Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-05-01
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224555
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic detector insertable into a body cavity that has an ultrasonic probe and a treatment tool projecting port provided at the tip of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, an ultrasonic detector insertable into a body cavity has a tip forming part
90
provided at the tip of an insertion portion that is to be inserted into a body cavity. The tip forming part
90
has an ultrasonic probe
91
for performing an ultrasonic scan and a treatment tool projecting port
92
, through which a treatment tool such as a puncturing needle projects toward an affected area. A cross section of the affected area is imaged by ultrasonic examination. In
FIG. 6
, a range indicated by the character “A” is the range of ultrasonic scan and the arrow “B” indicates the direction in which a treatment tool is to project.
To examine the liver, the tip of an ultrasonic detector is inserted into the stomach and a short pulse of ultrasonic waves is scanned from the probe into the liver. If it is necessary to obtain a specimen of hepatocyte tissues, a puncturing needle is pierced through the stomach wall into the liver.
For several reasons (for example, the need to provide the puncturing needle with a suitable degree of rigidity, and the practical limitations on the thickness of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic detector), it is difficult to increase the angle at which the puncturing needle projects with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tip forming part
90
.
Under the circumstances, if the puncturing needle is to be pierced through the stomach wall into the liver from the illustrated ultrasonic detector, the piercing angle of the needle must be very small with respect to the stomach wall
101
(as shown in
FIG. 7
) and the needle cannot be pierced into the liver
102
in a precise and positive way.
To solve this problem, it has been proposed, in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application (Kokai) No. 143985/1995, that the tip forming part of the insertion portion is shaped to bend in a direction away from the range of ultrasonic scan, thereby ensuring that the angle at which the needle is pierced through the stomach wall is correspondingly increased.
However, if the tip forming part of the insertion portion has such a bent shape, the insertion portion will cause great pain to the patient as it is passed through the esophagus and even more pain will be felt if the insertion portion is oriented in the larynx in the “wrong direction” during removal from a body cavity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide an ultrasonic detector insertable into a body cavity that permits a puncturing needle to be pierced through the stomach wall at a sufficiently large angle to ensure positive and easy puncturing, yet gives no pain to the patient when passed into and out of a body cavity.
The stated object of the invention can be attained by an ultrasonic detector insertable into a body cavity comprising an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity with its tip forming part being shaped generally straight without being bent. An ultrasonic probe for lateral ultrasonic scan is provided in the front half of the tip forming part, and a treatment tool projecting port is provided in the rear half of the tip forming part, directed obliquely forwardly for allowing the tip of a treatment tool (such as a puncturing needle) to project in a direction within the range of the ultrasonic scan. The front half of the tip forming part is adapted to be bendable in a direction away from said ultrasonic scan range by remote handling.
The ultrasonic detector may be provided with an urging mechanism that keeps the tip forming part in a generally straight position without being bent. If desired, the front half of the tip forming part may be bent by a manipulating wire that is pulled from the side closer to the operator. In this case, when the pulling force of the manipulating wire is removed, the front half of the tip forming part reverts to the initial state by the urging force of the urging mechanism.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 10-164650 (filed on Jun. 12, 1999), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4763662 (1988-08-01), Yokoi
patent: 5398690 (1995-03-01), Batten et al.
patent: 5499630 (1996-03-01), Hiki et al.
patent: 5601588 (1997-02-01), Tonomura et al.
patent: 5873828 (1999-02-01), Fujio et al.
patent: 5931787 (1999-08-01), Dietz et al.
patent: 6012867 (2000-01-01), Sorkin
patent: 7143985 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 7184900 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 7194594 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 8-52138 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 8126643 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 8131442 (1996-05-01), None
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Imam Ali M.
Lateef Marvin M.
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