Multiple diagnosable distance range ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 4,860,758 A
• Filed: 08/14/1987
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Akira, Yanagawa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis
• Application Number:
  US07/085,547
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660-661, 128/662.06, 128/660.10, 73/625-626, 73/618-620, 73/642, 73/644
• US Class Current: 600/463
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display

Abstract

First and second ultrasonic transducers are provided at the distal end portion of a flexible insertion portion (to serve as a probe) of an endoscope. During diagnosis, the distal end portion of insertion portion is fixed in a tubular organ by a balloon which is filled with water. Ultrasonic lenses having different focal distances are mounted on the transducers. The resonance frequencies of the transducers differ from each other. The transducers are rotated about a shaft of the insertion portion by a motor, in order to mechanically radial-scan an object to be examined. A relay box for supplying a drive signal to the transducers is connected to the endoscope, and a diagnositc device with a display is connected to the relay box. The relay box includes first and second transmitting circuits, and output drive pulses therefrom are supplied to the transducers. The relay box also comprises a switch and a switching circuit connected to the transmitting circuits for selecting one of the transmitting circuits by operating the switch. Therefore, only a selected one of the transmitting circuits supplies the drive pulse to the transducer. An ultrasonic echo signal received by the transducer is supplied to the diagnostic device to display a tomographic image.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a plurality of transducer means scanned in a predetermined cycle and having different resonance frequencies;

drive pulse generating means for periodically generating a drive pulse having a constant pulse width in synchronism with scanning of said ultrasonic transducer means;

pulse width adjusting means for adjusting a pulse width of the drive pulse in accordance with a resonance frequency of a selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means, to apply it to said selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means;

means for amplifying an echo signal from said transducer means;

means for A/D converting the amplified echo signal and writing the converted signal in a memory provided in a diagnostic device;

means for reading out data from the memory in accordance with an operation of display means; and

means for D/A converting and displaying the readout data.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said pulse width adjusting means comprises a differential circuit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said pulse width adjusting means comprises a monostable multivibrator.

4. An ultrasonic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having an endoscope main body including an insertion portion and a hand operating portion, and a plurality of ultrasonic transducer means provided at the distal end of said insertion portion and having different resonant frequencies;

scanning means for changing directions of ultrasonic waves transmitted from said plurality of ultrasonic transducer means;

selecting means for selecting one of said plurality of ultrasonic transducer means; and

signal processing means for applying a drive signal corresponding to the resonant frequency of a selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means to only said selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means and for processing a received signal from only said selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means;

means for generating a signal representing a reference position to display an image upon selection of said transducer means.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a plurality of ultrasonic transducer means (14,16) having different resonant frequencies;

transmitting means (24), connected to said ultrasonic transducer means, for supplying a drive signal to only a selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means, said transmitting means including means for generating a rate pulse, a plurality of drive pulse generating means (26,

     28) respectively connected to said ultrasonic transducer means, for applying drive pulses to said ultrasonic transducer means, in accordance with the rate pulse, the drive pulses corresponding to the resonant frequency of the plurality of ultrasonic transducer means, respectively and switching means for supplying the rate pulse to one of said plurality of drive pulse generating means;

receiving means (76,

     78), connected to said ultrasonic transducer means, for processing a received signal from only said selected one of said ultrasonic transducer means, to generate an image signal; and

reference signal generating means for generating a reference signal for displaying an image.