Patent ID: 8052609

Claim:
A connectorized ultrasound probe for use with an ultrasound system, the connectorized ultrasound probe comprising: an actuator assembly including a user-operated actuator, a first connector including a first electrical interface and an output actuator, wherein the output actuator is operatively linked to the user-operated actuator so that an actuation of the user-operated actuator drives the output actuator, and a system interface that is configured to interface with the ultrasound system, wherein the system interface is operatively connected to the first electrical interface, and a transducer assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the transducer assembly includes an ultrasound transducer disposed in the distal end, a second connector located at the proximal end and configured to operatively mate with the first connector, the second connector having (a) a second electrical interface configured to operatively mate with the first electrical interface when the second connector is mated with the first connector and (b) a control actuator configured to operatively interact with the output actuator when the second connector is mated with the first connector so that the control actuator is mechanically actuated by the output actuator, wherein the second connector and the first connector are configured to permit easy mating of the second connector to the first connector and to permit easy removal of the second connector from the first connector, a flexible shaft positioned distally with respect to the second connector and proximally with respect to the distal end, the flexible shaft having a bending section, a circuit that operatively connects the second electrical interface with the ultrasound transducer, a bending mechanism that, in response to an actuation of the control actuator, causes the bending section to bend, wherein the actuator assembly and the transducer assembly are configured so that when the second connector is mated with the first connector, transducer driving signals applied to the system interface are routed to the ultrasound transducer via the first electrical interface and the second electrical interface, and return signals from the ultrasound transducer are routed to the system interface via the second electrical interface and the first electrical interface, wherein the actuator assembly and the transducer assembly are configured so that when the second connector is mated with the first connector, actuation of the user-operated actuator drives the output actuator, whereby the output actuator mechanically actuates the control actuator, which makes the bending mechanism cause the bending section to bend, and wherein the control actuator has a depression or a protrusion configured to mate with a complementary surface on the output actuator.