JP7815967B2 - Ultrasound probe and ultrasound diagnostic device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe and an ultrasound diagnostic device.

In recent years, the use of ultrasound diagnostic devices has been attracting attention in various medical settings, for example, in orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation fields, for diagnosing and confirming the effects of rehabilitation.
For example, when using ultrasound for diagnosis or assessing the effectiveness of treatment, it is necessary to perform a stress test by moving the patient's arms or legs while stably applying the ultrasound probe of the ultrasound diagnostic device to the surface of the patient's body.
Even in such cases, it is necessary to stably and appropriately apply the ultrasound probe to the patient's body surface.

Conventional ultrasound diagnostic devices require an attachment attached to the outside of the probe to adjust the orientation of the probe (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-216839

However, the conventional ultrasound probes described above only have a knob and are insufficiently designed to stably support the ultrasound probe, making it difficult to maintain the proper posture and orientation of the ultrasound probe.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe, comprising:
a main body having a detection surface for transmitting ultrasonic waves to a subject and receiving reflected waves; and an attachment that can be attached to the main body;
The attachment has a curved portion along a curved surface having a concave cross-sectional shape ,
The curved portion has two concave bottoms that face each other,
a cable extending from the main body to the outside,
a passage portion for passing the cable between the two curved portions;
the cable extends from the opposite side of the detection surface of the main body to the outside along the same axis as the central axis of the detection surface,
the insertion portion is open toward one side in the width direction of the curved surface of the curved portion,
a distance between the concave bottoms of the two curved portions is wider on one side than on the other side in the width direction of the curved surface;
The insertion portion is configured to open toward one side in the width direction of the curved surface .

The present invention also provides an ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with the above-described ultrasound probe.

This invention makes it possible to properly maintain the posture and orientation of the ultrasound probe.

1 is a diagram showing the external configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe body of the ultrasonic probe. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ultrasound probe with an attachment attached thereto. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 5. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base taken along line W-W in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe body with the attachment rotated at an angle of 90°. This is a front view of an attachment in which positioning holes for rotation angles of -45° and +45° are formed in the guide groove of the base. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe body with the attachment rotated at an angle of 45°. 1 is a chart showing suitable materials for the attachment. 1 is a table showing suitable materials for the housing of the ultrasonic probe body. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe according to a second embodiment, viewed from above the front. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the ultrasonic probe of FIG. 13 as viewed obliquely from the upper right. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe according to a third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 15. FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view of an ultrasonic probe according to a fourth embodiment, with a portion thereof not shown.

First to fourth embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

[First embodiment]
The configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the external configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

The ultrasound diagnostic device 100 of this embodiment is an ultrasound diagnostic device that is movably installed in an examination room or the like in a medical facility such as a hospital, and is operated by an operator such as a doctor or technician.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 includes an ultrasound diagnostic device main unit 1 and an ultrasound probe 2. The ultrasound probe 2 transmits ultrasound waves (transmitted ultrasound waves) into a subject, such as a patient's living body, and receives reflected waves of the ultrasound waves (reflected ultrasound waves: echoes) reflected within the subject. The ultrasound probe 2 includes an ultrasound probe main unit 21 as the main unit, a cable 22, a connector 23, and an attachment 3 (see Figure 4), which will be described later. The ultrasound probe main unit 21 is the header unit of the ultrasound probe 2 that transmits and receives ultrasound waves. The cable 22 is connected between the ultrasound probe main unit 21 and the connector 23 and is a cable through which drive signals for the ultrasound probe main unit 21 and ultrasound reception signals flow. The connector 23 is a plug connector for connecting to a receptacle connector (not shown) of the ultrasound diagnostic device main unit 1.

The ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 is connected to the ultrasound probe main body 21 via a connector 23 and a cable 22, and transmits an electrical drive signal to the ultrasound probe main body 21, causing the ultrasound probe main body 21 to transmit ultrasound waves toward the subject. The ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 also visualizes the internal state of the subject as ultrasound image data based on the received signal, which is an electrical signal generated by the ultrasound probe 2 in response to reflected ultrasound waves from within the subject and received by the ultrasound probe main body 21.

The ultrasound probe main body 21 is equipped with a transducer 2a at its tip. The transducer 2a is a piezoelectric element that transmits and receives ultrasound, and is arranged, for example, in a one-dimensional array in the azimuth direction (scanning direction). The number of transducers 2a can be set as desired. In this embodiment, a linear scanning electronic scan probe is used as the ultrasound probe 2, but either an electronic scanning method or a mechanical scanning method may be used, and any of a linear scanning method, a sector scanning method, or a convex scanning method may also be used. Communication between the ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 and the ultrasound probe 2 (ultrasound probe main body 21) may be performed via wireless communication such as UWB (Ultra Wide Band) instead of wired communication via the cable 22.

The ultrasound diagnostic device main unit 1 includes, for example, an operation input unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a reception unit 13, an image generation unit 14, an image processing unit 15, a display control unit 16, a display unit 17, a control unit 18, and a storage unit 19.

The operation input unit 11 has operation elements such as push buttons, encoders (rotary knobs), lever switches, joysticks, trackballs, keyboards, touchpads, and multi-function switches that combine these. The operation input unit 11 accepts various operation inputs from the operator via each operation element and outputs that operation information to the control unit 18.

The transmitter 12 is a circuit that supplies drive signals, which are electrical signals, to the ultrasound probe 2 under the control of the controller 18, causing the ultrasound probe 2 to generate transmitted ultrasound waves. The transmitter 12 also includes, for example, a clock generation circuit, a delay circuit, and a pulse generation circuit. The clock generation circuit generates a clock signal that determines the transmission timing and transmission frequency of the drive signal. The delay circuit sets a delay time for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a, delays the transmission of the drive signal by the set delay time, and focuses the transmitted beam formed by the transmitted ultrasound waves. The pulse generation circuit generates a pulse signal as a drive signal at a predetermined period. The transmitter 12 configured as described above generates transmitted ultrasound waves by, for example, driving a continuous portion (e.g., 64) of the multiple transducers 2a (e.g., 192) arranged in the ultrasound probe 2. The transmitter 12 then performs scanning by shifting the driven transducers 2a in the azimuth direction (scanning direction) each time a transmitted ultrasound wave is generated.

The receiver 13 is a circuit that receives received signals, which are electrical signals, from the ultrasound probe 2 under the control of the controller 18. The receiver 13 includes, for example, an amplifier, an A/D converter, and a phasing and summing circuit. The amplifier amplifies the received signals at a preset amplification factor for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a. The A/D converter circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion (A/D conversion) of the amplified received signals. The phasing and summing circuit adjusts the time phase by applying a delay time to the A/D converted received signals for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a, and then adds these signals (phasing and summing) to generate sound ray data.

Under the control of the control unit 18, the image generation unit 14 performs envelope detection processing and logarithmic compression on the sound ray data from the receiving unit 13, adjusts the dynamic range and gain, and performs brightness conversion to generate B (Brightness) mode image data made up of pixels having brightness values representing received energy. In other words, B-mode image data represents the strength of the received signal by brightness. In addition to B-mode image data as ultrasound image data in B-mode, the image generation unit 14 may also be capable of generating ultrasound image data in other image modes, such as A (Amplitude) mode, M (Motion) mode, and Doppler image modes (such as color Doppler mode).

Under the control of the control unit 18, the image processing unit 15 performs image processing on the B-mode image data output from the image generation unit 14 in accordance with the various image parameters currently being set. The image processing unit 15 also includes an image memory unit 151 composed of semiconductor memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Under the control of the control unit 18, the image processing unit 15 stores the processed B-mode image data in the image memory unit 151 on a frame-by-frame basis. Image data on a frame-by-frame basis is sometimes referred to as ultrasound image data or frame image data. Under the control of the control unit 18, the image processing unit 15 sequentially outputs the image data generated as described above to the display control unit 16.

Under the control of the control unit 18, the display control unit 16 converts the image data received from the image processing unit 15 into an image signal for display and outputs it to the display unit 17.

The display unit 17 has a display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or an inorganic EL display, and displays various display information on the display screen of the display panel. Under the control of the control unit 18, the display unit 17 displays ultrasound images and various display information on the display screen of the display panel in accordance with image signals output from the display control unit 16.

The control unit 18 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). It reads various processing programs, such as system programs, stored in the ROM, expands them into the RAM, and controls the operation of each component of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 in accordance with the expanded programs. The ROM is composed of non-volatile memory such as a semiconductor, and stores the system program corresponding to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, various processing programs that can be executed on the system program, and various data such as gamma tables. These programs are stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code. The RAM forms a work area that temporarily stores various programs executed by the CPU and data related to these programs.

The storage unit 19 is a storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores information such as ultrasound image data in a writable and readable manner.

[Ultrasonic probe with attachment]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe body 21 of the ultrasonic probe 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe body 21 with the attachment 3 attached.
With reference to the drawings, a specific example of an ultrasound probe 2 (ultrasound probe) equipped with a detachable attachment 3 will be described. The attachment 3 is an auxiliary tool for improving the holdability and ease of handling when a user of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 holds the ultrasound probe body 21 of the ultrasound probe 2 in his or her hand.

First, the external shape of the ultrasound probe body 21 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the ultrasound probe body 21 has a housing 211 made of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the left-right direction, and almost the entire bottom surface of the housing 211 forms a detection surface 212 (effective opening) that transmits ultrasound waves to the subject and receives reflected waves. This detection surface 212 is rectangular, and an acoustic lens (not shown) is fitted over its entire surface. Ultrasound is then transmitted downward in a direction perpendicular to the detection surface 212.

Here, the center of the detection surface 212 of the housing 211 is defined as the intersection position (center of gravity) of two diagonals of the rectangular detection surface 212. The center of the detection surface 212 coincides with the center of the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit 17.
Furthermore, the central axis C of the detection surface 212 is defined as a straight line that passes through the center of the detection surface 212 and is parallel to the direction in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the detection surface 212 (a direction perpendicular to the detection surface 212).
The detection surface of an ultrasonic probe may not be flat, but may be a curved surface with a protruding central portion. In such a case, the central axis is a straight line that passes through the center (center of gravity) of the plane based on the orthogonal projection of the detection surface downward toward the center of the swing angle determined by the central protrusion, and is parallel to the direction in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the detection surface.

The front, rear, left, and right sides of the housing 211 are marked with markings M indicating the target position for the treatment performed in conjunction with ultrasound diagnosis. The markings M on each side are formed to point downward at the center of the width of the lower part of each of the front, rear, left, and right sides, so that the center of the detection surface 212 can be identified from the front, back, left, and right directions.

For example, a treatment procedure such as puncture may be performed while observing an ultrasound image of the subject, and by positioning the ultrasound probe body 21 so that the target puncture location is at the center of the ultrasound image and referring to the positions indicated by the markings M on each surface, the puncture can be performed more accurately by aiming at the center of the detection surface 212.
The marking M may be applied with ink or paint, or may be a three-dimensional stamp, and may be formed by any visually recognizable method.

The upper surface of the housing 211, which is opposite to the detection surface 212, has the same shape as the lower surface (detection surface), and the upper and lower surfaces are parallel to each other. A perpendicular line passing through the center (center of gravity) of the upper surface and the central axis C of the lower surface (detection surface) are on the same axis.
A cylindrical rotating shaft 213 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 211 so as to be concentric with the central axis C, and the cable 22 extends upward and outside through the inside of the rotating shaft 213. Therefore, the cable 22 is also concentric with the central axis C.

The rotation axis 213 of the ultrasound probe body 21 serves as the mounting position for the attachment 3. To mount the attachment 3, a fitting protrusion 214 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis 213, protruding in the radial direction (e.g., forward) of the circumference centered on the central axis C.

[attachment]
FIG. 5 is a front view of the attachment 3, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.
As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the attachment 3 has a bottom plate portion 31 located at the bottom, a top plate portion 32 located at the top, curved portions 33 and 34 provided on the left and right sides respectively spanning from the bottom plate portion 31 to the top plate portion 32, and a cylindrical base portion 35 erected in the center of the left-right direction on the top surface of the bottom plate portion 31.
The attachment 3 has the bottom plate portion 31, the top plate portion 32, the curved portions 33 and 34, and the base portion 35 integrally formed from a flexible material. The material from which the attachment 3 is formed will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the bottom plate portion 31 is made of a flat, approximately rectangular plate that is elongated in the left-right direction and bent slightly in the center in the left-right direction. When the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasonic probe main body 21, the bottom surface of the bottom plate portion 31 abuts against the upper surface of the housing 211 of the ultrasonic probe main body 21.
The left end 311 of the bottom plate 31 extends to the left and in a direction slightly tilted forward, and the right end 312 extends to the right and in a direction slightly tilted forward. The respective inclination angles of the left end 311 and the right end 312 of the bottom plate 31 correspond to 1/2 of the opening angle θ of the left and right curved portions 33, 34 described below.

