KR20170095612A - Cross-shaped or t-shaped ultrasonic probe and ultrasound diagnosis device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a first axis transducer array, a first axis transducer array and a second axis transducer array, And a housing accommodating the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array, and to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe. .
The cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to the present invention and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to the present invention can arrange the transducer array at right angles to simultaneously obtain the transverse ultrasonic image screen and the longitudinal ultrasonic image screen for a specific region of the object.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus using a cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe,

[0001] The present invention relates to a cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a transverse ultrasonic probe and a longitudinal ultrasonic image Type ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus irradiates an ultrasound signal from the skin of the object toward the body and converts the information of the reflected, diffracted, and scattered ultrasound signals into an image according to the characteristics of each tissue in the body, Device. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to a target object and receiving the reflected ultrasonic echo signal from the object. The ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic transducer and a case with an open top, and a cover coupled to the top of the open case and in direct contact with the surface of the object.

 Here, the transducer corresponds to a key element that provides an ultrasound image as an element that contacts the skin of a subject, converts electrical energy into sound waves, and converts the reflected echo signals back to electrical energy.

Since the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have a constant array of transducers and the obtainable ultrasonic images are only one side sectional image, in order to obtain a transverse ultrasonic image screen and a longitudinal ultrasonic image screen perpendicular to each other at a specific position There has been a problem in that the inspector obtains a transverse direction ultrasound image screen at a specific position and then obtains a longitudinal direction ultrasound image screen at a right angle by rotating the ultrasound probe by 90 degrees. Therefore, the accuracy of the ultrasound image is determined according to the subjective inspection ability of the inspector in the conventional ultrasonic inspection method.

A cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same may be used to simultaneously obtain a transverse ultrasonic image screen and a longitudinal ultrasonic image screen for a specific region of a target object with a single ultrasound measurement .

As an embodiment of the present invention, a cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same may be provided.

The ultrasonic probe provided as an embodiment of the present invention includes a first axis transducer array arranged in one column, a second axis transducer array arranged in a second axis aligned with the first axis, A transducer array and a housing for receiving the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array.

The second axis transducer array of the ultrasonic probe provided as an embodiment of the present invention is located at the central portion of the first axis transducer array and the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array cross each other crosswise And the second axis transducer array may be arranged to be perpendicular to the first axis transducer array.

Also, the second axis transducer array is located in one of a range between the distal end of the first axis transducer array and the middle of the first axis transducer array, and the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array are T- Respectively.

The second axis transducer array of the ultrasonic probe provided as an embodiment of the present invention is movable along the axis of the first axis transducer array and is removable to the first axis transducer array.

The ultrasonic probe provided as one embodiment of the present invention is formed at the edge of at least one transducer array of the first axis transducer array or the second axis transducer array and is used as a medical instrument for guiding the entrance / exit of the medical instrument into / The ultrasonic probe provided as an embodiment of the present invention may further include a medical instrument guide portion which is moved along the guide portion and the medical instrument guide portion to inject a substance into the object or enable tissue collection from the object. The medical instrument guide portion may be upward, downward, leftward, rightward, or rotationally movable. The medical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a syringe, an ostomy biopsy instrument , A fine needle aspiration cytology instrument or a tissue biopsy instrument.

At least one of the first axis transducer array or the second axis transducer array according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a Sector transducer array, a Convex type transducer array, or a Linear transducer array Lt; / RTI >

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus provided as an embodiment of the present invention may include an ultrasound probe, a signal processing apparatus for generating an ultrasound image based on an ultrasound echo signal detected by the ultrasound probe, and a display unit. Meanwhile, the display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first axis ultrasound image generated according to an ultrasound echo signal input to the first axis transducer array and an ultrasound echo signal generated according to an ultrasound echo signal input to the second axis transducer array The second axis ultrasound image can be simultaneously displayed.

The cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the same may simultaneously acquire a transverse ultrasonic image screen and a longitudinal ultrasonic image screen for a specific region of a target object by a single ultrasonic measurement, Objectivity can be guaranteed more than conventional ultrasonic measurement methods in which the probe is rotated by 90 degrees to obtain an image of the orthogonal direction.

In addition, by obtaining a transverse ultrasonic image screen and a longitudinal ultrasonic image screen simultaneously using a cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, the position (e.g., The ultrasonic diagnosis time can be shortened.

The cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a needle device at the edge of the ultrasonic probe to accurately grasp the position of the needle device. Therefore, it is possible to precisely detect a lesion Enables drug injection or tissue harvesting.

1 is a perspective view of a cross-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows various forms of a T-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a state in which the second axis transducer array of the ultrasonic probe according to the embodiment of the present invention is movable.
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a medical instrument guide portion of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a view showing the state of use of the ultrasonic probe according to the target position.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an ultrasound image of two axes obtained using an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Also, in certain cases, there may be a term selected arbitrarily by the applicant, in which case the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, but on the entire contents of the present invention.

When an element is referred to as "including" an element throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the element may include other elements, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Also, the terms "part," " module, "and the like described in the specification mean units for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software .

The term "ultrasound image " in the entire specification refers to an image of an object obtained using ultrasound. The "subject" may also include a person or animal, or a portion of a person or an animal. For example, the subject may include a liver, a heart, a uterus, a brain, a breast, an organ such as the abdomen, or a blood vessel. In addition, the object may comprise a phantom, and the phantom may refer to a material having a volume very close to the biological density and the effective atomic number.

Also, throughout the specification, the term "user" may be a medical professional such as a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a medical imaging specialist, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a cross-shaped ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, an ultrasonic probe 100 provided as an embodiment of the present invention may include a first axis transducer array 110, a second axis transducer array 120, and a housing 130 . The first axis transducer array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120 may be arranged in a single row at predetermined angles with respect to each other at a predetermined position and the housing 130 includes a first axis transducer It is possible to provide a case for accommodating the array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120.

1, the second-axis transducer array 120 of the ultrasonic probe 100 is positioned at the center of the first-axis transducer array 110 and is connected to a first-axis transducer array (not shown) 110, respectively. In other words, the plurality of transducer arrays are arranged crosswise to each other so that the ultrasonic probe 100 can be formed into a cross shape.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed as a T-shaped pattern as shown in FIG.

More specifically, the second axis transducer array 120 of the cross-shaped or T-shaped ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first axis transducer array 110 and a first axis transducer array 110, And may be located in one of a range between the centers of the array 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the second-axis transducer array 120 may be located in the center of the first-axis transducer array 110, The second axis transducer array 120 may be positioned at the distal end of the first axis transducer array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120 may be positioned at the distal end of the first axis transducer array 110, As shown in FIG.

3 is a state in which the second axis transducer array of the ultrasonic probe according to the embodiment of the present invention is movable.

Since the position of the second axis transducer array 120 on the axis of the first axis transducer array 110 is not fixed, as shown in FIG. 3, the second axis transducer array 120 includes a first axis transducer array 110 axis and may be positioned at a desired location on the axis of the first axis transducer array 110. [

In addition, the second axis transducer array 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention is removably attachable to the first axis transducer array 110.

Since the conventional ultrasonic probe uses only a transducer array arranged in one row, the transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitted to the object is constant in one axial direction. Therefore, the signal echoed to the transducer after being transmitted to the object is also a signal for one axial direction, so that the ultrasound image reconstructed by the signal processing apparatus becomes a two-dimensional (2D) image. In other words, a two-dimensional (2D) image of the axial direction of the transducer array and the depth direction of the object is obtained.

Since the axial direction of the transducer array is different from that of the conventional ultrasonic probe, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be used as a two-dimensional (2D) image obtained by the first axis transducer array 110 Dimensional (2D) images obtained by the first and second axial transducer arrays 120, that is, two kinds of ultrasonic images with respect to the axial directions of the two transducer arrays.

6, the image obtained by the first axis transducer array 110 may be the left ultrasound image of FIG. 6 (b), and the image obtained by the second axis transducer array 120 may be The right ultrasound image shown in Fig. 6 (b). In other words, the left ultrasound image of FIG. 6 (b) can be regarded as an ultrasound image corresponding to a cross section of the object shown in the right ultrasound image of FIG. 6 (b) cut by a red line.

The advantages of the ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be provided by providing a transducer array in addition to the axial direction, unlike the conventional ultrasonic probe.

