JPH0464348A - Ultrasonic catheter apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable highly accurate determination of a relative position between a structure invivo and a tip of a catheter by including a tip position detecting section which displays information invivo corrected with an ultrasonic probe in an image to be converted to an image position information by a received signal from an ultrasonic vibrator at the tip of a catheter while a catheter tip is displayed at a subject point on an ultrasonic tomographic image. CONSTITUTION:A received signal processed by a signal processing section 11 is sent to an image constructing section 12 to construct an ultrasonic tomographic image of the inside of an organism A. The ultrasonic tomographic image 13 is displayed on a CRT 5. On the other hand, a tip position detecting section 7 compares the received signal sent with a timing signal from a timing generating section 8 to calculate a position of the tip of a catheter 1 to be converted to image position information of the ultrasonic tomographic image 13. Then, it is sent to an image constructing section 12 to construct a display position and the tip of the catheter 1 is displayed in an image at a subject point on the ultrasonic tomographic image 13 of the CRT 5. This allows higher safety in diagnosis and treatment by the catheter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic catheter device used for diagnosing and treating circulatory diseases using a vascular catheter or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently, vascular catheters have been actively used to diagnose and treat circulatory diseases. During this diagnosis and treatment,
Generally, the position of the tip of the catheter is detected using an X-ray camera while using a catheter containing an X-ray opaque substance or injecting an X-ray contrast agent into the catheter. There is a problem of radiation exposure of patients and workers due to radiation exposure. To solve this problem, a configuration described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-12060, for example, has recently been known as a device for detecting the position of the distal end of a catheter using ultrasonic waves. Hereinafter, the conventional ultrasonic catheter tip position detection device will be described with reference to the schematic explanatory diagram shown in FIG.

In FIG. 6, 61 is a catheter, and 62 is an ultrasonic receiver. The proximal side of the catheter 61 is connected to an ultrasonic signal generator (not shown), the distal end side is inserted into the blood vessel B of the living body A, and the ultrasonic receiver 52 is brought into contact with the body surface C.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below.

The ultrasonic signal generator generates ultrasonic waves, and the catheter 6
Ultrasonic waves are transmitted within the blood vessel B from the distal end portion 53 of the blood vessel B. an ultrasonic receiver 62 in which the transmitted ultrasonic waves are in contact with the body surface C;
The position of the tip of the catheter 61 is detected by receiving the signal.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the configuration of the conventional example as described above, the catheter 6
Although it is possible to detect the approximate position of the catheter 6, it is possible to detect the approximate location of the catheter 6 and the branching point of the blood vessel B, as well as the internal structure and catheter 6 that are necessary deep inside the body.
If the relative position to the tip of 1 cannot be grasped (
・I had some problems.

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and enables the relative position of the internal body structure and the tip of the catheter to be grasped with high precision, thereby improving the safety of diagnosis and treatment using the catheter. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic catheter device that can be used in a variety of ways.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
An ultrasound probe that transmits and receives ultrasound waves from the body surface and scans the ultrasound waves to obtain internal information; a catheter that is inserted into the body cavity; an ultrasonic transducer for receiving ultrasonic waves transmitted from the probe; a means for converting and displaying in-vivo information collected by the ultrasonic probe; and receiving from the ultrasonic transducer at the tip of the catheter. The device is equipped with a tip position detection unit that converts the signal into image position information and displays the catheter tip at a target point on the ultrasound tomographic image.

Then, C using a plurality of the above ultrasonic probes is made,
Further, the ultrasonic probe can be configured to be thin and lightweight, and the ultrasonic probe can be configured into a two-dimensional array.

Therefore, according to the present invention, ultrasonic waves are transmitted from an ultrasonic probe in contact with the body surface, reflected ultrasonic waves from within the body are received by the ultrasonic probe, and the information is converted into an image. do. During this time, the ultrasonic probe also receives the transmitted ultrasonic waves by an ultrasonic transducer at the tip of the catheter inserted into a body cavity such as a sitting canal, and transmits them as an electrical signal to the tip position detection section. The tip position detection unit calculates the position of the catheter tip from this received signal, and simultaneously displays the position of the catheter tip at the target point on the ultrasound tomographic image.

Further, by using a plurality of ultrasound probes and fixing them to the body surface of a living body, it is possible to reduce the necessary movement of the ultrasound probes.

Furthermore, by making the ultrasonic probe thin and lightweight, it can be easily fixed to the body surface.

In addition, by using a two-dimensional array of ultrasound probes and making it possible to move the imaging target area, we can maintain optimal ultrasound tomographic images that vary slightly depending on the angle, position, etc. of the ultrasound probe. Be able to do that.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic catheter device in a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a catheter, which is inserted into a blood vessel B or the like into a living body to perform diagnosis and treatment. 2 is catheter 1
An ultrasonic transducer 3 is provided at the tip of the ultrasonic transducer for receiving ultrasonic waves, and 3 is an ultrasonic probe that is brought into contact with the body surface C of the living body to display an ultrasonic tomographic image of the living body. An ultrasonic beam is transmitted to living body A, and a reflected wave from living body A is received. 4 is the ultrasound transducer 2 of the catheter 1 and the ultrasound probe 3
5 is a CR, T that displays an ultrasound tomographic image and the tip end portion of the catheter 1, and 6 is a scanning area of the ultrasound probe 3.

Figure 2 is a professional diagram of the ultrasound diagnostic equipment main body 4, and
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display image on a CRT5.

In FIG. 2, 4 is the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which includes a tip position detection section 7 of the catheter 1, a timing generation section 8, a transmission section 9, a reception section 1o, a signal processing section 11, and an image composition section. 12.

13 is a display image of the CRT5.

The above configuration will be explained in more detail below along with its operation.

The transmitter 9 generates a drive signal based on the time timing signal generated by the timing generator 8, and the ultrasound probe 3 excited based on the drive signal emits an ultrasound beam to the living body. The reflected wave from the living body A is received by the ultrasound probe 3, and this received signal is converted into an electrical signal and sent to the signal processing section 11 via the receiving section 1Q. In this way, the ultrasound is repeatedly transmitted and received to scan the imaging target region 6 in the living body A.

During this time, the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 3 are transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer 2 for reception provided at the tip of the catheter 1.
is received, converted into an electrical signal, and transmitted to the tip position detection section 7. At this time, the ultrasonic beam produced by the ultrasonic probe 3 is set to be narrow and to have high positional resolution. On the other hand, by setting the ultrasonic transducer 2 at the tip of the catheter 1 to be non-directional, the catheter 1
Regardless of the angle of the ultrasound beam emitted from the tip of the catheter and the ultrasound probe 3, the direction of the ultrasound beam will match the front part of the catheter, and a reception signal will be obtained by the ultrasound transducer 2. , it becomes possible to detect the position of the tip of the catheter 1 with high accuracy.

The received signal processed by the signal processing section 11 as described above is sent to the image composition section 12, an ultrasound tomographic image of the inside of the living body A is constructed, and the ultrasound tomographic image 13 is displayed on the CRT 5. On the other hand, the tip position detection section 7 compares the received signal sent and the timing signal from the timing generation section 8 to calculate the position of the tip of the catheter 1.
After the ultrasound tomographic image 13 is converted into image position information (luminance signal), it is sent to the image configuration unit 12 to configure the display position, and the tip of the catheter 1 is placed at the target point on the ultrasound tomographic image 13 of the CRTes. is displayed as an image. At this time, it is preferable to display a dedicated cursor or the like on the display of the distal end of the catheter 1.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by including the ultrasonic probe 3, the receiving ultrasonic transducer 2 at the tip of the catheter 1, and the tip position detection section 7, the ultrasonic probe 3 can be used. The tip of the catheter 1 is displayed on the obtained ultrasonic tomographic image 13, and the relative position between the biological structure and the tip of the catheter 1 can be grasped with high precision, and the catheter 1 can be operated reliably. This can improve the safety of diagnosis and treatment.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 3 is a partial configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic catheter device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. The ultrasonic tomographic image obtained by the probe 3 is configured to be switched on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body 4 side, and the other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

As described above, by arranging a plurality of ultrasound probes 3 in the expected path of the catheter 1, the movement process of the ultrasound probe 3 accompanying the movement of the catheter 1 can be omitted.
It becomes possible to simplify the entire process, and the time required for diagnosis and treatment can be shortened. Furthermore, it becomes possible to observe the movement of the distal end of the catheter 1 from a plurality of different directions, which helps in delicate manipulation of the catheter 1.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 is an external view of an ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic catheter device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, 3 is an ultrasonic probe, and 14 is an ultrasonic radiation surface. The ultrasound probe 3 is thinner and lighter than conventional ultrasound probes, and can be easily fixed to the body surface C using tape or the like. There is.

The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

By using the thin and lightweight ultrasound probe 3 as described above, it is possible to easily fix it to the body surface C and reduce the burden on the patient during diagnosis and treatment using the catheter 1 over a long period of time. It is possible to prevent sudden accidents such as perforation due to changes in load on the affected area due to careless movement of the ultrasound probe 3.

Note that in order to make the ultrasonic probe 3 thinner and lighter, conventionally,
Electronic circuits such as the preamplifier installed in the ultrasound probe are converted into ICs and built into the ultrasound probe to reduce noise and noise.
This is preferable in terms of crosstalk between channels, etc.
.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 6 is an external view of an ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic catheter device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, 3 is an ultrasonic probe, 16 is an ultrasonic transducer array, and the micro ultrasonic transducers 16 are arranged two-dimensionally. is variable, and the configuration allows the area to be imaged to be moved by operation from the ultrasound diagnostic device main body 4.
Ru. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

According to this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 3 is a two-dimensional array, and the imaging target area can be moved, thereby changing the angle and position of the ultrasonic probe 3. It is possible to expand the imaging area of the ultrasound probe 3 itself while always keeping the slightly changing ultrasound tomographic image in an optimal state, and to improve the tracking performance of the movement of the distal end of the catheter 1.

As described in detail, the present invention includes an ultrasonic probe for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image of a living body, and an ultrasonic probe that is provided at the tip of a catheter and that transmits ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe. a reception ultrasonic transducer for receiving sound waves; a means for imaging the biological information collected by the ultrasound probe; and a means for converting the received signal from the ultrasound transducer into image position information, Equipped with a tip position detection unit to display the position of the catheter tip at a target point on the tomographic image, it is possible to accurately determine the relative position of the catheter tip and the in-vivo situation and biological structure. This makes it possible to operate the catheter while grasping the catheter, increasing the safety of diagnosis and treatment using the catheter, and, of course, eliminating the radiation exposure problem for patients and workers that occurs when operating the catheter using a conventional X-ray camera. It can be solved.

In addition, by using multiple ultrasound probes and fixing them to the body surface of the living body, the process of moving the ultrasound probes associated with the movement of the catheter can be omitted, reducing the time required for diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, it is possible to observe the state of diagnosis and treatment at the affected area from different directions, making reliable diagnosis and treatment possible and increasing safety at the same time.

Furthermore, by making the ultrasonic probe thin and lightweight, it can be easily fixed to the body surface, reducing the burden on the patient.

In addition, by creating a two-dimensional array of ultrasound probes and making it possible to move the imaging target area, we can maintain optimal ultrasound tomographic images that vary slightly depending on the angle and position of the ultrasound probe. Therefore, more reliable and safe diagnosis and treatment can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 show an ultrasound catheter device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram, FIG. 2 is a block diagram and a display image diagram of the ultrasound diagnostic equipment main body, FIG. 3 is a partial configuration diagram showing an ultrasonic catheter device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. Fig. 6 is an external view showing an ultrasonic probe used in the ultrasonic catheter device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a position detection of the catheter tip in a conventional example. It is a block diagram showing an apparatus. 1... Catheter, 2... Ultrasonic transducer, 3...
Ultrasonic probe, 4...Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment body, 6...C
RT, 6...Scanning range of ultrasound probe, 7...Tip position detection section, 8...Timing generation section, 9...Transmission section, 10..Reception section, 11..Signal processing Part, 12...
Image composition unit, 13... Display image, 14... Ultrasonic radiation surface, 15... Ultrasonic transducer array, 16... Micro ultrasound transducer, A... Living body, B... Blood vessel , C... Body surface. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and 1 other person

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) An ultrasound probe that transmits and receives ultrasound from the body surface and scans the ultrasound to obtain information inside the body; a catheter that is inserted into the body cavity; an ultrasonic transducer for receiving ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic probe; a means for converting and displaying internal information collected by the ultrasonic probe; and an ultrasonic transducer at the tip of the catheter. an ultrasonic catheter device, comprising: a tip position detection section for converting a received signal from the ultrasonic tomographic image into image position information and displaying the catheter tip at a target point on the ultrasonic tomographic image; (2) The ultrasonic catheter device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of ultrasonic probes are used. (3) Claim 1 in which the ultrasonic probe is constructed to be thin and lightweight.
or the ultrasonic catheter device according to 2. (4) The ultrasonic catheter device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ultrasonic probes are arranged in a two-dimensional array.