexible mantle tube with at least one fixed end, and the signal cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer is inserted into an inner coil spring. It has become. Note that the rotation transmission cable is not only made of double coil springs, but also triple coil springs, with the middle coil spring wound in one direction and the inner and outer coil springs wound in the opposite direction. It can also be configured to rotate, and with this configuration, rotational torque can be transmitted in both left and right rotational directions.

[0005] With the above configuration, when a rotation drive means such as a motor is attached to the portion of the cord located outside the endoscope, and this motor is connected to the rotation transmission cable, the motor is operated. The rotation transmission cable inserted into the mantle tube rotates around the axis together with the signal cable, thereby making it possible to rotate the rotation member connected to the tip thereof.

Furthermore, even with linear scanning type ultrasound probes, it is necessary to adjust the angle of the ultrasound transducer to a predetermined angle with respect to the body cavity wall to be examined. Similar to other types of ultrasonic probes, a rotary member equipped with an ultrasonic transducer is connected to the tip of a rotation transmission cable, and this rotation transmission cable is inserted through a mantle tube to form a cord. However, in the case of this linear scanning type, since the purpose is to adjust the angle of the ultrasonic transducer, a motor is not connected to the rotation transmission cable, and the rotation transmission cable is manually operated at a predetermined angle around the axis. It is configured to rotate.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, when performing ultrasonic examinations, it is necessary to create air between the ultrasonic transducer and the body cavity wall in order to prevent as much as possible attenuation of the transmitted and received ultrasonic signals. There must be no intervening layers. Therefore, when performing an ultrasonic examination, an ultrasonic propagation medium is filled inside the body, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in this ultrasonic propagation medium. As this ultrasonic propagation medium, water that does not adversely affect the human body, particularly degassed water that does not contain air bubbles, is preferably used.

[0008] As mentioned above, in order to perform an ultrasonic examination, a large amount of water must be injected into the body. Therefore,
For ultrasonic probes that are inserted endoscopically, this water supply route is used because the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the channel of the endoscope. Either they are not available, or if they are available, their flow path cross-sectional areas are severely limited. Further, since the endoscope is provided with an air/water supply section for cleaning the observation window and the like, water can also be supplied from this air/water supply section. However, the amount of water that can be sent from this air/water feeding section is not very large, and since the water is ejected as a jet from the air/water nozzle, air bubbles will be generated, which is not preferable. Based on the above, before performing an ultrasonic test, first remove the ultrasonic probe from the channel, feed water into the channel, and then insert the ultrasonic probe into the channel. There is.

[0009] The water supplied into the body cavity will flow out in a relatively short period of time, so water must be fed frequently, and each time the ultrasonic probe is inserted into the channel. Since it is necessary to attach and detach the device, this operation is extremely troublesome.

Furthermore, especially in the case of a radial scanning type ultrasonic probe, not only the rotating member equipped with the ultrasonic transducer but also the entire rotation transmission cable rotates. There are also problems such as the cable slidingly contacting the jacket tube and generating heat, and the inner surface of the jacket tube being significantly worn.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to supply water as an ultrasonic propagation medium necessary when scanning an ultrasonic transducer. An object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable ultrasonic probe that secures a passage and, in the case of a radial scanning type, can prevent heating between the rotation transmission cable and the mantle tube when it rotates. .

0012

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention makes it possible to connect a liquid supply means to a mantle tube fitted to a rotation transmission cable made of multiple coil springs, and The feature is that a liquid outflow opening is formed between the tube and the rotating member.

[0013]

[Operation] A rotation transmission cable and a signal cable are inserted inside the outer tube, but since the rotation transmission cable is formed of multiple coil springs, the filling rate inside the outer tube is not very high. , a relatively large space can be obtained. Therefore, by using the inside of this mantle tube as a water supply path, connecting a liquid supply means to this, and constantly supplying water during ultrasonic examination, it is possible to reach the area where ultrasonic examination is to be performed. Sufficient water can be supplied. Moreover, this water also exerts a cooling function between the inner surface of the mantle tube and the rotation transmission cable, so when performing radial scanning, it is important to prevent heat generation of the cord and protect the inner surface of the mantle tube. It is particularly advantageous.

[0014]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. 1, 1 is the main body operation section 1a.
1 shows an endoscope having an insertion section 1b, and a channel section 2 for inserting forceps and other treatment tools in the endoscope 1 is provided in the insertion section 1b. The distal end of the channel portion 2 is opened at the distal end of the insertion portion 1b as a lead-out portion for a treatment instrument or the like. Further, the proximal end portion of the channel portion 2 extends to the main body operating portion 1a, and an insertion opening 2 for inserting a treatment instrument or the like in the main body operating portion 1a.
It is open as a.

