Apparatus for destroying a calculus

• US 5,358,466 A
• Filed: 04/15/1992
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Akinori, Suzuki, Kaoru, Aida, Satoshi, Iwama, Nobuyuki, Fujimoto, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US07/868,414
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 128/24 EL, 128/24 AA, 128/660.03, 601/2, 601/4
• US Class Current: 601/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2256 with means for locating or checking the concrement, e.g. X-ray apparatus, imaging means A61B17/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8909 using a static transducer configuration

Abstract

An apparatus for destroying a calculus includes an ultrasonic wave generating unit capable of setting a plurality of piezo-electric devices in a drive/reception mode by phase control, a peak value detecting unit for detecting a peak value, in a predetermined time width, of an echo signal in a reception signal received by the piezo-electric devices, a first comparing unit for comparing the peak value detected by the peak value detecting unit with a first predetermined threshold value, a frequency analyzing unit for analyzing a frequency component, in the predetermined time width, of the echo signal in the reception signal, a calculating unit for calculating a predetermined characteristic value on the basis of frequency component data obtained by the frequency analyzing unit, a second comparing unit for comparing the characteristic value obtained by the calculating unit with a second predetermined threshold value, and a display unit for displaying a comparison result of the first comparing unit with a comparison result of the second comparing unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for destroying a calculus, comprising:

ultrasonic wave generating means, including a plurality of ultrasonic wave generating elements, for generating an intense ultrasonic wave that serves as a shock wave when a high voltage is applied and a weak ultrasonic wave that does not serve as a shock wave when a low voltage is applied and for selectively radiating the intense and weak ultrasonic waves to a calculus in a living body;

drive means, including a plurality of drive elements, for driving said ultrasonic wave generating means by selectively supplying at least one low voltage and one high voltage to said ultrasonic wave generating elements of said ultrasonic wave generating means;

receiving means, including a plurality of receiving elements, for receiving an echo signal from the living body when said ultrasonic wave generating means is driven by the low voltage and radiates the weak ultrasonic waves to the calculus in the living body;

first control means for controlling said drive means and said receiving means;

peak value detecting means for detecting a peak value, in a predetermined time width, of the echo signal in a reception signal received by said receiving means;

first comparing means for comparing the peak value detected by said peak value detecting means with a first predetermined threshold value;

frequency analyzing means for analyzing a frequency component, in the predetermined time width, of the echo signal in the reception signal;

first calculating means for calculating a predetermined characteristic value on the basis of frequency component data obtained by said frequency analyzing means;

second comparing means for comparing the characteristic value obtained by said calculating means with a second predetermined threshold value; and

display means for displaying destruction degree information of the calculus defined by a comparison result of said first comparing means and a comparison result of said second comparing means, wherein said display means displays first data indicating a relationship between the peak value and the first predetermined threshold value and second data indicating a relationship between the characteristic value and the second predetermined threshold value.

2. An apparatus for destroying a calculus, comprising

ultrasonic wave generating means, including a plurality of ultrasonic wave generating elements, for generating an intense ultrasonic wave that serves as a shock wave when a high voltage is applied and a weak ultrasonic wave that does not serve as a shock wave when a low voltage is applied and for selectively radiating the intense and weak ultrasonic waves to a calculus in a living body;

drive means, including a plurality of drive elements, for driving said ultrasonic wave generating means by selectively supplying at least one low voltage and one high voltage to said ultrasonic wave generating elements of said ultrasonic wave generating means;

receiving means, including a plurality of receiving elements, for receiving an echo signal from the living body when said ultrasonic wave generating means is driven by the low voltage and radiates the weak ultrasonic waves to the calculus in the living body;

first control means for controlling said drive means and said receiving means;

peak value detecting means for detecting a peak value, in a predetermined time width, of the echo signal in a reception signal received by said receiving means;

first comparing means for comparing the peak value detected by said peak value detecting means with a first predetermined threshold value;

frequency analyzing means for analyzing a frequency component, in the predetermined time width, of the echo signal in the reception signal;

first calculating means for calculating a predetermined characteristic value on the basis of frequency component data obtained by said frequency analyzing means;

second comparing means for comparing the characteristic value obtained by said calculating means with a second predetermined threshold value; and

display means for displaying destruction degree information of the calculus defined by a comparison result of said first comparing means and a comparison result of said second comparing means, wherein said display means displays first data indicating a relationship between the peak value and the first predetermined threshold value and second data indicating a relationship between the characteristic value and the second predetermined threshold value by means of at least one of a visual representation and an audio representation.