Patent Publication Number: US-2010125207-A1

Title: Ultrasonic Probe Capable Of Probing Curved Surface

Description:
The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0113915 filed on Nov. 17, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an ultrasonic probe adapted to probe or scan a curved examined part of a subject&#39;s body such as a neck, a breast, etc. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has been widely used as a medical imaging instrument for displaying and diagnosing internal images of a subject&#39;s body. Generally, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus performs an ultrasonic diagnosis by using an ultrasonic probe configured to radiate ultrasonic waves into an examined part of a subjects&#39; body and receive echo signals therefrom. The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer with a number of ultrasonic oscillators. 
     A conventional ultrasonic probe includes a flat probing surface at its fore end. The transducer is positioned below the flat probing surface. When using the ultrasonic probe with the flat probing surface to probe or scan a curved examined part of a subject&#39;s body (e.g., a neck), it is difficult to probe such a part along its curved surface as the probing surface becomes closely contacted to the curved examined part. Further, although the ultrasonic images for the curved examined part can be acquired by the conventional ultrasonic probe with the flat probing surface, such images might be discontinuous or non-uniform. Thus, a precise medical diagnosis can be hardly performed by such discontinuous or non-uniform ultrasonic images. Further, a subject must lie on a bed, for example, so that an operator or sonographer of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can bring the ultrasonic probe into close contact with the curved examined part when probing the curved examined part. Thus, the subject may feel inconvenient and uncomfortable. 
     Especially, in the context of telemedicine recently introduced in the art, it is possible that a sonographer of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus does not exactly comprehend what a remote medical team wants. Thus, the discontinuous or non-uniform images, which can be acquired by the conventional ultrasonic probe with the flat probing surface, cannot provide sufficient information to achieve telemedicine. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various embodiments of an ultrasonic probe for use with an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus are provided. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasonic probe comprises: a housing; a transducer disposed in the housing so as to move alongside a curved surface of an examined part; and a guide part configured to guide the transducer along the curved surface of the examined part. 
     The housing may define an opening opened toward the examined part. An ultrasonic medium, which is deformable in conformity with the curved surface of the examined part, may be positioned between the transducer and the examined part via the opening. Thus, one side of the ultrasonic medium may be in contact with the transducer, while an opposite side of the ultrasonic medium may be in contact with the curved surface of the examined part. 
     The ultrasonic medium may comprise an elastic bag filled with an ultrasonic conductivity couplant. Alternatively, the ultrasonic medium may comprise an elastic solid object of a rubber-like ultrasonic conductivity material such as silicone rubber. 
     The guide part may include a first guide element provided at the housing and a second guide element provided at the transducer. The first and second guide elements may be engaged to each other in order to guide the transducer. 
     The ultrasonic probe further comprises a drive part configured to move the transducer along the curved surface of the examined part. The drive part may include a roller and a circular-arc-shaped roller guide rail on which the roller rolls. Thus, as the drive part rotates the roller, the roller moves along the roller guide rail to move the transducer as guided by the guide part. 
     Alternatively, the drive part may include a pinion gear and a circular-arc-shaped rack gear meshed with the pinion gear. Thus, as the drive part rotates the pinion gear, the pinion gear moves along the rack gear to move the transducer as guided by the guide part. 
     The ultrasonic probe may further comprise a jaw rest configured to rest a subject&#39;s jaw thereon and a shoulder support to support a subject&#39;s shoulder thereon. 
     The Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Arrangements and embodiments may be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating an ultrasonic probe capable of probing a curved surface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a top sectional view illustrating an interior of the ultrasonic probe with an ultrasonic medium being in contact with a neck part of a subject; 
         FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the procedure of probing a subject&#39;s neck using the ultrasonic probe shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially enlarged view of  FIG. 2 , which schematically illustrates an embodiment of a drive part of the ultrasonic probe shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  schematically illustrates another embodiment of the drive part shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A detailed description may be provided with reference to the accompanying drawings. One of ordinary skill in the art may realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not in any way limiting. Other illustrative embodiments may readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     With Reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , an ultrasonic probe capable of probing a curved examined part according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be now described. The ultrasonic probe described in  FIGS. 1 to 4  may be used to probe or scan around, for example, a neck part in which a thyroid gland exists. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the ultrasonic probe of this embodiment may be fixed relative to subject&#39;s jaw and shoulder to probe or scan around a subjects&#39; neck part with a thyroid gland therein. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic probe  100  capable of probing the neck part may include the following: a housing  110  defining an opening  112  opened toward and concave to the examined part; a transducer  120  disposed in the housing  110  and being configured to be reciprocatingly movable alongside the curved surface of the examined part; an ultrasonic medium  130  mounted to the opening  112  of the housing  110  in contact with a radiation and reception surface  122  of the transducer  120 ; a drive part  150  configured to reciprocate the transducer  120 ; and a fixing member  160  configured to contact or engage the housing  110  to a subject having the examined part. 
     The housing  110  may be configured to surround the curved surface of the examined part of the subject within a predetermined region. The housing  110  may define a circular-arc-shaped internal space therein, wherein the transducer  120  can reciprocate along a circular-arc path. The opening  112  may be defined in the housing  110  such that it is opened toward the examined part and concavely shaped so as to correspond to the curved surface of the examined part. 
     The transducer  120  may reciprocate along a circular-arc path within the housing  110 . The transducer  120  may be guided by a guide part comprising a circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  and a guide groove  121 . The transducer  120  may have a radiation and reception surface  122  at its side or portion facing toward the examined part. Ultrasonic waves may be radiated through the radiation and reception surface  122  and echo signals may be received therethrough. The transducer  120  or the ultrasonic medium  130  may be positioned such that the radiation and reception surface  122  of the transducer  120  can be brought into close contact with one side of the ultrasonic medium  130 . 
     The ultrasonic medium  130  may be in close contact with the examined part so as not to generate noises during ultrasonic diagnosis. The ultrasonic medium  130  may include an elastic bag filled with ultrasonic couplant. In such a case, the ultrasonic couplant may include, but is not limited to, an ultrasonic conductivity gel that can be applied on a surface of the examined part in typical ultrasonic diagnosis. Alternatively, the ultrasonic medium  130  may include an object that can transmit ultrasonic waves and may be conformably deformable to be placed into close contact with the curved surface of the examined part. By way of an example, the ultrasonic medium  130  may include an object that comprises an ultrasound-transmitting rubber-like material such as a silicone rubber and is deformable in conformity with a profile of the curved surface of the examined part. 
     The ultrasonic medium  130  may be fixed to the opening  112  of the housing  110  and at least partially exposed toward the examined part through the opening  112  of the housing  110 . The elasticity of the ultrasonic medium  130  may allow the exposed portion of the ultrasonic medium  130  to conformably be in contact with the curved surface of the examined part. When the opening  112  of the housing  110  is placed on the subject&#39;s neck part, the exposed portion of the ultrasonic medium  130  may be in contact with and cover the curved surface of the subject&#39;s neck part. 
     The housing may have the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  at the rear of the ultrasonic medium  130 . The circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  may be concave to the examined part so as to correspond to the curved surface of the examined part. A bearing element  141  such as rolling bearings may be disposed on the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  along a length direction thereof. The guide groove  121  corresponding to the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  may be defined on the transducer  120 . Thus, the transducer  120  can move along the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  by cooperation of the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  and the guide groove  121 . 
     The fixing member  160  may include a frame extending from the housing  110 . At both ends of the fixing member  160 , a jaw rest  161  and a shoulder support  162  may be provided. As shown in  FIG. 3 , if the jaw rest  161  may be fixed to a subject&#39;s jaw and the shoulder support  162  fixed to a subject&#39;s shoulder, then the housing  110  can stay stationary while the ultrasonic medium  130  may be in close contact around the neck part of the subject. The fixing member  160  may be integrally provided to or separated from the housing  110 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , by way of an example of coupling arrangement between the fixing member  160  and the housing  110 , the fixing member  160  may have a plurality of threaded apertures  163   a,    163   b,  and  163   c  arranged vertically. The fixing member  160  may be fixed to the housing  110  in such a manner that a screw or bolt  170  is coupled to one of the threaded apertures  163   a,    163   b,  and  163   c.  Further, a pair of nuts  171  and  172  may be fastened to either side of the bolt  170  to adjust a horizontal position of the bolt  170 . Thus, the position of the fixing member  160  can be adjusted vertically or horizontally relative to the housing  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the ultrasonic medium  130  may be in contact with and cover the curved surface of an examined part A due to its own elasticity. The transducer  120  reciprocates along the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140  as being in contact with the rear surface of the ultrasonic medium  130  via its radiation and reception surface  122 , and thus probes or scans the examined part A. As such, since the transducer  120  reciprocates along the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140 , the examined part A with a curved surface can be easily probed or scanned and continuous ultrasonic images for the inside of the examined part A can be acquired with a uniform quality. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the drive part  150  may include a drive motor  151 , which serves as a drive source of the drive part  150 , and a roller  152  driven by the drive motor  151  to roll thereby. The drive motor  151  may be coupled to a rear side of the transducer  120 . The drive part  150  may include a roller guide rail  153  serving as a part, which the roller  152  is placed into contact with and rolls along. The roller guide rail  153  may be disposed at an inner (or innermost) side of the housing  110 . The roller guide rail  153  may have a circular-arc shape concentrical with the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140 . Thus, as the drive motor  151  rolls the roller  152 , the roller  152  may travel along the roller guide rail  153  with the help of friction between the roller  152  and the roller guide rail  153 , and the transducer  120  may thus be moved along the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140 . 
     To reduce noises generated during ultrasonic diagnosis, an ultrasonic conductivity gel or oil may be applied on either the ultrasonic medium  130  or the curved surface of the examined part A. Also, such gel or oil may be applied between the radiation and reception surface  122  of the transducer  120  and the ultrasonic medium  130  for purposes of lubrication and noise reduction. 
     According to the ultrasonic probe of the present disclosure, ultrasonic images with uniform quality can be precisely and quickly acquired irrespective of the skill and experience of sonographers or operators. Further, since the fixing member  160  fixes the housing  110  with respect to a subject&#39;s jaw and shoulder, the examined part can be probed or scanned as the housing  110  stays stationary. Accordingly, the ultrasonic probe  100  can be suitably applied to a telemedicine wherein a remote medical team examines a subject via a sonographer or operator. 
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the drive part of the transducer. In this embodiment, the drive part  250  for driving the transducer  120  may include a drive motor  251 , a pinion gear  252  configured to be rotated by the drive motor  251 , and a rack gear  211  configured to be meshed with the pinion gear  252 . The rack gear  211  may be placed in the inner side of the housing  110  and curved concentrically with the circular-arc-shaped guide rail  140 , similar to the roller guide rail  153  in the foregoing embodiment. The arrangement of rack and pinion gears may provide a more precise control or movement of the transducer  120  by, for example, varying revolutions of the pinion gear  252 . 
     Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, numerous variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.