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EP0088620A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

An ultrasonic probe for diagnostic examination of the interior of body cavities

Assignee: Olympus Corp
•
Filing: 1983-03-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-03-07
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Abstract

Abstract An ultrasonic probe for diagnostic examination of body cavity interiors has a chamber (41) containing transmitting medium (46) put in to fill the space of an ultrasonic wave oscillator transducer or the like, coated with and having a jacket cover (32) on its tip, has the chamber filled to be with an ultrasonic wave transmitting medium (46) to improve the introduction of ultrasonic waves into a body cavity, and a sealable pathway to the exterior is provided so that bubbles in said transmitting medium (46) can be easily removed, and medium replenished or replaced. …<??>If bubbles are contained in the transmitting medium (46), or if the characteristics of the medium deteriorate, the quality of the ultrasonic diagnosis image will be reduced. By providing a communicating path (65) between the housing chamber (41) and the exterior, sealed with a closure member (66) which can be opened and closed as necessary, bubble removal and or replenishment or replacement of the medium is facilitated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Akio Nakada
  • 👤 Kazumasa Matsuo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 17:37
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; A61B8/12; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/445; A61B8/4461; G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/24; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/02; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/35; G10K11/357; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/04; G01N2291/042; G01N2291/0423

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 154 words
An ultrasonic probe for diagnostic examination of the interior of body cavities in which an ultrasonic transducer,for transmitting ultrasonic waves and detecting received echoes, is contained within a chamber formed at the tip of an elongate tubular member for insertion into a body cavity, the member being provided with a sealed jacket cover transparent to ultrasonic waves transmitted through said window, the chamber being filled with an ultrasonic wave transmitting medium and a rotatable driven shaft providing a scanning rotation of said transducer or of a deflecting surface between said transducer and said window, any reflected echoes being received by said transducer and converted back to electrical signals, and a communicating path formed in said chamber and leading to a sealable opening in the outer wall of said elongate tubular member and provided with closure means facilitating access to the interior of said chamber to permit cleansing or replenishment of said wave transmitting medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 154 words
An ultrasonic probe for diagnostic examination of the interior of body cavities in which an ultrasonic transducer,for transmitting ultrasonic waves and detecting received echoes, is contained within a chamber formed at the tip of an elongate tubular member for insertion into a body cavity, the member being provided with a sealed jacket cover transparent to ultrasonic waves transmitted through said window, the chamber being filled with an ultrasonic wave transmitting medium and a rotatable driven shaft providing a scanning rotation of said transducer or of a deflecting surface between said transducer and said window, any reflected echoes being received by said transducer and converted back to electrical signals, and a communicating path formed in said chamber and leading to a sealable opening in the outer wall of said elongate tubular member and provided with closure means facilitating access to the interior of said chamber to permit cleansing or replenishment of said wave transmitting medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
An ultrasonic probe as claimed in Claim 1, in which said closure means is a plug having an external screw-thread to engage in a screw hole provided at the end of the communicating path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
An ultrasonic probe as claimed in Claim 1, in which two annular sealing members that are each substantially U-shaped in cross-section are fitted about said rotatable driven shaft to form a grease charged lubricating chamber between the two sealing members.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
An ultrasonic probe as claimed in Claim 3, in which said grease charged lubricating chamber is accessible through a communicating path leading to a sealable opening in the outer wall of said elongate tubular member and provided with closure means facilitating access to the interior of said lubricating chamber to permit replenishment of said grease.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 79 words
An ultrasonic probe as claimed in Claim 1, in which said jacket cover is fitted to extend back from the tip of the probe to a point adjacent said sealable opening but not covering said opening, said jacket cover being a snugly fitting soft tube secured at its rear end in an annular groove around the outer wall of said elongate tubular member, in which groove it is secured firmly by a thread-like member wound on the outer periphery.

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