JPH06261901A - Ultrasonic probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ocularly check the actual rotational angle of a vibrator of a multi- plane TEE probe which is inserted in a body cavity and photographs a tomographic image from inside of the cavity. CONSTITUTION:A window 44 in a transparent member through which the vibrator is visible from the outside, is furnished at the tip of a leading part enclosing the surface of the vibrator, and a mark 70 is provided at a point on the surface of the vibrator, and at the tip of the leading part around the window 44, a gradation 72 is furnished which shows the rotational angle of the vibrator together with the mark when the vibrator rotates.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-plane ultrasonic probe which is inserted into a body cavity and is used for taking tomographic images of a large number of tomographic planes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of such an ultrasonic probe, a multi-plane TEE (transesophageal e) that is orally inserted into the upper gastrointestinal tract of the esophagus, stomach, etc. and images the heart etc.
chocariography) There is an ultrasonic probe. This conventional example is described in JP-A-59-22534. Here, an ultrasonic transducer array is arranged at the tip of the body cavity insertion portion of the endoscope or in the middle thereof, and a tomographic image is taken from inside the body cavity. The transducer array can be electrically scanned only in one direction, but in order to rotate in the scanning direction, it can be rotated about an axis passing through the center of the array and orthogonal to the transducer. This makes it possible to capture ultrasonic tomographic images of a large number of tomographic planes in a desired direction. Further, since the image is taken from inside the body cavity, it is possible to take an image of the tomographic plane in any direction without being affected by bone or subcutaneous fat.

The rotation of the transducer array is carried out via a wire provided inside the endoscope. That is, the transducer array is connected to a pulley that is urged to rotate in one direction by a spring, the pulley is also connected to the shaft of an operation knob provided on the endoscope operation section, and an operation wire is installed between both pulleys. To be done. Therefore, by rotating the operation knob, the transducer array is also rotated via the operation wire. Another example of such a wire drive type is US Pat. No. 4,543,96.
It is also described in JP-A-0. In this U.S. patent, the pulley on the transducer array side is not urged to rotate, and the transducer array is rotated in both forward and reverse directions by pulling one of the pair of scanning wires.

Further, as another means for rotating the vibrator array at the tip end, the rotation of the shaft arranged along the axial direction of the probe is transmitted to the vibrator-side pulley via the worm gear and vibrates. There is a so-called shaft drive type that rotates a child, and an example of this is European Patent Publication No. 509.
296.

Although such a conventional multi-plane TEE ultrasonic probe can image an arbitrary tomographic plane, it has a problem in that the position (angle with respect to the axis of the probe) of the tomographic plane is not accurately determined. That is, in the case of the wire drive type, since the wire stretches with the passage of time, there is a drawback that the rotational driving force from the operating portion side is not properly transmitted to the tip side. Further, although the tip of the probe can change the angle in the vertical and horizontal directions, there is also a drawback that the tip moves in the angle (horizontal and vertical) direction when the oscillator array is rotated. In general, since the angle is also changed by the expansion and contraction of the angle operation wire, when the operation wire for rotating the vibrator expands and contracts, the angle wire may be affected and expand and contract. Also,
When the tip portion is curved by the angle operation, there is a difference in the path length between the inside and the outside of the curve, which causes a problem that the driving amount of the rotary operation wire changes. As described above, the rotation angle of the operation knob is not correctly transmitted to the transducer array, and it is difficult to set the rotation angle accurately. Further, the elongation of the wire deteriorates the responsiveness of the rotation of the transducer array to the rotation of the operation knob. Usually, in such an ultrasonic diagnosis, the tip of the ultrasonic probe is closely attached to the wall of the digestive tract and causes pain to the patient.Therefore, there is a demand to finish the ultrasonic probe in the shortest possible time. It is not preferable to set the rotation angle and the rotation angle to be difficult.

Even in the case of the shaft drive type developed to cope with the elongation of the wire, the shaft is not provided with a very high rigidity in order to maintain the flexibility of the probe. As with the extension of the wire, it is difficult to accurately adjust the rotation angle, and there is a problem that the rotation response of the vibrator is poor.
Further, since the gear is used, there is a problem that the rotation angle cannot be set correctly due to the backlash of the gear.

[0007] This problem is not limited to the trans-gastrointestinal type probe, but similarly occurs in an organ puncture probe, a trans-rectal probe, a trans-vaginal probe, and an intraoperative probe used during craniotomy or laparotomy.

[0008]

As described above, the conventional multi-plane ultrasonic probe inserted into the body cavity accurately and accurately adjusts the transducer to a desired angle when the transducer is rotated to change the scanning cross section. It has a drawback that it is difficult to rotate it quickly.

The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to use a vibrator having a single scanning direction, which can accurately and quickly rotate the vibrator to a desired angle. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe capable of capturing tomographic images in many directions from inside a body cavity.

[0010]

An ultrasonic probe according to the present invention is provided at a leading end of a guiding center portion to be inserted into a body cavity, and is for changing a transducer for scanning an ultrasonic beam in a plane and a scanning surface of ultrasonic waves. And a mark formed on the surface of the transducer, and a window provided at the tip of the conducting middle portion for visually observing the transducer.

Another ultrasonic probe according to the present invention is provided at a distal end of a guiding center portion inserted into a body cavity, and a transducer for scanning an ultrasonic beam in a plane and a transducer for changing an ultrasonic scanning surface. Means, a window provided at the leading end of the conducting center for visually observing the transducer, a mark formed on the window or at the leading end of the conducting center outside the window, and a rotation angle of the transducer formed with the mark on the surface of the transducer. And a scale for indicating.

[0012]

According to the ultrasonic probe of the present invention, when a doctor, an engineer, or a service person inspects the rotation angle of the vibrator, it is easy to make a difference between the rotation angle of the operation knob or the shaft and the actual rotation angle. Can be confirmed in
The operation amount can be corrected if necessary. Therefore, the tomographic plane to be diagnosed can be accurately positioned, and the diagnostic accuracy is improved.

[0013]

Embodiments of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, an embodiment of a multi-plane TEE ultrasonic probe that is orally inserted into the upper gastrointestinal tract such as the esophagus and stomach and images the heart and the like will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the whole of the first embodiment. This probe has a shape similar to that of an endoscope,
It has a flexible guiding core 10 that is inserted into the upper digestive tract such as the stomach. The tip portion 12 of the guiding portion 10 contains an ultrasonic transducer 14. The transducer 14 is composed of a large number of one-dimensionally arranged piezoelectric ceramic elements, and electronically performs sector scanning with an ultrasonic beam in a plane orthogonal to the elements. The elements are arranged such that the long sides of the rectangle are in contact with each other, and the long sides of the elements gradually become smaller toward the periphery of the array, and as a result, have a circular planar shape. Note that, in FIG. 1, each oscillator (boundary line) is shown for convenience of explanation, but in reality, each oscillator cannot be recognized with the naked eye. The rotation of the transducer also rotates the scanning surface of the ultrasonic beam, and one ultrasonic transducer can be used to obtain tomographic images at various angles without changing the direction of the tip of the probe. Thereby, for example, tomographic images of all angles of the heart can be taken, and a tomographic image along the short axis and a tomographic image along the long axis, which are useful for diagnosis, can be obtained.

An angle portion 16 which can be bent vertically and horizontally is provided in the guiding middle portion 10 before the tip portion 12 so as to change the direction of the tip portion and to bring the tip portion into close contact with the wall of the digestive tract. The bending of the angle portion 16 is provided in the guiding center portion.
This is done by pulling on each side of a pair of wires (not shown).

An operating portion 18 operated by a doctor or the like is connected to the guiding middle portion 10 without being inserted into the digestive tract. The operation unit 18 has an operation knob 20 for angle operation and rotation operation of the scanning surface of the transducer. The operation knob 20 is formed by stacking three knobs (having different diameters) for vertically bending, horizontally bending, and rotating the transducer. The operation unit 18 is connected to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body (not shown) via a cable unit 22 and a connector unit 24.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional structure of the tip portion 12, and FIG. 3 shows a plane structure thereof. A cylindrical backing material 30 is provided below the circular transducer 14, and the backing material 30 is fixed on a pulley 32. The pulley 32 is rotatably attached to a case 34 that houses the components of the tip portion. A groove is provided on the circumferential surface of the pulley 32, and a pair of rotating operation wires 36 are fitted in the groove, and the tips of the pair of wires 36 are fixed to the pulley 32 by a fixing portion 38. For this reason, when one of the pair of wires 36 is pulled toward the hand (operation section), the other wire is pulled by the pulley 32.
It is wound around the pulley 32 and the transducer 1
4 rotates.

