JPH0370549A - Support device of echograph transducer, especially echo cardiograph transducer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To save a time for changing a transducer by making possible extremely large displacement of an angle for a normal lime against a contact surface, and making rotatable around circumference of a fixing point near to a patient as much as possible. CONSTITUTION: Two half circle-shaped hoops 20, 20' are rotatably fixed to anaxes (X)(Y) extended in a common surface of a base 10 and a carrier of a transducer, and are crossed to each other, and a fixed flat surface is parallel to a base surface, and located adjacent to a contact surface 13, and each of the hoop has a slot 21, 21' extended in almost whole length, and the carrier is situated at a crossing place between both hoop slots. Therefore, a transducer 50 can rotate around an own axis without movement of a base or the hoop, a position of the hoop and carrier assembly is fixed by screwing a nut 40 arranged at the carrier as a locking of the assembly. By means of this way, a facing direction of the carrier can be adjusted in the corn of a top angle 90 deg., and the transducer can be dismantled by loosening an inner sleeve while clamping a locking means.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an echograph transducer (a transducer for an echo examination device), particularly an echocardiography transducer (a transducer for an echo electrocardiogram examination device). Relating to a support device.

[Prior art and its problems] This type of support device is known in particular from French patent no. 81 06
882 and 86 16 064, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3 893 449 and 4 483 344.

These support devices hold the transducer at one point on the patient's body while allowing the angular position of the transducer axis to be adjusted to a certain extent relative to the surface against which the transducer is in contact. The purpose of this angular positioning is to orient the transducer at the organ being examined, since it is not always possible to place the transducer directly above the organ being examined. be.

Therefore, when performing an echocardiogram, the doctor first locates the intercostal window in the patient's chest, then presses the transducer against said location, and finally searches for the best viewing angle to be examined. Aim the transducer at the desired area of the heart.

The above patent includes: a base having a contact surface suitable for being pressed against a region of a patient's body to be examined;

a transducer carrier that removably receives the transducer and urges the transducer axially toward the patient's body; means for attaching a user carrier onto the base;
A transducer support apparatus is described comprising locking means for locking the transducer carrier in position.

In practice, the transducer carrier can be pivoted around a point located in the vicinity of the contact surface, as described in French Patent No. 8106882 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,344. It is desirable to do so.

However, problems arise with the support devices described in these two patents, since the angular range around the normal to the contact surface over which the transducer carrier is free to pivot is small. However, this drawback is
The degree consists in the fact that the transducer carrier is mounted on a device capable of translation in two orthogonal directions in order to change the point of contact without changing the position of the base, and the base is fixed to the patient's body by a strap. However, this complicates the mechanical structure of the transducer support and is time consuming since various parts of the transducer carrier must be removed in order to change the transducer. It will take a while.

[Summary of the Invention] One of the objects of the present invention is that, with respect to the normal to the contact surface,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transducer support device of the type described above, which alleviates the above-mentioned disadvantages by allowing very large angular displacements and by ensuring that the rotation is carried out around a fixation point as close as possible to the patient's body.

In the present invention, the means for attaching the transducer carrier to the base comprises two semicircular hoops rotatably mounted on respective mutually perpendicular axes extending in a common plane; a plane parallel to the plane of the base and proximate the contact surface, each of the hoops having an elongated slot extending over a majority of its length, the transducer carrier comprising: It's in both hoop slots, where they intersect.

The following configuration: the transducer carrier is generally cylindrical so that the transducer can rotate about its own axis without moving the base or the hoop, and the locking means are , from a nut disposed on a threaded portion of the transducer carrier, the portion projecting outwardly of the hoop, and tightening the nut fixes the position of the hoop and transducer carrier assembly. I am admonishing you to do so.

It is advantageous to have an arrangement in which the orientation of the transducer carrier can be adjusted within a cone with an apex angle of 90°, the axis of the cone being perpendicular to the contact surface.

Next, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The drawings show a transducer support device comprising components 10 to 40 and supporting an echographic transducer 50. FIG.

The transducer support device includes a generally circular base lO
The base has four planes 11 arranged at right angles.
．． 11' and receiving pins 12 on orthogonal axes X and Y.
and 12'.

These axes intersect at a point O in the center of the base and extend in a common plane parallel to the contact surface 13, which is pressed against the patient's body via the pad 14. The common plane is slightly spaced from the surface 13.

