JPH0512937B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a shock wave therapy device that destroys and treats objects to be crushed, such as cancer cells, stones, etc., inside a subject using the focused energy of shock waves. Regarding.

(Prior art) Conventionally, as an ultrasonic treatment device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-049843
There are some that have been disclosed. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic applicator constituting this ultrasonic treatment device.

The ultrasonic applicator 1 shown in the figure includes a concave vibrator 2 having a curvature of 10 cm in diameter and a hole of a predetermined shape provided in the center, and a backing material 3 uniformly bonded to the back surface of the concave vibrator 2. Consisting of

The second ultrasonic transducer 4 is a sector probe that is fixed in the hole and has a transducer array 4a formed by arranging thin transducers facing the curved surface of the concave transducer 2.

In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes an acoustic coupler, which is composed of a bag 6 filled with water and formed of a thin film having an acoustic impedance approximately equal to that of water.

On the other hand, an ultrasonic treatment device equipped with an ultrasonic applicator 7 as shown in FIG. 7 is also used.

That is, the ultrasonic applicator 7 shown in the figure
A concave transducer 9 similar to the concave transducer 2 shown in FIG. It is equipped with a water tank 10 which is provided facing the water tank 10 and which is filled with water, and a mechanical probe 11 which is provided inside the water tank 10.

Note that 12 in the figure indicates the focused state of the ultrasonic waves generated by the concave transducer 9.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) First, in the ultrasonic applicator 1 shown in FIG. It is placed on the same curved surface as the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface or at a position set back from that surface.

In the ultrasonic applicator having such a configuration, first, the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the second ultrasonic transducer 4 are transmitted through the water filled inside the acoustic coupler 5 and the thin film that comes into contact with the subject. Because of this, scattering, attenuation, etc. cannot be avoided. Therefore, the display image displayed on the display section (not shown) is affected by noise, making it difficult to recognize the object to be crushed.

Further, when the object to be crushed is displayed on the display section, the display position of the object to be crushed is displayed below both sides of the object, so there is a problem that it is difficult to confirm the object to be crushed.

On the other hand, the second ultrasonic transducer shown in Fig. 7 has the problems shown in Fig. 6 as well as the drawbacks due to being a mechanical probe, namely, a decrease in the displayed image quality, an increase in the size of the mechanical parts, and vibrations. There were some problems, such as being weak in comparison. Furthermore, the ultrasonic applicator shown in the figure has the disadvantage that it is difficult to handle because it is fixed to the bed 8.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shock wave therapy device that allows easy recognition of objects to be crushed within a subject.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a shock wave therapy device equipped with a shock wave applicator that transmits shock waves toward a subject. In the shock wave applicator, the shock wave applicator includes a shock wave transducer that forms a converging point of shock waves for crushing non-fragile objects within the subject, a water tank provided on the shock wave transmission surface of the shock wave transducer, and a shock wave transmission surface of the shock wave transducer. The ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface is exposed and in direct contact with the surface of the object, forming a sound field region including the focusing point, and forming a sound field area including the focusing point. The system is equipped with an ultrasonic transducer that collects image data.

(Function) The function of the present invention having the above object is to arrange an ultrasonic transducer within a shock wave transmission region from the shock wave transmission surface to a convergence point of the shock wave transducer, and to Tomographic image data of the subject is collected with the ultrasound transmitting/receiving wave surface in contact with the subject.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example in which ultrasonic waves are used as shock waves will be explained.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a shock wave therapy device according to an embodiment.

In the same figure, the shock wave treatment device includes a shock wave transducer 15 that transmits shock waves made of ultrasonic waves, and a sound field region formed by this shock wave transducer that is different from the shock wave transmission region, as will be described in detail later. an ultrasonic applicator 17 configured to include an ultrasonic transducer 16 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; a pulser 18 that sends a pulse signal to the shock wave transducer 15; A transmitting/receiving circuit 19 transmits a pulse signal to excite the ultrasonic transducer 16 to perform a sector scan, and receives an echo signal from the ultrasonic transducer 16 based on the sector scan; A signal processing circuit 20 inputs the output signal of the transmitter/receiver circuit 19, performs amplitude detection on it, and sends it as a video signal to the signal conversion system 21, and a CPU (central processing circuit) that controls each part of this device based on predetermined parameters. a controller 23 which is controlled by the CPU 22 and controls the transmission/reception timing, amplitude, frequency, etc. of the pulse signals in the transmission/reception circuit 19, the signal processing circuit 20, and the pulser 18;
the transmitting/receiving circuit 19 controlled by the CPU 22;
A signal conversion system 21 (for example, a digital scan converter) performs signal conversion processing on the output signal of the signal processing circuit 20, and a fan-shaped sound field area 25 is generated by the ultrasonic transducer 16 based on the output signal of the signal conversion system 21. , a display means 27 including a TV monitor or the like that displays a body surface image, a kidney image, a kidney stone image, etc. of the subject, the shock wave transmission area of the shock wave transducer 15, a focusing point marker 26, etc.; a subject signal detection element 28 that is formed so as to be able to be contacted with a part, for example, a limb, and sends a subject signal indicating the heartbeat of the subject to the CPU 22; and a pulse signal that is sent from the pulser 18 to the shock wave transducer 15. A pulse generation switch 29 connected to the CPU 22 and equipped with first and second switches (not shown) to set the generation timing of the pulse generation switch 29 and the relative positional relationship of the ultrasonic transducer 16 with respect to the shock wave transducer 15 and a position controller 30 for adjusting the position.

Next, the shock wave applicator 17 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

First, in FIG. 1, the shock wave applicator 17
The shock wave transducer 15 forms a focal point 41a of a shock wave for crushing an object to be crushed (for example, an ultrasonic pulse with strong energy) for crushing an object to be crushed, such as a kidney stone, in the subject 32, and this shock wave transducer A water tank 33 provided on the shock wave transmission surface 15a side of the user 15 and the shock wave transducer 1
The ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16a is exposed and in direct contact with the subject surface 32S, and includes the focal point 41a. The ultrasound transducer 16 forms a sound field region 42 and collects tomographic image data of the subject 32.

The shock wave transducer 15 includes a concave vibrator having a constant curvature and a backing material (none of which is shown) uniformly adhered to the back surface of the concave vibrator. An ultrasonic transducer 16 is attached to the center of the shock wave transducer 15 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow B via a transducer support drive section 36.

The transducer support drive unit 36 is equipped with a mechanism that can move and stop as desired in the direction of arrow B based on the control signal from the position controller 30 described above, and a drive source for the mechanism. In this embodiment, a rack member is fixed to the side surface of the ultrasonic transducer 16, and a motor is provided with a pinion gear attached to the drive shaft that meshes with the rack member. By controlling the angle, the relative positional relationship between the shock wave transducer 15 and the ultrasonic transducer 16 is adjusted. Note that this transducer support drive section 36 may have any other configuration, and does not necessarily need to be provided. That is, the ultrasonic transducer 16 may be fixed at the center of the shock wave transducer 15, or it may be a mechanism that can be manually moved in the direction of arrow B when a certain force is applied in the same direction.

By the way, on the side of the shock wave transmission surface 15a of the shock wave transducer 15, a water tank 33 filled with water as a shock wave transmission liquid is provided.

The illustrated water tank 33 is the shock wave transducer 15
It is formed into a substantially cylindrical or conical shape with a bottom that is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the cylinder. A bellows 33a that can expand and contract in the direction of arrow B or within a predetermined angle with that direction is formed on its side surface, and its bottom portion 37 is made of a thin film having an acoustic impedance approximately equal to that of water. The details are shown in Figure 2.

As shown in the figure, in the center of the bottom part 37, there is an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16 of the ultrasonic transducer 16.
A notch 37a is formed corresponding to the side surface shape of a, and in this embodiment, this notch 37a and the side surface of the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16a of the ultrasonic transducer 16 are welded or bonded. Fixed. Therefore, the thin film can be deformed as the ultrasonic transducer 16 moves. Also, from this configuration, the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16a
is in direct contact with the object surface 32S together with the thin film. In this embodiment, the bellows 33a is formed so that it can maintain its posture when no force is applied from the outside. This can be done, for example, by appropriately setting the material of the bellows 33a or by providing an auxiliary tool.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the water tank 33.

The water tanks 44 shown in the figure are common in that a bellows 33a is formed on the side surface, but in this embodiment, the bottom portion 46
The difference is that a cylindrical member 45 having the same shape as the notch 46a formed at the center of the cylindrical member 45 is formed. That is, a notch is formed in which a cylindrical member 45 having the same outer diameter dimension as the notch 46a is formed from the bottom part 46 to around the upper end 44a of the side surface, and the upper end 45a is formed in the center of the shock wave transducer 15. 43 It is made to adhere to the surrounding area. Therefore, when this water tank 44 is attached to the shock wave transducer 15, the water filled inside will not leak to the outside. The ultrasonic transducer 16 is then inserted into this cylindrical member 45. Note that this cylindrical member 45 may be formed integrally with the bottom of the water tank 44, or may be formed from a different material. The external appearance of the shock wave applicator having such a structure is shown in FIG. By the way, although the aquariums shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 have bellows formed on their sides, this is not necessarily necessary and may be formed as needed.

