JPH0541508U - Ultrasonic probe with water bag - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To always ensure good sound propagation regardless of the body surface shape. [Structure] A water bag unit 12 is detachably attached to the probe 10. The water bag unit 12 includes a water bag 14 and a water bag holder 16. The inside of the water bag 14 is filled with the acoustic propagation liquid, and the water bag 14 is freely deformed according to the body surface shape when a living body comes into contact with the water bag 14. The stopper 32 is provided with a needle stopper that restricts the entry of the tip of the water injection needle when the water injection needle is inserted.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe with a water bag that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves for ultrasonic diagnosis of a living body.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Generally, when performing ultrasonic diagnosis inside a living body, an ultrasonic probe is brought into contact with the surface of the living body, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in that state. In ultrasonic diagnosis, it is possible to obtain a tomographic image of the inside of a living body without requiring a surgical procedure and without giving any pain to the living body. Therefore, in recent years, this diagnostic target is expanding. For example, it is also used to measure blood flow in the carotid artery and diagnose the mammary gland.

However, since the living body contact surface of the ultrasonic probe is usually hard, the ultrasonic probe transmits and receives ultrasonic waves when it comes into contact with a body surface having a protrusion or a depression. The adhesion between the tip of the child and the body surface tends to decrease.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 Therefore, there has been a demand for an ultrasonic probe capable of performing ultrasonic diagnosis with good adhesion regardless of the surface shape of the living body.

In the past, as an ultrasonic probe for Doppler diagnosis, there is one in which an ultrasonic wave propagation medium formed of butadiene rubber is arranged at the tip of the ultrasonic probe. In an ultrasonic probe, since the rubber itself has little flexibility and is almost solid, the degree of contact may be reduced or the organism may feel uncomfortable depending on the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe with the living body. There was a problem that

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ultrasonic probe capable of always transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves satisfactorily regardless of the shape of the body surface. And in.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ultrasonic transducer at the tip, which emits ultrasonic waves from the tip and receives reflected waves from the inside of a living body. A water bag unit that is detachably attached to the tip of the ultrasonic probe.The water bag unit is formed of a soft film with a rounded shape at least on the living body contact side, and is filled with an acoustic propagation liquid inside. And a water bag holder for holding the base side of the water bag. The water bag holder and the tip end portion are provided with the water bag unit and the ultrasonic probe. It is characterized in that an engaging means for mounting the device is provided.

In the ultrasonic probe with a water bag according to the present invention, an opening for taking in and out the acoustic carrier liquid is formed in the water bag, and a removable water injection plug is provided in the opening. The water stopper provided is provided with a needle stopper that restricts a water injection needle inserted into the water stopper at a predetermined distance.

[0009]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, the water bag unit is detachably attached to the ultrasonic probe, and the water bag unit ensures sound propagation between the tip of the ultrasonic probe and the living body. Is possible. In this case, since the water bag of the water bag unit is formed of a soft film with a rounded portion on the living body contact side, the living body does not feel uncomfortable. Even if there are ridges or depressions on the surface of the living body, the water bag itself will be deformed and sound transmission can be secured, so the same ultrasonic probe can be used regardless of the diagnostic site, and it is versatile. Can be extended. Since the water bag unit itself is removable, the ultrasonic probe is brought into contact with the living body in a state where the water bag unit is removed, for a part such as the abdomen where a water bag is not required so much. You can also do it.

Further, by disposing the water injection plug at the opening of the water bag, it is possible to easily take in and out the acoustic propagation liquid. Even if the water injection needle is inserted into the water injection stopper, the water stopper is restricted by the needle stopper at a predetermined distance, preventing the tip of the water injection needle from penetrating deep inside and breaking the water bag. To be done.

[0011]

【Example】

 Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe with a water bag according to the present invention. The ultrasonic probe with a water bag is composed of an ultrasonic probe (hereinafter, referred to as a probe) 10 and a water bag unit 12 attached to the probe 10.

In the present embodiment, the probe 10 has an array type ultrasonic transducer (not shown) at its tip 10a. At the time of ultrasonic diagnosis, the array type transducer is electronically scanned. The probe 10 can also perform ultrasonic diagnosis without the water bag unit 12 attached. FIG. 2 shows a II-II ′ cross section shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 3 shows a cross section viewed from the III direction shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the water bag unit 12 is composed of a water bag 14 and a water bag holder 16.

In this embodiment, the water bag 14 is composed of an upper film 14a and a lower film 14b, and both films are formed of deformable soft films. However, the edge portion of the lower film 14b is formed to be slightly thick and hard so as to engage with the water bag holder 16 described later. In addition, at the time of manufacturing, the edge of the upper film 14a and the edge of the lower film 14b are sealed by, for example, adhesion. As a result, a sealed space is formed inside the water bag 14. As shown in the drawing, a hook 14c having a protrusion directed downward is formed on the peripheral edge of the water bag 14, and the hook 14c is fitted in a groove 16a formed in the holder 16. Therefore, the water bag 14 is held by the water bag holder 16.

FIG. 3 shows the operation when the water bag unit 12 is attached to the probe 10. The water bag holder 16 has two handles 18 and 20 as shown in the drawing, and engaging claws 22 and 24 are formed at the tips of the two handles so as to project therefrom.

The engaging claws 22 and 24 engage with the engaging grooves 26 and 28 formed in the tip portion 10 a of the probe 10, respectively. By this engagement, the water bag unit 12 is securely fixed to the probe 10. Of course, the water bag unit 12 can be easily detached from the probe 10 by opening the handles 18 and 20.

In FIG. 2, when the water bag unit 12 is attached to the probe 10, the upper membrane 14 a is the tip of the probe 10 (although not shown, an acoustic lens is arranged). Stick to. That is, the air layer is eliminated and sound propagation is secured.

The water bag 14 is filled with an acoustic propagation liquid having an impedance substantially equal to the acoustic impedance of the living body in an airtight space inside. As the sound propagating liquid, for example, water or oil is used. An opening 30 is formed at one end of the water bag 14, and a plug 32 is inserted and arranged in the opening 30. That is, the opening 30 is closed by the plug 32, and the inside of the water bag 14 is kept airtight.

FIG. 4 shows a partially enlarged view of the stopper 32. A rubber 34 and a screw 36 are arranged in the inner cavity of the stopper 32, respectively. Here, the rubber 34 easily penetrates a water injection needle, which will be described later, and its through hole is closed by an elastic action when the water injection needle is removed. The screw 36 is made of, for example, plastic and has a hole 36a formed in the center thereof in the left-right direction in the drawing. The water injection needle is inserted through this 36a.

When the screw 36 is tightened, the screw 36 moves forward (to the left side in the drawing) with respect to the frame body of the stopper 32. As a result, the rubber 34 is compressed, and for example, a water injection needle is pulled out. Even if the through hole is not closed after the operation, it will be completely crushed and liquid leakage will be forcibly prevented. The water injection needle is inserted with the screw 36 loosened.

In FIG. 4, the inside of the water bag of the stopper 32 is closed to form a needle stopper 32a, and the tip of the water injection needle is restricted from entering the front by the needle stopper 32a. That is, this prevents the water injection needle from entering the inside of the water bag 14 and being broken by the tip of the needle. Therefore, in order to guide the acoustic propagation liquid from the water injection needle into the water bag 14 in a state where the water injection needle is regulated by the needle stopper 32a, the hole 32b is opened in the direction orthogonal to the intrusion direction of the water injection needle. There is. In other words, the sound propagation liquid to be poured flows from the inner space of the stopper 32 through both sides of the hole 32b and is poured into the water bag 14. An annular protrusion 32c is formed around the outer periphery of the body of the stopper 32, and the annular protrusion 32c is fitted into an annular groove 30a formed in the peripheral wall of the opening 30 so that the stopper 32 Is attached to the opening 30 and liquid leakage is prevented. Of course, the plug 32 can be pulled out from the opening 30 by an artificial force.

Next, the liquid injection into the water bag 14 will be described. In FIG. 5, the container 40 is filled with the acoustic carrier liquid, and the water bag 14 removed from the water bag holder 16 in that state is put into the acoustic carrier liquid. Then, the plug 32 is removed to fill the water bag 14 with the sound propagation liquid. At this time, it is desirable to point the opening upward in order to remove air bubbles that cause echo noise. Then, the stopper 32 is attached to the water bag 14, and the water bag 14 is again attached to the water bag holder 16. In this case, when the amount of the sound propagating liquid tends to be insufficient, a syringe 50 is used to supplement the sound propagating liquid as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the injection needle is pierced through the hole 36a shown in FIG. 4, and when the tip of the needle reaches the needle stopper 32a, the piston is pushed out and liquid injection is executed.

As described above, the tip of the needle is reliably stopped by the needle stopper 32a and the water bag is not broken.

Next, a case where ultrasonic diagnosis is performed using the ultrasonic probe with a water bag will be described. First, the ultrasonic probe is brought into contact with the water bag attached to the diagnosis site. In this case, since the water bag has appropriate elasticity, even if the diagnosis site is raised or dented, the water bag is deformed according to its body surface shape and good ultrasonic wave propagation does not involve an air layer. The route can be secured. Therefore, by driving an ultrasonic transducer (not shown), the ultrasonic waves penetrate into the water bag through the acoustic lens provided at the tip of the probe, and the ultrasonic wave is directed toward the living body from the lower surface of the water bag. It will be emitted. Here, since the water bag and the acoustic propagation liquid are made of a substance having an acoustic impedance substantially equal to that of a living body, multiple reflection and scattering are prevented. On the other hand, the reflected wave from the inside of the living body is received by the ultrasonic probe 10 via the water bag as in the above. When the water bag 14 is not required for abdominal diagnosis, for example, the probe 10 may be brought into direct contact with the surface of the living body for ultrasonic diagnosis. In addition, when performing ultrasonic diagnosis at a very short distance under the body surface, the focus point of the ultrasonic beam can be appropriately aligned with a desired diagnosis site by appropriately selecting and using the height of the water bag. There is also an advantage that accurate ultrasound diagnosis can be performed.

[0026]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, since the deformable water bag is attached to the tip of the ultrasonic probe, good sound propagation is always ensured regardless of the surface shape of the living body, and The contact pressure has the effect of enabling accurate ultrasonic diagnosis without deforming the shape of living tissue such as blood vessels or tumors. Therefore, there is also an advantage that ultrasonic waves can be reliably transmitted and received without affecting the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis even if the contact angle slightly shifts.

Further, by providing the stopper provided with the needle stopper, it is possible to reliably prevent the water bag from being broken by the water injection needle and the like, and to provide a highly convenient ultrasonic probe with a water bag. The effect is that you can do it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe with a water bag.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section in the II-II ′ direction shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section in the direction III shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway sectional view showing the structure of a stopper 32.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of injecting water into the water bag.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a case where a liquid volume is adjusted using a syringe.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Ultrasonic probe 12 Water bag unit 14 Water bag 16 Water bag holder 32 Plug 32a Needle stopper

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic transducer at its tip, which radiates ultrasonic waves from the tip and receives reflected waves from the inside of a living body, and the tip of the ultrasonic probe. And a water bag unit detachably attached to the water bag unit, wherein the water bag unit is formed of a soft film having a rounded shape at least on the living body contact side, and a deformable water bag filled with an acoustic propagation liquid inside, A water bag holder for holding the base end side of the water bag, and the water bag holder and the distal end portion are provided with an engagement means for mounting the water bag unit on the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe with a water bag that is characterized. 2. The ultrasonic probe with a water bag according to claim 1, wherein the water bag has an opening through which the acoustic propagation liquid is taken in and out, and a detachable water injection plug is provided in the opening. An ultrasonic probe with a water bag, wherein the water injection stopper is provided with a needle stopper that restricts a water injection needle inserted into the water injection stopper at a predetermined distance.