3D MECHANICAL PROBE

• US 20120165678A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tang, Shengli, Bai, Leyun, Wang, Zhenchang, Chen, Zhenyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,149,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• 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: A61B 8/4466 involving deflection of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/894 by rotation about a single axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/355 Arcuate movement

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) mechanical probe for ultrasonic imagining is disclosed.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) mechanical probe, comprising:

a base, an acoustic window, a hose, and a plug head, wherein the acoustic window is connected to the base, an airtight space is provided between the acoustic window and the base, the base is connected to a connector, one end of the hose is connected to the connector, the connector comprises a channel passing through the connector, a cavity of the hose is in communication with the airtight space through the channel, the plug head is connected to the other end of the hose, the airtight space and the hose are filled with a coupling liquid, and an inner contour of a section perpendicular to an axis of the hose at every place in at least one part of a length of the hose satisfies a condition that radii of curvature at at least one set of points on the inner contour are greater than radii of curvature at at least one other set of points on the inner contour.

2. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the inner contour of the section perpendicular to the axis of the hose at every point in at least one part of the length of the hose is an ellipse, a long circle, or a double curved shape.

3. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein an area surrounded by the inner contour of the section in an operating state of the hose is smaller than an area surrounded when the sectional inner contour is circular and a perimeter is unchanged.

4. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein the area surrounded by the inner contour of the section in the operating state of the hose is greater than an area surrounded by the inner contour of the section of the hose in a natural state.

5. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein, when the hose is at a highest operating temperature, an area surrounded by the inner contour of the section is smaller than an area surrounded when the sectional inner contour is circular and a perimeter is unchanged.

6. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein, when the hose is at a lowest operating temperature, the area surrounded by the inner contour of the section is greater than an area surrounded by the inner contour of the section of the hose in a natural state.

7. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1, wherein the hose comprises a head, a middle, and a tail, and the inner contour of the section perpendicular to the axis of the hose at every point in at least one part of the length of the hose satisfies a condition that radii of curvature at at least one set of points on the inner contour are greater than radii of curvature at at least one other set of points on the inner contour, and a perimeter of a sectional inner contour of the head and/or tail is smaller than or greater than a perimeter of a sectional inner contour of the middle.