Ultrasonic observing apparatus

• US 5,107,844 A
• Filed: 02/01/1990
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Misono, Kazuhiro, Kami, Kuniaki, Echizenya, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis
• Application Number:
  US07/473,548
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660.08-660.10, 128/662.06, 128/916, 73/633
• 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 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/355 Arcuate movement

Abstract

An ultrasonic observing apparatus includes an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving apparatus for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a first scanning apparatus for moving the direction in which the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving apparatus transmits and receives waves so that a first ultrasonic tomographic image may be obtained, a second scanning apparatus for moving the direction in which the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving apparatus transmits and receives waves so that a second ultrasonic tomographic image intersecting with the first ultrasonic tomographic image may be obtained and a control apparatus for controlling the first scanning apparatus and second scanning apparatus as related with each other.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic observing apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means, provided inside a tip of a probe, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;

a first scanning means for rotating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means to move a direction inside said probe in which said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means transmits and receives waves so that a first ultrasonic tomographic image may be obtained;

a second scanning means for advancing and retreating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means to move a direction inside said probe in which said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means transmits and receives waves so that a second ultrasonic tomographic image intersecting with said first ultrasonic tomographic image may be obtained; and

a control means for controlling said first scanning means and said second scanning means as related with each other wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means is spirally moved inside said probe by said first and second scanning means.

2. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said control means includes a means for simultaneously operating said first scanning means and said second scanning means as synchronized with each other.

3. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said control means includes an operating means for simultaneously operating said first scanning means and said scanning means, a designating means for designating at least one of a position of a scanning surface of said first scanning means for obtaining said first ultrasonic tomographic image and the position of the scanning surface of said second scanning means for obtaining said second ultrasonic tomographic image within respective scanning ranges of said first scanning means and said second scanning means and an extracting means for extracting only a signal corresponding to the position designated by said designating means among signals obtained by receiving waves by said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means.

4. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 1 which further comprises a displaying means for displaying said first ultrasonic tomographic image and said second ultrasonic tomographic image based on signals obtained by receiving waves by said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means and wherein said control means includes a designating means for designating a position of a scanning surface of the other scanning means on the tomographic image of one displayed by said displaying means when operating one scanning means of said first scanning means and said second scanning means and a means for moving the scanning surface of said other scanning means to the position designated by said designating means.

5. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;

a first driving means for rotating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part;

a second driving means for advancing and retreating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part; and

a control means for simultaneously operating said first driving means and said second driving means as synchronized with each other.

6. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 wherein, said control means having a means for variably controlling a speed of said rotary motion and a speed of said advancing and retreating motion by keeping a ratio of the speeds of first and second driving means constant.

7. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part includes an ultrasonic vibrator capable of rotating, advancing and retreating.

8. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 wherein said control means includes a means for giving said first driving means and second driving means a common driving signal for operating both driving means as synchronized.

9. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 wherein said control means includes a means for giving a driving signal for operating the driving means to one of said first driving means and said second driving means and a means for detecting an operating position of said one driving means and giving a driving signal corresponding to said position to the other driving means.

10. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 wherein said control means includes a means for giving one of said first driving means and said second driving means a driving signal for operating said driving means and a means for dividing a frequency of said driving signal given to said one driving means and giving said divided frequency signal to the other driving means.

11. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 5 further comprising a means for generating ultrasonic pulses synchronized with the operation of said first driving means and said second driving means by said control means and transmitted from said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part.

12. An ultrasonic observing apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;

a driving means for simultaneously advancing, retreating and rotating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part;

a designating means for designating a position of a scanning surface for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image; and

an extracting means for extracting only a signal corresponding to the position designated by said designating means among signals obtained by receiving waves by said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part.

13. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving part includes an ultrasonic vibrator capable of rotating, advancing and retreating.

14. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a displaying means for displaying an ultrasonic tomographic image formed by a signal extracted by said extracting means.

15. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said designating means includes a sensing means operatively connected to said driving means and sensing a specific operating position of said driving means and a means for changing position of said sensing means.

16. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said designating means includes a detecting means for detecting a signal corresponding to an operating position of said driving means and a designating means for designating a specific timing among signals detected by said detecting means.

17. An ultrasonic observing apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;

a first scanning means for rotating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means;

a second scanning means for advancing and retreating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means;

a displaying means for displaying a first ultrasonic wave cross-sectioned layer image obtained by rotating said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means by said first scanning means and a second ultrasonic wave cross-sectioned layer image obtained by advancing and retreating and ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means by said second scanning means;

a position designating means for freely designating a position of a scanning surface of the other scanning means on the ultrasonic wave cross-sectioned layer image of one displayed by said displaying means when operating one scanning means of said first scanning means and said second scanning means; and

a means for moving the scanning surface of said other scanning means to the position designated by said position designating means.

18. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said first scanning means makes a linear scanning and said second scanning means makes a radial scanning.

19. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means includes an ultrasonic vibrator, said first scanning means includes a first driving means for advancing and retreating said ultrasonic vibrator and said second scanning means includes a second driving means for rotating said ultrasonic vibrator.

20. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said moving means operates said first driving means or second driving means to move said scanning surface.

21. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means includes a plurality of annularly arranged ultrasonic vibrators, said first scanning means includes a driving means for advancing and retreating said ultrasonic vibrators and said second scanning means includes a means for selectively exciting at least one of said plurality of ultrasonic vibrators.

22. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said moving means changes the vibrator to be excited among said plurality of ultrasonic vibrators when moving a scanning surface of said first scanning means and operates said driving means moving the scanning surface of said second scanning means.

23. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means includes a plurality of linearly arranged ultrasonic vibrators, said first scanning means includes a means for selectively exciting at least one of said plurality of ultrasonic vibrators and said second scanning means includes a driving means for rotating said ultrasonic vibrators.

24. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said moving means operates said driving means when moving a scanning surface of said first scanning means and changes the vibrator to be excited among said plurality of ultrasonic vibrators when moving the scanning surface of said second scanning means.

25. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving means includes a first vibrator group and second vibrator group respectively include a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators, said first scanning means includes a means for selectively exciting at least one ultrasonic vibrator in said first vibrator group, said second scanning means includes a means for selectively exciting at least on ultrasonic vibrator in said second vibrator group and said moving means includes a means for changing respective positions of said first vibrator group and said second vibrator group.

26. An ultrasonic observing apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said designating means includes a means for displaying position of a designated scanning surface on said one tomographic image displayed by said displaying means.