Ultrasonic probe

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic probe capable of transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a tissue in a living body at a proper angle.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic probe includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a living body and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the living body, and a housing for storing the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit. A teaching unit is provided in the housing, for teaching a contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit according to a measurement part inside the living body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe.

Background Art

[0002] In an ultrasonic probe for inspecting the inside of a living body using ultrasonic waves, an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is brought into contact with a predetermined position on the surface of the living body, and ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing is performed on the living body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The ultrasonic probe (inspection device) described in Patent Document 1 includes a probe unit to be attached to a living body and a positioning member provided at the tip of the probe unit. The positioning member has a positioning window portion, and a translucent member provided with a cross-shaped marking portion is attached to the positioning window portion. In this inspection device, the probe unit is arranged so that the cross of the marking portion overlaps a predetermined part such as the navel of the living body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the device of Patent Document 1 described above, by overlapping the marking portion on a predetermined part of the living body, when repeatedly performing ultrasonic examinations in the vicinity of the predetermined part, the probe portion can be arranged at the same position of the living body. However, in this device, it only positions a predetermined position on the surface of the living body, and does not position with respect to the surface of a predetermined tissue (for example, fat, muscle, internal organs, etc.) inside the living body. That is, in an examination inside the living body using ultrasonic waves, it is necessary to appropriately receive the ultrasonic waves reflected at the boundary of the tissues inside the living body, but the surface of the living body and the boundary of the tissues do not necessarily become parallel. Therefore, even if the probe portion can be positioned at a predetermined part of the living body as in Patent Document 1, it is not always possible to transmit ultrasonic waves at an appropriate angle with respect to the tissues inside the living body, and a configuration that can position the ultrasonic probe at a position with higher transmission and reception efficiency is desired.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The ultrasonic probe according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body, and a housing that houses the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit. The housing is provided with an instruction unit that instructs the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit according to a measurement site inside the living body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic device 1 of the present embodiment. The ultrasonic device 1 includes an ultrasonic probe 10 and a measurement main body 50. The ultrasonic probe 10 is a device that performs ultrasonic measurement by contacting a living body H such as a human body, and includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 and a housing 30.

[0008] [Configuration of Ultrasonic Transmission / Reception Unit 20] The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is a transmission / reception unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body and receives ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is not particularly limited as long as it can perform ultrasonic transmission / reception processing on a living body. For example, the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is an element capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. For example, a bulk-type ultrasonic element may be used in which a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric body to vibrate the piezoelectric body itself to transmit ultrasonic waves, and the reflected wave is detected by a reception signal output due to the distortion of the piezoelectric body itself caused by the reflected wave. Alternatively, a thin-film type ultrasonic element may be used in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers in which piezoelectric elements are arranged on a thin-film-like vibrating portion are arranged in an array, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted by vibrating each vibrating portion by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element. In such a thin-film type ultrasonic element, a reception signal is output from the piezoelectric element when the vibrating film is vibrated by the reflected wave.

[0009] When the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 receives a reflected wave from the living body H, it outputs a reception signal having a signal value corresponding to the sound pressure of the received ultrasonic wave. Here, in the present embodiment, the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 continues to receive the reflected wave for a predetermined period from the ultrasonic transmission timing. Therefore, it becomes a reception signal including a change in the signal value along the time series output from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20, and the reception signal is output to the measurement main body 50.

[0010] [Configuration of Housing 30] The housing 30 houses the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 therein. Specifically, the housing 30 includes a window portion 31, and the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 is disposed on the window portion 31. Note that an acoustic matching layer or the like that also functions as protection for the transmitting and receiving surface 20A may be provided on the window portion 31. Although not shown, inside the housing 30, there are also housed a drive control circuit that controls the drive of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20, a communication unit that communicates with the measurement main body unit 50, a power supply unit that supplies power to the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20, the drive control circuit, and the communication unit, etc.

[0011] Also, when the direction along the normal direction of the transmitting and receiving surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 is defined as the axial direction of the housing 30, the housing 30 has side walls 32 (outer surfaces) that are longitudinal in the axial direction. On this side wall 32, an instruction unit 40 that indicates the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 when the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the living body H to perform ultrasonic measurement is provided.

[0012] [Configuration of the Instruction Unit 40] The instruction unit 40 is provided at a position on the side wall 32 of the housing 30, that is, a position that can be easily visually recognized by a user who uses the ultrasonic probe 10. The instruction unit 40 indicates the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 with respect to the living body H as described above. In the present embodiment, the position of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 is fixed with respect to the housing 30. For this reason, the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 with respect to the living body H is determined by the contact angle of the housing 30 (that is, the ultrasonic probe 10 itself) with respect to the living body H. Therefore, the instruction unit 40 instructs the contact direction of the housing 30 with respect to the living body H.

[0013] More specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the instruction unit 40 is composed of a plurality of straight lines. Hereinafter, these straight lines are referred to as instruction lines Ln, and n is a subscript indicating each instruction line. In the present embodiment, as an example, an example in which five instruction lines L1 to L6 are provided is shown. Here, a straight line parallel to the normal direction of the transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 serves as the reference instruction line L0. Each instruction line Ln extends in a different direction and is inclined at a different angle with respect to the reference instruction line L0. The inclination angle of each instruction line Ln is in the angular range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less (absolute value) with respect to the reference instruction line L0. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the instruction line L1 is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0, the instruction line L2 is inclined at an angle of 15 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0, and the instruction line L3 is inclined at an angle of 25 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0. The instruction line L4 is inclined at an angle of -5 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0, the instruction line L5 is inclined at an angle of -15 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0, and the instruction line L6 is inclined at an angle of -25 degrees with respect to the reference instruction line L0.

[0014] In particular, when the living body H is a human body and the measurement site W for measuring the rectus abdominis muscle in the abdomen is set, the boundary of the rectus abdominis muscle is inclined at an angle of about 15 degrees with respect to the surface of the living body H. Since there are individual differences in this angle, it does not necessarily coincide with 15 degrees. However, by providing a plurality of instruction lines Ln at angles in the vicinity thereof, there is a high possibility that one of the instruction lines Ln corresponds to the inclination angle optimal for measurement. Although a detailed explanation will be given later, the user can confirm the optimal instruction line Ln based on the result of the preliminary measurement, and thereafter, it becomes possible to bring the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the living body using the same instruction line Ln as an index.

[0015] [Configuration of the measurement main body unit 50] The measurement main body unit 50 is a computer communicably connected to the ultrasonic probe 10, and examples thereof include a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, and the like. This measurement main body unit 50 commands the ultrasonic probe 10 to perform ultrasonic measurement and receives the measurement result from the ultrasonic probe 10. Then, various arithmetic processes are performed based on the received measurement result. Specifically, the measurement main body unit 50 includes a memory 51 that stores various data, a processor 52, and a display 53 that displays information. The memory 51 stores various data and various programs for performing ultrasonic measurement. By reading and executing the program stored in the memory 51, the processor 52 functions as a measurement target selection unit 521, a signal intensity calculation unit 522, a selection support unit 523, and a measurement operation unit 524.

[0016] The measurement target selection unit 521 selects a measurement site W within the living body H based on the user's input operation. For example, measurable measurement sites such as muscle, fat, and blood vessels are displayed on the display 53 and selected by the user. Based on the transmission and reception results of the ultrasonic waves received from the ultrasonic probe 10, the signal intensity calculation unit 522 calculates the signal intensity reflected at the boundary of the selected measurement site W (see FIG. 1). For example, when muscle is selected, the signal intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave at the boundary between the muscle and the subcutaneous fat (shallow-side boundary W1) and the boundary between the muscle and the underlying tissue (e.g., internal organs) (deep-side boundary W2) is calculated. The calculated signal intensity may be the signal intensities at both the shallow-side boundary W1 and the deep-side boundary W2, or only one of them, or the average signal intensity of the shallow-side boundary W1 and the deep-side boundary W2. Since the ultrasonic wave reflected inside the living body H tends to have a smaller reflected wave from a deeper site, it is more preferable to calculate the signal intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave at the deep-side boundary W2.

[0017] The selection support unit 523 displays the signal intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave on the display 53 at the boundary of the measurement site W. By changing the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 (ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20) with respect to the living body H by the user, the signal intensity calculated by the signal intensity calculation unit 522 also changes according to the contact angle. The selection support unit 523 displays the change in the signal intensity on the display 53, so that the user can confirm the contact angle with the highest signal intensity. At this time, it is confirmed which of the plurality of teaching lines Ln is the line located in the front direction F of the living body H. Thereafter, when performing ultrasonic measurement, the user installs the ultrasonic probe 10 so that the confirmed teaching line Ln comes in the front direction F of the living body H.

[0018] The measurement calculation unit 524 performs various measurement calculation processes based on the transmission and reception results of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic probe 10. For example, in this embodiment, the thickness of the selected measurement site W is measured. In addition, as the measurement calculation process, an internal tomographic image of the living body H may be displayed, or the state of a predetermined measurement site such as a blood vessel (blood pressure measurement, pulse measurement, etc.) may be measured.

[0019] [Operation Method of Ultrasonic Device 1] Next, the operation method of the ultrasonic device 1 as described above will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the ultrasonic device 1. Note that FIG. 2 shows the procedure of preliminary measurement when the measurement inside the living body H using the ultrasonic device 1 is performed for the first time. When using the ultrasonic device 1, the user brings the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the measurement position of the living body H (step S1). For example, when the rectus abdominis muscle is the measurement site, it is preferable to bring the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with a position about 55 mm horizontally and 30 mm vertically from the position of the umbilicus as the measurement position. The measurement position may be determined, for example, by measuring in advance with a measuring tool or the like, or the ultrasonic probe may be brought into contact with the measurement position using a positioning means of a known technique.

[0020] Next, the user operates the measurement main body unit 50 to execute a predetermined application related to ultrasonic measurement and instructs the start of the preliminary measurement process (step S2). As a result, the measurement target selection unit 521 displays a prompt for selecting a measurement site on the display 53. When the user operates the measurement main body unit 50 to select a measurement site, the measurement target selection unit 521 identifies the input measurement site (step S3). Note that steps S2 and S3 may be performed before step S1.

[0021] Next, the measurement main body unit 50 instructs the ultrasonic probe 10 to start ultrasonic measurement (step S4). As a result, the ultrasonic probe 10 transmits ultrasonic waves into the living body H from the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20, receives the ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body H, and outputs a reception signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic waves to the measurement main body unit 50 (step S5). The signal intensity calculation unit 522 calculates the signal intensity of the ultrasonic wave reflected at the boundary of the measurement site from the received signal (step S6). Further, the selection support unit 523 causes the display 53 to display the signal intensity calculated in step S5. The display method of the signal intensity is not particularly limited. For example, the numerical value of the signal intensity may be shown on the display, or a color corresponding to the signal intensity or the like may be displayed on the display 53. When displaying a color corresponding to the signal intensity, even if the user does not understand how much signal intensity is required, it is possible to easily determine whether the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 is appropriate. As described above, the signal intensity to be calculated may be the signal intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave at the shallow boundary W1 of the measurement site W selected by the user, or the signal intensity of the reflected ultrasonic wave at the deep boundary W2, or the sum or average signal intensity of both. It is more preferable to calculate the signal intensity at the deep boundary W2 where it is difficult to receive ultrasonic waves due to the greater depth.

[0022] The processes from step S5 to step S6 are continuously performed. Therefore, when the user changes the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 with respect to the living body H, in step S5, a received signal corresponding to the contact angle is output to the measurement main body unit 50, and the signal intensity displayed on the display 53 is updated. For this reason, while referring to the display 53, the user can easily confirm the contact angle at which the signal intensity is maximized by changing the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 (ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20) with respect to the living body H. Further, when the user specifies the contact angle at which the signal intensity is maximized, the user specifies a teaching line Ln parallel to the front direction F of the living body H (step S7).

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a method for specifying the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 (ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20) according to the present embodiment. In the conventional method of fixing the ultrasonic probe, the reference teaching line L0 is set with respect to the body surface of the living body H, that is, the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact so that the sound axis direction of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit 20 is perpendicular (for example, the ultrasonic probe 10 in the posture A0 in FIG. 3). The boundary between the body surface and the measurement site W (such as the rectus abdominis muscle, etc.) inside the living body H is not necessarily parallel, but rather is usually not parallel. Therefore, when the transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is aligned with the body surface of the living body H as in the posture A0, the sound axis direction D0 and the boundary of the measurement site W do not become perpendicular. In this case, the component of the reflected ultrasonic wave that is specularly reflected at the boundary of the measurement site W becomes small. On the other hand, when the ultrasonic probe 10 (ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20) is tilted to the posture A1, the sound axis direction D1 approaches perpendicular to the boundary of the measurement site W. As a result, the signal intensity of the received signal obtained by receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected at the boundary of the measurement site W increases. By performing ultrasonic measurement while maintaining such a posture of the ultrasonic probe 10, the boundary of the measurement site W can be detected more accurately, and the measurement accuracy can be improved. In this state, among the plurality of teaching lines Ln, the teaching line Ln that is parallel to the front direction F of the living body H is specified. For example, in the case of FIG. 3, it is specified that the teaching line L2 is the teaching line suitable for the measurement site W.

[0024] By specifying the teaching line Ln through the above preliminary measurement process, when performing ultrasonic measurement after the next time, the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 can be easily set based on the teaching line Ln specified in step S7. For example, in the present embodiment, the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 is set so that the teaching line Ln specified in step S7 is parallel to the front direction F of the living body H. Thereby, for example, when performing ultrasonic measurement on the same measurement site W periodically, the contact angle of the ultrasonic probe 10 can be made constant, and the change over time of the measurement site W can be preferably measured.

[0025] Here, for the purpose of exemplifying the measurement of the rectus abdominis muscle, an example is shown in which the contact posture of the ultrasonic probe 10 is maintained such that the front direction F of the living body H and the teaching line Ln specified in step S7 are parallel, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When there is a specific target other than the front direction F, when specifying the teaching line Ln in step S7, the teaching line Ln in the direction in which the target exists may be specified. For example, when measuring the side of the arm, the teaching line Ln in the direction of the side of the arm (for example, the right direction in the case of the right arm) may be specified. Further, when performing ultrasonic measurement at a predetermined position in the room, the teaching line Ln in the direction of a fixed object (such as interior decorations) existing around the predetermined position may be specified.

[0026] [Operation and Effect of the Present Embodiment] The ultrasonic probe 10 of the first embodiment includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 and a housing 30 that houses the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20. The ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 transmits ultrasonic waves to the living body H and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body H. And the housing 30 is provided with a teaching unit 40 that teaches the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 according to a predetermined measurement site inside the living body H. Therefore, the user can make the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 correspond to the measurement site by bringing the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the living body H at the contact angle taught by the teaching unit 40 while visually recognizing the teaching unit 40. Thereby, compared with the case where the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the living body H so that the transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 simply follows the body surface of the living body H, the transmission / reception surface 20A is installed at an angle corresponding to the measurement site W, enabling highly accurate ultrasonic transmission and reception with respect to the measurement site W and enabling various measurements regarding the measurement site W to be performed with high precision.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the teaching unit 40 is a teaching line Ln (straight line) displayed on the side wall 32 (outer surface) of the housing 30. Therefore, the user only needs to bring the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the living body H so that the direction of the teaching line Ln becomes a predetermined direction (for example, the front direction F), and the installation operation of the ultrasonic probe 10 on the living body H becomes easy.

[0028] In this embodiment, a plurality of teaching lines Ln are provided, and these teaching lines Ln extend in different directions respectively. Thereby, the user can select any one of the plurality of teaching lines Ln and bring the ultrasonic probe 10 into contact with the living body H using the selected teaching line Ln. That is, the user can appropriately select a teaching line Ln corresponding to each individual living body for which measurement is to be performed, or a teaching line Ln corresponding to the type of measurement site W.

[0029] In this embodiment, the plurality of teaching lines Ln include a reference line (reference teaching line L0) orthogonal to the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20, and the other teaching lines Ln are inclined at different angles with respect to the reference teaching line L0. Thereby, by providing a reference line (reference teaching line L0) in the normal direction of the transmission / reception surface 20A, it becomes easier for the user to grasp which of the teaching lines Ln corresponds to an appropriate contact angle.

[0030] In this embodiment, the plurality of teaching lines Ln are provided in an angle range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less with respect to the reference teaching line L0. Although there are individual differences, the boundary of the muscle tissue, particularly the rectus abdominis muscle, in the living body H is inclined at an angle of approximately 15 degrees with respect to the body surface of the living body H. Therefore, by providing a plurality of teaching lines Ln within the range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less, it is highly likely that any one of these teaching lines Ln shows an inclination angle corresponding to the boundary of the muscle tissue. Thereby, the user can find a teaching line Ln corresponding to the measurement site with confidence.

[0031] [Second Embodiment] In the above first embodiment, it is an example of the ultrasonic probe 10 in which the posture of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is fixed with respect to the housing 30. In contrast, an example of an ultrasonic probe in which the posture of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 can be changed with respect to the housing 30 will be described as the second embodiment. Regarding matters already described in the following description, the same reference numerals will be given and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic device 1A according to the second embodiment. The ultrasonic device 1A of this embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 10A and a measurement main body 50. As shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic probe 10A includes an ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 and a housing 30A.

[0033] Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing 30A of this embodiment includes a head portion 33, a grip portion 34, and a hinge portion 35. The head portion 33 is a portion where the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is housed. Similar to the first embodiment, a window portion 31 is provided in the head portion 33, and the transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is exposed from the window portion 31. Alternatively, an acoustic matching layer may be provided on the window portion 31.

[0034] The grip portion 34 is a part that is gripped by hand when the user operates the ultrasonic probe 10A. An instruction portion 40A is provided on the outer surface (side wall 32A) of the grip portion 34.

[0035] The hinge portion 35 functions as a connecting portion that connects the head portion 33 and the grip portion 34. The hinge portion 35 further has a lock portion 351 that supports the head portion 33 so that the head portion 33 can rotate with respect to the grip portion 34 and locks the rotation of the head portion 33 with respect to the grip portion 34. That is, in a state where the lock of the lock portion 351 is released (unlocked state), the head portion 33 is rotatable with respect to the grip portion 34, and in a state where the lock portion 351 is locked (locked state), the rotation of the head portion 33 with respect to the grip portion 34 is restricted.

[0036] In this embodiment, the instruction portion 40A is constituted by one reference instruction line L0 provided on the side wall 32A of the grip portion 34. In this embodiment, the grip portion 34 has a longitudinal direction, and the reference instruction line L0 along the longitudinal direction is provided.

[0037] [Operation Method of Ultrasonic Device 1A] Next, an operation method of the ultrasonic device 1A as described above will be described. In the ultrasonic device 1A of this embodiment, a preliminary measurement procedure is carried out by a method substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, in step S1, the user brings the ultrasonic probe 10A into contact with the measurement position of the living body H. At this time, the lock of the hinge portion 35 is released by the lock portion 351 so that the head portion 33 can rotate with respect to the grip portion 34. Further, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 10A is brought into contact with the living body H so that the reference teaching line L0 faces in a preset direction. For example, the ultrasonic probe 10A is brought into contact with the living body H so that the front direction F of the living body H is parallel to the reference teaching line L0.

[0038] Next, in step S2, the user operates the measurement main body portion 50 to execute a predetermined application related to ultrasonic measurement and commands the start of the preliminary measurement process. In step S3, the user operates the measurement main body portion 50 to select the measurement site W, and the measurement target selection unit 521 identifies the input measurement site W.

[0039] After that, steps S4 to S6 are carried out to perform ultrasonic measurement with the ultrasonic probe 10A, calculate the signal intensity of the ultrasonic wave reflected at the boundary of the measurement site W calculated from the received signal, and display it on the display 53. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the processes from step S5 to step S6 are continuously carried out. Here, in this embodiment, the user changes the rotation angle of the head portion 33 with respect to the grip portion 34 and brings the ultrasonic probe 10A into contact with the same measurement position. Also at this time, the ultrasonic probe 10A is brought into contact with the living body H so that the reference teaching line L0 faces in a preset direction, for example, so that the front direction F of the living body H is parallel to the reference teaching line L0.

[0040] In this way, by changing the rotation angle of the gripping portion 34 with respect to the head portion 33, similar to the first embodiment, a reception signal corresponding to the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 with the living body H is output to the measurement main body unit 50, and the signal intensity displayed on the display 53 is updated. Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of step S7, the user checks the rotation angle of the head portion 33 at which the signal intensity is maximized while referring to the display 53. Then, when the user specifies the contact angle (rotation angle of the head portion 33) at which the signal intensity is maximized, the hinge portion 35 is locked by the lock portion 351. As a result, when performing ultrasonic measurement after the next time, appropriate ultrasonic measurement can be performed only by bringing the ultrasonic probe 10A into contact with the measurement position.

[0041] [Operational Effects of this Embodiment] In this embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved, and furthermore, the following operational effects can be achieved. In the ultrasonic probe 10A of this embodiment, the housing 30A includes a head portion 33 provided with the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20, a gripping portion 34 that supports the head portion 33 and is gripped by the user, and a hinge portion 35 (connecting portion) that connects the head portion 33 and the gripping portion 34 and can change the inclination angle of the head portion 33 with respect to the gripping portion 34. This hinge portion 35 includes a lock portion 351 and can be switched between an unlocked state in which the inclination angle of the head portion 33 with respect to the gripping portion 34 can be changed and a locked state in which the change in the inclination angle of the head portion 33 with respect to the gripping portion 34 is restricted. Also, the teaching portion 40 is the reference teaching line L0 displayed on the side wall 32A (outer surface) of the gripping portion 34.

[0042] Accordingly, in the present embodiment, if the rotation angle (tilt angle) of the gripping portion 34 with respect to the head portion 33 is set to a predetermined angle corresponding to the measurement site of the living body H, the ultrasonic probe 10A can be brought into contact with the living body H so that the reference teaching line L0 faces in a predetermined direction (for example, parallel to the front direction F), and appropriate ultrasonic measurement can be performed. Therefore, unlike in the first embodiment, it is not necessary to store the teaching line Ln specified by the user in step S7, and the ultrasonic probe 10A can be more easily installed on the living body H even when performing ultrasonic measurement after the next time.

[0043] [Modification Example] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and configurations obtained by deformation, improvement, and appropriate combination of the embodiments within the scope capable of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0044] (Modification Example 1) In the second embodiment, the user manually changes the rotation angle between the head portion 33 and the gripping portion 34 and changes the locked state of the hinge portion 35. In contrast, a rotation drive unit such as a motor may be provided on the hinge portion 35 of the ultrasonic probe 10A so that the angle between the head portion 33 and the gripping portion 34 can be automatically changed. Further, in the preliminary measurement process, the rotation angle between the head portion 33 and the gripping portion 34 may be rotationally scanned to search for an angle at which the signal intensity of the received signal based on the ultrasonic wave reflected at the boundary of the measurement site becomes maximum. In such a configuration, the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 with respect to the living body H can be automatically set to an optimal angle without the user checking the display 53. Further, by storing the searched rotation angle in a storage device such as the memory 51, in the ultrasonic measurement after the next time, the angle may be read out and the rotation drive unit may be controlled. In this case, the user only needs to bring the ultrasonic probe 10A into contact with the living body H so that the reference teaching line L0 shown by the teaching unit 40 is parallel to a predetermined direction (for example, the front direction F of the living body H), and the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 is automatically controlled, and ultrasonic measurement with respect to the measurement site can be appropriately performed.