Furthermore, a notch 313 that is substantially U-shaped in plan view is formed in the center in the left-right direction of the bottom plate 31. This notch 313 opens toward the rear, and when the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasound probe body 21, the cable 22 is inserted from the open end of the notch 313 toward the front.
The width in the left-right direction from the opening end to the deepest part (front end) of the cutout part 313 is uniform and is the same as or slightly wider than the outer diameter of the cable 22. Furthermore, the inner edge shape of the deepest part of the cutout part 313 is a semicircular arc with an inner diameter that is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cable 22.
With the attachment 3 attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21 , the cable 22 is arranged so as to be concentric with the deepest part of the semicircular arc-shaped cutout portion 313 .

The cylindrical base 35 has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21, and the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 can be inserted from below the base 35. In this case, the inner diameter of the base 35 may be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotation shaft 213. Furthermore, if the attachment 3 is made of a flexible material, the inner diameter of the base 35 may be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rotation shaft 213.
The pedestal portion 35 is disposed concentrically with the deepest part of the semicircular arc-shaped cutout portion 313 of the bottom plate portion 31. The area of the pedestal portion 35 that overlaps with the cutout portion 313 in a plan view is cut out toward the rear, similar to the cutout portion 313.
Therefore, when inserting the rotation axis 213 of the ultrasonic probe main body 21 into the base portion 35, the cable 22 can pass through the cut-out portion of the base portion 35, making it possible to smoothly attach the attachment 3 to the ultrasonic probe main body 21.

In addition, a connecting structure for fixedly mounting the attachment 3 to the ultrasonic probe body 21 is provided between the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the attachment 3 .
Note that "fixed attachment" means that the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21 in a state where its orientation or posture does not change due to rotation, swinging, etc., unless intentional force is applied to rotate or perform other operations.

The above-mentioned connecting structure is made up of the fitting protrusion 214 provided on the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 and a holding structure for the fitting protrusion 214 formed on the base portion 35 .
As shown in Figure 5, the holding structure of the fitting protrusion 214 has a guide groove 351 formed along the circumferential direction of the base portion 35, positioning holes 352 and 353 formed at both ends of the guide groove 351, and an entrance/exit 354 of the guide groove 351.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the base 35 taken along line W-W in Figure 5. As shown in this figure, the guide groove 351 is formed penetrating from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface of the base 35 within an angular range of 90° around the central axis C from the front to the left of the base 35.
This guide groove 351 is for moving the fitting protrusion 214 on the ultrasonic probe body 21 side within the above-mentioned 90° angular range along the circumferential direction of the base part 35. However, the vertical width of the guide groove 351 is set to be slightly narrower than the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 214 on the ultrasonic probe body 21 side, and the flexibility of the material forming the base part 35 allows the fitting protrusion 214 to move.

Positioning holes 352, 353 are connected to the front end, which is one end of the guide groove 351, and the left end, which is the other end, of the guide groove 351. The positioning holes 352, 353 are formed to penetrate from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 35. The inner diameters of the positioning holes 352, 353 match the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 214.
Therefore, by inserting the rotation axis 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 into the base portion 35 of the attachment 3 and rotating it relatively around the central axis C, the engaging protrusion 214 is moved along the guide groove 351, and when it reaches the positioning hole 352 or 353, the engaging protrusion 214 engages with the positioning hole 352 or 353, and the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the attachment 3 can be fixed and attached so that they do not rotate relative to each other.
In addition, when the attachment 3 is fixed and attached, if a large force is applied to the base portion 35 to the extent that deformation occurs due to the flexibility of the base portion 35, the attachment 3 can be rotated.

When the fitting protrusion 214 is fitted into the positioning hole 352, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the attachment 3 is fixedly attached to the ultrasonic probe main body 21 in a state where the longitudinal direction of the housing 211 of the ultrasonic probe main body 21 and the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion 31 of the attachment 3 are aligned and both face left and right in a plan view.
This state is set as the reference angle, and the rotation angle of the attachment 3 relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21 is set to 0°.

Furthermore, when the fitting protrusion 214 is fitted into the positioning hole 353, as shown in Figure 8, the attachment 3 is fixedly attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21 in a state where the longitudinal direction of the housing 211 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion 31 of the attachment 3 are perpendicular to each other in a planar view.
In the following description, the reference angle is set to 0°, and a state in which the attachment 3 is rotated counterclockwise by n° relative to the ultrasound probe body 21 is referred to as a "rotation angle n°" state.

In this way, the fitting protrusion 214 corresponds to a convex portion provided on the ultrasonic probe body 21 , and the two positioning holes 352 and 353 correspond to concave portions that receive convex portions provided on the attachment 3 .
The fitting protrusion 214 and the two positioning holes 352 and 353 function as a restraining portion that restrains the attachment 3 relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21 at two rotation angles around the central axis C.

The inner diameter of the positioning holes 352, 353 may be larger than the vertical width of the guide groove 351 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 214. The inner diameter of the positioning holes 352, 353 may also be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 214.

The guide groove 351 is provided with an entrance/exit 354 for inserting and removing the fitting protrusion 214 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 into and from the guide groove 351. The entrance/exit 354 is a groove-shaped notch that extends downward from a central position in the circumferential direction of the guide groove 351 to the underside of the bottom plate portion 31, and its left-right width is set to be slightly wider than the outer diameter of the fitting protrusion 214.
Therefore, when the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21, the fitting protrusion 214 can be fed into the guide groove 351 through the entrance 354. When the attachment 3 is removed from the ultrasonic probe body 21, the fitting protrusion 214 can be fed downward from the guide groove 351 through the entrance 354.

In the above-described connecting structure, the positioning holes as the restraining portions are used to restrain the shaft at 0° and 90°, but the rotation angle to be restrained can be changed as desired. Also, the number of positioning holes as the restraining portions is not limited to two, and three or more holes may be provided.
FIG. 9 shows an example in which positioning holes 352 and 353 for rotation angles of −45° and +45° are formed in a guide groove 351 of the base portion 35 .

In this case, the guide groove 351 is formed within an angular range of 90° around the central axis C within a range of 45° to the left and 45° to the right from the front of the base portion 35, and positioning holes 352 and 353 are formed at the left and right ends, respectively, of the guide groove 351. In addition, the entrance/exit 354 is formed downward from the center of the guide groove 351 in the left-right direction.
Then, as shown by the solid line in Figure 10, by rotating the attachment 3 counterclockwise by 45° from the reference position relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21, the fitting protrusion 214 fits into the positioning hole 352, and a rotation angle of 45° can be achieved.
Furthermore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 10, by rotating the attachment 3 clockwise by 45° from the reference position relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21, the fitting protrusion 214 fits into the positioning hole 352, and a state of a rotation angle of -45° can be achieved.

Alternatively, a fitting protrusion protruding toward the central axis C may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the base portion 35, and a guide groove and a positioning hole may be provided along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 213. In this case, it is preferable that the entrance and exit of the fitting protrusion be formed in a groove shape extending upward from the guide groove.
Alternatively, a fitting protrusion may be provided on one of the top surface of the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the bottom surface of the bottom plate 31 or base 35 of the attachment 3, and a guide groove and a positioning hole may be provided on the other.

As shown in FIG. 4, the top plate 32 is made of a substantially rectangular flat plate that is elongated in the left-right direction and slightly bent at the center in the left-right direction.
The left end 321 of the top panel 32 extends to the left and in a direction slightly tilted forward, and the right end 322 extends to the right and in a direction slightly tilted forward. The inclination angles of the left end 321 and the right end 322 of the top panel 32 correspond to half the opening angle θ (see FIG. 6 ) between the left and right curved portions 33 and 34 described below.

Furthermore, a notch 323 that is substantially U-shaped in plan view is formed in the center in the left-right direction of the top panel 32. This notch 323 opens toward the rear, and when the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasound probe body 21, the cable 22 is inserted from the open end of the notch 323 toward the front.
The width in the left-right direction from the opening end to the deepest part (front end) of the cutout portion 323 is equal to or slightly wider than the outer diameter of the cable 22. Furthermore, the inner edge shape of the deepest part of the cutout portion 323 is a semicircular arc with an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cable 22.
With the attachment 3 attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21 , the cable 22 is arranged so as to be concentric with the deepest part of the semicircular arc-shaped cutout portion 323 .
In addition, the width in the left-right direction from the opening end of the cutout portion 323 to near the deepest part may be made slightly narrower than the outer diameter of the cable 22 so that the cable 22 can be restrained by the semicircular arc-shaped deepest part of the cutout portion 323.

Furthermore, the aforementioned notch 313 in the bottom plate 31 and the notch 323 in the top plate 32 correspond to "insertion sections for passing cables between the two curved sections."

The curved portions 33 and 34 are provided on the left and right sides of the cable 22 that is passed through the notch portions 313 and 323 .
The left curved portion 33 is a curved strip extending from the upper surface of the left end portion 311 of the bottom plate portion 31 to the lower surface of the left end portion 321 of the top plate portion 32 .
The right curved portion 34 is a curved strip extending from the upper surface of the right end portion 312 of the bottom plate portion 31 to the lower surface of the right end portion 322 of the top plate portion 32 .

The cross-sectional shape of each of the curved portions 33, 34 perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is concave (approximately U-shaped) toward the cable 22 side, and the cross-sectional shape is constant over the entire widthwise length of the curved portions 33, 34.
The "width direction" of the curved portions 33, 34 refers to the approximate front-to-rear direction. More precisely, it refers to the short-dimension direction perpendicular to the long-dimension direction when the curved, band-like curved portions 33, 34 are stretched out flat.

As shown in FIG. 6, the width direction at the bottom of the concave (approximately U-shaped) left curved portion 33 is, strictly speaking, a direction rearward and slightly inclined to the left, and the width direction at the bottom of the concave (approximately U-shaped) right curved portion 34 is, strictly speaking, a direction rearward and slightly inclined to the right.
Here, the angle between the width directions of the bottoms of the recessed (substantially U-shaped) left and right curved portions 33, 34 is defined as the "opening angle θ of the curved portions 33, 34."
The opening angle θ of the curved portions 33, 34 is preferably about 5 to 20°, and more preferably about 10°.
In this way, by setting the opening angle of the left and right curved portions 33, 34 to be greater than 0°, the distance between the concave bottoms of the curved portions 33, 34 can be narrowed on the front side and widened on the rear side.

[Attachment material]
FIG. 11 is a table showing suitable materials for the attachment 3, and FIG. 12 is a table showing suitable materials for the housing 211 of the ultrasonic probe body 21.
As mentioned above, it is preferable to select a flexible material for the attachment 3. For example, if the thickness of the component parts of the attachment 3 is 1.5 to 2.0 mm, it is preferable that the material has enough flexibility to bend with the force of a finger.
As a specific example of the material, it is preferable to select a resin such as polypropylene, polyacetal, or polyamide for the attachment 3. The material of the attachment 3 is not limited to resin, and other materials having the same degree of flexibility as these may be used. The other materials may be either organic or inorganic.
As shown in Figure 11, the bending strengths of polypropylene, polyacetal, and polyamide are approximately 420 to 560 [kg/cm ² ], 910 [kg/cm ² ], and 880 to 980 [kg/cm ² ], respectively. Materials are not limited to the above, and materials with a bending strength of approximately 400 to 1000 [kg/cm ² ] are preferred.
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the impact strengths of polypropylene, polyacetal, and polyamide are approximately 3.3 to 33 [kg·cm/cm], 6.5 to 7.6 [kg·cm/cm], and 5.5 to 10.9 [kg·cm/cm], respectively, in terms of Izod impact strength. Materials are not limited to the above, and materials with an impact strength of approximately 3 to 35 [kg/cm ² ] are preferred.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the hardness of polypropylene, polyacetal, and polyamide is approximately 85 to 110 (R scale), 78 to 80 (M scale), and 108 to 118 (R scale), respectively, on the Rockwell hardness scale. Materials are not limited to the above, and preferred are materials with a hardness of approximately 80 to 120 on the R scale or 70 to 90 on the M scale.

The ultrasonic probe body 21 is expected to be used for a long period of time unless an internal failure occurs, whereas the detachable attachment 3 is expected to be discarded and replaced as it deteriorates due to wear and tear caused by use.
For this reason, it is preferable to select a material for the attachment 3 that is softer than the material of the housing 211, rotating shaft 213, and engaging protrusion 214 of the ultrasonic probe main body 21, and that is less likely to cause scratches, wear, etc. on the housing 211, rotating shaft 213, and engaging protrusion 214 relative to the attachment 3.
For example, when the attachment 3 is made of the material shown in FIG. 11, it is preferable to select a resin such as polyphenylene ether for the housing 211, the rotating shaft 213, and the fitting projection 214.
As shown in Figure 12, the flexural strength of polyphenylene ether is approximately 673 to 979 kg/ ^cm2 , the impact strength is approximately 27 kg·cm/cm in Izod impact strength, and the hardness is approximately 118 to 120 (R scale) in Rockwell hardness.
The housing 211, the rotating shaft 213, and the fitting protrusion 214 are preferably made of a material having a higher hardness than the material of the attachment 3, and are not limited to polyphenylene ether. The material of the housing 211 is preferably resin, but is not limited to this, and other materials having a similar hardness to the above may be used. The other materials may be organic materials including metals and ceramics, or inorganic materials. Furthermore, materials having the above hardness may be used partially in a range including the contact portion with the attachment 3.

[Using attachments during ultrasound diagnosis]
A case where the ultrasound probe body 21 is held in one hand using the attachment 3 in ultrasound diagnosis will be described.
In this case, the attachment 3 may be attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21 in advance and then held by hand, or the attachment 3 may be held by hand first and then attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21.

When attaching the attachment 3 to the ultrasonic probe body 21 in advance, the cable 22 is inserted from the front of the ultrasonic probe body 21 to the deepest part of the upper and lower cutout portions 313, 323 of the attachment 3, and then the rotation axis 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 is inserted from below the base portion 35 of the attachment 3.
At this time, the fitting protrusion 214 of the rotary shaft 213 is introduced into the guide groove 351 through the entrance 354 , and the attachment 3 is rotated so that it fits into either the positioning hole 352 or 353 .
Depending on the posture of the subject and the position of the operator, the rotation angle of the attachment 3 is selected to be either 0° or 90°, and depending on the selection, the fitting protrusion 214 is fitted into either the positioning hole 352 or 353.
Then, by inserting two fingers F individually from the front side, where the distance between the concave bottoms is narrow, toward the rear, into each curved portion 33, 34 of the attachment 3, the ultrasound probe body 21 can be held by pinching the cable 22 between the two fingers F, and the detection surface 212 can be placed in the appropriate orientation at the target position on the subject, allowing ultrasound diagnosis to be performed.

Also, when holding the attachment 3 with the hand, first, two fingers F are individually inserted toward the rear into each curved portion 33, 34 of the attachment 3 from the front side where the distance between the concave bottom portions is narrow.
Then, the cable 22 is inserted from the front of the ultrasonic probe body 21 to the deepest part of the upper and lower cutouts 313, 323 of the attachment 3, and then the rotating shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 is inserted from below the base 35 of the attachment 3. Furthermore, the fitting protrusion 214 of the rotating shaft 213 is fitted into either the positioning hole 352 or 353.
This allows the ultrasound probe body 21 to be held by pinching the cable 22 between two fingers F, and ultrasound diagnosis can be performed by placing the detection surface 212 in the appropriate orientation at the target position on the subject.

[Technical Effects of the First Embodiment]
The ultrasound probe 2 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 includes an attachment 3 that can be fixedly attached to the top of the ultrasound probe body 21 and has curved portions 33 and 34 that follow a curved surface having a concave cross-sectional shape.
Therefore, the ultrasonic probe 2 can be held by inserting a finger F inside the curved portions 33, 34, and the ultrasonic probe 2 can be held firmly while freely changing the orientation of the detection surface 212 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 in accordance with the movement of the hand.
This makes it possible to perform ultrasound diagnosis by maintaining the posture and direction of the ultrasound probe 2 appropriately even when it is affected by the posture of the patient or the positional relationship between the patient and the user.
In particular, when using the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 for diagnosis or evaluation of treatment effectiveness, it is possible to perform a stress test by moving the subject, such as the patient's arms or legs, while properly and satisfactorily placing the ultrasound probe body 21 on the subject.

Furthermore, by inserting fingers F into curved portions 33, 34 to hold the ultrasound probe 2, the orientation of the detection surface 212 can be aligned with the orientation of the palm, and the center of the detection surface 212 can be held close to the center of the palm, making it extremely easy to adjust the posture and orientation of the ultrasound probe 2 and enabling better ultrasound diagnosis.

Furthermore, the curved portions 33, 34 of the attachment 3 are provided with two concave bottoms facing each other, so two fingers F can be inserted into each of the curved portions 33, 34 and the ultrasound probe 2 can be held between the fingers F, making it possible to properly maintain the posture and orientation of the ultrasound probe 2 during ultrasound diagnosis.

In addition, the attachment 3 has two notches 313, 323 through which the cable 22 passes between the two curved sections 33, 34. This allows the cable 22 to be held between two fingers F, making it easier to maintain the posture of the ultrasound probe 2 regardless of whether tension is applied by the cable 22 from the front, back, left, or right directions, allowing for good ultrasound diagnosis.

In addition, the cable 22 of the ultrasound probe 2 extends from the opposite side of the detection surface 212 of the ultrasound probe body 21 to the outside along the same axis as the central axis C of the detection surface 212. This allows the ultrasound probe 2 to be held close to the center of the detection surface 212, allowing the posture and orientation of the ultrasound probe 2 to be adjusted properly and held stably for ultrasound diagnosis.

In addition, the two cutouts 313, 323 of the attachment 3 open toward one side (rear) of the width direction of the curved surfaces of the curved portions 33, 34, so the cable 22 can be inserted from the open ends of the curved portions 33, 34, making it easy to attach the attachment 3 to the ultrasound probe 2.

In addition, the attachment 3 has the two curved portions 33, 34 whose concave bottoms are spaced apart so that one side (rear side) in the width direction of the curved surface is wider than the other side (front side), and the two cutout portions 313, 323 are open toward the rear.
Therefore, it is possible to easily insert fingers F into each curved portion 33, 34 from the front side of the attachment 3 to hold the ultrasound probe 2. Furthermore, since the two notches 313, 323 are open on the wider side of the recessed bottom portions of the two curved portions 33, 34, with two fingers F inserted into the attachment 3, the attachment 3 can be attached to the ultrasound probe 2 so that the cable 22 is placed between the fingers F, making the attachment work easy and smooth.

Furthermore, the attachment 3 is made of a flexible material, and the width of the deepest part of the two notches 313 and 323, which serves as the holding position for the cable 22, is variable.
Therefore, even if the width of the two notches 313 and 323 does not strictly match the outer diameter of the cable 22 , the attachment 3 can be easily attached to the ultrasonic probe 2 .
Furthermore, by setting the width of the deepest part of the two notches 313, 323 to be slightly narrower than the outer diameter of the cable 22, the cable 22 can be sandwiched and held.