The ultrasonic probe 10 performs radial scanning, and is constructed by connecting a flexible cord 12 to a rotating member 11 for this purpose. 13 is installed. In order to rotationally drive the rotating member 11 by remote control, the cord 12 is connected to a mantle tube 14 and a multiple coil spring (in the figure, a double coil spring) inserted into the mantle tube 14, as shown in FIG. ), and a signal cable 16 inserted into the rotation transmission cable 15.

Further, the cord 12 is connected to a drive unit 20 that is detachably attached to an insertion port 2a provided in the main body operation section 1a of the endoscope 1. This drive unit 20 includes a main body housing 20a and an insertion opening 2a of the channel portion 2.
The main body housing 20a includes a motor 2 as a rotational drive means for rotating the rotation transmission cable 15 around its axis.
1, and an encoder 22 as a detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer 13. The distal end of the rotation transmission cable 15 is connected to the rotating member 11 to rotate the rotating member 11 by remote control, and the proximal end thereof extends into the main body housing 20a.
A hard pipe 23 is fixedly provided on its outer surface. A pair of pulleys 24, 2 are attached to this hard pipe 23.
5 is attached to the output shaft 21 of the motor 21.
Pulleys 26 and 27 are also attached to the input shaft 22a of the encoder 22 and the input shaft 22a of the encoder 22, respectively, and transmission belts 28 and 29 such as timing belts are wound between the pulleys 24 and 26 and between the pulleys 25 and 27. There is. moreover,
The signal cable 16 inserted into the rotation transmission cable 15 is connected to a rotary type signal transmission connector 30 within the main body housing 20a. This signal transmission connector 30 uses, for example, a slip ring, a fluid contact, or the like to connect a rotating side electrode and a stationary side electrode so that they can rotate freely relative to each other.

The mantle tube 14 is made of a material with good slippage and flexibility, such as fluororesin, and its tip portion extends to a position where it faces the rotating member 11 at a predetermined distance. . Therefore, a gap 31 serving as an annular opening is formed between the mantle tube 14 and the rotating member 11. Here, the void 31
The purpose of forming this is to use the inside of the mantle tube 14 as a water supply passage and as a water outlet. In order to supply water into the outer tube 14, its proximal end is fixed to a water supply connector 32 fixed to the main body housing 20a. The water supply connector 32 has a relatively thick and hard cylindrical portion 32a that is fitted into the mantle tube 14, and a connecting portion 32b is connected to the cylindrical portion 32a. The water supply pipe 33 is detachably connected by a Luer lock mechanism or the like. Further, the other end of the water supply pipe 33 faces below the water surface in the water supply tank 34. Further, a pressurized air supply pipe 36 connected to an air pump 35 faces above the water surface of this water supply tank 34, and the water supply pipe 33 and the water supply are transferred from the water tank 34 to the water supply pipe 33 and the water Water is supplied into the mantle tube 14 through the connector 32 and is configured to be able to flow out from the gap 31 between the tip of the mantle tube 14 and the rotating member 11.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 37 denotes a sealing member interposed between the water supply connector 32 and the hard pipe 23;
8 is the main body housing 20 at the end of the hard pipe 23.
a seal part to prevent water from entering inside a;
Reference numeral 39 indicates a sealing portion for sealing the lead-out portion of the signal cable 16 in the rotating member 11.

The cord 12 of the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into an insertion passage provided in the connecting portion 20a of the drive unit 20, and is guided into the main body housing 20a in a loop shape. Further, a vibration prevention ring 40 is inserted into the loop portion of the cord 12.
0 is provided at the tip of a support rod 40a attached to the main body housing 20a. Therefore, this anti-vibration ring 4
0 prevents the cord 12 from vibrating during radial scanning, and also prevents the rotating member 11 from inserting the endoscope 1 into the insertion portion 1b.
It becomes possible to adjust the protrusion length from the

The present embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next. Insert the insertion section 1b of the endoscope 1 into the patient's body, guide it to the site where a predetermined examination or diagnosis is to be performed, and specify the position where the ultrasound examination should be performed based on the observation with the endoscope 1. do. Therefore, the tip of the insertion section 1b is positioned near the area where this ultrasonic examination is to be performed, and the ultrasonic probe 10 is inserted into the channel section 2 through the insertion port 2a of the endoscope 1, and the tip portion is rotated. The member 11 is made to protrude a predetermined length from the lead-out portion, the ultrasonic transducer 13 is made to face the area to be subjected to ultrasonic inspection, and the connecting portion 20b of the drive unit 20 is fixed to the insertion port 2a.

