Dry coupling device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of medical equipment, and discloses a dry coupling device which comprises a dry coupling support provided with a hollow part and a coupling pad arranged in the hollow part. A buckle connecting part is arranged on the dry coupling bracket, and the dry coupling bracket is clamped with the ultrasonic probe through the buckle connecting part; the buckle connecting part comprises at least one pair of clamping tongues; the clamping tongue is a movable pressing type convex part and is used for forming a buckle with a corresponding groove in the ultrasonic probe; the coupling pad comprises a supporting layer and a plurality of separable coupling layers arranged on the supporting layer; the coupling layer comprises a diaphragm and a hydrogel layer. According to the utility model, the ultrasonic detection efficiency can be greatly improved, and the detection cost is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of medical equipment especially, relate to a dry coupling device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of medical imaging technology, ultrasonic examination is widely used in clinical diagnosis. In the conventional ultrasonic examination, in order to realize the effective transmission of sound wave between probe and human skin, coupling agent is usually applied on the surface of probe acoustic lens to eliminate air gap and ensure the stable transmission of ultrasonic signal.

[0003] However, the manual application of coupling agent has many technical defects, which seriously affects the equipment use efficiency and infection control safety. First, the coupling agent has high viscosity, and it is easy to remain on the probe shell and acoustic lens surface after use, especially in the complex structure area such as probe edge groove, which is difficult to completely remove, not only increases the cleaning difficulty, but also may affect the subsequent disinfection effect. Secondly, in the repeated cleaning and disinfection process, manual wiping operation is easy to cause physical wear of acoustic lens, which will lead to lens surface scratch or aging after long-term use, affecting the ultrasonic image quality and shortening the service life of probe. At the same time, cleaning, disinfection and reapplying coupling agent are needed after each examination, which significantly prolongs the examination interval between patients, reduces the diagnosis and treatment efficiency, and is difficult to meet the clinical demand of high frequency and fast turnover. Although the disposable dry coupling device has appeared in the prior art, it can effectively avoid the above problems, but its production cost is high, which leads to the increase of subsequent ultrasonic detection cost.

[0004] Therefore, a new dry coupling device is needed to solve the negative problems of applying coupling agent and reduce the cost of ultrasonic detection. UTILITY MODEL CONTENT

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a dry coupling device to solve the negative problems of applying coupling agent and reduce the cost of ultrasonic detection.

[0006] A dry coupling device for clamping on an ultrasonic probe, the dry coupling device comprising a dry coupling bracket provided with a hollow portion, and a coupling pad arranged in the hollow portion;

[0007] The dry coupling bracket is provided with a buckle connecting portion, which is clamped with the ultrasonic probe through the buckle connecting portion;

[0008] The coupling pad comprises a support layer and a plurality of separable coupling layers arranged on the support layer; the coupling layer comprises a diaphragm and a hydrogel layer;

[0009] The coupling pad is prepared by a one-time forming process, the diaphragm forms a spacing structure with uniform spacing in the forming process, and the hydrogel layer is one-time filled between the spacing structures and is formed into an integrated multi-layer structure with uniform layer thickness through ultraviolet curing.

[0010] Optionally, the coupling pad is bonded in the hollow part of the dry coupling support.

[0011] Optionally, the number of layers of the coupling layer includes 10-20.

[0012] Optionally, the diaphragm includes a hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm, and the diaphragm thickness includes 10-30 mu m.

[0013] Optionally, the thickness of the hydrogel layer includes 0.2-0.5 mm.

[0014] Optionally, the support layer includes a natural fiber net and / or a polymer fiber net.

[0015] Optionally, the buckle connection part includes at least one pair of buckles; the buckle is a movable pressing protruding part, and is used for forming a buckle with a corresponding groove on the ultrasonic probe.

[0016] Optionally, the forming auxiliary structure for preparing the coupling pad is further included, the forming auxiliary structure is used for controlling the diaphragm to form a predetermined interlayer distance through a controllable deformation mode in a forming process, and realizes uniform distribution and one-time curing forming of the hydrogel layer.

[0017] The dry coupling device provided by the utility model realizes detachable and rapid assembly with the ultrasonic probe through the buckle connection part, is convenient to install and replace, the multi-layer separable coupling layer is prepared through an integrated forming process, molecular level bonding force is formed between layers, the interlayer bonding strength meets the requirements of probe scanning, the coupling device can be easily peeled off and replaced layer by layer after use, has the protection elastic buffering function, can guarantee the stability during detection at different angles, meanwhile, the acoustic contact can be guaranteed without coupling agent, the problems of cleaning difficulty and probe wear in ultrasonic examination are solved, the use frequency of the dry coupling device is improved, and the use cost is reduced, the support layer ensures the stable positioning of the coupling pad in the support, and guarantees the acoustic performance consistency. The utility model greatly improves the production efficiency through the integrated forming technology, simultaneously reduces the manufacturing cost, and can greatly improve the efficiency of ultrasonic detection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the dry coupling device explosion structure and the ultrasonic probe in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0021] In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 , a dry coupling device is provided for clamping on an ultrasonic probe 01, the dry coupling device comprising a dry coupling bracket 02 provided with a hollow portion, and a coupling pad 03 arranged in the hollow portion;

