JPH0352286B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscopic device that includes ultrasound B-scan imaging.

Endoscopes for visual inspection of internal organs of living organisms are well known. These endoscopes include either a flexible or rigid tube extending between a control housing and a probe at a remote distal end thereof. A flexible tube section is provided adjacent to the probe, and the flexible tube section is bent under control of an operator or surgeon using a control mechanism in the control housing. Optical illumination and viewing means are provided, including an objective lens on the probe and an eyepiece on the control housing for use in viewing the surface of the cavity.

Although endoscopes provide information to the operator regarding the condition of internal surfaces, the need for ultrasound images of the underlying surfaces has been recognized. No. 1 of the paper entitled “A New Gastrointestinal System Sukiyana with a Gastrophic Iberscope” presented by K. Hisanaga and A. Hisanaga at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Medical Ultrasound in 1978.
On page 108, B of the organization located at the bottom
A fiber optic endoscope is shown fitted with a movable transducer for obtaining sector scan images. However, as described in the said paper, the images obtained are of no diagnostic value.
Probes containing linear transducer arrays are also described in US Pat. No. 3,938,502 and German Patent No.
It is disclosed in the specification of No. 2305501. in this case,
Circular and linear transducer arrays are shown, respectively. However, these probes do not have optical visual means that allow the operator to position the probe at a desired location within the human body. Without knowledge of the transducer position and orientation, the resulting ultrasound images will have minimal diagnostic use. In addition, the optical vision means must be able to fully guide the probe during insertion into the body organs simply to avoid causing injury or pain to the patient. These probes also do not have acoustic cylindrical lens focusing means for beam focusing. A linear array of ultrasound transducers with cylindrical lenses for focusing in one plane perpendicular to the focusing of the electron beam in a second plane is known from US Pat. No. 3,936,791. ing. However, in this case the lens is formed with a concave outer free surface, which is not suitable for use in an endoscopic probe.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved probe that can be inserted into a human body cavity for use in linear B-scan imaging of the interior of the body.

Another general object of the present invention is to provide a combined pulsed ultrasound B-scan imaging endoscopic device that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and difficulties of conventional devices.

Another object of the present invention is that the probe can be easily optically guided to a desired location within a human organ and that the probe provides high-resolution, real-time images of the underlying tissue useful for diagnostic purposes. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic image processing endoscopic device including a probe that can be used.

These and other objects and advantages are achieved by using an endoscopic device having a probe coupled to a control housing by a tube.

The apparatus may include an optical illumination and viewing device including an objective lens on the probe and an eyepiece on the housing for optically viewing the internal surface of the human body. At least a portion of the tube adjacent the probe is flexible, and a control handle provided on the control housing facilitates bending the means in a desired direction to guide the probe into the body part. Provides a means under operator control for positioning the desired location within the body part. Ultrasound images of the underlying tissue in the optically defined region are provided by a linear B-scan pulsed ultrasound imager. The transducer array is located within the probe located adjacent to the far section of the apparatus, and coaxial cables couple the individual transducer elements of the transducer array to the pulse generator and pulse receiving means of the B-scan system. Means are provided for transmitting and receiving ultrasound energy using the group of transducer elements in a manner that focuses and scans the beam in a longitudinal plane of the transducer array. A solid focusing lens of low velocity material is attached to the face of the transducer array, and this focusing lens focuses the beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the transducer array, so that it follows the profile and nature of the outer surface of the probe. It has an external surface that is compatible with the With this configuration, high-resolution ultrasound images are obtained over a depth range below the surface of the body part. The real-time image is displayed on a display means that can be easily viewed by the operator. If the device includes an optical vision device, a closed circuit TV device is also provided, the closed circuit TV device including a camera responsive to optical images from the probe, and a TV monitor adjacent to the B-scan display means. As a result, optical and ultrasound images are displayed simultaneously for simultaneous viewing by the operator.

The essence of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding parts.