When a blood vessel or the like is observed using an ultrasonic probe, as shown in the right image of FIG. 6 (b), when an image of the transverse axis of the blood vessel is grasped and a lesion (for example, a tumor or the like) is found in the blood vessel 6 (b), it is necessary to confirm the lesion closely in the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel. At this time, the diagnostic method uses a ultrasonic probe to acquire the transverse axis image of the blood vessel, and then performs the operation of obtaining the additional vertical axis image by turning the ultrasonic probe 90 ° in the same position as the position where the user obtains the transverse axis image, And there is a problem that the objectivity of the ultrasonic diagnosis can be changed according to the proficiency of the user's ultrasonic probe by the manual operation of the user.

Meanwhile, since the ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention simultaneously acquires ultrasonic images in the vertical axis direction and the transverse axis direction orthogonal to the specific portion of the object, the user manually adjusts the direction of the ultrasonic probe 100 It is possible to eliminate the inconvenience of re-acquiring the ultrasound image and to maintain the objectivity of the ultrasound imaging because the axial directions of the plurality of transducer arrays are fixed.

Ultrasound imaging (for example, neuroprotection, bladder volume, or tumor volume confirmation) can be performed because ultrasound images of the target object can be simultaneously acquired by acquiring ultrasound images in the vertical axis direction and the horizontal axis direction, May be shortened.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that a noise problem may occur in the ultrasound image due to interference between the ultrasonic waves transmitted on the two axes. This problem can be solved by changing the frequency bands of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the first axis transducer array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120, respectively.

For example, if the first axis transducer array 110 uses frequencies in the 11-12 MHz band and the second axis transducer array 120 uses frequencies in the 6-10 MHz band, Since the signal processing is performed only on the echo signals of the different frequency bands, it is possible to prevent the interference between the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the different transducer arrays.

On the other hand, when the same frequency band is used in the first axis transducer array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120, the first axis transducer array 110 and the second axis transducer array 120 (For example, a switched mode) ultrasound images, respectively. For example, the first axis transducer array 110 first obtains an ultrasound image based on an echo signal obtained by scanning the object with ultrasound waves, and then, in the second axis transducer array 120, And acquire ultrasound images based on the acquired echo signals to acquire ultrasound images for the two axes, respectively.

In order to increase the convenience of use of the ultrasonic probe 100, it is also possible to shorten the length of the second axis transducer array 120 to enable the acquisition of sectorial ultrasound images by electronic beam steering.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a medical instrument guide portion of an ultrasonic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasonic probe 100 provided as an embodiment of the present invention is formed at the edge of at least one transducer array of the first axis transducer array 110 or the second axis transducer array 120, A medical instrument guide portion 140 for guiding the entrance and exit of the instrument 150 and a medical instrument 150 for moving the medical instrument guide portion 140 and injecting a substance into the object or allowing tissue collection from the object can do. The medical instrument guide unit 140 is separated from the ultrasonic probe 100 and can be disinfected and replaced alone.

The medical instrument 150 for directly injecting a substance into a lesion or collecting a tissue while grasping the position of the lesion through an ultrasound image may include a syringe, an ostomy biopsy instrument, a fine needle aspiration cytology examination apparatus, or a tissue biopsy examination apparatus. Also, the medical instrument 150 can be disinfected and exchanged separately from the ultrasonic probe 100.

The material injected into the subject tissue may include drugs, blood or stem cells, and tissue sampling of the subject may be performed to perform a biopsy, amniocentesis or genetic test.

The medical instrument 150 according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed on the medical instrument guide unit 140 and used by the medical instrument 150 toward a lesion (for example, a tumor or the like) And can be used for the purpose of aligning the direction of the camera. A detailed description thereof will be described with reference to FIG.

5 is a view showing the state of use of the ultrasonic probe according to the target position.

The ultrasonic probe 100 provided as an embodiment of the present invention may further include an angle adjusting unit for varying an angle of inclination of the medical instrument guide unit 140. The medical instrument guide unit 140 may be an upper, Left, right or rotational movement is possible.

For example, when the lesion (e.g., tumor) that becomes the target 170 of the target object is located at a depth of 2 cm from the surface of the target object, the medical instrument guide portion 140 is positioned at 45 degrees 5 (c), the medical instrument guide portion 140 may be positioned at a depth of 4 cm from the surface of the target object, and a lesion (e.g., tumor) Can be set at 60 degrees (degrees).

In other words, the angle at which the medical instrument guide portion 140 can be tilted and tilted can be set differently depending on the position of the target 170 of the object. In addition, the tilting angle of the medical instrument guide portion 140 can be adjusted manually or automatically.

The ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used to check the inclination angle of the medical instrument guide unit 140 in order to check the ultrasonic image and inject a substance into the center of the target 170 of the object or to take tissue. The needle portion of the medical instrument 150 can be inserted into the target 170 of the object. That is, the inclination angles of the medical instrument 150 and the medical instrument guide portion 140 can be adjusted according to the depth of a target lesion (for example, a tumor) in the ultrasound image. Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an angle adjusting unit for varying the angle of inclination of the medical instrument guide unit 140 and the medical instrument 150.

Although not shown, the ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a driving unit for automatically controlling the angle of the medical instrument guide unit 140.

7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1000 provided as an embodiment of the present invention may include an ultrasound probe 100, a signal processing apparatus 200, and a display unit 300.

The ultrasonic probe 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first axis transducer array 110 in which a plurality of transducers are arranged in different directions from each other like the ultrasonic probe 100 described above, And an ultrasonic probe including a ducer array 120 and having a cruciform or T-shaped pattern. The ultrasonic probe 120 can transmit an ultrasonic wave to a target object and receive an ultrasonic echo signal reflected from the target object.

At least one of the first axis transducer array 110 or the second axis transducer array 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sector type transducer array, a Convex type transducer array Or a linear transducer array.

The signal processing apparatus 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can generate an ultrasound image of a target object on the basis of an ultrasound echo signal for a target object detected by a plurality of transducer arrays. In addition, the signal processing apparatus 200 can simultaneously generate a plurality of ultrasound echo signals input from a plurality of transducer arrays as ultrasound images.

6, the display unit 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first axis transducer array 110 and a second axis transducer array 110. The display unit 300 includes a first axis transducer array 110, The second axial ultrasound image generated by the signal processing apparatus 200 according to the ultrasound echo signal detected by the ultrasound echo image and the ultrasound echo signal detected by the second axis transducer array 120 can be received from the signal processing apparatus 200 and simultaneously displayed .

In other words, the side of the blood vessel identified in the right ultrasound image of Fig. 6 (b) detected from the second axis transducer array 120 is the side of the blood vessel identified from the first axis transducer array 120, The left ultrasound image can be obtained.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be distributed and implemented, and components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

100: Ultrasonic probe
110: first-axis transducer array
120: Second-axis transducer array
130: housing
140: Medical instrument guide portion
150: Medical instrument
170: Target
200: signal processing device
300:
1000: Ultrasonic diagnostic device

Claims (10)

In the ultrasonic probe,
A first axis transducer array arranged in one column;
A second axis transducer array arranged in one row with a predetermined angle at a predetermined position with respect to the first axis transducer array; And
And a housing for receiving the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the predetermined position is a central portion of the first axis transducer array,
The first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array may be arranged cross-
Wherein the predetermined angle is a right angle.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the predetermined position is one of a range of positions between the distal end of the first axis transducer array and the center of the first axis transducer array and the first axis transducer array and the second axis transducer array are T- Respectively,
Wherein the predetermined angle is a right angle.
4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the second axis transducer array is movable along an axis of the first axis transducer array.
The method according to claim 1,
And the second axis transducer array is removably attachable to the first axis transducer array.
The method according to claim 1,
A medical instrument guide portion formed at an edge of at least one of the transducer arrays of the first axis transducer array or the second axis transducer array for guiding the entrance and exit of the medical instrument into and without the object; Further comprising a medical instrument that moves and allows the material to be injected into or taken from the object.
The method according to claim 6,
Further comprising an angle adjuster for varying the angle of inclination of the medical instrument guide,
Wherein the medical instrument guide portion is capable of moving upward, downward, leftward, rightward, or rotationally.
The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the medical instrument is a syringe, an ostomy biopsy instrument, a fine needle aspiration cytology instrument, or a tissue biopsy instrument.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein at least one of the first axis transducer array or the second axis transducer array is a sector-type transducer array, a Convex-type transducer array, or a linear transducer array. Probes.
An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1;
A signal processor for generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signal detected by the ultrasound probe; And
A display for simultaneously displaying a first axis ultrasound image generated according to the ultrasound echo signal input to the first axis transducer array and a second axis ultrasound image generated according to the ultrasound echo signal input to the second axis transducer array Wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises:

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