Volume ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a volume ultrasonic probe and ultrasonic equipment. The volume ultrasonic probe comprises a probe shell, a sound head base, a sound head assembly, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly and a detection element with a detection range of a preset distance, the sound head assembly is arranged in a sound head cavity defined by the sound head base and the probe shell, the sound head assembly comprises a rotating shaft structure, an array element structure and a positioning structure which are relatively fixed, and the rotating shaft structure is rotationally arranged on the sound head base; the driving assembly drives the rotating shaft structure through the transmission assembly to drive the array element structure and the positioning structure to synchronously swing around the central axis of the rotating shaft structure; the detection element is fixed on the sound head base, and the detection element and the sound head assembly are oppositely arranged in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis. Through cooperation of the detection element and the positioning structure, the detection element is triggered when the positioning structure enters the detection range, the central position of the sound head can be directly positioned, the positioning process is prevented from being influenced by factors such as structural system errors, and the accuracy and stability of central positioning are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of medical devices, and particularly relates to a volumetric ultrasound probe and an ultrasound device. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, a volumetric ultrasound probe mainly obtains three-dimensional or four-dimensional image data of a measured part by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals while the acoustic head in the probe swings or rotates. Among them, the regulation of the position of the acoustic head (such as the swinging direction, swinging angle, etc.) is mainly realized based on the centered position of the acoustic head in the probe (also known as the zero position, initial position).

[0003] In most existing volumetric ultrasound probes, the centered positioning of the acoustic head is achieved by the shaft end of the driving component. For example, based on the preset positional relationship between the acoustic head and the shaft end of the stepper motor, the centered position of the acoustic head is indirectly determined by detecting the rotation angle of the shaft end of the stepper motor. However, affected by factors such as the structural system error (such as assembly error, etc.) of the probe, there are often problems of poor centering such as errors between the actual centered position and the preset centered position of the acoustic head in clinical applications. Thus, not only can the accurate positioning of the acoustic head not be achieved, affecting the accuracy in scenarios such as intervention, but also when the volumetric ultrasound probe fails, the position of the acoustic head cannot be accurately determined and the problem cannot be clearly identified. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The main technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a volumetric ultrasound probe and an ultrasound device applying the probe, which can achieve precise positioning of the acoustic head.

[0005] According to a first aspect, in one embodiment, a volumetric ultrasound probe is provided, including:

[0006] A probe housing;

[0007] An acoustic head base, the acoustic head base is arranged in the probe housing, the acoustic head base is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the probe housing, and an acoustic head chamber is formed by enclosing the acoustic head base and the probe housing;

[0008] An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly is arranged in the acoustic head chamber, the acoustic head assembly includes a rotating shaft structure and an array structure for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, the array structure is fixed to the rotating shaft structure, and the rotating shaft structure is rotatably arranged on the acoustic head base;

[0009] A driving component, which is arranged inside the probe housing and is on the side opposite to the acoustic head chamber; the driving component is connected to the rotating shaft structure through a transmission component; the driving component is used to generate a swinging force that drives the rotating shaft structure to drive the array element structure to swing around the central axis of the rotating shaft structure; the transmission component is used to transmit the swinging force; and

[0010] A detection element, which is fixedly arranged on the acoustic head base; in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the detection element is arranged opposite to the acoustic head assembly, and the detection element has a detection range with a predetermined distance in the radial direction;

[0011] Wherein, the acoustic head assembly further includes a positioning structure that swings synchronously with the array element structure; during the process of the positioning structure swinging synchronously with the array element structure, when the distance between the positioning structure and the detection element is less than or equal to the detection range, the detection element is triggered.

[0012] In one embodiment, the rotating shaft structure includes a rotating shaft and a passive wheel, the rotating shaft and the passive wheel are coaxially and fixedly arranged along the central axis, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the acoustic head base, the array element structure is fixed to the rotating shaft, the driving component is connected to the passive wheel through the transmission component, and the positioning structure is arranged on one side of the passive wheel along the central axis;

[0013] Wherein, the positioning structure and the rotating shaft are of an integral structure, or the positioning structure is detachably fixed to the rotating shaft.

[0014] In one embodiment, the positioning structure includes a positioning protrusion, and the positioning protrusion protrudes from the rotating shaft along the radial direction; when the positioning protrusion enters the detection range, the positioning protrusion can receive the detection signal projected by the detection element, and the positioning protrusion can also reflect the received detection signal to the detection element.

[0015] In one embodiment, the positioning protrusion has a positioning surface and a contour surface other than the positioning surface in the circumferential direction formed by the radial direction around the central axis, and the contour surface is connected to the positioning surface; wherein:

[0016] When the contour surface reaches the position aligned with the detection element, the distance between the contour surface and the detection element is greater than the detection range;

[0017] When the positioning surface reaches the position aligned with the detection element, the distance between the positioning surface and the detection element is equal to or less than the detection range, so that the positioning surface can receive and reflect the detection signal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the projection shape of the positioning protrusion in the direction of the central axis is an isosceles trapezoid or an isosceles triangle, and the plane where the top side of the positioning protrusion is located or the straight line where the vertex is located is the positioning surface, and the positioning surface is used to receive and reflect the detection signal.

