JPH1156855A - Ultrasonic catheter driving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To hardly transmit vibrations caused by a driving torque to a catheter by strongly connecting a connector to an external driving device by providing a connecting part for connecting the connector, and providing the connecting part with a pressing means in close contact with the connector. SOLUTION: When a lock dial 33 is rotated after an ultrasonic catheter is inserted to a connecting part 20 of a driving device to a prescribed position, head parts 310 of three existing lock pins 31 respectively touch a cam surface, gradually move to the cam surface and simultaneously press it. Then, three lock pins 31 move in the central axis direction of the connecting part as a whole, and a base 313 of the lock pin 31 is abutted to an insulator 6 of the inserted ultrasonic catheter and pushes it in. When the lock dial 33 is further turned, the head part 310 of the lock pin 31 moves to the cam surface and moves so as to be protruded from an outer peripheral surface 22 of the connecting part 20 by the elasticity of an O ring 32 and the insulator 6, and a connector 5 is locked by the lock pins 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a driving apparatus for an ultrasonic catheter which is inserted into a body cavity such as a blood vessel or a blood vessel to display a cross-sectional image of a lumen or to measure a blood flow. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known an ultrasonic catheter which is inserted into a body cavity of a blood vessel or the like to display a cross-sectional image of a lumen or measure a blood flow or the like by an ultrasonic vibrator. As this ultrasonic catheter, for example, an ultrasonic vibrator, a drive shaft for transmitting a driving force for rotating the vibrator or the ultrasonic reflecting mirror inside the distal end of a hollow catheter tube (sheath) inserted into a body cavity, 2. Description of the Related Art There has been known a device including a signal line connecting a vibrator and an external electric circuit and a connector provided at a rear end of a catheter. Such an ultrasound catheter,
It is connected to a driving device via a connector, and an electrical connection and a mechanical connection are made. The driving device is further connected to a monitor screen for displaying an image obtained by the ultrasonic catheter, an operation unit (keyboard) for various operations, and the like. Such a connection portion between the connector and the driving device is mainly formed of a rigid body, and when connecting both, the connection is made by directly inserting one into the other.

[0003]

However, a certain gap is required to easily connect the two, and the gap is changed by the driving torque generated by the external driving device.
This causes the connector of the ultrasonic catheter and the catheter portion connected thereto to vibrate, and as a result, the rotation of the ultrasonic transducer at the tip of the ultrasonic catheter becomes uneven, causing an adverse effect on the image. In addition, this vibration causes discomfort and increased fatigue for the operator (doctor or the like) of the ultrasonic catheter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has a strong connection between a connector and an external driving device, so that vibrations caused by driving torque are hardly transmitted to the catheter. It is intended to provide a device.

[0005]

This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which is defined below as (1) to (4).

(1) A driving device for detachably connecting an ultrasonic catheter inserted into a body cavity and obtaining an image of the body cavity with an ultrasonic transducer through a connector of the ultrasonic catheter, the connection connecting the connector. An ultrasonic catheter driving device, comprising: a connection unit; and a pressing unit provided at the connection unit so as to be in close contact with the connector.

(2) The pressing means includes at least one pin, an elastic member in contact with the pin, and a locking means for pressing the pin.
7. The ultrasonic catheter driving device according to item 5.

(3) The ultrasonic catheter driving device according to (2), wherein at least two pins are arranged at equal intervals around the connection portion.

(4) The locking means is a dial having a cam-shaped inner surface (2).
Or the ultrasonic catheter driving device according to (3).

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an ultrasonic catheter driving device according to the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred configuration example shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall side view showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic catheter driving device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the distal end portion of the ultrasonic catheter shown in FIG. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic catheter driving device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view near the distal end of the ultrasonic catheter driving device shown in FIG.

