JPH02286143A - In-body cavity ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preven bubble and dust, etc., from being mixed into a tip cover and to improve the quality of an ultrasonic image by providing a bubble and dust trap means to prevent the bubble and dust, etc., from flowing into the tip cover in the circulating route of an ultrasonic transmission medium formed in a part linking an ultrasonic probe and a driving shaft. CONSTITUTION:A hollow flexible driving shaft 29, which is rotated and driven by a driving means such as a motor, etc., provided on the side of an operation part 5, is linked to a contact holder 27. In the outer periphery of this driving shaft 29, a guide tube 30 is fitted over the almost whole length of an inserting part 1 and in a gap part between the guide tube 30 and driving shaft 29, an ultrasonic transmission medium 25 from a tip cover 23 is packed. In the part linking the probe holder 27 and driving shaft 29, a check valve 31 is provided as a means to prevent the bubble or dust, etc., from infiltrating from the operation part side into the tip cover 23. This check valve 31 is composed of an elastic material such as rubber, and the tip part of the check valve is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the driving shaft 29.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an intrabody cavity ultrasound diagnostic device that performs ultrasound diagnosis of organs by inserting an ultrasound probe provided at the tip of an endoscope insertion portion into a body cavity. It is related to.

[Conventional technology]

In general, this type of ultrasound diagnostic equipment is broadly divided into electronic scanning type and mechanical scanning type depending on the scanning method of the ultrasound beam. Of these, mechanical scanning type uses a flexible drive shaft with an ultrasound probe installed inside the insertion section. It is rotatably driven by a driving means such as a motor provided on the operating section side via the. A tip cover is provided around the ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic transmission medium is enclosed within the tip cover. This ultrasonic transmission medium is also injected between the drive shaft and a guide tube that guides the drive shaft toward the operating section, and also serves as a lubricant.

By the way, in such a mechanical scanning type intracorporeal ultrasound diagnostic device, when an ultrasonic transmission medium is sealed in the tip cover and between the drive shaft and the kite tube, it is necessary to insert the ultrasonic transmission medium from the opening provided in the tip cover. By injecting the ultrasonic transmission medium and making the operation part side of the guide tube negative and positive, and sucking the ultrasonic transmission medium from the operation part side, the ultrasonic transmission medium is inside the tip cover and between the drive shaft and the kite tube. is included. However, according to this method, a tightly wound spiral coil made of metal wire is generally used for the drive shaft to provide flexibility, so an ultrasonic transmission medium is inserted between the drive shaft and the guide tube. When injected, small air bubbles remain between the wires of the coil and inside the coil. If the ultrasound probe is rotated under these conditions or stored with the tip facing up, air bubbles may move toward the tip, causing air bubbles to form inside the tip cover that houses the ultrasound probe. If bubbles are mixed in, the ultrasound beam will be scattered or attenuated by the bubbles, making it impossible to obtain a good ultrasound image.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a sealing member was provided at the rear of the tip cover in which the ultrasonic probe was housed to prevent air bubbles from entering the tip cover.
-152547.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, although the above-mentioned conventional technology can prevent air bubbles from entering the tip cover, the ultrasonic transmission medium is injected into the small diameter and long guide tube because a sealing member is provided at the rear of the tip cover. It is very difficult to do so and results in insufficient injection of the ultrasound transmission medium. and,
If the drive shaft is rotated when the ultrasonic transmission medium is insufficiently injected, there is a problem that rotational failure may occur.

Additionally, if the insertion part is bent and the drive shaft is brought into contact with the inner surface of the guide tube and the drive shaft is rotated, the guide tube is generally made of a flexible material such as polyurethane Teflon, so the rotation of the drive shaft As a result, the guide tube is worn, and the wear powder is suspended in the ultrasonic transmission medium. When the dust in the ultrasound transmission medium moves toward the distal end like the air bubbles described above and gets mixed into the distal end cover, there is a problem in that like the air bubbles, the dust disturbs the ultrasound image and impedes diagnosis.

The present invention was made with attention to these points, and it prevents air bubbles, dust, etc. from entering the tip cover in which the ultrasound probe is housed, and allows for obtaining good ultrasound images inside the body cavity. The purpose is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system in which the distal end of an insertion section inserted into a body cavity is rotationally driven by a drive means provided on the operation section side via a flexible drive shaft provided inside the insertion section. The intracorporeal ultrasound system has an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic transmission medium is sealed inside the tip cover surrounding the ultrasonic probe and between the drive shaft and the guide tube that guides the drive shaft toward the operating section. In the sonic diagnostic device, air bubbles and dust are provided in a flow path of an ultrasonic wave transmission screen formed at a connection portion between the ultrasonic probe and the drive shaft to prevent air bubbles and dust from flowing into the tip cover. A trap means is provided.

[For production]

In the present invention, by providing a bubble and dust trap means for preventing air bubbles and dust from flowing into the tip cover in the ultrasonic transmission medium flow path formed at the connection portion between the ultrasonic probe and the drive shaft, It is possible to prevent air bubbles, dust, etc. from entering the tip cover, and to obtain good ultrasound images.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an intracorporeal ultrasound diagnostic apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an insertion section formed by connecting a distal end portion 4 to the distal end of a flexible tube 2 via a curved tube 3, and an operating section 5 is connected to the rear end of this insertion section 1. The operation section 5 is provided with an operation knob 6 for bending the bending tube 3, an air/water supply button 7, an eyepiece section 8, etc., and is also connected to a universal cord 9 and a tH air cable coat 1O. A connector ll connected to a light source device (not shown) is provided at the tip of the universal cord 8, and the electric cable cord ll is connected to a light source device (not shown).
A connector 12 connected to an ultrasonic observation device (not shown) is provided at the tip of the O.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the configuration of the distal end portion 4, and a cannonball-shaped distal end cover 23 made of a material with good ultrasonic transparency is provided at the distal end of the distal end main body 2N. Inside the tip cover 23, an ultrasonic probe 24 is housed and an ultrasonic transmission medium 25 is sealed.

The ultrasonic probe 24 is adhesively fixed to a probe holder 27 rotatably supported by a bearing 26 via an insulating film 28 such as a polyimide film.
The probe holder 27 has a hollow flexible drive shaft 29 that is rotatably driven by a drive means such as a motor provided on the operation unit 5 side.
are connected. A guide tube 30 is IKed on the outer periphery of the drive shaft 29 over almost the entire length of the insertion section 1, and the gap between the guide tube 30 and the drive shaft 29 is filled with an ultrasonic transmission medium 25 from the tip cover 23. has been done. Then, the probe holder 27 and the drive shaft 29
A check valve 31 is provided at the connecting portion with the operating section as a means for preventing air bubbles, dust, etc. from entering into the tip cover 23 from the operating section side. This check valve 31 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and its tip is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the drive shaft 29.

An opening 32 for injecting the ultrasonic transmission medium 25 is formed at the tip of the tip cover 23, and this opening 32 is sealed with a screw 33 via an O-ring 34 during use. Furthermore, balloon locking portions 22a and 22b for locking both ends of the balloon 35 are provided on the front and rear ends of the tip cover 23. Between these balloon locking parts 22a and 22b, there are
As shown in the figure, openings 3Ga and 37a of a water supply pipe 36 and a drainage pipe 37 are provided for supplying and discharging water into the balloon 35. Note that, as shown in FIG. 8, the water supply pipe line 36 and the drain pipe line 37 are led to the vicinity of the openings by relatively thick pipe material, and the connecting portions of the tubes are made thick.

On the other hand, an observation optical system 3B is provided at the side part of the tip main body 21.
, an illumination optical system 39, an air/water supply nozzle 40, a forceps channel 41, and a forceps stand 42. The observation optical system 38 is composed of an objective lens group 43 and an image guide fiber bundle 44, and a tip cap 45 of the image guide fiber bundle 44 is provided to prevent the lens 46 and the dust-proof glass 47 from coming into contact with each other during focus adjustment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, a flange 48 is provided so that Ll>L2.

The illumination optical system 39 is composed of an illumination lens 49 and a light guide fiber bundle 50, and the light guide fiber bundle 50 has an illumination direction as shown in FIG. It is installed at an angle of approximately 5° in the direction of the observation optical system.

As shown in FIG. 9, the forceps channel 41 has a slope portion 5 so that treatment instruments such as forceps can smoothly pass therethrough. a,
51b, and the inner diameter cross section of the channel cap 52 has an elliptical shape with its long axis aligned with the upright direction of the IJLI<forceps stand 42 shown in FIG.

The channel cap 52 has a tapered surface 53 so that the oval cross section becomes circular as it goes toward the operating section. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the forceps stand 42 is provided with a shaft 53 passing through it and serving as a fulcrum when the forceps stand 42 is lifted up.
The forceps stand 42 can be raised by pulling 4.

In the intrabody cavity ultrasound diagnostic apparatus configured in this manner, as described above, a ring-shaped check valve 31 is provided at the connecting portion between the ultrasound probe 24 and the drive shaft 29, and its tip is brought into contact with the outer periphery of the drive shaft 29. Therefore, the check valve 31 can prevent air bubbles, dirt, etc. from entering from the operating section side to the tip cover 23 side.

Therefore, the ultrasonic beam is not scattered or attenuated by air bubbles, dust, etc. that enter the tip cover 23 from the operation section side, and a good ultrasonic image can be obtained.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a probe holder 27 holding an ultrasonic probe 24 is attached to the tip body 21 by a sliding shaft Go made of plastic such as filled Teflon or Delrin.
A passage 6 that is rotatably supported by the tip cover 23 and allows the superwave transmission medium 25 to flow into the guide tube 30 from the tip cover 23.
1 is provided at a location other than the sliding bearing Go, and a filter 62 having a large number of through holes of about 20 to 100 μm, such as a nylon screen, is provided in this passage 61, thereby obtaining the same effect as the previous embodiment. I can do it. Also,
A filter paper or the like may be used instead of the check valve 31 or the filter 62.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a superstructure that is rotatably driven at the distal end of an insertion section inserted into a body cavity by a drive means provided on the operation section side via a flexible drive shaft provided inside the insertion section. It has a sonic probe, and the drive shaft is guided into the tip cover that surrounds the ultrasound probe and the drive shaft is guided to the operation section side (intrabody cavity ultrasound diagnosis with an ultrasound transmission medium sealed between it and the guide tube). In the apparatus, an air bubble and dust trap means is provided in an ultrasonic transmission medium circulation path formed at a connection portion between the ultrasonic probe and the drive shaft to prevent air bubbles and dust from flowing into the tip cover. Therefore, it is possible to prevent air bubbles, dust, etc. from entering the tip cover from the operating section side, and to provide an intrabody cavity ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that can obtain good ultrasound images.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 1O show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an intracorporeal ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the inside of the distal end of the insertion section, and FIG. The figure is a partially sectional plan view of the distal end of the insertion tube, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the illumination direction of the illumination optical system, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the water supply and drainage pipe to the balloon, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the structure of the forceps stand, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the structure of the forceps stand. Figure 11 shows the structure of the tip end cap of the light guide fiber bundle.
The figure is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 1... Insertion part, 2... Flexible tube, 3... Curved tube, 4
...Tip part, 5...Operation part, 8...Eyepiece part, 21
...Tip body, 23...Tip cover 24...
Ultrasonic probe, 25... Ultrasonic transmission medium, 29...
・Drive shaft, 30... Guide tube, 3I... Check valve, 35... Balloon, 38... Observation optical system, 39
...Illumination optical system, 40...Air and water supply nozzle, 41.
...forceps channel, 42...forceps stand. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Atsushi Tsuboi Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure V Calyx 6 Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 1 Procedural amendment band 1999 9, A2

Claims (1)

[Claims] At the tip of the insertion section inserted into the body cavity, there is an ultrasonic probe that is rotatably driven by a drive means provided on the operation section side via a flexible drive shaft provided inside the insertion section, and this ultrasonic probe In an intracorporeal ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound transmission medium is sealed within a tip cover surrounding a probe and between the drive shaft and a guide tube that guides the drive shaft toward the operating section. Ultrasound in a body cavity, characterized in that an air bubble and dust trap means for preventing air bubbles, dust, etc. from flowing into the tip cover is provided in a flow passage for an ultrasonic transmission medium formed at a connection part with a shaft. Diagnostic equipment.