As mentioned above, ultrasound imaging of the interior of the human body is well known. It is also known that not only is ultrasound energy attenuated as it passes through organs and tissues, but that attenuation increases with frequency. That is, high frequency signals are attenuated more severely than low frequency signals or frequency components. As a result, when it is desired to image deep parts of the human body through the patient's skin, relatively low frequency energy is used to minimize attenuation. However, the resolution obtained depends on the frequency of the energy waves. Therefore, if transmitting ultrasound energy through a significant portion of the human body is required for imaging the desired body part, it is required to use relatively low frequency energy. Obviously, this limits the resolution. By providing a transducer array within an endoscopic probe, high-resolution ultrasound images of human body parts far from the skin can be obtained by operating at high frequencies, for example on the order of 10 MHz. With the device of the invention, high resolution images of the pancreas, for example, can be obtained from inside the stomach through the walls of the stomach and duodenum.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a novel endoscopic ultrasound imaging system is shown, which image processing system includes tube 14.
A novel probe 10 is coupled to a housing 12 via a probe 10, with at least a portion of the tube 14 adjacent the probe 10 being flexible. The device consists essentially of an endoscope of conventional design, with a flexible endoscope being shown for illustrative purposes. The probe 10 includes a generally cylindrical rigid end member or support block 16 at its distal end distal to the housing 12. Hereinafter, the end of the probe 10 on the control housing side will be referred to as the "proximal end", and the free end thereof on the distal end will be referred to as the distal end. The end member is formed with or provided with a generally semi-circular rearwardly extending portion or member 16A which is used for support of the optical illumination and vision device and the transducer array as will be described below. .

The optical illumination and viewing device is shown as having a bundle of light transmission fibers 18, 18;
This bundle 18 extends axially through a long portion of the support block 16 and terminates in front thereof. The bundle housed within the protective sheath extends rearwardly through the tube 14 and passes into the housing 12, terminating in an optical coupling means 19 in one wall of the housing 12. Fiber optic cable 20 connects the bundle to a suitable illumination source (not shown) in endoscope control unit 22.
join to. A light switch and an intensity control switch 24 are provided on the panel of the control unit 22 for controlling the illumination. The illustrated unit 22 also provides a source of pressurized air and fluids such as water that can be coupled to the endoscope. In FIG. 1, only a water source is shown, which is coupled to the endoscope for purposes explained later.

The optical viewing device includes an objective lens consisting of lens elements 28 and 30 (see also FIG. 3) housed within an axial aperture extending through a long portion of support block 16. One lens element 28 is suitably mounted adjacent the front face of support block 16, while the other lens element 30
is attached to the front end of bundle 32 of optical transmission fibers. Bundle 32 communicates rearwardly from probe 10 through tube 14 and control housing 12;
It extends to an optical connector 34 at the rear of the housing. In FIG. 1, the optical fiber cable 36
is schematically shown for coupling a viewing device to a video camera (not shown) contained within a video display and control unit 38. Control unit 38
The camera within is a closed circuit containing visual display means 40 for providing a visual display of objects within the field of view of the objective lens.
Consists of elements of TV equipment. The on-off, brightness, and contrast controls included in typical closed circuit TV equipment are included in the video display and control unit 38.
shown on the front panel.

The eyepiece 42, shown in FIG.
It allows you to see it directly instead of looking at it from scratch. It is often preferred to use the eyepiece 42 when inserting the probe into a body cavity.

Deflection control means of conventional construction can be used to control the bending of tube 14 adjacent probe 10. In FIG. 1, deflection ring 44 is shown in phantom adjacent the distal end of probe 10;
It is coupled via three control lines 45 to a deflection control mechanism housed within the housing 12. The deflection control mechanism includes a first rotating shaft 46 extending from the housing;
It includes a second rotation shaft 48 extending radially from the first rotation shaft 46, and a handle 50 provided at a free end of the second rotation shaft 48. Simultaneous rotation of the two rotation axes 46 and 48 by manipulation of the handle 50 is possible for bending the probe 10 in any desired direction relative to the flexible end of the tube 14.

As previously discussed, a source of water is provided for the unit 22 or endoscope. A water pressure gauge 52 displays the pressure of water supplied to the endoscope, and a control device 54
is used to set the water pressure to the desired level. Water is supplied through conduit 56 to housing 12 and thence through conduit 14 and probe 10 to a nozzle head 58 which projects slightly from the face of the probe. Water from the nozzle flows past the ends of the illumination fiber bundles 18, 18 and onto the lens element 28, keeping the lens element 28 free of mucus or the like. do. In the illustrated construction, a guide groove 60 is also provided which extends from the tip of the probe 10 to the unit 12 and opens to the exterior thereof, through which various types of tools (not shown) can pass. can be done. It should be noted here that in the case of the novel probe of the present invention, the various endoscopic channels described above are connected to the support block 1.
6, and terminates in a generally semicircular region of the distal end surface. The other approximately half of the generally cylindrical probe is occupied by a linear array of ultrasound transducers, generally designated 70. By positioning the transducer row and endoscopic channel side by side as shown and by positioning the distal end of the transducer row adjacent to the distal end of the probe, the shortest overall length is achieved. A probe is provided to facilitate insertion into the patient.

The transducer array best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a rectangular base 72 of conductive material;
A piezoelectric transducer element 74 of a transducer array is attached to 2. Electrodes 76 and 78 are provided on respective opposite sides of transducer element 74 of piezoelectric material. Merely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, the transducer array may consist of a piece of piezoelectric material, e.g. The electrodes are uniformly polarized in the direction perpendicular to the surface covered with the electrodes. A piece of piezoelectric material with electrodes disposed thereon is attached to the base 72 for electrical continuity by the use of a conductive adhesive. The base 72 is made of an acoustically attenuating material to reduce the acoustic Q-factor of the transducer array, so that short acoustic pulses are generated and received, providing facilities for good range resolution. After bonding to the base 72, the piezoelectric material is diced into, for example, 64 closely spaced elements to form a linear array as shown. With the above dimensions and appropriate thickness dimensions, the conversion element can e.g.
can be made to operate at frequencies in the range of . The distal end of the base 72 of the transducer array is adhesively attached to the end member 16, and means not shown support the distal end of the transducer array within the probe. It will be appreciated that the longitudinal surface 80 of the transducer array extends in the longitudinal direction of the probe.

The illustrated conversion means are provided with focusing means 82 for focusing the beam 84 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal plane 80. The illustrated focusing means 82 consists of a cylindrical lens having one surface attached to the surface of the transducer array and an outer surface that essentially matches the cylindrical contour of the outer surface of the probe. Here, this outer surface has a substantially convex shape, which not only adapts to the curvature of the probe, but also allows good contact with the interior of the human body. When the probe is used, for example, inside the stomach, the contour makes good contact with the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the probe includes a generally semi-cylindrical tubular housing portion 85A in its optical portion. Filling material 85B
is molded around the transducer array 70 to fill the cavity in the housing portion 85A and accommodate the transducer array 70. For example, the housing portion made of filler material 85B can be formed of an electrically filler resin that can be applied and cured in place by the use of a suitable mold. Also, element 8
5A and 85B have a cylindrical focusing lens 82 inside.
a generally cylindrical housing for the probe from which the probe extends. In FIG. 3, the filling material 85
B is shown removed from the broken portion of the probe to clearly show other internal elements of the probe.

As will be appreciated, the speed of propagation of sound waves within flexible human tissue is approximately the same as the speed of propagation in water. To provide the illustrated focusing by the cylindrical lens 82, the lens is made of a material that has a velocity of propagation of sound waves that is significantly less than the velocity of propagation in soft tissue and water. One such material that can be used to make lenses is Dow Corning
"Sylgard" 184 manufactured by Sylgard Corporation. Other low velocity materials suitable for use may also be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the focusing means consists of a single lens element. Obviously, a compound lens made of a plurality of lens elements may also be used; such a compound lens is shown, for example, in FIG. 7 and will be explained later. The lens surface may also be coated with an anti-reflection material (not shown) to minimize internal reflection of sound waves. Longitudinal plane 80 of the transducer array
The focusing of beam 84 by lens 82 in a plane perpendicular to is shown in FIG. As will be appreciated, the outer surface of lens 82 and the remainder of the surfaces of probe 10 and tube 14 that come into contact with body secretions during use are formed of stable materials that are non-reactive with such secretions. There must be.

A linear transducer array 70 is included in a pulsed ultrasound B-scan imager that operates in a linear beam scanning mode as opposed to sector scanning. Sector scanning devices have the advantage that a small transducer array can provide a large field of view far from the array, but the field of view is small and the resolution is poor close to the array. By using a linear scan, all image lines are parallel and tissue close to the transducer array can be easily imaged. Referring also to FIG. 5, there is shown a block diagram of a B-scanning device of conventional construction, which device can also be used in the present invention. As previously discussed, a 64 element transducer bank 70 may be used, where 64 microcoaxial cables 86 are used to connect the transducer elements to a B-scan transmitter/receiver, generally designated 90. ing. The 64 coaxial cables 86 are loosely bundled within a sheath 92, as shown in FIG. 1, and can be bent repeatedly without damage. In the illustrated configuration, the cable bundle simply extends through the interior of control housing 12, with the individual cables attached to B-scan transmitter/receiver 90 by connectors 94 (FIG. 1). To avoid unnecessary defects in the signals carried by cables,
No connectors or terminals are included in housing 12. As can be seen, the bundle of cables within cable 92 can be coupled directly to transmitter/receiver 90 without passing through housing 12, if desired, through flexible tubing 14 adjacent housing 12. It may extend from the side.

As shown in FIG. 5, the conversion elements are connected to a switching matrix 96 which causes selected groups of adjacent conversion elements to be connected to delay means 98 or pulse generation means 100.
connected to. Shown solely for purposes of illustration, a group of five conversion elements is used, with each delay means 98 and pulse generation means 100 consisting of five such individual elements. Timing and control unit 102 is coupled to a switching matrix for selecting the group of transducer elements to be activated. The timing and control unit also times the operation of the five pulse generating means 100 to excite selected groups of transducer elements in a phase relationship that provides focusing of the beam 84 in the longitudinal plane of the transducer array. Control. In FIGS. 3 and 5, focusing with proper excitation of the first five transducer elements in such a row is shown. The energized groups are shifted along the column to focus the beam in the direction of arrow 104.

pulse-insonify
The reflected ultrasound signal from the incision in the body part is received by the same group of transducing elements and is applied to the preamplifier 106 via switching matrix and delay means 98. The five amplifiers in preamplifier 106 are of the low-noise, wide-bandwidth, high-dynamic-range type and have good linear gain characteristics over a wide input signal strength range. have. The delays are chosen to focus the beam pattern in the longitudinal plane 80 of the transducer array during receive operations. In that case, phase sequence motion of the transducer array is provided during both transmit and receive operations for beam focusing. The shift of the selected group of actuated conversion elements follows the pulse-echo reception period to effect the linear beam scanning described above. Shifting in increments of one transducer element provides a total of 60 scan lines. As is clear, the device can be operated in groups using different numbers of conversion elements. It will also be appreciated that it may be used to shift both odd and even groups of transducer elements in increments of half the transducer element width.

The output of the preamplifier is provided to a summing amplifier 108 whose output is related to the weighted sum of the inputs.
The output of the summing amplifier is provided to a time-varying gain amplifier 110, which has a gain characteristic that varies as a function of time to compensate for the loss in amplitude that occurs as it passes through tissue. have. In the illustrated structure, gain amplifier 110
The gain of varies according to the output from gain function generator 112. The synchronization signal is generated by the pulse generating means 100.
A gain function generator 112 is provided by timing and control unit 102 to begin its operation for a predetermined period of time following operation of . Gain function generator 112
simply consists of a ramp generator with an output that functions to increase the gain of the gain amplifier 110 proportionally to the range in such a manner as to eliminate the loss of signal stored due to absorption of sound within the object. But that's fine. In the structure of this embodiment, the adjustable function generator 112 has a plurality of controllers 114 located in front of the B-scan unit 90 (see FIG. 1) for controlling the shape of the generator output. used as. The settings of each of the five controllers 114 determine the gain of the amplifier 112 for one-fifth of the echo signal duration, thereby allowing the operator to adjust the B-scan display as desired. do.
Adjustable gain function generators for controlling variable gain amplifiers are well known and need not be described in further detail.