[0045] (Modification Example 2) In the first embodiment, as the teaching unit 40, a plurality of teaching lines Ln provided on the side wall 32 of the housing 30 are exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any configuration may be used as long as the user can easily recognize the contact direction of the ultrasonic probe 10. For example, the direction may be indicated by providing a protruding point or a recess. Alternatively, a teaching display may be provided on the side wall 32. In a configuration in which a teaching line is shown on the teaching display, when the user specifies the teaching line Ln corresponding to the maximum signal intensity in step S7, only the teaching line Ln may be displayed thereafter, and the other teaching lines Ln may be made non-display until the next tentative measurement process is performed. Also, in step S6, an example in which the calculated signal intensity or a color corresponding to the signal intensity is displayed on the display 53 is shown. However, when a teaching display is provided on the ultrasonic probe 10, the calculated signal intensity or a color corresponding to the signal intensity may be displayed on the teaching display.

[0046] (Modification Example 3) In the second embodiment, the hinge portion 35 is provided at one end of the head portion 33 in one direction and connected to the gripping portion 34. However, the hinge portion 35 may be provided at the center of the head portion 33 in one direction. In this case, the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit 20 of the head portion 33 can be rotated in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction from a position perpendicular to the reference teaching line L0.

[0047] (Modification Example 4) Also, in the second embodiment, an example in which the connecting portion of the present disclosure is constituted by the hinge portion 35 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic probe 10B according to a modification example 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a configuration may be adopted in which legs 37 that can advance and retreat with respect to the gripping portion 34 are provided on both end sides of the head portion 33 in one direction. In this case, a locking mechanism for regulating the forward and backward movement is provided on each leg 37. With such a configuration, by controlling the advancing and retracting distances of the respective legs 37 on both sides, the tilt angle of the gripping portion 34 of the head portion 33 can be controlled.

[0048] [Summary of the present disclosure] The ultrasonic probe according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body, and a housing that houses the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit. The housing is provided with an instruction unit that instructs the contact angle of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit according to the measurement site inside the living body.

[0049] In this aspect, while the user visually recognizes the instruction unit and brings the ultrasonic probe into contact with the living body at the contact angle instructed by the instruction unit, the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit assumes the contact angle corresponding to the measurement site. As a result, compared to the case where the transmission and reception surface of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit is simply along the body surface of the living body, the transmission and reception surface is installed at an angle corresponding to the measurement site, enabling highly accurate ultrasonic transmission and reception with respect to the measurement site and enabling various measurements regarding the measurement site to be carried out with high precision.

[0050] In the ultrasonic probe of this aspect, it is preferable that the instruction unit is a straight line displayed on the outer surface of the housing. Thereby, the user only needs to bring the ultrasonic probe into contact with the living body so that the extending direction of the straight line becomes a predetermined direction (for example, the front direction of the living body), and the operation of installing the ultrasonic probe on the living body becomes easy.

[0051] In the ultrasonic probe of this aspect, it is preferable that a plurality of the straight lines are provided, and the plurality of the straight lines extend in different directions. Thereby, the user can select any one of the plurality of straight lines and bring the ultrasonic probe into contact with the living body using the selected straight line. By selecting the optimal straight line for each measurement location in the living body and each measurement site inside the living body, the ultrasonic probe can be brought into contact with the living body at the optimal contact angle corresponding to each measurement target.

[0052] In the ultrasonic probe of the present aspect, a reference line orthogonal to the transmission / reception surface of the ultrasonic wave of the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit is included, and it is preferable that the other straight lines are inclined at different angles with respect to the reference line. By providing a reference line that is the normal direction of the transmission / reception surface, it becomes easier for the user to grasp which of the straight lines should be selected to bring the ultrasonic probe into contact with the living body.

[0053] In the ultrasonic probe of the present aspect, it is preferable that the plurality of straight lines are provided in an angular range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less with respect to the reference line. Generally, the boundary of muscle tissue in the living body, particularly the rectus abdominis muscle, is inclined at an angle of approximately 15 degrees with respect to the body surface of the living body. Therefore, by providing a plurality of teaching lines Ln within a range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less, it is highly likely that any of these teaching lines Ln indicates an inclination angle corresponding to the boundary of the muscle tissue. As a result, the user can find the teaching line Ln corresponding to the measurement site of the user.

[0054] In the ultrasonic probe of the present aspect, the housing includes a head portion where the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit is provided, a grip portion that supports the head portion and is gripped by the user, and a connecting portion that connects the head portion and the grip portion and can change the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion. The connecting portion can switch between an unlocked state in which the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion can be changed and a locked state in which the change in the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion is restricted. It is preferable that the teaching portion is a straight line displayed on the outer surface of the grip portion. In such a configuration, the ultrasonic probe is brought into contact with the living body so that the straight line of the teaching unit faces a predetermined direction with respect to the living body. In the unlocked state, the inclination angle of the head unit with respect to the gripping unit is set so that the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit forms a predetermined angle corresponding to the measurement site of the living body, and then the locked state is set. As a result, when performing subsequent ultrasonic measurements, without changing the inclination angle of the head unit with respect to the gripping unit, the ultrasonic probe can be brought into contact with the living body so that the straight line of the teaching unit faces a predetermined direction with respect to the living body, and the ultrasonic probe can be brought into contact with the living body so that the ultrasonic transmission / reception unit forms an appropriate inclination angle with respect to the measurement site.

Explanation of Signs

[0055] 1, 1A… Ultrasonic device, 10, 10A, 10B… Ultrasonic probe, 20… Ultrasonic transmission / reception unit, 20A… Transmission / reception surface, 30, 30A… Housing, 31… Window portion, 32, 32A… Side wall, 33… Head unit, 34… Gripping unit, 35… Hinge portion, 37… Leg portion, 40, 40A… Teaching unit, 50… Measurement main body unit, 51… Memory, 52… Processor, 53… Display, 351… Locking portion, 521… Measurement target selection unit, 522… Signal intensity calculation unit, 523… Selection support unit, 524… Measurement calculation unit, F… Front direction, H… Living body, L0… Reference teaching line, L1… Teaching line, L2… Teaching line, L3… Teaching line, L4… Teaching line, L5… Teaching line, L6… Teaching line, W… Measurement site, W1… Shallow side boundary, W2… Deep side boundary.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transceiver that transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected inside the living body, A housing that houses the ultrasonic transceiver, An ultrasonic probe, wherein the housing is provided with an instruction unit that instructs the contact angle of the ultrasonic transceiver according to the measurement site inside the living body.

2. The instruction unit is a straight line displayed on the outer surface of the housing, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1.

3. A plurality of the straight lines are provided, The plurality of straight lines extend in different directions, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2.

4. The plurality of straight lines include a reference line perpendicular to the transmission / reception surface of the ultrasonic waves of the ultrasonic transceiver, and the other straight lines are inclined at different angles with respect to the reference line, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 3.

5. The plurality of straight lines are provided within an angular range of 5 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less with respect to the reference line, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4.

6. The housing is A head portion where the ultrasonic transceiver is provided, A grip portion that supports the head portion and is gripped by a user, A connecting portion that connects the head portion and the grip portion and can change the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion, The connecting portion can be switched between an unlocked state in which the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion can be changed and a locked state in which the change in the inclination angle of the head portion with respect to the grip portion is restricted, The instruction unit is a straight line displayed on the outer surface of the grip portion, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1.

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