Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2001-02-27
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S463000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193666
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the tip of an ultrasonic endoscope, which is to be inserted into a body cavity to perform ultrasonic scan and optical viewing simultaneously.
The tip of the insertion portion of an ultrasonic endoscope is equipped with an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving member and an optical viewing member. An instrument-inserting channel is also provided in the tip of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope so that an instrument such as one for injecting a liquid into the body can be passed through the instrument-inserting channel. Because of this structural complexity, the tip of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope is inevitably bulky and causes greater pain to the patient under examination than in the case of ordinary endoscopes.
An instrument projects from the tip of the insertion portion of an ultrasonic endoscope in various directions depending upon its design specifications. A forward projecting layout is recommended from the viewpoint of space economy, making the tip of the insertion portion the most compact in size.
A typical forward projecting layout is described in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (kokai) No. 265535/1990, and it is characterized in that both the exit opening of the instrument-inserting channel and the viewing window are provided at the end face of the tip of the insertion portion of an ultrasonic endoscope and that an ultrasonic oscillator array for radial scan is provided annularly around the tip of the insertion portion.
However, if the viewing window is provided at the end face of the tip of the insertion portion and the ultrasonic oscillator array annularly around the tip of the insertion portion, the direction of ultrasonic scan is out of the visual field of optical viewing. Therefore, the site under ultrasonic scan cannot be viewed optically at the same time, making it impossible to perform reliable examination smoothly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide the tip of an ultrasonic endoscope that is small enough to reduce the pain the patient has to endure and which yet allows the site under ultrasonic scan to be optically viewed at the same time, thus ensuring that reliable examination is performed smoothly.
To attain the above-noted object, the present invention provides a novel arrangement for the tip of an ultrasonic endoscope, wherein an optical viewing window for viewing forward at an angle is provided backward of an ultrasonic oscillator array. This arrangement makes it possible for an operator to optically view or visually observe the site being subjected to ultrasonic scan.
A tip of an ultrasonic endoscope according to a preferred embodiment includes: an instrument-inserting channel formed with an exit opening directed forward and opened at a distal end face of an insertion portion of the endoscope; an ultrasonic oscillator array for radial scan that is provided annularly around the exit opening of the instrument-inserting channel; and an optical viewing window for viewing obliquely forward that is provided rearward of the ultrasonic oscillator array in such a way that its visual field covers both a distal end portion of an instrument projected from the instrument-inserting channel and a direction of ultrasonic scan with the ultrasonic oscillator array.
If desired, the radial ultrasonic oscillator array may be provided coaxially with said instrument-inserting channel. Alternatively, the longitudinal axis of said annular ultrasonic oscillator array may be formed at an angle with that of said instrument-inserting channel in such a direction that the ultrasonic scan direction is away from said optical viewing window.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 10-358657 (filed on Dec. 17, 1998), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5596989 (1997-01-01), Morita
patent: 5762067 (1998-06-01), Dunham et al.
patent: 5967990 (1999-10-01), Thierman et al.
patent: 5976073 (1999-11-01), Ouchi
patent: 6074349 (2000-06-01), Crowley
patent: 2265533 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 2265534 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 2265535 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 2271843 (1990-11-01), None
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Lateef Marvin M.
Patel Maulin
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