JPS5988140A - Nmr endoscope diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an NMR endoscopic diagnostic apparatus for detecting and diagnosing epidermal cancer and the like occurring on the inner surface of the gastrointestinal tract of the human body.

Conventionally, detection and diagnosis of epidermal cancer that occurs on the inner surface of the human digestive tract, especially in the upper layer of the stomach wall, has been performed using endoscopy or X-rays.
A common method is to detect the site of occurrence by radiography or the like, collect biological tissue from that site, and diagnose whether or not it is malignant. However, such conventional methods for detecting and diagnosing epidermal cancer do not allow for easy relative diagnosis, and the sample collection site is relatively wide, so an immediate diagnosis cannot be made. Furthermore, there are disadvantages in that it takes a lot of effort to collect all living tissue, and the human body must be injured in order to collect the sample.

On the other hand, in recent years, magnetic scanners, NMR tomography apparatuses, etc. that utilize the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon have been used. Generally, when a human body is placed in a magnetic field and a high frequency wave of a predetermined frequency is applied to the human body, nuclei with spin inside the human body are excited, and the nuclei generate a signal of a fixed frequency (
NMR signal) to notify its location. Therefore, the N of the NMR scanner, NMR tomography apparatus, etc.
An MR device obtains a tomographic image by detecting an NMR signal and processing it with a computer. These N.M.
The tomographic images obtained by the R device are extremely useful for diagnosing cancer and the like.

In other words, since the signals obtained from general cancer cells and normal cells have different responses, it is possible to diagnose whether or not cancer is present by measuring their response times.

However, these ready-to-use devices must process all of the huge amount of NMR signals in order to obtain tomographic images, which requires a high-speed, large-capacity computer, making the entire device large and extremely expensive. There was a drawback.

Additionally, when an abnormality is visually discovered during endoscopic observation, there has traditionally been a desire to determine whether or not this abnormality is, for example, malignant. However, the above-mentioned NMR scanner has drawbacks such as being expensive and large, and furthermore, it is difficult to correlate visually abnormal areas with tomographic images.

The present invention was made based on the above circumstances, and is a small, low-mounted, highly sensitive, and highly accurate device that can immediately diagnose abnormalities during endoscopic observation. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic diagnostic device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized by having the following first-order configuration. That is, in the present invention, a pair of movable magnetic poles that form a static magnetic field and are rotatable in the X direction in an A movable bed that can be rotated,
A magnetic field direction detecting element for detecting the direction of the static magnetic field at the tip of the flexible thin tube, and a high frequency coil for forming a high frequency magnetic field in the test site in the body cavity and detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals of the test site. an endoscope, means for driving one or both of the movable magnetic pole and the movable bed based on an output signal of a magnetic field direction detection element so that the static magnetic field and the high-frequency magnetic field are orthogonal to each other, and a high-frequency coil having a predetermined frequency. The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Detailed explanation.

Figures 1 to 5 are all diagrams for explaining one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of this device, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing the endoscope tip of the same embodiment. This is a diagram showing the structure of the third
This figure shows the configuration of a magnetic field direction detection element provided at the distal end of the endoscope, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of detecting the magnetic field direction detection element. Further, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a signal processing system of the magnetic field direction detection element and the high frequency coil.

As shown in FIG. 1, the NMR endoscope diagnostic apparatus of this embodiment includes a movable magnet 1, a movable bed 2, an endoscope 3, a movable magnet and movable bed drive section (hereinafter referred to as the drive section) 4,
It is composed of an NMR signal measuring section 5.

The movable magnet 1 is composed of a pair of magnets and forms a static magnetic field. Moreover, as shown by arrow A, this movable magnet 1 is rotatable in the X direction within the XY plane perpendicular to the static magnetic field.

The movable bed 2 is provided with an internal pressure of the static magnetic field formed by the movable magnet 1, and is rotatable in the Y direction within the XY plane perpendicular to the static magnetic field, as shown by arrow B.

The endoscope 3 consists of an operating section JA and a flexible thin tube 3B, and the tip of the flexible thin tube 3B is equipped with a direct viewing optical system consisting of a lens JJa and an image guide 31b, as shown in FIG. In addition, a magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 and a high frequency coil 3
3 is provided. Direct-view optical system image guide 3
1b passes through the flexible thin tube 3B and reaches the operating section 3A, so that the entire internal surface of the digestive tract of the human body can be visually observed.

On the other hand, the magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 and the high-frequency coil 33 are provided in a hollow cylindrical portion 34 formed near the direct-view optical system. As shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic field direction detection sensors 32 have detection surfaces perpendicular to each other and have a common transverse axis tv<2.
It is made up of two ferromagnetic thin film sensors J2a*JJm and is fixed so that the transverse axis t is coaxial or parallel to the center axis of the high frequency coil 33. Further, the surface of this magnetic field detection sensor 33 is covered with a mold 9 to prevent short circuits and the like. Therefore, this magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 is a static magnetic field formed by the movable magnet
And the y direction component! , and the angle between the static magnetic field π and the center axis of the high-frequency coil is detected.

The high-frequency coil 33 forms a high-frequency magnetic field at the test site in the body cavity using high-frequency waves sent from the magnetic field signal measuring section 5, which will be described later, and detects an open signal at the test site.

These magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 and high frequency coil 33
are connected to the drive unit 4 through the lead wires tl and t2 that pass through the flexible thin tube 3B. Connected to the NMR signal measuring section 5,
The drive section 4 is shown in FIG. That is, this drive unit 4 moves the movable magnet 1 and the movable bed 2 according to the angle between the static magnetic field π detected by the magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 and the central axis r of the high-frequency coil 33 so that the static magnetic field and the high-frequency magnetic field are orthogonal to each other. Either one or both are driven via the lead wire t3.

On the other hand, the open signal measuring section 5Fi sends out a high frequency wave of a predetermined frequency to the high frequency coil 33 as described above.

Thereby, the response time t-meter of the open signal of the inspected area detected from the high frequency coil 33 is measured, and physiological changes in the inspected area are detected and diagnosed.

Next, a case will be described in which the entire operation of the apparatus configured as described above is performed.

First, as shown in FIG.
OK, shower it. In this state, the flexible tube 3B of the endoscope 3 is inserted into the oral cavity of the subject 10, and the upper layer of the stomach wall and the like are observed using a direct viewing optical system. At this time, for example, if an abnormal site J (7ak is discovered in the upper layer of the stomach wall), the operating section 3At-
By operating, the high-frequency coil 33 is pressed against the abnormal area 10 m as shown in FIG. Movable magnet 1 and movable bed 2
Rotate one or the other. Then, at the point where the static magnetic field M crosses at right angles to the static magnetic field M, a high frequency wave of a predetermined frequency is sent from the NMR measurement unit 5 to the high frequency coil 33, and all open signals of the abnormal region JOa are measured. As a result, abnormal area 101
This makes it possible to detect and diagnose physiological changes such as cancer or not.

In this way, in this embodiment, N is placed at the tip of the endoscope @S.
Since a high-frequency coil 33 for detecting MR signals is provided, abnormal locations can be immediately diagnosed during endoscopic observation.Furthermore, a magnetic field direction detection sensor 32 is provided at the tip of the endoscope 3. This enables highly sensitive and highly accurate NMR measurements to be performed. Also, according to this example, unlike an NMR scanner, a high-speed, large-capacity computer is not required, making it possible to create a compact and low-cost device. It is.

As described above, according to the present invention, an abnormal location can be diagnosed immediately during endoscopic observation, and a compact, low-profile, highly accurate and highly sensitive heel endoscopic diagnostic device can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 5 all show one embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a schematic configuration diagram of an endoscopic diagnostic device, Figure 2 being a sectional view of the tip of the endoscope, and Figure 3 being a cross-sectional view of the tip of the endoscope. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detection method of the detection sensor, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a signal processing process of the detection sensor and high-frequency coil. 1... Movable magnet, 2... Movable bed, 3...
Endoscope, 4... Drive section, 5... Signal measurement section, 32
...Magnetic field direction detection sensor, JJa...Ferromagnetic thin film sensor, 34...High frequency coil.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (J) x that forms a static magnetic field and is perpendicular to this static magnetic field.
a pair of movable magnetic poles rotatable in the X direction within the y-plane; a movable bed disposed within the static magnetic field and rotatable in the Y direction within the xy plane; An endoscope having a magnetic field direction detection element that detects the direction of a magnetic field, a high frequency coil that forms a high frequency magnetic field in a region to be examined in a body cavity and detects a nuclear magnetic resonance signal of the region to be examined, and the static magnetic field and the high frequency magnetic field. means for driving one or both of the movable magnetic pole and the movable bed based on the output signal of the magnetic field direction detection element so that the movable magnetic poles and the movable bed are perpendicular to each other; An NMR endoscope diagnostic apparatus comprising: A means for measuring all of the detected nuclear magnetic resonance signals and detecting physiological changes in the inspected region. (2) The detection surfaces of the magnetic field direction detection elements are orthogonal to each other,
The forward-looking endoscopic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that it is composed of two ferromagnetic thin film elements having a common transverse axis. (3) The transverse axis of the magnetic field direction detection element is 8. The cabinet view 8 according to claim (1), characterized in that it is coaxial or parallel to the central axis of the high-frequency coil.