Intracardiac ultrasound catheter and intracardiac ultrasound imaging equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to an intracardiac ultrasound catheter and intracardiac ultrasound imaging equipment, a catheter main body is provided with a bendable catheter section and a non-bendable catheter section in the axial direction, a holding device is arranged at the near-end area of the catheter main body, a circuit control unit is arranged in the holding device, an ultrasound transducer is arranged at the far-end area of the catheter main body, and the circuit control unit is arranged in the holding device. The flexible circuit connecting assembly is arranged in an inner cavity of the catheter body in a penetrating mode in the axial direction of the catheter body, the ultrasonic transducer is in data connection with a circuit control unit in the holding device through the flexible circuit connecting assembly, the flexible circuit connecting assembly comprises at least two flexible connecting elements, and the adjacent flexible connecting elements are connected to form circuit connecting nodes. The circuit connection node is located on the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body or in the inner cavity of the holding device, the ultrasonic transducer and the circuit control unit cannot form a weak point with the flexible connection element, and the weak point can be prevented from being damaged when the circuit connection node is located on the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body or in the inner cavity of the holding device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to an intracardiac ultrasound catheter and an intracardiac ultrasound imaging device. Background Art

[0002] Intracardiac ultrasound catheters, such as intracardiac ultrasound catheters, are medical devices used for cardiac diagnosis and surgical guidance. Intracardiac ultrasound catheters acquire cardiac images in real time by embedding an ultrasound probe into the patient's heart, and transmit the cardiac images to an external device for analysis and manipulation. Compared with transesophageal echocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography, intracardiac ultrasound catheters have the advantages of high-resolution imaging, non-invasive examination, real-time guidance and accurate positioning, versatility and multimodal imaging, and are widely used in the fields of intracardiac structure assessment, catheter interventional therapy, arrhythmia treatment assessment, air embolism detection, etc.

[0003] The intracardiac ultrasound catheter includes an ultrasound probe, a flexible circuit board or wire for connecting the ultrasound probe, a guide core tube, an operating rod, etc. For the intracardiac ultrasound catheter, imaging quality and stability are undoubtedly the most important performances of the intracardiac ultrasound catheter. At present, flexible circuit boards are mostly used for data connection in intracardiac ultrasound catheters. Although they have the advantages of flexibility, thinness, high-density wiring, good signal transmission performance, reliability and high efficiency, the intracardiac ultrasound catheter connected based on the flexible circuit board and the ultrasound equipment will have poor anti-shielding interference ability and poor connection strength, and it is easy to have too many image noise points, poor quality, or the image quality will be reduced after the intracardiac ultrasound catheter is bent multiple times. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an intracardiac ultrasound catheter and an intracardiac ultrasound imaging device to address at least one of the technical problems mentioned above.

[0005] The present application provides an intracardiac ultrasound catheter, the intracardiac ultrasound catheter comprising:

[0006] A catheter body, wherein the catheter body has a bendable catheter section and a non-bendable catheter section in its axial direction;

[0007] A holding device, wherein the holding device is arranged in the proximal region of the catheter body, and a circuit control unit is arranged in the holding device;

[0008] an ultrasonic transducer disposed in a distal region of the catheter body;

[0009] A flexible circuit connection component, wherein the flexible circuit connection component is inserted into the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, the ultrasonic transducer is data-connected with the circuit control unit in the holding device through the flexible circuit connection component, the flexible circuit connection component comprises at least two flexible connection elements, adjacent flexible connection elements are connected to form a circuit connection node, and the circuit connection node is located in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body or in the inner cavity of the holding device.

[0010] In one embodiment, the flexible circuit connection assembly includes:

[0011] a first flexible connecting element, wherein the distal end of the first flexible connecting element is integrally assembled and connected to the ultrasonic transducer, the first flexible connecting element penetrates the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, and the proximal end of the first flexible connecting element is located in the inner cavity of the holding device;

[0012] a second flexible connection element, wherein a proximal end of the second flexible connection element is integrally assembled and connected to the circuit control unit, and a distal end of the second flexible connection element is located in the inner cavity of the holding device;

[0013] The proximal end of the first flexible connection element is data-connected to the distal end of the second flexible connection element, and the connection position between the first flexible connection element and the second flexible connection element constitutes the circuit connection node in the inner cavity of the holding device.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first flexible connection element is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt, the first flexible connection element has a data connection terminal for connecting with the second flexible connection element, there are multiple first flexible connection elements, the multiple first flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connection element, and the multiple data connection terminals on the multiple first flexible connection elements are staggered in the length direction of the first flexible connection element; and / or,

[0015] The circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with a plurality of the second flexible connection elements, wherein the second flexible connection elements are strip-shaped flexible circuit connection strips, and the plurality of the second flexible connection elements have a flat state and a folded state, wherein the flat state indicates that the plurality of the second flexible connection elements are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the second flexible connection element, and the folded state indicates that the plurality of the second flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the second flexible connection element by folding, and there is a gap between adjacent second flexible connection elements.

[0016] In one embodiment, the data connection terminal comprises a plurality of signal lines and a plurality of ground lines, and the plurality of signal lines and the plurality of ground lines are sequentially spaced apart along a width direction of the first flexible connection element; and / or,

[0017] A grounding copper foil is arranged on the first flexible connecting element.

[0018] In one embodiment, a plurality of the first flexible connecting elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connecting element, and the plurality of the first flexible connecting elements have a plurality of bonding points in the length direction of the first flexible connecting element. A heat shrink tubing is provided between the adjacent bonding points in the length direction of the first flexible connecting element, and the heat shrink tubing is sleeved on the outside of the plurality of the first flexible connecting elements.

[0019] In one embodiment, the flexible circuit connection assembly includes:

[0020] a third flexible connecting element, wherein the distal end of the third flexible connecting element is integrally assembled and connected to the ultrasonic transducer, the third flexible connecting element is arranged in the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, and the proximal end of the third flexible connecting element is located in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body;

[0021] a fourth flexible connection element, wherein a proximal end of the fourth flexible connection element is integrally assembled and connected to the circuit control unit, and a distal end of the fourth flexible connection element is located in a non-bent catheter section of the catheter body;

[0022] The proximal end of the third flexible connection element is data-connected to the distal end of the fourth flexible connection element, and the connection position between the third flexible connection element and the fourth flexible connection element constitutes the circuit connection node in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body.

[0023] In one embodiment, the third flexible connection element is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt, the third flexible connection element has a data connection terminal for connecting to the fourth flexible connection element, the number of the third flexible connection elements is multiple, the multiple third flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the third flexible connection element, and the multiple data connection terminals on the multiple third flexible connection elements are staggered in the length direction of the third flexible connection element; and / or,

[0024] The circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with a plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements, and the fourth flexible connection elements are strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belts. The plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements have a flat state and a folded state. The flat state indicates that the plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the fourth flexible connection element, and the folded state indicates that the plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the fourth flexible connection element by folding, and there is a gap between adjacent fourth flexible connection elements.

[0025] In one of the embodiments, the inner cavity wall of the holding device is provided with a shielding layer.

[0026] In one embodiment, the circuit control unit comprises:

[0027] A main circuit board, wherein the main circuit board is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device;

[0028] A lock control device, the lock control device is arranged on the main circuit board;

[0029] A flexible transfer circuit board is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device, and the flexible transfer circuit board is data-connected to the circuit board through the locking control device, and the ultrasonic transducer is electrically connected to the flexible transfer circuit board of the circuit control unit through the flexible circuit connection component.

[0030] The present application provides an intracardiac ultrasonic imaging device, which includes the intracardiac ultrasonic catheter.

[0031] In the above-mentioned intracardiac ultrasound catheter and intracardiac ultrasound imaging equipment, neither the ultrasound transducer nor the circuit control unit will form a weak point due to data connection with the flexible connection element. Only the circuit connection node where two flexible connection elements are interconnected is formed by post-connection. Therefore, only the circuit connection node where two flexible connection elements are interconnected may produce a weak point due to post-connection. The circuit connection node is placed in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body or in the inner cavity of the holding device. Even if the catheter body is bent, the position of the circuit connection node will not be affected. Therefore, even if a weak point is generated in the circuit connection node, the risk of the weak point being affected can be reduced by adapting the relative position between the catheter body and the circuit connection node, thereby effectively improving the stability of the data connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an intracardiac ultrasound catheter provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 2A schematic structural diagram of a flexible circuit connection assembly provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 3 For Figure 2 A partially enlarged structural schematic diagram of a flexible circuit connection assembly is shown.

[0035] Figure 4 For Figure 2 A three-dimensional exploded structural schematic diagram of the flexible circuit connection component is shown.

[0036] Figure 5 For Figure 4 A partially enlarged structural schematic diagram of a flexible circuit connection assembly is shown.

[0037] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a signal line, a ground line, and a ground copper foil provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of bonding points and heat shrink tubing provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a flexible circuit connection assembly provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure Number:

[0041] 100. catheter body;

[0042] 1000. holding device; 2000. ultrasonic transducer; 3000. flexible circuit connection assembly;

[0043] 1000a, main circuit board; 1000b, lock control device; 1000c, flexible transfer circuit board;

[0044] 3000a, a first flexible connection element; 3000b, a second flexible connection element; 3000c, a third flexible connection element; 3000d, a fourth flexible connection element;

[0045] 3100, circuit connection node; 3100a, data connection terminal; 3000a1, signal line; 3000a2, grounding line; 3000a3, grounding copper foil; 3000a4, bonding point; 3000a5, heat shrink tubing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply 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 a limitation on the present application.

[0048] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0049] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0051] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0052] See also Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an intracardiac ultrasound catheter is provided in one embodiment of the present application. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter includes a catheter body 100, a holding device 1000, an ultrasonic transducer 2000 and a flexible circuit connection assembly 3000. The catheter body 100 has a bendable catheter segment and a non-bendable catheter segment in its axial direction. The holding device 1000 is arranged in the proximal region of the catheter body 100. A circuit control unit is arranged in the holding device 1000. The ultrasonic transducer 2000 is arranged in the distal region of the catheter body 100. The flexible circuit connection assembly 3000 is penetrated in the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 along the axial direction of the catheter body 100. The ultrasonic transducer 2000 is data-connected with the circuit control unit in the holding device 1000 through the flexible circuit connection assembly 3000. The flexible circuit connection assembly 3000 includes at least two flexible connection elements. Adjacent flexible connection elements are connected to construct a circuit connection node 3100. The circuit connection node 3100 is located in the non-bendable catheter segment of the catheter body 100 or in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000.

[0053] The catheter body 100 has an axially through-going inner cavity, so that at least the flexible circuit connection assembly 3000 can be arranged in the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 along the axial direction thereof. In order to more clearly describe the structure of the intracardiac ultrasound catheter, the term "distal end" is defined herein to refer to the end away from the operator during the surgical operation, and the "proximal end" refers to the end close to the operator during the surgical operation. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. Among them, the proximal end of the catheter body 100 refers to the distal end of the catheter body 100. Figure 1 On the right side of the diagram, the distal end of the catheter body 100 is shown as Figure 1 Left side shown.

[0054] The proximal region of the catheter body 100 may represent a region including its proximal end and a portion of the catheter region near the proximal end. The holding device 1000 is arranged in the proximal region of the catheter body 100, which may be located at the proximal end of the catheter body 100, or may be covered or built into a portion of the catheter region near the proximal end according to requirements. The distal region of the catheter body 100 may represent a region including its distal end and a portion of the catheter region near the distal end. The ultrasonic transducer 2000 is arranged in the distal region of the catheter body 100, which may be located at the distal end of the catheter body 100, or may be covered or built into a portion of the catheter region near the proximal end according to requirements. Those skilled in the art may select the assembly relationship between the catheter body 100, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the holding device 1000 according to actual assembly requirements, which is not limited here.

[0055] The ultrasonic transducer 2000 is a functional device that cooperates with the ultrasonic probe in the intracardiac ultrasonic catheter. The function of the ultrasonic transducer 2000 is to convert the input electrical power into mechanical power (i.e., ultrasonic waves) and then transmit it out, consuming very little power itself. The ultrasonic transducer 2000 needs to be data-connected with the circuit control unit in the holding device 1000 to transmit the acquired data. Since the ultrasonic transducer 2000 is at the distal end of the catheter body 100 and the holding device 1000 is located at the proximal end of the catheter body 100, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 needs to be connected to the circuit control unit of the holding device 1000 by means of data transmission components such as wires. In conventional designs, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 usually extends several bundles of short wires toward the proximal direction, and the several bundles of short wires are welded together with a slender flexible circuit board by pulse hot pressing and the like, and then the flexible circuit board is extended in the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 to connect the data with the proximal circuit control unit.

