Attachment attached to ultrasound probe for clinical application
First Claim
1. An attachment device for attachment to a diagnostic ultrasonic probe of the type including a transducer means for radiating ultrasound beams in a scanning plane for scanning an organic body and for converting echoes produced in the scanned organic body and returned to the transducer means to electric signals for reconstructing a tomographic image of the scanned organic body, said attachment device comprising:
- a housing for holding an acoustic medium for transmitting the ultrasound beams without attenuation, said housing including sidewall elements;
a transmission section operatively coupled to said sidewall elements and permitting ultrasound beams to be transmitted therethrough, said transmission section including acoustic lens means for converging the ultrasound beams radiated from the transducer means to a predetermined point in the scanning plane;
a contact membrane mounted to said sidewall elements and spaced from said transmission section, said contact membrane permitting ultrasound beams to be transmitted therethrough;
an inner surface of said sidewall elements, the transmission section, and the contact membrane defining a chamber for receiving the acoustic medium;
an outer surface of said contact membrane relative to said chamber being adapted to be brought into contact with a skin surface of the organic body;
said contact membrane being mounted to said sidewall elements so as to have a cross-section in the scanning plane which is convex and defines a predetermined radius of curvature such that a majority of the ultrasound beams radiated from the transducer means of the probe and transmitted through the acoustic medium are transmitted through the contact membrane; and
means for coupling the housing to the probe, said coupling means coupling the housing to the probe so that the transducer means is in facing relation to the transmission section of the housing and so that said scanning plane of the probe extends through the transmission section, the acoustic medium and the contact membrane when the attachment device is attached to the probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In the present invention, an attachment which is attached to an ultrasound probe for clinical application is as follows. When the attachment is brought into contact with a skin surface of a body, the ultrasound probe radiates ultrasound beams toward the body which is scanned with ultrasound beams in a first plane. The attachment comprises a reservoir section for holding an acoustic medium, an attachment section for attaching the attachment to the ultrasound probe, and a contact membrane arranged opposite to the attachment section to be brought into contact with the skin surface. The dimension of the contact membrane is smaller than that of the attachment section when the reservoir section is cut at a plane perpendicular to the first plane. The reservoir section is formed without causing the reservoir section to shield the ultrasound beams which are converged by the convergence means. Thus, when an operator moves the ultrasound probe, the frictional force between the contact membrane and the skin surface is small. When the attachment is pivoted while being brought into contact with the skin surface, the attachment can be easily fitted on the human body. Therefore, the operability of the attachment and the contact between the contact membrane and the skin surface can be improved without causing the reservoir section to shield the converged ultrasound beams. Also, in this invention, the contact membrane projects outwardly when the attachment is cut at the first plane and has a predetermined radius of curvature. For this reason, the transmittance of the ultrasound beams transmitted through the contact membrane is improved, and the ultrasound beams multiple-reflected by the contact membrane can be eliminated.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. An attachment device for attachment to a diagnostic ultrasonic probe of the type including a transducer means for radiating ultrasound beams in a scanning plane for scanning an organic body and for converting echoes produced in the scanned organic body and returned to the transducer means to electric signals for reconstructing a tomographic image of the scanned organic body, said attachment device comprising:
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a housing for holding an acoustic medium for transmitting the ultrasound beams without attenuation, said housing including sidewall elements;
a transmission section operatively coupled to said sidewall elements and permitting ultrasound beams to be transmitted therethrough, said transmission section including acoustic lens means for converging the ultrasound beams radiated from the transducer means to a predetermined point in the scanning plane;
a contact membrane mounted to said sidewall elements and spaced from said transmission section, said contact membrane permitting ultrasound beams to be transmitted therethrough;
an inner surface of said sidewall elements, the transmission section, and the contact membrane defining a chamber for receiving the acoustic medium;
an outer surface of said contact membrane relative to said chamber being adapted to be brought into contact with a skin surface of the organic body;
said contact membrane being mounted to said sidewall elements so as to have a cross-section in the scanning plane which is convex and defines a predetermined radius of curvature such that a majority of the ultrasound beams radiated from the transducer means of the probe and transmitted through the acoustic medium are transmitted through the contact membrane; andmeans for coupling the housing to the probe, said coupling means coupling the housing to the probe so that the transducer means is in facing relation to the transmission section of the housing and so that said scanning plane of the probe extends through the transmission section, the acoustic medium and the contact membrane when the attachment device is attached to the probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification