Inflatable Pressing Portion for Ultrasound Probe Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vascular puncture procedures face challenges in reliably bringing an ultrasonic probe into close contact with the human body, leading to suboptimal cross-sectional imaging and increased risk of puncture failure due to air gaps and operator skill requirements.
Innovation Solution
An imaging apparatus with a base portion, a probe body, and a pressing portion that inflates to ensure close contact between the imaging unit and the human body, utilizing a controller to adjust pressure and improve image clarity by detecting and adjusting the pressing force based on image quality and blood vessel position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an ultrasonic probe is attached to the human body with a belt, then the probe can be positioned on the body, but the imaging unit cannot be sufficiently brought into close contact with the human body due to air gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pressing portion that can be inflated with gas or liquid to apply pressure and eliminate air gaps between the imaging unit and the human body surface. This pneumatic mechanism reliably brings the imaging unit into close contact with the skin, solving the contact reliability problem while maintaining ease of operation through automated inflation control.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing portion is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the operator to inflate or deflate it as needed. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to adapt to different body shapes and sizes, ensuring reliable contact without requiring complex manual positioning operations.
2Measurement precision
If the operator manually positions and presses the ultrasonic probe against the human body, then contact can be achieved, but the operator requires high skill and the operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing portion is designed to automatically apply pressure when inflated, eliminating the need for the operator to manually press and hold the probe. The system serves itself by maintaining contact pressure through the inflated pressing portion, reducing operational complexity while ensuring consistent image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the operator's inflation action and the imaging unit's contact with the body. This intermediary automatically translates inflation pressure into consistent contact force, simplifying the operator's task while ensuring precise and reliable imaging conditions.
3Measurement precision
If the imaging unit is brought into close contact with the human body, then clear cross-sectional images can be acquired, but additional mechanisms like pressing portions are required
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing portion serves multiple functions: it eliminates air gaps, applies consistent contact pressure, and can be integrated with the probe housing. This multi-functionality justifies the additional structural element by providing both contact assurance and pressure control in a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing portion is integrated within or attached to the probe housing structure, with the imaging unit nested within the pressing portion's influence zone. This nested arrangement minimizes overall device complexity by combining multiple functions within a compact, integrated structure rather than adding separate external components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables reliable acquisition of clear cross-sectional images, reducing the risk of puncture failure by ensuring consistent contact and improving operator precision through controlled pressure adjustments, thereby enhancing vascular puncture accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a first pressing portion (45) attached to the base portion (40) and by which the part of the human body can be pressed against the imaging unit (22)
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging apparatus includes a base portion having a space in which a part of a human body is placed, a probe body attached to the base portion and including an imaging unit that faces the space and is configured to acquire a cross-sectional image of the part of the human body when the part of the human body is placed in the space, a first pressing portion attached to the base portion and by which the part of the human body can be pressed against the imaging unit, and a controller configured to control a pressure applied to the part of the human body by the first pressing portion.