Volume probe

Abstract

The invention discloses a volume probe which comprises a probe base, a transducer assembly, a motor and a transmission mechanism, a rotating shaft is arranged on the probe base, the transducer assembly is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the motor is fixedly connected to the probe base, and the motor drives the transducer assembly to swing back and forth through the transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism comprises a driving bevel gear fixedly connected to an output shaft of the motor and a driven bevel gear fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the driven bevel gear is meshed with the driving bevel gear, and the driven bevel gear comprises a flexible connecting part located in the middle. A first-stage transmission structure in which the driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear are matched is adopted, and the advantages of being simple and compact in overall structure, smaller in size, lighter in weight and more labor-saving in grabbing are achieved; and the driven bevel gear can slightly swing relative to the driving bevel gear through the flexible connecting part in the middle, so that the fit clearance between the driven bevel gear and the driving bevel gear is smaller, and the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism in the transmission process are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic medical treatment, and in particular to a volume probe. Background Art

[0002] A volume probe is an ultrasonic probe that uses an ultrasonic imaging system for three-dimensional imaging. Its working process is as follows: the ultrasonic imaging system controls the rotation of the motor inside the volume probe, and the motor drives the transducer to swing back and forth within a certain range through the transmission system. During the swinging process, the transducer emits ultrasonic waves at a certain distance and receives echoes with human tissue information; secondly, the ultrasonic imaging system processes the two-dimensional information collected at different positions and synthesizes it into a three-dimensional image.

[0003] Since the volume probes are mostly operated by hand, the weight and volume of the volume probes should not be too large. Accordingly, the size of the stepper motor used in the volume probes should not be too large. Generally, a 20*20mm stepper motor is used. However, the driving force of a 20*20mm stepper motor is relatively small, and it is difficult to achieve large-angle and high-speed swing of the transducer, which in turn affects the scanning imaging quality. Moreover, due to the limitation of the volume probe volume, the structure for transmitting motor power to the transducer is generally a two-stage transmission structure. However, the two-stage transmission structure has a complex structure, heavy weight, and occupies a large space, which is not conducive to the design requirements of miniaturization and lightweight of the volume probe.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design a volume probe with a simple structure, small size, light weight, and the ability to ensure that the transmitted motor output power is sufficient to enable the transducer to achieve large-angle and high-speed swing. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the volume probe in the prior art, such as complex transmission structure, large volume and heavy weight, so as to provide a volume probe.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A volume probe comprises a probe base, a transducer assembly, a motor and a transmission mechanism, wherein the probe base is provided with a rotating shaft, the transducer assembly is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the motor is fixedly connected to the probe base, and the motor drives the rotating shaft and the transducer assembly to reciprocate around the axis of the rotating shaft through the transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism comprises a driving bevel gear fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor, and a driven bevel gear fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the driven bevel gear is meshed with the driving bevel gear.

[0008] Furthermore, the driven bevel gear includes an axial portion fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, a tooth-shaped portion having a toothed structure meshing with the active bevel gear, and a flexible connection portion integrally connected between the axial portion and the tooth-shaped portion; the flexible connection portion has flexibility that allows it to deflect relative to the axial portion.

[0009] Further, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the thickness of the flexible connection portion is smaller than the thickness of the axial core portion.

[0010] Furthermore, the flexible connection portion is fan-shaped, the tooth-shaped portion is fan-shaped, and the tooth-shaped portion is located on the fan-shaped outer circle of the flexible connection portion.

[0011] Furthermore, the rotation centerline of the active bevel gear is colinear with the central axis of the rotating shaft, and the rotation centerline of the active bevel gear is perpendicular to the rotation centerline of the active bevel gear.

[0012] Furthermore, the motor is fixedly mounted on a motor bracket, the probe base is provided with a connecting arm extending toward one side of the motor bracket, and the motor bracket is fixedly connected to the connecting arm via a detachable locking member.

