Ultrasound probe

Abstract

Provided is an ultrasonic probe capable of detecting the orientation of a blood vessel in the length direction relative to the orientation of the probe main body. An ultrasonic probe 10 comprises: a probe main body 20 that has, along one direction, a first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26 for acquiring a cross-sectional image of a human body by contacting at least a skin surface; and a control part 30 that detects the blood vessel position from the cross-sectional image. On the skin contact surface 20a of the probe main body 20, the first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26 are spaced in a direction perpendicular to the one direction along which the first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26 are provided. The control part 30 detects the blood vessel position at each site from the cross-sectional image acquired by the first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26. The orientation in the length direction of the blood vessel relative to the one direction along which the first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26 are provided is displayed on the basis of the blood vessel position at the site of the first imaging part 25 and second imaging part 26.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe that detects the longitudinal orientation of a blood vessel relative to the orientation of the probe body. [Background technology]

[0002] Vessel puncture involves inserting an injection needle into the human body to secure an access site for drug administration or intravascular treatment. During vascular puncture, the surgeon cannot see the blood vessels from the surface of the skin, so they must estimate the location of the blood vessels using standard knowledge of the blood vessel course and skills such as palpation of vascular pulsation. However, vascular puncture often fails, causing physical and mental distress to the patient.

[0003] In recent years, technologies for visualizing blood vessel positions, such as near-infrared imaging, ultrasound echography, and optical reverberation imaging, have been used to identify the puncture position. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that uses an ultrasound probe to display a cross-sectional image of the arm on a monitor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Republished Patent No. 2017 / 022073 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The images acquired by an ultrasound probe are cross-sectional images of blood vessels with three-dimensional shapes. The imaging unit of the ultrasound probe is located in the center of the probe body, while the puncture position is at least spaced apart from the outside of the probe body. Therefore, if a cross-sectional image perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel is acquired while the imaging unit is tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel, the needle may not reach the blood vessel even if the puncture is aimed at the center position of the blood vessel in the acquired cross-sectional image, and the puncture may fail. Furthermore, even if the imaging unit acquires a cross-sectional image along the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel, the needle may puncture the side of the blood vessel and not reach the blood vessel.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an ultrasound probe that can detect the longitudinal direction of a blood vessel relative to the direction of the probe body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ultrasonic probe according to the present invention, which achieves the above object, comprises: a probe body having a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit, each of which is arranged in one direction and contacts at least the skin surface to acquire a cross-sectional image of the human body; a control unit that detects a blood vessel position from the cross-sectional image; and the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned on the skin contact surface of the probe main body; the control unit detects blood vessel positions at respective positions from the cross-sectional images acquired by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit; Based on the blood vessel positions at the positions of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, the direction of the blood vessel length relative to the one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned is displayed. 、 a display unit that displays at least the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel; the display unit is disposed on the outer surface of the probe main body in the same direction as the one direction in which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned, in the vicinity of the skin contact surface; The display units are provided in multiple locations along the direction from the side of the probe body where the first imaging unit is provided toward the side where it is grasped or fixed, corresponding to the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, and the multiple display units each display the blood vessel position in the corresponding first imaging unit or second imaging unit, thereby displaying the direction along the length of the blood vessel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The ultrasound probe configured as described above displays the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel based on the blood vessel position at the positions of the multiple imaging units. Therefore, even if the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel is tilted relative to the direction of the probe body, the surgeon can grasp that direction and perform puncture, thereby enabling reliable puncture. Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe configured as described above allows the operator to intuitively grasp the direction of the blood vessel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the ultrasonic probe of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the ultrasound probe. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the bottom surface of an ultrasound probe, illustrating the positional relationship with an arm from which cross-sectional images are acquired. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged side view of the state in which the ultrasound probe is in contact with the arm and the position of the blood vessel is being displayed. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the bottom and side surfaces of the probe body in contact with the arm. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasonic probe. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating examples of images acquired by an imaging unit. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the center of gravity of a blood vessel acquired by the first imaging unit, the first imaging unit, and the puncture point. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the center of gravity of a blood vessel acquired by the second imaging unit, the second imaging unit, and the puncture point. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a position display section that displays a blood vessel position and a blood vessel diameter. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower end of a probe main body having a display unit according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the bottom surface of an ultrasound probe having three imaging units, illustrating the positional relationship with the arm from which cross-sectional images are acquired. [Figure 13] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing the directions of ultrasonic waves emitted by each imaging unit. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic lancing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings may be exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0011] An ultrasound probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is used when puncturing a human arm, acquires a cross-sectional image of the arm, detects the position of a blood vessel, and displays the position of the blood vessel and the direction along the length of the blood vessel.

[0012] 1 and 2, the ultrasound probe 10 has a probe main body 20 having a first imaging unit 25 and a second imaging unit 26 that come into contact with the skin surface to acquire cross-sectional images of the human body. The first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 are provided on a skin contact surface 20a of the probe main body 20. A display unit 22 is provided on a side surface 20b, which is one of the outer surfaces of the probe main body 20.

[0013] The probe main body 20 has a vertically elongated handle 24 that is held by the operator. As shown in FIG. 3, the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 extend in one direction on the skin contact surface 20a of the probe main body 20, spanning substantially the entire width. The first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 are ultrasound devices that have transducers that generate ultrasound waves and obtain cross-sectional images of the inside of the human body by detecting the reflected waves. In this embodiment, cross-sectional images perpendicular to the axial direction of the blood vessels are obtained, so the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 are arranged so that their length directions are perpendicular to the length direction of the arm H. The display unit 22 is provided on the side surface 20b that extends in the same direction as the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26. A needle to be inserted into the arm is inserted from the side surface 20b.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 4, the display unit 22 has a first position display unit 22a and a second position display unit 28a that are arranged near the skin contact surface 20a of the side surface 21a, and a depth display unit 29 that is arranged above them. The first position display unit 22 has a large number of display elements 27a arranged along the horizontal direction. The second position display unit 28 also has a large number of display elements 28a arranged along the horizontal direction. Each of the display elements 27a, 28a can be switched on and off.

[0015] In FIG. 4, in the first position display unit 22, two display elements 27a slightly left of center are lit, and the other display elements 27a are extinguished. Furthermore, in the second position display unit 28, of the lit display elements 27a in the first position display unit 22, a display element 28a at the same horizontal position as the lit display element 27a on the left and a display element 28a immediately to the left of that are lit, and the other display elements 28a are extinguished. The lit display elements 27a in the first position display unit 22 represent the blood vessel position in the length direction of the first imaging unit 25. The lit display elements 28a in the second position display unit 28 represent the blood vessel position in the length direction of the second imaging unit 26. Furthermore, the first position display unit 22 and the second position display unit 28 represent the blood vessel diameter by the number of simultaneously lit display elements 27a and 28a. The first position display unit 22 and the second position display unit 28 allow the surgeon to grasp the position of the blood vessel to be punctured, and the difference in these display positions allows the surgeon to recognize the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel relative to the orientation of the probe body 20.

[0016] An LED can be used as the light source for first position display unit 22 and second position display unit 28. However, other light sources may also be used. Light from the LED is split by a separator, allowing display elements 27a and 28a to be selectively illuminated.

[0017] The depth display unit 29 is configured with a liquid crystal screen. The depth display unit 29 displays the puncture depth, which is the depth to which the needle should be inserted, as a numerical value. Here, the puncture depth refers to the distance from the puncture position to the center of gravity of the blood vessel when the needle is inserted at a certain angle (for example, 30°) from the puncture position. However, the puncture depth may also be displayed as the length of a straight line extending from the puncture position to the center of gravity of the blood vessel projected onto the skin surface.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5 , the first position display unit 22 and the second position display unit 28 are disposed near the skin contact surface 20a of the side surface 20b of the probe main body 20. The needle 60 is typically inserted at an angle of 30° relative to the perpendicular to the skin surface of the arm H. The lower end of the first position display unit 22, disposed on the skin contact surface 20a side, has a gap between it and the skin surface to prevent interference with the inserted needle 60. This gap is 1 cm or less, preferably 2 mm or less, taking into account that the diameter of the needle 60 is approximately 1 mm. Because the first position display unit 22 and the second position display unit 28 are disposed near the lower end of the side surface 20b of the probe main body 20 where the needle 60 is inserted, the surgeon can grasp the position and direction of the puncture without moving their eyes from the puncture position, allowing them to concentrate on the puncture operation.

[0019] Next, a method for identifying the blood vessel position, blood vessel direction, and puncture depth will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the ultrasound probe 10 includes a first imaging unit 25 and a second imaging unit 26 that contact the skin surface to acquire cross-sectional images of the human body, a control unit 30 that detects the blood vessel position from the cross-sectional images, and a display unit 22 that displays the blood vessel position detected by the control unit 30. The control unit 30 is connected to the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 via a transmission unit 32 and a reception unit 34, and can cause the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 to acquire cross-sectional images and receive the acquired cross-sectional images. The control unit 30 is connected to a power supply unit 37 consisting of a rechargeable battery via a charging circuit 36.

[0020] The control unit 30 acquires cross-sectional images as shown in Fig. 7 from the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26. The horizontal direction in the cross-sectional image, i.e., the width direction of the arm, is defined as the X direction, the vertical direction in the cross-sectional image, i.e., the depth direction of the arm, is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper of the cross-sectional image, i.e., the length direction of the arm, is defined as the Z direction. First, the coordinates of the upper left point in the cross-sectional image acquired by the first imaging unit 25 are defined as the origin (0,0,0).

[0021] The control unit 30 detects the location of blood vessels in the image by analyzing the acquired cross-sectional image. The control unit 30 detects areas recognized as blood vessels in the image and defines the center of gravity 70 as the location of the blood vessel. To detect areas recognized as blood vessels in the image, machine learning or deep learning techniques can be used by preparing a large number of similar images. Alternatively, the first imaging unit 25 and the second imaging unit 26 can detect areas with blood flow using the Doppler method and recognize these areas as blood vessel areas. When detecting blood vessel areas from cross-sectional images, it is necessary to distinguish between arteries and veins. Arteries and veins can be distinguished based on the position of the arm bone H that appears in the cross-sectional image. Furthermore, when blood flow areas are detected using the Doppler method, arteries and veins can also be distinguished based on the direction of blood flow. The coordinates of the center of gravity 70 of the detected blood vessel are defined as (x1, y1, 0). The control unit 30 also detects the diameter of the blood vessels detected from the cross-sectional image.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 8, with the position of first imaging unit 25 as the reference, the Z-direction coordinate z of side surface 20b of probe main body 20, which is the puncture position, is the distance z1 from first imaging unit 25 to side surface 20b. The angle θ1 of the line from the blood vessel center position toward the puncture position with respect to a line perpendicular to the skin surface is calculated as θ1 = arctan(z1 / y1). The puncture depth a1 is calculated as a1 = y1 / cos θ1. These define the x-direction coordinate of the puncture position and the puncture depth a1 with first imaging unit 25 as the reference.

[0023] The control unit 30 also detects the positions of blood vessels in the cross-sectional image acquired by the second imaging unit 26. For this purpose, the coordinates of the upper left point in the cross-sectional image acquired by the second imaging unit 26 are set as the origin (0,0,0). The control unit 30 detects the positions of blood vessels in the image by performing image analysis on the cross-sectional image acquired by the second imaging unit 26, similar to the cross-sectional image acquired by the first imaging unit 25. The coordinates of the center of gravity position 70 of the detected blood vessel are set as (x2,y2,0). The control unit 30 also detects the diameter of the blood vessel detected from the cross-sectional image.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 9, with the position of second imaging unit 26 as the reference, the Z-direction coordinate z of side surface 20b of probe main body 20, which is the puncture position, is the distance z2 from second imaging unit 26 to side surface 20b. The angle θ2 of the line from the blood vessel center position toward the puncture position with respect to a line perpendicular to the skin surface is calculated as θ2 = arctan(z2 / y2). The puncture depth a2 is calculated as a2 = y2 / cosθ2. These define the x-direction coordinate of the puncture position and the puncture depth a2 with second imaging unit 26 as the reference.

[0025] The control unit 30 determines the average value of the puncture depth a1 at the position of the first imaging unit 25 and the puncture depth a2 at the position of the second imaging unit 26 as the puncture depth to be displayed on the depth display unit 29.

[0026] Controller 30 lights up display element 27a of first position display unit 27 that corresponds to the x-direction coordinate position and blood vessel diameter obtained from the cross-sectional image acquired by first imaging unit 25. Controller 30 also lights up display element 28a of second position display unit 28 that corresponds to the x-direction coordinate position and blood vessel diameter obtained from the cross-sectional image acquired by second imaging unit 26. Controller 30 also causes depth display unit 29 to display the puncture depth.

[0027] As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), the first position display unit 27 and the second position display unit 28 change the position and number of illuminated display elements 27a, 28a depending on the x-coordinate of the detected blood vessel position and the blood vessel diameter. Also, as shown in Figure 10(c), one display element 27a, 28a corresponding to the x-coordinate of the blood vessel's center of gravity position can be displayed differently from the other display elements 27a, 28a within the blood vessel diameter range. The difference in display can be achieved by light intensity, color, or blinking. This allows the surgeon to easily determine the center of gravity of the blood vessel where the needle tip should be inserted.

[0028] Next, a modified example of the display unit will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, the display unit 40 may be configured with a single liquid crystal screen. The display unit 40 displays an arrow that three-dimensionally indicates the X-direction position of the detected blood vessel and the direction of the blood vessel, as well as a numerical value for the puncture depth. The position of the bottom end of the arrow indicates the puncture position. In this modified example, the puncture position is displayed based on the blood vessel position detected at the position of the first imaging unit 25 close to the side surface 20b of the main body 20 on which the display unit 40 is provided. This allows the surgeon to intuitively grasp the puncture position, puncture direction, and puncture depth. The display mode is not limited to this, and the layout, size, shape of the arrow, and other designs can be set as desired.

[0029] Next, a modified example in which three imaging units are provided will be described. As shown in Fig. 12, three imaging units, a first imaging unit 51, a second imaging unit 52, and a third imaging unit 53, can be arranged on the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50.

[0030] 13, the first imaging section 51 and the third imaging section 53 emit ultrasonic waves in ranges R1 and R3, respectively, vertically downward from the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50. The second imaging section 52 emits ultrasonic waves in a range R2, diagonally downward from the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50 toward the first imaging section 25. Therefore, the second imaging section 52 can acquire cross-sectional images tilted with respect to a direction perpendicular to the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50. The tilt angle at which the second imaging section 52 emits ultrasonic waves is set in the range of 10° to 30°.

[0031] The cross-sectional images acquired by the first imaging unit 51 and the third imaging unit 53 are used to detect the position and direction of the blood vessel. The cross-sectional images acquired by the second imaging unit 52 are tilted with respect to the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel, so Doppler images can be acquired. Therefore, Doppler images can be acquired simultaneously with the acquisition of cross-sectional images without tilting the probe main body 50 with respect to the arm H. By acquiring Doppler images simultaneously with the cross-sectional images, the detection accuracy of the blood vessel position in the cross-sectional images can be improved.

[0032] In this example, the second imaging unit 52 is disposed between the first imaging unit 51 and the third imaging unit 53, but these locations can be set arbitrarily. The second imaging unit 52 is disposed flush with the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50, and the direction of ultrasonic wave emission is tilted obliquely, but the second imaging unit 52 itself may be disposed at an angle with respect to the skin contact surface of the probe main body 50.

[0033] Ultrasonic probes can also be applied to automatic puncture devices. As shown in Figure 14, an automatic puncture device 70 has a robot arm 71 that can move a tip 72 to which a needle 73 is attached in three dimensions, and an arm fixture 75 that fixes the arm H. The robot arm 71 can insert the needle 73 from any position and at any angle under control based on a sensor (not shown). An ultrasonic probe 76 is attached to the arm fixture 75 and can come into contact with the arm H. The ultrasonic probe 76, like those described above, has multiple imaging units and can detect the direction of the blood vessel in addition to its position.

[0034] Once arm H is fixed to arm fixture 75, ultrasonic probe 76 detects the position, orientation, and puncture depth of the blood vessel. Based on these, it also determines the position and angle at which needle 73 should be inserted. Robot arm 71 inserts needle 73 into arm H at the determined puncture position and angle. In this case as well, ultrasonic probe 76 has multiple imaging units, and detects the orientation of the blood vessel relative to ultrasonic probe 76 based on cross-sectional images acquired by each imaging unit, so needle 73 can be inserted reliably along the blood vessel, increasing the success rate of puncture.

[0035] As described above, the ultrasound probe 10 according to this embodiment includes a probe main body 20 having imaging units 25, 26 arranged along one direction of the skin contact surface 20a that contact the skin surface to acquire cross-sectional images of the human body, and a control unit 30 that detects the position of a blood vessel from the cross-sectional image, with multiple imaging units 25, 26 spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the one direction on the skin contact surface 20a of the probe main body 20, and the control unit 30 detects the position of the blood vessel at each position from the cross-sectional images acquired by the multiple imaging units 25, 26, and displays the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel relative to the one direction along which the imaging units 25, 26 are aligned based on the blood vessel positions at the positions of the multiple imaging units 25, 26. The ultrasound probe 10 configured in this manner displays the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel based on the blood vessel positions at the positions of the multiple imaging units 25, 26. Therefore, even if the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel is tilted relative to the orientation of the probe main body 20, the surgeon can grasp the orientation and perform puncture, thereby enabling reliable puncture.

[0036] Furthermore, the probe may have display units 27, 28 that display at least the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel, and the display units 27, 28 may be arranged near the skin contact surface on the outer surface of the probe body 20 that is aligned in the same direction as the imaging units 25, 26. This allows the direction of the blood vessel to be displayed near the puncture position, allowing the surgeon to concentrate on the puncture without moving their line of sight.

[0037] Furthermore, a plurality of display units 27, 28 may be provided along a direction from the side of the probe main body 20 where the first image capturing unit 27 is provided toward the side where the probe main body 20 is held or fixed, corresponding to the plurality of image capturing units 25, 26, and the plurality of display units 27, 28 may display the blood vessel positions in the corresponding image capturing units 25, 26, thereby displaying the direction along the length of the blood vessel. This allows the surgeon to intuitively grasp the blood vessel position and direction.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 30 may calculate the orientation of the length of the blood vessel relative to the direction along which the imaging units 25, 26 are aligned, based on the blood vessel positions at the positions of the multiple imaging units 25, 26, and the display unit 40 may display the direction along the length of the blood vessel by directional display. This allows the surgeon to easily grasp the orientation of the blood vessel.

[0039] Furthermore, the display unit 40 may be configured to display the blood vessel position at the position of the imaging unit 25, 26 that is closest to the display unit 40 among the multiple imaging units 25, 26. This allows the puncture position and puncture direction to be displayed with high accuracy.

[0040] Alternatively, three or more imaging units 51, 52, and 53 may be provided, and at least one imaging unit 52 may emit ultrasound in a direction inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the skin contact surface 50a of the probe main body 50 to obtain an oblique cross-sectional image, and the control unit 30 may detect the position of the blood vessel based on the oblique cross-sectional image. This allows the region with blood flow to be detected with high accuracy in the oblique cross-sectional image, and the position and direction of the blood vessel to be accurately detected.

[0041] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical spirit of the present invention. For example, although a monitor for displaying the acquired cross-sectional images is not shown in the drawings in this embodiment, the ultrasound probe 10 may be connected to a monitor so that the cross-sectional images can be viewed. The direction of blood vessels may also be displayed on the monitor. Furthermore, although two or three imaging units are used in this embodiment, more than two imaging units may also be provided.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the center of gravity of the blood vessel to be punctured is detected from the cross-sectional image. However, a position other than the center of gravity of the blood vessel to be punctured may be detected and displayed on the display unit 22. For example, the control unit 30 may detect the inner surface J of the blood vessel located between the blood vessel to be punctured and the imaging unit 25 from the cross-sectional image, or a position K within the blood vessel membrane, and display the position on the display unit 22. The control unit 30 may also detect the inner surface J of the blood vessel located between the blood vessel to be punctured and the imaging unit 25 from the cross-sectional image, or a position K within the blood vessel membrane, and display a position a certain distance from this position on the display unit 22. This increases the distance between the position displayed on the display unit 22 and the blood vessel to be punctured, thereby preventing further insertion of the needle and penetration of the blood vessel after puncturing the blood vessel. The position a certain distance away is mainly a position away in the axial direction of the blood vessel. It may also be a position away in the radial direction.