The ultrasonic catheter driving device 10 of the present invention
Is detachably connected to the ultrasonic catheter 1 via a connector 5 and further connected to an image display monitor (not shown), an operation panel (keyboard), and the like by a cable 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic catheter 1 includes a sheath 2 inserted into a body cavity, a drive shaft 3 inserted into the sheath 2 and transmitting a mechanical rotational driving force from a proximal end to a distal end, An ultrasonic vibrator 4 fixed to the tip of the shaft 3. The rear ends of the sheath 2 and the drive shaft 3 are connected to a connector 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the driving device 10 includes a motor 12 for rotating the driving shaft 3 and the ultrasonic vibrator 4, a connecting portion 20 for detachably connecting the connector 5 of the catheter, and The connecting part 20 is provided with a locking means 30 for strongly fixing the ultrasonic catheter 1 to the connecting part 20 after the ultrasonic catheter 1 is connected to the driving device 10.

The lock means 30 comprises a lock pin 31, an elastic member 32, a lock dial 33, and a dial stopper 34, as shown in FIG. The lock pin 31 has a substantially spherical head 310 followed by a flange 311 and a shaft 312.
And three shaft portions 312 are arranged in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the connection portion 20 in the counterbore holes 21 that are bored equally in a circular shape at 120 degrees each with the shaft portion 312 facing the center. The elastic member 32 is inserted into the shaft portion 312 of the lock pin 31, and the lock pin 31
Between the flange portion 311 and the stepped portion 210 of the deep counterbore hole 21. As the elastic member 32, an O-ring having high elasticity, for example, an O-ring made of a silicon material is preferably used. In a normal state (a state where the ultrasonic catheter 1 can be inserted and removed from the connection portion), the head 310 of the lock pin 31
Slightly protrude from the outer peripheral surface 22 of the connecting portion 20. The dial stopper 34 is mounted on the distal end portion 23 of the connecting portion 20 using, for example, a small screw 340 or the like, and has a hole for receiving the connector 5 of the ultrasonic catheter 1.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 6 denotes an elastic member (insulator) provided in a groove for receiving the lock pin 31 formed on the connector 5 of the ultrasonic catheter 1, and 7 prevents rotation of the connector 5. Is the key to

FIG. 5 is a view of the lock dial 33 as viewed from the front end side, and FIGS. 6A to 6C are operation diagrams of the lock mechanism of the present embodiment in the AA section of FIG.

The lock dial 33 is disposed near the distal end of the connecting portion 20, and a cam is formed on an inner surface 330 thereof. As shown in FIG. 5, there are three types of cam surfaces on the inner surface 330 of the lock dial 33: a cam surface 331a slightly larger than the outer periphery of the connection portion, a largest cam surface 331b, and a cam surface 331c smaller than the cam surface 331b. Each exists. In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 6A, the head 310 of the lock pin 31 is disposed inside the cam surface 331b.

Next, the operation method and operation of the present invention will be described. The ultrasonic catheter 1 is connected to the connecting portion 2 of the driving device 10.
After inserting the lock dial 33 to a predetermined position at 0, the lock dial 33 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, the three head portions 310 of the lock pins 31 respectively contact the cam surface 331b, gradually move to the cam surface 331a, and are simultaneously pressed. Then, the entire three lock pins 31 move in the direction of the central axis of the connection portion, and the bottom surface 313 of the lock pin 31 comes into contact with and pushes the elastic member (insulator) 6 of the inserted ultrasonic catheter 1 (FIG. 6-). b). Furthermore, lock dial 3
When the user turns the head 3, the head 310 of the lock pin 31
1c, the lock pin 31 moves in a direction protruding from the outer peripheral surface 22 of the connection portion 20 due to the elasticity of the elastic member (O-ring) 32 and the elasticity of the insulator 6. But,
Since the cam surface 331c is a small recess, the return amount is small,
Since the force of the bottom surface 313 of the lock pin 31 pressing the insulator 6 is still sufficient, the connector 5 is locked by the lock pin 31 (FIG. 6C). Since the lock pins 31 are arranged at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the connection portion (in this example, three lock pins are used), the connector is locked coaxially with the connection portion 20.

When the lock pin 31 comes into contact with the cam surface 331c, the operator feels a click, so that the locked position can be easily grasped. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, as a visual determination of the lock position, as shown in FIG. 4, the window 130 formed at 120 degrees around the tip of the cap 13 and the color written on the boss 332 of the lock dial. , Characters, etc. (“L” in FIG. 4) may be overlapped when locked, and the symbol may be recognized as a locked position when the symbol is seen from the window 130.

