79 results about "Echo endoscopie" patented technology

An ultrasound endoscope having an endoscopic observation system along with an ultrasound scan system. An outlet opening of an instrument passage, which is shunted from a biopsy channel of the endoscope, is located within a view field of an endoscopic image pickup window, which largely overlaps a scan range of the ultrasound scan system. A puncture instrument having a sharp-pointed rigid needle at the instrument outlet opening, which is in the view field of the endoscopic image pickup, can be monitored by way of the endoscopic observation system to check its position for safety purposes, from a slightly projected position to a largely projected position whenever it spontaneously gets out of the instrument outlet opening. Once the puncture needle is driven into an intracavitary wall toward a diseased portion in target, it can be monitored through the ultrasound scan system.

A medical instrument usable with an ultrasound-endoscope for performing a needle biopsy on a patient's internal body tissues usable at a surgical site not visible to the unaided eye or viewed endoscopically, comprises an elongate tubular member with a hollow needle element connected at its distal end, a sheath member housing said tubular member and needle element, an actuator subassembly with a shifter member operatively connected to elongate tubular member's proximal end, and a distal camming subassembly, said subassembly enabling a rotating motion of said needle member while handle actuator is moved in the forward direction. Upon inserting an ultrasound-endoscope into a patient and locating a mass, the fine needle with sharply pointed spoon shaped distal end is inserted into the mass aided by endoscopic and ultrasonographic guidance. Once in the mass, a camming action is initiated, causing rotation of the fine needle within the mass, resulting in a scooped out core biopsy. This instrument enables the performance of a fine needle aspiration requiring only one or two needle introductions, with a resultant core biopsy substantial enough for diagnostic purposes.

A medical instrument usable with an ultrasound-endoscope for performing a needle biopsy on a patient's internal body tissues usable at a surgical site not visible to the unaided eye or viewed endoscopically, comprises an elongate tubular member with a hollow needle element connected at its distal end, a sheath member housing said tubular member and needle element, an actuator subassembly with a shifter member operatively connected to elongate tubular member's proximal end, and a distal camming subassembly, said subassembly enabling a rotating motion of said needle member while handle actuator is moved in the forward direction. Upon inserting an ultrasound-endoscope into a patient and locating a mass, the fine needle with sharply pointed spoon shaped distal end is inserted into the mass aided by endoscopic and ultrasonographic guidance. Once in the mass, a camming action is initiated, causing rotation of the fine needle within the mass, resulting in a scooped out core biopsy. This instrument enables the performance of a fine needle aspiration requiring only one or two needle introductions, with a resultant core biopsy substantial enough for diagnostic purposes.

When an ultrasound endoscope arrives at an objective area, a puncture needle is located in a scan area of a first ultrasound image. Thereby, an image of the puncture needle is delineated on the first ultrasound image. Furthermore, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the puncture needle and an ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound probe is arranged in the objective area through the puncture needle. Then, the ultrasound probe is driven and a second ultrasound image is delineated. Detailed observation inside the objective area in which the puncture needle is punctured is possible with the second ultrasound image.

A rigid tip end section which is connected to an angle section at the fore distal end of an insertion instrument of an ultrasound endoscope is housed in a casing which can be split into a main casing and a separable head block to facilitate maintenance and service of internal component parts of the rigid tip end section. An ultrasound transducer is accommodated in a front side portion of the main casing, while endoscopic observation means including an illumination means and an optical image pickup means are fitted in an inclined wall rising obliquely upward on the rear side of the ultrasound transducer. An outlet opening of a biopsy channel outlet passage is located between the ultrasound transducer and the endoscopic observation means. The main casing is adapted to accommodate the ultrasound transducer and its wiring, while the separable head block is adapted to accommodate at least part of component parts of the endoscopic observation means. The main casing and the separable head block are joined with each other through joint wall portions provided along split lines at the opposite lateral sides and at the front side thereof. A foremost one of angle rings of the angle section is detachably fitted on base end portions of the main casing and separable head block to retain these parts in a fixedly connected state.

An ultrasonic endoscope comprises an insertion portion comprising a distal hard portion which has: an endoscopic observation unit; and an ultrasonic observation unit having ultrasonic transducers arranged circumferentially on an outer circumferential section of the distal hard portion, wherein the ultrasonic observation unit comprises an ultrasonic-wave transmission / reception unit having an tunnel-shaped path which has an inner circumferential surface formed as a backing layer; a distal block is arranged on a distal side in an axial direction of the distal hard portion with respect to a location where the ultrasonic-wave transmission / reception unit is arranged, and distal ends of respective members constituting the endoscopic observation unit are fixed to the distal block; and part of the members which constitute the endoscopic observation unit are fitted so as to be partially protruded from an inside diameter of the tunnel-shaped path toward an outer circumferential side thereof.

An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a machine-side connector receptacle, an electronics-side connector receptacle, a mechanical echo signal detecting unit for detecting an echo signal obtained by receiving waves in a mechanical scanning ultrasonic probe connecting to the machine-side connector receptacle, an electronic echo signal detecting unit for detecting an echo signal obtained by receiving waves in an electronic scanning ultrasonic endoscope connecting to the electronics-side connector receptacle, and a signal processing unit for performing signal processing on the echo signal from the mechanical echo signal detecting unit and the echo signal from the electronic echo signal detecting unit.

An ultrasonic transducer arraying at even intervals ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and layering a plurality of acoustic matching layers on them, comprising an transducer shape forming member made of a fiber-reinforced thermosetting PPE for filling a gap formed on the side face of the ultrasonic transducer with the same material as that of the acoustic matching layer, mixing a colorant in a division member adjacent to a predefined ultrasonic transducer from among a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and arraying the plurality thereof.

A puncture needle device detachably attached to an ultrasonic endoscope via a pipe sleeve including a non-circular collar, including a cylindrical connecting body into which the pipe sleeve is inserted, the cylindrical connecting body including an insertion limit portion which contacts the pipe sleeve to prevent it from being further inserted, and a non-circular collar receiving hole engaged with the collar and irrotatable relative thereto when the pipe sleeve is inserted; a sheath projecting from the cylindrical connecting body and inserted into an internal conduit of the ultrasonic endoscope; a puncture needle inserted into the sheath; and a lock member supported by the cylindrical connecting body and movable between an unlocked position allowing the pipe sleeve to insert and remove from the cylindrical connecting body, and a locked position wherein the lock member contacts the collar of the pipe sleeve to prevent it from removing from the cylindrical connecting body.

An ultrasonic endoscope comprises an insertion portion comprising a distal hard portion which has: an endoscopic observation unit; and an ultrasonic observation unit having ultrasonic transducers arranged circumferentially on an outer circumferential section of the distal hard portion, wherein the ultrasonic observation unit comprises an ultrasonic-wave transmission / reception unit having an tunnel-shaped path which has an inner circumferential surface formed as a backing layer; a distal block is arranged on a distal side in an axial direction of the distal hard portion with respect to a location where the ultrasonic-wave transmission / reception unit is arranged, and distal ends of respective members constituting the endoscopic observation unit are fixed to the distal block; and part of the members which constitute the endoscopic observation unit are fitted so as to be partially protruded from an inside diameter of the tunnel-shaped path toward an outer circumferential side thereof.

An ultrasonic observation apparatus in which the frame rate can be made higher than that in a mechanical or conventional electronic scan method. The ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: an ultrasonic endoscope including ultrasonic transducers; a transmission aperture setting unit for setting ultrasonic transducer groups as transmission apertures; a transmission frequency setting unit for setting respective frequencies of drive signal groups for the transmission apertures; a drive signal generating unit for generating the drive signal groups having the set frequencies; a reception aperture setting unit for setting ultrasonic transducer groups as reception apertures; a signal processing unit for performing signal processing on reception signal groups respectively outputted from the ultrasonic transducer groups; and a control unit for controlling the transmission aperture setting unit to sequentially change regions of the ultrasonic transducer groups to be set as the transmission apertures at a predetermined time interval.

