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Ultrasound examination system

  • US 5,211,176 A
  • Filed: 11/29/1991
  • Issued: 05/18/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An ultrasound internal examination system, comprising:

  • an ultrasound probe having an ultrasound transducer rotatably mounted on a tip end portion of a flexible insert member, said flexible insert member having a rotation transmitting means connected to said tip end portion for transmitting rotation to said ultrasound transducer, and a flexible sleeve fitted around said rotation transmitting means, said rotation transmitting means relatively rotatable to said flexible sleeve;

    a probe operating unit detachably connected to a base end portion of said flexible insert member including a linear operating means for moving said ultrasound transducer linearly along a longitudinal axis of said tip end portion for linear scanning, and a radial operating means to turn said ultrasound transducer about the longitudinal axis of said tip end portion for radial scanning;

    said linear operating means having an operating rod reciprocally mounted through a casing of said probe operating unit and detachably connected to said flexible sleeve and movable into and out of said casing for linear scanning by said ultrasound transducer, and a position sensor means for detecting a position of said ultrasound transducer by detecting a displacement of said operating rod;

    said radial operating means having a rotary member coupled with said rotation transmitting means, a motor for rotatably driving said rotary member, a rotation sensor means for detecting a rotational angle of said rotary member, and a rotary connector for connecting rotatable signal lines from said ultrasound transducer to a static part of said operating unit; and

    a scan mode selector means for switching an operation of said ultrasound transducer between a linear scan mode and a radial scan mode.

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