JPS61135638A - Ultrasonic examination 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] Industrial Field of Application This invention relates to an apparatus for examining a living organ during surgery, such as the inside of the heart, or a living organ other than during surgery, such as the larynx, using ultrasound. .

Conventional technology In conventional ultrasonic testing equipment, the material of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe (probe) with the living body is a plate-shaped silicone resin with no elasticity, so the conventional ultrasonic probe is not flat. , when used on a living organ with a complex shape during surgery, such as a beating heart, the probe does not adhere well to the surface of the heart, making it impossible to adequately examine the heart during surgery. There is. Vital organs other than the heart are examined with a probe by storing water around them or by interposing an ice bag, but in the case of the heart, a relatively large amount of blood that has drained around the heart is re-externalized. It is not possible to store water around the heart for use by returning it to the patient's body with a circulatory system, and if an ice bag is placed on top of the beating heart and the ice bag is pressed firmly against the heart. This method has the disadvantage that it is not possible to interpose an ice bag over the heart and examine it with a probe because it is dangerous because the heart is strongly compressed and tends to cause irregular pulses and a drop in blood pressure.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of conventional ultrasonic examination devices, and allows an ultrasonic probe to be used without strongly compressing a living organ with a complex shape, such as a beating heart. The purpose of this device is to enable inspection of biological organs that have complex shapes from any angle during or outside of surgery.

Means for Solving the Problems This invention has a soft, elastic, so-called soft konnyaku-like, polymer-based adapter with excellent ultrasonic properties, which is attached to the contact surface of an ultrasonic probe. Sounds of living organs such as the heart during surgery and living organs other than surgery VCff
1 This is a method for inspecting in close contact with a sonic probe.

The adapter used in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus of the present invention is made by fixing a gel made of a base material of various pot molecules swollen with a low-molecular substance such as water to a probe using a suitable holder.

Polymer base materials include silicone rubber and crosslinked or non-crosslinked organic polymer materials, and swelling agents include water, hydrocarbons, and edible oil. Specifically, silicone gels, gels made by impregnating styrene bumediene copolymer with paraffin, hydrogels made by impregnating hydrophilic polymers such as vinyl alcohol acrylic acid copolymers, crosslinked polycretanes, and polysaccharides with water, etc. There is. The ultrasonic properties of these polymer-based adapters are good for biological testing, and the softness, elasticity, and shape retention of polymer-based adapters are due to the cross-linking agents and swelling properties of the polymers. It can be adjusted to a predetermined value depending on the alkalinity and grade of the agent.

The thickness of the polymer-based adapter is approximately 50 m.
1 mm, but preferably about 15 m to about 511 mm.

Next, embodiments of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus of the present invention will be described.

Example 1 A paraffin copolymer gel 1 shown by the following formula is used as a base material for an adapter, and the paraffin copolymer gel 1 is shaped into a rectangle with a thickness of 15 m.

A synthetic resin holder 3 is attached to the outer periphery of the contact surface of a normal intraoperative ultrasonic probe 2, and an adapter made of paraffin copolymer gel 1 is attached to the contact surface of the probe 1 in a protruding shape. This is a sonic inspection device 614.

Paraffin copolymer gel polymer base material: 017M, = 1~2X10' Bulking agent: Liquid paraffin (add 20 times the weight of the polymer base material) This implementation 91 J l intraoperative ultrasonic inspection device 4 In an experiment using a test animal, the heart of a dog was opened and the heart exposed, and paraffin, which is soft and elastic and has excellent ultrasound properties, was coated on the surface of the dog's complexly shaped heart. When the heavy gel 1 is brought into contact with the paraffin copolymer gel 1 that protrudes from the holder 3 of the probe 2, it deforms and comes into close contact with the surface of the heart, which has a complex shape. We were able to obtain ultrasound tomographic images. In addition, the contracted state of the endocardium, including the movements of the papillary muscles and valve leaflets, could be clearly observed through the probe and the 15 mm thick adapter.

The ultrasonic device used was SAL-5OA manufactured by Toshiba, and the probe was a linear type micro intraoperative probe manufactured by Toshiba.

Example 2 Silicone gel (soft silicone rubber) was used as the base material of the adapter, and this silicone gel was shaped into a rectangular shape.
, into a shape with a thickness of 15 m.

This is an intraoperative ultrasonic testing device in which a silicone gel adapter is fixed to a normal intraoperative ultrasonic probe using a holder in the same manner as in Example 1.

When we conducted an experiment on a beating dog's heart using the intraoperative ultrasonic testing device of Example 2, we found that the surface of the dog's heart, which had a rough shape, was exposed to various directions such as up and down, left and right, and diagonal directions. By making contact with the heart, the silicone gel adapter deforms and comes into close contact with the complex-shaped surface of the heart, allowing us to obtain ultrasound tomographic images of the movement of the endocardium of a beating dog heart from various directions. was completed. In addition, we were able to clearly observe the lumen of coronary arteries, including the areas where their branches exit, even if they were approximately 1.5 m in diameter.

The ultrasonic device used was Toshiba Hibi 5AL-50A.
The probe is a linear type Toshiba 7.5 mouse l0B-
It is 703.

Example 3 A hydrogel shown by the following formula is used as a polymer base material of an adapter, and this hydrogel is formed into a rectangular shape with a thickness of 10+m.

This is an intraoperative ultrasonic examination apparatus in which a hydrogel adapter is fixed to the probe mantle using a holder in the same manner as in Example 1 to a normal intraoperative ultrasonic probe.

Hytrogel: Hydrogel is obtained by impregnating a 50-fold volume of water into a conjugate of vinyl alcohol and acrylic acid (formula below).

OHC0OH When we conducted an experiment on a beating dog's heart using the intraoperative ultrasound system of Example 3, we found that by touching the surface of a dog's heart, which has a complicated shape, from various directions, The hydrogel adapter deforms and adheres closely to the surface of the heart, allowing us to obtain ultrasound tomographic images of the beating dog's heart from various directions.In U%, we obtain good images of the course of the coronary arteries. It was possible to distinguish branching blood vessels down to about 11M1, which was rare.

For comparison, saline was collected around the dog's viscera.
When conducting an ultrasound examination using physiological saline using a probe with a part of the adapter removed from the intraoperative ultrasound system of Example 3, it was found that water was present around the heart (inside the heart sac) as the heart beats. It was difficult to keep the fluid in a pooled state, and because fat tissue and other substances were mixed in with blood, ultrasound absorption was attenuated, making it impossible to obtain clear images. It was also difficult to confirm the exact position of the probe when the water became opaque due to blood or the like.

In Examples 1 to 3, the heart has been described as a living organ, but it goes without saying that living organs other than the heart, such as the esophagus, small intestine, and large intestine, can be examined by ultrasound during surgery.

In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, we have explained the ultrasonic examination during surgery, but it goes without saying that it is also possible to perform ultrasonic examinations on biological parts with complex shapes such as the larynx and on pulsating biological surfaces other than during surgery. .

Effects of the Invention The ultrasonic tomographic image # of this invention is a device in which an adapter made of a polymer that is soft and elastic and has excellent ultrasonic properties is attached to the contact surface of an ultrasonic probe with a biological organ. Therefore, without applying strong pressure to a biological organ with a complex shape such as a beating heart, the ultrasound probe can be placed in close contact with the body via an adapter, and the biological organ can be inspected during or outside of surgery from any direction. Can be inspected.

Therefore, surgical results can be improved not only in cardiac surgery but also in many surgical fields, and it can be widely applied to direct ultrasonic examination of living organs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a front view of one embodiment of the invention. ■ is a paraffin copolymer gel, 2 is a probe, and 4 is an intraoperative ultrasonic examination device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an ultrasonic examination device consisting of an ultrasonic device and an ultrasonic probe, an adapter made of a polymer that is soft and elastic and has excellent ultrasonic properties is attached to the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe with a biological organ. , an ultrasonic inspection device characterized by being attached.