Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-14
2002-07-23
Jaworski, Francis J. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06423008
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe for and a method of acquiring a tomographic image and other graphic images to be taken from the internal organs of a human body by taking advantage of an ultrasound, and more particularly to an ultrasonic probe for and a method of acquiring a tomographic image and other graphic images to be used for the diagnosis by doctors in the hospitals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been developed and used various kinds of ultrasonic probes which are designed to probe the internal organs of the human body to assist the doctors in diagnosing the human body in the hospitals. Among those ultrasonic probes, there are two types of ultrasonic probes the first one of which is constructed to be moved on while being kept in touch with the human body's skin to probe the solid internal organs such as livers and pancreas from the outside of the human body, and the second one of which is inserted into the hollow internal organs of the human body including stomachs, rectums and vaginas to probe the hollow internal organs of the human body. Both of the forgoing ultrasonic probes are adapted to emit an ultrasonic wave to the targeted portions of the human body before receiving an ultrasonic wave echoed from the targeted portions of the human body. The ultrasonic wave is transformed by the ultrasonic probe in a conventional manner into an electric signal that is processed into a tomographic image to be displayed on a display unit.
The ultrasonic wave probe is provided at its leading end with an ultrasonic wave probe unit comprising a transducer for transducing an electric signal into and out of an ultrasonic wave, and an electromagnet motor for rotating the transducer within a predetermined rotation angle. The ultrasonic wave probe of this type provided with an ultrasonic wave probe unit as constructed in the above is disclosed in a publication such as for example a Japanese laid-open publication No. 70268/2000.
The conventional ultrasonic wave probe of this type, however, encounters such a problem that the transducer may be rotated unrestrictedly while the electromagnet motor is stopped to drive to rotate the transducer, and subject to breakage by a large shock caused by the electromagnet motor especially when the ultrasonic wave probe is dropped resulting from the fact that the transducer is directly mounted on the electromagnet motor.
The present invention is made with a view to overcoming the previously mentioned drawback inherent to the conventional ultrasonic wave probe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe which can keep the transducer from rotating by braking the electromagnet motor when the electromagnet motor is stopped. This makes it possible to protect the transducer from a large shock caused by the electromagnet motor especially when the ultrasonic wave probe is dropped
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic probe which can prevent the transducer from rotating by actuating a brake mechanism when the electromagnet motor is stopped. This makes it possible to protect the transducer from a large shock caused by the electromagnet motor especially when the ultrasonic probe is dropped.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic probe, comprising: a housing; a frame structure accommodated in the housing and held stationary with respect to the housing; an electromagnet motor rotatably supported by the frame structure in the housing; a transducer fixedly supported by the electromagnet motor in the housing to transduce an ultrasonic wave to and from an electric signal; a brake mechanism fixedly supported by the frame structure in the housing and operative to assume a braking state allowing the electromagnet motor to be braked and a brake-releasing state allowing the electromagnet motor to be released from being braked. The above electromagnet motor is released from being braked by the brake mechanism when the electromagnet motor is driven to rotate while the electromagnet motor is braked by the brake mechanism when the electromagnet motor is stopped.
It is desirable that the above frame structure includes a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion integrally formed with the bottom wall portion to form a hollow chamber, and a window cover securely mounted on the side wall portion of the frame structure to form a closed chamber having the electromagnet motor received therein. The above window cover may be made of an ultrasonic wave transmission material to have the transducer transduce the ultrasonic wave to and from the electric signal.
The above window cover and the frame structure are desirably combined to define a hermetically sealed chamber filing therein a coupling liquid to assist the transducer in transducing the ultrasonic wave to and from the electric signal.
Preferably, the transducer includes a main body having a top surface, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged on the top surface of the main body in spaced relationship with each other along the center axis of the electromagnet motor.
The piezoelectric elements may be in the form of a rectangular shape having a short edge extending along the center axis of the electromagnet motor.
It is desirable that the above window cover has inner and outer surfaces arcuately formed and the main body of the transducer has an outer surface arcuately formed in parallel and spaced relationship with the inner surface of the window cover.
The electromagnet motor preferably includes a rotor portion having a center axis and a pair of side surfaces, and a pair of shaft portions each having a center axis. The shaft portions may be respectively secured to the side surfaces with the center axes being respectively in alignment with the center axis of the rotor portion and rotatably supported by the frame structure.
It is desirable that the frame structure includes a base plate portion, and a pair of stand portions spaced apart from each other along with the rotation axis of the electromagnet motor. The electromagnet motor may include a rotor portion having a center axis and a pair of side surfaces, and a pair of shaft portions each having a center axis. The shaft portions may be respectively secured to the side surfaces with the center axes being respectively in alignment with the center axis of the rotor portion and rotatably supported by the frame structure. The shaft portions may be respectively rotatably supported by the stand portions of the frame structure.
The ultrasonic probe thus constructed can prevent the transducer from rotating by braking the electromagnet motor when the electromagnet motor is stopped. This makes it possible to protect the transducer from a large shock caused by the electromagnet motor especially when the ultrasonic wave probe is dropped.
According to the present invention, the electromagnet motor of the ultrasonic probe has a peripheral portion formed with a cavity. It is desirable that the brake mechanism includes a magnetic frame securely mounted on the frame structure and formed with a chamber therein, an electromagnet coil received in the chamber of the magnetic frame and partly secured to the magnetic frame. The electromagnet coil may be in the form of a cylindrical hollow shape. The brake mechanism desirably further include an electromagnet shaft partly received in the chamber of the magnetic frame in axial alignment with the electromagnet coil and supported by the magnetic frame, and a second longitudinal portion projecting inwardly of the electromagnet coil and the magnetic frame.
The electromagnet shaft may have a first longitudinal portion projecting outwardly of the magnetic frame. The electromagnet shaft may be axially movable with respect to the magnetic frame and the electromagnet coil to assume two operation states consisting of a first operation state under which the electromagnet shaft is projected to an extremely projected
Okawa Eiichi
Suzuki Takashi
Jaworski Francis J.
Patel Maulin
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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