[0019] In one embodiment, in the direction of the central axis, the size of the positioning surface is larger than the size of the signal transceiver end of the detection element.

[0020] In one embodiment, the array element structure and the positioning structure are fixedly arranged on two symmetric sides along the central axis; when the positioning structure enters the detection range, the center line of the array element structure, the center line of the positioning structure, and the center line of the detection element are coplanar.

[0021] In one embodiment, a midpoint position and two limit positions are defined along the swinging trajectory of the array element structure, the midpoint position is equidistant or equiangular between the two limit positions, and the detection element is located at a position corresponding to the midpoint position.

[0022] In one embodiment, a receiving groove is provided on one side of the acoustic head base facing the acoustic head assembly, groove bases are arranged on both sides of the receiving groove, the rotating shaft structure is rotatably arranged on the groove bases, the detection element is arranged in the receiving groove, and the positioning structure swings synchronously with the array element structure in the receiving groove.

[0023] In one embodiment, the acoustic head base further has a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity communicates with the receiving groove at the bottom of the receiving groove, the detection element is inserted and fixed in the receiving cavity, and the signal transceiver end of the detection element protrudes into the receiving groove.

[0024] In one embodiment, the detection element is an optoelectronic sensor or an acoustic-electric sensor.

[0025] In one embodiment, the detection element includes an optical fiber sensor.

[0026] In one embodiment, the detection range of the optical fiber sensor is less than or equal to 50 mm.

[0027] In one embodiment, the volumetric ultrasound probe is an intracavitary volumetric ultrasound probe, and the probe housing includes an insertion housing and a handle housing; the insertion housing is used to insert into human tissue during ultrasonic imaging; the handle housing is used to control the insertion of the insertion housing and the swinging of the acoustic head assembly when the insertion housing inserts into human tissue; wherein:

[0028] The acoustic head assembly is disposed in the acoustic head chamber formed by enclosing the insertion housing and the acoustic head base; the drive assembly is disposed in the drive chamber formed by enclosing the handle housing and the acoustic head base.

[0029] According to a second aspect, an embodiment provides a volumetric ultrasound probe, including:

[0030] A probe housing;

[0031] An acoustic head base, the acoustic head base is disposed in the probe housing, the acoustic head base is fixedly connected or integrally formed with the probe housing, and an acoustic head chamber is formed by enclosing the acoustic head base and the probe housing;

[0032] An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly is disposed in the acoustic head chamber, the acoustic head assembly includes a rotating shaft structure and an array element structure for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, the array element structure is fixed to the rotating shaft structure, and the rotating shaft structure is rotatably disposed on the acoustic head base;

[0033] A drive assembly, the drive assembly is disposed in the probe housing and on a side opposite to the acoustic head chamber; the drive assembly is connected to the rotating shaft structure through a transmission assembly; the drive assembly is used to generate a swinging force that drives the rotating shaft structure to drive the array element structure to swing around the central axis of the rotating shaft structure; the transmission assembly is used to transmit the swinging force; and

[0034] A detection element, the detection element is fixedly disposed on the acoustic head base; in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the detection element is disposed opposite to the acoustic head assembly;

[0035] Wherein, the acoustic head assembly further includes a positioning structure that swings synchronously with the array element structure, the positioning structure is used to cooperate with the detection element; when the positioning structure swings synchronously with the array element structure and reaches a position aligned with the detection element, the positioning structure can make the detection signal projected by the detection element pass through or penetrate, so as to trigger the detection element.

[0036] In one embodiment, the positioning structure includes a through-hole structure, the through-hole structure penetrates the rotating shaft structure along the radial direction, and the through-hole structure is used for the detection signal projected by the detection element to pass through.

[0037] According to a third aspect, an embodiment provides an ultrasonic device, including:

[0038] The volumetric ultrasound probe according to the first aspect or the second aspect, the volumetric ultrasound probe is used to emit ultrasonic waves to a target tissue and receive corresponding echo signals;

[0039] An ultrasound main unit, connected to the volumetric ultrasound probe, for processing the echo signals to generate ultrasound images; and

[0040] A display device, connected to the ultrasound main unit, for displaying the ultrasound images.

[0041] The volumetric ultrasound probe according to the above embodiment includes a probe housing, a sound head base, a sound head assembly, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly, and a detection element; the sound head assembly is disposed in a sound head chamber formed by the sound head base and the probe housing, and the sound head assembly includes a relatively fixed rotating shaft structure, an array element structure, and a positioning structure, and the rotating shaft structure is rotatably disposed on the sound head base; the driving assembly drives the rotating shaft structure to drive the array element structure and the positioning structure to swing synchronously around the central axis of the rotating shaft structure through the transmission assembly; the detection element is fixed to the sound head base, the detection element and the sound head assembly are relatively disposed in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, and the detection element has a detection range with a predetermined distance in the radial direction.