The present invention relates to a particularly convenient medium for providing contrast enhancement and / or distension of the subject body or organ cavity during imaging, radiographic, visualization, or other similar medical examinations, including ultrasound, endoscopic examinations, MRI, x-ray, hystero-salpingograms, CT scans, and similar procedures. The present invention provides the contrast enhancement and / or distends the body or organ cavity without constant leakage of the medium or the resulting need to constantly or repeatedly infuse additional medium. The medium is designed to have sufficient viscosity or consistence initially to remain in the body or organ cavity for a time generally sufficient to complete the procedure, and then to facilitate easy removal or expulsion from the cavity, preferably by liquefying or losing viscosity. The phase or viscosity change may be triggered by a variety of factors that liquefy or otherwise facilitate easy removal or expulsion of the composition from the cavity.

An ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound transducer mounted on a rigid tip end section at the distal end of an elongated endoscopic insert section, on the front side of a inclined casing wall section in which illumination windows and an optical image pickup assembly are fitted. For protrusion of a medical instrument into a body cavity, an instrument outlet of a biopsy channel is opened in a casing of the rigid tip end section in an obliquely upward direction from behind the ultrasound transducer. As far as a proximal end of the rigid tip end section, the biopsy channel is constituted by a flexible tube which is extended in the axial direction of the insert section and joined by way of a curved connecting pipe with a terminal passage which is formed internally of a casing of the rigid tip end section and inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the latter. The instrument outlet is opened in a flat top surface of a plateau which is provided on the casing of the rigid tip end section on the rear side of the ultrasound transducer, the flat top surface of said plateau being located at a level lower than a top end the ultrasound transducer and the illumination windows fitted in the inclined casing wall section.

An electronic radial type ultrasonic transducer arraying, in a cylindrical form, a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound, and for storing cables corresponding to the respective ultrasonic transducer elements for transmitting a drive signal for driving each of the ultrasonic transducer elements in the inside of a group of the ultrasonic transducer elements arrayed in the cylindrical form, featuring a conductive film on a surface of an insulator through which the cable group is led, and also comprising an acoustic lens constituted of a lens part which is connected to a ground wire and featured as a convex form and a cover part covering an easily breakable part or conductor material which is electrically connected to a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

A photoacoustic-ultrasonic dual-mode endoscope includes: a probe and a probe driving unit, wherein the probe includes: a coaxially configured optical and electromagnetic rotary waveguide assembly including an optical fiber, the optical fiber including a core and a cladding, and a conductive path coaxially arranged with the optical fiber; a scanning tip located at an end of the coaxially configured optical and electromagnetic rotary waveguide assembly and configured to deliver a laser beam to an object to be examined and detect a photoacoustic signal and an ultrasonic signal generated from the object to be examined; and a plastic catheter surrounding outer surfaces of the coaxially configured optical and electromagnetic rotary waveguide assembly and the scanning tip, wherein the conductive path includes: a first conductive path including a portion coaxially arranged with the optical fiber; and a second conductive path including a portion coaxially arranged with the optical fiber and insulated from the first conductive path.

A rigid tip end section which is connected to an angle section at the fore distal end of an insertion instrument of an ultrasound endoscope is housed in a casing which can be split into a main casing and a separable head block to facilitate maintenance and service of internal component parts of the rigid tip end section. An ultrasound transducer is accommodated in a front side portion of the main casing, while endoscopic observation means including an illumination means and an optical image pickup means are fitted in an inclined wall rising obliquely upward on the rear side of the ultrasound transducer. An outlet opening of a biopsy channel outlet passage is located between the ultrasound transducer and the endoscopic observation means. The main casing is adapted to accommodate the ultrasound transducer and its wiring, while the separable head block is adapted to accommodate at least part of component parts of the endoscopic observation means. The main casing and the separable head block are joined with each other through joint wall portions provided along split lines at the opposite lateral sides and at the front side thereof. A foremost one of angle rings of the angle section is detachably fitted on base end portions of the main casing and separable head block to retain these parts in a fixedly connected state.

When an ultrasound endoscope arrives at an objective area, a puncture needle is located in a scan area of a first ultrasound image. Thereby, an image of the puncture needle is delineated on the first ultrasound image. Furthermore, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the puncture needle and an ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound probe is arranged in the objective area through the puncture needle. Then, the ultrasound probe is driven and a second ultrasound image is delineated. Detailed observation inside the objective area in which the puncture needle is punctured is possible with the second ultrasound image.

In an ultrasonic endoscope capable of being inserted into a body of a patient and imaging ultrasonic tomographic images, a frame rate in electronic radial scanning operation is improved. The ultrasonic endoscope includes: an ultrasonic transducer unit including plural ultrasonic transducers, each having a first electrode and a second electrode, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a plurality of first interconnections each connected to the first electrodes of predetermined ultrasonic transducers; and a plurality of second interconnections each connected to the second electrodes of ultrasonic transducers having the first electrodes not connected to each other; wherein the ultrasonic transducer unit performs scanning operation by simultaneously transmitting the same number of ultrasonic beams in each of plural angle regions when selectively supplied with drive signals via the plurality of first interconnections and the plurality of second interconnections.

Embodiments of the invention include a device having an elongate section extending from a distal end to a proximal end, the elongate section may be configured to be inserted into a cavity of a body. The device may also include an end effector at the distal end of the elongate section. The end effector may have an end face. The end face may include a transducer configured to vibrate in response to an electric current. The elongate section may include a conduit configured to circulate coolant to the end effector.

An ultrasonic endoscope comprising an insertion portion comprising a distal hard portion which has: an endoscopic observation unit; and an ultrasonic observation unit fitted on an outer circumferential section of the endoscopic observation unit, wherein: the ultrasonic observation unit comprises: an ultrasonic transducer array having ultrasonic transducers, and a backing layer cylindrically formed on an inner circumferential surface of the ultrasonic transducer array; and a flexible circuit board on which formed are first terminals each connected to an electrode of a respective one of the ultrasonic transducers, second terminals to which cables are respectively connected, and wiring patterns respectively formed between the first and second terminals, wherein the flexible circuit board has a stepped structure having a large-diameter section on which the first terminals are formed and a small-diameter section on which the second terminals are formed, and an annular support section is formed on an inner circumferential side of the small-diameter section.

An electronic radial type ultrasonic transducer, in which electrode pads to be electrically connected to signal wires are formed on a printed circuit board, forms the electrode pads on the top surface of the printed circuit board in a radial pattern and also exposes the electrode pads relative to the outer circumference of the printed circuit board, configures a wire by coating, in a predetermined thickness, the entirety of a substrate constituting the substrate of the wire with a different kind of conductive metal that is different from the substrate, and melts the different kind of metal at both ends of the wire, thereby electrically connecting the electrode pads to the ultrasonic transducer by way of the wire and electrically connecting the ultrasonic transducer to the signal wires.

To provide a composition for an acoustic wave probe which can significantly improve the hardness and the mechanical strength (tensile strength at break, tensile elongation at break, tear strength, and abrasion resistance) of a silicone resin while maintaining a low acoustic attenuation, a silicone resin for an acoustic wave probe and the acoustic wave probe using the composition for an acoustic wave probe, an acoustic wave measurement apparatus, and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.To provide an ultrasound probe in which cMUT is used as an ultrasonic diagnostic transducer, and the composition for an acoustic wave probe and the silicone resin for an acoustic wave probe which can improve the sensitivity of the photoacoustic wave measurement apparatus and the ultrasound endoscope.Provided are a composition for an acoustic wave probe containing a polysiloxane mixture containing polysiloxane having a vinyl group, polysiloxane having two or more Si—H groups in a molecular chain, and one or more inorganic compound particles, in which the average primary particle diameter of the inorganic compound particles is less than 25 nm and the inorganic compound particles are selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, barium oxide, tin oxide, and ytterbium oxide; a silicone resin for an acoustic wave probe; an acoustic wave probe; an acoustic wave measurement apparatus; an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus; an ultrasound probe; a photoacoustic wave measurement apparatus; and an ultrasound endoscope.

An ultrasonic transducer arraying at even intervals ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and layering a plurality of acoustic matching layers on them, comprising an transducer shape forming member made of a fiber-reinforced thermosetting PPE for filling a gap formed on the side face of the ultrasonic transducer with the same material as that of the acoustic matching layer, mixing a colorant in a division member adjacent to a predefined ultrasonic transducer from among a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and arraying the plurality thereof.