[0013] Further, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the distance between the driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear is adjustable.

[0014] Furthermore, the connecting arm is provided with a plurality of first connecting holes, and the motor bracket is provided with a plurality of second connecting holes, and the plurality of second connecting holes and the plurality of first connecting holes are arranged in corresponding positions one by one, and at least one of the second connecting holes and the first connecting holes is a strip hole, and the length direction of the strip hole is arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the locking piece passes through the second connecting hole and the first connecting hole to fix the motor bracket on the connecting arm.

[0015] Furthermore, the pitch circle of the driving bevel gear is smaller than the pitch circle of the driven bevel gear.

[0016] Furthermore, the transducer assembly includes a transducer fixing bracket and a transducer fixedly connected to the transducer fixing bracket, the transducer fixing bracket is fixed to the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the probe base through a bearing seal, and the probe base is connected to a probe shell acoustic window covering the outer periphery of the transducer.

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] 1. In the volume probe provided by the present invention, the driving bevel gear is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor, the driven bevel gear is connected to the transducer assembly and rotates around the axis of the same rotating shaft, the driving bevel gear is meshed with the driven bevel gear, so that the motor finally drives the transducer assembly to perform reciprocating swing using only one set of bevel gears. This bevel gear transmission structure not only has the advantages of smooth transmission, high efficiency, and strong torque transmission capability, but also, compared with the two-stage transmission structure in the traditional volume probe, makes the overall structure of the volume probe simpler and more compact, smaller in size, lighter in weight, and easier to grasp.

[0019] 2. The volume probe provided by the present invention is provided with a flexible connection part having flexibility between the axis center part and the tooth-shaped part of the driven bevel gear. After the driving bevel gear is close to the driven bevel gear, the driven bevel gear is subjected to the force of the driving bevel gear, and the flexible connection part deflects relative to the axis center part. The elastic force generated by the flexible connection part after deflection drives the tooth-shaped part to mesh closely with the driving bevel gear, thereby making the meshing clearance between the driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear smaller, reducing the influence of the reverse clearance between the driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear on the transmission accuracy, and being conducive to improving the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism during the transmission process. In addition, the way in which the tooth-shaped part is connected to the flexible connection part can form a buffer structure design between the tooth-shaped part and the driving bevel gear. The buffer structure design can not only reduce the impact and wear during the transmission process, improve the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism, and extend the life of the transmission mechanism, but also absorb the vibration in the transmission mechanism to reduce noise.

[0020] 3. For the volume probe provided by the present invention, when the reverse clearance between the active bevel gear and the driven bevel gear is too small, the motor will be unable to drive the transmission mechanism, resulting in the transducer assembly being unable to swing back and forth; when the reverse clearance between the active bevel gear and the driven bevel gear is too large, the transducer assembly will swing irregularly, ultimately resulting in unqualified images scanned by the volume probe, and will also generate relatively large noise; the structural design with adjustable clearance between the active bevel gear and the driven bevel gear can control the reverse clearance between the active bevel gear and the driven bevel gear within an appropriate range, thereby avoiding the problem of the active bevel gear and the driven bevel gear being too tight or too loose.

