WO2023139874A1

WO2023139874A1 - Device for displaying position of puncture needle

Info

Publication number: WO2023139874A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/040325
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英範鈴木; 親男原田; 直樹戸谷; 栄作伊藤
Original assignee: 株式会社ユネクス
Priority date: 2022-01-22
Filing date: 2022-10-28
Publication date: 2023-07-27

Abstract

Provided is a device for displaying the position of a puncture needle, the device being capable of more accurately ascertaining the position of a puncture needle relative to a tubular organ and making a puncture operation greatly accurate.　This device 24 for displaying the position of a puncture needle comprises an ultrasound probe 12 that includes a long axis ultrasound array transducer 30, a first short axis ultrasound array transducer 26, and a second short axis ultrasound array transducer 28, wherein the first short axis ultrasound array transducer 26 and the second short axis ultrasound array transducer 28 are aligned on a straight line perpendicular to the alignment direction of a plurality of short axis ultrasound oscillators ae1 to aen of the long axis ultrasound array probe 30 and constitute one short axis ultrasound array probe; and a display 72 that displays a short axis image G1 and a long axis image G2. The device 24 for displaying the position of a puncture needle comprises a display controlling unit 92 that causes the display 72 to display the short axis image G1 indicating a transverse plane within a range R displayed as the long axis image G2 of an artery 20 on the basis of a reflection signal received by the first short axis ultrasound array transducer 26 and the second short axis ultrasound array transducer 28.

Description

Puncture needle position display device

The present invention relates to a puncture needle position display device that displays an image of a tubular organ under the skin of a living body using an ultrasonic probe and displays the position of the puncture needle that has punctured the tubular organ.

Puncture of tubular organs such as blood vessels (arteries and veins), lymphatic vessels, etc. under the skin of a living body is performed for the purpose of collecting blood, injecting medical solutions or transfusion solutions, and the like. In the puncture operation, it is desirable to pierce the center of the tubular organ with the puncture needle so as not to penetrate the tubular organ. In addition, even an experienced operator cannot see whether the puncture needle is puncturing the tubular organ correctly.

On the other hand, the direction of the ultrasonic beam output from the short-axis ultrasonic array probe is set to tilt toward the long-axis ultrasonic array probe, and on the transducer installation surface located on the bottom surface of the ultrasonic probe main body, on the extension line of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe and on the side where the short-axis ultrasonic array probe is located, a positioning portion is provided that determines the insertion position of the puncture needle by bringing the tip side of the puncture needle into contact, and the attachment is a circle centered on the positioning portion. A puncture needle position display device has been proposed, which has an angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the insertion angle of the puncture needle in multiple stages while the needle is inserted and in contact with the positioning part by rotating the needle in the circumferential direction of the ultrasonic probe body, and is fixed to the lower side surface of the ultrasonic probe main body on the side where the positioning part is located. For example, the puncture needle position display device described in Patent Document 1 is one of them.

Japanese Patent No. 6078732

In the above conventional puncture needle position display device, it is possible to reduce the dead zone area where the image of the puncture needle is not displayed between the short axis image showing the cross section and the long axis image showing the longitudinal section, so it is said that there is an advantage that the movement of the puncture needle can be grasped more accurately.

By the way, in the conventional puncture needle position display device, although the positional relationship between the tubular organ and the puncture needle can be grasped in the long-axis image, the inclination of the short-axis ultrasound array probe is small and fixed. The puncture point of the puncture needle for the tubular organ is desired to be the center in the width direction of the tubular organ.

The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a puncture needle position display device that enables the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ to be more accurately grasped regardless of the depth of the tubular organ, thereby making the puncture operation much more accurate.

Against the background of the above circumstances, the inventors of the present invention conducted various studies, and found that by arranging the ultrasonic oscillators of the short-axis ultrasonic array probe so as to straddle the plurality of ultrasonic oscillators arranged in the long-axis ultrasonic array probe in the orthogonal direction and moving the puncture needle with a certain inclination angle in the vertical direction according to the depth of the tubular organ, it is possible to more accurately grasp the puncture point of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ in both the short-axis image and the long-axis image. The inventors have discovered the fact that the puncture work can be performed with great precision. The present invention has been made based on such findings.

