WO2020051743A1

WO2020051743A1 - Ultrasonic probe

Info

Publication number: WO2020051743A1
Application number: PCT/CN2018/104876
Authority: WO
Inventors: 郑洲; 李双双; 唐明; 吴飞
Original assignee: 深圳迈瑞生物医疗电子股份有限公司; 深圳迈瑞科技有限公司
Priority date: 2018-09-10
Filing date: 2018-09-10
Publication date: 2020-03-19
Also published as: CN110573085A; CN110573085B

Abstract

An ultrasonic probe, having an ultrasonic tip (210) rotatably installed in a housing (100). The rotation axis of the ultrasonic tip (210) is configured along the front-back direction of the probe, thereby ensuring that the ultrasonic tip (210) can rotate about its rotation axis. When an operator uses the probe, the operator would press the front end of the ultrasonic tip (210) against a subject under examination by a certain pre-pressure; the ultrasonic tip (210) automatically rotates and slides to the intercostal area (an area between the ribs) under the pre-pressure, so that the ultrasonic tip (210) would avoid the influence of the ribs. In this case, the operator can still hold the probe in a usual holding position, but because the ultrasonic tip (210) can rotate, the ultrasonic tip (210) can be rotated between the ribs at this time to be in a state parallel to the ribs. Thus, the detection accuracy can be ensured, and the operator does not need to rotate the wrist to adapt to the rotation of the ultrasonic tip (210).

Description

Ultrasound probe

Technical field

The present application relates to a medical device, and in particular, to a probe structure of an ultrasonic device.

Background technique

An ultrasonic probe is a necessary component in an ultrasonic device. It usually has an acoustic head that emits and receives ultrasonic waves and a trigger button that controls the working state of the probe. During the inspection, the operator holds the probe and contacts the front end of the acoustic head with the subject. The acoustic head emits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected ultrasonic waves for forming an image for reference by the operator.

Usually, the operator is used to using his thumb to press the trigger button. When the subject is lying flat, the subject's ribs are at a certain angle with the ground. At this time, the operator uses the probe to scan according to the usual holding posture. Because the trigger button of the probe and the acoustic head have a fixed relative position relationship, at this time, In this grip, as shown in Figure 1, the four opposite corners of the acoustic head 2 of the probe will be easily blocked by the ribs 1, affecting the imaging effect, so the operator must turn the probe, as shown in Figure 2, so that The acoustic head 2 is located between two ribs in parallel to ensure the imaging effect. However, this operation requires the operator's wrist to also rotate, which will cause inconvenience to the operator, especially when the measurement is repeated many times, which will easily cause the operator to fatigue and affect the operation efficiency.

technical problem

The invention mainly provides a new type of ultrasonic probe, which is used to improve the convenience of using the probe.

Technical solutions

In one embodiment, an ultrasound probe is provided, including:

Shell

An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly comprising an acoustic head, one end of which is exposed from the housing for contacting the subject;

A pressure sensor, the acoustic head and the pressure sensor are connected in a manner capable of transmitting pressure, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force exerted on the acoustic head by the subject;

And a trigger, which is arranged on the housing and is used to control the working state of the acoustic head assembly;

Wherein, the acoustic head assembly is rotatably installed in the housing, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly passes through the acoustic head assembly and is disposed along the front-back direction of the probe.

In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly coincides with the centerline of the acoustic head assembly.

In one embodiment, the pressure sensor is fixedly installed in the housing, and the acoustic head assembly is rotatably connected to the pressure sensor.

In one embodiment, it further includes a rotary shaft, and the acoustic head assembly further includes a acoustic head fixing base, the acoustic head is fixedly installed on the acoustic head fixing base, the rotating shaft is fixedly installed on the pressure sensor, and the acoustic head The fixing base is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft.

In one embodiment, the rotation shaft and the pressure sensor are screwed and fixed, the acoustic head fixing seat has a mounting cavity, a bearing is disposed in the mounting cavity, and the rotation shaft is assembled on the bearing.

In one embodiment, the acoustic head assembly is provided with a first limiting portion, and at least one of the housing, the rotating shaft, and the pressure sensor is provided with a second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion is located at the first The rotation track of the limiting portion is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.

An embodiment further includes a rotary shaft, and the acoustic head assembly further includes a acoustic head fixing base, the acoustic head is fixedly mounted on the acoustic head fixing base, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the acoustic head fixing base, and the The rotary shaft abuts the pressure sensor to transmit pressure.

In an embodiment, a first limiting portion is provided on the acoustic head assembly and / or a rotation shaft, and a second limiting portion is provided on the housing and / or the pressure sensor, and the second limiting portion is located at The rotation track of the first limiting portion is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.

In one embodiment, the acoustic head assembly and the pressure sensor are integrally connected and rotatably mounted on the housing.

In one embodiment, it further includes a sensor fixing frame, the sensor fixing base is mounted on the housing, the pressure sensor and the acoustic head assembly are fixedly connected, and the pressure sensor and the sensor fixing frame realize a rotational connection through the cooperation of a rotating shaft and a bearing .

In one embodiment, the acoustic head assembly and / or the pressure sensor is provided with a first limit portion, and the housing is provided with a second limit portion fixed to the housing, and the second limit portion is located at The rotation track of the first limiting portion is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.

In one embodiment, the housing has a mounting port, and the acoustic head assembly is installed in the mounting port. The front end of the acoustic head protrudes from the mounting port and is provided between the acoustic head assembly and the wall of the mounting port. Sealed for sealing.

In one embodiment, an ultrasound probe is provided, including:

Shell

An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly including an acoustic head, at least a portion of the acoustic head being exposed from a housing;

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe includes a head assembly mounting bracket, the head assembly mounting bracket is fixedly mounted on the housing, and the head assembly is rotatably mounted on the head assembly mounting bracket. .

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe further includes a pressure sensor, the acoustic head is connected to the pressure sensor in a manner capable of transmitting pressure, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force exerted on the acoustic head by the subject.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe further includes a trigger, and the trigger is disposed on the housing and is used to control the working state of the acoustic head assembly.

Beneficial effect

According to the ultrasonic probe according to the above embodiment, the acoustic head is rotatably installed in the housing, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head is set along the front-rear direction of the probe, so that the acoustic head can be rotated about its rotation axis. When the operator uses the probe, the front end of the acoustic head will be pressed against the subject with a certain pre-pressure. Under the pre-pressure, the acoustic head will automatically rotate and slide to the intercostal area (the area between the ribs) to avoid the acoustic head. Impact of ribs. At this time, the operator can still use the usual holding posture to hold the probe, but because the acoustic head can rotate, the acoustic head can be rotated between the ribs at this time to form a parallel state as shown in Figure 2, which can ensure the accuracy of the detection. It does not require the operator to turn his wrist to adapt to the rotation of the acoustic head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the positions of the acoustic head and the ribs when using a conventional ultrasonic probe to detect human ribs;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sonotrode of an ultrasonic probe positioned in parallel between two ribs;

3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an ultrasound probe in an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasound probe according to an embodiment.

Embodiments of the invention

detailed description

The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments in combination with the accompanying drawings. In the different embodiments, similar elements are labeled with associated similar elements. In the following embodiments, many details are described so that the present application can be better understood. However, those skilled in the art can effortlessly realize that some of these features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, and methods. In some cases, some operations related to this application are not shown or described in the description. This is to prevent the core part of this application from being overwhelmed by excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, these are described in detail. The related operations are not necessary, they can fully understand the related operations according to the description in the description and the general technical knowledge in the field.

In addition, the features, operations, or features described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be sequentially swapped or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the description and drawings are only for clearly describing a certain embodiment, and are not meant to be a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a certain order must be followed.

The serial numbers of components in this article, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the described objects and do not have any order or technical meaning. The terms “connection” and “connection” in this application include direct and indirect connections (connections) unless otherwise specified.

In one embodiment, an ultrasonic probe is provided, which is mainly used for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves as part of an ultrasonic device, so as to be able to form an image of a detection part of a subject for reference by an operator. The ultrasound equipment can be related equipment such as an ultrasound diagnostic instrument.

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4, the ultrasonic probe includes a housing 100, an acoustic head assembly 200, a pressure sensor 300, and a trigger 400. Of course, the ultrasound probe also has other components such as a control unit.

The housing 100 serves as a supporting structure for the entire ultrasound probe, and other components are based on the housing 100 as an installation base. The acoustic head assembly 200 mainly includes an acoustic head 210. One end of the acoustic head 210 is exposed from the casing 100 for contacting the subject. In this embodiment, the acoustic head 210 may adopt various types of acoustic heads. For example, a common acoustic head may include a structure such as a backing, a wafer, and a lens.

The acoustic head assembly 200 is rotatably installed in the housing 100, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly 200 passes through the acoustic head assembly 200 and is disposed along the front-back direction of the probe. As shown in FIG. 4, in this application, the side A where the end of the acoustic head 210 in contact with the subject is located is the front end of the probe, and the side opposite to the front end B is the rear end. The rear end of the body 100 is extended. In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly 200 may coincide with the center line of the acoustic head assembly 200, as shown in a in FIG. 3.

The acoustic head 210 and the pressure sensor 300 are connected in a manner capable of transmitting pressure. This manner of transmitting pressure can be a fixed connection between the two, or can be in contact with each other, or pressure transmission can be achieved through an intermediate structure. The pressure sensor 300 is used to detect the force exerted on the acoustic head 210 by the subject, so as to reversely know the pre-pressure of the acoustic head 210 on the subject.

The trigger 400 is disposed on the casing 100 and is used to control the working state of the acoustic head assembly 200. Generally, a button or a wave switch can be used. The trigger 400 is connected to the control unit of the probe, and the specific connection relationship and control method can be realized by known techniques.

When the operator uses the probe shown in this embodiment, the front end of the acoustic head 210 is pressed against the subject with a certain preload, and the acoustic head 210 automatically rotates and slides to the intercostal area (the area between the ribs) under the preload. ), So that the acoustic head 210 avoids the influence of the ribs. Although the acoustic head 210 rotates, the casing 100 itself does not rotate, so the trigger 400 (such as a button) provided on the acoustic head 210 does not change position, and the operator can still maintain the normal holding manner without causing discomfort to the operator. When the operator holds the probe in the normal way, the rotation angle of the acoustic head 210 can be adaptive to the rib angle of different patients to ensure that the acoustic head 210 is parallel to the intercostal space. In this way, the operator does not need to lower his head to confirm the orientation of the scanning surface. This can be done easily, so that the operation is more convenient, the efficiency is higher, and the operator is less prone to fatigue.

The manner in which the acoustic head assembly 200 is rotatably mounted on the housing 100 can be implemented by many structures. Referring to FIG. 3, in an embodiment, the pressure sensor 300 is fixedly installed in the housing 100, and the acoustic head 210 is rotatably connected to the pressure sensor 300. At this time, the acoustic head 210 can directly or indirectly abut the pressure sensor 300, so that not only can the pressure be transmitted, but also the acoustic head 210 can be rotated relative to the pressure sensor 300.

Further, please continue to refer to FIG. 3. In one embodiment, it further includes a rotation shaft 500. The acoustic head assembly 200 further includes an acoustic head fixing base 220, and the acoustic head 210 is fixedly mounted on the acoustic head fixing base 220. The rotary shaft 500 is fixedly mounted on the pressure sensor 300, and the acoustic head fixing base 220 is rotatably mounted on the rotary shaft 500.

The rotating shaft 500 can be screwed and fixed with the pressure sensor 300. In addition, it can be fixed in other ways. The acoustic head fixing base 220 has a mounting cavity, and a bearing 600 is disposed in the mounting cavity. The rotary shaft 500 is mounted on the bearing 600 to realize a rotational connection.

Further, in order to control the rotation of the acoustic head 210 within a set range, in one embodiment, the acoustic head assembly 200 is provided with a first limiting portion, and at least one of the housing 100, the rotation shaft 500, and the pressure sensor 300 One is provided with a second limiting portion. The second limiting portion is located on the rotation track of the first limiting portion, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly 200.

Referring to FIG. 3, the acoustic head assembly 200 generally includes an acoustic head 210, an acoustic head fixing base 220, and an acoustic head shell 230. The first limiting portion may be disposed on the acoustic head 210 or may be disposed on the acoustic head fixing base 220. , The acoustic head housing 230 or other components of the acoustic head assembly 200. The second limit portion is fixed with the housing 100, the rotating shaft 500 or the pressure sensor 300, and the first limit portion rotates with the acoustic head assembly 200. When the first limit portion moves to the position of the second limit portion When it stops, it will be stopped by the second stop and cannot continue to rotate. The second limiting portion may be one or more, which limits the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly 200 within a set range.

In other embodiments, another structure may also be adopted to realize that the acoustic head assembly 200 is rotatably mounted on the casing 100. For example, please refer to FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the acoustic head assembly 200 further includes an acoustic head fixing base 220, and the acoustic head 210 is fixedly installed on the acoustic head fixing base 220. This embodiment also includes a rotation shaft, but the rotation shaft is fixedly connected to the acoustic head fixing base 220, and the rotation shaft abuts against the pressure sensor 300 for transmitting pressure. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft moves with the acoustic head assembly 200, and the rotation shaft is kept in contact with the pressure sensor 300 for transmitting pressure.

For this embodiment, in order to control the rotation of the acoustic head 210 within a set range, a first limiting portion may be provided on the acoustic head assembly 200 and / or the rotation shaft, and the housing 100 and / or the pressure sensor 300 may be provided. A second stopper is provided. The second limit portion is located on the rotation track of the first limit portion, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly 200.

In addition, in other embodiments, the acoustic head assembly 200 and the pressure sensor 300 may be connected as a whole and mounted on the housing 100 in a rotatable manner. For example, the connecting shaft is screwed and fixed into a whole, and then the whole is mounted on the casing 100 as a whole. Of course, the acoustic head assembly 200 and the pressure sensor 300 can also be fixedly connected in other ways. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 300 is mounted on a sensor holder (not shown in the drawings), and the sensor holder may be fixed on the housing 100 or other components inside the housing 100, and the pressure sensor 300 Then, the shaft and the bearing are fitted on the sensor fixing frame. For example, the pressure sensor 300 is fixedly installed with a rotating shaft, and the bearing is correspondingly provided on the sensor fixing frame, so that the rotating connection is achieved through the cooperation of the rotating shaft and the bearing. The acoustic head assembly 200 and the pressure sensor 300 are fixedly connected, so that the two can be rotated on the sensor fixing frame as a whole, and then can be rotated in the casing 100.

At this time, in order to control the rotation of the acoustic head 210 within a set range, the acoustic head assembly 200 and / or the pressure sensor 300 may be provided with a first limiting portion, and the housing 100 may be provided with a fixed position relative to the housing 100. The second limit portion is located on the rotation track of the first limit portion, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly 200. Such a second limiting portion fixed relative to the housing may be directly fixed on the housing 100 or may be provided on other components fixedly connected to the housing, such as the above-mentioned sensor fixing frame.

The above are just some examples of the structures that realize the rotary installation of the acoustic head assembly 200. In other embodiments, other deformation structures or other methods can be used to achieve this purpose.

Further, please refer to FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the housing 100 has a mounting port, and the acoustic head assembly 200 is mounted in the mounting port 110. The front end of the acoustic head 210 protrudes from the mounting port 110, and a seal 700 is provided between the acoustic head assembly 200 and the wall of the mounting port 110 for sealing, so that when the acoustic head 210 moves up and down and rotates, It can ensure that the inside of the probe is sealed from the outside. Specifically, the seal 700 may be an O-ring. Of course, other rotary sealing schemes may also be applied to this structure.

In an unillustrated embodiment, an ultrasound probe is provided, and the ultrasound probe may include a housing and an acoustic head assembly. The acoustic head assembly may include a acoustic head, and at least a portion of the acoustic head is exposed from the housing. The acoustic head assembly is rotatably installed in the housing, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly passes through the acoustic head assembly and is disposed along the front-back direction of the probe. Here, the acoustic head assembly is rotatably installed in the housing, which may be the acoustic head assembly directly rotatably installed on the housing, or the acoustic head assembly rotatably installed in the housing. on.

In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly may coincide with the centerline of the acoustic head assembly.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe may include a head assembly mounting bracket (not shown). The acoustic head component mounting bracket can be fixedly mounted on the housing by screws or other fastening methods, and the acoustic head component is rotatably mounted on the acoustic head component mounting frame.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe may further include a pressure sensor. The acoustic head and the pressure sensor are connected in a manner capable of transmitting pressure. The pressure sensor can be used to detect the acting force of the subject on the acoustic head. The pressure sensor can be fixedly installed in the housing, and the acoustic head assembly is rotatably connected to the pressure sensor.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe may further include a trigger, and the trigger may be disposed on the housing and used to control the working state of the acoustic head assembly.

The "rotatable" connection or installation mentioned in the various embodiments mentioned above can be achieved through a variety of suitable rotating pairs, such as the rotating pair including a shaft and a bearing as shown in FIG. 3, or a combination including Rotary pairs of shafts and shaft holes, or by other types of rotary pairs, and so on. The present invention is not limited thereto, as long as at least a part of the acoustic head assembly can be rotated relative to the housing.

The above uses specific examples to illustrate the present invention, but is only used to help understand the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, changes can be made to the above specific implementations.

Claims

An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

Shell

An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly comprising an acoustic head, one end of which is exposed from the housing for contacting the subject;

A pressure sensor, the acoustic head and the pressure sensor are connected in a manner capable of transmitting pressure, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the force exerted on the acoustic head by the subject;

And a trigger, which is arranged on the housing and is used to control the working state of the acoustic head assembly;

Wherein, the acoustic head assembly is rotatably installed in the housing, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly passes through the acoustic head assembly and is disposed along the front-back direction of the probe.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly coincides with a center line of the acoustic head assembly.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure sensor is fixedly installed in the housing, and the acoustic head assembly is rotatably connected to the pressure sensor.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3, further comprising a rotary shaft, the acoustic head assembly further comprising a acoustic head fixing base, the acoustic head is fixedly installed on the acoustic head fixing base, and the rotating shaft is fixedly installed On the pressure sensor, the acoustic head fixing base is rotatably mounted on a rotating shaft.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the rotation shaft is fixedly connected to the pressure sensor, the acoustic head fixing seat has a mounting cavity, a bearing is disposed in the mounting cavity, and the rotation shaft is assembled on The bearing.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the acoustic head assembly is provided with a first limiting portion, and at least one of the housing, the rotating shaft, and the pressure sensor is provided with a second limiting portion. The second limit portion is located on the rotation track of the first limit portion, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a rotary shaft, the acoustic head assembly further comprising a acoustic head fixing base, the acoustic head is fixedly mounted on the acoustic head fixing base, and the rotary shaft It is fixedly connected with the acoustic head fixing base, and the rotary shaft is in contact with the pressure sensor for transmitting pressure.
The ultrasound probe according to claim 7, wherein a first limit portion is provided on the acoustic head assembly and / or a rotation axis, and a second limit portion is provided on the housing and / or the pressure sensor. The second limit portion is located on the rotation track of the first limit portion, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acoustic head assembly and the pressure sensor are integrally connected and rotatably mounted on the housing.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9, further comprising a sensor holder, the sensor holder is installed on the housing, the pressure sensor and the acoustic head assembly are fixedly connected, and the pressure sensor is rotatably installed On the sensor holder.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the acoustic head assembly and / or the pressure sensor are provided with a first limit portion, and the housing is provided with a second limit fixed to the housing. A position portion, and the second position limiting portion is located on a rotation track of the first position limiting portion, and is used to limit a rotation angle of the acoustic head assembly.
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the housing has a mounting port, the acoustic head assembly is installed in the mounting port, and the front end of the acoustic head protrudes from the mounting port, A seal is provided between the acoustic head assembly and the mouth wall of the installation mouth for sealing.
An ultrasonic probe, comprising:

Shell

An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly including an acoustic head, at least a portion of the acoustic head being exposed from a housing;

Wherein, the acoustic head assembly is rotatably installed in the housing, and the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly passes through the acoustic head assembly and is disposed along the front-back direction of the probe.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 13, wherein the rotation axis of the acoustic head assembly coincides with the center line of the acoustic head assembly.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the ultrasonic probe comprises a sound head component mounting frame, the sound head component mounting frame is fixedly mounted on the housing, and the sound head component is rotatable. Ground on the acoustic head assembly mounting bracket.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the ultrasonic probe further comprises a pressure sensor, the acoustic head and the pressure sensor are connected in a manner capable of transmitting pressure, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the subject Force on the acoustic head.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 16, wherein the pressure sensor is fixedly installed in the housing, and the acoustic head assembly is rotatably connected to the pressure sensor.
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the ultrasonic probe further comprises a trigger, and the trigger is disposed on the housing for controlling the working state of the acoustic head assembly.