[0022] The dry coupling bracket 02 is provided with a buckle connecting portion 021, which is clamped with the ultrasonic probe 01 through the buckle connecting portion 021; the buckle connecting portion 021 comprises at least one pair of clamping tongues; the clamping tongue is a movable pressing protruding component, which is used to form a buckle with the corresponding groove on the ultrasonic probe 01;

[0023] The coupling pad 03 comprises a support layer 033 and a plurality of separable coupling layers 032 arranged on the support layer 033; the coupling layer 032 comprises a diaphragm and a hydrogel layer. Specifically, the coupling pad 03 is prepared by a one-time molding process, the diaphragm forms a spacing structure with uniform spacing in the molding process, and the hydrogel layer is one-time injected between the spacing structure and is formed into an integrated multi-layer structure with uniform layer thickness by ultraviolet curing.

[0024] Understandably, the dry coupling device provided in the embodiment is used for clamping on the ultrasonic probe 01, and realizes ultrasonic wave conduction without liquid coupling agent. The ultrasonic probe 01 can be a probe for medical diagnosis or industrial detection, and is particularly suitable for palm ultrasonic probes, including but not limited to linear array probes, convex array probes and phased array probes.

[0025] The dry coupling device comprises a dry coupling support 02 provided with a hollow portion, and a coupling pad 03 arranged in the hollow portion. The dry coupling support 02 can be in a ring structure, which is shaped to be matched with the ultrasonic probe 01. The middle part of the dry coupling support 02 is provided with a hollow portion, which ensures that the ultrasonic beam passes through without being blocked.

[0026] The dry coupling support 02 is provided with a buckle connection portion 021, which is buckled with the ultrasonic probe 01. The buckle connection portion 021 comprises at least one pair of buckling tongues (two pairs in the embodiment) Figure 1 Each buckling tongue is a movable pressing protruding component, which forms a buckle with the corresponding groove on the ultrasonic probe 01. By pressing the buckling tongue, the buckling tongue is engaged with the groove on the ultrasonic probe 01, so as to fix the dry coupling device.

[0027] The coupling pad 03 is arranged in the hollow portion of the dry coupling support 02, and comprises a support layer 033 and a plurality of separable coupling layers 032 arranged on the support layer 033. The support layer 033 provides a base support and ensures that the coupling pad 03 is closely attached to the transparent window of the probe. A plurality of separable coupling layers 032 are arranged on the support layer 033. The coupling layer 032 comprises a diaphragm and a hydrogel layer. The coupling layer 032 can ensure the stability of ultrasonic transmission. During ultrasonic detection, the probe excites ultrasonic waves, the sound waves are transmitted through the coupling and enter the measured object, and the echo returns to the probe along the original path.

[0028] In an application example, the dry coupling device is taken out from the packaging box, buckled with the ultrasonic probe 01 by using the buckle, then the coupling pad 03 is attached to the skin of a patient, real-time image examination is performed, the used coupling layer 032 is peeled off after the examination image is completed, the next new coupling layer 032 is exposed, and the next patient is examined; until all the patients are examined, the buckle is opened, the dry coupling device is removed from the probe, and is placed in the packaging box for storage.

[0029] The dry coupling device provided in the embodiment is detachable and quickly assembled with the ultrasonic probe 01 through the buckle connection portion 021, which is convenient for installation and replacement. The multi-layer separable coupling layer 032 has a protection and elastic buffering function, can ensure the stability during detection at different angles, and can ensure acoustic contact without coupling agent, thereby solving the problems of cleaning difficulty and probe wear in ultrasonic examination. The coupling layer 032 can be peeled off and replaced layer by layer after each use, which improves the use frequency of the dry coupling device and reduces the use cost. The support layer 033 ensures the stable positioning of the coupling pad 03 in the support and guarantees the consistency of acoustic performance. The embodiment can greatly improve the efficiency of ultrasonic detection and reduce the detection cost.

[0030] Optionally, the coupling pad 03 is attached in the hollow portion of the dry coupling support 02.

[0031] Understandably, the coupling pad 03 can be fixed on the dry coupling support 02 in a bonding manner. Specifically, the support layer 033 is bonded on the annular frame of the dry coupling support 02, and then the multi-layer coupling layer 032 is cast on the support layer 033 using the pouring mold 04, forming the coupling pad 03 integrated with the dry coupling support 02. Bonding the coupling pad 03 in the hollow part of the dry coupling support 02 can ensure the stable fixation of the coupling pad 03, prevent displacement or falling off during use, and improve the stability and reliability of ultrasonic detection. Through the bonding method, the assembly structure is simplified, the complexity and potential damage caused by mechanical fixation are avoided, and the overall durability of the dry coupling device is improved. Moreover, the coupling pad 03 and the dry coupling support 02 form an integrated unit, which is convenient for overall replacement and maintenance, and keeps clean and hygienic.

[0032] Optionally, the number of layers of the coupling layer 032 includes 10-20.

