Ultrasound probe

Abstract

This invention provides a wirelessly connected ultrasonic probe that allows for easy monitoring of its operating status. [Solution] The housing (12) has a head portion (12A) that houses the transducer array and a grip portion (12C) connected to the head portion and for the user to grasp. A projection (13) is arranged on the outer surface of the head portion to indicate the orientation of the ultrasonic probe (11), and a light-emitting portion (14) is arranged on the outer surface of the grip portion on the same side as the outer surface of the head portion where the projection is located. The light-emitting control unit controls the light-emitting portion to emit light in a manner corresponding to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe, and particularly to a wireless connection type ultrasonic probe.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the medical field, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses using ultrasonic images have been put into practical use. Generally, this type of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe incorporating a vibrator array and an apparatus main body connected to the ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe transmits an ultrasonic beam toward a subject, receives an ultrasonic echo from the subject with the ultrasonic probe, and generates an ultrasonic image, for example, by electrically processing the received signal in the apparatus main body.

[0003] In recent years, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has been developed in which a battery is incorporated in an ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic probe and the apparatus main body are wirelessly connected by wireless communication. In such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, since a cable for connecting the ultrasonic probe and the apparatus main body is not required, the operability and mobility of the ultrasonic probe by the user when performing ultrasonic diagnosis can be improved.

[0004] However, since a wireless connection type ultrasonic probe does not have a cable for connecting to the diagnostic apparatus main body, it can be freely grasped in various ways. As a result, for example, if the front and back of the ultrasonic probe are misjudged during use, normal ultrasonic diagnosis may not be possible. Therefore, an ultrasonic probe having a protrusion for indicating the direction on the outer surface of the housing may be used, but it is desirable to be able to grasp not only the direction of the ultrasonic probe but also the state related to the operation of the ultrasonic probe.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an ultrasonic probe used when inserting a puncture needle into a subject's body, wherein a guide unit that guides the insertion position of the puncture needle by emitting light is arranged in the housing of the ultrasonic probe. With this ultrasonic probe, the user can understand the insertion position of the puncture needle by checking the guide unit, but they cannot understand the operating state of the ultrasonic probe. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-164871 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-169510 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional invention, and aims to provide a wirelessly connected ultrasonic probe that allows for easy monitoring of its operating status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above objective can be achieved with the following configuration. [1] A wireless ultrasonic probe, oscillator array, Light-emitting part, A light emission control unit that controls the light emission from the light emission unit, A battery for supplying power to the light-emitting unit and the light-emitting control unit, A housing that houses the oscillator array, light emission control unit, and battery. Equipped with, The housing has a head section that houses the transducer array and a grip section connected to the head section for the user to hold. A projection is positioned on the outer surface of the head to indicate the orientation of the ultrasonic probe. The light-emitting part is located on the outer surface of the grip part on the same side as the outer surface of the head part where the protrusion is located. The light emission control unit controls the light emission section of the ultrasonic probe so that it emits light in a manner corresponding to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe. [2] The ultrasonic probe according to [1], wherein the light emission control unit changes the color of the light emitted from the light emission unit according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe. [3] The ultrasonic probe described in [2], wherein the light emission control unit emits primary color light from the light emission unit when in standby mode for imaging, and complementary color light when imaging. [4] The ultrasonic probe according to [1], wherein the light emission control unit changes the light emission pattern in the light emission unit according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe. [5] The ultrasonic probe described in [4], wherein the light emission control unit changes the light emission pattern in the light emission unit between the live mode and the freeze mode of imaging. [6] The ultrasonic probe according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the grip portion of the part where the light-emitting part is located has a width narrower than the width of the head portion. [7] The ultrasonic probe according to [1], wherein the housing is formed by a front half member and a back half member joined together, and the light-emitting part is made of a separate part from the front half member and the back half member and is located at the boundary between the front half member and the back half member. [8] The ultrasonic probe according to [1], wherein the housing is formed by a front half member and a back half member joined together, and the light-emitting part is integrally formed on one of the front half member and the back half member. [9] Equipped with an integrated circuit that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves using a transducer array, The ultrasonic probe described in [1] is housed in a casing and powered by a battery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] An ultrasonic probe includes a vibrator array, a light-emitting unit, a light-emitting control unit that controls light emission by the light-emitting unit, a battery for supplying power to the light-emitting unit and the light-emitting control unit, and a housing that houses the vibrator array, the light-emitting control unit, and the battery. The housing has a head portion that houses the vibrator array and a grip portion that is connected to the head portion and is for a user to hold. A protrusion for indicating the direction of the ultrasonic probe is disposed on an outer surface of the head portion. The light-emitting unit is disposed on an outer surface of the grip portion on the same side as the outer surface of the head portion where the protrusion is disposed. The light-emitting control unit controls the light-emitting unit to perform light emission in a manner corresponding to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe, so that the operating state can be easily grasped.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] The perspective view which shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 2] The plan view which shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 3] The side view which shows the ultrasonic probe which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 4] The sectional view which shows the internal structure of the ultrasonic probe which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 5] The block diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus provided with the ultrasonic probe which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 6] The block diagram which shows the internal structure of the transmission and reception circuit of the ultrasonic probe in Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 7] The block diagram which shows the internal structure of the image generation unit of the ultrasonic probe in Embodiment 1 of this invention. [Figure 8] The side view which shows the front side half member and the back side half member which constitute the housing of the ultrasonic probe in Embodiment 1 of this invention and the light-emitting unit. [Figure 9] The side view which shows the front side half member and the back side half member which constitute the housing of the ultrasonic probe in the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention and the light-emitting unit. [Figure 10]It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic probe according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. The description of the constituent elements described below is made based on typical embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. In this specification, a numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values described before and after "~" as the lower limit value and the upper limit value. In this specification, "identical" and "the same" shall include the error ranges generally acceptable in the technical field.

[0012] Embodiment 1 Figs. 1 to 3 show an ultrasonic probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The ultrasonic probe 11 includes a housing 12, and the housing 12 has an overall shape that extends in one direction and is wide and flat. The housing 12 has a head portion 12A disposed at one end in the extending direction, a rear end portion 12B disposed at the other end, and a grip portion 12C disposed between the head portion 12A and the rear end portion 12B. The head portion 12A is the portion that is directed toward the body surface of the subject when performing ultrasonic diagnosis using the ultrasonic probe 11, and the grip portion 12C is the portion where the ultrasonic probe 11 is gripped by the user.

[0013] Here, for the sake of convenience, the direction from the head portion 12A toward the rear end portion 12B will be referred to as the +Y direction, the width direction of the wide and flat housing 12 orthogonal to the Y direction will be referred to as the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X direction and the Y direction will be referred to as the Z direction.

[0014] The housing 12 is formed from, for example, an insulating resin, and the grip portion 12C has a width W1 that is narrower than the maximum width W2 in the X direction of the head portion 12A. The grip portion 12C also has a cylindrical shape surrounded by four side plate portions that extend along a center line C1 that extends from the head portion 12A to the rear end portion 12B. The four side plate portions consist of a first side plate portion S1 oriented in the -Z direction, a second side plate portion S2 oriented in the +Z direction on the opposite side of the first side plate portion S1, a third side plate portion S3 that connects the first side plate portion S1 and the second side plate portion S2 and is oriented in the +X direction, and a fourth side plate portion S4 that connects the first side plate portion S1 and the second side plate portion S2 and is oriented in the -X direction. These four side panel sections may also be constructed by combining multiple side panel members.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, when viewed from the X direction, the housing 12 has an external shape in which, although there are some undulating parts, the thickness in the Z direction gradually decreases from near the center in the Y direction towards the head portion 12A along the center line C1. Furthermore, a projection 13 is formed on the +X side of the head portion 12A to indicate the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 11, and a light-emitting portion 14 is arranged on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3, which extends elongated in the Y direction along the center line C1.

[0016] Figure 4 shows the internal structure of the ultrasonic probe 11. A transducer array 15 is located inside the head portion 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11. The transducer array 15 has multiple transducers arranged in the X direction and an acoustic lens, with the acoustic lens 15A of the transducer array 15 exposed from the housing 12 and oriented in the -Y direction.

[0017] Inside the housing 12, a flat-shaped battery 16 is positioned along the inner surface of the housing 12, offset from the grip portion 12C towards the head portion 12A. The battery 16 is positioned offset from the center line C1 in the -Z direction. As described above, the housing 12 has an external shape in which the thickness in the Z direction gradually decreases from near the center in the Y direction towards the head portion 12A along the center line C1. Therefore, by positioning the battery 16 in a position biased toward the head portion 12A side from the grip portion 12C and along the inner surface of the housing 12, the battery 16 is in an inclined state with respect to the center line C1.

[0018] The power receiving coil 17 is positioned on the +Y side of the battery 16 at a location offset to the -Z direction from the center line C1. The power receiving coil 17 has a flat plate shape that is thinner than the battery 16 and is positioned along the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1 of the grip portion 12C. Here, at least the region of the first side plate portion S1 in which the power receiving coil 17 is positioned has a planar inner surface and a planar outer surface, and the power receiving coil 17 is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1, or in very close proximity to the inner surface of the first side plate portion S1.

[0019] Furthermore, inside the housing 12, a circuit board 18 is positioned offset from the center line C1 to the side opposite to the battery 16 and the power receiving coil 17, that is, inside the second side plate S2 of the grip portion 12C. The circuit board 18 extends along the XY plane from the grip portion 12C to the vicinity of the oscillator array 15 of the head portion 12A, and two integrated circuits 19 and 20 and a wireless communication circuit 21 are sequentially mounted on the surface of the circuit board 18 on the +Z side along the center line C1 in the +Y direction.

[0020] Furthermore, two temperature sensors 22, each connected to a circuit board 18, are located inside the housing 12. One of the two temperature sensors 22 is located between the two integrated circuits 19 and 20, and the other temperature sensor 22 is located between the integrated circuit 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21, both positioned close to the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C.

[0021] Furthermore, a sheet-like heat dissipation member 23 is placed between the circuit board 18 and the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, and the two integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21 mounted on the circuit board 18 are covered by the heat dissipation member 23. The heat dissipation member 23 is made of a resin sheet whose thermal conductivity has been improved by incorporating a highly thermally conductive filler, for example, and efficiently absorbs heat from the integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21, which become heat sources during operation, thereby preventing malfunctions and failures of the integrated circuits 19 and 20 and the wireless communication circuit 21. However, the heat dissipation member 23 has two openings 23A formed corresponding to the positions of the two temperature sensors 22, and the two temperature sensors 22 each face the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 through the corresponding openings 23A of the heat dissipation member 23.

[0022] Next, Figure 5 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with an ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1. The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises an ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 and a device body 41, and the ultrasound probe 11 and the device body 41 are connected by wireless communication.

[0023] The ultrasonic probe 11 has a transmitting / receiving circuit 31 connected to a transducer array 15, to which an image generation unit 32 and a wireless communication circuit 21 are sequentially connected. An ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33 is also connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 31. Furthermore, a communication control unit 34 is connected to the wireless communication circuit 21, a light emission control unit 35 is connected to the light emission unit 14, and a charging control unit 36 ​​is connected to the power receiving coil 17. In addition, a probe control unit 37 is connected to the temperature sensor 22, the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, the communication control unit 34, the light emission control unit 35, and the charging control unit 36. The power receiving coil 17 is connected to a battery 16. Here, the wireless communication circuit 21 and the probe control unit 37 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange. Furthermore, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side is formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, image generation unit 32, ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, communication control unit 34, light emission control unit 35, charging control unit 36, and probe control unit 37.

[0024] The main unit 41 of the device is equipped with a wireless communication circuit 42, to which a display control unit 43 and a monitor 44 are sequentially connected. A communication control unit 45 is also connected to the wireless communication circuit 42, and the main unit control unit 46 is connected to the wireless communication circuit 42, the display control unit 43, and the communication control unit 45. An input device 47 is also connected to the main unit control unit 46. Here, the wireless communication circuit 42 and the main unit control unit 46 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange.

[0025] Furthermore, the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45, and the main unit control unit 46 form the processor 48 on the main unit 41 side of the device. Furthermore, the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 and the wireless communication circuit 42 of the device body 41 are connected in a way that allows for bidirectional information exchange, thereby connecting the ultrasonic probe 11 and the device body 41 via wireless communication.

[0026] The transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 11 has multiple transducers arranged in one or two dimensions. Each of these transducers transmits ultrasound according to a drive signal supplied from the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 and receives ultrasound echoes from the subject and outputs a received signal. Each transducer is constructed by forming electrodes at both ends of a piezoelectric body made of, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic represented by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a polymer piezoelectric element represented by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), or a piezoelectric single crystal represented by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0027] The ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33 transmits an ultrasonic beam and receives an ultrasonic echo based on instructions from the probe control unit 37 by controlling the transmission / reception circuit 31.

[0028] The transmitting and receiving circuit 31 transmits ultrasonic waves from the transducer array 15 and generates a sound line signal based on the received signal acquired by the transducer array 15, under the control of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving control unit 33. As shown in Figure 6, the transmitting and receiving circuit 31 has a pulser 51 connected to the transducer array 15, and an amplifier 52, an AD (Analog Digital) converter 53, and a beamformer 54 connected sequentially in series to the transducer array 15.

[0029] The pulser 51 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators and supplies drive signals to multiple transducers of the transducer array 15, adjusting the delay amount, so that the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transducers form an ultrasonic beam, based on a transmission delay pattern selected according to a control signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33. In this way, when a pulsed or continuous wave voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducers of the transducer array 15, the piezoelectric material expands and contracts, generating pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves from each transducer, and an ultrasonic beam is formed from the combined wave of these ultrasonic waves.

[0030] The transmitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by an object, such as a part of the subject, and the ultrasonic echo propagates toward the transducer array 15 of the ultrasonic probe 11. The ultrasonic echo propagating toward the transducer array 15 is received by each transducer that makes up the transducer array 15. At this time, each transducer that makes up the transducer array 15 expands and contracts upon receiving the propagating ultrasonic echo, generating a received signal which is an electrical signal, and these received signals are output to the amplification unit 52.

[0031] The amplification unit 52 amplifies the signals input from each transducer constituting the transducer array 15 and transmits the amplified signals to the AD conversion unit 53. The AD conversion unit 53 converts the signals transmitted from the amplification unit 52 into digital received data and transmits this received data to the beamformer 54. The beamformer 54 performs so-called receive focus processing by adding each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 53 with a corresponding delay, according to the sound velocity or sound velocity distribution set based on the reception delay pattern selected according to the control signal from the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33. This receive focus processing generates a sound ray signal in which each received data converted by the AD conversion unit 53 is added in phase and the focus of the ultrasonic echo is narrowed. The sound ray signal thus generated is sent to the image generation unit 32.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the image generation unit 32 has a configuration in which a signal processing unit 55, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 56, and an image processing unit 57 are connected in series in sequence. The signal processing unit 55 applies distance-dependent attenuation correction to the sound line signal transmitted from the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 according to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position, and then performs envelope detection processing to generate an image signal (B-mode image signal), which is tomographic image information about the tissue within the subject.

[0033] The DSC56 converts the image signal generated by the signal processing unit 55 into an image signal that follows the scanning method of a normal television signal (raster conversion). The image processing unit 57 generates an ultrasonic image signal by applying various necessary image processing, such as brightness correction, gradation correction, sharpness correction, and color correction, to the image signal input from the DSC 56. The ultrasonic image signal generated in this way by the image generation unit 32 is sent to the wireless communication circuit 21.

[0034] The wireless communication circuit 21 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves and communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41. In this process, the wireless communication circuit 21 modulates a carrier based on the image signal sent from the image generation unit 32 to generate a transmission signal, and wirelessly transmits the generated transmission signal to the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41. Examples of carrier modulation methods include ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying), PSK (Phase Shift Keying), QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), and 16QAM (16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation).

[0035] The communication control unit 34 controls the wireless communication circuit 21 so that the ultrasonic image signal is transmitted at the transmission radio wave intensity set by the probe control unit 37. The light emission control unit 35 controls the light emission of the light emission unit 14, which is located on the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3 of the housing 12, under the control of the probe control unit 37, to represent various states of the ultrasonic probe 11. When the ultrasonic probe 11 is placed in the charger described later, the charging control unit 36 ​​controls the charging of the battery 16 via the charging coil 17, which is built into the housing 12.

[0036] The temperature sensor 22, located inside the housing 12, detects the temperature inside the housing 12, particularly the temperature near the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, and sends the information to the probe control unit 37. The light-emitting section 14 is composed of a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp or an EL (Electroluminescence) lamp, and emits light under the control of the light-emitting control section 35. Furthermore, since the light-emitting section 14 has a structure that extends elongated in the Y direction, it can also be composed of multiple LED lamps or EL lamps arranged in the Y direction. The battery 16 supplies power to various parts within the ultrasonic probe 11. The probe control unit 37 controls each part of the ultrasonic probe 11 based on a program or other data stored in advance.

[0037] The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and communicates wirelessly with the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11. In this process, the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 receives, for example, a transmission signal wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 via the antenna, and outputs an ultrasonic image signal by demodulating the received transmission signal. The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 then sends the ultrasonic image signal output in this manner to the display control unit 43.

[0038] The display control unit 43, under the control of the main unit control unit 46, performs predetermined processing on the ultrasonic image signal transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 42 and displays the ultrasonic image on the monitor 44. The monitor 44 displays the ultrasound image under the control of the display control unit 43 and has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electroluminescence Display).

[0039] The communication control unit 45 controls the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41 so that it receives the transmission signal from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11. The main control unit 46 controls each part of the main body 41 of the device based on a pre-stored program and user operations via the input device 47. The input device 47 is for the user to perform input operations and consists of devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, and touch sensor placed on top of the monitor 44.

[0040] In this embodiment, each process is executed on any computer. Furthermore, any computer may execute these processes using a processor as hardware, a program as software, or a combination thereof. In this case, the processor is configured to work in cooperation with the program to execute the various processes in this embodiment, and can function as a unit or means in this embodiment. The execution order of the processes by the processor is not limited to the order described and may be changed as appropriate. Any computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer designed for a specific purpose, a workstation, or any other system capable of executing each process.

[0041] Here, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side and the processor 48 on the device body 41 side may each be composed of one or more hardware components, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the processor may be composed of a programmable logic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a dedicated circuit for executing a specific process such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Furthermore, the type of hardware may be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple hardware components are configured to execute one or more processes of a given processor, these multiple hardware components may be located in physically separate devices or in the same device. Also, in any embodiment, the order of each process performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware is composed of an electrical circuit (circuitry) that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0042] In this embodiment 1, the processor 38 on the ultrasonic probe 11 side is composed of two integrated circuits 19 and 20 shown in Figure 4.

[0043] Furthermore, the program may be firmware or software such as microcode. Alternatively, the program may be, for example, a set of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform its respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored on one or more non-temporary computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storage). The program may be divided and stored on multiple non-temporary computer-readable media located on physically separate devices. Program code or code segments may represent any combination of procedures, functions, subprograms, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. Program code or code segments may be connected to other code segments or hardware circuits by sending and receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0044] When performing an ultrasound diagnosis using the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus shown in Figure 5, first, under the control of the ultrasound transmission / reception control unit 33 of the ultrasound probe 11, an ultrasound beam is transmitted into the subject from multiple transducers of the transducer array 15 according to a drive signal from the transmission / reception circuit 31. The ultrasound echo from the subject is received by multiple transducers of the transducer array 15, and the received signal, which is an analog signal, is output from the multiple transducers to the transmission / reception circuit 31. The received signal is amplified by the amplification unit 52 of the transmission / reception circuit 31, converted to AD by the AD conversion unit 53, and then subjected to reception focus processing in the beamformer 54 to generate an acoustic ray signal, which is sent from the transmission / reception circuit 31 to the image generation unit 32.

[0045] Furthermore, the signal processing unit 55 of the image generation unit 32 applies attenuation correction due to distance corresponding to the depth of the ultrasonic reflection position and envelope detection processing to the sound line signal, thereby generating an image signal which is tomographic image information of the tissue within the subject. This is then converted into an image signal following the scanning method of a normal television signal by the DSC 56, and further, various necessary image processing such as gradation processing is performed by the image processing unit 57 to generate an ultrasonic image signal. The ultrasonic image signal generated in this manner is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 to the main unit 41 of the device, received by the wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41, and then the ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 44 via the display control unit 43.

[0046] When performing such an ultrasound diagnosis, the ultrasound probe 11, which is wirelessly connected to the main unit 41 of the device, goes through various operating states. For example, there are various states such as switching between the stopped state and the started state of the ultrasound probe 11, the imaging state and standby state in ultrasound imaging, and the live mode state and freeze mode state depending on the ultrasound imaging mode selection.

[0047] In ultrasound imaging, "imaging state" refers to the state in which ultrasound waves are transmitted and received using the transducer array 15, while "standby state" refers to the state in which ultrasound waves are not transmitted or received. Furthermore, "live mode" refers to a state in which the ultrasonic image signal generated by the image generation unit 32 is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 in order to display the ultrasonic image (moving image) obtained at a predetermined frame rate in real time on the monitor 44 of the device body 41. "freeze mode" refers to a state in which the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves is interrupted and the ultrasonic image signal stored in the cine memory (not shown) is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 in order to display a single frame image (still image) of an ultrasonic image (moving image) that was previously generated on the monitor 44 of the device body 41.

[0048] These various operating states of the ultrasonic probe 11 are controlled by the probe control unit 37. The light emission control unit 35, which receives signals transmitted from the probe control unit 37, controls the way the light emission unit 14, located on the outer surface of the housing 12, emits light to represent the current state of the ultrasonic probe 11. This allows the user to easily and intuitively understand the operating status of the ultrasonic probe 11 simply by confirming the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 14.

[0049] Here, the light emission control unit 35 can change the color of the light emitted from the light emission unit 14 according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11. For example, the light emission control unit 35 controls the light emission unit 14 so that it emits light of a predetermined color when the ultrasonic probe 11 is activated, emits light of a different color than the color indicating activation when in the imaging state, and emits light of a different color than the color indicating activation and the color indicating imaging when in the standby state.

[0050] For example, under the control of the light emission control unit 35, the light emission unit 14 can emit primary color light consisting of red, green, or blue when in standby mode for ultrasound imaging, and emit complementary color light to the primary color, that is, a color located opposite the primary color on the so-called color wheel, when in imaging mode. Thus, in order to change the color of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 14 according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11, it is desirable that the light source constituting the light-emitting unit 14, such as an LED lamp or EL lamp, be configured to emit light of three primary or complementary colors.

[0051] Similarly, the light emission control unit 35 can control the light emission unit 14 so that it emits light of different colors in both the live mode and freeze mode states, which are determined by the ultrasound imaging mode selection.

[0052] Furthermore, the light emission control unit 35 can also change the light emission pattern of the light emission unit 14 according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11. For example, the light emission control unit 35 controls the light emission unit 14 so that it emits light in a predetermined pattern when the ultrasonic probe 11 is powered on, emits light in a different pattern from the pattern indicating power on when in the imaging state, and emits light in a different pattern from both the pattern indicating power on and the pattern indicating the imaging state when in the standby state. In these light emission patterns, light of the same color is emitted.

[0053] For example, under the control of the light emission control unit 35, the light emission unit 14 can emit light in a continuous lighting pattern when the ultrasonic probe 11 is activated, emit light in a blinking pattern with a predetermined blinking speed when in the imaging state, and emit light in a blinking pattern with a slower blinking speed than the blinking pattern indicating the imaging state when in the standby state. Furthermore, the light emission pattern of the light-emitting unit 14 can be the so-called Morse code, which is used, for example, in ship signal lights. The blinking interval of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 14 may also be controlled to generate a variable-length coded optical signal.

[0054] Similarly, the light emission control unit 35 can control the light emission unit 14 so that it emits light in different patterns in both the live mode and freeze mode states, which are determined by the ultrasound imaging mode selection. Furthermore, the light emission control unit 35 can change both the color and pattern of the light emitted from the light emission unit 14 according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11. This makes it possible for the user to understand various states more easily and intuitively. For example, the indicator light can be set to not illuminate when powered off, blink blue while establishing a wireless connection, light up blue after the wireless connection is established, yellow when the battery level is low, orange when there is a malfunction, white when shooting in B mode during live performance, purple when shooting in color Doppler mode, brown when shooting in power Doppler mode, pink when shooting in M ​​mode, and blink in the same color as the respective shooting mode when frozen. Alternatively, the indicator light can be set to not illuminate when powered off, blink green while establishing a wireless connection, light up green after the wireless connection is established, turn blue when the battery level is low, blink rapidly blue in case of malfunction, blink cyan during B-mode shooting in live performance, magenta during color Doppler and power Doppler shooting, yellow during M-mode shooting, and blink the same color as the respective shooting mode when frozen. Furthermore, during live performances, the indicator may be cyan when shooting in B mode, Morse code-based illumination when shooting in color Doppler or power Doppler mode, yellow when shooting in M ​​mode, and blinking in the same color as the respective shooting mode when frozen. Additionally, it can be configured to not emit light when powered off, blink purple while establishing a wireless connection, light up purple after the wireless connection is established, alternate between light up and blinking purple when the battery level of the 16 is low, blink rapidly purple in case of malfunction, and emit Morse code during live operation and when frozen.

[0055] Furthermore, the light emission control unit 35 can control the light emission unit 14 so that the way light is emitted changes not only in operations directly related to ultrasound imaging, such as the imaging state and standby state in ultrasound imaging as described above, and the live mode state and freeze mode state depending on the ultrasound imaging mode selection, but also in accordance with, for example, the wireless connection status between the ultrasound probe 11 and the main unit 41, the remaining battery level of the battery 16, error status, and the update status of the software installed in the ultrasound probe 11.

[0056] Furthermore, the temperature near the inner surface of the second side plate portion S2 of the grip portion 12C, detected by the two temperature sensors 22, is sent to the probe control unit 37, and under the control of the light emission control unit 35, the heating state of the ultrasonic probe 11 can be indicated by light emission from the light emission unit 14. Generally, the surface temperature of an ultrasonic probe is limited to a temperature below that specified by safety standards. However, by changing the way the light-emitting part 14 emits light according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22, the user can easily and intuitively grasp the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 11 and keep it below the specified temperature.

[0057] Furthermore, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22 reaches a predetermined threshold, the ultrasonic transmission / reception control unit 33 can adjust the drive signal supplied from the transmission / reception circuit 31 to the transducer array 15 to reduce the frame rate of the ultrasonic imaging, stop the ultrasonic imaging, or take other measures to lower the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0058] As shown in Figure 2, the grip portion 12C of the housing 12 has a width W1 that is narrower than the maximum width W2 in the X direction of the head portion 12A, and the light-emitting portion 14 is positioned on the outer surface of the grip portion 12C on the +X direction side. Therefore, when the head portion 12A of the ultrasound probe 11 is pointed towards the body surface of the subject for ultrasound diagnosis, the light-emitting portion 14 is hidden in the shadow of the head portion 12A, making it difficult for the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 14 to enter the subject's eyes, and thus reducing the subject's feeling of glare.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, the housing 12 of the ultrasonic probe 11 is formed by bonding and joining a front-side half member M1, which is positioned on the +Z direction side, and a back-side half member M2, which is positioned on the -Z direction side. With respect to such a housing 12, the light-emitting section 14 is formed as a separate part from the front half member M1 and the back half member M2, and is positioned at the boundary between the front half member M1 and the back half member M2, thereby enabling the front half member M1 and the back half member M2 to be connected to each other.

[0060] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, the light-emitting portion 14 can be integrally formed in advance on one of the front half member M1 and the back half member M2, for example, on the front half member M1, and the front half member M1 and the back half member M2 can be joined together.

[0061] The ultrasonic probe 11 is configured such that at least a portion of the outer surface of the second side plate portion S2, which is located on the opposite side of the center line C1 from the first side plate portion S1 to the fourth side plate portion S4 surrounding the grip portion 12C, is curved, making it easier for the user to grasp the grip portion 12C and improving the operability of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0062] Furthermore, since the projection 13 is formed to protrude from the +X direction side of the head portion 12A of the ultrasonic probe 11, when the user grasps the grip portion 12C, the presence of the projection 13 makes it easy to determine the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 11. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the light-emitting part 14 is positioned to protrude in the +X direction beyond the outer surface of the third side plate S3 of the grip part 12C, which is on the same +X direction side as the projection 13. As a result, the user can grasp the orientation of the ultrasonic probe 11 simply by gripping the grip part 12C and touching the light-emitting part 14, and can easily confirm the light emission from the light-emitting part 14 while gripping the grip part 12C, thereby improving the operability of the ultrasonic probe 11.

[0063] Furthermore, the light-emitting portion 14 does not necessarily have to protrude in the +X direction beyond the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3 of the grip portion 12C. It may be arranged to form the same surface as the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3, or it may be arranged to be recessed in the -X direction beyond the outer surface of the third side plate portion S3.

[0064] In the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1, a projection 13 is formed to protrude from the head portion 12A on the +X side, and a light-emitting portion 14 is arranged on the grip portion 12C on the +X side. However, it is not limited to this configuration, and a projection 13 can also be formed to protrude from the head portion 12A on the -X side, and a light-emitting portion 14 can be arranged on the grip portion 12C on the -X side.

[0065] Furthermore, a light-diffusing plate can be placed on the surface of the light-emitting section 14. In this way, when the light-emitting section 14 is composed of multiple LED lamps or EL lamps arranged in the Y direction, the entire light-diffusing plate can be illuminated when light is emitted, even if the number of arranged LED lamps or EL lamps is small.

[0066] Embodiment 2 The ultrasonic probe 11 according to Embodiment 1 has an image generation unit 32, as shown in Figure 5, and the ultrasonic image signal generated by the image generation unit 32 is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 of the ultrasonic probe 11 to the main body of the device 41, but is not limited to this. Figure 10 shows the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device equipped with an ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 2. The ultrasound diagnostic device comprises the ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 2 and a device body 41A, and the ultrasound probe 11A and the device body 41A are connected by wireless communication.

[0067] The ultrasonic probe 11A is the same as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5, but with the image generation unit 32 removed and the wireless communication circuit 21 directly connected to the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, and a probe control unit 37A used instead of the probe control unit 37. The other configurations are the same as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1. Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe 11A has the same housing 12 as the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1. The main unit 41A is the same as the main unit 41 in Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5, but with an image generation unit 32 newly connected between the wireless communication circuit 42 and the display control unit 43, and a main unit control unit 46A connected to the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45 and the image generation unit 32 instead of the main unit control unit 46. The other configurations are the same as the main unit 41 in Embodiment 1.

[0068] In the ultrasonic probe 11A, the ultrasonic probe 11A-side processor 38A is formed by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31, ultrasonic transmitting / receiving control unit 33, communication control unit 34, light emission control unit 35, charging control unit 36, and probe control unit 37A. Furthermore, in the main body 41A of the device, the image generation unit 32, the display control unit 43, the communication control unit 45, and the main body control unit 46A form the processor 48A on the main body 41A side.

[0069] The sound line signal generated by the transmitting / receiving circuit 31 of the ultrasonic probe 11A is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication circuit 21 to the main unit 41A of the device. The wireless communication circuit 42 of the main unit 41A receives the sound line signal, and the image generation unit 32 performs attenuation correction and envelope detection processing on it to generate an ultrasonic image signal. The ultrasonic image is then displayed on the monitor 44 via the display control unit 43. In this way, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with the ultrasound probe 11A according to Embodiment 2 can also display ultrasound images on the monitor 44, just as the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus equipped with the ultrasound probe 11 according to Embodiment 1.

[0070] Furthermore, in the ultrasonic probe 11A of Embodiment 2, similar to the ultrasonic probe 11 of Embodiment 1, the light emission control unit 35 controls the light emission unit 14 to emit light in a manner corresponding to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11. Therefore, the user can easily and intuitively grasp the operating state of the ultrasonic probe 11A simply by observing the light emission from the light emission unit 14.

[0071] The device body 41 in Embodiment 1 and the device body 41A in Embodiment 2 may have the form of a portable, thin computer, or they may be a stationary device body. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 11,11A Ultrasonic probe, 12 Housing, 12A Head section, 12B Rear end section, 12C Grip section, 13 Protrusion, 14 Light-emitting section, 15 Transducer array, 15A Acoustic lens, 16 Battery, 17 Power receiving coil, 18 Circuit board, 19,20 Integrated circuit, 21,42 Wireless communication circuit, 22 Temperature sensor, 23 Heat dissipation member, 23A Opening, 31 Transmit / receive circuit, 32 Image generation section, 33 Ultrasonic transmit / receive control section, 34,45 Communication control section, 35 Light emission control section, 36 Charging control section, 37,37A Probe control section, 38,38A,48,48A Processor, 41,41A Main unit, 43 Display control section, 44 Monitor, 46,46A Main unit control section, 47 Input device, 51 Pulsar, 52 Amplifier section, 53 AD conversion section, 54 Beamformer, 55 Signal processing unit, 56 DSC, 57 Image processing unit, C1 Centerline, S1 First side plate section, S2 Second side plate section, S3 Third side plate section, S4 Fourth side plate section, W1, W2 Width, M1 Front half member, M2 Back half member.

Claims

1. A wireless ultrasound probe, oscillator array, Light-emitting part, A light-emitting control unit that controls the light emission from the light-emitting unit, A battery for supplying power to the light-emitting unit and the light-emitting control unit, The housing that houses the oscillator array, the light emission control unit, and the battery Equipped with, The housing has a head portion that houses the transducer array and a grip portion connected to the head portion for the user to grasp. A projection is arranged on the outer surface of the head portion to indicate the orientation of the ultrasonic probe. The light-emitting part is positioned on the outer surface of the grip portion on the same side as the outer surface of the head portion on which the projection is located. The light emission control unit controls the light emission unit of the ultrasonic probe so that it emits light in a manner corresponding to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe.

2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the light emission control unit changes the color of the light emitted from the light emission unit according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe.

3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the light emission control unit emits primary color light from the light emission unit when in standby mode for shooting, and complementary color light when shooting.

4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the light emission control unit changes the light emission pattern in the light emission unit according to the operating state of the ultrasonic probe.

5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein the light emission control unit changes the light emission pattern in the light emission unit between the live mode and the freeze mode of imaging.

6. The ultrasonic probe according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the grip portion in the area where the light-emitting portion is located has a width narrower than the width of the head portion.

7. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed by a front half member and a back half member joined together, and the light-emitting portion is made of a separate part from the front half member and the back half member and is positioned at the boundary between the front half member and the back half member.

8. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed by a front half member and a back half member joined together, and the light-emitting portion is integrally formed on one of the front half member and the back half member.

9. The system includes an integrated circuit that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves using the aforementioned transducer array, The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is housed in the housing and operates by power supplied from the battery.

Images