This invention relates to a radial array ultrasound endoscopic probe and its manufacture method and a fixing and rotating device. The probe comprises: a metal cylinder located at the center; a plurality of piezoelectric elements which are cut from piezoelectric ceramic or single crystal rings and arranged around the metal cylinder, said piezoelectric elements and said metal cylinder being provided with a backing material layer for absorbing sound therebetween, said piezoelectric elements being covered with a matching material layer on the outer side thereof, and said piezoelectric elements are filled with decoupling material therebetween; a plurality of coaxial cables correspondingly connected with the plurality of piezoelectric elements; and a circular lattice in a gear shape which sleeves over said metal cylinder and functions to arrange and separate the coaxial cables. In the invention, the plurality of piezoelectric elements are directly cut out from the piezoelectric ceramic or single crystal ring, thus non-concentricity of arrays, misalignment of arrays at interface, the probe being liable to damage, disengagement and break-off, etc., that may arise from forcedly curling multiple lays of materials of a specific thickness, are avoided.

An ultrasonic transducer arraying at even intervals ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and layering a plurality of acoustic matching layers on them, comprising an transducer shape forming member made of a fiber-reinforced thermosetting PPE for filling a gap formed on the side face of the ultrasonic transducer with the same material as that of the acoustic matching layer, mixing a colorant in a division member adjacent to a predefined ultrasonic transducer from among a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and arraying the plurality thereof.

A puncture needle device detachably attached to an ultrasonic endoscope via a pipe sleeve including a non-circular collar, including a cylindrical connecting body into which the pipe sleeve is inserted, the cylindrical connecting body including an insertion limit portion which contacts the pipe sleeve to prevent it from being further inserted, and a non-circular collar receiving hole engaged with the collar and irrotatable relative thereto when the pipe sleeve is inserted; a sheath projecting from the cylindrical connecting body and inserted into an internal conduit of the ultrasonic endoscope; a puncture needle inserted into the sheath; and a lock member supported by the cylindrical connecting body and movable between an unlocked position allowing the pipe sleeve to insert and remove from the cylindrical connecting body, and a locked position wherein the lock member contacts the collar of the pipe sleeve to prevent it from removing from the cylindrical connecting body.

An ultrasound endoscope includes an insertion portion, an ultrasound transducer provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, a first opening portion provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, a second opening portion and a raising stand provided at the distal end portion of the insertion portion. Furthermore, the raising stand includes a first contact portion that comes into contact with a treatment instrument protruding from the first opening portion for causing the treatment instrument to extend in a first direction and a second contact portion that comes into contact with a treatment instrument protruding from the second opening portion for causing the treatment instrument to extend in a second direction different from the first direction.

The invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope device, belonging to the field of medical instruments. The ultrasonic endoscope device provided by the invention comprises: an ultrasonic navigation puncture needle, which is used for puncture positioning; an ultrasonic foraminal mirror, which is used for synchronously carrying out endoscope imaging observation and ultrasonic observation in an operation area; an ultrasonic detector, which is internally provided with a third ultrasonic part in a penetrating manner and is used for performing ultrasonic observation on a specific visual field; and a display unit, which is used for image development on signals acquired by a first ultrasonic part, an endoscope assembly, a second ultrasonic part and the third ultrasonic part. By means of the ultrasonic endoscope device, an ultrasonic probe is allowed to have an opportunity to approach nervous tissue at close range; meanwhile, real-time ultrasonic imaging is conducted in the whole operation process, help is provided for possible important tissue damage in the processes of puncture and decompression, and clear and accurate ultrasonic recognition of important tissue is achieved; and no ray radiation exists, so operation safety is improved.

The present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer in a cylindrical shape including a plurality of piezoelectric devices, an acoustic matching layer stacked on a principal plane on a sound emitting plane side, an acoustic lens on a plane of the acoustic matching layer opposite to a plane facing the piezoelectric devices, and a backing material stacked on another principal planes of the piezoelectric devices; an endoscopic observation and endo-therapy unit provided, for performing endoscopic image observation, at a proximal end side of the ultrasonic transducer; a cable ass'y including a plurality of cables for transmitting signals to and from the ultrasonic transducer. In the above configuration, the cable ass'y is arranged in such a manner that the cable ass'y passes through an inside portion of the ultrasonic transducer, and is connected to the ultrasonic transducer at a distal end side of the ultrasonic transducer. Thereby, an ultrasonic endoscope is provided that has an ultrasonic transducer in which the ultrasonic transducer and coaxial cables will not be disconnected even under thermal or mechanical loads.