The pins 12 and 12' are connected to two movable hoops 2 of the same shape.
0,20', and the hoop 20 is slightly larger than 20° so that it can pass over the hoop 20'. These hoops each pivot around a pin 12, 12' and have a protective protrusion 15, 15' on the base to prevent the hoops from rubbing against the patient's body and thereby impeding their rotation. is provided. Each hoop has an elongated slot 21.2 extending over most of its length.
1' are provided and the transducer carrier 30 passes through these slots where they intersect.

In order to allow the two hoops to move relative to each other without leaving a gap between them, the top surface 22' of the lower hoop 20' and the bottom surface 23 of the upper hoop 20 are of the same hemisphere. It is a surface.

The transducer carrier 30 is provided with suitable means for receiving the transducer therein, such as a body 31 for receiving a cylindrical sheath 32 with an internal sleeve 33 for clamping the transducer 50. Consists of.

Sheath 32 and therefore transducer 50.

Sheath 32 and transducer body 31
It is resiliently biased downwardly by a spring 34 inserted into the transducer carrier between an inwardly facing shoulder 35 of the transducer carrier.

The sheath 32 is also prevented from rotating (about the longitudinal axis Z of the transducer) by a peg 36, which is fixed to the body of the transducer carrier 31 and 32 and is formed around the axis Z
It shares a groove 37 extending parallel to the .

The body 31 has a threaded portion 38 on its outer surface which projects outwardly of the hoops 20, 20' and receives a knurled nut 40, which can be placed in the desired angular position! ! This makes it possible to reliably lock the position of the assembly after discovery. When this nut is loosened, the body of the transducer carrier is held in the hoop by the spring clip 39.

This structure allows the assembly to be locked in a single clamping motion without disassembling the transducer carrier.

Since the transducer is inserted from above and held in place by the sleeve, it is fixed in the device so that the transducer can be removed with the locking means clamped, i.e. without disassembling the transducer carrier or compromising the adjustment. User can be removed.

Additionally, the method of holding transducers using sleepers allows the use of transducers of different diameters without intervening spacers, and the maximum diameter is simply the transducer of the largest diameter. It is designed to accept users.

Finally, to find the optimal inspection angle, all you need to do is
The physician can easily handle this system with one hand, as it is only a matter of loosening the nut 40 slightly and tightening the nut 40 after reaching that position. When the angular position of the transducer is adjusted, the transducer is at point O
rotate around. That is, its center of rotation is effectively the same as the point of contact between the transducer and the patient's body.

Finally, in order to apply the contact gel to the end of the transducer without disassembling the base or transducer carrier, lift the transducer slightly during inspection and then remove the transducer from the It is easy to return it to the same position it occupied.

[Effect of the Invention J As explained above, according to the present invention, the angular range in which the transducer carrier can freely rotate can be widened, and the mechanical structure of the transducer support device can be simplified. A further advantage is that the transducer can be changed without removing various parts of the transducer carrier.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transducer support device of the present invention with an echographic transducer attached thereto. FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views in the plane and the arranged position. 10: Base 20: Semicircular hoop 21 Nice slot 30: Transducer carrier 50 Transducer X, Y: Axis

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) a support device for an echographic transducer, in particular an echocardiographic transducer, comprising a base (10) having a contact surface suitable for being pressed against the region of the patient's body to be examined; a transducer carrier (30) for removably receiving a transducer (50) and biasing the transducer axially toward the patient's body; and for orienting the transducer carrier by pivoting about a point proximate the contact surface. means for reversibly mounting the transducer carrier on the base; and locking means (40) for locking the transducer carrier in position, the means for mounting the transducer carrier on the base in a common plane. Two semicircular hoops (20, 20
'), the plane of which is parallel to the plane of the base and in the vicinity of the contact surface, and each of the hoops has an elongated slot (21, 21') extending over most of its length.
), wherein the transducer carrier is placed in both hoop slots where they intersect. (2) the transducer carrier comprises a sheath (32) open at its upper end to receive the transducer without separating the base from the patient's body and without changing the degree of adjustment of the hoop; Transducer support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the is provided with an inner sleeve (33) for fixing the transducer within the transducer carrier. 3. The transducer carrier is generally cylindrical so that the transducer can be rotated about its own axis without moving the base or the hoop. Transducer support device. (4) the locking means includes a nut (40) disposed on the threaded portion (38) of the transducer carrier;
2. A transducer carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion thereof projects outside the hoop and that tightening the nut provides a locking movement which merely fixes the position of the hoop and transducer carrier assembly. Transducer support device. 5. The transducer support device of claim 1, wherein the transducer carrier is orientable within a cone with a 90° apex angle, the axis of the cone being perpendicular to the contact surface.