That is, the gist of the first invention is (a) an ultrasonic probe having a long-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of long-axis ultrasonic oscillators are linearly arranged and a short-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of short-axis ultrasonic oscillators are arranged linearly in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic oscillators, which can be placed on the skin of a living body, a short-axis image showing a cross section of a tubular organ in the living body, and a length showing a longitudinal section of the tubular organ in the living body. (b) the short-axis ultrasound array probe comprises a first short-axis ultrasound array probe and a second short-axis ultrasound array probe arranged on a straight line perpendicular to the long-axis ultrasound array probe with the long-axis ultrasound array probe interposed therebetween; (c) the first short-axis ultrasound array probe. The present invention includes an image display control unit that displays, on the display device, the short-axis image showing a cross section within the range displayed as the long-axis image of the tubular organ based on the reflected signals received by the probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe.

The gist of the second invention is that in the first invention, (d) a puncture needle guide mechanism having a main body fixed to the ultrasonic probe, and a needle guide member attached to the main body so that the distance to the skin can be adjusted and guiding the puncture needle at a constant angle of inclination with respect to the skin in a plane including the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic oscillators.

The gist of the third invention is that in the first invention, (e) a depth calculation unit that calculates the depth of the upper surface of the tubular organ displayed in the long-axis image from the skin surface, (f) an image display control unit that displays the depth of the upper surface of the tubular organ from the skin surface calculated by the depth calculation unit or the manual operation position of the angle holding device based on the depth on the display, and (g) the needle guide member is a depth display of the display. The distance to the skin is adjusted according to the depth of the tubular organ displayed in the region from the skin.

The gist of the fourth invention is that, in the first invention, the image display control unit includes (h) a steering angle control unit that tilts the radiation directions of the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe in a direction to approach each other using ultrasonic steering, and (i) the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image based on the reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe. and a first image synthesizing unit for generating images respectively and synthesizing the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image.

The gist of the fifth invention is that in the first invention, (j) a third short-axis ultrasonic array probe arranged adjacent to the end portion of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe and parallel to the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe, and (k) the image display control unit generates a third short-axis image based on the reflected signal received by the third short-axis ultrasonic array probe, and displays it on the display. It is to let

The gist of the sixth invention is that, in the first invention, (k) the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are arranged on a straight line orthogonal to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe with the longitudinal center of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe interposed therebetween.

The gist of the seventh invention is that in the first invention, (l) the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are fixed to the ultrasonic probe in a state in which the radiation directions of the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are inclined so that they approach each other as they approach the tubular organ, and (m) the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe. A second image synthesizing unit is provided for generating a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image based on reflected signals received by the two short-axis ultrasound array probe, and synthesizing the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the first invention, an ultrasonic probe having a long-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of long-axis ultrasonic oscillators are linearly arranged and a short-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of short-axis ultrasonic oscillators are linearly arranged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic oscillators can be placed on the skin of a living body, a short-axis image showing a cross section of a tubular organ in the living body, and a long-axis image showing a longitudinal section of the tubular organ in the living body. and a display for displaying the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ located under the skin inside the needle position display device together with the tubular organ, wherein the short-axis ultrasonic array probe comprises a first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and a second short-axis ultrasonic array probe arranged on a straight line orthogonal to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe with the long-axis ultrasonic array probe interposed therebetween, and the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array. An image display control unit for displaying, on the display device, the short-axis image showing a cross section within the range displayed as the long-axis image of the tubular organ based on the reflected signal received by the array probe. As a result, since the puncture point of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be represented on both the short-axis image and the long-axis image, the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be more accurately grasped, and the puncture operation becomes much more accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the second invention, it is provided with a puncture needle guide mechanism having a fixed part fixed to the ultrasonic probe, and a needle guide member attached to the fixed part so that the distance to the skin can be adjusted, and guiding the puncture needle at a constant angle of inclination with respect to the skin in a plane including the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic oscillators. This makes it possible to grasp the shape and arrangement of the puncture needle and the tip of the puncture needle in real time. In addition, the position of the puncture needle immediately after insertion can be observed from the long-axis image, the puncture needle can be maintained at a constant inclination angle with respect to the skin, and the direction of the puncture needle can be maintained so that the needle moves straight within the ultrasonic beam (scanning line) from the long-axis ultrasonic array probe.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the third aspect of the invention, it includes a depth calculation unit that calculates the depth from the skin surface of the upper surface of the tubular organ displayed in the long-axis image; The distance from the skin is manually adjusted according to the depth of the upper surface of the organ from the skin surface. As a result, regardless of the depth of the upper surface of the tubular organ from the skin surface, the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be more accurately grasped, and the puncture operation becomes much more accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the fourth aspect of the invention, the image display control unit includes a steering angle control unit that tilts the radiation directions of the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe in a direction to approach each other using ultrasonic steering, and the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image based on the reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe, respectively. an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing the short axis image from one short axis image and a second short axis image. As a result, a clear short-axis image can be obtained, compared to the usual case where the puncture needle is thin and made of metal, a shadow called an acoustic shadow occurs and the short-axis image becomes unclear. Therefore, the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be grasped more accurately, and the puncture operation becomes much more accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the fifth invention, the long-axis ultrasound array probe includes a third short-axis ultrasound array probe arranged adjacent to the end portion and parallel to the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe, and the image display control unit generates a third short-axis image based on the reflected signal received by the third short-axis ultrasound array probe and displays it on the display. As a result, by shifting the position of the ultrasonic probe unit so that the short-axis image G1 and the third short-axis image G3 are positioned at the center of the respective display areas in the horizontal direction on the display device, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe can be easily positioned directly above the tubular organ.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the sixth invention, the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are arranged on a straight line orthogonal to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe, sandwiching the longitudinal center of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe. As a result, the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe, the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe, and the long-axis ultrasonic array probe are arranged in a cross pattern, and the long-axis ultrasonic array probe has a portion protruding from the intersection of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe.

According to the puncture needle position display device of the seventh invention, the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are fixed to the ultrasonic probe in a state inclined so that the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe approach each other as they approach the tubular organ, and are received by the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe. a second image synthesizing unit that generates a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image based on the reflected signal, and synthesizes the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image; As a result, a clear short-axis image can be obtained, so that the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be more accurately grasped, and the puncture operation can be performed much more accurately than in the case where the puncture needle is thin and the puncture needle is made of metal.

1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a puncture needle position display device that is an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a probe body that constitutes the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a probe body that constitutes the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view showing a probe body that constitutes the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1; 2A and 2B are a front view showing the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1 and a schematic diagram of the area under the skin on which the ultrasonic probe unit is placed; FIG. FIG. 6 is a right side view of FIG. 5 showing the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1, and a schematic diagram of the area under the skin on which the ultrasonic probe unit is placed. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 1 showing the ultrasonic probe unit of FIG. 1, and a schematic diagram of the area under the skin on which the ultrasonic probe unit is placed, showing a case where arterial blood vessels are deeper from the skin than in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8 showing an ultrasonic probe unit according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 showing an ultrasonic probe unit according to another embodiment of the present invention;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of a puncture needle position display device 24 that uses an ultrasonic probe unit 12 supported by an operator's hand 10 to support puncture work of a puncture needle 22 such as a catheter or an injection needle from above the skin 18 (strictly speaking, the epidermis) of a living body, preferably the upper arm, neck, groin, etc., to a tubular organ such as an artery blood vessel 20 located below the skin 18.

The ultrasonic probe unit 12 functions as an ultrasonic sensor for detecting a short-axis image G1 representing a cross section of the arterial blood vessel 20, a long-axis image G2 representing a longitudinal cross-section of the arterial blood vessel 20, and the tip of the puncture needle 22 located in the short-axis image G1 and the long-axis image G2. The ultrasonic probe unit 12 may be supported by a sensor support fixed to a pedestal (not shown) instead of being supported by the operator's hand 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the ultrasonic probe unit 12 includes a box-shaped probe body 34, a first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and a second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, and a first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, each of which is arranged linearly in a direction intersecting, preferably perpendicular to, the arterial blood vessel 20 when worn. A long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30 composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements ae1 to aen arranged along a straight line parallel to the arterial blood vessel 20 when worn through an array probe 26 and a second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements ae1 to ae2m similar to the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, and a first short-axis ultrasonic array transducer. and a third short-axis ultrasonic array probe 32 arranged parallel to the element 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 . The first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 , the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 , and the long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30 are arranged in a cross shape on the bottom surface 36 of the probe body 34 .

The piezoelectric elements ae1 to aem of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the piezoelectric elements ae1 to aem of the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 are any of the piezoelectric elements ae1 to aem of the long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30 at intermediate positions. They are arranged mutually on a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30, sandwiching the piezoelectric elements at the central portion in the hand direction, for example, in the present embodiment, at a position corresponding to 1/3 from the end of the long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30.

With such a cross arrangement of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26, the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, and the long-axis ultrasonic array transducer 30, the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the ultrasonic beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 are within the range R of the artery blood vessel 20 where the ultrasonic beam B3 from the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 hits. Therefore, the display 72 displays a short-axis image G1 showing a cross section of the arterial blood vessel 20 within the range R displayed as the long-axis image G2. In addition, due to the cross arrangement, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe has a portion protruding from the intersection of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe. Therefore, the puncture needle 22 can be displayed before it reaches the arterial blood vessel 20 in the long-axis image G2, and the puncture operation is facilitated.

The third short-axis ultrasonic array probe 32 is arranged parallel to the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 adjacent to the end of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 opposite to the puncture needle guide mechanism 38 side. The third short-axis ultrasonic array probe 32 is arranged such that its longitudinal central portion intersects the longitudinal extension of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 .

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the ultrasound probe unit 12 further includes a puncture needle guide mechanism 38. The puncture needle guide mechanism 38 includes a rectangular frame-shaped guide mechanism fixing portion 40 that is fitted and fixed to the box-shaped probe body 34. The guide mechanism fixing portion 40 is attached to the guide mechanism fixing portion 40 so that the vertical distance with respect to the skin 18 can be adjusted. A needle guide member 44 having a groove 42 formed therein is integrally provided. The guide groove 42 allows the ultrasonic probe unit 12 to be removed from the puncture needle 22 after the puncture needle 22 has punctured the skin 18 .

As shown in detail in FIG. 7, the guide mechanism fixing portion 40 is provided with a pair of guide rails 48 extending parallel to the height direction of the box-shaped probe body 34 and having inward flanges 46 formed thereon. Further, the guide mechanism fixing portion 40 is provided with a scale 49 indicating the height position of the needle guide member 44 .

The base of the needle guide member 44 is formed with a pair of engaging portions 52 protruding in opposite directions so as to be fitted into the pair of guide rails 48, a slit 54 cut from the probe main body 34 side to form a space in the thickness direction of the base of the needle guide member 44 to allow the pair of engaging teeth 52 to approach each other due to elastic deformation, and a pair of knobs 56 for applying an operating force in the thickness direction of the base of the needle guide member 44.

As a result, when the pair of knobs 56 are not operated, the elastic restoring force of the base of the needle guide member 44 engages the pair of locking portions 52 with the locking tooth 50 formed on the opposing surface of the guide rail 48, thereby fixing the needle guide member 44 to the guide mechanism fixing portion 40. However, when the manual operation force applied to the pair of knobs 56 causes them to approach each other, the engagement between the pair of locking portions 52 and the locking teeth 50 formed on the opposing surfaces of the guide rail 48 is released, and the needle guide member 44 is guided in the height direction of the probe body 34 by the guide rail 48. When the manual operation force applied to the pair of knobs 56 is released, the needle guide member 44 is fixed to the guide mechanism fixing portion 40 at that position.

FIG. 5 shows a case where the depth dimension D of the arterial blood vessel 20 from the skin 18 is relatively small, and FIG. 8 shows a case where the depth dimension D of the arterial blood vessel 20 from the skin 18 is relatively large. In either case, by manually adjusting the vertical position of the needle guide member 44 as described above, the puncture point P of the puncture needle 22 is positioned near the intersection of the ultrasonic wave emitting surface L of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 and the artery and blood vessel 20. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 5, the needle guide member 44 is adjusted upward with respect to the guide mechanism fixing portion 40 or the skin 18, and in the case shown in FIG.

Returning to FIG. 1, the puncture needle position display device 24 radiates ultrasonic signals from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26, the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30, and the third short-axis ultrasonic array probe 32, and displays the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26, the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30, and the third short-axis ultrasonic array probe. An electronic control unit 70 is provided for generating a short-axis image G1 showing a cross section of the arterial blood vessel 20, a long-axis image G2 showing a longitudinal section of the artery blood vessel 20, and a short-axis image G3 showing a longitudinal section of the arterial blood vessel 20 based on the reflected signal reflected from the arterial blood vessel 20 under the skin 18 received by the acoustic array probe 32, and displaying them on the display 72. The electronic control device 70 functions as an image display control section that controls an image to be displayed on the display 72 . The display device 72 displays the short-axis image G1, the long-axis image G2, and the short-axis image G3 so that the point indicating the depth dimension D of the arterial blood vessel 20 from the skin 18 is common. The space between the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26, the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28, the long-axis ultrasound array probe 30, and the third short-axis ultrasound array probe 32 and the skin 18 is filled with ultrasound jelly.

The electronic control unit 70 functioning as an image display control unit functionally includes an ultrasonic drive control unit 80 including a steering angle control unit 90, a detection processing unit 82, an ultrasonic signal processing unit 84, a blood vessel depth calculation unit 86, and a display control unit 92. These control functions are functionally provided in the electronic control unit 70, but some or all of these control functions may be configured as a control unit separate from the electronic control unit 70, and may perform the control described in detail below by communicating information with each other.

The ultrasonic drive control circuit 74 controls the emission of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe unit 12 to the artery and blood vessel 20 according to commands from the ultrasonic drive control section 80 provided in the electronic control device 70 . For example, among the large number of ultrasonic arrays for long -axis ultrasonic arrays, a certain number of ultrasonic vibrators AE1 at the end of the many ultrasonic vibrators AE1 among the many ultrasonic vibrators, 64 A1 to A64 for each A1 to A64. By driving simultaneously with a frequency of about 10 MHz while granting, the convergence ultrasonic beam is gradually emitted toward arterial blood vessels 20 in the sequence of the ultrasonic vibrator. Then, the ultrasonic transducers are shifted one by one while scanning the ultrasonic beam, and the reflected waves for each emission are received and input to the electronic control unit 70 . The reflected wave signal input to the electronic control unit 70 is detected by the detection processing section 82 and processed by the ultrasonic signal processing section 84 as information capable of image synthesis, which will be described in detail below. The ultrasonic signal processing unit 84 performs time difference processing between ultrasonic reflected signals reflected from the boundary between the arterial blood vessel 20 and other tissues due to the difference in propagation speed, processing for generating a short-axis image G1, a long-axis image G2, and a third short-axis image G3, which are two-dimensional ultrasonic images obtained by synthesizing the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image, based on the reflected signals, processing for specifying the image of the artery 20 in the short-axis image G1 or the long-axis image G2, and the like. Image data composed of the image G2 and the third short-axis image G3 are repeatedly generated at a predetermined cycle, and the image data are sequentially stored. The display control unit 92 causes the display 72 to display moving images of the short-axis image G1, the long-axis image G2, and the third short-axis image G3 adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction so as to have a common vertical axis indicating the depth dimension from the skin 18.

By shifting the position of the ultrasonic probe unit 12 so that the short-axis image G1 and the third short-axis image G3 are positioned at the center of the respective display areas in the horizontal direction on the display 72, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 can be easily positioned directly above the arterial blood vessel 20.

The ultrasonic drive control unit 80 includes a steering angle control unit 90 that deflects the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the ultrasonic beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 toward the arterial blood vessel 20 by the steering angle θs in the longitudinal direction of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, respectively. The steering angle control unit 90 deflects the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the ultrasonic beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 with respect to the vertical line of the skin 18 in the plane containing the plurality of piezoelectric elements ae1 to aem constituting the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the plurality of piezoelectric elements ae1 to aem constituting the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28. The steering angle, which is an angle, is changed based on a command from the display control unit 92 so as to point toward the arterial blood vessel 18 . Specifically, for example, by controlling the difference between the delay amount for the piezoelectric element aem and the delay amount for the piezoelectric element ae1, the radiation angle of the peripheral velocity ultrasonic beam emitted from the opening transducer is shifted, and the steering angle θs, which is the radiation angle of the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the ultrasonic beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, is changed.

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The display control unit 92 includes an image synthesizing unit 88 that generates a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image generated based on a reflected signal of the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and a reflected signal of the ultrasonic beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, and synthesizes the short-axis image G1 from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image using spatial compounding. Since the ultrasonic radiation planes L of the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 intersect within the range displayed as the long-axis image G2 of the arterial blood vessel 20, the short-axis image G1 near the intersection shows the cross section within the range displayed as the long-axis image G2 of the arterial blood vessel 20.

The blood vessel depth calculator 86 calculates the blood vessel depth D from the skin 18 to the upper surface of the arterial blood vessel 20 included in the long-axis image, for example, based on the output signal of the ultrasonic signal processor 84 . The display control unit 92 causes the blood vessel depth D of the arterial blood vessel 20 calculated by the blood vessel depth calculation unit 86 or the position within the scale 49 indicating the height position of the puncture needle guide mechanism 38 based on the blood vessel depth D to be displayed in the blood vessel depth display area 76 prepared on the screen of the display 72.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30, and the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28, which are arranged on a straight line perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the plurality of short-axis ultrasonic oscillators ae1 to aen of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 and constitute one short-axis ultrasonic array probe, are placed on the skin 18 of the living body. Reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 in the puncture needle position display device 24 having the ultrasonic probe 12 and a display 72 for displaying the position of the puncture needle 22 with respect to the arterial blood vessel 20 located under the skin 18 in the short-axis image showing the cross section of the arterial blood vessel 20 and the long-axis image showing the longitudinal section of the tubular organ 20, which is a tubular organ in the living body. , the display controller 92 displays on the display 72 a short-axis image G1 showing a cross section within the range R displayed as the long-axis image G2 of the arterial blood vessel 20 based on the above. As a result, both the short-axis image G1 and the long-axis image G2 can represent the puncture point P of the puncture needle 22 with respect to the arterial blood vessel 20, so that the position of the puncture needle 22 with respect to the arterial blood vessel 20 can be grasped more accurately, and the puncture operation becomes remarkably accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 12 has a fixed part 40 fixed to the probe body 34, and a needle guide mechanism 38 having a needle guide member 44 that is attached to the fixed part 40 so that the distance from the skin 18 can be adjusted and that guides the puncture needle 22 at a constant inclination angle θn with respect to the skin 18 in a plane including the arrangement direction of the oscillators (piezoelectric elements ae1 to aen) of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30. , prepare. This makes it possible to grasp the shape and arrangement of the puncture needle 22 and the puncture needle in real time. In addition, the position of the puncture needle 22 immediately after insertion can be observed from the long-axis image G2, the puncture needle 22 can be maintained at a constant inclination angle θn with respect to the skin 18, and the orientation of the puncture needle 22 can be maintained so that the puncture needle 22 moves straight within the ultrasonic beam B3 (scanning line) from the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30, so that the operation of the puncture needle 22 does not require a high level of skill.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the needle guide member 44 includes a blood vessel depth calculator 86 that calculates the depth D from the skin 18 of the upper surface of the arterial blood vessel 20 displayed in the long-axis image G2, and a display controller 92 that causes the display 72 to display the depth D from the skin surface 18 of the upper surface of the arterial blood vessel 20 calculated by the blood vessel depth calculator 86 or the manual operation position (scale position) of the needle guide member 44 based on the depth D. , the distance from the skin 18 is manually adjusted according to the depth D from the arterial blood vessel 20 to the skin 18 displayed in the depth display area 76 of the display 72 . As a result, regardless of the depth D from the upper surface of the arterial blood vessel 20 to the skin 18, the position of the puncture needle 22 with respect to the arterial blood vessel 20 can be grasped more accurately, and the puncturing operation becomes remarkably accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the image display control unit (electronic control unit 70) includes a steering angle control unit 90 that tilts the radiation directions of the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 in a direction to approach each other using ultrasonic steering, and the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 based on the reflected signals received. an image synthesizing unit 88 for generating a short-axis image and a second short-axis image, respectively, and synthesizing a short-axis image G1 from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image. As a result, a clear short-axis image can be obtained, in contrast to the normal case where the puncture needle 22 is thin and made of metal, a shadow called an acoustic shadow occurs and the short-axis image becomes unclear, so that the position of the puncture needle 22 with respect to the arterial blood vessel 20 can be more accurately grasped, and the puncture operation becomes remarkably accurate.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the third short-axis ultrasound array probe 32 is arranged adjacent to the end of the long-axis ultrasound array probe 30 and parallel to the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28, and the display control unit 92 generates the third short-axis image G3 based on the reflected signal received by the third short-axis ultrasound array probe 32, and displays it on the display. 72. As a result, by shifting the position of the ultrasonic probe unit 12 so that the short-axis image G1 and the third short-axis image G3 are positioned at the center of the respective display regions in the horizontal direction on the display 72, the work of positioning the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 right above the artery blood vessel 20 is facilitated.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 are arranged on a straight line perpendicular to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 with the longitudinal center of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe 30 interposed therebetween. As a result, the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26, the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28, and the long-axis ultrasound array probe 30 are arranged in a crisscross pattern, and the long-axis ultrasound array probe 30 has a portion protruding from the intersection of the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28, so the puncture needle 22 can be displayed before it reaches the arterial blood vessel 20 in the long-axis image G2. , the puncture operation becomes easier.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the parts that are common to the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 shows another example of the ultrasonic probe 12. FIG. In FIG. 9, a thin resin film 94 is detachably sandwiched between the box-shaped probe body 34 and the frame-shaped guide mechanism fixing portion 40, and the bottom surface 36 of the probe body 34 is covered with the resin film 94.

According to this embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the above-described embodiment, by replacing the resin film 94, contamination of the probe main body 34 can be prevented, and an effect of reducing the risk of infection can be obtained.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 10 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 showing another example of the ultrasonic probe 12. FIG. In Fig. 10, the 1st short -axis ultrasonic array century 26 and the second short -axis ultrasonic array exploration 28 are the ultrasonic beam B1 radiated from the first short axis ultrasonic array exploration 26 and the ultrasonic beam B2 radiated from the 28th shortsty ultrasonic array exploration child 28. Organs) It is slanted to the direction that approaches each other as it approaches 20, and is fixed to the bottom 36 of the box -shaped probe body 34 of the ultrasonic probe 12 of the ultrasonic probe 12. As shown in FIG. 10, the radiation direction of the ultrasonic beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the radiation direction of the ultrasound beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28 are each inclined by a predetermined angle θt with respect to a line perpendicular to the bottom surface 36 of the probe body 34, for example, the surface of the skin 18. The space between the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28 and the skin 18 is filled with ultrasonic jelly as in the above-described embodiment.

Reflected signals respectively received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28 are processed by the electronic control device (image display control unit) 70 similar to that in FIG. The electronic control unit 70 in this case does not include the steering angle control section 90 . The display control unit 92 generates a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image from the reflected signals respectively received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe, and the image synthesizing unit 88 synthesizes the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image. In this embodiment, the image synthesizing section 88 functions as a second image synthesizing section.

According to the puncture needle position display device 24 of the present embodiment, the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28 are inclined so that the ultrasound beam B1 emitted from the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the ultrasound beam B2 emitted from the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28 approach each other as they approach the artery blood vessel (tubular organ) 20, and the box-shaped probe main body 3 of the ultrasound probe unit 12. 4, a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image are respectively generated based on the reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe 26 and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe 28, respectively, and a second image synthesizing unit (image synthesizing unit 88) for synthesizing the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image. As a result, even if the puncture needle 22 is thin and the puncture needle 22 is made of metal, a shadow called an acoustic shadow is generated to obscure the short-axis image, so that a clear short-axis image can be obtained, so that the position of the puncture needle with respect to the tubular organ can be grasped more accurately, and the puncture operation becomes much more accurate.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above based on the drawings, the present invention is also applicable to other aspects.

For example, in the above embodiment, the ultrasonic probe unit 12 was applied to the upper arm, but it may be applied to other parts such as the forearm of the living body, the thigh, the neck, and the chest of the living body.

Further, the puncture needle position display device 24 of Example 1 is provided with the third short-axis ultrasound array probe 32, and the display 72 displays the third short-axis image 3. However, the third short-axis ultrasound array probe 32 may not necessarily be provided, and the display 72 may not display the third short-axis image 3.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

12: Ultrasonic probe unit 24: Puncture needle position display device 26: First short-axis ultrasonic array probe 28: Second short-axis ultrasonic array probe 30: Long-axis ultrasonic array probe 32: Third short-axis ultrasonic array probe 70: Electronic control device (image display control unit)
72: Display 76: Blood vessel depth display area 80: Ultrasonic drive control unit 82: Detection processing unit 84: Ultrasonic signal processing unit 86: Depth calculation unit 88: Image synthesizing unit 90: Steering angle control unit 92: Display control unit

Claims

An ultrasonic probe having a long-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of long-axis ultrasonic transducers are linearly arranged and a short-axis ultrasonic array probe in which a plurality of short-axis ultrasonic transducers are linearly arranged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic transducers can be placed on the skin of a living body, and a puncture needle for a tubular organ located under the skin in a short-axis image showing a cross section of a tubular organ in the living body and a long-axis image showing a longitudinal section of the tubular organ in the living body. and a display for displaying the position of the tubular organ together with the position of the puncture needle,
The short-axis ultrasonic array probe comprises a first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and a second short-axis ultrasonic array probe arranged on a straight line orthogonal to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe with the long-axis ultrasonic array probe interposed therebetween,
A puncture needle position display device, comprising: an image display control unit for displaying, on the display device, the short-axis image showing a cross section within the range displayed as the long-axis image of the tubular organ based on the reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe.
2. The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a body fixed to the ultrasonic probe; and a needle guide member attached to the body so that the distance from the skin can be adjusted, the needle guide member guiding the puncture needle at a constant inclination angle with respect to the skin in a plane including the arrangement direction of the long-axis ultrasonic oscillators.
a depth calculation unit that calculates the depth from the skin surface of the upper surface of the tubular organ displayed in the long-axis image; and an image display control unit that causes the display to display the depth from the skin surface of the upper surface of the tubular organ calculated by the depth calculation unit or the manual operation position of the angle holding device based on the depth,
2. The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, wherein the needle guide member adjusts the distance from the skin according to the depth of the tubular organ displayed in the depth display area of the display from the skin.
The image display control unit
a steering angle control unit that tilts the radiation directions of the ultrasonic beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe in directions approaching each other using ultrasonic steering;
The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, further comprising an image synthesizing unit that generates a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image based on reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe, respectively, and synthesizes the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image.
a third short-axis ultrasonic array probe arranged parallel to the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe adjacent to the end of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe,
The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, wherein the image display control unit generates a third short-axis image based on the reflected signal received by the third short-axis ultrasound array probe, and causes the display to display the third short-axis image.
2. The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, wherein the first short-axis ultrasonic array probe and the second short-axis ultrasonic array probe are arranged on a straight line perpendicular to the long-axis ultrasonic array probe across the longitudinal center of the long-axis ultrasonic array probe.
The first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe are fixed to the ultrasound probe in an inclined state so that the ultrasound beams emitted from the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe approach each other as they approach the tubular organ,
The puncture needle position display device according to claim 1, further comprising a second image synthesizing unit that generates a first short-axis image and a second short-axis image based on reflected signals received by the first short-axis ultrasound array probe and the second short-axis ultrasound array probe, respectively, and synthesizes the short-axis image from the first short-axis image and the second short-axis image.