JPH1014858A - Medical probe guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make sure the correct probing direction of a probe end by providing an index which a probing part searches for as distinct from other parts, along the predetermined direction of the end portion of a probe guide tube through which the probe provided with the probing part at the end of a slender inserted part is passed and guided. SOLUTION: A slit 20 in the form of an oblong hole elongated in the direction of its axis is formed at the end portion of a probe guide tube 19 along a predetermined direction (e.g. upward of a probe guide device). The slit 20 serves as an index 20 which an ultrasonic vibrator 3 attached to a probe 1 searches for as distinct from other parts. When the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is rotated with the end 1b of the probe 1 pulled into the probe guide tube 19 so that the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is located inside the index 20, an ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is reflected by the inner surface of the probe guide tube 20 and transmitted through the index 20, so that in an ultrasonic reflected image obtained, only the index 20 shows a totally different state from the other parts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical probe guiding device for guiding a probe having a probe at its tip.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a probe is connected to a probe such as an ultrasonic vibrator at the tip of an elongated insertion portion, and a probe guide for inserting and guiding such a probe is provided in a medical probe guiding device. A tube is provided.

If the probe direction of such a probe has a directionality in the rotational direction, it is necessary to be able to confirm the probe direction. For this purpose, the rotational direction between the probe insertion portion and the probe guide tube must be confirmed. It is necessary to be able to confirm the positional relationship.

[0004] In the conventional medical probe guiding apparatus, the probe guide tube is formed by a simple tubular member. Therefore, the relationship between the circumferential direction of the probe detecting section and the probe guide tube has been confirmed by the operator's eyes from the appearance.

[0005]

However, when an endoscope having an insertion portion formed by a flexible tube or an ultrasonic probe which remotely rotates and scans an ultrasonic transducer is used as a probe. However, even if the probe insertion part and the probe guide tube are fixed at the hand side, the probe may be twisted halfway to the distal end and the direction of the detecting part may change, so that the detecting direction may not be confirmed. is there.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical probe guiding apparatus capable of correctly confirming the detection direction at the tip of a probe passed through a probe guide tube.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a medical probe guiding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a probe guide tube for guiding a probe having a probe provided with a probe at the tip of an elongated insertion portion. An index is provided in a predetermined direction of the tip portion so as to be distinguished and detected by the detection section from other portions.

[0008] It is to be noted that the probe may be one for detecting a side or an oblique side of a tip portion of the probe.
The probe may be an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves.

The indicator may have a slit shape elongated in the axial direction of the probe guide tube, and the indicator may be formed by arranging a plurality of circular holes in the axial direction of the probe guide tube. .

[0010] The indicator may be a groove formed in the inner surface of the probe guide tube to be elongated in the axial direction, and an edge of the groove may be an edge. And in that case, the cross-sectional shape of the groove may be an arc shape,
The cross-sectional shape of the groove may be rectangular, and the cross-sectional shape of the groove may be V-shaped.

A plurality of the indicators may be provided in a circumferential direction of the probe guide tube.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 6 and 7 show the probe guiding apparatus 10. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the probe 1 is retracted, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where a tip 1b of the probe 1 is pushed out. .

The probe 1 is configured such that a probe 1 such as an ultrasonic vibrator or an endoscope observation window is provided at a distal end 1b of an insertion section 1a in the form of an elongated flexible tube or the like. However, the insertion portion 1a may have a rod shape or the like, and the detection portion may be provided with a detection means other than an ultrasonic transducer or an endoscope observation window.

The main body 11 is formed in a two-stage cylindrical shape in which the front half is thin and the rear half is thick, and the inner peripheral surface of the rear half has a relatively large pitch. A female screw portion 11a is formed.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a probe holding rod for holding the probe 1, and a through-hole through which the probe 1 is inserted is formed in the axis of the rod. When the tightening ring 13 screwed to the rear end of the probe holding rod 12 is tightened, the O-ring 14 made of a resilient member disposed inside is crushed, and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 1a of the probe 1 is crushed. Adhere to

As a result, the probe 1 is fixed to the probe holding rod 12 without being damaged, and the probe 1 can be freely attached to and detached from the probe holding rod 12.

The probe holding rod 12 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction and has an outer diameter that fits into the front half of the main body 11 and fits into the front half of the main body 11. The keyway 12a is formed in the portion where the keyway 12a extends.

As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 8, the key groove 12a is provided with a rotation stop pin 15 which is screwed into the main body 11 from the outside and whose tip projects inward. The tip 15a of the locking pin 15 is the keyway 12
a.

Therefore, the probe holding rod 12 is
1 is movable in the axial direction and cannot rotate around the axis. When the rotation stopping pin 15 is tightened tightly to the main body 11, the tip 15a presses the bottom surface of the key groove 12a, and the probe holding rod 12 is fixed to the main body 11.

An operating ring 16 is fitted around the outer periphery of the rear half of the probe holding rod 12 so as to be rotatable about an axis. The fitting portion between the probe holding rod 12 and the operation ring 16 has a step at one place, and a lock nut 17 screwed to the probe holding rod 12 regulates the movement of the operation ring 16 in the axial direction. Therefore, the operation ring 16 is rotatable around the axis with respect to the probe holding rod 12, and cannot move in the axial direction.

A male screw 16a is formed in a large diameter portion of the outer peripheral surface near the distal end portion of the operation ring 16, and is screwed with the female screw 11a of the main body 11, and is provided near the rear end of the operation ring 16. The large diameter portion is an operation knob 16b for performing an operation of pinching and rotating the operation ring 16 with a fingertip.

A hole through which the probe 1 passes is drilled at the center of the distal end cap 18 screwed to the distal end of the main body 11, and the insertion portion 1 a of the probe 1 is positioned axially ahead of the hole. The proximal end of a probe guide tube 19 that guides forward and backward is fixed to a distal end cap 18. The probe guide tube 19 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel pipe material or a hard plastic material.

Therefore, the screw is loosened and the tip cap 1
By removing 8 from the main body 11, the probe guide tube 19 can be removed together, so that a probe guide tube 19 suitable for the size of the probe 1 to be used can be selected and used.

The probe guide tube 19 as a whole
It is a straight hard pipe with a uniform thickness and an inner diameter with a certain gap with respect to the outer diameter of the insertion portion 1a of the probe 1 so that the probe 1 can be passed through it loosely. However, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 1, the tip portion is formed in a smooth tapered shape that gradually becomes thinner toward the front side.

Therefore, in that portion, the outer shape of the probe guide tube 19 is a smooth tapered shape with the tip side gradually narrowing, and there is no risk of damaging the mucous membrane of the patient into which the probe guide tube 19 is inserted.

FIGS. 1 and 3 are enlarged views showing a state where the tip 1b of the probe 1 does not protrude from the tip of the probe guide tube 19 and a state where it protrudes. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It is.

In this embodiment, the probe 1 is a so-called ultrasonic probe, and a space 2 is formed in an insertion portion 1a made of a material that transmits ultrasonic waves well. The ultrasonic vibrator 3 is arranged at a tip portion in the space.

In the space 2 in the insertion portion 1a, a rotary shaft 4 for rotating and driving the ultrasonic vibrator 3 remotely from the hand side is inserted through the entire length, and is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator 3. Signal cable is routed through it.

Therefore, when the rotating shaft 4 is rotated on the hand side, the ultrasonic transducer 3 at the tip rotates about the axis following the rotation, and the tip 1b of the probe 1 moves 360 degrees.
The ultrasonic scanning is performed over the angle θ to obtain a tomographic image.

Therefore, when obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image of the target portion, as shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is held in a state where the ultrasonic vibrator 3 protrudes from the tip of the probe guide tube 19. Rotate around the axis.

An elongated slit 20 elongated in the axial direction is formed at a distal end portion of the probe guide tube 19 in a predetermined direction (for example, upward in the probe guiding device 10).

FIG. 4 is a front view of the slit 20.
The slit 20 is an index that is detected by the ultrasonic transducer 3 provided in the probe 1 so as to be distinguished from other parts, and is hereinafter referred to as “index 20”.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tip 1b of the probe 1 is set so that the ultrasonic transducer 3 is positioned inside the index 20.
When the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is rotated in a state where is retracted into the probe guide tube 19, the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic vibrator 3 is reflected on the inner surface of the probe guide tube 19, and the index 20 is transmitted.

The resulting ultrasonic reflection image 100 is
As shown in FIG. 5, only the index 20 portion 101 exhibits a completely different state from the other portions, so that the ultrasonic reflection image 10
At 0, the position of the index 20 can be clearly detected, and the direction of the ultrasonic reflection image 100 can be determined.

Therefore, for example, when the rotating shaft 4 is twisted halfway and the direction of the ultrasonic tomographic image obtained by the ultrasonic transducer 3 in the normal scanning state shown in FIG. Probe 1 as shown in
One end of the tip 1b is retracted into the probe guide tube 19 to obtain a reflection image as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of circular holes are formed in the probe guide tube 1.
The index 20 is formed by arranging the indices 20 in the direction of the axis 9 of FIG.
As described above, the shape of the indicator 20 can take various modes.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is different from the first and second embodiments in that a hole penetrates the wall of the probe guide tube 19 and is different from the probe guide tube 19 in FIG. The groove formed on the inner surface of the wall surface of the tube 19 is used as an index 20.

The index 20 of this embodiment has an arc-shaped groove having an arc-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. 12, and is formed to be elongated in parallel to the axial direction of the probe guide tube 19 as shown in FIG. . Then, the index 20 shown in FIG.
Is formed in an edge shape so as not to be smooth.

When the groove-like index 20 is formed as described above, the degree of reflection of the ultrasonic wave is different between the index 20 portion and the periphery thereof, and the edge 21 is formed as an edge.
The boundary between the index 20 and the other portions becomes clear, and an ultrasonic reflection image similar to that shown in FIG. 5 can be obtained to grasp the directionality of the search.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which the cross section of the groove forming the index 20 is rectangular, and FIGS. 15 and 16 show the cross section of the groove forming the index 20. Is a fifth embodiment of the present invention in which
Functions similarly to the third embodiment.

Note that the index 20 of the present invention is not necessarily formed only in one direction.
An index 20 having an appropriate shape according to the purpose of use, such as a two-hole direction as in the embodiment or a three-groove direction as in the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. They may be formed at different positions in the circumferential direction.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the scanning direction of the ultrasonic transducer 3 is not limited to the side, but may be an oblique side.

[0043]

According to the present invention, an index is provided in a predetermined direction of a tip portion of a probe guide tube so as to be distinguished and detected by a probe detecting section from other portions. By detecting the relationship between the directions, it is possible to correctly confirm the detection direction of the tip of the probe passed through the probe guide tube.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a distal end portion of a probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the probe is retracted into a probe guide tube.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a distal end portion of the probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the probe protrudes from a distal end of a probe guide tube.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the indicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an ultrasonic reflection image according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the probe according to the embodiment of the present invention in a retracted state.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a probe is sent out.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of an indicator according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the indicator according to the second embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of an indicator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partial front sectional view of an indicator according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of an indicator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a partial front sectional view of an indicator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of an indicator according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a partial front sectional view of an indicator according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a front sectional view of a probe guide tube according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a front sectional view of a probe guide tube according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Probe 1a Insertion part 1b Tip 3 Ultrasonic transducer (probing part) 19 Probe guide tube 20 Index

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An index which is detected by the above-mentioned detecting portion in a predetermined direction of a tip portion of a probe guide tube which guides a probe provided with a detecting portion at the distal end of an elongated insertion portion. A medical probe guidance device provided. 2. The medical probe guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting section is configured to detect a side or an oblique side of a tip portion of the probe. 3. The medical probe guiding device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave. 4. The medical probe guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the index is a slit elongated in the axial direction of the probe guide tube. 5. The medical probe guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the index is formed by arranging a plurality of circular holes in an axial direction of the probe guide tube. 6. The medical probe guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the index is a groove formed in the inner surface of the probe guide tube to be elongated in the axial direction. 7. The medical probe guiding device according to claim 6, wherein the edge of the groove is an edge. 8. A cross-sectional shape of said groove is arc-shaped.
Or the medical probe guiding device according to 6. 9. A sectional shape of the groove is rectangular.
Or the medical probe guiding device according to 6. 10. The medical probe guiding device according to claim 5, wherein the groove has a V-shaped cross section. 11. The medical probe guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the indicators are provided in a circumferential direction of the probe guide tube.