For example, the output from time gain control amplifier 110 is
A broadband compression amplifier 116 consisting of a DC-coupled logarithmic amplifier is provided. Next to the compression amplifier 116 is a gain control device 1 for setting its gain.
A variable gain amplifier 118 with 20 is provided.

The output of the variable gain amplifier 118 is detected by an envelope detector 122 consisting of, for example, a full-wave rectifier provided before a reduction filter, and the output signal of the detector is an envelope of the broadband, high-frequency signal output from the amplifier 118. is related to. The output of the envelope detector is supplied to an ultrasound image display device 124 consisting of a cathode ray tube. Generally, a compression amplifier (not shown) converts the detector output signal to the cathode ray tube 1.
24 to match the detected signal to the characteristics of cathode ray tube 124 for proper representation of the overall signal range. The output of the detector is applied as an input to the control grid of the cathode ray tube to control the electron beam intensity and the X axis.

For B-scan operation, the cathode ray tube beam deflection in the
is proportional to the position of An X-axis generator 126 triggered by a synchronization signal from the timing and control unit 102 provides a step signal output that is used to shift the trace on the cathode ray tube according to the position of the ultrasound beam 84. tube 12
4 horizontal deflection system.

Vertical or Y-axis deflection of the cathode ray tube beam is provided by a lamp generator 128 which is triggered by an output from timing and control unit 102 for a predetermined time period following a transmit operation. The output of the lamp generator 128 is output to the cathode ray tube 12 for vertical scanning of the trace.
4 vertical deflection system. A linear B-scan ultrasound image of the body part located within the longitudinal plane 80 of the transducer array 70 contained within the probe 10 is provided on the surface of the cathode ray tube 124 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, the ultrasound image display means 124 is located adjacent to the TV monitor or display means 40. The simultaneous display of the optical and ultrasound images can be easily viewed by the operator to assist the operator in properly positioning the probe within the body cavity to obtain the desired ultrasound image. As is clear, recording means (not shown) may be provided for the recording of real-time ultrasound images obtained by the B-scanning device so as to save the images obtained for subsequent examinations. Similarly, if desired, an optical image record can be made from, for example, a video camera signal output. Also, if desired, the output of the B-scan receiver can be fed to a scan converter (not shown) for converting the ultrasound image signal into a signal having a conventional television format, in which case the output of the scan converter is It can be supplied to an ordinary television monitor (not shown) for display. in this case,
Recording of the scan converter output can be performed and can also be used in conjunction with conventional TV playback and monitoring means for subsequent display of ultrasound images.

Although the operation of the endoscopic device of the present invention is believed to be clear from the foregoing description, a brief explanation will now be provided with respect to FIG. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the endoscopic device of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 as being used within the gastrointestinal system of a patient. Detection of disease outside the tubular gastrointestinal system is difficult, and also in the pancreas and pancreatic bed,
Diagnosis of cancers involving the peritoneal cavity as well as the mesentery is particularly difficult. However, the proximity of the pancreas to the stomach and intestines makes the pancreas and surrounding structures ideal for high resolution ultrasound imaging with the ultrasound probe of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, an ultrasound probe 1 for endoscopy is shown.
0 is shown inserted into a patient's stomach 130. Traditionally, optical guidance relies on guiding a probe through the esophagus to a desired location inside the stomach. Many endoscopic physicians prefer to use the eyepiece 42 (FIG. 2) when guiding the probe to the desired location. In that case, the optical transmission fiber cable 36 (FIG. 1) is eliminated and the eyepiece 42 is attached to the endoscope by use of the connector 34. With the eyepiece 42 in place, the endoscopic ultrasound probe 10 is guided into the desired location for ultrasound imaging of the underlying soft tissue. In FIG. 6, probe 10 is shown advanced into the large curvature of stomach 130 adjacent pancreas 132. In FIG. By steering the probe, the cylindrical lens 82 of the transducer array
A reliable contact is made with the mucous membrane and the ultrasound scan can proceed. At this time, the eyepiece 42 may be removed from the endoscope and replaced with a fiber optic cable 36 for connecting the optics to a closed circuit television for displaying optical images on a TV monitor screen 40. Both the optical and ultrasound images can be displayed and viewed simultaneously by the operator. In FIG. 6, ultrasound image plane 80 has been identified along with optical viewing angle 134. In FIG.
With proper steering of the probe 10, an ultrasound scan of the mucosa is performed from its tail region through the stomach wall to the head of the pancreas. By steering the probe into the duodenum 136, additional ultrasound images of the head of the pancreas 132 can be obtained from different locations.
High-resolution ultrasound images extending from a position close to the surface of the probe to a depth of about 4 cm can be obtained. For example, in the case of a transducer array 70 having a length of 3 cm, a field of view of, for example, 3 cm wide x 4 cm deep is possible. Also, by operating at 10MHz, for example, a good lateral resolution of about 0.5mm on average can be obtained.
Also, a good range resolution of about 0.5mm can be obtained.

As mentioned above, a compound focus lens may be used in place of lens 82 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 and described above. Turning now to FIG. 7, there is shown a compound cylindrical lens 140 for use in this case, which compound cylindrical lens includes a first lens element 142 and a second lens element 144. . First lens element 142 has a flat surface bonded to the surface of transducer array 70 and an opposing concave surface. The second lens element 144 has a convex surface on the opposite side, and one of the convex surfaces is adhered to the concave surface of the first lens element 142.
The outer convex surface of the outer lens element generally matches the curved portion of the outer surface profile of the probe, which is not shown in FIG. The first lens element 142 is formed of a material that has a propagation velocity of sound waves that is significantly greater than the propagation velocity of sound waves in flexible human tissue and water. The second lens element 144 is formed of a material that has a propagation velocity of sound waves not greater than, and preferably significantly less than, the propagation velocity in soft human tissue. The use of a low velocity material for the outer lens element 144 provides focusing action at both the soft tissue and lens element 144 interfaces and the lens element 144 and lens element 142 interfaces. Also, similar to the case of lens 82, the convex lens surface allows lens element 144 to
A good contact is obtained between the outer convex surface and the soft body tissue.

Although the invention has been described in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent laws, various other modifications and variations will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, instead of the illustrated front-viewing optics, the probe may be equipped with optical viewing means having lateral or partially both forward and lateral views. Also, for use in different body cavities, an endoscope with a rigid tube may be used instead of an endoscope with a flexible tube 14, in which case there is no need for a fiber optic cable. , simple optical telescopes and illumination means can be used within the structure. Furthermore, as mentioned above, electronic linear B-scan imaging is necessary to obtain satisfactory ultrasound real-time images, and many devices are known for providing such images. The apparatus shown in FIG. 5 is for illustrative purposes only and is in no way limiting. The illustrated sequenced fluidly focused linear array requires a significant amount of processing electronics. To maximize dynamic range, these circuits should be located as close to the transducer array as possible. The present invention contemplates locating such circuitry within the probe 10 itself by using integrated circuit chips. Current commercially available chips are not well suited for such applications, and suitable custom-made electronic products are extremely expensive. However, the use of suitable pre-processing microelectronic technology within the probe is highly justified;
That is also what is contemplated by the present invention.

These and other such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination of an endoscopic device and an ultrasound imaging device embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an eyepiece used in the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an enlarged portion of the probe. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of the device in FIG. 1, showing the inside of the device. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positioning of the probe in the stomach for ultrasound examination of the adjacent pancreas; FIG. The figure is a cross-sectional view of a compound cylindrical acoustic focusing lens of the type that can be used in the probe of the present invention. 10...Probe, 12...Housing, 14
... tube, 16 ... support block, 18 ... fiber bundle, 20 ... optical fiber cable, 22 ...
... endoscopic control unit, 28, 30 ... lens element, 36 ... fiber optic cable, 38 ... video display and control unit, 40 ... visual display means, 42 ... eyepiece, 70 ... ultrasound conversion array, 72...base, 74...piezoelectric conversion element,
82... Focusing lens, 90... B-scan transmitter/receiver, 96... Switching matrix, 98...
...Delay means, 100...Pulse generation means, 106
... Preamplifier, 108 ... Additive amplifier, 110
... Time variable gain amplifier, 112 ... Gain function generator, 124 ... Ultrasonic image display device (cathode ray tube), 130 ... Stomach, 132 ... Pancreas, 136 ...
... Duodenum, 140 ... Compound cylindrical lens, 14
2,144...Lens element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An endoscopic probe used for a device that visually investigates the inside of a human body and visualizes it using ultrasound, which includes: (a) a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis; (b) for use in optically imaging the interior of a human body; (c) means defining a plurality of longitudinally extending openings through the end member in a first substantially semi-cylindrical portion within the housing; (c) said integration of the probe; a longitudinally extending linear transducer array including a plurality of fixedly adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements within the housing, the transducer array being connected to the first semi-cylindrical portion; is located behind and proximate the end member in a second substantially semi-cylindrical portion within the substantially opposite housing, such that the transducer array is This probe is used to visualize the inside of the human body using ultrasound from one side of the probe, and (d) focuses and scans the beam without moving the linear array of ultrasound transducers. An endoscopic probe characterized in that it has an electronic beam focusing and scanning means for. 2. The endoscopic probe of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the end member is substantially cylindrical in shape. 3. Claim 2 including a substantially semi-cylindrical member integrally formed with said end member and extending toward said proximal end for supporting said transducer array.
Endoscopic probe as described in section. 4. The integrated housing has a substantially cylindrical outer surface, and the probe has a cylindrical focusing lens, the focusing lens having one surface attached to a transducer element of the transducer array. 2. The endoscopic probe according to claim 1, wherein the endoscopic probe has an outer surface forming a part of the outer surface of the housing of the probe. 5. The endoscopic probe of claim 4, wherein the cylindrical focusing lens is formed of a solid material having a propagation velocity of sound waves that is substantially lower than a propagation velocity of sound waves in flexible human tissue. . 6. In an endoscopic probe used in equipment for visually investigating and imaging the interior of the human body, the probe may include: a substantially cylindrical elongated housing having a cylindrical outer surface; and (b) having means for attaching the housing to an elongated tube at the distal end of the housing. (c) a forward end fixedly disposed inside the housing of the probe and extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal housing axis and adjacent each of the distal and proximal ends of the housing; a linear ultrasound transducer array having a rear end, the transducer array having a plurality of transducers for directing pulses of ultrasound energy along the beam into the human body from one side of the probe; (d) a cylindrical element with one face attached to the face of the transducer for focusing the beam in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the array of transducers; a focusing lens, the outer surface of the cylindrical focusing lens being convex and forming part of the outer surface of the housing; electronic beam focusing and scanning means for focusing and scanning; An endoscopic probe, wherein the optical device has an objective lens adjacent to the distal end of the transducer array at the distal end of the housing. 7. The endoscopic probe of claim 6, wherein the cylindrical focusing lens is formed of a solid material having a propagation velocity of sound waves that is substantially lower than the propagation velocity of sound waves in flexible tissue. . 8. An endoscopic probe used in devices for visually investigating and imaging the interior of the human body, which includes: (a) an integral rigid housing, the housing having a longitudinally extending axis; a substantially cylindrical outer surface having a distal end and a proximal end connected to an elongate tube used to insert the housing into a body organ. (b) a linear array of ultrasonic transducers fixed within the housing on one side relative to the axis thereof, the array of ultrasonic transducers being disposed at a distal end of the housing; having a front end and a rear end adjacent a portion and a proximal end, respectively, emitting ultrasound from one side of the probe into the interior of the human body using the array of ultrasound transducers in the housing;
(c) configured to receive reflected ultrasound waves to perform an ultrasound imaging survey of the human body; (c) for beam focusing and scanning without moving said linear transducer array; , having electronic beam focusing and scanning means; (d) having optical means diametrically opposite an axis of the housing from the ultrasound transducer; is used for illuminating and visually examining the interior of a human body, and wherein the optical means has a viewing window in the distal end of the housing distal to the ultrasound transducer. Visual probe.