FIG. 7A is a view of the connecting portion 20 viewed from the front end side, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 7A.

On the foremost surface 23 of the connecting portion 20, six slopes 25 are formed following the three key grooves 24. When the connector 5 is inserted into the connection portion 20, the key 7 of the connector 5 comes into contact with one of the slopes 25, and when the key 7 is further pushed in, the key groove 24 is smoothly rotated while the connector 5 is rotated.
It is led to. Here, since the key groove 24 is formed to have a width considerably larger than the width of the key 7, the key 7 of the connector can be inserted into the key groove 24 with a small amount of rotation. If the locking means 30 is used, the connector 5 is fixed in place, so that the connector itself does not rotate due to the driving force of the motor 12, and even if it rotates, it contacts the wall 241 of the key groove 24. Therefore, it is safe because it can be suppressed by a small amount of rotation.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the mechanism in which the lock dial pushes down the lock pin. Specifically, the lock dial 60 is hollow, and the terminal side has, for example, a knurled dial shape. A male screw 61 is formed on the proximal end side, and a tapered surface 62 is formed on the most proximal end surface.
A lock sleeve 70 is connected and fixed between the connection portion 20 and the cap 13 so as to cover the lock pin 31. A female screw 71 is formed on the terminal side of the lock sleeve 70, and meshes with the male screw 61 of the lock dial 60. Here, both screw portions are right-handed screws.

Here, when the lock dial 60 is rotated clockwise as shown by arrow A, the male screw 61 is bitten by the female screw 71, and the lock dial 60 moves in the direction of arrow B. Then, the tapered surface 62 of the lock dial 60 becomes
When it comes into contact with the head 310 of the lock pin 31 and proceeds further,
The entire lock pin 31 is pushed down in the direction of arrow C. Thereby, the connector 5 (not shown) is locked by the lock pin 31.

Although the ultrasonic catheter of the present invention has been described based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, one lock pin may be used,
In addition, for example, the head may not be substantially spherical but may be substantially arc-shaped, and the shaft may be square. Further, a spring may be used as the elastic member. Furthermore, the bottom surface 3 of the lock pin 31
If an elastic body is attached to the connector 13 or all or a part of the lock pin 31 is formed of an elastic body, it is not necessary to provide the connector 6 with the insulator 6. Further, a tightening mechanism using a taper lock instead of the lock pin may be used.

[0025]

As described above, according to the external driving device for an ultrasonic catheter of the present invention, the vibration of the ultrasonic catheter due to the driving torque can be suppressed by closely fixing the ultrasonic catheter to the driving device. As a result, uneven rotation of the ultrasonic vibrator, discomfort and fatigue of the operator can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view showing an embodiment of an external driving device for an ultrasonic catheter according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a distal end portion of the ultrasonic catheter shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ultrasonic catheter driving device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the distal end of the ultrasonic catheter driving device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view of the lock dial 33 as viewed from a distal end side.

6A to 6C are views showing an operation state of the lock mechanism according to the present embodiment, taken along a line AA in FIG. 3;

7A is a view of the connecting portion 20 viewed from the distal end side, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a distal end portion of a driving device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic catheter 4 Ultrasonic transducer 5 Connector 10 Drive device 20 Connection part 31 Lock pin 33 Lock dial 34 Dial stopper

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A drive unit for detachably connecting an ultrasonic catheter which is inserted into a body cavity and obtains an image of the inside of the body cavity with an ultrasonic transducer via a connector of the ultrasonic catheter. An ultrasonic catheter driving device, comprising: a pressing unit that closely contacts the connector at the connection portion. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pressing means includes at least one pin, an elastic member in contact with said pin, and locking means for pressing said pin.
7. The ultrasonic catheter driving device according to item 5. 3. The ultrasonic catheter driving device according to claim 2, wherein at least two pins are arranged at equal intervals around the connection portion. 4. The ultrasonic catheter driving device according to claim 2, wherein said locking means is a dial having a cam-shaped inner surface.