Miniaturized encapsulated ultrasonic transducer
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic sector scanner, which comprises(a) a housing capsule including an elongated tubular housing section and spaced end walls forming a sealed enclosure,(b) a tubular shaft mounted axially within said housing and supported therein for limited rotation through an angle of less than 360°
- ,(c) a rotor magnet fixed to one axial portion of said shaft and rotatable therewith,(d) an ultrasonic transducer unit fixed to a second axial portion of said shaft and rotatable therewith, and(e) flexible conductor means extending through said tubular shaft and connected at one end to said transducer unit for activating the same,(f) one of said housing end walls having terminal conductors passing therethrough in sealed relation,(g) said flexible conductor means being connected at their other ends to said terminal conductors.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscope, especially for transesophageal echocardiography. An encapsulated ultrasonic transducer capsule is provided having a self-contained electro-mechanical sector scanner. A sealed housing is formed which includes axially aligned tubular sections, one of magnetic material and the other of acoustically transparent plastic. A tubular shaft is journalled axially within the housing for limited sector scanning rotation. A magnetic rotor is fixed to the shaft for operation within the magnetic housing section and a transducer element is fixed to the shaft within the other tubular section. Conductor wires for activating the transducer are fixed at one end of the capsule and extend axially through the tubular shaft for connection to the transducer. Position sensing means are incorporated within the capsule. The construction enables the capsule to be highly miniaturized and greatly improved relative to known devices of its type.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic sector scanner, which comprises
(a) a housing capsule including an elongated tubular housing section and spaced end walls forming a sealed enclosure, (b) a tubular shaft mounted axially within said housing and supported therein for limited rotation through an angle of less than 360° - ,
(c) a rotor magnet fixed to one axial portion of said shaft and rotatable therewith, (d) an ultrasonic transducer unit fixed to a second axial portion of said shaft and rotatable therewith, and (e) flexible conductor means extending through said tubular shaft and connected at one end to said transducer unit for activating the same, (f) one of said housing end walls having terminal conductors passing therethrough in sealed relation, (g) said flexible conductor means being connected at their other ends to said terminal conductors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An ultrasonic transducer capsule, which comprises
(a) an elongated, sealed tubular housing adapted for coaxial mounting at the end of an endoscope guide tube, (b) a first axial portion of said housing including a sleeve of magnetic material, (c) a second axial portion of said housing being formed of acoustically transparent material, (d) a shaft mounted coaxially within said sealed housing for rotation through a limited sector scanning arc, (e) a motor element fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith within said first axial housing portion, (f) electrically energizable coil means within said first axial housing portion for bidirectional rotation of said motor element, (g) an ultrasonic transducer element fixed to said shaft portion, (h) stop means within said sealed housing for limiting rotation of said shaft, motor element and transducer to an angle of less than 360°
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16. In an ultrasonic apparatus, an improved sector scanner comprising
(a) an elongated tubular housing, (b) a partition in said housing forming a shaft bearing, (c) a tubular shaft journalled in said bearing and extending axially within said housing, (d) a rotor magnet fixed to one portion of said shaft on one axial side of said bearing, (e) an ultrasonic transducer fixed to said shaft on the other axial side of said bearing, (f) end wall forming means at opposite ends of said tubular housing forming therewith a sealed enclosure for the containment of liquid, (g) at least a portion of said housing surrounding said rotor magnet being formed of magnetic material, (h) at least a portion of said housing surrounding said transducer being formed of material substantially transparent to ultrasonic energy, (i) one of said end walls having electrical terminal conductors passing therethrough in sealed relation, (j) transducer activating electrical conductor means connected to said transducer, extending axially through said tubular shaft and connected to certain of said terminal conductors, (k) rotor driving coils mounted within said magnetic material housing portion, (l) coil energizing conductors connected respectively to said coils and to certain ones of said terminal conductors, (m) position sensing means within said sealed enclosure for determining the angular position of said transducer, and (n) control means for controllably oscillating said rotor, shaft and transducer through a limited sector scanning angle.
Specification