The operation and effect of the shock wave treatment device configured as described above will be explained mainly assuming the case where a renal stone 39 in the kidney shown at 38 in FIG. 1 is crushed and treated.

First, the water tank 33 provided in the shock wave applicator 17 is placed on the surface 32S of the subject 32, and in this state, the transmitting/receiving circuit 19, the signal processing circuit 20, and the signal conversion system 21 are controlled, and the ultrasonic transducer 16 is driven to display a tomographic image of the subject on the screen of the display means 27. In this case, since the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16a of the ultrasonic transducer 16 directly contacts the subject surface 32S, it is possible to eliminate the effects of the bottom of the tank, water, etc., and obtain a clear tomographic image. Therefore, the object to be crushed can be easily grasped and recognized.

When the kidney image 38 is depicted in the kidney layer image in this tomographic image, the kidney stone image 39 therein is searched for.

In this case, the display means 27 displays the position of the concave vibrator (not shown), the shock wave transmission area 41 of the shock wave transducer 15, and the focal point marker 26 based on the signal transmitted and received from the CPU 22 to the signal conversion system 21. are displayed at fixed positions, and the object 3 is displayed in real time.
The displayed area of the tomographic image No. 2 changes as the shock wave applicator 17 moves. In this case, the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface 16a of the ultrasonic transducer 16
is arranged in the shock wave transmission region extending from the shock wave transmission surface 15a of the shock wave transducer 15 to the convergence point, so that the display position of the object to be crushed can be located at the center of the screen. Therefore, it becomes easy to confirm the object to be crushed. In addition, the ultrasonic transducer 1
Since the relative positional relationship between the shock wave transducer 6 and the shock wave transducer 15 can be adjusted, the treatment can be further facilitated.

Then, at the stage when the kidney stone image 39 is depicted in the tomographic image, the shock wave applicator 17 is further finely adjusted so that the kidney stone image 39 is located within the focal point marker 26, and in this state, The shock wave applicator 17 is fixed. In this case, the bellows 33a
The shock wave applicator can be easily fixed because it maintains the set posture.

Next, the operator operates the first switch of the pulse generation switch 29 to send a control signal to the pulser 18 via the CPU 22 and controller 23.
As a result, a pulse signal is transmitted from the pulser 18 to the shock wave transducer 15, and the shock wave transducer 15 sends a strong energy ultrasonic pulse (shock wave for crushing the object) to a position corresponding to the position of the focus point marker 26. Waves are transmitted toward the existing kidney stone 39.

This ultrasonic pulse becomes a shock wave at the position of the kidney stone 39 and destroys the kidney stone.

By repeating the generation of such ultrasonic pulses as many times as necessary, the entire kidney stone 39 can be destroyed and treated.

Note that since the subject moves slightly due to heartbeat, breathing, etc., the subject signal detection element 28
in contact with the subject's hands, feet, chest, nose, etc.
The subject signal obtained from the subject signal detection element 28 and the signal from the pulse switch 29 are
It is more effective if the CPU 22 synchronizes and controls the timing at which the pulse signal is sent from the pulser 18.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case of crushing kidney stones has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to crushing gallstones, etc. Further, when using the water tank 33 or 44 configured as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is no need to waterproof the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer in addition to the above-mentioned effects.

[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 allows easy identification of objects to be crushed within a subject.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a shock wave applicator used in the shock wave treatment device of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views including a partial cross section showing one embodiment of a water tank,
FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the shock wave applicator shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the shock wave treatment device of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of a conventional shock wave applicator. . 15... Shock wave transducer, 15a...
Shock wave transmission surface, 16... Ultrasonic transducer, 16a... Ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface, 17... Shock wave applicator, 32... Subject, 32S... Subject surface, 33, 44... Water tank, 41a... Focusing point.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a shock wave therapy device equipped with a shock wave applicator that transmits shock waves toward a subject, the shock wave applicator forms a focal point of shock waves for crushing objects within the subject. A shock wave transducer, a water tank provided on the shock wave transmission surface of the shock wave transducer, and a water tank disposed within the shock wave transmission area from the shock wave transmission surface of the shock wave transducer to the focal point, Shock wave therapy comprising: an ultrasonic transducer that forms a sound field region including the focal point in direct contact with an exposed sound wave transmitting/receiving surface and collects tomographic image data of the subject. Device. 2. The shock wave therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the water tank is provided with a notch formed in a surface that comes into contact with the subject to correspond to the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer. 3. The shock wave therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the water tank has a substantially cylindrical shape with an insertion hole in the center through which an ultrasonic transducer can be inserted.