Surgery – Truss – Pad
Patent
1988-05-06
1989-10-03
Jaworski, Francis
Surgery
Truss
Pad
128915, 73620, A61B 800
Patent
active
048709700
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic investigation apparatus more particularly relates to a skin investigation apparatus for use with an ultrasonic investigation technique.
It has been common practice, in recent years, to carry out investigations of the human body and other animal bodies utilising ultrasonic techniques. In carrying out investigations in this way an ultrasonic transducer has been accoustically coupled to the skin of a patient, for example by pressing the transducer to the skin of the patient which may be lubricated with an appropriated coupling medium, and then exciting the transducer. Ultrasonic pulses are then transmitted into the patient and are reflected from reflecting surfaces within the patient. The reflected pulses are received by the transducer, generating signals representative of the pulses, and these signals may be processed by appropriate processing machinery to enable a visual representation of the part of the patient under examination to be created.
Examination techniques of this type are widely utilised, for example, in the examination of a developing foetus in the womb of a pregnant mother.
Ultrasonic pulses transmitted into the body are partially reflected at each interface that they pass within the body. Thus the ultrasonic pulses are reflected by the various interfaces between the layers constituting the outermost surface of the body, that is to say the skin.
Usually the skin of the human body has an outermost layer consisting of an epidermis, and lying immediately beneath the epidermis is the dermis. Typically the dermis extends to a depth 2 mm from the outermost surface of the body. Under that lies subcutaneous fat, and the thickness of the subcutaneous fat depends upon the physiology of the patient, and the particular part of the body being considered. Under the subcutaneous fat lies the muscle.
It is desirable to be able to investigate the precise structure of the skin, in order to assist in the diagnosis of various diseases, such as skin cancer, and also in order to be able to locate accurately the positions of scars and burns, since this may well assist in connection with remedial plastic surgery.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided an apparatus for transmitting accoustic ultrasonic pulses and for receiving "echos" of the transmitted pulses, said apparatus comprising a housing, an upstanding wall mounted on the housing defining the mouth of a well, a transducer mounted in the housing so that the operative part of the transducer is located in the well, the well being substantially watertight and being provided with means for introducing water or other fluids to the well, or being pre-filled with fluid.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided an apparatus for transmitting accoustic ultrasonic pulses and for receiving "echos" of the transmitted pulses, said apparatus comprising a housing, an upstanding wall mounted on the housing defining the mouth of a well, a transducer mounted in the housing so that the operative part of the transducer is located in the well, the transducer being controllably movable within the well, the well being substantially watertight and being provided with means for introducing water or other fluid to the well or being pre-filled with fluid.
Preferably the well is provided with means for introducing fluid to the well in the form of a pump and a conduit to direct fluid from the pump into the well.
Conveniently the well is provided with a sealable bore in a wall thereof to permit fluid to be introduced to the well.
Preferably means are provided for withdrawing fluid from the well.
Conveniently the well is sealed at the mouth by a flexible membrane.
Advantageously there is a space between the membrane and the top of the wall defining the mouth of the well.
Conveniently the transducer is mounted in a movable housing, a flexible lower membrane being sealingly connected to the said wall defining the well and being sealingly connected to part of the movable housing.
Preferably said lower mem
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Crocker Robert L.
Finlay Patrick A.
Gray Nigel
Knibbs Simon
Fulmer Limited
Jaworski Francis
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