[0043] When puncturing, the position of the blood vessel may change due to being pushed by the needle. To ensure that the target blood vessel is punctured reliably, the direction and extent of the change in the position of the blood vessel can be displayed on display unit 40.

[0044] The direction and degree of the position change of the blood vessel are detected by the control unit 30 by comparing the stored cross-sectional image before puncture with the cross-sectional image after puncture. Therefore, the control unit 30 can detect the direction and degree of the position change of the blood vessel regardless of the direction in which the position change of the blood vessel occurs. Once the direction and degree of the position change of the blood vessel are detected, the control unit 30 causes the first position display unit 27 and the second position display unit 28 to display the direction and degree of the position change of the blood vessel.

[0045] For example, if the needle moves the blood vessel deeper than the skin surface, the display of first position display unit 27 located on the skin surface side changes. The change in the display of first position display unit 27 can be from a lit state to a flashing state, or the display color can change. Furthermore, the flashing speed or color density of first position display unit 27 changes to indicate the degree of the change in the position of the blood vessel.

[0046] Furthermore, if the needle moves the blood vessel in a direction parallel to the skin surface, the positions of the display elements 27a, 28a that display the blood vessel position are changed by the amount of the movement in the first position display unit 27 or the second position display unit 28. This makes it possible to indicate the direction and extent of the change in the blood vessel position. Note that at this time, the display mode of the display elements 27a, 28a displayed after the change may be changed, for example, by lighting up or flashing in a color different from that of the display elements 27a, 28a displayed before the change.

[0047] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-5615, filed on January 18, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Ultrasound probe 20 Probe body 20a Skin contact surface 20b side 22 Display section 24 Handle 25 First imaging unit 26 Second imaging unit 27 1st position display section 27a Display Elements 28 2nd position display section 28a Display Elements 29 Depth display 30 Control Unit 32 Transmitter 34 Receiving unit 36 Charging circuit 37 Power supply section 40 Display section 50 Probe body 50a Skin contact surface 51 First imaging unit 52 Second imaging unit 53 Third Imaging Unit 60 needles 70 Automatic lancing device 71 Robot Arm 72 Holding part 73 needles 75 Arm holder 76 Ultrasound Probe

Claims

1. a probe body having a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit each arranged in one direction, the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit being in contact with at least the skin surface to acquire a cross-sectional image of the human body; a control unit that detects a blood vessel position from the cross-sectional image; and the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned on the skin contact surface of the probe main body; the control unit detects blood vessel positions at respective positions from the cross-sectional images acquired by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit; based on blood vessel positions at the positions of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, a longitudinal direction of the blood vessel relative to the one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned is displayed; a display unit that displays at least the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel; the display unit is disposed on an outer surface of the probe main body in the same direction as the one direction in which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned, in the vicinity of the skin contact surface; The display units are provided in multiple locations along a direction from the side of the probe body where the first imaging unit is provided toward the side where it is held or fixed, corresponding to the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, and the multiple display units each display the position of the blood vessel in the corresponding first imaging unit or second imaging unit, thereby displaying the direction along the length of the blood vessel.

2. A probe body having a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit each arranged in one direction, which contact at least the skin surface to acquire a cross-sectional image of the human body; a control unit that detects a blood vessel position from the cross-sectional image; and the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned on the skin contact surface of the probe main body; the control unit detects blood vessel positions at respective positions from the cross-sectional images acquired by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit; based on blood vessel positions at the positions of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, a longitudinal direction of the blood vessel relative to the one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are aligned is displayed; a third imaging unit is provided on the skin contact surface and extends in one direction along which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit extend; at least one of the first imaging unit, the second imaging unit, and the third imaging unit oscillates ultrasonic waves in a direction inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the skin contact surface of the probe main body to acquire an inclined cross-sectional image; The control unit is an ultrasound probe that detects the position of the blood vessel based on the tilted cross-sectional image.

Images