4D ultrasound catheters and 4D ultrasound systems

Abstract

This invention provides a 4D ultrasound catheter and a 4D ultrasound system. The 4D ultrasound catheter includes a catheter body, a torque transmission component, a transmission assembly, a transducer assembly, and an optical encoder assembly. The torque transmission component, transmission assembly, and transducer assembly are sequentially connected from proximal to distal and pass through the catheter body. The transmission assembly converts the rotation of the torque transmission component around its axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly around its axis. The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk and an optical fiber. The code disk is connected to the transducer assembly and moves with it. The distal end of the optical fiber is located at the code disk, and the proximal end extends along the catheter body for connection to an external processing unit. The optical fiber outputs light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk to the processing unit, enabling the processing unit to obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly. The output image of the transducer assembly is configured to incorporate motion information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a 4D ultrasound catheter and a 4D ultrasound system. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasound visualization catheters, such as intracardiac ultrasound (ICE) catheters, use ultrasound elements at their distal ends to help visualize specific parts of the heart's anatomy. Typical ultrasound catheters use a two-dimensional fan-shaped beam to target specific anatomical structures, providing clinicians with visualizations of the anatomy. ICE catheters can be further categorized into 2D and 4D ultrasound catheters based on the images they provide; the former provides two-dimensional images, while the latter provides real-time three-dimensional rendered images.

[0003] In the prior art, the reciprocating oscillating 4D ultrasonic catheter with an externally mounted motor has better image quality than the 360° rotating ultrasonic catheter because its image area only covers the range of the transducer's reciprocating oscillation.

[0004] However, in order to reduce the size of the catheter, the external motor must be set up to convert the rotation of the motor into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer. The conversion of this structure is often nonlinear, that is, the rotation of the motor and the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer are not in a one-to-one nonlinear relationship, which leads to uneven slice thickness of ultrasound, unclear correspondence with time, and inability to accurately obtain images at a certain angle. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a 4D ultrasound catheter and a 4D ultrasound system to solve the problem of uneven slice thickness in existing 4D ultrasound catheters.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a 4D ultrasonic catheter, which includes: a catheter body, a torque transmission component, a transmission assembly, a transducer assembly, and an optical encoder assembly;

[0007] The torque transmission element, the transmission assembly, and the transducer assembly are connected sequentially from the proximal end to the distal end and pass through the conduit body; the transmission assembly is used to convert the rotation of the torque transmission element around the axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly around the axis.

[0008] The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk and an optical fiber; the code disk is connected to the transducer assembly and moves with the transducer assembly; the distal end of the optical fiber is located at the code disk, and the proximal end of the optical fiber extends through the catheter body for connection with an external processing unit.

[0009] The optical fiber is used to output light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk to the processing unit, so that the processing unit can obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly.

[0010] The output image of the transducer assembly is configured to incorporate the motion information.

[0011] Optionally, the optical fiber includes an incident optical fiber and an outgoing optical fiber, and the optical encoder assembly further includes a reflector;

[0012] The code disk is perpendicular to the axis of the transducer assembly, and the code disk has multiple axially penetrating cutouts, with a blocking part between two adjacent cutouts.

[0013] The distal ends of both the incident optical fiber and the output optical fiber are located on the near end side of the code disk, and the reflector is located on the far end side of the code disk, used to change the direction of the light emitted from the distal end of the incident optical fiber to align with the distal end of the output optical fiber.

[0014] As the code disk moves with the transducer assembly, the cutout and the blocking portion are sequentially aligned with the optical path of the reflector to allow or block light from the incident optical fiber to the outgoing optical fiber.

[0015] The motion information of the code disk is obtained based on the output waveform of the light from the outgoing optical fiber.

[0016] Optionally, the optical fiber includes two outgoing optical fibers, the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers are arranged in parallel around the axis of the code disk, and the plurality of cutouts are evenly distributed along the circumference of the code disk; the projection of the distal end of the incident optical fiber is located outside the circumferential contour range of the code disk, and the projection of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers is located within the circumferential contour range of the code disk.

[0017] Optionally, the circumferential width of the cutout matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers; and / or, the circumferential width of the shielding portion matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers.

[0018] Optionally, the transmission assembly includes an eccentric wheel, a rocker arm, and a limiting mechanism;

[0019] The eccentric wheel is eccentrically connected to the torque transmission component;

[0020] The rocker arm includes an arm body and a pulley. One end of the arm body is connected to the transducer assembly, and the other end of the arm body extends perpendicular to the axial direction of the transducer assembly. The pulley is disposed on the arm body, and the axis of the pulley is parallel to the axis of the transducer assembly.

[0021] When the eccentric wheel rotates about the axis of the torque transmission member, the pulley is configured to move circumferentially along the eccentric wheel, and the pulley always maintains contact with the eccentric wheel under the limiting mechanism.

[0022] Optionally, the pulley is rotatable or slidable around the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

[0023] Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a coil spring, one end of which is connected to the conduit body and the other end of which is connected to the transducer assembly. The coil spring is used to apply circumferential potential to the transducer assembly so that the pulley always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

[0024] Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a tension spring, one end of which is connected to the pulley and the other end of which is connected to the torque transmission element. The tension spring is used to apply tension to the pulley and the torque transmission element so that the pulley always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

[0025] Optionally, the eccentric wheel has an annular groove that opens toward the distal end, and the annular groove is equidistantly offset inward along the outer circumference of the eccentric wheel; the pulley is engaged in the annular groove and rotates or slides within the annular groove.

[0026] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model also provides a 4D ultrasound system, which includes the 4D ultrasound catheter as described above, and also includes a drive unit, a processing unit and an ultrasound output unit.

[0027] The processing unit is connected to the optical fiber and is used to obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly through the light waves emitted by the optical fiber.

[0028] The drive unit is connected to the torque transmission component and is used to drive the torque transmission component to rotate in combination with the motion information so that the transducer assembly moves at a constant speed.

[0029] The ultrasonic output unit is connected to the transducer assembly and is used to output the output image of the transducer assembly in combination with the motion information.

[0030] In summary, the 4D ultrasound catheter and 4D ultrasound system provided by this utility model include a catheter body, a torque transmission component, a transmission assembly, a transducer assembly, and an optical encoder assembly. The torque transmission component, the transmission assembly, and the transducer assembly are sequentially connected from proximal to distal and pass through the catheter body. The transmission assembly converts the rotation of the torque transmission component around its axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly around its axis. The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk and an optical fiber. The code disk is connected to the transducer assembly and moves with it. The distal end of the optical fiber is located at the code disk, and the proximal end of the optical fiber extends along the catheter body for connection to an external processing unit. The optical fiber outputs light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk to the processing unit, enabling the processing unit to obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly. The output image of the transducer assembly is configured to incorporate the motion information.

[0031] With this configuration, based on the optical encoder assembly, the external processing unit can obtain the motion information of the code disk and transducer assembly. This allows the output image of the transducer assembly to be combined with this motion information, ensuring that the output image of the transducer assembly at any given moment corresponds to its current angle, speed, and other information, thus enabling a one-to-one correspondence between the ultrasonic slice and time. Furthermore, based on the feedback from the motion information of the code disk and transducer assembly, the rotational speed of the torque transmission component can be adjusted to achieve uniform motion of the transducer assembly, thereby obtaining ultrasonic slices of uniform thickness and evenly distributing data resources within the reciprocating motion range of the transducer assembly, improving imaging quality. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the present invention and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the 4D ultrasound system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the distal portion of the 4D ultrasound catheter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an ultrasonic slice scan according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an optical encoder assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a top view of the optical encoder assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figures 6a to 6d This is a schematic diagram of the obstruction changes of the outgoing optical fiber in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting mechanism from another angle according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0041] Figures 9a to 9d This is a schematic diagram of the motion changes of the transmission component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the first alternative example of the limiting mechanism in this utility model embodiment.

[0043] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a second alternative example of the limiting mechanism in this utility model embodiment.

[0044] In the attached diagram: 1-4D ultrasonic catheter; 11-catheter body; 12-torque transmission component; 13-transmission assembly; 131-eccentric wheel; 1311-annular groove; 132-rocker arm; 1321-arm body; 1322-pulley; 133-limiting mechanism; 1331-coil spring; 1332-tension spring; 14-transducer assembly; 15-code disk; 151-hollowed-out; 152-shielding part; 16-optical fiber; 161-incident optical fiber; 162-outgoing optical fiber; 17-reflector; 2-handle; 3-control device; 31-drive unit; 32-processing unit; 33-ultrasonic output unit. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, advantages, and features of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the explanation of the objectives of the embodiments of this utility model. Furthermore, the structures shown in the drawings are often part of the actual structure. In particular, different drawings may emphasize different aspects and sometimes use different scales.

[0046] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “one,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the term “at least two” is generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature; “one end” and “the other end,” and “proximal end” and “distal end” generally refer to two corresponding parts, which include not only the endpoints. The terms “proximal end” and “distal end” are defined herein in relation to a 4D ultrasound catheter having an end for insertion into the human body and a control end extending outside the body. The term "proximal" refers to the position closer to the control end of the 4D ultrasound catheter protruding from the body, and the term "distal" refers to the position closer to the end of the 4D ultrasound catheter inserted into the human body and therefore further away from the control end of the 4D ultrasound catheter. Optionally, in manual or hand-operated applications, the terms "proximal" and "distal" are defined herein relative to the operator, such as a surgeon or clinician. The term "proximal" refers to the position closer to the operator, and the term "distal" refers to the position closer to the 4D ultrasound catheter and therefore further away from the operator. Furthermore, as used in this invention, terms such as "installed," "connected," "attached," and "set" of one element on another should be interpreted broadly, generally indicating only a connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission relationship between the two elements, which can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. It should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, i.e., one element can be located inside, outside, above, below, or to one side of the other element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, directional terms such as above, below, up, down, upward, downward, left, right, etc., are used relative to exemplary embodiments as they are shown in the figures, with upward or up direction pointing towards the top of the corresponding figure, and downward or down direction pointing towards the bottom of the corresponding figure.

[0047] The purpose of this invention is to provide a 4D ultrasound catheter and a 4D ultrasound system to solve the problem of uneven slice thickness in existing 4D ultrasound catheters. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1This utility model provides a 4D ultrasound system, which includes a 4D ultrasound catheter 1 for intervention in the human body, a handle 2 located proximally outside the body, and a control device 3. The handle 2 is connected to the proximal end of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1, and the intervention of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1 can be controlled through the handle 2.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 2 The 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 provided in this embodiment is a mechanical reciprocating scanning ultrasonic catheter, which includes a catheter body 11, a torque transmission element 12, a transmission assembly 13, a transducer assembly 14, and an optical encoder assembly; the torque transmission element 12, the transmission assembly 13, and the transducer assembly 14 are connected sequentially from the proximal end to the distal end and pass through the catheter body 11; the transmission assembly 13 is used to convert the rotation of the torque transmission element 12 around the axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly 14 around the axis.

[0050] Furthermore, the control device 3 includes a drive unit 31, which is connected to the torque transmission element 12 and is used to drive the torque transmission element 12 to rotate. The drive unit 31 is located externally to the proximal end of the body, effectively making the power mechanism external, which helps to reduce the size of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1. At the same time, the driving force and speed are not limited, which is beneficial for improving the output frame rate of the 4D ultrasound image. In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the catheter body 11 of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1 can be controlled to be around 3 mm.

[0051] Driven by the drive unit 31, the torque transmission component 12 rotates around its own axis. Through the conversion of the transmission component 13, the transducer assembly 14 can reciprocate around its own axis, thereby achieving ultrasonic slicing scanning of a certain area, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0052] Understandably, since the torque transmission element 12 rotates around its axis under the drive of the drive unit 31, it is generally difficult to know its current rotation angle. Furthermore, because the torque transmission element 12 needs to meet intervention requirements, it is typically a flexible shaft with low stiffness and a small diameter. This can lead to deviations and hysteresis between the distal transducer assembly 14 and the proximal drive unit 31. These factors can all cause the angle of the transducer assembly 14 to be uncertain. At any given moment, the motion state of the transducer assembly 14 cannot be detected, resulting in its output image not accurately corresponding to a slice at a specific angle in reality.

[0053] Furthermore, the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly 14 around the axis is converted by the transmission assembly 13. The structure of the transmission assembly 13 is not unique and is often not linear. That is, the driving force (rotation) of the drive unit 31 and the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly 14 have a nonlinear one-to-one relationship.

[0054] Since the transducer assembly 14 operates uniformly over time (i.e., the transducer assembly 14 outputs images according to a fixed cycle), and data resources are relatively scarce, if the transducer assembly 14 oscillates non-uniformly, the scarce data resources cannot be evenly distributed across the entire reciprocating motion range. Data resources are concentrated in the slow-moving portion of the transducer assembly 14, while data resources are sparse in the fast-moving portion, resulting in poor final image quality. Therefore, there is a need to make the transducer assembly 14 oscillate as uniformly as possible. However, due to the non-unique and non-linear structure of the transmission assembly 13, it is generally necessary to monitor the motion state of the transducer assembly 14 in the distal region of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1 to adjust the driving speed of the drive unit 31 accordingly.

[0055] In conventional considerations, sensors, such as photoelectric sensors or magnetically encoded sensors, can be placed in the distal region of the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 to monitor the motion state of the transducer assembly 14 and determine information such as the angle and velocity of the transducer assembly 14 at a certain moment. However, the size of these sensor chips is all in the millimeter range. Since the outer diameter of the catheter body 11 of the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 provided in this embodiment is very small, for example, controlled at about 3 mm, it is difficult to accommodate these sensor chips under this size constraint.

[0056] Due to the limitations of the above research and objective conditions, please continue to refer to [the relevant resources / resources]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The 4D ultrasound catheter 1 provided in this embodiment also includes an optical encoder assembly, and the control device 3 of the 4D ultrasound system further includes a processing unit 32. The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk 15 and an optical fiber 16. The code disk 15 is connected to the transducer assembly 14 and moves with the transducer assembly 14. The distal end of the optical fiber 16 is located at the code disk 15, and the proximal end of the optical fiber 16 extends along the catheter body 11 for connection with the external processing unit 32. The optical fiber 16 is used to output light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk 15 to the processing unit 32, so that the processing unit 32 obtains the motion information of the code disk 15 and the transducer assembly 14. The output image of the transducer assembly 14 is configured to combine the motion information.

[0057] The optical encoder assembly in this embodiment does not contain electrical components such as sensor chips; it is a purely physical and mechanical structure. Its size is not limited by chip size and can be made relatively small to fit within the small catheter body 11, which is beneficial for improving the throughput performance of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1. Furthermore, based on the optical encoder assembly, the external processing unit 32 can obtain the motion information of the code disk 15 and the transducer assembly 14. This allows the output image of the transducer assembly 14 to be combined with this motion information, so that the output image of the transducer assembly 14 at any given time can correspond to its current angle, speed, and other information, enabling a one-to-one correspondence between the ultrasound slice and time. Furthermore, based on the feedback of the motion information from the code disk 15 and the transducer assembly 14, the drive unit 31 can adjust the rotation speed of the torque transmission component 12 to achieve uniform motion of the transducer assembly 14, forming a closed-loop control. This results in ultrasound slices of uniform thickness and evenly distributes data resources within the reciprocating motion range of the transducer assembly 14, improving imaging quality.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 and in conjunction with references Figure 7 and Figure 8 Optionally, the code disk 15 is perpendicular to the axis of the transducer assembly 14. The code disk 15 has multiple axially penetrating cutouts 151, with a blocking portion 152 between adjacent cutouts 151. The distal ends of the light source and the optical fiber 16 are respectively located on both sides of the axis of the code disk 15. As the code disk 15 swings around the axis with the transducer assembly 14, the cutouts 151 and the blocking portions 152 can be sequentially aligned with the distal ends of the optical fiber 16, so that light from the light source can pass through the cutouts 151 or be blocked by the blocking portions 152, forming a certain output waveform. The near-end processing unit 31 can calculate the motion information of the code disk 15 by analyzing the light output waveform of the optical fiber 16. This motion information includes, but is not limited to, the angle, angular velocity, and swing direction of the code disk 15.

[0059] In one embodiment, the light source can be embedded in the distal region of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1 (this embodiment is not illustrated, but can be referenced). Figure 4 (Understanding this with reflector 17 as the light source), for example, it can be positioned at the far end of the code disk 15, and in this case, the light source can be a miniature LED, etc. However, considering factors such as the luminous intensity, size, power consumption, and heat generation of the light source, in some preferred embodiments, the light source can be configured as an external source. When the light source is external, a laser or the like can be used.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5Corresponding to the external light source scheme, the optical fiber 16 includes an incident optical fiber 161 and an outgoing optical fiber 162, and the optical encoder assembly also includes a reflector 17; the distal ends of the incident optical fiber 161 and the outgoing optical fiber 162 are both located on the proximal side of the code disk 15, and the reflector 17 is located on the distal side of the code disk 15, used to change the direction of the light emitted from the distal end of the incident optical fiber 161 and align it with the distal end of the outgoing optical fiber 162; during the movement of the code disk 15 with the transducer assembly 14, the cutout 151 and the blocking portion 152 are sequentially aligned with the optical path of the reflector 17 to allow or block the light emitted from the incident optical fiber 161 to the outgoing optical fiber 162; the motion information of the code disk 15 is obtained based on the output waveform of the light from the outgoing optical fiber 162.

[0061] In one embodiment, the processing unit 31 includes a light source, such as a laser tube. When the processing unit 31 is connected to the proximal end of the optical fiber 16, the light emitted by the light source can enter the proximal portion of the incident optical fiber 161. The arrangement of the incident optical fiber 161 and the reflector 17 is equivalent to replacing the arrangement of the light source in the distal region of the 4D ultrasound catheter 1. Since the diameter of the optical fiber 16 is generally very small, it can meet the requirements of this embodiment.

[0062] Optionally, the optical fiber 16 includes two outgoing optical fibers 162, the distal ends of which are arranged in parallel around the axis of the code disk 15, and a plurality of cutouts 151 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the code disk 15; the projection of the distal end of the incident optical fiber 161 is located outside the circumferential contour of the code disk 15, and the projection of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers 162 is located within the circumferential contour of the code disk 15. Preferably, the circumferential width of the cutout 151 matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers 162; and / or, the circumferential width of the blocking portion 152 matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers 162.

[0063] The arrangement of two outgoing optical fibers 162 side by side forms two optical wave output channels. By monitoring the two optical wave output channels, the processing unit 32 can calculate and analyze motion information such as the travel limit, swing direction, angle, and angular velocity of the code disk 15. Of course, the arrangement of two outgoing optical fibers 162 side by side is not a limitation on the optical fiber 162. In some other embodiments, only a single optical fiber 162 can be used, and the motion information such as the travel limit, swing direction, angle, and angular velocity of the code disk 15 can be analyzed by setting characteristic cutouts 151 or blocking parts 152 on the code disk 15.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 6a to 6dTwo outgoing optical fibers 162 correspond to channels A and B respectively. Each rotation of the code disk 15 through one cutout 151 and one blocking part 152 constitutes one cycle. Figure 6a As a starting point, when code disk 15 rotates counterclockwise, channel A receives light 1 / 4 cycle earlier than channel B, such as... Figure 6b As shown, at this point, the output signal of channel A is recorded as +, while channel B is still blocked by the blocking part 152, and its output signal is recorded as -. The code disk 15 continues to rotate counterclockwise until both channel A and channel B are aligned with the cutout 151, as shown. Figure 6c As shown, the output signals of both channels A and B are positive. As the encoder 15 continues to rotate counter-clockwise, channel A is blocked 1 / 4 cycle earlier than channel B, as... Figure 6d As shown, the output signal of channel A is - and the output signal of channel B is +.

[0065] Similarly, with Figure 6a Initially, when the code disk 15 rotates clockwise, channel B receives light before channel A. Therefore, by observing the sequence of positive and negative changes in the output signals of channels A and B, the current swing direction of the code disk 15 can be determined. The number of cutouts 151 on the code disk 15 multiplied by 4 represents the counting resolution of the encoder. It is understandable that since the code disk 15 reciprocates around its axis along with the transducer assembly 14, it has a reciprocating stroke limit. Only one complete reciprocating swing of the code disk 15 is needed; by detecting the output signals of channels A and B, the stroke limit of the code disk 15 (i.e., the position of the code disk 15 in reversal) can be determined. Furthermore, by analyzing the output signals of channels A and B, the current angular velocity and current angle of the code disk 15 can be calculated, thus obtaining the motion information of the code disk 15 and the transducer assembly 14.

[0066] Furthermore, the drive unit 31 is used to drive the torque transmission element 12 to rotate in conjunction with the motion information, so that the transducer assembly 14 moves at a uniform speed. Since the structure of the transmission component 13 does not change after the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 is designed, manufactured and assembled, the output waveform of the light from the output fiber 162 obtained by the complete reciprocating oscillation of the encoder 15 can be obtained based on the kinematic equation of the transmission component 13. Based on this conversion relationship, the drive unit 31 can be controlled to drive the torque transmission element 12 to rotate in a non-uniform manner so that the transducer assembly 14 moves at a uniform speed.