The terminals of each piezoelectric ceramic forming the transducer 14 are connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body through the flexible printed circuit board 52 and the signal lines arranged in the conducting portion. This allows the transducer 14
A high-voltage pulse for driving is given from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, and the reception signal from the transducer 14 is transmitted to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body. A drive signal is supplied to each piezoelectric ceramic through a predetermined delay time,
The delay time is changed with time, and as a result, the direction of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducer changes in a fan shape.
The sector is scanned. The printed circuit board 52 is also connected to a ground end (not shown). The front end of the printed board 52 is wound around the backing material 30 and the pulley 32, and then fixed to them, and the rear end is fixed to the guide 54. A guide 56 is also provided between the guide 54 and the transducer 14,
The printed circuit board 52 is arranged so as to be loose between the guides 54 and 56. By adjusting the amount of slack, the length of the printed circuit board 52 when the transducer 14 is rotated is adjusted.

A spherical or cylindrical acoustic lens 40 is disposed on the transducer 14 via an acoustic matching layer 38. The lens 40 is attached to the case 34. An acoustic window 44 is provided on the lens 40 via the acoustic propagation liquid 42. The acoustic window 44 is a sealing ring 46,
It has a ceiling 48 and is attached to the case 34.
The acoustic window 44 is made of a highly transparent material such as plastic. Tip 1 composed of the above elements
2, that is, the case 34 is a mold member 5 made of resin.
It is watertightly covered by 0.

As shown in FIG. 4 (only one of the wires 36 is shown in FIG. 4), the proximal ends of the pair of rotating wires 36 for rotating the transducer are extended to the operating portion 18, and The proximal ends are commonly connected and wound around an operation section pulley 60 attached to the shaft of the operation knob 20. Thus, the wire 60 is erected endlessly between the pulleys 32, 60. As a result, when the operation knob 20 is rotated, the one wire 36 is wound around the pulley 60, and the other wire 36 is extended, whereby the pulley 32 is rotated and the transducer 14 is rotated.

In order to detect the rotation angle of the transducer 14, a rotary encoder 62 is connected to a gear formed around the pulley 60, and the rotation amount of the pulley 60 is detected. The detected rotation amount is the rotation angle of the transducer 14, that is, the angle of the scanning plane of the ultrasonic tomographic image is displayed on the display unit of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus body together with the ultrasonic tomographic image. The angle of the scanning plane is the axis of the guiding center (same as the axis of the subject)
Is displayed as an angle based on. Therefore, a doctor or the like looks at the angle display on the display unit and rotates the knob 20. Note that a rotation angle scale may be marked on the operation unit as a guide for the rotation of the knob 20.

A slack eliminating mechanism 66 is interposed in the wire 36. The slack removal mechanism 66 is made of a tubular member whose both ends are closed, and has an end face provided with a hole into which a wire is inserted. The wire 36 is cut, the tip of each piece is inserted inside through the hole in the end face of the removing mechanism 66,
A large-diameter fixing portion is fixed to the tip. This allows
When the pulley 60 rotates, the wire 36 always rotates with tension applied. This is to prevent the wire from being stretched after a long time, and if the wire is driven while stretched, the rotation angle cannot be controlled correctly, and this is prevented.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a mark 70 for recognizing the rotation amount of the transducer 14 is formed at one point on the surface of the circular transducer 14, and the mark 70 is passed through the transparent window 44. Visually visible. A scale 72 indicating the rotation angle is formed on the tip of the guiding center portion outside the window 44 as shown in FIG. 5A, or on the window 44 as shown in FIG. 5B. The mark 70 is preferably formed by printing, and the scale 72 is preferably provided by engraving.

Therefore, whether or not the transducer 14 correctly rotates by a desired angle when the operation knob 20 is rotated is determined by the mark 70 through the window 44 and the scale 72 formed along the moving direction of the mark. You can be sure. This confirmation is performed on the manufacturer side before shipment, and is not shown when the rotation angle of the operation knob 20 (detected by the rotary encoder 62 and displayed on the display) does not match the actual rotation angle of the transducer 14. Data is input according to the difference from the keyboard or the like of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, and the detection value of the rotary encoder 62 is corrected according to this input value. With this correction,
Although the rotation angle of the knob 20 does not match the display angle, the angle displayed on the screen can match the actual rotation angle. The correction may be performed by the user or a service person even after the product is shipped. Thus, even if the rotation angle of the transducer 14 and the rotation angle of the knob 20 do not match due to the elongation of the wire 36 or the like, the output value of the rotary encoder 62 can be easily compensated. Note that, contrary to the case of FIG. 5, a scale may be provided on the transducer 14 and a mark may be provided on the window 44 or the tip portion.

Although the wire 36 is manually driven by the rotation of the operation knob 20, a motor may be built in the operation portion 18 and the pulley 60 may be rotated by this rotational force. In the case of a motor drive, the operating portion 18 is provided with an operating knob 20 for operating an angle, but it is not necessary to provide a knob for rotating a transducer. As shown in FIG. 6, a simple switch 74 for instructing the rotating direction of the motor is provided. All you have to do is provide it. Further, although not directly related to the present invention, the angle operation may be performed by the motor.

As described above, according to the first embodiment,
By providing a mark indicating the reference position and a scale for this mark so that the amount of rotation of the transducer can be visually checked, the actual amount of rotation with respect to the operation amount can be confirmed, and the angle of the slice plane to be diagnosed can be set accurately. Therefore, the accuracy of diagnosis is improved and the inspection work is easy. When the mark is provided on the surface of the transducer, it is not always necessary to make a mark on the leading end of the conducting portion or the window, and a doctor or the like may measure the degree using a protractor or the like at each measurement.

Another embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention will be described below. In the following description, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different parts from the first embodiment will be described.

In the first embodiment, since the slack eliminating mechanism 66 is inserted in the wire 36 which is installed between the pulley 60 on the knob 20 side and the pulley 32 on the transducer 14 side, the operation knob 20 rotates. However, the transducer 14 does not immediately rotate. That is, the characteristic between the rotation of the transducer and the rotation of the knob has a dead part as shown by the solid line in FIG. However, this insensitive portion varies depending on the degree of wire extension, and the actual characteristics cannot be accurately recognized. Therefore, according to the ideal characteristics indicated by the broken line in FIG. 7 from the output of the rotary encoder 62 (rotation angle of the knob). Obtain the rotation angle of the transducer 14,
This was displayed on the screen. Therefore, the accurate rotation angle of the transducer cannot be detected and displayed.

In order to solve this, the present embodiment is arranged with a detector, in this case, a linear encoder 76 for detecting the movement amount of the wire 36 in this case, as shown in FIG. The angle is displayed on the screen based on the output of the linear encoder 76. Linear encoder 76
Is a potentiometer having a terminal which is slid by the movement of the wire 36. By doing this, the operation knob 2
The rotation angle of 0 does not match the display angle of the screen, but the rotation angle of the transducer 14 matches the display angle of the screen.

The diameter of the pulley 32 on the transducer side is r
When t is the diameter of the pulley 60 on the operating portion side and rn is rn, in order to rotate the transducer 14 by ± 90 °, the movement amount of the wire 36 is expressed as follows. 2πrt × (± 90) / 360 = ± (1/2) πrt Here, when rt = 4 mm, the movement amount of the wire 36 is about 6.28 mm. At this time, the operating knob 20 is ± 90
It is necessary to rotate by .degree..times. (Rt / rn). +-.. alpha .. Here, α is a dead angle by the slack removing mechanism 66.

Therefore, if rn = 8 mm, the knob 2
The required rotation angle of 0 is ± 45 ° ± α. This angle is 1
It is a value that can be sufficiently detected by using a linear encoder with a 3 mm stroke.

According to the second embodiment as described above, the rotation angle of the transducer 14 can be correctly detected without being affected by the dead zone due to the wire slack eliminating mechanism, and the angle of the transducer 14 can be correctly adjusted to a desired angle. For example, it is possible to capture a tomographic image along the short axis and the long axis of the heart.

Although the two linear encoders 76 are connected to the respective wires 36, when one of the wires moves toward the front side, the other moves toward the tip side, the outputs of both linear encoders 76 change. Operation knob 20
It is possible to prevent erroneous detection by determining that the output has been rotated and invalidating only one of the outputs if it changes.

Next, the rotary encoder 80 is used as a detector for detecting the rotation angle of the transducer, and the front end portion 12 is used.
FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment in which the rotation of the pulley 32 (transducer 14) is directly detected by being incorporated in the. The structure of the tip portion is almost the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, except that the rotary encoder 80 is coaxially arranged below the pulley 32. This allows the transducer 1
The rotation amount of 4 can be directly detected, and the angle of the transducer 14 can be correctly adjusted to a desired angle by displaying the detected value on the screen. The detector incorporated at the tip is not limited to the rotary encoder, but may be a linear encoder.

Although the third embodiment has a detector built into the tip of the wire-driven probe, it can be applied to a shaft-driven probe. FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment in which a rotary encoder 80 is built in the tip of a shaft drive type probe. Similar to the third embodiment, the rotary encoder 80 is arranged coaxially below the pulley 32, and the rotation amount of the transducer 14 is directly detected. A difference from the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is that a shaft 84 is provided in the guiding center instead of the wire 36, and the rotation of an operation knob (not shown) is transmitted to the shaft 84 via a worm gear, and the rotation of the shaft 84 is transmitted. This is the point of transmission to the pulley 32 via the cylindrical worm 86, the worm wheel 88, and the gear 90. The shaft 84 may be rotationally driven by a motor built in the operation unit.

According to the third and fourth embodiments, the rotary encoder 80 is built in the tip portion and the rotation of the pulley 32 is directly detected, so that the wire is stretched and the gear is backlashed. Without transducer 1
The rotation angle of 4 can be accurately detected. This enables quick positioning and shortens the time required for diagnosis.

In the above embodiment, the rotary driving force is applied to the transducer 14 from the operating portion side through the wire, the shaft and the like. An embodiment in which the driving is performed will be described.

FIG. 11 shows a fifth embodiment in which the motor 100 is provided coaxially with the pulley 32 attached to the transducer 14 at the tip. Here, the rotary encoder 102 that detects the rotation angle of the transducer 14 is also provided coaxially with the pulley 32. That is, the pulley 3
2. The motor 100 and the rotary encoder 102 are coaxially stacked. Other configurations are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment. Although not shown, the pulley 32 and the motor 1
A bearing is inserted between the case No. 00 and the case No. 00.
The thermistor 104 is attached to the backing material 30. The surface of the thermistor 104 is heated by the heat generated when the transducer 14 is driven with a high voltage,
It is a temperature sensor for preventing the patient from suffering or being burned. When it is detected that the surface temperature has reached a predetermined temperature or higher, the transducer 14
Is prohibited and a warning message is displayed on the display screen.

According to the fifth embodiment, since the motor provided at the tip portion directly drives the transducer to rotate, the transducer can always rotate quickly without being affected by the angle operation, and the tomographic plane to be diagnosed can be obtained. Highly accurate positioning is possible. Further, since the durability is improved as compared with the driving method using the wire or the shaft, the reliability of the probe is improved. Further, since the wire or shaft for transmitting the rotational force is not necessary, only the angle wire and the signal cable are provided in the guiding center, the structure in the guiding center is simplified and the diameter is reduced, and the pain to the patient is reduced. .

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the structure of the probe tip of the sixth embodiment. The sixth embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in the arrangement of the motor and the rotary encoder, and the motor 110 and the rotary encoder 112 are arranged so that their axes are orthogonal to the rotation axis of the pulley 32. Therefore, the motor 110
The rotational force of the pulley 32 is transmitted via the bevel gears 114 and 116.
Be transmitted to. Although the motor 100 and the rotary encoder 102 are arranged coaxially in FIG. 12, they may be separated from each other and their shafts may be connected via a gear.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the structure of the probe tip of the seventh embodiment. Also in the seventh embodiment, the arrangement of the motor and the rotary encoder is different from that of the fifth embodiment, and the motor 120 and the rotary encoder 122 are arranged such that their axes are parallel to the rotation axis of the pulley 32, although they are not coaxial. Therefore, the rotational force of the motor 120 is transmitted to the pulley 32 via the gear 124 and is transmitted to the rotary encoder 122 via the gear 126.

Also according to the sixth and seventh embodiments,
Similar to the fifth embodiment, the transducer can always be quickly rotated without being affected by the angle operation, the tomographic plane to be diagnosed can be positioned with high accuracy, and the reliability of the probe is improved. The structure in the guiding center is simplified and the diameter is reduced, and the pain to the patient can be reduced.
In addition, in the fifth to seventh embodiments, the positions of the motor and the rotary encoder may be reversed.

FIG. 14 shows an eighth embodiment in which the fifth and sixth embodiments are combined. In the eighth embodiment, the motor 13
No. 0 and encoder 132 are arranged coaxially with the pulley 32, and the other is arranged so that the axial direction is offset by 90 °. The bevel gears 134 and 136 connect between the two.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be implemented with various modifications. For example, in the above description,
Although the ultrasonic probe is described as a single body, an ultrasonic transducer may be built in the distal end of the endoscope so that the system also serves as the endoscope. Further, the mechanism for rotation and the mechanism for detecting the rotation angle are not limited to the above specific examples. For example, in the case of a wire drive type, instead of providing a pair of operation wires, the transducer-side pulley is urged to rotate in one direction, and only the wire that rotates the pulley in the opposite direction to this urging direction is provided. Good. Although the rotary encoder and the linear encoder have been described as the rotation angle detector, other detectors may be used. Although the transgastrointestinal probe has been described, it may be an organ puncture probe, a transrectal probe, a transvaginal probe, or an intraoperative probe used during craniotomy or laparotomy.

Further, although it has been described that the transducer performs sector scanning electronically, it is not limited to sector scanning, and linear scanning or other electronic scanning type may be used. Further, even in the case of sector scanning, it is not limited to the electronic scanning type, but may be a mechanical scanning type in which the transducer itself is rotated to rotate the irradiation direction of the ultrasonic beam.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a doctor, a technician, or a serviceman inspects the rotation angle of the vibrator, the rotation angle of the operating knob or the shaft and the actual rotation angle are compared with each other. Provided is an ultrasonic probe capable of easily confirming a difference and correcting a manipulated variable if necessary. Therefore, the tomographic plane to be diagnosed can be accurately positioned, and the diagnostic accuracy is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of an ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of a tip portion of an ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a planar structure of a tip portion of an ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of an operation unit of the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a rotation angle scale and marks provided on the tip of the ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation unit of a modified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship between a knob rotation angle and a transducer rotation angle in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of an operating portion of a second embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of a tip end portion of an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of the tip end portion of the fourth embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of the tip end portion of the fifth embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of the tip end portion of the sixth embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of the tip end of the seventh embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing details of the vicinity of the tip end portion of the eighth embodiment of the ultrasonic probe according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... middle part, 12 ... tip part, 14 ... ultrasonic transducer, 16 ... angle part, 18 ... operation part, 20 ... operation knob, 22 ... cable part, 24 ... connector part.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A transducer which is provided at a distal end of a guiding middle portion to be inserted into a body cavity, and which scans an ultrasonic beam in a plane, means for rotating the transducer to change a scanning surface of the ultrasonic wave, and the transducer. An ultrasonic probe, comprising: a mark formed on the surface of the probe; and a window provided at the tip of the conducting middle part for visually observing the transducer. 2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising a scale that is provided at the window or at the leading end of the guiding center portion outside the window and that indicates the rotation angle of the transducer together with the mark. 3. A transducer, which is provided at a leading end of a guiding middle part to be inserted into a body cavity, for scanning an ultrasonic beam in a plane, a means for rotating the transducer to change a scanning surface of the ultrasonic wave, and the guiding means. A window provided at the tip of the middle part for visually observing the transducer, a mark formed on the window or the leading end of the conducting middle part outside the window, and a rotation angle of the transducer formed on the surface of the transducer together with the mark. An ultrasonic probe, comprising: 4. A means for detecting the rotation angle of the transducer by the rotation means, a means for displaying the rotation angle detected by the detection means, a means for inputting an actual rotation angle read from the scale, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: a correction unit that corrects a detection result of the detection unit based on an input value of the input unit and supplies the correction result to the display unit. 5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the mark is formed by printing and the scale is provided by engraving.