At the same time, the water supply pipe 33 is connected to the water supply connector 32, and the air pump 35 is operated. As a result, water in the water supply tank 34 flows from the water supply pipe 33 into the mantle tube 14 via the water supply connector 32. Here, inside the mantle tube 14 is a rotation transmission cable 15.
However, since this rotation transmission cable 15 is composed of a coil spring, the water supplied into the mantle tube 14 goes around to the inside of this rotation transmission cable 15, and the water flows through the mantle tube. 14 is filled throughout. Since a gap 31 is formed between the distal end of the mantle tube 14 and the rotating member 11, water flows into the body cavity overflowing from the gap 31. As a result, the rotating member 11 provided with the ultrasonic transducer 13 becomes submerged in water.

Therefore, when the motor 21 is operated to rotate the rotation transmission cable 15 around the axis, this rotational torque is transmitted to the rotation member 11, which rotates accordingly, causing the ultrasonic transducer to rotate. 13 rotates. During this time, when a drive signal is input to the ultrasonic transducer 13 via the signal cable 16, an ultrasonic pulse is incident from the ultrasonic transducer 13 toward the inner wall of the body cavity, reflected on the tomographic part of the body tissue, and The reflected echo is received by the ultrasound transducer 13. Then, the reception signal of this reflected echo and the rotation angle signal of the ultrasonic transducer 13 obtained by the encoder 22 are transmitted to the ultrasonic observation device, and the ultrasonic observation device performs predetermined signal processing, thereby transmitting the signal to the monitor device. The ultrasound image will be displayed.

[0023] During this ultrasonic examination, water is constantly supplied into the body cavity from the mantle tube 14, so this water acts as an ultrasonic propagation medium and directs the waves into the body. Attenuation of the transmitted ultrasound pulses and reflected echoes from within the body is prevented as much as possible. Here, water will always flow out from the body cavity where this examination is being performed, but by constantly supplying water through the mantle tube 14, water can flow out without removing the ultrasound probe 10 from the channel section 2. You can replenish the amount of water. Furthermore, since a relatively wide cross-sectional area of the flow path is obtained within the mantle tube 14, it is possible to quickly supply and replenish water. can supply large amounts of water. In addition, by making the opening area of the gap 31, which is the outlet of water, larger than the cross-sectional area of the passage inside the mantle tube 14, and by making the angle of the proximal end portion of the rotating member 11 gentle, water can flow out through the gap 31. There is no risk that the water will form a jet and create bubbles.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the mantle tube 1
4 is filled with water, so the rotation transmission cable 15
When the rotation transmission cable 15 and the outer tube 14 are rotated, the cooling function is exhibited by the action of this water, preventing the generation of heat due to the sliding contact between the rotation transmission cable 15 and the outer tube 14, and the inner surface of the outer tube 14 being It can prevent wear.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, a radial scanning type ultrasonic probe that is inserted into the channel of an endoscope has been described, but a linear scanning type ultrasonic probe that allows rotational position adjustment of the ultrasonic transducer is used. Furthermore, as long as the ultrasonic probe is formed by inserting a rotation transmission cable into a mantle tube, it can be configured as an ultrasonic probe that is inserted independently into the body or the like. Furthermore, the water supply connector may be configured to be provided integrally with the mantle tube.

[0026]

As explained above, the present invention has a structure in which a liquid supply means can be connected to the mantle tube and a liquid outflow opening is formed between the tip of the mantle tube and the rotating member. As a result, liquid can be smoothly and quickly supplied to the inside of the body cavity, etc., and when the rotation transmission cable is rotated within the mantle tube, this occurs due to sliding contact between the mantle tube and the rotation transmission cable. This has various effects such as preventing heat generation and abrasion of the inner surface of the mantle tube.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention inserted through an endoscope.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ultrasound probe of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Endoscope 2 Channel section 10 Ultrasonic probe 11 Rotating member 13 Ultrasonic transducer 14 Mantle tube 15 Rotation transmission cable 16 Signal cable 20 Drive unit 31 Voids 32 Water supply connector 33 Water supply piping 34 Water tank 35 Air pump

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A rotating member having an ultrasonic transducer attached to its tip is provided, the tip of a rotation transmission cable made of a multi-coil spring is connected to the rotating member, and the rotating cable is inserted into the mantle tube. In the ultrasonic probe, the rotary member equipped with the ultrasonic transducer can be rotated by rotating the proximal end thereof in a direction around an axis. 1. A rotatable ultrasonic probe, characterized in that the rotatable ultrasonic probe is connectable and has a structure in which a liquid outflow opening is formed between the distal end of the mantle tube and the rotary member.