Furthermore, since the attachment 3 is made of a flexible material, the finger F easily fits onto the attachment 3, making it possible to stably hold the ultrasonic probe 2.
Furthermore, since the distance between the concave bottoms of the two curved portions 33, 34 can be changed, the opening angle θ of the two curved portions 33, 34 can be changed, allowing the attachment 3 to be held well by the fingers F of the operator's hand, and enabling the posture and direction of the ultrasound probe 2 to be adjusted well and held stably for ultrasound diagnosis.
Furthermore, if the attachment 3 is made of a flexible material, it is possible to suppress scratches and wear on the housing 211 side of the ultrasound probe body 21, thereby extending the life of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100. On the other hand, although the attachment 3 is more susceptible to scratches and wear than the housing 211, it is detachable from the ultrasound probe 2 and easy to replace, which allows for a reduction in the long-term operating costs of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

In addition, the ultrasound probe 2 has a marking M on the ultrasound probe body 21 that indicates the target position for treatment. This makes it easy to identify the center position of the detection surface 212 even when the detection surface 212 is facing the subject, allowing for more accurate treatments such as puncture.

Furthermore, the attachment 3 is attached to the ultrasound probe body 21 so that its angle can be adjusted around the central axis C that is perpendicular to the detection surface 212. Therefore, even if it becomes difficult to position the detection surface 212 in the appropriate direction or position due to the influence of the patient's posture or the positional relationship between the patient and the user, it is possible to perform good ultrasound diagnosis by adjusting the ultrasound probe 2 to an appropriate angle relative to the attachment 3.
In particular, when using the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 for diagnosis or evaluation of treatment effectiveness, it is possible to perform a stress test by moving the subject, such as the patient's arms or legs, while properly and satisfactorily placing the ultrasound probe body 21 on the subject.

In addition, because the angle of the attachment 3 can be adjusted relatively around the cable 22 passed through the cutouts 313 and 323, it is possible to adjust the angle of the attachment 3 without applying twisting or tension to the cable 22. Therefore, even when the relative angle of the attachment 3 is adjusted, it is possible to suppress the effects of stress and tension caused by twisting of the cable 22.

In addition, the attachment 3 can be adjusted in angle around a central axis C that is perpendicular to the detection surface 212 relative to the ultrasound probe body 21. This means that even when the attachment 3 is adjusted relative to the angle, the central position of the detection surface 212 remains constant, making it difficult to lose track of the target position and reducing the effects of ultrasound diagnosis before and after adjustment.

In addition, the ultrasonic probe 2 has positioning holes 352, 353 between the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the attachment 3 that restrain the attachment 3 at a predetermined rotation angle, making it possible to effectively maintain the angle around the central axis C of the attachment 3 after adjustment.
In addition, the positioning holes 352, 353 are structured to receive the fitting protrusion 214, and are provided at two locations on the guide groove 351 that is aligned with the rotation direction of the attachment 3 around the central axis C relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21, making it possible to adjust the attachment 3 to two angles around the central axis C with a simple structure.

Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe 2A as an ultrasonic probe, seen from above the front, and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic probe as seen from diagonally above right.
This ultrasonic probe 2A can be installed in the ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 in place of the ultrasonic probe 2 and used.
In this ultrasonic probe 2A, the same components as those in the ultrasonic probe 2 already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the ultrasonic probe 2 will be mainly described.

The ultrasonic probe 2A has an ultrasonic probe body 21, a cable 22, and an attachment 3A.
The ultrasonic probe body 21 of the ultrasonic probe 2A differs only in that the height of the rotation axis 213 is set to be slightly higher than that shown in FIG.

The attachment 3A has a bottom plate portion 31A located at the bottom, a top plate portion 32A located at the top, curved portions 33A and 34A provided on the left and right sides respectively spanning from the bottom plate portion 31A to the top plate portion 32A, and a cylindrical base portion 35A erected in the center of the left-right direction of the bottom plate portion 31A.
The attachment 3A has a bottom plate portion 31A, a top plate portion 32A, curved portions 33A, 34A, and a base portion 35A that are integrally formed from any of the flexible materials shown in FIG. 11, but it is preferable to form them from polypropylene, which is particularly flexible.

Furthermore, the bottom plate portion 31A is divided into a left end portion 311A and a right end portion 312A, which are connected via a cylindrical base portion 35A.
Similarly, the top plate portion 32A is divided into a left end portion 321A and a right end portion 322A, which are connected by a cylindrical ring portion 324A formed between them.
The rear portions of the circumferences of both the cylindrical base portion 35A and the cylindrical ring portion 324A have been removed, and the removed portions correspond to the notches 313, 323 of the attachment 3 described above. Therefore, the cable 22 can be inserted into the inside of the base portion 35A and the semicircular ring portion 324A from the rear. In this attachment 3A, the base portion 35A and the ring portion 324A correspond to the "insertion portion through which the cable is passed between the two curved portions."

The bottom plate 31A and the top plate 32A are connected at their left ends 311A, 321A and right ends 312A, 322A by a cylindrical base 35A with a portion of the circumference removed and a ring 324A, respectively. This allows the bottom plate 31A and the top plate 32A to easily deform in the radial direction as the base 35A and the ring 324A expand and contract.
Furthermore, since the attachment 3A is easily deformed, it can be easily attached to the ultrasonic probe body 21. In particular, since the base portion 35A and the ring portion 324A have a structure that is easily flexible, by bending them so as to expand in the radial direction, the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 can be attached not only by inserting it from below the attachment 3A, but also by pushing it into the inside of the base portion 35A from the rear.

The inner diameter of the base 35A is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21, so that the rotation shaft 213 of the ultrasonic probe body 21 can be inserted from below the base 35A.
When the attachment 3A is attached to the ultrasonic probe 2, the base portion 35A and the ring portion 324A are concentric with the rotation shaft 213 and the cable 22.

The left and right curved portions 33A, 34A have substantially the same configuration as the curved portions 33, 34 of the attachment 3 described above. However, at the position in the front-to-rear direction (width direction) where the rotating shaft 213 and the cable 22 pass, the distance between the recessed bottoms of the left and right curved portions 33A, 34A is narrower than the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 213 and further narrower than the outer diameter of the cable 22.
For this reason, openings 331A, 341A that penetrate in the left-right direction are formed in the concave bottoms of the left and right curved portions 33A, 34A. These openings 331A, 341A are both elliptical in shape along the up-down direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 213 fits into them, allowing the rotation shaft 213 to pass between the curved portions 33A, 34A without bending the left and right curved portions 33A, 34A.

