Ultrasonic probe
View Patent ↗A technique for reducing the looseness of a wire and reducing the positional error of an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. According to the technique, inside a tip portion 3 of an insertion portion 2 , middle pulleys 11 a, 11 b are placed between pulleys 6, 7 . The middle pulley 11 a is attached to a slider portion 14 , and the slider portion (and the middle pulley 11 a ) is supported slidably in the direction orthogonal to the rotation direction of the pulley 6 along a slider guide portion 15 formed at the tip portion, and the position of a sliding direction is supported so as to be able to be fixed at the tip portion by a screw 13.
1. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
a motor positioned inside a grip portion, wherein the motor is adapted to transmit rotation to an ultrasonic transducer to swing the ultrasonic transducer, further wherein the ultrasonic transducer is positioned within a tip portion of a longitudinal insertion portion;
a rotation shaft linked to a rotation shaft of said motor so that a tip is extended inside the tip portion of said insertion portion;
a first pulley attached to said tip of said rotation shaft;
a second pulley attached to a swinging shaft of said ultrasonic transducer;
a middle pulley placed between said first and second pulleys;
a wire laid between said first and second pulleys and said middle pulley; and
a sliding mechanism for supporting said middle pulley in such a manner that said middle pulley is slidable in a direction toward and away from said first pulley and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the swinging shaft to reduce looseness of the wire before operation and the middle pulley can be positioned so that a distance between said middle pulley and said first pulley is kept constant during operation, and said middle pulley is not movable in a longitudinal direction of said longitudinal insertion portion.
2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein said sliding mechanism includes:
a slider portion to which said middle pulley is attached and which can be slid in a direction orthogonal to a rotation direction of said first pulley along a slider guide portion formed at said tip portion; and
a screw for fixing said slider portion to said tip portion.
3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein said wire is made of a line material having both ends and has a block for fixing both of the ends of said line material, and said block is attached to said first pulley.
4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein said wire is confined within said tip portion.
5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1 , wherein said middle pulley is slidable in a slide guide formed integrally in the tip portion.
6. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
a motor positioned inside a grip portion, wherein the motor is adapted to transmit rotation to an ultrasonic transducer to swing the ultrasonic transducer, further wherein the ultrasonic transducer is positioned within a tip portion of a longitudinal insertion portion;
a rotation shaft having an axis of rotation linked to a rotation shaft of said motor so that a tip is extended inside the tip portion of said insertion portion;
a first pulley attached to said tip of said rotation shaft, wherein said pulley rotates about said axis of rotation of said rotation shaft;
a second pulley attached to a swinging shaft of said ultrasonic transducer, wherein the swinging shaft is formed substantially coaxially with the second pulley;
a middle pulley placed between said first and second pulleys;
a wire laid between said first and second pulleys and said middle pulley; and
a sliding mechanism for sliding said middle pulley in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the swinging shaft without moving said middle pulley in a longitudinal direction of said insertion portion so that said wire is not loosened.
7. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
a motor positioned inside a grip portion, wherein the motor is adapted to transmit rotation to an ultrasonic transducer to swing the ultrasonic transducer, further wherein the ultrasonic transducer is positioned within a tip portion of a longitudinal insertion portion;
a rotation shaft having an axis of rotation linked to a rotation shaft of said motor so that a tip is extended inside the tip portion of said insertion portion;
a first pulley attached to said tip of said rotation shaft, wherein said pulley rotates about said axis of rotation of said rotation shaft;
a second pulley attached to a swinging shaft of said ultrasonic transducer, wherein the swinging shaft is formed substantially coaxially with the second pulley;
a middle pulley placed between said first and second pulleys;
a wire laid between said first and second pulleys and said middle pulley; and
a sliding mechanism for sliding said middle pulley in a direction parallel to the swinging shaft without moving said middle pulley in a longitudinal direction of said insertion portion to adjust tension of said wire.