In-vivo rotatable ultrasonic device

Abstract

Provided is an in-vivo rotatable ultrasonic device (100), facilitating three-dimensional imaging of internal tissues of a human body when acquiring an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic device (100) comprises an ultrasonic probe (1), a channel needle (2), and a handle (300), wherein the ultrasonic probe (1) comprises a long-strip-shaped hard probe housing and an ultrasonic assembly (13) located at a distal end of the probe housing; the ultrasonic probe (1) is located in the channel needle (2), a proximal end of the channel needle (2) is connected to the handle (300), and a distal end of the channel needle (2) is a sharp tip; and a steering motor (51) is accommodated in the handle (300), and the steering motor (51) is configured for driving the ultrasonic probe (1) arranged in the channel needle (2) to rotate along the axis thereof.

Description

Rotating internal ultrasound device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ultrasound equipment, and in particular to a rotatable intracorporeal ultrasound equipment. Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound probes are commonly used medical testing devices, housing an ultrasonic transducer (or ultrasonic assembly). Their basic operating principle is that the probe housing is in good contact with the surface of human skin via a coupling agent. Sound waves, in the form of pulsed beams, propagate from the surface of the ultrasonic transducer into soft tissue. Part of the sound waves is absorbed by the tissue, while part is reflected back to the ultrasonic transducer for detection. Ultrasound probes can process many pulsed beams instantaneously, producing real-time images for diagnosis. The shorter the wavelength and the higher the frequency of the sound waves, the higher the image resolution. Therefore, high-frequency ultrasound probes are typically used to obtain clear ultrasound images. However, high-frequency pulses are more attenuated in soft tissue, meaning that high-frequency sound waves may not be sufficiently reflected from deeper structures for detection by the ultrasonic transducer.

[0003] For certain locations inside the human body, such as tumors, detection equipment generally cannot reach these locations through the body's natural cavities (such as the esophagus, rectum, etc.), so ultrasonic detection can only be performed on the skin surface. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain high-definition images, let alone achieve three-dimensional imaging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application proposes a rotatable in-vivo ultrasound device, which helps to achieve three-dimensional imaging of internal tissues of the human body when acquiring ultrasound images.

[0005] According to one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a rotatable intracorporeal ultrasound device is provided, comprising an ultrasound probe, a channel needle, and a handle, wherein: the ultrasound probe comprises an elongated hard probe shell and an ultrasound component located at the distal end of the probe shell; the ultrasound probe is located in the channel needle, the proximal end of the channel needle is connected to the handle, and the distal end of the channel needle is a sharp tip; the handle houses a steering motor, which is used to drive the ultrasound probe disposed in the channel needle to rotate along its own axis.

[0006] According to an aspect of the in-vivo ultrasound device of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the probe housing includes a long slot and an ultrasound component mounting position located at a distal end of the long slot, and the ultrasound component is configured to be located in the ultrasound component mounting position.

[0007] According to an aspect of an in-vivo ultrasound device of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the thickness of the probe housing at the ultrasound component mounting position is greater than the depth of the long slot; the ultrasound component mounting position has a guide slope, which starts from the top of the slot at one end where the long slot is connected to the ultrasound component mounting position and extends along the length direction of the long slot toward the middle of the ultrasound component mounting position.

[0008] According to an aspect of the intracorporeal ultrasound device of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally but not limitingly, the outer diameter of the probe housing at the ultrasound component mounting position does not exceed 3 mm.

[0009] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the ultrasound probe further includes a flexible circuit board disposed in the long slot, a distal end of the flexible circuit board being connected to the ultrasound component, and a proximal end thereof being used to connect to an ultrasound host.

[0010] According to an aspect of the in-vivo ultrasound device of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the in-vivo ultrasound device further includes a tee, a first straight tube is formed between the outlet of the tee and the first inlet of the tee, a second straight tube is formed between the middle opening of the first straight tube and the second inlet of the tee, and an angle is formed between the first straight tube and the second straight tube; and the channel needle passes through the first straight tube.

[0011] According to an in-vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, a steering motor and a gear set are housed inside the housing of the handle; the gear set is connected to the steering motor and to the ultrasound probe.

[0012] According to an in vivo ultrasound device of one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally, the gear set is composed of a connecting gear and a steering gear, wherein: the connecting gear is sleeved on the shaft of the steering motor; the steering gear is sleeved on the ultrasound probe and is located near the proximal end of the channel needle, that is, the proximal end of the ultrasound probe, and the steering gear is engaged with the connecting gear.

[0013] According to the intracorporeal ultrasound apparatus of one aspect of the exemplary embodiment of the present application, optionally but not limitingly, the steering angle of the steering motor is ±90°.

[0014] According to the technical solution of the present application, the ultrasound probe adopts a hard probe shell and is placed in the channel needle. The motor in the handle can drive the ultrasound probe in the channel needle to rotate along its own axis via a gear set, thereby realizing three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound images inside the human body through the rotation of the ultrasound probe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the present application will now be described in terms of its preferred embodiments, particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the external appearance of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an exploded state of some components of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the main components inside the handle of the intracorporeal ultrasound device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of an intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, and FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the exploded state of some components of the intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the main components inside the handle of the intracorporeal ultrasound device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. In the following description, for ease of explanation only, from the perspective of the device user (e.g., a surgeon), the upper left portion in FIG1 and FIG2 is described as the distal end, and the lower right portion is described as the proximal end; and the lower right portion in FIG3 is described as the distal end, and the upper left portion is described as the proximal end.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, a percutaneous surgical device 100 includes a percutaneous surgical apparatus 200 and a handle 300. The percutaneous surgical apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe 1, a channel needle 2, and a tee 4. The probe housing of the ultrasonic probe 1 includes an ultrasonic component mounting position 11 and a slot 12. As shown in Figure 2, the ultrasonic component 13 of the ultrasonic probe 1 is disposed within the ultrasonic component mounting position 11. The ultrasonic component 13 is a component for generating and receiving ultrasonic waves and includes an ultrasonic transducer. This component emits ultrasonic waves, receives returning sound waves, and performs acoustic-to-electrical and electrical-to-acoustic conversion.

[0021] The ultrasound probe 1 is placed within the hollow access needle 2. The access needle 2 has ample space to accommodate the ultrasound probe 1 and, after inserting it, the elongated, surgically shaped object. For example, when performing an ablation procedure, a flexible ablation needle 3 can be inserted into the access needle. Alternatively, when tissue irrigation is required, a water pipe can be inserted into the access needle. For illustrative purposes only, this embodiment uses the insertion of the ablation needle 3 as an example.

[0022] The distal end of the channel needle 2 is a sharp tip, which enables the channel needle 2 to penetrate the skin. As a result, the ultrasound probe 1 penetrates the skin to enter the human body and perform ultrasound detection, rather than entering the human body through the human cavity and performing ultrasound detection. An opening 21 is provided on the tube wall near the distal end of the channel needle 2. The width of the opening 21 is set to occupy a range of 120° in the circumferential direction of the channel needle 2, and the length is set to be longer than the acoustic window of the ultrasound probe 1. In addition, because the ablation needle 3 also needs to be set in the channel needle 2 for the purpose of performing an ablation operation, and the ablation end 31 needs to extend from the opening 21, so the length of the opening 21 must also be sufficient to leave a corresponding extension space for the ablation end 31.

[0023] The proximal end of the channel needle 2 is connected to the outlet 411 of the tee tube 4. The tee tube 4 includes a first straight tube 41 and a second straight tube 42. The ablation needle 3 can be set as a flexible ablation needle, and its ablation end 31 enters the channel needle 2 from the second entrance 421 and then extends from the opening 21. In Figure 2, the opening at the top of the long slot 12 is shown as facing the upper right in Figure 2, and the thickness of the ultrasonic component mounting position 11 (the scale of the probe shell in the direction from the lower left to the upper right in Figure 2) is greater than the depth of the long slot 12 (that is, the scale of the long slot 12 in the direction from the bottom to the top). Considering the overall size of the in vivo ultrasound device, the outer diameter of the probe shell at the ultrasonic component mounting position 11 is set to not more than 3 mm.

[0024] A guide slope 111 is provided near the long slot 12 of the ultrasound assembly mounting position 11 to facilitate the advancement of the flexible ablation needle 3 within the channel needle 2, thereby allowing the ablation tip 31 to smoothly extend from the opening 21. When the ablation needle 3 is inserted into the channel needle 2, the ablation needle tail 33 is positioned outside the second straight tube 42, thereby forming a certain angle with the ablation needle body 32. The ablation needle body 32 also forms a certain angle with the ablation tip 31. Therefore, the ablation tip 31 can be swung left and right by manipulating the ablation needle tail 33, thereby improving the flexibility of the ablation operation.

[0025] The distal end of the handle 300 is connected to the proximal end of the elongated slot 12. In other words, the elongated slot 12 serves to connect the ultrasound assembly mounting position 11 with the handle 300. The slotted shape allows for better utilization of the space within the access needle 2. Placing the ablation needle body 32 within the slot 12 helps reduce the diameter of the access needle 2. A circuit board, preferably a flexible circuit board, can also be placed within the elongated slot 12. The distal end of the flexible circuit board is connected to the ultrasound assembly 13, and the proximal end of the flexible circuit board can be used to connect to an ultrasound mainframe, thereby connecting the ultrasound assembly 13 to the ultrasound mainframe (not shown).

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the handle housing 50 of the handle 300 houses a steering motor 51 and a gear set 55. The gear set 55 includes a steering gear 52 mounted on the ultrasound probe 1 near the proximal end of the access needle 2, and a connecting gear 53 mounted on the shaft of the steering motor. The steering gear 52 and the connecting gear 53 mesh, enabling the ultrasound probe 1 to rotate about its own axis when the steering motor 51 rotates. The maximum angle of rotation can be limited by the width of the opening 21. The steering motor 51 can be a stepper motor to improve steering accuracy. The handle housing 50 can be provided with a forward rotation button 501 and a reverse rotation button 502 for the access needle 2, respectively, for controlling clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the ultrasound probe 1. From the initial position, where the longitudinal centerline of the ultrasound assembly 13 is aligned with the longitudinal center of the window 21, the steering motor 51 can rotate 90° forward or reverse.

[0027] According to the technical solution of the implementation mode of the present application, the ultrasound probe adopts a hard probe shell, which is placed in the channel needle. The motor in the handle can drive the channel needle to rotate along the axis of the channel needle via a gear set, thereby driving the ultrasound probe to rotate, thereby realizing three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound images in the human body.

[0028] The above specific embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions may occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application shall be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) capable of rotation, characterized in that, Comprising an ultrasonic probe (1), a channel needle (2), and a handle (300), wherein: The ultrasonic probe (1) includes a long strip-shaped rigid probe housing and an ultrasonic component (13) located at the distal end of the probe housing; The ultrasonic probe (1) is disposed within the channel needle (2), the proximal end of the channel needle (2) is connected to the handle (300), and the distal end of the channel needle (2) is a sharp tip; A steering motor (51) is accommodated in the handle (300), and the steering motor (51) is configured to drive the ultrasonic probe (1) disposed within the channel needle (2) to rotate along its own axis.

2. The in-vivo ultrasound device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The probe housing includes a long groove (12) and an ultrasonic component mounting position (11) located at the distal end of the long groove (12), and the ultrasonic component (13) is disposed to be located in the ultrasonic component mounting position (11).

3. The in-vivo ultrasound device (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The thickness of the probe housing at the ultrasonic component mounting position (11) is greater than the depth of the long groove (12); The ultrasonic component mounting position (11) has a guiding inclined surface (111), and the guiding inclined surface (111) extends from the top of the groove at the end where the long groove (12) is connected to the ultrasonic component mounting position (11) along the length direction of the long groove (12) towards the middle of the ultrasonic component mounting position (11).

4. The in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the probe housing at the ultrasonic component mounting position (11) is set to not exceed 3 mm.

5. The in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ultrasonic probe (1) further includes a flexible circuit board disposed in the long groove (12), the distal end of the flexible circuit board is connected to the ultrasonic component (13), and the proximal end of the flexible circuit board is used to connect to an ultrasonic main unit.

6. The in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also included is a tee (4), a first straight pipe (41) is formed between the outlet (411) and the first inlet (431) of the tee (4), a second straight pipe (42) is formed between the middle opening of the first straight pipe (41) and the second inlet (421) of the tee (4), and an included angle is formed between the first straight pipe (41) and the second straight pipe (42); The channel needle (2) penetrates through the first straight pipe (41).

7. The in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The steering motor (51) and a gear set (55) are accommodated inside the housing of the handle (300); The gear set (55) is connected to the steering motor (51) and is connected to the ultrasonic probe (1).

8. The in-vivo ultrasonic device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The gear set (55) is composed of a connecting gear (53) and a steering gear (52), wherein: The connecting gear (53) is sleeved on the shaft of the steering motor (51); The steering gear (52) is sleeved on the ultrasonic probe (1) and is located near the proximal end of the channel needle (2), and the steering gear (52) meshes with the connecting gear (53).

9. The in-vivo ultrasound device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The steering angle of the steering motor (51) is ±90°.

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