[0033] Understandably, the number of layers of the coupling layer 032 can be 10-20, which significantly increases the number of reusable times and greatly prolongs the overall service life of the dry coupling device, avoiding frequent replacement caused by too few layers, and affecting operational flexibility caused by too many layers.

[0034] By setting a reasonable range of the number of layers of the coupling layer, the embodiment can effectively save the cost of consumables, reduce the generation of medical waste, and improve the clinical use economy and environmental protection of the dry coupling device.

[0035] Optionally, the diaphragm includes a hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm, and the diaphragm thickness includes 10-30 μm.

[0036] Understandably, the diaphragm in the coupling layer 032 can be a hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm with a thickness of 10-30 μm. On the one hand, the surface of the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm has hydrophilic groups such as hydroxyl groups, which can form hydrogen bonds with the hydrogel layer, and the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm is not easy to fall off during use of the coupling pad 03. When removed, the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm can be easily torn off by using tweezers. On the other hand, the acoustic impedance of the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm is 1.62 MRayl, which is basically consistent with the acoustic impedance of the hydrogel (1.60 MRayl), so there will be no interface attenuation, and the acoustic impedance of the coupling pad 03 after forming is stable and uniform. In addition, the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm also has a moisturizing effect, which effectively delays the water loss of the coupling pad 03. The molecular level bonding force between adjacent coupling layers 032 formed by the one-time molding process makes the bonding strength between the layers meet the requirements of probe scanning and can be easily separated (such as by tweezers), and there is no physical interface between the layers. The layers are separated by material properties and molding process.

[0037] Optionally, the thickness of the hydrogel layer includes 0.2-0.5 mm.

[0038] Understandably, the hydrogel layer thickness is controlled in the range of 0.2mm~0.5mm, which can ensure sufficient acoustic coupling performance, effectively transmit ultrasonic waves and reduce interface reflection, improve imaging clarity, and at the same time, consider flexibility and structural stability, and can be well fitted to the skin surface, and adapt to the needs of exploring different curved parts. The hydrogel layer is too thin to cause insufficient coupling, and too thick to affect the stability of the multi-layer structure.

[0039] Optionally, the support layer 033 comprises a natural fiber web and / or a polymer fiber web.

[0040] Understandably, the support layer 033 comprises a natural fiber web and / or a polymer fiber web. The natural fiber web includes but is not limited to a cotton yarn web. The polymer fiber web includes but is not limited to a nylon web, a polyester fiber web, a polyethylene fiber web, and a polypropylene fiber web.

[0041] In this embodiment, the support layer 033 adopts a natural fiber web and / or a polymer fiber web, which has good mechanical strength and flexibility, can effectively bear the multi-layer hydrogel structure, and prevent deformation or damage during use. The fiber web structure is beneficial to uniform distribution of stress, improves the overall durability and fit of the coupling pad 03, and ensures stable acoustic performance. Natural fibers can enhance biodegradability, and polymer fiber coupling pad 03 improves moisture resistance and dimensional stability, which can be flexibly selected according to requirements.

[0042] Further, the utility model discloses a molding auxiliary structure for realizing the integrated preparation of the above-mentioned. Specifically, the molding auxiliary structure is used to control the predetermined interlayer distance of the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm by a controllable deformation mode during the molding process, realize uniform distribution of the hydrogel solution and one-time curing molding.

[0043] Optionally, the controllable deformation mode specifically refers to that the molding auxiliary structure produces a predetermined movement by external applied force or field effect, and straightens the two ends of the hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm, to realize uniform distribution of the diaphragm on the support layer.

[0044] The above-mentioned embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the utility model, rather than limit them; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement to part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and range of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the utility model, and all should be included in the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A dry coupling device, characterized in that, For attaching to an ultrasonic probe, the dry coupling device includes a dry coupling bracket with a hollow portion and a coupling pad disposed in the hollow portion; The dry coupling bracket is provided with a snap-fit ​​connection part, which is used to snap the ultrasonic probe together with the snap-fit ​​connection part. The coupling pad includes a support layer and a plurality of separable coupling layers disposed on the support layer; the coupling layers include a diaphragm and a hydrogel layer. The coupling pad is prepared by a one-time molding process. The diaphragm forms a partition structure with uniform spacing during the molding process. The hydrogel solution is injected into the partition structure in one go and cured by ultraviolet light to form an integrated multilayer structure with uniform layer thickness.

2. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coupling pad is bonded to the hollow part of the dry coupling bracket.

3. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of layers in the coupling layer includes 10 to 20.

4. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm includes a hydrophilic polyurethane diaphragm with a thickness ranging from 10 μm to 30 μm.

5. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the hydrogel layer ranges from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

6. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support layer comprises a natural fiber web and / or a polymer fiber web.

7. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The snap-fit ​​connection includes at least one pair of latches; the latches are movable, press-type protrusions used to form a snap-fit ​​with corresponding grooves on the ultrasonic probe.

8. The dry coupling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a molding auxiliary structure for preparing the coupling pad, which is used to control the formation of a predetermined interlayer distance of the diaphragm through controllable deformation during the molding process, so as to achieve uniform distribution and one-time curing of the hydrogel layer.

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