JPS63135149A - Ultrasonic medical treatment 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 Application Field] The present invention is an ultrasonic treatment device, more specifically, a lithotripsy treatment device that concentrates ultrasonic shock waves from outside the body toward a stone that is a treatment target inside the body. The present invention relates to stone position detection means in an ultrasonic treatment device.

[Prior Art] A stone destruction device as an example of an ultrasonic treatment device is publicly known (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 145131/1983). This device uses a shock wave generator, which is made by arranging a large number of super wave oscillators made of piezoelectric elements in a spherical mosaic pattern, to contact the human body through a water bag filled with water, etc. The ultrasonic shock waves from the multiple ultrasonic transducers mentioned above are concentrated on the stone, which is the object of treatment, to destroy the stone. It is generated by applying a pulsed voltage from An ultrasonic observation device is used as a device for confirming the location of stones.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, the ultrasonic view A11 device for detecting the location of stones in the body in an ultrasonic treatment device uses a probe in which a large number of well-known ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a row. Consisting of a tactile probe, the stone is detected by scanning a single plane by moving a large number of vibrators in one direction at high speed. The image is displayed on the display device. Therefore, by moving the probe sequentially along the human body surface and moving the scanning plane, stones existing in the kidney or liver can be displayed as images on the display device, making it possible to find stones immediately. I can do it.

However, in the Chozaboya-1 device configured as described above, the probe scans only 14 planes, so when the kidneys move due to breathing, the stone also moves. You may have to turn away from the screen that is being displayed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, as long as the stone 1 moves within the scanning plane 3 of the probe 2, it will not disappear from the screen, but as shown in FIG. If the stone 1 moves in the perpendicular direction, the so-called vertical direction, the stone 1 will disappear from the screen.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic treatment device in which ultrasonic waves generated from an ultrasonic probe can follow the movement of a stone, in order to eliminate such conventional drawbacks. .

[Means and works for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention displaces observation ultrasonic waves for detecting stones and positions also in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction thereof. The present invention is characterized in that a means is provided to enable the ultrasonic probe to be swung in accordance with the movement of the stone, so that the ultrasonic waves can follow the stone.

[Example] First, before explaining the present invention in detail, an example of a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic treatment apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be explained with reference to FIG. This device includes an observation means (position detection means) for detecting the location of a stone in the body, a positioning signal generation means,
It is configured to include a focal point moving means and a shock wave generating means for crushing stones.

The above view/IIJ means includes an ultrasonic observation device 12 that detects the position of a stone 1 in the human body 10 by emitting ultrasonic waves or Display device 1 to display on screen
It consists of 1.

The positioning signal generating means includes the display device 1
Place an instruction marker etc. at the target point on the screen in step 1, and make sure that the focus of the rock crushing shock wave is at the location of the instruction marker.
It consists of a positioning signal generating means 4 which outputs a signal to a water bag driving means which is a focal point moving means. That is,
This device 4 performs image processing on the stone whose position has been detected, and an operator such as a doctor recognizes the size and number of the displayed stone, and if there are multiple stones, the stone is crushed in order from the largest stone. It is necessary to periodically detect the location and size of the stone to determine whether to proceed with treatment, or in the case of coral-shaped stones, etc., to receive signals such as which part to begin crushing. The most effective signal for treatment, such as a signal to change the focus position of the shock wave, is indicated on the screen by a light ben, etc., and position data signals such as the processing order are memorized, and this positioning signal is used to drive the water bag during stone crushing. It is something that occurs towards the means.

The water bag driving means, which is the focal point moving means, is
It is comprised of a drive device 7 that moves the water bag 5 and a shock wave generator 6, which will be described below, using a numerically controlled robot or the like in accordance with the positioning signals described above. That is, the shock wave generator 6 is constructed by arranging and fixing a large number of ultrasonic vibrators 8 made of piezoelectric elements in a mosaic manner on the front surface of a mounting plate 9 formed in a spherical shape, and generating shock waves on the front surface. A water bag 5 made of soft resin or the like and having liquid injection and pressure control means is disposed between the shock wave generator 6 and the human body 10, with its surface facing toward the human body 10. The bag 5 is filled with a shock wave transmission liquid such as water.

The shock wave generating means comprises a well-known ultrasonic pulse voltage generating circuit 13, which drives each of the ultrasonic vibrators 8.

