Ultrasound internal examination system
First Claim
1. An ultrasound internal examination system, comprising:
- an ultrasound probe to be inserted into an internal portion of interest by one of direct insertion and insertion through a guide means, said ultrasound probe having a rotatable single-element ultrasound transducer mounted at the tip end of a flexible cable with drive means to move said transducer back and forth in a linear direction for a linear scan in a predetermined range while permitting said transducer to rotate for a radial scan at an arbitrary position in the linear direction;
a probe operating unit operatively coupled with said ultrasound probe and equipped with remote control means for said ultrasound transducer, including a rotating means, a linearly reciprocating means, an angular position sensor means, and a linear position sensor means;
a signal processing means operatively connected to said ultrasound transducer and said angular and linear position sensors, and adapted to produce at least an ultrasound tomographic image of one of radial and linear scan directions on the basis of ultrasound echo signals from said ultrasound transducer and signals from said angular and linear position sensor means and to hold at least a signal of one of the linear and angular position of said ultrasound transducer in the other scan direction; and
a monitor arranged to display at least said ultrasound tomographic image of one of radial and linear scan directions on a monitor screen along with at least an indicator giving a sign of one of linear and angular position of said ultrasound transducer according to signals from said signal processing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein is an ultrasound internal examination system which essentially includes an ultrasound probe having a rotatable ultrasound transducer element mounted at the tip end of a flexible cable for movement in radial and linear directions, an operating unit having remote control means for the ultrasound transducer element, including a rotating means, a linearly reciprocating means, a rotational angle sensor means, and a linear position sensor means, and a signal processing means adapted to produce at least an ultrasound tomographic image of radial scan direction or an ultrasound tomographic image of linear scan direction on the basis of ultrasound echo signals from the ultrasound transducer element and signals from the rotational angle sensor means and the linear position sensor means, and arranged to display at least one of the ultrasound tomographic images of radial and linear scan directions along with a marker indicating the linear position or angular direction of the ultrasound transducer element in the other scan direction.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. An ultrasound internal examination system, comprising:
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an ultrasound probe to be inserted into an internal portion of interest by one of direct insertion and insertion through a guide means, said ultrasound probe having a rotatable single-element ultrasound transducer mounted at the tip end of a flexible cable with drive means to move said transducer back and forth in a linear direction for a linear scan in a predetermined range while permitting said transducer to rotate for a radial scan at an arbitrary position in the linear direction; a probe operating unit operatively coupled with said ultrasound probe and equipped with remote control means for said ultrasound transducer, including a rotating means, a linearly reciprocating means, an angular position sensor means, and a linear position sensor means; a signal processing means operatively connected to said ultrasound transducer and said angular and linear position sensors, and adapted to produce at least an ultrasound tomographic image of one of radial and linear scan directions on the basis of ultrasound echo signals from said ultrasound transducer and signals from said angular and linear position sensor means and to hold at least a signal of one of the linear and angular position of said ultrasound transducer in the other scan direction; and a monitor arranged to display at least said ultrasound tomographic image of one of radial and linear scan directions on a monitor screen along with at least an indicator giving a sign of one of linear and angular position of said ultrasound transducer according to signals from said signal processing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification