Ultrasonic probe having articulated structure and rotatable transducer head
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic probe assembly, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical elongated transducer head, adapted to be placed in a stationary position against a body part to be ultrasonically examined, and comprising a transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements individually excitable to emit ultrasonic energy in a predetermined pattern;
an elongated probe, said probe including a controllably-articulable section disposed near the distal end of said probe, the axes of elongation of said transducer head and of said probe being substantially coaxial when said articulable section is straight;
first control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling articulation of said articulable section of said probe in at least one plane of articulation;
said transducer head being mounted to a distal end of said articulable section of said probe by means permitting rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation;
second control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation, such that the relative circumferential position of said transducer array with respect to said plane of articulation may be controlled; and
electrical conductor means extending along the length of said probe for carrying excitation signals and detected signals between said proximal end of said probe and said transducer head.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated ultrasonic probe for endoscopic examination comprises a transducer head, for example, having one or more rows of independently actuable transducer elements extending along the surface of the probe, parallel to the axis thereof. The probe comprises an articulable section while the transducer head is journaled for rotation with respect to the tip of the probe. In use the tip of the probe is juxtaposed to a structure to be examined; the articulated section of the probe and the rotation of the transducer are controlled separately, such that the transducer elements can be juxtaposed to the structure to be examined. A series of angularly-spaced images may be formed by rotation of the transducer about its axis after articulation of the probe.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic probe assembly, comprising:
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a generally cylindrical elongated transducer head, adapted to be placed in a stationary position against a body part to be ultrasonically examined, and comprising a transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements individually excitable to emit ultrasonic energy in a predetermined pattern; an elongated probe, said probe including a controllably-articulable section disposed near the distal end of said probe, the axes of elongation of said transducer head and of said probe being substantially coaxial when said articulable section is straight; first control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling articulation of said articulable section of said probe in at least one plane of articulation; said transducer head being mounted to a distal end of said articulable section of said probe by means permitting rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation; second control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation, such that the relative circumferential position of said transducer array with respect to said plane of articulation may be controlled; and electrical conductor means extending along the length of said probe for carrying excitation signals and detected signals between said proximal end of said probe and said transducer head. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In an ultrasonic probe comprising an elongated probe having a controllably articulable section disposed near a distal end thereof, and comprising control means for controlling articulation of said probe in at least one plane of articulation including the axis of elongation of said probe, said probe further comprising an elongated transducer head comprising an array of transducer elements for emitting a pattern of ultrasonic energy, the axis of elongation of said transducer head lying substantially in said plane of articulation of said probe, and electrical conductor means extending along the length of said probe for carrying excitation signals from a source of such signals to said transducer head, and for carrying return signals responsive to detection of ultrasonic energy by said elements to means for processing said return signals, the improvement comprising:
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means for mounting said transducer head for rotation about its axis of elongation, and control element means connected to a flexible torque-transmitting member arranged for controllably rotating said transducer head about its axis of elongation, such that said array may be disposed at substantially any desired orientation with respect to the plane of articulation of said articulable section of said probe in response to manipulation by hand of such control element means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of ultrasonic examination of a body part of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an elongated ultrasonic probe, said probe comprising a controllably-articulable section disposed near a distal end thereof, an elongated transducer head comprising an array of individually-excitable transducer elements adapted to be disposed in in a particular position juxtaposed to a body part to be examined, said transducer head being mounted to a distal end of said articulable section of said probe for rotation about its axis of elongation, and first and second control elements for controlling articulation of said articulable section of said probe in at least a first plane, and rotation of said transducer head, respectively, whereby said transducer array may be disposed at substantially any desired orientation with respect to the plane of articulation of said probe, with the axis of elongation of said transducer head lying in said plane of articulation, (b) inserting said probe through a portal in the body of said patient, so as to dispose said transducer head in the vicinity of a body part to be ultrasonically examined, (c) employing said first and second control elements to independently articulate said probe and rotate said transducer, such that said elements of said array contact the body part to be ultrasonically examined in a predetermined positional relationship thereto, (d) applying ultrasonic drive signals to each said transducer element so that each said element transmits a pattern of ultrasonic energy into the body part to be ultrasonically examined, (e) employing each said transducer element to detect ultrasonic energy reflected from structures comprised by the body part to be ultrasonically examined, (f) transmitting return signals responsive to said detected ultrasonic energy from each said transducer element to means for processing said signals, and (g) processing said return signals to produce an image of the body part to be ultrasonically examined. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An ultrasonic probe assembly, comprising:
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an elongated probe, said probe including a controllably-articulable section disposed near the distal end of said probe; a generally cylindrical elongated transducer head comprising a transducer excitable to emit ultrasonic energy in a predetermined pattern defining an image plane, adapted to be placed in a stationary position against a body part to be ultrasonically examined; said transducer head being mounted to a distal end of said articulable section of said probe by means permitting rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation, such that the axes of elongation of said transducer head and of said probe are substantially coaxial when said articulable section is straight; first control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling articulation of said articulable section of said probe in at least one plane of articulation; second control means at a proximal end of said probe for controlling rotation of said transducer head about its axis of elongation, such that the relative circumferential position of said image plane with respect to said plane of articulation may be controlled in order to ultrasonically examine structure of interest; and electrical conductor means extending along the length of said probe for carrying excitation signals and detected signals between said proximal end of said probe and said transducer head. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification