JPH09154843A - Ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate such a problem as involving the inability of changing the intersecting positions of the scanning surfaces of an ultrasonic diagnostic probe with a plurality of scanning surfaces, a drop in the degree of freedom along an observation direction and a difficulty for diagnosing an examined region. SOLUTION: A vibrator array part 12 is oscillated with a wire 34 extended to a pulley 32. A worm gear 42 is driven with a wire 44 in parallel to a wire 34, thereby oscillating a vibrator array part 14 in a direction orthogonal with the vibrator array part 12. Consequently, both scanning surfaces are inclined, due to the array part oscillation. Also, an intersection displaying and processing part calculates the intersecting position of both scanning surfaces from the inclination angle of scanning surfaces detected with an encoder and a display part shows the intersecting position, together with a tomogram.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for observing a region to be inspected by using scanning planes where two transducer arrays intersect each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, two transducer arrays are used as an ultrasonic probe to insert an ultrasonic probe into a body cavity of an examinee to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image of the examined region, and obtain two intersecting tomographic images. There is a biplane type transducer. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional biplane type probe. Transducer arrays 100, 10
2 are arranged side by side in the insertion direction into the body cavity at the tip of the thin tube. The array directions of the oscillators forming the oscillator array are directions orthogonal to each other. Therefore, the sector type scanning planes 104 and 106 obtained by electronically scanning using these transducer arrays intersect at a right angle at the position shown by the line segment 108.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using this ultrasonic probe can simultaneously display two tomographic images that intersect at right angles. As described above, the multi-section image display is excellent in that the observer can be provided with a stereoscopic image of a moving test site such as the heart. Since the relative positions of both transducer arrays are fixed, the crossing position of the scanning planes on the tomographic image is at a fixed position and does not change with time. It is generally located in the center of each tomographic image. Therefore, the three-dimensional positional relationship between the two tomographic images can be easily recognized.

[0004]

Since the relative positions of the two transducer arrays are fixed, the crossing position of the scanning planes cannot be changed, a desired crossing tomographic image cannot be obtained, and the cross section of the region to be examined cannot be obtained. There was a problem that it was difficult to make a diagnosis. For example,
When observing the heart by inserting the ultrasound probe into the esophagus, it is possible to view the heart sideways from the esophagus, but it is not possible to obtain a tomographic image as if the heart is viewed obliquely above the lower esophagus,
There was a problem that the degree of freedom in the viewing direction was low.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe having a high degree of freedom in the direction of observation of a test site and facilitating grasping a three-dimensional image of the test site. To aim.

[0006]

The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the ultrasonic probe has a swing tilt mechanism for tilting at least one of the two transducer array sections. To do.

Since the crossing position of the scanning planes changes with the inclination of the transducer array, a desired multi-tomographic image of the site to be examined can be obtained.

A second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the ultrasonic probe has an angle detection mechanism for detecting a tilt angle of a transducer array part tilted by the swing tilt mechanism. And

By detecting the tilt angle, it is possible to know the position of the straight line where the two scanning surfaces intersect.

A third ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the main body section has an intersection position calculation processing section for obtaining an intersection position of the scanning planes of the two transducer array sections from the inclination angle. .

It is possible to calculate the position information of the straight line where the two scanning surfaces intersect with each other, which changes according to the inclination angle, and to easily grasp the position of the scanning surface.

A fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the main body section has an image processing section for displaying the crossing position together with the tomographic image on a display section.

By displaying the straight line, which is the intersection position calculated by the intersection position calculation processing unit, together with the tomographic image, the three-dimensional positional relationship of the multiple tomographic images is clarified, and the display content can be easily grasped on the display unit. To do.

The fifth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is the above-mentioned 2
One transducer array section is composed of a first transducer array section and a second transducer array section, and the ultrasonic probe has a first transducer array section.
With the transducer array section of the first scanning plane
And a second swing tilt mechanism for tilting the scanning surface thereof together with the second transducer array section.

In a sixth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the probe is a probe for inserting a body cavity, the two transducer array parts are arranged in series in the insertion direction, and the first transducer array is provided. The section has a scanning surface perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the second transducer array section has a scanning surface parallel to the insertion direction.

With this configuration, the intersection position of both scanning planes can be changed in either the probe insertion direction or the direction perpendicular to the probe insertion direction.

In a seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the first swing tilt mechanism transmits a first driving force for tilting the first transducer array section from the main body section side. A second driving force transmitting means for transmitting the second driving force from the main body side, and a direction of the second driving force. Is transmitted to the second transducer array portion and tilts the second transducer array portion.

The swinging and tilting mechanism, as in the case of transmitting the driving force to the tip of a thin and long shape such as a body cavity inserting probe,
Even when the directions of the driving forces transmitted by both driving force transmitting means are limited to the same direction, the both transducer array parts can be tilted in different directions.

In an eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the second swing tilt mechanism has a second oscillator swing shaft that swingably supports the second oscillator array section, The rotation axis converting means includes a drive shaft that rotates by receiving the second drive force, and a gear mechanism that connects the drive shaft and the second oscillator swing shaft.

In a ninth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the first swing tilt mechanism has a first oscillator swing shaft that swingably supports the first oscillator array section, The first driving force transmission means is a wire stretched from the main body side and wound around the circumference of the first oscillator swing shaft, and the second driving force transmission means is stretched from the main body side. It is characterized in that it is a wire wound around the circumference of the drive shaft.

When the wire wound around each shaft is wound on the main body side, the shaft rotates due to the frictional force between the wire and the circumference of the shaft around which the wire is wound.

In a tenth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the ultrasonic probe has an opening for housing a transducer array portion in its housing, and the transducer array surface of the transducer array portion has this opening. And a gap between the opening end and the transducer array portion is covered with a stretchable member.

By covering the gap between the opening end and the vibrator array section, the mechanical drive mechanism and the electric drive mechanism of the vibrator array section are shielded from the outside, and airtightness and waterproofing are achieved.
The oscillator can be oscillated by covering the change in the gap width between the opening and the oscillator array surface with an adjustable member. The member capable of adjusting the change in the gap width may be a member having elasticity and capable of expanding and contracting, or may be configured by slackening and covering a film larger than the gap width.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tip of an ultrasonic probe used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus embodying the present invention. The transducer array units 12 and 14 are housed in the openings provided in the small-diameter cylindrical probe housing 10 side by side in the probe insertion direction. The gap between the open end of the probe housing 10 and the transducer array portions 12 and 14 is covered with a stretchable rubber film 16, and only the transducer array surface of the transducer array portions 12 and 14 is exposed to the outside. .
The amount of protrusion of the transducer array surface from the housing surface is determined so that the transducer array portion is as close as possible to the test site and is not easily caught when the probe is inserted. This rubber film 1
The mechanical drive mechanism and the electrical drive mechanism inside the probe housing 10 are shielded from the outside by 6 and airtightness / waterproofing is achieved. The oscillator array is a convex type in which a large number of linear oscillators are juxtaposed on a convex surface. The oscillator array generates ultrasonic pulses from each oscillator in a predetermined time series and aligns the phases of the pulses in a predetermined direction in a plane perpendicular to the oscillator,
The so-called electronic focus can emit an ultrasonic beam in this predetermined direction. The transducer array units 12 and 14 are controlled by electronic scanning in which the emission direction of the ultrasonic beam is periodically changed within a predetermined angle range by controlling the time series.
Form sector-shaped scan surfaces 18, 20. The oscillator array units 12 and 14 can be swung as described later, but FIG. 1 shows a state in which they are not swung. In this case, the scanning surface 18 is perpendicular to the probe insertion direction, and the line segment 22 where the scanning surface 20 parallel to the probe insertion direction intersects the scanning surface 18 is located at the center of the scanning surface 18. To do. The ultrasonic beam causes the reflection of the intensity corresponding to the change of the acoustic impedance of the tissue in the living body. The transducer array detects this reflected wave and generates a reception signal for each transducer. That is, the transducer array both transmits and receives ultrasonic beams.

FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the internal structure of the housing of the probe shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a swing tilt mechanism of the vibrator. The transducer array unit 12 of FIG.
The transducer array surface on the upper side of 14 shows a state in which the acoustic matching layer to be provided on the transducer array surface is removed, and the stripe drawn on the upper surface indicates the transducer. The oscillator array unit 12 is swingably supported by a shaft 30. The shaft 30 is a pulley 32
A wire 34 stretched in the probe insertion direction is hung on the pulley 32. The wire 34 extends through a probe tube continuing to the right side of the drawing to a probe insertion source (not shown). When both ends of the wire 34 are reciprocated at the insertion source, the pulley 32 rotates, the driving force is transmitted to the shaft 30, and the transducer array unit 12 swings. This allows
The scanning surface 18 is inclined in the insertion direction. Here, the rubber film 16 attached to the vibrator array unit 12 is capable of expanding and contracting in response to the rocking, so that the rocking does not hinder the rocking.

The transducer array section 14 is swingably supported by a shaft 36 parallel to the probe insertion direction. Axis 36
Has a worm gear 38, and the worm gear 38 forms a pair with the worm 40 to form a worm gear 42 that is a rotation axis converting means. The axis of the worm 40 is perpendicular to the probe insertion direction. A wire 44 is mounted on a pulley 43 coaxial with the worm 40. Like the wire 34, the wire 44 is stretched in the probe insertion direction and extends through the probe tube to a probe insertion source (not shown). When both ends of the wire 44 are reciprocated at this insertion source, the pulley 43
At the same time, the worm 40 rotates. Worm gear 4
2 converts the rotation of the worm 40 into the rotation of the worm gear 38 which is the rotation orthogonal to the rotation of the worm 40. As a result, the transducer array unit 14 is swung, and the scanning surface 20 is inclined perpendicular to the insertion direction. The distance between each of the transducer array units 12 and 14 and the opening end of the probe housing is designed so as not to interfere with the swing of each transducer array unit.

Since the scanning planes 18 and 20 can be tilted independently of each other, the intersection position 22 of them can be set in the direction in which the transducers are inserted or perpendicularly to the swingable angle of each transducer array section. It can be moved freely within the range.

An encoder 46 is provided to detect the tilt angle of the transducer array section 14. The encoder 48 that detects the tilt angle of the transducer array unit 12 is the pulley 3
It is provided coaxially with the shaft 30 on the side surface opposite to 2. The signal line bundle 50 is a signal line for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves using a transducer array and a signal line for an encoder.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the encoder. The encoder 4 attached to the transducer array section 12 is shown in FIG.
8 is shown. The encoder 48 is composed of a slit disk 60 and a photo coupler 62. The slit disk 60 is attached to the transducer array unit 12 and rotates together with the transducer array unit 12. A large number of slits 64 are provided at the circumferential end of the slit disk 60.
The photocoupler 62 is fixed to the probe housing side and is of a transmitted light type, and when the slit 64 comes to the position of the photocoupler 62, it is optically coupled and emits a signal. Wire 34
It is possible to detect in which direction and in what direction the transducer array unit 12 is tilted, by the moving direction of the signal and the number of signal pulses from the photocoupler 62. The encoder 46 has a similar structure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention. Transducer array section 12, 14
The signal line bundle 50 from the first transmission / reception unit 72 and the second transmission / reception unit 7 in the signal processor 70 pass through the probe insertion source.
4 is connected. Each transmission / reception unit receives the scanning control signal 76 and sends a transmission signal for performing electronic focusing and electronic scanning to each transducer. On the other hand, the reception signal from each transducer is subjected to processing such as reception focus, signal addition processing for each transducer and STC processing in each transmission / reception unit, and then the reception signal of the transducer array unit 12 is the first tomographic image. The signal received by the transducer array unit 14 is input to the processing unit 78 and is input to the second tomographic image processing unit 80. Each tomographic image processing unit converts the received signal into a tomographic image signal corresponding to the scanning planes 18 and 20. The tomographic image signal is input to the image synthesis processing unit 82,
It is stored in each designated display position of the image memory. The signals from the encoders 46 and 48 are input to the intersection position display processing unit 84. The intersection position display processing unit 84
The inclination angle of each transducer array portion is calculated from both of these signals and the drive control signal 86 indicating the movement direction of the wires 34 and 44, and the intersection position 22 of the scanning planes of both transducer array portions is calculated from this inclination angle. It has an intersection position calculation circuit for calculating and outputs an image showing the intersection position 22 in each tomographic image. This image is combined in the image combination processing unit 82 according to the display position of each tomographic image. That is, the two tomographic image processing units, the intersection position display processing unit, and the image synthesis processing unit perform a series of image processing, and the image synthesized by the image synthesis processing unit 82 is displayed on the display unit 88.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of the display unit. The sector shape images 90 and 92 are the transducer array unit 1 respectively.
2 is a composite image of 2 and 14 tomographic images and an intersection position display 94 shown by a dotted line. When the tilt angle of the transducer array unit is changed, not only the tomographic image but also the intersection position display 94 is changed. The observer can easily recognize the three-dimensional positional relationship of the tomographic images shown in the two sector shape images by the intersection position display 94.

As the gear mechanism of the probe, it is possible to use a bevel gear instead of the worm gear.

[0034]

According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, since the crossing position of the scanning planes by the two transducer array units changes, the degree of freedom in the observation direction for obtaining a multi-tomographic image of the region to be examined is high, In addition, the three-dimensional area that can be scanned is wide, which is effective for the observer to make a diagnosis.

According to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to grasp in which direction the tomographic image is viewed, and
An observer can easily recognize the three-dimensional positional relationship between the two tomographic images.

Further, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention, the above effects can be realized in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a probe with a thin and long shape, such as a probe for inserting a body cavity.

Further, according to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention,
The mechanical drive mechanism and the electric drive mechanism of the probe of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the above effects are shielded from the outside world, airtight and waterproof are achieved, and reliability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tip portion of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the internal structure of the housing of the probe.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a swing tilt mechanism of a vibrator.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an encoder.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a display unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional biplane type probe.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 transducer housing, 12, 14 transducer array section, 16
Rubber film, 18, 20 scan plane, 22, 108 crossing position, 30, 36 swing axis, 32, 43 pulley, 34,
44 wire, 38 worm gear, 40 worm,
42 worm gear, 46, 48 encoder, 60
Slit disk, 62 Photo coupler, 64 Slit, 70 Signal processor, 84 Crossing position display processor, 8
8 display unit, 94 crossing position display, 100, 102 transducer array, 104, 106 sector type scanning plane.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A main body having an ultrasonic probe having two transducer array portions whose scanning planes by ultrasonic beams intersect each other, and a display portion for displaying a tomographic image by both the transducer array portions. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic probe has a swing tilting mechanism that tilts at least one of the transducer array sections. 2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe has an angle detection mechanism for detecting a tilt angle of a transducer array part tilted by the swing tilt mechanism. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by: 3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the main body section has an intersection position calculation processing section that obtains an intersection position of scanning planes of the two transducer array sections from the inclination angle. Characteristic ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. 4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the main body section has an image processing section that displays the crossing position together with the tomographic image on the display section. . 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two transducer array units are composed of a first transducer array unit and a second transducer array unit. Includes a first swing-tilt mechanism that tilts the scanning surface together with the first transducer array section, and a second swing-tilt mechanism that tilts the scanning surface together with the second transducer array section. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by the following. 6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the probe is a probe for inserting a body cavity, the two transducer array units are arranged in series in an insertion direction, and the first transducer is provided. The array unit has a scanning surface perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the second transducer array unit has a scanning surface parallel to the insertion direction. 7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first rocking and tilting mechanism transmits a first driving force for tilting the first transducer array section from the main body section side. A second driving force transmitting means for transmitting the second driving force from the main body side, and a second driving force transmitting means for transmitting the second driving force from the main body side. And a rotation axis converting means for changing the direction and transmitting to the second transducer array section and inclining the second transducer array section. 8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second swing tilt mechanism has a second oscillator swing shaft that swingably supports the second oscillator array unit. The rotation axis converting means includes a drive shaft that rotates by receiving the second drive force, and a gear mechanism that connects the drive shaft and the second oscillator swing shaft to each other. Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. 9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first swing tilt mechanism has a first oscillator swing shaft that swingably supports the first oscillator array unit. The first driving force transmitting means is a wire stretched from the main body side and wound around the circumference of the first oscillator swing shaft, and the second driving force transmitting means is the main body. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, which is a wire stretched from the side and wound around the circumference of the drive shaft. 10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic probe has an opening in the housing for accommodating a transducer array section, and a transducer array surface of the transducer array section is provided. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that it is exposed from the opening, and the gap between the opening end and the transducer array section is covered with a stretchable member.