JP3869708B2 - The tip of the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a distal end portion of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which an ultrasonic probe for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image in a body cavity is arranged.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When an ultrasonic tomographic image in a body cavity is to be obtained by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is generally necessary to provide an interval of at least about 2 to 3 cm between the ultrasonic probe and the test portion.
[0003]
In addition, since ultrasonic waves are easy to transmit in liquid but difficult to transmit in air, the space between the ultrasonic probe and the test part is filled with liquid such as deaerated water with good ultrasonic transmission. There is a need.
[0004]
Therefore, in general, a sac-like balloon that can be inflated and contracted so as to surround the ultrasonic probe disposed at the distal end of the insertion section is detachably disposed, and its front and rear ends are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion section distal end, and is detached from the inside. It has a structure that inflates the balloon by sending air and so on.
[0005]
Further, as a further advancement, for example, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-293105, a bulge regulating member is arranged to regulate the balloon so as not to bulge to the back side in the ultrasonic scanning direction. It swells efficiently in the sound wave scanning direction.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-293105, etc., the balloon is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the distal end of the insertion portion at both front and rear positions of the ultrasonic probe. Since the hard part length becomes long, it may give great pain to the patient into which the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is inserted.
[0007]
Therefore, the present invention not only prevents the balloon from inflating to the back side in the ultrasonic scanning direction, but also reduces the pain of the patient undergoing the examination by shortening the rigid length of the distal end of the insertion portion, and safety. It aims at providing the front-end | tip part of the ultrasound diagnosing device which is excellent also in this aspect.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention has an elastic probe having a scanning direction on the side of the distal end of the insertion portion and is elastic on the side surface of the distal end of the insertion portion. A back surface in the scanning direction of the distal end of the insertion section at the distal end portion of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which a sac-like balloon made of a thin film member is detachably attached to the distal end of the insertion section so as to be inflatable and contractible while surrounding the distal end of the insertion section An engagement groove is formed on the surface of the side, and a balloon fixing member for fixing the balloon to the distal end of the insertion portion is fastened to the outer periphery of the distal end of the insertion portion at the rear side position of the end of the ultrasonic probe at the rear end position of the ultrasonic probe. Elasticity of an end opening fixing member to be fixed, and a rear surface fixing member that protrudes forward from the end opening fixing member and that can be locked and detached from the outer surface of the balloon to the engaging groove on the back side in the scanning direction. Depending on the material It is constructed by forming integrally Te, the front side position from the ultrasound probe in which the balloon is prevented from being fixed to the leading end of the insertion portion.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is an external view of an ultrasonic endoscope that is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. An optical system in which an objective optical system or the like is incorporated at the distal end of a flexible insertion portion 2 connected to the lower end of the operation portion 1. The observation objective unit 3 and the ultrasonic scanning unit 4 in which the ultrasonic probe 4a is arranged are provided side by side to form a hard tip portion.
[0010]
A solid-state image sensor is disposed at the imaging position of the subject by the objective optical system in the optical observation objective unit 3, and an imaging signal is transmitted from the solid-state image sensor. However, the observation image may be transmitted by an image guide fiber bundle.
[0011]
The ultrasonic probe 4a is arranged in an arc shape on the side surface of the most distal portion of the insertion portion 2 adjacent to the front side of the optical observation objective portion 3 so as to ultrasonically scan the side of the distal end of the insertion portion 2. ing.
[0012]
A balloon 5 that can be expanded and contracted is detachably attached so as to surround the ultrasonic scanning unit 4. The balloon 5 is formed in a sac shape as shown in FIG. 4 by, for example, thin silicon rubber or the like and is placed on the ultrasonic scanning unit 4. FIG. 3 shows a state where the balloon 5 is inflated. It is shown in the figure.
[0013]
FIG. 1 shows the ultrasonic scanning unit 4 in a state where the balloon 5 is not inflated, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II. In the ultrasonic scanning unit 4, an annular groove 6 for fixing the balloon 5 is formed on the entire outer surface of the rear position of the ultrasonic probe 4a, and a linear engagement groove 8 is formed by the ultrasonic probe 4a. An annular groove 6 is continuously formed on the back side in the ultrasonic scanning direction.
[0014]
The balloon 5 is fixed to the annular groove 6 and the engaging groove 8 by a balloon fixing member 7 made of an elastic material such as a rubber material. Reference numeral 10 denotes a water passage for taking in and out the deaerated water in the balloon 5.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 5, the balloon fixing member 7 includes an O-ring-shaped end opening fixing member 7a for fastening and fixing the vicinity of the end opening of the balloon 5 to the annular groove 6, and a front side from the end opening fixing member 7a. A rear surface fixing member 7b that protrudes straight in the direction of the ultrasonic wave and can be engaged and disengaged from the outer surface of the balloon 5 to the engagement groove 8 on the rear surface side in the ultrasonic scanning direction, such as a rubber material. It is integrally formed of a material having a high elasticity.
[0016]
Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the vicinity of the end opening of the balloon 5 is fastened and fixed to the annular groove 6 from the outer surface side by the end opening fixing member 7a, and as shown in FIGS. The back side portion of the balloon 5 in the ultrasonic scanning direction is sandwiched and fixed between the engagement groove 8 by the back surface fixing member 7b and does not swell in that direction.
[0017]
As a result, by sending deaerated water or the like from the water inlet 10 into the balloon 5, the balloon 5 may be expanded in the direction of the scanning range in front of the ultrasonic probe 4a as shown in FIGS. it can.
[0018]
In this state, the back surface fixing member 7b is elastically tightly fitted in the engaging groove 8, so that the balloon 5 is not disengaged from the engaging groove 8 and the ultrasonic scanning unit is formed on the back side of the scanning range. It is firmly fixed to 4 and does not swell in that direction.
[0019]
Therefore, it is not necessary to fix the balloon 5 at the position on the distal end side of the ultrasonic scanning unit 4, and the length of the ultrasonic scanning unit 4 can be shortened accordingly. When removing the balloon 5, the end opening fixing member 7a and the back surface fixing member 7b may be elastically deformed and removed from the annular groove 6 and the engaging groove 8, respectively.
[0020]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, the balloon fixing member 7 may be formed in the shape bent in the middle, T shape, etc. as shown in FIG. The tip portion can be fixed to the ultrasonic scanning unit 4 in a more stable state.
[0021]
In addition, the present invention can also be adopted at the tip of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is not provided with an optical observation means.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the vicinity of the end opening of the balloon is fastened and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the distal end of the insertion portion by the end opening fixing member of the balloon fixing member, and is projected forward from the end opening fixing member. Since the back surface portion of the balloon in the ultrasonic scanning direction is fixed to the distal end of the insertion portion by the back surface fixing member, the balloon can be effectively inflated in the ultrasonic scanning direction without inflating to the back side in the ultrasonic scanning direction. In addition, the length of the hard part at the distal end of the insertion part can be shortened to reduce the pain of the patient undergoing the examination, and even if the back part fixing member comes off the groove in the body, it is connected to the end opening fixing member. Because it does not fall into the body, it is excellent in terms of safety.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a state where a balloon at a distal end of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is not inflated.
FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view (II-II cross-sectional view in FIG. 1) in a state where the balloon at the tip of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is not inflated.
FIG. 3 is an external view showing the overall configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a balloon according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a balloon fixing member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a state where the balloon at the distal end of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inflated.
FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state where a balloon at the distal end of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inflated.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a balloon fixing member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Insertion section 4 Ultrasonic scanning section (insertion section tip)
4a Ultrasonic probe 5 Balloon 6 Annular groove 7 Balloon fixing member 7a End opening fixing member 7b Back surface fixing member 8 Engaging groove

Claims (1)

An ultrasonic probe whose scanning direction is the side of the distal end of the insertion portion is disposed on the side surface of the distal end of the insertion portion, and a sac-shaped balloon made of a thin film-like member surrounds the distal end of the insertion portion In the distal end portion of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is detachably attached to the distal end of the insertion portion so as to be freely expandable and contractible,
An engagement groove is formed on the surface on the back side in the scanning direction of the distal end of the insertion portion, and a balloon fixing member for fixing the balloon to the distal end of the insertion portion is located near the end opening of the balloon. An end opening fixing member that is fastened and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the distal end of the insertion portion at the rear side position of the probe, and an outer surface of the balloon that protrudes forward from the end opening fixing member and is on the back side in the scanning direction. The back surface fixing member that can be locked to and disengaged from the engaging groove is integrally formed of a resilient material, and the balloon is fixed to the distal end of the insertion portion at a position ahead of the ultrasonic probe. The tip part of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by not being made.

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