[0021] 4. In the volume probe provided by the present invention, the pitch circle of the active bevel gear is smaller than the pitch circle of the driven bevel gear. Such a design can transmit torque well. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a volume probe provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a volume probe provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the transmission relationship between the motor, the driving bevel gear and the driven bevel gear in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the driven bevel gear and the right rotating shaft in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the right rotating shaft, the left rotating shaft and the probe base in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the motor, the motor bracket and the active bevel gear in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1. probe base; 1a. connecting arm; 21. transducer fixing bracket; 22. transducer; 3. motor; 3a. output shaft; 41. driving bevel gear; 42. driven bevel gear; 42a. axial portion; 42b. tooth-shaped portion; 42c. flexible connection portion; 5. rotating shaft; 6. motor bracket; 61. second connecting hole; 7. locking piece; 8. bearing seal; 9. driving bevel gear connector; 10. probe housing acoustic window; 11. screw; 13. driving bevel gear connector locking screw; 14. screw; 15. pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 A volume probe is shown, which is mainly used for three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging. The volume probe includes a probe base 1, a transducer assembly, a motor 3 and a transmission mechanism. Among them, a pair of rotating shafts 5 are arranged in a straight line and symmetrically arranged at both ends of the probe base 1, and the rotating shafts 5 are connected to the probe base 1 around their own axial rotation; the transducer assembly includes a transducer fixing bracket 21 fixedly connected to the pair of rotating shafts 5, and a transducer 22 fixedly connected to the transducer fixing bracket 21; the motor 3 is fixedly connected to the probe base 1; the transmission mechanism is connected between the motor 3 and a rotating shaft 5 located on the right side of the figure, and the motor 3 drives the rotating shaft 5 to rotate around its own axis through the transmission mechanism, and then drives the transducer 22 to swing back and forth around the axis of the rotating shaft 5.

[0034] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the transmission mechanism includes a driving bevel gear 41 fixedly connected to the output shaft 3a of the motor 3, and a driven bevel gear 42 fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 5, and the driven bevel gear 42 is meshed with the driving bevel gear 41. The driving bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 are vertically arranged and matched with each other, the rotation center line of the driving bevel gear 41 is colinear with the central axis of the rotating shaft 5, and the rotation center line of the driving bevel gear 41 is perpendicular to the rotation center line of the driving bevel gear 41; the motor 3 drives the driving bevel gear 41 to reciprocate and then drives the driven bevel gear 42 to swing back and forth.

[0035] In this volume probe, the driving bevel gear 41 is fixedly connected to the output shaft 3a of the motor 3, the driven bevel gear 42 is connected to the transducer assembly and rotates around the axis of the same rotating shaft 5, the driving bevel gear 41 is meshed with the driven bevel gear 42, so that the motor 3 ultimately drives the transducer 22 to do reciprocating swing using only one set of bevel gears, and this bevel gear transmission structure not only has the advantages of smooth transmission, high efficiency, and strong torque transmission capability, but also compared with the two-stage transmission structure in the traditional volume probe, the overall structure of the volume probe is simpler and more compact, smaller in size, lighter in weight, and easier to grasp.

[0036] Specifically, the pitch circle of the active bevel gear 41 is smaller than the pitch circle of the driven bevel gear 42 ; with such a design, the active bevel gear 41 can well transmit the torque to the driven bevel gear 42 .

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, a probe housing acoustic window 10 which is covered on the periphery of the transducer 22 is fixedly connected to the probe base 1, and a pair of rotating shafts 5 are rotatably connected to the probe base 1 through bearing seals 8. The setting of the bearing seals 8 can ensure the sealing of the sealing liquid in the probe housing acoustic window 10.

[0038] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the driven bevel gear 42 includes an axial portion 42a fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 5, a tooth-shaped portion 42b having a tooth structure meshing with the active bevel gear 41, and a flexible connection portion 42c integrally connected between the axial portion 42a and the tooth-shaped portion 42b; the flexible connection portion 42c has the flexibility to deflect relative to the axial portion 42a under the action of an external force. In the axial direction of the rotating shaft 5, the thickness of the flexible connection portion 42c is less than the thickness of the axial portion 42a. The flexible connection portion 42c is fan-shaped, and the tooth-shaped portion 42b is fan-shaped. The tooth-shaped portion 42b is integrally formed on the fan-shaped outer circle of the flexible connection portion 42c, and the axial portion 42a is fixed to the rotating shaft 5 by screws 14. During assembly, the active bevel gear 41 is placed close to the driven bevel gear 42. After the driven bevel gear 42 is subjected to the force of the active bevel gear 41, the flexible connection portion 42c deflects relative to the axial portion 42a, and the tooth-shaped portion 42b and the flexible connection portion 42c deflect a short distance in the direction away from the active bevel gear 41. The elastic force generated by the flexible connection portion 42c after deflection drives the tooth-shaped portion 42b to mesh closely with the active bevel gear 41, thereby making the meshing clearance between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 smaller, which is beneficial to improving the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism during transmission. In addition, the way in which the tooth-shaped portion 42b is connected to the flexible connection portion 42c can form a buffer structure design between the driven bevel gear 42 and the active bevel gear 41. The buffer structure design can not only reduce the impact and wear during the transmission process, improve the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism, and extend the life of the transmission mechanism, but also absorb the vibration in the transmission mechanism to reduce noise.

[0039] like Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, the motor 3 is fixedly mounted on a motor bracket 6 by a plurality of screws 14, the driving bevel gear 41 is fixed on the output shaft 3a of the motor 3 by the driving bevel gear connector 9, and the driving bevel gear connector 9 is fixed together with the output shaft 3a of the motor 3 by the driving bevel gear connector locking screw 13; the driving bevel gear 41, the motor 3 and the motor bracket 6 constitute a driving bevel gear assembly. In an alternative embodiment, the driving bevel gear 41 can also be directly fixed on the output shaft 3a of the motor 3.

[0040] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the probe base 1 is integrally formed with a connecting arm 1a extending toward one side of the motor bracket 6, and the motor bracket 6 is fixedly connected to the connecting arm 1a by a plurality of detachable locking members 7, and the locking members 7 are specifically locking screws. The connecting arm 1a is provided with a plurality of first connecting holes (not shown in the figure), and the motor bracket 6 is provided with a plurality of second connecting holes 61, and the plurality of second connecting holes 61 and the plurality of first connecting holes are arranged in a one-to-one position corresponding to each other, and the connecting arm 1a and the motor bracket 6 are fixed together by a plurality of locking members 7 passing through the second connecting holes 61 and the first connecting holes. By fixing the motor bracket 6 to the connecting arm 1a by a plurality of locking members 7, the motor 3 on the motor bracket 6 and the probe base 1 can be stably kept relatively still, thereby avoiding the position deviation of the active bevel gear 41 on the output shaft 3a of the motor 3, and improving the transmission stability of the transmission mechanism. In an alternative embodiment, the locking and loosening of the motor bracket 6 and the connecting arm 1a can also be achieved by using a locking knob or other structure.

[0041] When assembling the active bevel gear 41 assembly, push the active bevel gear assembly to the right so that the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 are close to each other, and then tighten the locking piece 7 to fix the active bevel gear assembly on the connecting arm 1a of the probe base 1. When the reverse clearance between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 is too small, the motor 3 will not be able to drive the transmission mechanism, resulting in the transducer being unable to swing back and forth; when the reverse clearance between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 is too large, the transducer will swing irregularly, eventually resulting in the image scanned by the volume probe being unqualified, and a large noise will also be generated. In the embodiment of the present invention, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 5, the spacing between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 is adjustable. With such a structural design, the clearance between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 can be controlled within a suitable range, thereby avoiding the problem of the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 being too tight to cause the transmission to fail or the problem of the transducer 22 swinging irregularly and affecting the imaging quality of the probe scanning due to the too loose fit.

[0042] like Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown, the plurality of first connection holes are all circular holes, the plurality of second connection holes 61 are all bar holes, the length direction of the bar holes is arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 5, and the locking member 7 passes through the second connection holes 61 and the first connection holes to fix the motor bracket 6 on the connecting arm 1a. When the motor bracket 6 is assembled, the gap between the active bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 is adjusted by relative movement between the motor bracket 6 and the base. In some alternative embodiments, the first connection hole is a bar hole, the second bar hole is a circular hole, or the first connection hole and the second bar hole are both bar holes.

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown, the two rotating shafts 5 are fixed to the two ends of the transducer fixing bracket 21 through pins 15 respectively.

[0044] In summary, the volume probe provided by the present invention has a primary transmission mechanism in which a driving bevel gear 41 and a driven bevel gear 42 are matched, and has the advantages of simple and compact overall structure, smaller volume, lighter weight, and easier gripping; and the toothed portion 42b of the driven bevel gear 42 can swing slightly relative to the axial portion 42a through the middle flexible connection portion 42c, so that the matching clearance between the driven bevel gear 42 and the driving bevel gear 41 is smaller, which is conducive to improving the stability and accuracy of the transmission mechanism during transmission. In addition, the structural design of the adjustable clearance between the driving bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 can control the clearance between the driving bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 within a suitable range, avoiding the problem of the driving bevel gear 41 and the driven bevel gear 42 being too tight or too loose.

[0045] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for the purpose of clear explanation, and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here. The obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A volume probe, It is characterized in that The invention comprises a probe base (1), a transducer assembly, a motor (3) and a transmission mechanism, wherein the probe base (1) is provided with a rotating shaft (5), the transducer assembly is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (5), the motor (3) is fixedly connected to the probe base (1), and the motor (3) drives the rotating shaft (5) and the transducer assembly to swing back and forth around the axis of the rotating shaft (5) through the transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism comprises a driving bevel gear (41) fixedly connected to an output shaft (3a) of the motor (3), and a driven bevel gear (42) fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (5), and the driven bevel gear (42) is meshed with the driving bevel gear (41).

2. The volume probe according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The driven bevel gear (42) comprises an axial core portion (42a) fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (5), a tooth-shaped portion (42b) having a tooth-shaped structure meshing with the driving bevel gear (41), and a flexible connection portion (42c) integrally connected between the axial core portion (42a) and the tooth-shaped portion (42b); the flexible connection portion (42c) has the flexibility to deflect relative to the axial core portion (42a).

3. The volume probe according to claim 2, It is characterized in that In the axial direction of the rotating shaft (5), the thickness of the flexible connection portion (42c) is smaller than the thickness of the axial core portion (42a).

4. The volume probe according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The flexible connection portion (42c) is fan-shaped, the tooth-shaped portion (42b) is fan-shaped, and the tooth-shaped portion (42b) is located on the fan-shaped outer circle of the flexible connection portion (42c).

5. The volume probe according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The rotation center line of the active bevel gear (41) is colinear with the central axis of the rotating shaft (5), and the rotation center line of the active bevel gear (41) is perpendicular to the rotation center line of the active bevel gear (41).

6. The volume probe according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The motor (3) is fixedly mounted on a motor bracket (6); the probe base (1) is provided with a connecting arm (1a) extending toward one side of the motor bracket (6); the motor bracket (6) is fixedly connected to the connecting arm (1a) via a detachable locking member (7).

7. The volume probe according to claim 6, It is characterized in that In the axial direction of the rotating shaft (5), the distance between the driving bevel gear (41) and the driven bevel gear (42) is adjustable.

8. The volume probe according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The connecting arm (1a) is provided with a plurality of first connecting holes, and the motor bracket (6) is provided with a plurality of second connecting holes (61). The plurality of second connecting holes (61) and the plurality of first connecting holes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with each other. At least one of the second connecting holes (61) and the first connecting holes is a strip hole, and the length direction of the strip hole is arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft (5). The locking member (7) passes through the second connecting hole (61) and the first connecting hole to fix the motor bracket (6) on the connecting arm (1a).

9. The volume probe according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The pitch circle of the active bevel gear (41) is smaller than the pitch circle of the driven bevel gear (42).

10. The volume probe according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The transducer assembly comprises a transducer fixing bracket (21) and a transducer (22) fixedly connected to the transducer fixing bracket (21); the transducer fixing bracket (21) is fixed to the rotating shaft (5); the rotating shaft (5) is rotatably connected to the probe base (1) via a bearing seal (8); and the probe base (1) is connected to a probe housing acoustic window (10) covering the outer periphery of the transducer (22).

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