JPS62201145A - Ultrasonic mechanical scanner - 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] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is an ultrasonic mechanical device that enables mechanical ultrasonic scanning by mechanically swinging or rotating an ultrasonic transducer. This invention relates to a scanner device.

(Prior Art) An ultrasonic mechanical scanner device acquires ultrasonic information about a subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves while mechanically swinging or rotating an ultrasonic sensor (hereinafter referred to as a transducer). 19. In such an ultrasonic mechanical scanner device, for example, it is not possible to emit the oscillating transducer directly onto the subject (living body), so as shown in Figure 2, the part that touches the living body is made of plastic or It is covered with a window material 5 made of rubber, and a vibrator 7 is housed inside the window material 5. In the ultrasonic frequency range that is applied to collecting ultrasound information on living organisms, it is difficult for ultrasound to be transmitted to living organisms when air is present.
It is necessary to fill the window material 5 with a liquid (acoustic medium liquid) 8 that easily transmits ultrasonic waves. However, if air bubbles are mixed into the liquid 8, it will have a negative effect on the ultrasound image, so it is necessary to remove the air bubbles existing in the liquid 8 by some method, and in addition to removing them, the generation of the next air bubble must be delayed as much as possible. There is a need. Generally, in this type of ultrasonic mechanical scanner device, the rotational motion of the motor (see arrow A) is converted into a swinging motion by a link mechanism 9 or the like to give a swinging motion to the transducer 7 (see arrow B). Therefore, unless the motor is completely immersed in the liquid, it is necessary to prevent the liquid 8 from flowing out and air bubbles from entering between the shaft 10 directly connected to the motor and the oil seal 11.

Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, a rubber cylindrical tube 12 is provided at the rear of the window material 5 to communicate with the interior of the room, and after the air in the interior 6 has been vented, the duplex 12 is inflated as shown by the broken line. The stopper 13 provides a sealed structure, and the elastic force of the tube 12 creates a positive pressure inside the window material 5 to prevent the liquid 8 from flowing out and the generation of bubbles.

However, in such a conventional structure, not only is it necessary to open and close the stopcock 13, but also the positive pressure obtained by the rubber tube 12 is small, so it is quite difficult to handle air, and it is difficult to sufficiently prevent the generation of air bubbles. could not be prevented.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, the conventional ultrasonic mechanical scanner device has the problem of being forced to perform a complicated air bleeding operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic mechanical scanner device that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and can omit complicated air handling operations.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The ultrasonic mechanical scanner device according to the present invention has a mechanical scanner section disposed inside a case body filled with an acoustic medium liquid, and transmits energy via an energy transmitting means. In a device that performs ultrasonic mechanical scan using kinetic energy generated by the mechanical scanner, the method is divided into two, a first medium chamber housing the mechanical scanner section and a second medium chamber adjacent to this medium chamber, Further, it is characterized by providing a bubble trap means for guiding the bubbles in the first liquid medium chamber into the second liquid medium chamber and preventing the guided bubbles from returning to the first liquid medium chamber. There is.

(Function) Normally, the ultrasonic mechanical scanner device is brought into contact with the subject with the sound wave emitting surface facing the direction of gravity. In such a position, the first
The medium chamber is on the lower side, and the second medium chamber is on the upper side. Therefore, during use of this ultrasonic mechanical scanner device, the bubbles existing in the first fluid chamber rise due to buoyancy and are guided into the second fluid chamber by the bubble trap means.

The bubbles introduced into the second medium chamber rise roughly and eventually reach the inner wall surface of the second medium chamber. Even if the device is rotated in this state, the bubbles in the second liquid medium chamber will be trapped by the bubble trap means and will not return to the first liquid medium chamber.

In this manner, while the present device is in use, air bubbles in the first liquid medium chamber are automatically removed, so there is no need to perform complicated air handling operations as in the past.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an ultrasonic mechanical scanner device which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a case body, and in particular, the part indicated by 12 is an ultrasonic emission surface, so it is made of a window material made of plastic or rubber. 13 is a mechanical scanner section, which includes a vibrator 13a and a link mechanism 13b for rocking this vibrator.
It consists of 14 is a driving means such as a motor;
The rotational energy of the motor 14 is transmitted to the link mechanism 13b via an energy transmission means, for example, a rotating shaft 15.

The case body 11 is filled with an acoustic medium liquid such as water. Reference numeral 16 denotes a bubble trap means, which includes an insertion hole 17 through which the rotating shaft 15 is inserted, and a through hole 18 that, together with the gap between the insertion hole forming surface and the rotating shaft 15, constitutes a circulation path for the acoustic medium liquid. A v1 trumpet-shaped partition wall (hereinafter referred to as a partition wall) having a trumpet shape is applied. This partition wall 16 divides the interior of the case body 12 into a first fluid chamber 19 that accommodates the mechanical scanner section 13 and a second fluid chamber 20 adjacent to this fluid chamber 19 .

Further, a helical groove 24 is bored in the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 15, particularly in a portion facing the surface where the insertion hole 17 is formed. Note that 21 is an oil seal, which prevents leakage of the acoustic medium and generation of bubbles.

Next, the operation of the embodiment device configured as above will be explained.

To collect ultrasound information, the patient to be examined is placed on a bed.
The ultrasonic radiation surface, that is, the window material 12 part, is aligned in the direction of gravity (arrow 2
5 directions). Therefore, in such a posture, the first medium chamber 19 is on the lower side, and the second medium chamber 20 is on the lower side.
is on the upper side. Therefore, the bubbles 22 existing in the acoustic medium liquid in the first medium liquid chamber 19 rise to the top due to buoyancy, and the partition wall 1
6, and eventually reaches the vicinity of the insertion hole 17. The air bubbles 22 that have reached the vicinity of the insertion hole 17 can pass through the gap between the forming surface of the insertion hole 17 and the outer wall of the rotating shaft 15 due to buoyancy, but the rotating shaft 15 is rotated in the direction of the arrow due to the rotational drive of the motor 14. If so, the bubbles 22 can be forcibly drawn into the second medium chamber 20 through the spiral groove 24. The acoustic medium liquid is also drawn into the second medium liquid chamber 20 along with the bubbles, and accordingly, the acoustic medium liquid in the second medium liquid chamber 20 is discharged into the first medium liquid chamber 19 through the through hole 18. However, the bubbles 22 continue to rise within the second liquid medium chamber 20 and eventually reach the vicinity of the oil seal 21. When the device is rotated 180 degrees in this state, air bubbles in the second medium chamber 20 are trapped in the corners 23 of the partition wall 16. Therefore, as long as the device is in normal use, the air bubbles in the second liquid medium chamber 20 will not return to the first liquid medium chamber 19.

Note that, as in the conventional device, the rotational motion transmitted to the link mechanism 13b via the rotating shaft 15 is used to swing the vibrator 13a.

As described above, since the device of this embodiment is provided with the partition wall 16 as a bubble trap means, the air bubbles in the first liquid medium chamber 19 can be transferred to the second medium liquid chamber 20 during use of the device. It is possible to take in the air and trap it, therefore, there is no need for complicated air handling work as in conventional devices. In particular, a spiral groove 24 is formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 15, and
Since the insertion hole 17 and the through hole 18 constitute a circulation path for the acoustic medium, the advantage is that the bubbles 22 in the first medium chamber 10 can be drawn smoothly into the second medium chamber 20. has.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

For example, in the above embodiment, the spiral groove 2 is formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 15.
The spiral groove 24. Even if the through hole 18 is omitted, trapping of air bubbles is possible.

Further, in the above embodiments, an explanation has been given of an apparatus in which imaging is oscillated, but the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus in which mechanical scanning is performed by rotating a vibrator.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic mechanical scanner device that can omit complicated air handling operations.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
...Ultrasonic vibrator, 13b...Link mechanism, 15...
・Energy transmission means (rotating shaft), 16... Bubble trap means (partition wall), 17... Insertion hole, 18... Through hole, 19... First medium chamber, 20... No. 2 medium chamber, 22...bubble, 24...spiral groove. Agent Patent Attorney Masayoshi Misawa Figure 1

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A case body filled with an acoustic medium liquid, a mechanical scanner section placed inside the case body that performs ultrasonic mechanical scanning, and energy transmission that transmits kinetic energy used for mechanical scanning to the mechanical scanner section. In the ultrasonic mechanical scanner device comprising: a first part that houses the mechanical scanner part;
dividing the inside of the case body into two into a medium chamber and a second medium chamber adjacent to the medium chamber, and guiding air bubbles in the first medium chamber into the second medium chamber; An ultrasonic mechanical scanner device comprising: a bubble trap means for preventing guided bubbles from returning into the first liquid medium chamber. (2) A patent in which the energy transmission means is a rotatably supported rotating shaft, and the bubble trap means is a trumpet-shaped partition having an insertion hole through which the rotating shaft is inserted. An ultrasonic mechanical scanner device according to claim 1. (3) The energy transmission means is a rotary shaft that is rotatably supported and has a spiral groove bored in its circumferential surface, and the bubble trap means has an insertion hole through which the rotary shaft is inserted. and a through hole that forms a circulation path for the acoustic medium liquid together with a gap between the insertion hole forming surface and the rotating shaft, and is a trumpet-shaped partition wall formed in a trumpet shape. The ultrasonic mechanical scanner device described in . (4) The ultrasonic mechanical scanner device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the inner wall surface of the trumpet-shaped partition faces the first medium chamber.