[0056] However, after research, it was found that the welding position of several bundles of short wires and the slender flexible circuit board is a very weak connection structure. For example, after the catheter body 100 is bent or other operations, it is easy to cause desoldering at the welding position, which leads to poor data transmission, too many image noise points and poor quality. It can be seen that if the data connection between the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the circuit control unit is not an integrally formed structure itself, but a position connected after a subsequent connection process, it is easy to produce weak points, which is also one of the important reasons for poor data transmission. In this regard, the present application provides a flexible circuit connection component 3000 for data connection of the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the circuit control unit, which is used to solve the problem of weak points caused by post-connection, wherein the flexible circuit connection component 3000 includes at least two flexible connection elements, and adjacent flexible connection elements are connected to construct a circuit connection node 3100, and the circuit connection node 3100 is a position where weak points are easily generated, so the circuit connection node 3100 can be placed in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body 100 or in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000.

[0057] In one of the embodiments, taking two flexible connection elements as an example, one of the flexible connection elements can be integrally assembled with the ultrasonic transducer 2000, so that there are no weak points between the flexible connection element and the ultrasonic transducer 2000 due to welding or other connection methods. Similarly, the other flexible connection element is also integrally assembled with the circuit control unit in the holding device 1000, so that there are no weak points between the flexible connection element and the circuit control unit due to welding or other connection methods.

[0058] At this point, after the two flexible connection elements are connected to each other, the data connection between the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the circuit control unit can be realized. The position where the two flexible connection elements are connected to each other constitutes a circuit connection node 3100, wherein neither the ultrasonic transducer 2000 nor the circuit control unit will form a weak point due to data connection with the flexible connection element, and only the circuit connection node 3100 where the two flexible connection elements are connected to each other is formed by post-connection, so only the circuit connection node 3100 where the two flexible connection elements are connected to each other may generate a weak point due to post-connection. If the circuit connection node 3100 is located in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body 100 or in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, even if the catheter body 100 is bent, it will not affect the position of the circuit connection node 3100. Therefore, even if the circuit connection node 3100 generates a weak point, the risk of the weak point being affected can be reduced by the adaptation construction of the relative position between the catheter body 100 and the circuit connection node 3100, effectively improving the stability of the data connection.

[0059] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the flexible circuit connection component 3000 includes a first flexible connection element 3000a and a second flexible connection element 3000b. The distal end of the first flexible connection element 3000a is integrally assembled and connected with the ultrasonic transducer 2000. The two can maintain a good data connection due to the integral assembly. Since there is no rear connection position, no weak point will be generated. The first flexible connection element 3000a is constructed as a long structure, so that the first flexible connection element 3000a can penetrate the entire catheter body 100 from the distal end of the catheter body 100 along the axial direction of the catheter body 100. The inner cavity of the catheter body 100 is directly connected to the proximal end of the catheter body 100, and the proximal end of the first flexible connection element 3000a is located in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, the proximal end of the second flexible connection element 3000b is integrally assembled and connected with the circuit control unit, the distal end of the second flexible connection element 3000b is located in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, the proximal end of the first flexible connection element 3000a is data-connected with the distal end of the second flexible connection element 3000b, and the connection position between the first flexible connection element 3000a and the second flexible connection element 3000b constitutes a circuit connection node 3100 in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000.

[0060] Based on the above layout, in the inner cavity of the entire catheter body 100, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the first flexible connection element 3000a are an integrally formed structure, and the circuit connection node 3100 of the first flexible connection element 3000a and the second flexible connection element 3000b is in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000. With the help of the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, the circuit connection node 3100 is protected. Even if the circuit connection node 3100 is prone to weak points, the quality of the data connection will not be reduced.

[0061] In order to more clearly describe the structure of the intracardiac ultrasound catheter, the length direction of the flexible connecting element is defined as follows: Figure 2 In the left and right directions shown, the width direction of the flexible connecting element is as follows Figure 2 In the vertical direction shown in FIG. 1 , the thickness direction of the flexible connection element is perpendicular to the plane where the length direction and the width direction are located. It should be noted that the flexible connection element shown here includes the following: Figure 2 and Figure 8 The first flexible connection element 3000a, the second flexible connection element 3000b, the third flexible connection element 3000c and the fourth flexible connection element 3000d mentioned in FIG.

