Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
ULTRASONIC PROBE |
| Document Number: |
20110201937 |
| Publication Date: |
August 18, 2011 |
| Appl. No: |
13/123381 |
| Application Filed: |
December 02, 2009 |
| Abstract: |
The invention discloses a technique, by which a suitable radius of curvature can be obtained so that small type ultrasonic probe will be closely fitted to human body and by which an ultrasonic probe adaptable for human superficial tissues can be provided. According to this technique, the invention provides a frame 5 to constitute a part of a cubicle, a motor 1 fixed on said frame, a first arm 6 with one end fixed on a rotating shaft 7 of said motor, and a second arm 8 with one end rotatably coupled with the other end of said first arm via a coupling shaft 9 and with the other end having an ultrasonic element mounted thereon, said second arm has a lengthwise long groove 11 and is slidably engaged with the fixed shaft of said frame in the direction of length, a length from an end of said second arm where said ultrasonic element is mounted on said coupling shaft is designed to be longer than the length from said rotating shaft to said coupling shaft, and further, to be longer than the length from said rotating shaft to said fixed shaft, and a swinging mechanism comprising said first arm and said second arm is disposed in said cubicle surrounded by an ultrasonic window and by said frame and is sealed with an acoustic coupling liquid. |
| Inventors: |
Fujii, Kiyoshi (Kanagawa, JP); Shimasaki, Akira (Kanagawa, JP); Ookawa, Eiichi (Kanagawa, JP); Shinkai, Masahiro (Tokyo, JP) |
| Assignees: |
PANASONIC CORPORATION (Osaka, JP) |
| Claim: |
1. An ultrasonic probe, comprising a frame to constitute a part of a cubicle, a first arm with one end fixed on a first shaft member, and a second arm with one end rotatably connected to the other end of said first arm via a coupling shaft and provided with an ultrasonic element to mutually convert electric signals and ultrasonic signals on the other end, wherein said second arm has a lengthwise long groove and is slidably engaged with the second shaft member in the direction of its length, the length from an end portion where said ultrasonic element of said second arm is mounted to said coupling shaft is designed to be longer than the length from said first shaft member to the coupling shaft of said first arm, and is designed to be longer than the length from said first shaft member to said second shaft member, a swinging mechanism containing said first arm and said second arm is disposed in a cubicle surrounded by an ultrasonic window and said frame, and an acoustic coupling liquid is sealed so that said ultrasonic element is swung and scanned. |
| Claim: |
2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a length from said first shaft member to a coupling shaft to couple said second arm is the same as the length from said first shaft member to said second shaft member, and a triangle formed by said first shaft member, by the coupling shaft of said first arm and said second arm, and by said second shaft member make up together an isosceles triangle. |
| Claim: |
3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein a length from said first shaft member to the coupling shaft to couple with said second arm is designed to be longer than the length from said first shaft member to the said second shaft member where said second arm is slidably engaged. |
| Claim: |
4. An ultrasonic probe, comprising a frame to constitute a part of a cubicle, a first arm with one end fixed on a first shaft member, and a second arm with one end rotatably connected to the other end of said first arm via a coupling shaft and provided with an ultrasonic element to mutually convert electric signals and ultrasonic signals on the other end, said second arm is designed as slidable on a second shaft member via a slide bearing unit, a swinging mechanism containing said first arm and said second arm is disposed in a cubicle surrounded by an ultrasonic window and said frame, and an acoustic coupling liquid is sealed so that said ultrasonic element is swung and scanned. |
| Claim: |
5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a groove type rail is provided on said frame or on said ultrasonic window so that a guiding shaft disposed on the ultrasonic element is engaged with said groove type rail. |
| Claim: |
6. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a convex type rail is disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and said convex type rail is squeezed by two or more guiding shafts provided on said ultrasonic element. |
| Claim: |
7. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted with respect to said second arm, a groove type rail is provided on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and a guiding shaft disposed on said ultrasonic element and a second guiding shaft disposed in such manner that said second guiding shaft is repelled to said guiding shaft by force of a spring are engaged on said groove type rail mounted on said frame or said ultrasonic window. |
| Claim: |
8. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a convex type rail is disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and a guiding shaft provided on said ultrasonic element and a second guiding shaft provided to pull each other by force of a spring to said guiding shaft so that said convex type rail disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window is squeezed. |
| Claim: |
9. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said groove type rail or said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
10. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 5, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said groove type rail or said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said groove type rail or said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
11. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic element is an electronic scanning type element and is mechanically swung in a direction to perpendicularly cross the electronic scanning by said swinging mechanism. |
| Claim: |
12. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a groove type rail is provided on said frame or on said ultrasonic window so that a guiding shaft disposed on the ultrasonic element is engaged with said groove type rail. |
| Claim: |
13. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a convex type rail is disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and said convex type rail is squeezed by two or more guiding shafts provided on said ultrasonic element. |
| Claim: |
14. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted with respect to said second arm, a groove type rail is provided on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and a guiding shaft disposed on said ultrasonic element and a second guiding shaft disposed in such manner that said second guiding shaft is repelled to said guiding shaft by force of a spring are engaged on said groove type rail mounted on said frame or said ultrasonic window. |
| Claim: |
15. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein said ultrasonic element is rotatably mounted on said second arm, a convex type rail is disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window, and a guiding shaft provided on said ultrasonic element and a second guiding shaft provided to pull each other by force of a spring to said guiding shaft so that said convex type rail disposed on said frame or on said ultrasonic window is squeezed. |
| Claim: |
16. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 12, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said groove type rail or said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
17. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 12, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said groove type rail or said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said groove type rail or said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
18. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 4, wherein said ultrasonic element is an electronic scanning type element and is mechanically swung in a direction to perpendicularly cross the electronic scanning by said swinging mechanism. |
| Claim: |
19. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
20. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said groove type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
21. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
22. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 6, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
23. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said groove type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said groove type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
24. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 8, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
25. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 13, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
26. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 14, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said groove type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
27. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 15, wherein a bearing or a resin material having low friction resistance is provided on a forward end where said convex type rail comes into contact with said guiding shaft. |
| Claim: |
28. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 13, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
29. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 14, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said groove type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said groove type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Claim: |
30. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 15, wherein an elastic material such as rubber or resin is provided on both or one of said convex type rail and said guiding shaft on a portion where said convex type rail and said guiding shaft come into contact with each other. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
600/459 |
| Current International Class: |
61 |
| Accession Number: |
edspap.20110201937 |
| Database: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