[0042] On the one hand, by using the cooperation between the detection element and the positioning structure, during the process that the positioning structure swings synchronously with the array element structure, when the distance between the positioning structure and the detection element is less than or equal to the detection range, the positioning structure enters the detection range to trigger the detection element to output a centering signal indicating that the sound head assembly reaches the centering position, so as to directly position the centering position of the sound head or the whole probe, avoid the influence of factors such as structural system errors during the positioning process, and effectively improve the accuracy and stability of centering positioning. On the other hand, the detection element is fixed to the sound head base and does not move in space with the swing of the sound head, which is beneficial to wiring the detection element, reduces the structural assembly difficulty of the whole probe, and improves the stability of the structural system. Description of the Drawings

[0043] Figure 1 It is a schematic exploded view of the structure of the sound head part in a volumetric ultrasound probe of an embodiment.

[0044] Figure 2 It is a schematic sectional view of the structure of the sound head part in a volumetric ultrasound probe of an embodiment.

[0045] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram (I) of the positional relationship between the detection element and the positioning structure in a volumetric ultrasound probe of an embodiment.

[0046] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation principle between the detection element and the positioning structure in a volumetric ultrasound probe of an embodiment.

[0047] Figure 5 For Figure 4 The enlarged schematic view of the structure of area A in

[0048] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the principle of the fixed position of the detection element in a volumetric ultrasound probe according to an embodiment.

[0049] Figure 7 Schematic diagram (II) of the cooperation principle between the detection element and the positioning structure in a volumetric ultrasound probe according to an embodiment.

[0050] Figure 8 Reference schematic diagram of the outer contour structure of an intracavitary volumetric ultrasound probe according to an embodiment.

[0051] Figure 9 Reference schematic diagram of the structure of an ultrasound device according to an embodiment.

[0052] In the figure:

[0053] 10. Sound head base; 10a. Accommodating groove; 10b. Groove base; 20. Sound head assembly; 21. Rotating shaft structure; 21a. Rotating shaft; 21b. Driven wheel; 22. Array element structure; 23. Positioning structure; 23a. Mounting part; 23b. Positioning protrusion; 30. Detection element; 40. Driving assembly; 51. Insertion housing; 52. Handle housing;

[0054] A1. Midpoint position; A2. Extreme position; L1. Central axis; P1. Positioning surface; P2. Contour surface;

[0055] 100. Volumetric ultrasound probe; 200. Ultrasound main unit; 300. Display device; 400. Cable. Detailed implementation manners

[0056] The present utility model will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings through specific implementation manners. Similar elements in different implementation manners are labeled with related similar element numbers. In the following implementation manners, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, which is to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0057] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be reordered or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are only for clearly describing a certain embodiment and do not mean a necessary sequence, unless it is stated otherwise that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0058] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any sequential or technical meaning. And as used in this application, "connection" and "coupling", unless otherwise specified, both include direct and indirect connection (coupling).

[0059] Please refer to Figure 9 , an embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasonic device, including an ultrasonic main unit 200, a display device 300, and a volumetric ultrasonic probe 100; wherein, the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 can be an ultrasonic probe applicable to external diagnosis or an intracavitary volumetric probe applicable to internal diagnosis, and the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 is mainly used to emit ultrasonic signals to a human target tissue and receive corresponding echo signals; the ultrasonic main unit 200 is connected to the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 and is used to process the echo signals to generate ultrasonic images; the display device 300 is connected to the ultrasonic main unit 200 and is mainly used to display the ultrasonic images for doctors to perform medical diagnosis.

[0060] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 9 , the ultrasonic main unit 200 can be a desktop main unit, the display device 300 is arranged on the ultrasonic main unit 200, a socket is provided on the ultrasonic main unit 200, the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 is connected with a cable 400, one end of the cable 400 far away from the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 is provided with a plug, and the plug can be plugged into the socket of the ultrasonic main unit 200, so as to realize the signal connection between the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100 and the ultrasonic main unit 200. Of course, the ultrasonic main unit 200 can also be a portable main unit integrated with the display device 300.

[0061] The following mainly introduces the volumetric ultrasonic probe 100. Other components of the ultrasonic device can refer to the prior art and will not be elaborated here. Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 , the volumetric ultrasonic probe includes a probe housing, a sound head base 10, a sound head assembly 20, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly 40, and other functional components as required.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8, the acoustic head base 10 can be fixedly connected to the probe housing by means of snap connection, bonding, etc., or can be integrally formed with the probe housing; the acoustic head base 10 is arranged inside the probe housing so that the acoustic head base 10 and the probe housing enclose an acoustic head chamber, and the acoustic head assembly 20 is arranged in the acoustic head chamber. The acoustic head assembly 20 includes a rotating shaft structure 21 and an array element structure 22; the array element structure 22 is fixed to the rotating shaft structure 21 and is mainly used for transmitting ultrasonic signals and receiving corresponding echo signals; the rotating shaft structure 21 is rotatably arranged on the acoustic head base 10, thereby restricting the acoustic head assembly 20 in the acoustic head chamber.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8 , both the driving component and the transmission component 40 are arranged inside the probe housing and are on the side opposite to the acoustic head chamber (for example, the driving component is arranged on the side of the acoustic head base 10 facing away from the acoustic head chamber); the driving component is connected to the rotating shaft structure 21 through the transmission component 40; by means of the driving component, a swinging force can be generated to drive the rotating shaft structure 21 to drive the array element structure 22 to swing around the central axis L1 of the rotating shaft structure 21; and the transmission component 40 transmits the swinging force to the rotating shaft structure 21, so that the array element structure 22 can obtain image information of the measured part by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals during the process of swinging around the central axis L1.

[0064] It should be noted that the specific structural composition of the driving component and the transmission component 40 can be selected and configured with reference to the prior art according to the application scenarios of the volumetric ultrasound probe 100 (such as in vitro diagnosis, in vivo diagnosis), etc.; for example, the driving component and the transmission component 40 can be composed of a driving motor, gears, rope wheels, rigid ropes, etc. in combination, which will not be elaborated here.

[0065] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 6 , the volumetric ultrasound probe 100 further includes a detection element 40, and the detection element 40 can be an optoelectronic sensor (such as an optical fiber sensor, an infrared sensor, etc.) or an acoustic-electric sensor (such as an ultrasonic sensor); the detection element 40 is fixedly arranged on the acoustic head base 10; for example, please refer to Figure 6 , a midpoint position A1 and two limit positions A2 are defined along the swinging trajectory of the array element structure 22; among them, the midpoint position A1 is equidistant or equiangularly located between the two limit positions A2. It can be understood that the two limit positions A2 define the swinging stroke of the array element structure 22; and the detection element 40 is fixedly arranged at the position of the acoustic head base 10 corresponding to the midpoint position A1.

[0066] Meanwhile, in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1, the detection element 40 is arranged opposite to the acoustic head assembly 20, and the detection element 40 has a detection range H with a predetermined distance in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1.

[0067] Correspondingly, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 , the acoustic head assembly 20 further includes a positioning structure 23 for cooperating with the detection element 40 to detect and position the angular position of the swing of the acoustic head assembly 20 (specifically, the array element structure 22); the positioning structure 23 is fixedly arranged relative to the rotating shaft structure 21 and the array element structure 22, etc., so that the positioning structure 23 can swing around the central axis L1 synchronously with the array element structure 22; for example, the positioning structure 23 can be fixedly arranged on the rotating shaft structure 21, or the positioning structure 23 can also be arranged on other components of the acoustic head assembly 20. In this way, during the rotation of the rotating shaft structure 21, by utilizing the relationship that the positioning structure 23 can be synchronously driven with the array element structure 22 or the whole acoustic head assembly 20, the movement of the positioning structure 23 can synchronously reflect the swing condition of the array element structure 22 or the whole acoustic head assembly 20.

[0068] When the positioning structure 23 swings with the array element structure 22 and enters the detection range H of the detection element 40, that is, when the distance between the positioning structure 23 and the detection element 40 is less than or equal to the detection range H, the detection element 40 can be triggered to output a centering signal indicating that the array element structure 22 or the acoustic head assembly 20 has reached the centered position; exemplarily, when the positioning structure 23 enters the detection range H of the detection element 40, the positioning structure 23 will receive the detection signal (such as light wave signal, sound wave signal, etc.) projected by the detection element 40, and can reflect the received detection signal to the detection element 40, thereby triggering the detection element 40 to output a centering signal; based on the centering signal provided when the detection element 40 is triggered, the swing direction, swing angle, etc. of the acoustic head assembly 20 (specifically, the array element structure 22) can be adjusted based on the current position (i.e., the centered position) of the acoustic head assembly 20 for swing scanning imaging.

[0069] It can be understood that whether the acoustic head assembly 20 is in a stationary state or a swinging state, when other structural parts of the acoustic head assembly 20 except the positioning structure 23 reach the position aligned with the detection element 40 (that is, in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1 and at the angular position opposite to the detection element 40), the distance between this structural part and the detection element 40 should be greater than the detection range H, so as to ensure that only the positioning structure 23 can trigger the detection element 40.

[0070] It should be noted that Figure 6The dashed line with an arrow represents the first trajectory line formed when the array element structure 22 swings clockwise around the central axis L1 to the maximum angle position, the dotted line with an arrow represents the second trajectory line formed when the array element structure 22 swings counterclockwise around the central axis L1 to the maximum angle position, the bold solid line represents the travel trajectory line of the array element structure 22 formed by the combination of the first trajectory line and the second trajectory line, and the solid line with double arrows represents the relative position relationship between the detection element 30 and the midpoint position A1. It can be understood that Figure 6 The content shown is only for clearly showing the relationship between the detection element 30 and the travel trajectory of the array element structure 22, and does not constitute a limitation on the actual functional configuration, structural cooperation relationship, etc. of the relevant components.

[0071] Compared with the related technology where the central position of the acoustic head is indirectly located mainly by quantifying the transmission relationship between the acoustic head and the shaft end of the driving device (such as a stepping motor); in the volume ultrasonic probe 100 of the embodiment of the present application, by defining the detection range H of the detection element 40, and using the cooperation between the detection element 40 and the positioning structure 23, when the distance between the positioning structure 23 and the detection element 40 is less than or equal to the detection range H, the detection element 40 can be directly triggered to output a centering signal indicating that the acoustic head assembly 20 reaches the centering position, so as to directly locate the centering position of the acoustic head assembly 20, which can avoid the influence of the system error of the probe structure (such as the assembly error between components) during the centering positioning process and achieve precise positioning of the centering position of the acoustic head assembly 20.

[0072] At the same time, by using the acoustic head base 10 that does not move with the acoustic head assembly 20 as the installation and fixing carrier of the detection element 40, the detection element 40 can be prevented from moving in space with the swing of the acoustic head assembly 20. This not only facilitates the wiring of the detection element 40, but also can reduce the structural assembly difficulty of the detection element 40 and even the entire probe, and improve the stability of the probe structure system.

[0073] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the rotating shaft structure 21 includes a rotating shaft 21a and a passive wheel 21b; wherein, the rotating shaft 21a is rotatably arranged on the acoustic head base 10, and the array element structure 22 is fixed to the rotating shaft 21a; the passive wheel 21b is coaxially and fixedly arranged with the rotating shaft 21a along the central axis L1. For example, the passive wheel 21b is sleeved and fixed on the rotating shaft 21a, or the passive wheel 21b and the rotating shaft 21a are an integral structure; the positioning structure 23 is arranged on one side of the passive wheel 21b along the central axis L1. For example, the positioning structure 23 and the rotating shaft 21a are an integral structure, or the positioning structure 23 is fixedly arranged on the rotating shaft 21a in a detachable manner such as by clamping, sleeving, fastening, etc.

[0074] By connecting and arranging the transmission component 40 between the driving component and the passive wheel 21b, the rotation of the rotating shaft 21a can be driven by the cooperation of the driving component, the transmission component 40 and the passive wheel 21b, so as to drive the array element structure 22, the positioning structure 23, etc. to swing synchronously.

[0075] Among them, by setting the positioning structure 23 and the rotating shaft 21a as an integral structure, the number of overall components of the probe can be effectively reduced, which is convenient for the assembly and molding of the probe. At the same time, it can also ensure that the positioning structure 23 and the detection element 40 can form a stable cooperation relationship.

[0076] Among them, by detachably fixing the positioning structure 23 to the rotating shaft 21a, the position of the positioning structure 23 can be adaptively adjusted according to the installation position of the detection element 40 on the acoustic head base 10, so as to reduce the setting difficulty of the relative position between the positioning structure 23 and the detection element 40 and ensure that the two can be accurately aligned and matched.

[0077] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the positioning structure 23 is generally an integral block structure having a preset thickness dimension in the direction of the central axis L1, and it includes an installation portion 23a and a positioning protrusion 23b; among them, the installation portion 23a can be understood as the structural part for fixing the positioning structure 23 on the rotating shaft 21a, and the positioning protrusion 23b is formed at the contour edge position of the installation portion 23a; when the positioning structure 23 is fixed to the rotating shaft 21a by means of the installation portion 23a, the positioning protrusion 23b can protrude from the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 21a along the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1.

[0078] In this way, when the positioning structure 23 swings synchronously with the array element structure 22, the positioning protrusion 23b can enter the detection range H of the detection element 40 (that is, the distance between the positioning protrusion 23b and the detection element 40 is less than or equal to the detection range H), so as to receive the detection signal projected by the detection element 40 through the positioning protrusion 23b and reflect the received detection signal to the detection element 40, thereby triggering the detection element 40.

[0079] In some embodiments, the positioning structure 23 can also be an integral structure with the rotating shaft 21a. At this time, the installation portion 23a can be understood as other structural parts of the positioning structure 23 except the positioning protrusion 23b.

[0080] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5The positioning protrusion 23b has a positioning surface P1 and a contour surface P2 other than the positioning surface P1 in the circumferential direction formed radially around the central axis L1, and the contour surface P2 is connected between the positioning surface P1 and the surface of the mounting portion 23a or the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 21a; illustratively, the projection of the positioning protrusion 23b in the direction of the central axis L1 (i.e., the orthographic projection in a reference plane perpendicular to the central axis L1) is rectangular in shape, and the surface of the positioning protrusion 23b in the radial direction facing away from the rotating shaft 21a is the positioning surface P1, and the other surfaces except the positioning surface P1 are the contour surface P2.

[0081] Among them, when the positioning protrusion 23b or the positioning structure 23 swings with the array structure, so that the contour surface P2 reaches the position aligned with the detection element 40 (that is, in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1, the contour surface P2 is at an angular position relative to the detection element 40), the distance between the contour surface P2 and the detection element 40 is set to be greater than the detection range H of the detection element 40; and when the positioning surface P1 reaches the position aligned with the detection element 40, the distance between the positioning surface P1 and the detection element 40 is set to be equal to or less than the detection range H of the detection element 40.

[0082] Therefore, by selecting and setting the structural form of the positioning protrusion 23b and configuring the distance between the surface of the positioning protrusion 23b and the detection element 40, the positioning surface P1 is used to cooperate with the detection element 40 for centering positioning, which can eliminate the interference of other structural parts of the positioning protrusion 23b on the positioning process, thereby creating favorable conditions for improving the positioning accuracy of the center position.