Furthermore, like the previously described base portion 35, the base portion 35A is formed with a guide groove 351, positioning holes 352 and 353, and an entrance/exit 354.

As described above, the ultrasonic probe 2A has the bottom plate portion 31A of the attachment 3A and the left end portions 311A, 321A and right end portions 312A, 322A of the top plate portion 32A connected by a cylindrical base portion 35A with a portion of the circumference removed and a ring portion 324A.
Therefore, the distance between the recessed bottoms of the left and right bending portions 33A, 34A can be easily changed. The opening angle θ (see FIG. 6) between the two bending portions 33A, 34A can be changed more easily than with the attachment 3, allowing the attachment 3A to be more securely held by the fingers F of the operator's hand, and enabling better adjustment of the posture and direction of the ultrasound probe 2A, enabling stable holding and ultrasound diagnosis.

Furthermore, since the attachment 3A has openings 331A and 341A formed in the left and right curved portions 33A and 34A, it is possible to adjust the opening angle θ between the two curved portions 33A and 34A to a smaller angle.
Furthermore, since the finger F can directly touch the rotation axis 213 of the ultrasound probe body 21 through each of the openings 331A and 341A, the orientation of the ultrasound probe body 21 can be more firmly maintained.

[Third embodiment]
A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic probe 2B as an ultrasonic probe, and Fig. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line XX in Fig. 15.
This ultrasonic probe 2B can be installed in the ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 in place of the ultrasonic probe 2 and used.
In this ultrasonic probe 2B, the same components as those in the ultrasonic probe 2 already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the ultrasonic probe 2 will be mainly described.

The ultrasonic probe 2B has an ultrasonic probe body 21B, a cable 22, and an attachment 3B.
The ultrasound probe main body 21B has a columnar standing portion 213B, which has a square cross section in a plan view, provided in place of the rotation shaft 213, in the longitudinal center of the upper surface of the housing 211. A cable 22 is inserted through the center of the standing portion 213B. The cable 22 is concentric with a central axis C, which is set to pass through the center of the square cross section of the standing portion 213B.

A wedge-shaped protrusion 214B is formed on each of the four sides (front, back, left, and right) of the standing portion 213B. Each protrusion 214B constitutes a restraint portion for attaching an attachment 3B (described later) to the ultrasound probe 2B.
This restraining portion can restrain the attachment 3B relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21B at a rotation angle of 0° or 180°, and at a rotation angle of 90° or 270°.
That is, the two protrusions 214B provided on the left and right surfaces of the standing portion 213B restrain the attachment 3B at a rotation angle of 0° or 180°, and the two protrusions 214B provided on the front and rear surfaces of the standing portion 213B restrain the attachment 3B at a rotation angle of 90° or 270°.

Note that Figures 15 and 16 show a state in which the attachment 3B is constrained to the ultrasound probe main body 21B at a rotation angle of 90°. The directional arrows in Figures 15 and 16 indicate the front, back, left, and right directions of the ultrasound probe 2B, and do not coincide with the front, back, left, and right directions of the attachment 3B, which is not at the reference angle. However, in the following description, when reference is made to the front, back, left, and right directions of the attachment 3B, this refers to the front, back, left, and right directions when it is facing the reference angle (rotation angle of 0°).

Each protrusion 214B is formed so that it protrudes more from top to bottom on each of the front, back, left, and right sides, and the tip surface of each protrusion 214B is inclined. This inclined structure makes it easy to attach the attachment 3B from above to the erected portion 213B of the ultrasound probe 2B. It also prevents the attachment 3B from accidentally falling off upwards after attachment.

The attachment 3B does not have a bottom plate portion located at the bottom, but has a top plate portion 32 located at the top, curved portions 33, 34 hanging down respectively from left end portion 321 and right end portion 322 of top plate portion 32, a pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B extending vertically downward from the bottom of each curved portion 33, 34, and front and rear connecting portions 37B connecting the concave bottom portions of curved portions 33, 34. Note that the rear connecting portion 37B (located on the right side in FIG. 15) is not shown in the drawing.
The attachment 3B has the above-mentioned components integrally formed from any of the flexible materials shown in FIG.

The top plate portion 32 and the curved portions 33 and 34 have the same configuration as the attachment 3 described above.
However, since the attachment 3B does not have a bottom plate portion connecting the lower ends of each curved portion 33, 34, instead the front and rear connecting portions 37B maintain a constant distance between the front and rear sides of the concave bottom of each curved portion 33, 34.

The pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B are rectangular flat plates when viewed from the left and right, and their flat surfaces face each other in parallel. The gap width between the pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B is approximately the same as the front-to-back and left-to-right widths of the standing portion 213B of the ultrasound probe body 21B.
Furthermore, recesses 351B and 361B are formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of connecting plates 35B and 36B, respectively, into which the protrusions 214B formed on the erected portion 213B fit.

Therefore, the attachment 3B can be connected to the ultrasonic probe body 21B at a rotation angle of 0° or 180° by attaching it from above so that the recesses 351B, 361B of the pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B fit into the protrusions 214B formed on the left and right surfaces of the ultrasonic probe body 21B.
Furthermore, the attachment 3B can be connected to the ultrasonic probe body 21B at a rotation angle of 90° or 270° by attaching it from above so that the recesses 351B, 361B of the pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B fit into the protrusions 214B formed on the front and rear surfaces of the ultrasonic probe body 21B.
When removing the attachment 3B from the ultrasonic probe body 21B, the flexibility of the attachment 3B allows the pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B to be separated by widening the gap, thereby disengaging the recesses 351B, 361B from the protrusion 214B.

The restraint portion connecting the ultrasonic probe body 21B and the attachment 3B has two sets of convex portions 214B provided on both sides of the erected portion 213B of the ultrasonic probe body 21B in two diameter directions (front-to-back and left-to-right directions) perpendicular to the direction of rotation around the central axis C of the attachment 3B relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21B, and a set of concave portions 351B, 361B provided on a pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B that can be selectively fitted to the two sets of convex portions 214B.
Therefore, it is possible to effectively maintain the rotation angle of the attachment 3B around the central axis C at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.
Furthermore, the attachment 3B can be adjusted to two angles around the central axis C with a simple structure.

The orientation of the four sides of the standing portion 213B (front, back, left, and right) is not limited to front, back, left, and right, and all four sides may be oriented at different angles (e.g., 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315°) around the central axis C.
In addition, an example has been shown in which convex portions 214B are provided on the four surfaces of the standing portion 213B and concave portions 351B, 361B are provided individually on a pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B of the attachment 3B, but a configuration in which a concave portion is formed on each of the four surfaces of the standing portion 213B and convex portions are provided individually on the pair of connecting plates 35B, 36B may also be used.

[Fourth embodiment]
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Fig. 17 is a plan view of an ultrasonic probe 2C as an ultrasonic probe, with a portion of the probe not shown.
This ultrasonic probe 2C can be installed in the ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 in place of the ultrasonic probe 2 and used.
In this ultrasonic probe 2C, the same components as those in the ultrasonic probe 2 already described are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and differences from the ultrasonic probe 2 will be mainly described.

The ultrasonic probe 2C has an ultrasonic probe body 21C, a cable 22, and an attachment 3C.
The ultrasound probe main body 21C has a columnar erection portion 213C, instead of the rotation shaft 213, whose cross section in a plan view is a regular polygon, for example, a regular octagon, provided in the longitudinal center portion on the top surface of the housing 211. The cable 22 is inserted through the center of the erection portion 213C.
The standing portion 213C is disposed so that a central axis C passes through the center in a plan view, and the cable 22 is inserted so as to be concentric with the central axis C.
The cross-sectional shape of the standing portion 213C is a regular octagon throughout its entire height.

The attachment 3C has a bottom plate portion 31 located at the bottom, a top plate portion 32 (not shown) located at the top, curved portions 33, 34 extending from the left end 321 and right end 322 of the top plate portion 32 to the left end 311 and right end 312 of the bottom plate portion 31, respectively, and a cylindrical base portion 35C erected in the center of the left-right direction of the bottom plate portion 31.
The attachment 3C has the above-mentioned components integrally formed from any of the flexible materials shown in FIG.

The attachment 3C has a regular octagonal insertion hole 351C formed inside the base portion 35C that penetrates in the vertical direction and has the same cross-sectional shape and size as the standing portion 213C. The standing portion 213C of the ultrasonic probe body 21C can be inserted into the insertion hole 351C of the base portion 35C from below.
Furthermore, the rear portion of the center of the rear end of the bottom plate 31 and the pedestal 35C is removed, forming a structure that corresponds to the notch 313 of the attachment 3 described above. Therefore, the cable 22 of the ultrasonic probe 2C can be inserted into the pedestal 35C and the insertion hole 351C from the rear. In this attachment 3C, the pedestal 35C and the notch 323 correspond to the "insertion portion through which the cable passes between the two curved portions."

In the ultrasonic probe 2C, the erected portion 213C of the ultrasonic probe body 21C constitutes a convex portion, and the insertion hole 351C of the base portion 35C of the attachment 3C constitutes a constraining portion corresponding to a concave portion.
The erected portion 213C and the insertion hole 351C each have a regular octagonal cross section whose center is on the same axis as the center of rotation about the central axis C of the attachment 3C relative to the ultrasonic probe main body 21C.
Therefore, the rotation angle of the attachment 3C can be adjusted in increments of 45° around the central axis C relative to the ultrasonic probe body 21C.

In this way, the ultrasonic probe 2C can adjust the rotation angle around the central axis C of the attachment 3C in 45° increments, and can effectively maintain the angle after adjustment.
Furthermore, the attachment 3C can be adjusted to any angle in eight directions around the central axis C with a simple structure.

[others]
The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, a component integrally formed from a single member may be replaced with a component divided into multiple members that are connected or fixed to each other. Furthermore, a component formed by connecting multiple members may be replaced with a component integrally formed from a single member. In addition, the details shown in the embodiments may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In each embodiment, the attachments 3 to 3C have been illustrated as having two curved portions, but they may have at least one curved portion. For example, they may have a curved portion on one side and a flat portion on the other side, sandwiching the position through which the cable 22 passes. Even in this case, it is possible to firmly hold the ultrasound probe body via the attachment by inserting a finger (e.g., index finger) into the curved portion and placing another finger (e.g., thumb) on the flat portion.
In addition, in the case of a configuration having two bending portions, the left and right bending portions may be asymmetric.

Furthermore, while the attachment 3A has been illustrated as having openings 331A and 341A in the curved portions 33A and 34A, this is not limiting. For example, a recess into which the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 213 or the outer circumferential surface of the cable 22 fits may be formed on the cable 22 side of the concave bottom of each curved portion 33A and 34A.

100 Ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 Ultrasonic diagnostic device main body 2, 2A, 2B, 2C Ultrasonic probe (ultrasonic probe)
21, 21B, 21C Ultrasonic probe body (main body)
211 Housing 212 Detection surface 213 Rotation shaft 213B Standing portion 213C Standing portion (convex portion)
214 fitting protrusion (convex portion)
214B Protrusion 22 Cables 3 to 3C Attachments 31, 31A Bottom plate 32, 32A Top plate 33, 33A, 34, 34A Curved portion 35, 35A, 35C Base 35B, 36B Connecting plate 37B Connecting portion 313, 323 Notch 324A Ring 331A, 341A Opening 351 Guide groove 351B, 361B Recess 351C Insertion hole (recess)
352, 353 Positioning hole 354 Entrance/exit C Central axis F Finger M Marking n Rotation angle θ Opening angle

Claims (7)

a main body having a detection surface for transmitting ultrasonic waves to a subject and receiving reflected waves; and an attachment that can be attached to the main body;
The attachment has a curved portion along a curved surface having a concave cross-sectional shape ,
The curved portion has two concave bottoms that face each other,
a cable extending from the main body to the outside,
a passage portion for passing the cable between the two curved portions;
the cable extends from the opposite side of the detection surface of the main body to the outside along the same axis as the central axis of the detection surface,
the insertion portion is open toward one side in the width direction of the curved surface of the curved portion,
a distance between the concave bottoms of the two curved portions is wider on one side than on the other side in the width direction of the curved surface;
The insertion portion is open toward one side in the width direction of the curved surface.
Ultrasound probe. The distance between the concave bottoms of the two curved portions is variable.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 . The distance between the bottoms of the recesses of the two curved portions at the cable passage position is narrower than the outer diameter of the cable.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2 . The cable passage position has an opening penetrating the concave bottom of the two curved portions.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3 . The attachment is made of a flexible material in part or in whole.
The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4 . The main body is provided with markings that indicate the target position for treatment.
The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . An ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising the ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 .