[0062] Continue reading Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 can simultaneously lead out a plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a, for example Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, eight first flexible connection elements 3000a are led out at the same time, and 64 signal lines 3000a1 are constructed by using eight first flexible connection elements 3000a, corresponding to 64 array elements. In addition, those skilled in the art can select the number of first flexible connection elements 3000a according to actual needs, which is suitable for constructing a suitable number of array elements.

[0063] The first flexible connection element 3000a can be adopted as a variety of structures suitable for being inserted into the inner cavity of the catheter body 100. For example, in one embodiment, the first flexible connection element 3000a is adopted as a slender strip of flexible circuit connection belt. The first flexible connection element 3000a has a data connection terminal 3100a for connecting with the second flexible connection element 3000b. The data connection terminal 3100a can be, for example, a gold finger used for data connection of a flexible circuit board in the art. The data connection terminal 3100a includes a plurality of signal lines 3000a1, and the signal lines 3000a1 are used for data connection. The number of first flexible connection elements 3000a is multiple, and the multiple first flexible connection elements 3000a are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a, and the multiple data connection terminals 3100a on the multiple first flexible connection elements 3000a are staggered in the length direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a.

[0064] The interlacing of the plurality of data connection terminals 3100a is mainly manifested as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a are taken as the starting point of the ultrasonic transducer 2000, and the lengths of the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a stacked in the thickness direction are successively longer, so that the plurality of data connection terminals 3100a on the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a do not overlap in the thickness direction of the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a. This arrangement can facilitate the pressure welding process of the data connection terminals 3100a, avoid mutual friction and damage between the plurality of data connection terminals, and reduce the maximum thickness of the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a after stacking. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the plurality of first flexible connecting elements 3000a can be folded into strips in the thickness direction, that is, Figure 2 The state shown is folded into Figure 4 As shown in the state, pressure welding connection can be performed in the catheter body 100 with a smaller lumen diameter.

[0065] Continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, accordingly, the circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with a plurality of second flexible connection elements 3000b, the second flexible connection elements 3000b are strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belts, and the plurality of second flexible connection elements 3000b have a flat state and a folded state. The flat state indicates that the plurality of second flexible connection elements 3000b are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the second flexible connection element 3000b, and the folded state indicates that the plurality of second flexible connection elements 3000b are stacked in the thickness direction of the second flexible connection element 3000b by folding, and adjacent second flexible connection elements 3000b have a gap, so that the plurality of second flexible connection elements 3000b in the folded state can form a pressure-welded connection with the plurality of stacked first flexible connection elements 3000a.

[0066] The first flexible connection element 3000a may include a plurality of conductive traces, which may be used as signal transmission wires or power transmission wires. With the ultrasonic transducer 2000 as the terminal, the conductive traces of the first flexible connection element 3000a may be used as the core wire and the signal wire 3000a1 connecting the array elements of the ultrasonic transducer 2000. Figure 5 As shown, the distribution and connection sequence of the signal line 3000a1 in one mode are shown. Figure 5 The black part in the middle represents that the data connection terminal 3100a (such as a gold finger) is facing upward, and the signal line 3000a1 of the first flexible connection element 3000a is connected to the wire connected to the circuit control unit through the second flexible connection element 3000b by pressure welding of the data connection terminal 3100a. Figure 5 As can be seen in the figure, the circuit control unit has 16 wires, correspondingly connecting two first flexible connection elements 3000a through two second flexible connection elements 3000b. Similarly, all first flexible connection elements 3000a are connected in sequence, thereby completing the data connection of the entire intracardiac ultrasound catheter.

[0067] See also Figure 6 As shown, in order to improve the shielding performance of the overall transmission, the first flexible connection element 3000a is simultaneously arranged with multiple signal lines 3000a1 and multiple grounding lines 3000a2. In one embodiment, the arrangement method is such that the data connection terminal 3100a includes multiple signal lines 3000a1 and multiple grounding lines 3000a2, and the multiple signal lines 3000a1 and the multiple grounding lines 3000a2 are arranged in sequence along the width direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a. The grounding line 3000a2 is used to perform a shielding function, which separates the grounding line 3000a2 from the signal line 3000a1, and can absorb or disperse electromagnetic radiation parallel to the first flexible connection element 3000a, thereby reducing interference.

[0068] At the same time, the first flexible connection element 3000a is also provided with a grounding copper foil 3000a3. The introduction of the conductive copper foil can be used to reduce the electromagnetic radiation perpendicular to the length direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a. The grounding copper foil 3000a3 can be covered on the first flexible connection element 3000a by, for example, welding. The distance between the specific welding point of the grounding copper foil 3000a3 and the ultrasonic transducer 2000 needs to be adapted to the bending function of the catheter body 100. It is specifically arranged in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body 100 to avoid damage to the welding point when the bendable catheter section of the catheter body 100 is bent, thereby enhancing the stability of the catheter body 100. In this way, through the covering effect of the grounding wire 3000a2 and the grounding copper foil 3000a3, a "parallel-vertical" three-dimensional electromagnetic shielding effect is achieved, which greatly enhances the electromagnetic shielding effect of the first flexible connection element 3000a.

[0069] In order to further enhance the electromagnetic shielding effect of the first flexible connection element 3000a, the bundled multiple first flexible connection elements 3000a may be copper-clad, and the shielding copper foil formed by the copper-clad treatment is integrated into the surface of the first flexible connection element 3000a to shield or reduce the electromagnetic interference from the outside. In one embodiment, the inner cavity wall of the holding device 1000 may also be provided with a shielding layer, such as a metal shielding layer formed by aluminum spraying, zinc spraying, nickel alloy spraying, etc., and the inner metal wrapping layer can be formed by using metal material as the inner layer material of the inner cavity wall of the holding device 1000, which greatly reduces the external interference to the holding device 1000, improves the electromagnetic shielding performance of the intracardiac ultrasound catheter, and enhances the image display quality.

[0070] See also Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment, a plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a, the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a have a plurality of bonding points 3000a4 in the length direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a, a heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is provided between adjacent bonding points 3000a4 in the length direction of the first flexible connection element 3000a, and the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is sleeved on the outside of the plurality of first flexible connection elements 3000a. In addition, in order to minimize mutual interference and space utilization, the other functional elements that are simultaneously loaded into the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 together with the multiple first flexible connecting elements 3000a can also be arranged neatly in order and position to form an integrated wiring harness. According to the actual length of the integrated wiring harness, bonding points 3000a4 are set on the integrated wiring harness at an appropriate distance, and the multiple first flexible connecting elements 3000a are bonded and fixed with glue. The size of the glue droplets and the spacing of the glue dots are strictly controlled to avoid an increase in the thickness of the integrated wiring harness due to the glue.

[0071] Continue reading Figure 7 As shown, the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is passed through the integrated wiring harness in sections to ensure that the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is provided between two adjacent bonding points 3000a4, and the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is shrunk by heating. The initial inner cavity size of the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 should be sufficient for the integrated wiring harness to pass through. According to the heat shrink ratio conversion, the inner cavity cross-sectional area of ​​the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 after heat shrinking alone is required to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the integrated wiring harness, so that the integrated wiring harness can be wrapped and tightened after the heat shrink sleeve 3000a5 is heat shrunk, so as to keep the integrated wiring harness neat and compact and reduce the interference of loose parts.

[0072] In this way, the entire integrated wiring harness can form an alternating bundling structure of "casting section-heat shrinkage section". Compared with assembly methods such as pure potting glue casting, the alternating bundling structure of "casting section-heat shrinkage section" can ensure the flexibility of the integrated wiring harness while maintaining neatness and compactness, so as to smoothly pass through the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 with a smaller lumen, and will not affect the bending shape of the overall catheter body 100.

[0073] See also Figure 8 As shown, in another embodiment, the flexible circuit connection component 3000 includes a third flexible connection element 3000c and a fourth flexible connection element 3000d. The structure and principle of the third flexible connection element 3000c can refer to the first flexible connection element 3000a, and the structure and principle of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d can refer to the second flexible connection element 3000b. The distal end of the third flexible connection element 3000c is integrally assembled and connected with the ultrasonic transducer 2000, and the proximal end of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d is integrally assembled and connected with the circuit control unit. The difference is that the third flexible connection element 3000c is integrally assembled and connected with the ultrasonic transducer 2000. Component 3000c is penetrated in the inner cavity of the catheter body 100 along the axial direction of the catheter body 100, and the proximal end of the third flexible connection element 3000c is located in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body 100, and the distal end of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d is located in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body 100, the proximal end of the third flexible connection element 3000c is data-connected with the distal end of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d, and the connection position of the third flexible connection element 3000c and the fourth flexible connection element 3000d constitutes a circuit connection node 3100 in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body 100.