[0083] In one embodiment, see Figures 3 to 5 , the projection of the positioning protrusion 23b in the direction of the central axis L1 (i.e., the orthographic projection in a reference plane perpendicular to the central axis L1) is in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid; wherein, the plane where the top edge of the positioning protrusion 23b is located is located on the side opposite to or away from the rotating shaft 21a in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1; in this way, the plane where the top edge of the positioning protrusion 23b is located can be used as the positioning surface P1, and the surface other than the positioning surface P1 (such as the plane where the waist edge is located) is the contour surface P2; at this time, when the positioning surface P1 reaches the position aligned with the detection element 40, the distance between the positioning surface P1 and the detection element 40 can be set to be equal to the detection range H of the detection element 40, thereby ensuring that the positioning surface P1 can enter the detection range H and trigger the detection element 40.

[0084] Of course, the distance between the positioning surface P1 and the detection element 40 can also be set to be less than the detection range H of the detection element 40, so that the position of the contour surface P2 adjacent to the positioning surface P1 can also enter the detection range H; in this way, the positioning protrusion 23b can trigger the detection element 40 to output a centering signal within a certain swing angle range, reducing the difficulty of positioning the centering position.

[0085] In another embodiment, the projection shape of the positioning protrusion 23b in the direction of the central axis L1 is an isosceles triangle. At this time, the straight line where the vertex of the positioning protrusion 23b is located or the straight line formed by the set of vertices is the positioning surface P1, which can effectively reduce the width dimension of the positioning surface P1 in the circumferential direction formed by the radial direction around the central axis L1. By using the positioning surface P1 to cooperate with the detection element 40, the positioning accuracy of the centering position can be improved.

[0086] In other embodiments, the positioning protrusion 23b can also adopt other suitable contour shapes to form a positioning surface P1 that cooperates with the detection element 40; this will not be elaborated here.

[0087] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , in the direction of the central axis L1, the size of the positioning surface P1 is set to be larger than the size of the signal transceiver end of the detection element 40; for example, the thickness dimension of the positioning structure 23 or the positioning protrusion 23b in the direction of the central axis L1 is larger than the size of the signal transceiver end of the detection element 40.

[0088] In this way, when the acoustic head assembly 20 or the array element structure reaches the centering position, it can be ensured that the detection signal projected by the detection element 40 is within the contour range of the positioning surface P1, ensuring that the detection element 40 is triggered when the positioning surface P1 enters the detection range H. At the same time, the accuracy requirement for the setting position of the positioning structure 23 or the positioning protrusion 23b can also be reduced, which is beneficial to reducing the setting difficulty of the probe structure system.

[0089] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 , the detection element 40 includes an optical fiber sensor. By utilizing the characteristics of the optical fiber sensor such as strong anti-interference ability, sensitive response, and small irradiation spot, the positioning accuracy of the centering position of the acoustic head assembly 20 can be effectively improved in cooperation with the positioning structure 23 (such as the positioning protrusion 23b or the positioning surface P1). In specific implementation, an optical fiber sensor with a detection range H less than or equal to 50 mm can be used to make full use of the spatial dimensions in the acoustic head chamber (such as the gap between the acoustic head base 10 and the rotating shaft structure 21), avoiding excessive size requirements for the acoustic head chamber or the overall probe due to the setting of the detection element 40 and the positioning structure 23.

[0090] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 4, the array element structure 22 and the positioning structure 23 are fixedly arranged on two symmetric sides along the central axis L1. For example, the array element structure 22 and the positioning structure 23 are fixedly arranged on two opposite sides of the rotating shaft structure 21 (specifically, the rotating shaft 21a) in the radial direction, which can make the central line of the array element structure 22, the central line of the positioning structure 23, and the central axis L1 lie in the same plane. By arranging the array element structure 22 and the positioning structure 23 on the opposite azimuth sides of the sound head assembly 20, it is possible to avoid interference of the array element structure 22, etc. with the cooperation between the positioning structure 23 and the detection element 40. When the positioning structure 23 enters the detection range H, the central lines of the array element structure 22, the positioning structure 23, and the detection element 40 are coplanar, thereby triggering the detection element 40 to output a centering signal indicating that the array element structure 22 or the sound head assembly 20 reaches the centered position.

[0091] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , on one side of the sound head base 10 facing the sound head assembly 20, there is a receiving groove 10a, which can be understood as a part of the sound head chamber; on two opposite sides of the receiving groove 10a in the direction of the central axis L1, there are groove bases 10b; wherein, the rotating shaft structure 21 (specifically, the rotating shaft 21a) is rotatably arranged on the groove bases 10b, the detection element 40 is arranged in the receiving groove 10a, and the positioning structure 23 swings synchronously with the array element structure 22 in the receiving groove 10a.

[0092] By fixing the detection element 40 in the receiving groove 10a and restricting the positioning structure 23 to swing synchronously with the array element structure 22 in the receiving groove 10a; not only can it avoid interference of other structural components in the sound head chamber with the positioning cooperation between the detection element 40 and the positioning structure 23, but also meet the requirements of the detection range H of the detection element 40 for spatial dimensions. Exemplarily, when the positioning structure 23 and the array element structure 22 are fixed on two symmetric sides along the central axis L1, the array element structure 22 can swing outside the receiving groove 10a, thereby avoiding interference of the array element structure 22 entering the receiving groove 10a due to swinging with the positioning of the centered position.

[0093] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 , the sound head base 10 further has a receiving cavity, which communicates with the receiving groove 10a at the bottom of the receiving groove 10a, and the detection element 40 is inserted and fixed in the receiving cavity by means of gluing, screwing, etc., and the signal transceiver end of the detection element 40 protrudes into the receiving groove 10a; Exemplarily, the receiving cavity can communicate with the receiving groove 10a at a position corresponding to the midpoint position A1 at the bottom of the receiving groove 10a.

[0094] By accommodating and fixing the detection element 40 in the accommodation cavity, not only can the detection element 40 be stably fixed to the sound head base 10 to prevent the detection element 40 from shifting in position, but also the space size requirements of the detection range H can be further met, creating conditions for improving the structural compactness among relevant structural components in the sound head cavity.

[0095] In some embodiments, the positioning structure and the detection element 40 can also adopt other cooperation methods to achieve the positioning of the central position of the sound head assembly 20 (or the element structure 22).

[0096] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 7 , the detection element 40 is fixedly arranged on the sound head base 10, and in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis L1, the detection element 40 is arranged opposite to the sound head assembly 20; the positioning structure 23 can be a through-hole structure or a hollow structure that penetrates the sound head assembly 20. For example, the through-hole structure penetrates the rotating shaft 21a along the radial direction of the rotating shaft 21a; the positioning structure 23 can also be a light-transmitting member or other structural members fixedly arranged on the sound head assembly 20 (such as the rotating shaft structure 21); thus enabling the positioning structure 23 to swing synchronously with the element structure 22.

[0097] When the positioning structure 23 rotates with the element structure 22 to the position where it aligns with the detection element 40, the detection signal projected by the detection element 40 can pass through or penetrate the positioning structure 23, so that the detection element 40 is triggered because it cannot receive the corresponding reflected detection signal, and outputs a centering signal indicating that the element structure 22 has reached the central position. It should be noted that Figure 7 the dashed line with an arrow in

[0098] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 , the volumetric ultrasound probe 100 is a cavity volumetric ultrasound probe suitable for in-vivo diagnosis. Among them, the probe housing includes an insertion housing 51 and a handle housing 52. The sound head base 10 is connected and arranged between the insertion housing 51 and the handle housing 52. The sound head assembly 20 is arranged in the sound head cavity formed by the enclosure of the sound head base 10 and the insertion housing 51, while the drive assembly is arranged in the drive cavity formed by the enclosure of the handle housing 52 and the sound head base 10.

[0099] When the cavity volume ultrasonic probe is applied, it can be inserted into human tissues by means of the handle housing 52 and the insertion housing 51, and the acoustic head assembly 20 can be controlled to swing in the acoustic head chamber by controlling the driving assembly, so that the acoustic head assembly 20 (specifically, the array element structure 22) emits ultrasonic waves to the human target tissue and receives the corresponding ultrasonic echoes, thereby cooperating with the ultrasonic host 200 to perform ultrasonic imaging on the human target assembly. During this process, the central position of the acoustic head assembly 20 can be located based on the cooperation between the detection element 40 and the positioning structure 23, so as to adjust the swinging direction, swinging angle, etc. of the acoustic head assembly 20.

[0100] The above uses specific examples to elaborate on the present invention, which is only used to help understand the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, according to the idea of the present invention, several simple deductions, deformations or substitutions can also be made.

Claims

1. A volumetric ultrasound probe, characterized in that: include: Probe housing; A sound head base, the sound head base is arranged in the probe housing, the sound head base is fixedly connected to the probe housing or is integrally formed with the probe housing, and the sound head base and the probe housing enclose a sound head chamber; An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly is arranged in the acoustic head chamber, the acoustic head assembly comprises a shaft structure and an array element structure for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, the array element structure is fixed to the shaft structure, and the shaft structure is rotatably arranged on the acoustic head base; A drive assembly, the drive assembly is arranged in the probe housing and is located on a side opposite to the acoustic head chamber; the drive assembly is connected to the shaft structure through a transmission assembly; the drive assembly is used to generate a swinging force that drives the shaft structure to drive the array element structure to swing around the central axis of the shaft structure; the transmission assembly is used to transmit the swinging force; as well as A detection element, the detection element is fixedly arranged on the acoustic head base; in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the detection element is arranged opposite to the acoustic head assembly, and the detection element has a detection range of a predetermined distance in the radial direction; Among them, the sound head assembly also includes a positioning structure that swings synchronously with the array element structure; in the process of the positioning structure swinging synchronously with the array element structure, when the distance between the positioning structure and the detection element is less than or equal to the detection range, the detection element is triggered.

2. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft structure includes a rotating shaft and a passive wheel, the rotating shaft and the passive wheel are coaxially fixedly arranged along the central axis, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the acoustic head base, the array element structure is fixed to the rotating shaft, the driving assembly is connected to the passive wheel through the transmission assembly, and the positioning structure is arranged on one side of the passive wheel along the central axis; Wherein, the positioning structure and the rotating shaft are an integrated structure, or the positioning structure is detachably fixed to the rotating shaft.

3. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning structure includes a positioning protrusion, which is arranged to protrude from the rotating shaft along the radial direction; when the positioning protrusion enters the detection range, the positioning protrusion can receive the detection signal projected by the detection element, and the positioning protrusion can also reflect the received detection signal to the detection element.

4. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 3, characterized in that: The positioning protrusion has a positioning surface and a contour surface other than the positioning surface in a circumferential direction formed in a radial direction around the central axis, and the contour surface is connected to the positioning surface; wherein: When the contour surface reaches a position aligned with the detection element, the distance between the contour surface and the detection element is greater than the detection range; When the positioning surface reaches a position aligned with the detection element, the distance between the positioning surface and the detection element is equal to or smaller than the detection range, so that the positioning surface can receive and reflect the detection signal.

5. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 3, characterized in that: The projection shape of the positioning protrusion in the direction of the central axis is an isosceles trapezoid or an isosceles triangle, the plane where the top edge of the positioning protrusion is located or the straight line where the vertex is located is the positioning surface, and the positioning surface is used to receive and reflect the detection signal.

6. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: In the direction of the central axis, the size of the positioning surface is larger than the size of the signal transmitting and receiving end of the detection element.

7. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The array element structure and the positioning structure are fixedly arranged on two symmetrical sides along the central axis; when the positioning structure enters the detection range, the center line of the array element structure, the center line of the positioning structure and the center line of the detection element are coplanar.

8. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: A midpoint position and two extreme positions are defined along the swing trajectory of the array element structure. The midpoint position is located between the two extreme positions at equal distances or angles, and the detection element is located at a position corresponding to the midpoint position.

9. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sound head base is provided with a receiving groove on one side facing the sound head assembly, and groove bases are provided on both sides of the receiving groove. The rotating shaft structure is rotatably arranged on the groove base, the detection element is arranged in the receiving groove, and the positioning structure swings synchronously with the array element structure in the receiving groove.

10. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 9, characterized in that: The acoustic head base also has a receiving cavity, which is connected to the receiving groove at the bottom of the receiving groove. The detection element is inserted and fixed in the receiving cavity, and the signal receiving and transmitting end of the detection element protrudes into the receiving groove.

11. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection element is a photoelectric sensor or an acoustic-electric sensor.

12. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 11, characterized in that: The detection element includes an optical fiber sensor.

13. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 12, wherein: The detection range of the optical fiber sensor is less than or equal to 50 mm.

14. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 1, wherein: The volume ultrasound probe is an intracavitary volume ultrasound probe, and the probe housing includes an insertion housing and a handle housing; the insertion housing is used to be inserted into human tissue during ultrasound imaging; the handle housing is used to control the insertion of the insertion housing and the swing of the acoustic head assembly when the insertion housing is inserted into human tissue; wherein: The acoustic head assembly is arranged in the acoustic head chamber formed by the insertion shell and the acoustic head base; the driving assembly is arranged in the driving chamber formed by the handle shell and the acoustic head base.

15. A volumetric ultrasound probe, characterized in that: include: Probe housing; A sound head base, the sound head base is arranged in the probe housing, the sound head base is fixedly connected to the probe housing or is integrally formed with the probe housing, and the sound head base and the probe housing enclose a sound head chamber; An acoustic head assembly, the acoustic head assembly is arranged in the acoustic head chamber, the acoustic head assembly comprises a shaft structure and an array element structure for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, the array element structure is fixed to the shaft structure, and the shaft structure is rotatably arranged on the acoustic head base; A drive assembly, the drive assembly is arranged in the probe housing and is located on a side opposite to the acoustic head chamber; the drive assembly is connected to the shaft structure through a transmission assembly; the drive assembly is used to generate a swinging force that drives the shaft structure to drive the array element structure to swing around the central axis of the shaft structure; the transmission assembly is used to transmit the swinging force; as well as A detection element, the detection element is fixedly arranged on the acoustic head base; in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the detection element and the acoustic head assembly are arranged opposite to each other; Among them, the sound head assembly also includes a positioning structure that swings synchronously with the array element structure, and the positioning structure is used to cooperate with the detection element; when the positioning structure swings synchronously with the array element structure and reaches a position aligned with the detection element, the positioning structure can allow the detection signal projected by the detection element to pass through or through to trigger the detection element.

16. The volumetric ultrasound probe according to claim 15, characterized in that: The positioning structure comprises a through-hole structure, and the through-hole structure is arranged to penetrate the rotating shaft structure along the radial direction, and the through-hole structure is used for allowing the detection signal projected by the detection element to pass through.

17. An ultrasonic device, characterized in that: include: The volumetric ultrasound probe according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the volumetric ultrasound probe is used to transmit ultrasound waves to a target tissue and receive corresponding echo signals; An ultrasound host connected to the volume ultrasound probe, the ultrasound host being used to process the echo signal to generate an ultrasound image; as well as A display device is connected to the ultrasound host, and the display device is used to display the ultrasound image.

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