[0067] As mentioned earlier, the outer diameter of the catheter body 11 of the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 provided in this embodiment is quite small, controlled to around 3mm. Under this size constraint, many existing technologies cannot be applied. In particular, the transmission component 13 is a mechanical conversion component, and it needs to be able to convert the rotation of the torque transmission component 12 around the axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer component 14 around the axis within a space of less than 3mm. This places high demands on the mechanical connection method of the transmission component 13. Common connection methods in the art, such as shaft-hole mating, are difficult to implement due to size limitations.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 Based on the above requirements, in the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 provided in this embodiment, the transmission component 13 includes an eccentric wheel 131, a rocker arm 132, and a limiting mechanism 133; the eccentric wheel 131 is eccentrically connected to the torque transmission component 12; the rocker arm 132 includes an arm body 1321 and a pulley 1322, one end of the arm body 1321 is connected to the transducer assembly 14, and the other end of the arm body 1321 extends perpendicularly to the axial direction of the transducer assembly 14; the pulley 1322 is disposed on the arm body 1321, and the axis of the pulley 1322 is parallel to the axis of the transducer assembly 14; when the eccentric wheel 131 rotates around the axis of the torque transmission component 12, the pulley 1322 is configured to move circumferentially along the eccentric wheel 131, and the pulley 1322 always maintains contact with the eccentric wheel 131 under the limiting mechanism 133.

[0069] The axis of the torque transmitter 12 is fixed, and the axis of the transducer assembly 14 is also fixed. That is, both the torque transmitter 12 and the transducer assembly 14 are restricted to degrees of freedom other than rotation. The eccentric wheel 131 is eccentrically connected to the torque transmitter 12, meaning that the axis of the torque transmitter 12 does not pass through the centroid of the eccentric wheel 131. Thus, when the torque transmitter 12 rotates around its own axis, the eccentric wheel 131 will undergo eccentric motion. Based on the setting of the limiting mechanism 133, the pulley 1322 and the eccentric wheel 131 always maintain contact. The eccentric motion of the eccentric wheel 131 will drive the transducer assembly 14 to reciprocate around its axis via the rocker arm 132. Due to the setting of the limiting mechanism 133, the pulley 1322 and the eccentric wheel 131 are in contact, avoiding the need for a large-sized shaft hole connection, which helps improve the accuracy of the connection and the motion conversion accuracy of the torque transmitter 12 and the transducer assembly 14. Optionally, the eccentric wheel 131 can be a circular wheel, an elliptical wheel, or even an irregular wheel in some embodiments; this embodiment is not limited to this. The shape of the eccentric wheel 131 affects the conversion relationship between the torque transmission element 12 and the transducer assembly 14.

[0070] Optionally, the pulley 1322 is rotatably or slidably disposed around the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131. In some embodiments, the pulley 1322 can be configured to be rotatably disposed on the arm body 1321, and the outer periphery of the pulley 1322 engages with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131 through rolling contact. It is understood that this arrangement helps to reduce the movement resistance of the pulley 1322. Considering that the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 is a disposable consumable and is limited by size, the pulley 1322 can also adopt a fixed wheel scheme, that is, the pulley 1322 is configured to be fixedly disposed on the arm body 1321, so that there is sliding friction between the pulley 1322 and the eccentric wheel 131. Since the usage time of the 4D ultrasonic catheter 1 is generally no more than 8 hours, the wear between the pulley 1322 and the eccentric wheel 131 can be ignored, and the fixed disposal of the pulley 1322 on the arm body 1321 can further reduce the size.

[0071] As mentioned earlier, the function of the limiting mechanism 133 is to limit the pulley 1322, ensuring that it remains in contact with the eccentric wheel 131 at all times. The specific structure of the limiting mechanism 133 can have various possibilities. Several embodiments are illustrated below.

[0072] Please refer to Figures 9a to 9d and combined Figure 7 and Figure 8 In one embodiment, the limiting mechanism 133 includes a coil spring 1331, one end of which is connected to the conduit body 11 and the other end of which is connected to the transducer assembly 14. The coil spring 1331 is used to apply circumferential potential to the transducer assembly 14 so that the pulley 1322 always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 9a This illustrates the state in which the distance (referring to the axial distance between the pulley 1322 and the torque transmission element 12) is at its minimum during one rotation cycle of the eccentric wheel 131. The coil spring 1331 can be configured to be in a relaxed state in this state, i.e., the coil spring 1331 is in an initial state with no potential energy. Please refer to... Figures 9b to 9c As the eccentric wheel 131 rotates eccentrically clockwise around the axis of the torque transmission component 12, the pulley 1322 is gradually pushed away. Simultaneously, the transducer assembly 14, restricted to rotating only around its own axis, rotates counterclockwise. The coil spring 1331, driven by the transducer assembly 14, stores circumferential potential energy. Figure 9c In this state, the distance between pulley 1322 and torque transmission component 12 is at its maximum. At this time, the circumferential potential stored in coil spring 1331 also reaches its maximum, and transducer assembly 14 reaches its limit position for counterclockwise rotation. Please refer to... Figure 9dAs the eccentric wheel 131 continues to rotate clockwise, the coil spring 1331 begins to release its stored circumferential potential, driving the pulley 1322 to move against the outer circumference of the eccentric wheel 131, thus causing the transducer assembly 14 to rotate clockwise until it reaches... Figure 9a In this state, it completes one rotation cycle.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 10 In another alternative embodiment, the limiting mechanism 133 includes a tension spring 1332, one end of which is connected to the pulley 1322, and the other end of which is connected to the torque transmission member 12. The tension spring 1332 is used to apply tension to the pulley 1322 and the torque transmission member 12, so that the pulley 1322 always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131. In this alternative embodiment, the tension spring 1332 can be used instead of the coil spring 1331 in the previous embodiment, applying tension to replace the circumferential force, which can also ensure that the pulley 1322 always moves against the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131 during the rotation of the eccentric wheel 131.

[0075] Understandably, in addition to using elastic potential energy components such as coil spring 1331 or tension spring 1332, some embodiments may also use magnetic potential energy components. For example, one of the eccentric wheel 131 and pulley 1322 may be configured as a permanent magnet, while the other of the eccentric wheel 131 and pulley 1322 may be configured to be magnetically attracted, for example, made of iron-nickel material. In this way, during the rotation of the eccentric wheel 131, the eccentric wheel 131 and pulley 1322 are attracted to each other by magnetic attraction, ensuring that the pulley 1322 always moves against the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel 131.

[0076] In other embodiments, the limiting mechanism 133 may not employ a potential energy element, but instead uses a mechanical engaging component to limit the pulley 1322. Please refer to... Figure 11 In an alternative embodiment, the eccentric wheel 131 has an annular groove 1311 opening towards its distal end, the annular groove 1311 being equidistantly offset inward along the outer circumference of the eccentric wheel 131; the pulley 1322 is engaged within the annular groove 1311 and rotates or slides within it. Optionally, the radial width of the annular groove 1311 is adapted to the outer diameter of the pulley 1322, so that the pulley 1322 can only move along the extending direction of the annular groove 1311. Understandably, in this case, the annular groove 1311 constitutes a limiting mechanism 133, which ensures that the pulley 1322 always maintains contact with the eccentric wheel 131 and moves circumferentially along the eccentric wheel 131. With this configuration, as the eccentric wheel 131 rotates, the transducer assembly 14 can also achieve reciprocating oscillation around its own axis through the drive of the pulley 1322.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 1 Based on the 4D ultrasound catheter 1 described above, the control device 3 of the 4D ultrasound system further includes a processing unit 32 and an ultrasound output unit 33. The processing unit 32 is connected to the optical fiber 16 and is used to obtain motion information of the code disk 15 and the transducer assembly 14 through the light waves emitted by the optical fiber 16. The drive unit 31 is connected to the torque transmission element 12 and is used to drive the torque transmission element 12 to rotate in combination with the motion information so that the transducer assembly 14 moves at a uniform speed. The ultrasound output unit 33 is connected to the transducer assembly 14 and is used to output the output image of the transducer assembly 14 in combination with the motion information.

[0078] In summary, the 4D ultrasound catheter and 4D ultrasound system provided by this utility model include a catheter body, a torque transmission component, a transmission assembly, a transducer assembly, and an optical encoder assembly. The torque transmission component, the transmission assembly, and the transducer assembly are sequentially connected from proximal to distal and pass through the catheter body. The transmission assembly converts the rotation of the torque transmission component around its axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly around its axis. The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk and an optical fiber. The code disk is connected to the transducer assembly and moves with it. The distal end of the optical fiber is located at the code disk, and the proximal end of the optical fiber extends along the catheter body for connection to an external processing unit. The optical fiber outputs light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk to the processing unit, enabling the processing unit to obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly. The output image of the transducer assembly is configured to incorporate the motion information. With this configuration, based on the optical encoder assembly, the external processing unit can obtain the motion information of the code disk and transducer assembly. This allows the output image of the transducer assembly to be combined with this motion information, ensuring that the output image of the transducer assembly at any given moment corresponds to its current angle, speed, and other information, thus enabling a one-to-one correspondence between the ultrasonic slice and time. Furthermore, based on the feedback from the motion information of the code disk and transducer assembly, the rotational speed of the torque transmission component can be adjusted to achieve uniform motion of the transducer assembly, thereby obtaining ultrasonic slices of uniform thickness and evenly distributing data resources within the reciprocating motion range of the transducer assembly, improving imaging quality.

[0079] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be combined with each other. The above description is only a description of preferred embodiments of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A 4D ultrasound catheter, characterized in that, include: The conduit body, torque transmission component, transmission assembly, transducer assembly, and optical encoder assembly; The torque transmission element, the transmission assembly, and the transducer assembly are connected sequentially from the proximal end to the distal end and pass through the conduit body; the transmission assembly is used to convert the rotation of the torque transmission element around the axis into the reciprocating oscillation of the transducer assembly around the axis. The optical encoder assembly includes a code disk and an optical fiber; the code disk is connected to the transducer assembly and moves with the transducer assembly. The distal end of the optical fiber is located at the code disk, and the proximal end of the optical fiber extends through the catheter body for connection with the external processing unit. The optical fiber is used to output light waves reflecting the motion state of the code disk to the processing unit, so that the processing unit can obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly. The output image of the transducer assembly is configured to incorporate the motion information.

2. The 4D ultrasound catheter of claim 1, wherein, The optical fiber includes an incident optical fiber and an outgoing optical fiber, and the optical encoder assembly also includes a reflector; The code disk is perpendicular to the axis of the transducer assembly, and the code disk has multiple axially penetrating cutouts, with a blocking part between two adjacent cutouts. The distal ends of both the incident optical fiber and the output optical fiber are located on the near end side of the code disk, and the reflector is located on the far end side of the code disk, used to change the direction of the light emitted from the distal end of the incident optical fiber to align with the distal end of the output optical fiber. As the code disk moves with the transducer assembly, the cutout and the blocking portion are sequentially aligned with the optical path of the reflector to allow or block light from the incident optical fiber to the outgoing optical fiber. The motion information of the code disk is obtained based on the output waveform of the light from the outgoing optical fiber.

3. The 4D ultrasound catheter of claim 2, wherein, The optical fiber includes two outgoing optical fibers, the distal ends of which are arranged in parallel around the axis of the code disk, and a plurality of the cutouts are evenly distributed along the circumference of the code disk; the projection of the distal end of the incident optical fiber is located outside the circumferential contour of the code disk, and the projection of the distal end of the two outgoing optical fibers is located within the circumferential contour of the code disk.

4. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The circumferential width of the cutout matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers; and / or, the circumferential width of the shielding portion matches the parallel width of the distal ends of the two outgoing optical fibers.

5. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes an eccentric wheel, a rocker arm, and a limiting mechanism; The eccentric wheel is eccentrically connected to the torque transmission component; The rocker arm includes an arm body and a pulley. One end of the arm body is connected to the transducer assembly, and the other end of the arm body extends perpendicular to the axial direction of the transducer assembly. The pulley is disposed on the arm body, and the axis of the pulley is parallel to the axis of the transducer assembly. When the eccentric wheel rotates about the axis of the torque transmission member, the pulley is configured to move circumferentially along the eccentric wheel, and the pulley always maintains contact with the eccentric wheel under the limiting mechanism.

6. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pulley is rotatable or slidable around the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

7. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 6, characterized in that, The limiting mechanism includes a coil spring, one end of which is connected to the conduit body and the other end of which is connected to the transducer assembly. The coil spring is used to apply circumferential potential to the transducer assembly so that the pulley always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

8. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 6, characterized in that, The limiting mechanism includes a tension spring, one end of which is connected to the pulley and the other end of which is connected to the torque transmission element. The tension spring is used to apply tension to the pulley and the torque transmission element so that the pulley always remains in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric wheel.

9. The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The eccentric wheel has an annular groove that opens toward the far end, and the annular groove is equidistantly offset inward along the outer circumference of the eccentric wheel; the pulley is engaged in the annular groove and rotates or slides within the annular groove.

10. A 4D ultrasound system, characterized in that, The 4D ultrasonic catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 9 further includes a driving unit, a processing unit, and an ultrasonic output unit; The processing unit is connected to the optical fiber and is used to obtain motion information of the code disk and the transducer assembly through the light waves emitted by the optical fiber. The drive unit is connected to the torque transmission component and is used to drive the torque transmission component to rotate in combination with the motion information so that the transducer assembly moves at a constant speed. The ultrasonic output unit is connected to the transducer assembly and is used to output the output image of the transducer assembly in combination with the motion information.

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