The ultrasonic treatment device configured in this way has a sixth
It operates as shown in the figure. That is, first, the position of the stone in the body is detected by the observation means, and then the condition of the stone caught by the observation Δ1 means is analyzed by the positioning signal generation means, and the most suitable treatment for treating the stone is determined depending on the type of stone, etc. are selected and determined by an operator such as a doctor, and positioning signals such as the processing order are manually input and stored. Then, in accordance with this positioning signal, the focus moving means operates to drive the water bag 5 and the shock wave generator 6, so that the aiming position of the shock wave is aligned with the calculus. Thereafter, a shock wave is generated by the shock wave generating means to destroy the stone. Also, after the shock wave has occurred a specified number of times,
The above operation is temporarily stopped, the size of the crushed stone, the focus position of the shock wave, etc. are confirmed, and the above operation is repeated until the stone is completely crushed.

The above is an outline of the ultrasonic treatment apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 1 shows an ultrasonic observation device 12 showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe 2 as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, similarly configured probes 2B and 2C are arranged in the probe 14 before and after a normal probe 2A, which is made up of a large number of ultrasonic transducers arranged in a row. .

The application of the operating voltage to each of the probes 2A to 2C is switched by a switch 15.

In the probe 2 configured in this way, normally the central probe 2A is used for observation, but when the stone moves in the front-back direction within the same plane, the switch 15 is Switch.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when a calculus 1 captured in the scanning plane 3A of the central probe 2A moves toward the inside of the human body, for example, the area of the calculus on the image changes. Therefore, if the switch 15 is switched to operate the rear probe 2C in accordance with this change, the stone 1 can be captured within the scanning plane 3C of the rear probe 2C. The stone 1, which is constantly moving in this way, is detected by the probes 2B at the front, center, and rear.

By switching between 2A and 2C for tracking, you can always capture the stone reliably, and by analyzing this tracking data, you can find out the size of the stone and the distance it has traveled, so you can find the focal point of the shock wave. can be reliably matched to the stone, improving lithotripsy efficiency.

Further, with this configuration, the following effects are also exhibited. In other words, in conventional ultrasonic observation devices, the transducer attached to the tip of the ultrasonic probe has a fixed frequency, so there is a problem in that the frequency cannot be selected and appropriate observation cannot be performed. Ta.

Ultrasound devices that can be viewed from the body surface generally use two types of transducers, one with a frequency of 5 MHz and one with a frequency of 3.5 MHz.The 5 MHz transducer has excellent resolution but also has high attenuation, so it is difficult to detect the thickness of the patient's fat layer. Observation may be difficult depending on the frequency, and the 3.5 MHz one allows for deep observation of 7111J, but the image becomes rough. In other words, when the frequency is high, the resolution is good, but only shallow areas near the surface of the body can be observed, and when the frequency is low, the resolution is poor, but deep areas can be observed, which are contradictory to each other.

Therefore, if multiple oscillators are switched and used as in this embodiment, a 5MHz oscillator and a 3.5MHz oscillator will be used.
Since it is also possible to select and use the z-oscillator, this kind of conventional problem can also be solved.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, one probe 16 in which a large number of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a row is housed in a probe 17, and the probe 17 is held by support shafts 18a and 18b.
, 18b are rotated in the direction of the arrow to swing the probe 16. In this way, the scanning plane 19 moves back and forth, making it possible to track the movement of the stone.

FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention in which the probe is mechanically swung. In this embodiment, one probe 20 in which a large number of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a row is held in a frame 21, and both sides of the lower part of the frame 21 are moved inside the probe 22 by a motor (not shown). It is connected to a pulley 23 that rotates back and forth through connecting strings 24a and 24b, respectively. With this configuration, when the motor reciprocates, the connecting strings 24 a and 24 b connected to symmetrical positions of the pulley 23 are pushed and pulled, so that the frame 2
1 swings around its support shaft 25, the probe 20 is swung back and forth, and the scanning plane moves back and forth, making it possible to track the stone.

In addition to this, a single probe with ultrasonic transducers arranged in a row may be rotated around its central axis O (see Figure 3), in which case a three-dimensional image of the stone may be obtained. Obtainable.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by swinging the ultrasonic probe in accordance with the movement of the stone, the stone can be tracked and the stone can always be captured within the field of view. As a result, the disadvantage of conventional methods in which stones disappear from the field of vision can be eliminated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe in an ultrasonic treatment apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing movement of a scanning plane, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the ultrasonic treatment device; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe in an ultrasonic treatment device showing other embodiments of
2. A flowchart showing the operation flow of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7.8 are diagrams showing the scanning plane of the probe, respectively. １・・・・・・・・・Calcium

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In an ultrasonic treatment device that destroys stones by generating shock waves for lithotripsy, means for shifting observation ultrasonic waves for detecting stone positions in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction thereof. An ultrasonic treatment device characterized by comprising: