Patent ID: 8021304

Claim:
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.