Rotatable in-vivo ultrasound device

Abstract

The invention provides in-vivo ultrasonic equipment (100) capable of rotating. The in-vivo ultrasonic equipment (100) is beneficial for realizing three-dimensional imaging of internal tissues of a human body when an ultrasonic image is acquired. The in-vivo ultrasonic equipment (100) capable of rotating comprises an ultrasonic probe (1), a channel needle (2) and a handle (300), wherein the ultrasonic probe (1) comprises a long-strip-shaped hard probe shell and an ultrasonic assembly (13) located at the far end of the probe shell; the ultrasonic probe (1) is located in the channel needle (2), the near end of the channel needle (2) is connected with the handle (300), and the far end of the channel needle (2) is a sharp tip; a steering motor (51) is contained in the handle (300) and used for driving an ultrasonic probe (1) arranged in the channel needle (2) to rotate along the axis of the ultrasonic probe (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ultrasound equipment, and in particular to a rotatable intracorporeal ultrasound equipment. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasonic probes are commonly used medical detection equipment, which are equipped with ultrasonic transducers (or ultrasonic components). The basic working principle is that the shell of the ultrasonic probe is in good contact with the surface of human skin through a coupling agent, and the sound waves are transmitted from the surface of the ultrasonic transducer to the soft tissue in the form of pulse beams. Part of the sound waves are absorbed by the tissue, and part is reflected back to the ultrasonic transducer for detection. The ultrasonic probe can process many pulse beams instantly, thereby generating real-time images for diagnosis. The shorter the wavelength and the higher the frequency of the sound wave, the higher the resolution of the image obtained. Therefore, in order to obtain clear ultrasonic images, high-frequency ultrasonic probes are usually used. However, high-frequency pulses attenuate more in soft tissues, which means that high-frequency sound waves may not be fully reflected back from deep structures for detection by ultrasonic transducers.

[0003] For certain locations inside the human body, such as tumors, detection equipment is generally unable to reach the location through the body's natural cavities (such as the esophagus, rectum, etc.), so ultrasonic detection can only be performed on the skin surface. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain high-definition images, let alone achieve three-dimensional imaging. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application proposes a rotatable in-vivo ultrasound device, which helps to achieve three-dimensional imaging of internal tissues of the human body when acquiring ultrasound images.

[0005] According to one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a rotatable in-vivo ultrasound device is provided, comprising an ultrasound probe, a channel needle, and a handle, wherein: the ultrasound probe comprises an elongated hard probe shell and an ultrasound component located at the distal end of the probe shell; the ultrasound probe is located in the channel needle, the proximal end of the channel needle is connected to the handle, and the distal end of the channel needle is a sharp tip; a steering motor is housed in the handle, and the steering motor is used to drive the ultrasound probe disposed in the channel needle to rotate along its own axis.

[0006] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the probe housing includes a long slot and an ultrasound component mounting position located at a distal end of the long slot, and the ultrasound component is configured to be located in the ultrasound component mounting position.

[0007] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the thickness of the probe shell at the ultrasound component mounting position is greater than the depth of the long slot; the ultrasound component mounting position has a guide slope, which starts from the top of the slot at one end where the long slot is connected to the ultrasound component mounting position and extends toward the middle of the ultrasound component mounting position along the length direction of the long slot.

[0008] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally but not limitingly, an outer diameter of the probe housing at a location where the ultrasound component is installed does not exceed 3 mm.

[0009] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the ultrasound probe further comprises a flexible circuit board disposed in the long slot, a distal end of the flexible circuit board is connected to the ultrasound component, and a proximal end thereof is used to connect to an ultrasound host.

[0010] According to an aspect of the in vivo ultrasound device of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the in vivo ultrasound device also includes a tee, a first straight tube is formed between the outlet of the tee and the first inlet of the tee, a second straight tube is formed between the middle opening of the first straight tube and the second inlet of the tee, and an angle is formed between the first straight tube and the second straight tube; and the channel needle passes through the first straight tube.

[0011] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, a steering motor and a gear set are accommodated inside the housing of the handle; the gear set is connected to the steering motor and to the ultrasound probe.

[0012] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the gear set is composed of a connecting gear and a steering gear, wherein: the connecting gear is sleeved on the shaft of the steering motor; the steering gear is sleeved on the ultrasound probe and is located near the proximal end of the channel needle, that is, the proximal end of the ultrasound probe, and the steering gear is meshed with the connecting gear.

[0013] According to the in vivo ultrasound apparatus of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally but not limitingly, the steering angle of the steering motor is ±90°.

[0014] According to the technical solution of the present application, the ultrasonic probe adopts a hard probe shell and is placed in the channel needle. The motor in the handle can drive the ultrasonic probe in the channel needle to rotate along its own axis via a gear set, thereby realizing three-dimensional imaging of ultrasonic images inside the human body through the rotation of the ultrasonic probe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the present application will now be described according to its preferred embodiments, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of an in-vivo ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exploded state of some components of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the main components inside the handle of the intracorporeal ultrasound device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The implementation modes of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exploded state of some components of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the main components of the handle of the intracorporeal ultrasound device in the exemplary embodiment of the present application. In the following description, only for the sake of convenience, the device user, i.e., the surgeon, will be described as follows. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The upper left in the figure is described as the distal end, and the lower right is described as the proximal end; and Figure 3 The lower right in the figure is described as the distal end, and the upper left in the figure is described as the proximal end.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the percutaneous surgical device 100 includes a percutaneous surgical device 200 and a handle 300. The percutaneous surgical device includes an ultrasonic probe 1, a channel needle 2, and a three-way tube 4. The probe housing of the ultrasonic probe 1 includes an ultrasonic component mounting position 11 and a long slot 12. Figure 2 As shown, the ultrasonic component 13 of the ultrasonic probe 1 is arranged in the ultrasonic component installation position 11. The ultrasonic component 13 is a component for generating / receiving ultrasonic waves, which includes an ultrasonic transducer, a component for emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving returned sound waves and realizing acoustic-electrical and electrical-acoustic conversion.

[0021] The ultrasound probe 1 is disposed in the hollow channel needle 2. Sufficient space is formed in the channel needle 2, so that after the ultrasound probe 1 is placed therein, the slender strip required for the operation can also be placed therein. For example, when an ablation operation is required, the flexible ablation needle 3 can be placed in the channel needle. For another example, when the tissue needs to be flushed, a water pipe can be placed in the channel needle. In this embodiment, for illustrative purposes only, the placement of the ablation needle 3 will be used as an example for explanation.

[0022] The distal end of the channel needle 2 is a sharp tip, so that the channel needle 2 can penetrate the skin, so that the ultrasound probe 1 penetrates the skin to enter the human body and perform ultrasound detection, rather than entering the human body through the human cavity and performing ultrasound detection. An opening 21 is provided on the tube wall near the distal end of the channel needle 2, and the width of the opening 21 is set to occupy a range of 120° in the circumferential direction of the channel needle 2, and the length is set to be longer than the acoustic window of the ultrasound probe 1. In addition, because of the need to perform ablation surgery, the ablation needle 3 also needs to be set in the channel needle 2 and the ablation end 31 needs to extend from the opening 21, so the length of the opening 21 must also be sufficient to leave a corresponding extension space for the ablation end 31.

[0023] The proximal end of the channel needle 2 is connected to the outlet 411 of the three-way tube 4. The three-way tube 4 includes a first straight tube 41 and a second straight tube 42. The ablation needle 3 can be configured as a flexible ablation needle, and its ablation end 31 enters the channel needle 2 from the second inlet 421 and then extends from the opening 21. Figure 2 In the figure, the opening at the top of the long slot 12 is shown as facing Figure 2 In the upper right corner, the thickness of the ultrasonic component installation position 11 (the probe housing is Figure 2 The dimension from the lower left to the upper right of the long groove 12 is greater than the depth of the long groove 12 (i.e. the dimension from the bottom to the top of the long groove 12). Considering the overall size of the in vivo ultrasound device, the outer diameter of the probe housing at the ultrasound component installation position 11 is set to be no more than 3 mm.

[0024] At the position of the ultrasonic component installation position 11 near the long slot 12, a guiding slope 111 is provided, which facilitates the flexible ablation needle 3 to advance in the channel needle 2, so that the ablation end 31 can smoothly extend from the opening 21. When the ablation needle 3 is placed in the channel needle 2, the ablation needle tail 33 is positioned outside the second straight tube 42, so as to form a certain angle with the ablation needle body 32, and the ablation needle body 32 also forms a certain angle with the ablation end 31, so the ablation end 31 can be swung left and right by manipulating the ablation needle tail 33, thereby improving the flexibility of the ablation operation.

[0025] The distal end of the handle 300 is connected to the proximal end of the long slot 12. That is, the long slot 12 serves to connect the ultrasonic component installation position 11 with the handle 300. The slot shape can better utilize the space in the channel needle 2, and the ablation needle body 32 is placed in the slot of the long slot 12, which helps to reduce the diameter of the channel needle 2. A circuit board can also be set in the long slot 12, preferably a flexible circuit board, the distal end of the flexible circuit board is connected to the ultrasonic component 13, and the proximal end of the flexible circuit board can be used to connect to the ultrasonic host, thereby connecting the ultrasonic component 13 to the ultrasonic host (not shown in the figure).

[0026] like Figure 3As shown, a steering motor 51 and a gear set 55 are contained in the handle housing 50 of the handle 300. The gear set 55 may include a steering gear 52 which is sleeved on the ultrasonic probe 1 and located near the proximal end of the channel needle 2, and a connecting gear 53 which is sleeved on the shaft of the steering motor. The steering gear 52 and the connecting gear 53 are meshed so that when the steering motor 51 rotates, the ultrasonic probe 1 can rotate around its own axis. The maximum angle of rotation can be limited according to the width of the opening 21. The steering motor 51 can use a stepping motor to improve the steering accuracy. A forward button 501 and a reverse button 502 of the channel needle 2 can be set on the handle housing 50, which are used to control the ultrasonic probe 1 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise respectively. From the initial position, that is, the position where the longitudinal midline of the ultrasonic component 13 is aligned with the longitudinal center of the window 21, the steering motor 51 can rotate 90° in the forward or reverse direction.

[0027] According to the technical solution of the implementation mode of the present application, the ultrasound probe adopts a hard probe shell, which is placed in the channel needle. The motor in the handle can drive the channel needle to rotate along the axis of the channel needle via a gear set, thereby driving the ultrasound probe to rotate, thereby realizing three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound images in the human body.

[0028] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of this application. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions may occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included in the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A rotatable intracorporeal ultrasound device (100), characterized in that: The invention comprises an ultrasonic probe (1), a channel needle (2), and a handle (300), wherein: The ultrasonic probe (1) comprises a long hard probe shell and an ultrasonic component (13) located at the distal end of the probe shell; The ultrasound probe (1) is arranged to be located inside the channel needle (2), the proximal end of the channel needle (2) is connected to the handle (300), and the distal end of the channel needle (2) is a sharp tip; The handle (300) contains a steering motor (51), and the steering motor (51) is used to drive the ultrasound probe (1) disposed in the channel needle (2) to rotate along its own axis.

2. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that The probe housing comprises a long slot (12) and an ultrasonic component installation position (11) located at the distal end of the long slot (12), and the ultrasonic component (13) is arranged to be located in the ultrasonic component installation position (11).

3. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the probe housing at the ultrasonic component installation position (11) is greater than the depth of the long groove (12); The ultrasonic component installation position (11) has a guiding inclined surface (111), and the guiding inclined surface (111) starts from the top of the groove at one end of the long groove (12) connected to the ultrasonic component installation position (11), and extends toward the middle of the ultrasonic component installation position (11) along the length direction of the long groove (12).

4. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the probe housing at the ultrasonic component mounting position (11) is set to be no more than 3 mm.

5. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe (1) further comprises a flexible circuit board arranged in the long slot (12), the distal end of the flexible circuit board being connected to the ultrasonic component (13), and the proximal end of the flexible circuit board being used for connecting to an ultrasonic host.

6. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also comprises a three-way pipe (4), wherein a first straight pipe (41) is formed between an outlet (411) of the three-way pipe (4) and a first inlet (431) of the three-way pipe (4), a second straight pipe (42) is formed between a middle opening of the first straight pipe (41) and a second inlet (421) of the three-way pipe (4), and an angle is formed between the first straight pipe (41) and the second straight pipe (42); The channel needle (2) passes through the first straight tube (41).

7. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The steering motor (51) and the gear set (55) are accommodated inside the housing of the handle (300); The gear set (55) is connected to the steering motor (51) and to the ultrasonic probe (1).

8. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gear set (55) is composed of a connecting gear (53) and a steering gear (52), wherein: The connecting gear (53) is sleeved on the shaft of the steering motor (51); The steering gear (52) is sleeved on the ultrasound probe (1) and is located near the proximal end of the channel needle (2), and the steering gear (52) is meshed with the connecting gear (53).

9. The intracorporeal ultrasound device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The steering angle of the steering motor (51) is ±90°.

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