Patent ID: 8216150
Filing Date: 2012-07-10
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An ultrasound probe, comprising: a rod-like tip part configured to penetrate into a body cavity; an ultrasound emitting part placed at the tip part to emit ultrasonic waves to a subject; a first bending part configured to bend the tip part in a direction substantially orthogonal to the emission direction; and a fixing part configured to, when the first bending part is not bending the tip part toward any side of the direction orthogonal to the emission direction, lock the first bending part and inhibit the first bending part from bending the tip part in the direction substantially orthogonal to the emission direction; the first bending part includes: the fixing part includes a fixing member placed at a position fixed with respect to a rotation direction of the rotation member; one of the rotation member and the fixing member includes a concave, and the other includes a convex; and in a state that the first bending part is not bending the tip part toward any side of the direction orthogonal to the emission direction, the fixing part locks the rotation member by fit of the concave and the convex; wherein the rotation member is provided with a concave and the fixing member is provided with a convex, the ultrasound probe further comprising: a first elastic member configured to press the fixing member from the rotation member side, wherein the fixing part includes a lock mechanism disposed to a rear side of the fixing member opposite to a plane with the convex disposed so as to be movable in the direction orthogonal to the rotation direction, the lock mechanism being configured to compress the elastic member when pressed to stop and lock the rotation member in a state that the convex and the concave fit each other, and configured to release the stop by a next press to separate the convex from the concave by a force of the elastic member and release the lock of the rotation member; and further comprising: an axial tube member piercing through the center of the axis of the rotation member to fix the fixing member with respect to the rotation direction, wherein: the lock mechanism includes: the second rotation member and the pressing member each include a protrusion on a plane parallel to the axial tube direction in contact with the holder member; the holder member includes shallow grooves and deep grooves disposed along the axial tube direction, alternately in the rotation direction, on a plane parallel to the axial tube direction in contact with the pressing member and the second rotation member; the protrusion of the pressing member is to be housed into the deep groove; and the second rotation member rotates around the axial tube member by friction when pressed, and the protrusion of the second rotation member is housed into the next groove of the holder member.