[0074] Based on the above layout, in the inner cavity of the entire catheter body 100, the ultrasonic transducer 2000 and the third flexible connection element 3000c are an integrally formed structure, and the circuit control unit and the fourth flexible connection element 3000d are an integrally formed structure, so there are no weak points. The circuit connection node 3100 of the third flexible connection element 3000c and the fourth flexible connection element 3000d is located in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body 100. Since the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body 100 does not bend in actual use, it can protect the circuit connection node 3100. Even if the circuit connection node 3100 is prone to weak points, the quality of the data connection will not be reduced. The bendable catheter segment and the non-bendable catheter segment of the catheter body 100 can be constructed according to the actual use requirements of the catheter body 100. For example, the catheter body 100 can be divided into two sections, the section located at the distal end is constructed as a bendable catheter segment, and the section located at the proximal end is constructed as a non-bendable catheter segment. In addition, those skilled in the art can construct the positions and quantities of the bendable catheter segments and the non-bendable catheter segments in the catheter body 100 according to actual needs. Therefore, the circuit connection node 3100 only needs to be adapted and set according to the distribution of the non-bendable catheter segment, and is not limited here.

[0075] The third flexible connection element 3000c is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt, and the third flexible connection element 3000c has a data connection terminal 3100a for connecting to the fourth flexible connection element 3000d. There are multiple third flexible connection elements 3000c, and the multiple third flexible connection elements 3000c are stacked in the thickness direction of the third flexible connection element 3000c, and the multiple data connection terminals 3100a on the multiple third flexible connection elements 3000c are staggered in the length direction of the third flexible connection element 3000c. The specific structure, functional principle, and technical effect of the third flexible connection element 3000c can be referred to the first flexible connection element 3000a, and will not be elaborated here.

[0076] The circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with multiple fourth flexible connection elements 3000d. The fourth flexible connection element 3000d is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt. The multiple fourth flexible connection elements 3000d have a flat state and a folded state. The flat state means that the multiple fourth flexible connection elements 3000d are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d. The folded state means that the multiple fourth flexible connection elements 3000d are stacked in the thickness direction of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d by folding, and there is a gap between adjacent fourth flexible connection elements 3000d. The specific structure, functional principle, and technical effect of the fourth flexible connection element 3000d can be referred to the second flexible connection element 3000b, and will not be repeated here.

[0077] In one embodiment, the circuit control unit includes a main circuit board 1000a, a locking device 1000b and a flexible transfer circuit board 1000c, the main circuit board 1000a is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, the locking device 1000b is arranged on the main circuit board 1000a, the flexible transfer circuit board 1000c is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device 1000, and the flexible transfer circuit board 1000c is connected to the circuit board data through the locking device 1000b, and the ultrasonic transducer 2000 is electrically connected to the flexible transfer circuit board 1000c of the circuit control unit through the flexible circuit connection component 3000. After the flexible circuit connection component 3000 is connected to the flexible transfer circuit board 1000c through the data connection terminal 3100a such as the gold finger by pressure welding or the like, it can be connected to the main circuit board 1000a through the locking device 1000b, and then connected to the adapted ultrasonic device.

[0078] The present application provides an intracardiac ultrasound imaging device, which includes an intracardiac ultrasound catheter. Since the specific structure, functional principle, and technical effect of the intracardiac ultrasound catheter are all described in detail in the previous text, they will not be repeated here. Any technical content related to the intracardiac ultrasound catheter can refer to the previous text.

[0079] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0080] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An intracardiac ultrasound catheter, characterized in that: The intracardiac ultrasound catheter comprises: A catheter body, wherein the catheter body has a bendable catheter section and a non-bendable catheter section in its axial direction; A holding device, wherein the holding device is arranged in the proximal region of the catheter body, and a circuit control unit is arranged in the holding device; an ultrasonic transducer disposed in a distal region of the catheter body; A flexible circuit connection component, wherein the flexible circuit connection component is inserted into the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, the ultrasonic transducer is data-connected with the circuit control unit in the holding device through the flexible circuit connection component, the flexible circuit connection component comprises at least two flexible connection elements, adjacent flexible connection elements are connected to form a circuit connection node, and the circuit connection node is located in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body or in the inner cavity of the holding device.

2. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible circuit connection assembly comprises: a first flexible connecting element, wherein the distal end of the first flexible connecting element is integrally assembled and connected to the ultrasonic transducer, the first flexible connecting element penetrates the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, and the proximal end of the first flexible connecting element is located in the inner cavity of the holding device; a second flexible connection element, wherein a proximal end of the second flexible connection element is integrally assembled and connected to the circuit control unit, and a distal end of the second flexible connection element is located in the inner cavity of the holding device; The proximal end of the first flexible connection element is data-connected to the distal end of the second flexible connection element, and the connection position between the first flexible connection element and the second flexible connection element constitutes the circuit connection node in the inner cavity of the holding device.

3. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first flexible connection element is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt, the first flexible connection element has a data connection terminal for connecting with the second flexible connection element, there are multiple first flexible connection elements, the multiple first flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connection element, and the multiple data connection terminals on the multiple first flexible connection elements are staggered in the length direction of the first flexible connection element; and / or, The circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with a plurality of the second flexible connection elements, wherein the second flexible connection elements are strip-shaped flexible circuit connection strips, and the plurality of the second flexible connection elements have a flat state and a folded state, wherein the flat state indicates that the plurality of the second flexible connection elements are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the second flexible connection element, and the folded state indicates that the plurality of the second flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the second flexible connection element by folding, and there is a gap between adjacent second flexible connection elements.

4. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The data connection terminal comprises a plurality of signal lines and a plurality of ground lines, and the plurality of signal lines and the plurality of ground lines are sequentially arranged at intervals along a width direction of the first flexible connection element; and / or, A grounding copper foil is arranged on the first flexible connecting element.

5. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that: Multiple first flexible connecting elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the first flexible connecting element, and multiple first flexible connecting elements have multiple bonding points in the length direction of the first flexible connecting element. A heat shrink tube is arranged between the adjacent bonding points in the length direction of the first flexible connecting element, and the heat shrink tube is sleeved on the outside of the multiple first flexible connecting elements.

6. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible circuit connection assembly comprises: a third flexible connecting element, wherein the distal end of the third flexible connecting element is integrally assembled and connected to the ultrasonic transducer, the third flexible connecting element is arranged in the inner cavity of the catheter body along the axial direction of the catheter body, and the proximal end of the third flexible connecting element is located in the non-bent catheter section of the catheter body; a fourth flexible connection element, wherein a proximal end of the fourth flexible connection element is integrally assembled and connected to the circuit control unit, and a distal end of the fourth flexible connection element is located in a non-bent catheter section of the catheter body; The proximal end of the third flexible connection element is data-connected to the distal end of the fourth flexible connection element, and the connection position between the third flexible connection element and the fourth flexible connection element constitutes the circuit connection node in the non-bending catheter section of the catheter body.

7. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The third flexible connection element is a strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belt, the third flexible connection element has a data connection terminal for connecting to the fourth flexible connection element, the number of the third flexible connection elements is multiple, the multiple third flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the third flexible connection element, and the multiple data connection terminals on the multiple third flexible connection elements are staggered in the length direction of the third flexible connection element; and / or, The circuit control unit is integrally assembled and connected with a plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements, and the fourth flexible connection elements are strip-shaped flexible circuit connection belts. The plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements have a flat state and a folded state. The flat state indicates that the plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements are arranged side by side in the same plane along the width direction of the fourth flexible connection element, and the folded state indicates that the plurality of the fourth flexible connection elements are stacked in the thickness direction of the fourth flexible connection element by folding, and there is a gap between adjacent fourth flexible connection elements.

8. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner cavity wall of the holding device is provided with a shielding layer.

9. The intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The circuit control unit comprises: A main circuit board, wherein the main circuit board is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device; A lock control device, the lock control device is arranged on the main circuit board; A flexible transfer circuit board is arranged in the inner cavity of the holding device, and the flexible transfer circuit board is electrically connected to the circuit board through the locking control device, and the ultrasonic transducer is electrically connected to the flexible transfer circuit board of the circuit control unit through the flexible circuit connection component.

10. An intracardiac ultrasound imaging device, characterized in that: The intracardiac ultrasound imaging device comprises the intracardiac ultrasound catheter according to any one of claims 1-9.

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