JPH119598A - Ultrasonic coupler - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the mounting of a bag body on a case while adjusting the amount of water of the bag body involving an ultrasonic coupler mounted on an ultrasonic probe used in a medical organ, especially concerning an ultrasonic coupler on which is mounted the bag body having an ultrasonic propagation medium at the tip of the ultrasonic probe. SOLUTION: In an ultrasonic coupler mounted on an ultrasonic probe 4, there are arranged a bag body 1 which has one end part 1a with an opening part for injecting an ultrasonic propagation medium at least at one end thereof and is filled with an ultrasonic propagation medium 5, a case 2 which has a mounting piece 2a where the end part 1 of the bag body 1 is mounted and a plug 3 to be mounted on the case 2 with the bag body 1 interposed while closing the end part la of the bag body 1 with each mounting piece 2a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic coupler mounted on an ultrasonic probe used in, for example, a medical institution, and more particularly to a bag having an ultrasonic propagation medium at the tip of the ultrasonic probe. The present invention relates to a body-mounted ultrasonic coupler. In the case of ultrasound imaging, if the diagnostic site to be observed is a superficial region of the human body such as the breast line or thyroid gland, secure the distance to the focal point of the ultrasonic beam emitted from the ultrasonic probe. For this purpose, a bag filled with an ultrasonic wave propagation medium such as distilled water is attached to the tip of the ultrasonic probe.

In order to secure the distance to the focal point, simply separating the ultrasonic probe from the superficial portion to be observed into the air requires a distance between the ultrasonic probe and the superficial portion. Due to the presence of air, ultrasonic waves are attenuated, and a good image cannot be obtained. A bag is attached to the tip of the ultrasonic probe in order to secure the distance to the observation target while preventing this attenuation.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic coupler attached to an ultrasonic probe has a form in which a bag is detachable as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-31746, and a form in which a bag is attached in advance. There are forms.

[0004]

However, in the conventional example disclosed in JP-A-2-31746, the attachment / detachment structure of the bag is complicated, and the inner frame is inserted into the bag, and then the outer frame is matched with the outer frame. In the conventional example that requires an assembling operation and a bag is attached in advance, the amount of water (capacity) of the bag is
There was a problem that adjustment was not possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic coupler capable of easily attaching a bag to a case and adjusting the amount of water in the bag.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic coupler mounted on an ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic coupler having at least one end having an opening for injecting an ultrasonic wave propagation medium. A bag having an ultrasonic wave propagation medium filled therein, a case having mounting pieces to which ends of the bag are respectively mounted, and a bag body closing each bag piece end with each mounting piece. And a stopper attached to the case with the interposition of the ultrasonic coupler.

When the bag is fixed to the case, the prevention of leakage of the ultrasonic wave propagation medium from the bag and the fixing of the bag to the case are realized by a single member, the stopper, and the stopper is provided. Is attached to the case with one touch, so that the bag body can be easily attached to the case. Furthermore, since the bag attached to the case is attached only with the stopper at both ends, it is possible to provide a bag that can flexibly cope with a change in the shape of the diagnosis site to be observed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ultrasonic coupler according to the first aspect, wherein the bag has a cylindrical shape having openings at both ends. By having openings at both ends of the bag, the bag can be filled with the ultrasonic wave propagation medium without being restricted by the injection direction. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the stopper is made of butyl rubber or silicon rubber.
It is an ultrasonic coupler of the description.

[0009] When an ultrasonic wave propagation medium is injected into a bag, the ultrasonic wave transmission medium is injected from a syringe containing the medium using a syringe needle.
By using butyl rubber or silicone rubber for the stopper, it is possible to prevent leakage of the medium when inserting and removing the injection needle.
In addition, it can withstand repeated use of needle insertion and withdrawal.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which an ultrasonic probe is attached to an ultrasonic probe. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a case according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method of injecting an ultrasonic wave propagation medium. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a method of adjusting the capacity of the bag. It should be noted that the same reference numerals throughout the drawings indicate the same object. First, the configuration of the ultrasonic coupler of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a bag, and openings 1a and 1a 'provided on both sides thereof are formed with openings through which an ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 such as distilled water is injected. The ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 injected from the opening is filled inside the bag 1. The bag 1 is made of a thin film-like material having high flexibility. By providing the openings on both sides, the directionality is not restricted when the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 is injected into the bag 1.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a case to which the bag 1 is attached. The bag 1 can be brought into contact with the ultrasonic probe 4 through the case 2. Details of Case 2 are shown in FIG.
The case 2 is a frame body having neither a bottom plate nor a ceiling, and a mounting piece 2a for the end 1a of the bag 1 and a mounting piece 2a 'for the end 1a' are formed on both sides thereof. . A case hole 8 is formed in each of the attachment pieces 2a and 2a ', and an opening formed in the end 1a of the bag body 1 is drawn upward from below the case hole 8 in the figure. .

Reference numerals 2b and 2b 'denote through holes, and the bag 1 is removed from the case 2 before the bag 1 is drawn into the case hole 8.
Of the end 1a. Numerals 9 are recesses provided at both ends of the case 2, and the case 2 can be attached to the ultrasonic probe 4 by fitting with projections 10 formed on the ultrasonic probe 4. Reference numeral 3 denotes a stopper, which is butyl rubber having a Shore hardness of A type of 50 degrees ± 20 degrees and the same material as the cap of the blood collection tube. Even if the material of the stopper 3 is silicon rubber, it can be applied, but in consideration of the case where the injection needle described below is repeatedly inserted and pierced a plurality of times, butyl rubber having excellent durability is preferable. The stopper 3 is pressed into the case hole 8.

Next, the procedure for mounting the ultrasonic coupler will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. First, the end 1a 'of the bag 1' is passed through the case hole 8 'of the mounting piece 2a' through the through hole 2b 'of the case 2, and is fixed with a plug 3'.
a is passed through the other through hole 2b into the case hole 8 of the mounting piece 2a. Next, the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 such as distilled water is injected from the opening 12 of the bag body 1 ′ using the syringe 6, and the case hole 8 is press-fitted with the stopper 3 and sealed to leak the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5. The prevention and the fixing of the bag 1 'are performed, and the mounting of the ultrasonic coupler is completed.

The bag 1 'in FIG. 4 has an opening 12 only at one end, and the other end has a tip 13
It is a bag stitch written as. A commercially available condom can be used as the bag 1 'in FIG. Further, the stopper 3 can be replaced with a commercially available rubber stopper for a blood collection tube. When attaching the ultrasonic coupler to the ultrasonic probe 4, the concave portions 9 at both ends of the case are fixed by fitting with the projections 10 of the ultrasonic probe 4. FIG. 1 shows a state in which an ultrasonic coupler is fixed to the ultrasonic probe 4. That is, both ends 1a and 1a 'of the bag 1
3 ′, and the mounting pieces 2a, 2
The projection 10 of the ultrasonic probe 4 is fitted and fixed in a recess 9 provided inside the case 2 at a ′. The bag 1 and the ultrasonic radiation surface of the ultrasonic probe 4 are in flat and uniform contact with each other, and the ultrasonic probe is applied to the bag 1 as shown in the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. The tip of the child 4 is fixed so as to bite.

Next, regarding the capacity adjustment for the bag 1, FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. When it is desired to increase the capacity of the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 in the bag 1 after being mounted as an ultrasonic coupler, the injection needle 7 is inserted into the stopper 3 and the supplementary ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 is injected from the syringe 6. Even if the injection needle 7 is pulled out from the stopper 3 after the replenishment, the needle hole formed by piercing the injection needle 7 is closed because the stopper 3 is made of butyl rubber, and the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 does not leak. .

The injection needle 7 is pierced into the stopper 3 even when bubbles are generated in the bag 1. That is, when bubbles are generated in the bag 1, the bubbles are collected in the area 11 around the end 1a of the bag 1, which is located above the ultrasonic emission surface of the ultrasonic probe 4, and this area By inserting the injection needle 7 toward 11, the air bubbles in the bag 1 can also be removed.

One example of changing the distance between the object to be observed and the ultrasonic probe will be described. In FIG. 4, after the opening 12 of the bag 1 'filled with the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 is fixed by the plug 3, the plug 3' is removed and the tip 13 of the bag 1 'is directed toward the outside of the case. And pull it again and plug 3 '
, It is possible to bring about a change in the degree of extension of the bag 1 ′ without replenishing the bag 1 ′ with the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5, thereby substantially changing the inside of the bag 1 ′. The capacity of the ultrasonic wave propagation medium 5 can be adjusted. In addition, it is also possible to stabilize the shape of the bag 1 '.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by fixing only both sides of the bag 1 to the case 2, the shape of the bag is flexible according to the shape of the observation target. Since the contact area between the observation target 14 and the bag body 1 increases as shown in FIG. 6, the image extraction area can be increased, and a good image can be obtained. Images can be obtained.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-31746, which is a conventional technique, the shape of the water bag is changed according to the shape of the object to be observed by fixing the water bag by fitting the inner frame and the outer frame. Since it is difficult to do so, the contact area between the observation target and the water bag cannot be increased, and the image extraction area becomes narrow. Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by fixing only both sides of the bag 1 to the case 2, the shape of the bag changes flexibly according to the ultrasonic wave emitting surface of the ultrasonic probe. However, the contact between the ultrasonic wave emitting surface and the bag can be made uniform, and a good image can be obtained.

Further, the ultrasonic probe described in the above embodiment of the present invention is a linear probe having a flat ultrasonic radiation surface, but the shape of the bag 1 is the same as that of the ultrasonic probe 4. If the dimensions of the fitting between the case 2 and the ultrasonic probe are matched by flexibly changing according to the shape, the convex type probe with the ultrasonic radiation surface 15a as shown in FIG. The present invention is applicable to the touch element 15. In other words, a single type of ultrasonic coupler can cope with a plurality of types of ultrasonic probes, and there is an effect that it is not necessary to prepare a dedicated ultrasonic coupler for each ultrasonic probe.

[0023]

As described above, the present invention has the following effects. First, since the sealing of the bag body and the fixing of the bag body to the case can be simultaneously performed by the stopper, the structure is simple and the assembling property is improved. Second, the number of parts is small and the cost is low.

Third, since the one-touch fixing with the stopper is used, the bag body can be easily replaced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which an ultrasonic coupler is attached to an ultrasonic probe.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A 'of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a case according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a method of injecting an ultrasonic wave propagation medium.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a method of adjusting the capacity of the bag.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a contact state between an observation target and an ultrasonic coupler.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic coupler to which a convex probe is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bag body 2 Case 3 Plug 4 Ultrasonic probe 5 Ultrasonic propagation medium 6 Syringe 7 Injection needle 8 Case hole 9 Depression 10 Projection 11 Area 12 Opening 13 Tip 14 Object to be observed 15 Convex type probe

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic coupler attached to an ultrasonic probe, wherein at least one end has an end portion provided with an opening for injecting an ultrasonic wave propagation medium, and the inside is filled with the ultrasonic wave propagation medium. A bag, a case having a mounting piece to which the end of the bag is attached, and a plug attached to the case with the mounting piece interposing the bag while closing the end of the bag. An ultrasonic coupler, comprising: 2. The ultrasonic coupler according to claim 1, wherein said bag has a cylindrical shape having openings at both ends. 3. The ultrasonic coupler according to claim 1, wherein said stopper is made of butyl rubber or silicon rubber.