Ultrasonic scanning apparatus

Claim 2

An ultrasonic scanning apparatus having: a housing (52) with a window (58) through which an ultrasonic beam passes; a transducer (24, 114) fixed in said housing (52) and having an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) for transmitting/receiving the ultrasonic beam; a reflecting member (72) opposing said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) so as to form a predetermined angle therewith, said reflecting member (72) transmitting the ultrasonic beam from said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) through said window (58); driving means (80) for driving said reflecting member (72) so as to change a propagation direction of the ultrasonic beam reflected by said reflecting member (72); and a motor (28) having an output shaft (32) coupled to said driving means (80), characterized in that said housing (52) comprises a cylindrical body which extends along a central axis (C - C) thereof and has said window (58) at a distal end thereof; said driving means comprises a swinging mechanism (80) for reciprocally rotating said reflecting member (72) within a predetermined angular range; and said output shaft (32) of said motor (28) is substantially parallel to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35).

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises a single transducer (24).

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises an annular array transducer (114).

Claim 5

An ultrasonic scanning apparatus having: a housing (52) with a window (58) through which an ultrasonic beam passes; a tranducer (24, 114) fixed in said housing (52) and having an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) for transmitting/receiving the ultrasonic beam; a reflecting member (72) opposing said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) so as to form a predetermined angle therewith, said reflecting member (72) transmitting the ultrasonic beam from said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) through said window (58); driving means (80) for driving said reflecting member (72) so as to change a propagation direction of the ultrasonic beam reflected by said reflecting member (72); and a motor (28) having an output shaft (32) coupled to said driving means (80), characterized in that said housing (52) comprises a cylindrical body which extends along a central axis (C - C) thereof and has said window at a distal end thereof; said driving means comprises a swinging mechanism (80) for reciprocally rotating said reflecting member (72) within a predetermined angular range; said output shaft (32) of said motor (28) is substantially parallel to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35); there is provided supporting means (64, 66) for supporting said reflecting member (72) to be rotatable about a central axis (X 2 - X 2 ) thereof, said central axis (X 2 - X 2 ) of said supporting means (64, 66) being substantially perpendicular to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) and being perpendicular to said central axis (X 1 - X 1 ) of said output shaft (32) to define an intersection (70) therewith; and said swinging mechanism (80) comprises a rotary arm (82) mounted at a distal end of said output shaft (32) so as to extend therefrom in a substantially radial direction, and a fork member (84) having a handle (86) and a U-shaped portion (90), said handle (86) extending toward said intersection (70) and having one end which is rotatably supported at an extended end of said rotary arm (82), and said U-shaped portion (90) being mounted at the other end of said handle (86) so as to rotatably support said reflecting member (72) at two sides thereof, said two sides respectively corresponding to two ends of a line which extends through said reflecting member (72) and which is substantially perpendicular to said handle (86) in a section including said intersection (70) and substantially perpendicular to said central axis (X l - X 2 ) of said reflecting member (72).

Claim 6

An ultrasonic scanning apparatus having: a housing (52) with a window (58) through which an ultrasonic beam passes; a tranducer (24, 114) fixed in said housing (52) and having an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) for transmitting/receiving the ultrasonic beam; a reflecting member (72) opposing said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) so as to form a predetermined angle therewith, said reflecting member (72) transmitting the ultrasonic beam from said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) through said window (58); driving means (80) for driving said reflecting member (72) so as to change a propagation direction of the ultrasonic beam reflected by said reflecting member (72); and a motor (28) having an output shaft (32) coupled to said driving means (80), characterized in that said housing (52) comprises a cylindrical body which extends along a central axis (C - C) thereof and has said window at a distal end thereof; said driving means comprises a swinging mechanism (80) for reciprocally rotating said reflecting member (72) within a predetermined angular range; said output shaft (32) of said motor (28) is substantially parallel to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35); there is provided supporting means (64, 66) for supporting said reflecting member (72) to be rotatable about a central axis (X 2 - X 2 ) thereof, said central axis (X 2 - X 2 ) of said supporting means (64, 66) being substantially perpendicular to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) and being perpendicular to said central axis (X 1 - X 1 ) of said output shaft (32) to define an intersection (70) therewith; and said swinging mechanism (80) comprises a rotary arm (82) mounted at a distal end of said output shaft (32) so as to extend therefrom in a substantially radial direction, and a fork member (84) having a handle (86) and a U-shaped portion (90), said handle (86) extending toward said intersection (70) and having one end which is rotatably supported at an extended end of said rotary arm (82), and said U-shaped portion (90) being mounted at the other end of said handle (86) so as to rotatably support said reflecting member (72) at two sides thereof, said two sides respectively corresponding to two ends of a line which extends through said reflecting member (72) and which is substantially perpendicular to said handle (86) in a section including said intersection (70) and substantially perpendicular to said central axis (X l - X 2 ) of said reflecting member (72).

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises a single transducer (24).

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises an annular array transducer (114).

Claim 9

An ultrasonic scanning apparatus having: a housing (52) with a window (58) through which an ultrasonic beam passes; a transducer (24, 114) fixed in said housing (52) and having an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) for transmitting/receiving the ultrasonic beam; a reflecting member (72) opposing said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) so as to form a predetermined angle therewith, said reflecting member (72) transmitting the ultrasonic beam from said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) through said window (58); driving means (80) for driving said reflecting member (72) so as to change a propagation direction of the ultrasonic beam reflected by said-reflecting member (72); a motor (28) having an output shaft (32) coupled to said driving means (80); and an angle detector (30) for detecting an angular position of said reflecting member (72), characterized in that, said housing (52) comprises a cylindrical body which extends along a central axis (C - C) thereof, has said window at a distal end thereof, and has a substantially uniform cross-section; said driving means comprises a swinging mechanism (80) for reciprocally rotating said reflecting member (72) within a predetermined angular range; said transducer (24, 114) and said reflecting member (72) are arranged in the vicinity of said window (58); said output shaft (32) of said motor (28) is substantially parallel to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35); and said angle detector (30) is coaxial with said motor (28).

Claim 10

An ultrasonic scanning apparatus having: a housing (52) with a window (58) through which an ultrasonic beam passes; a transducer (24, 114) fixed in said housing (52) and having an ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) for transmitting/receiving the ultrasonic beam; a reflecting member (72) opposing said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) so as to form a predetermined angle therewith, said reflecting member (72) transmitting the ultrasonic beam from said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35) through said window (58); driving means (80) for driving said reflecting member (72) so as to change a propagation direction of the ultrasonic beam reflected by said-reflecting member (72); a motor (28) having an output shaft (32) coupled to said driving means (80); and an angle detector (30) for detecting an angular position of said reflecting member (72), characterized in that, said housing (52) comprises a cylindrical body which extends along a central axis (C - C) thereof, has said window at a distal end thereof, and has a substantially uniform cross-section; said driving means comprises a swinging mechanism (80) for reciprocally rotating said reflecting member (72) within a predetermined angular range; said transducer (24, 114) and said reflecting member (72) are arranged in the vicinity of said window (58); said output shaft (32) of said motor (28) is substantially parallel to said ultrasonic transmitting/receiving surface (35); and said angle detector (30) is coaxial with said motor (28).

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises a single transducer (24).

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said transducer (24, 114) comprises an annular array transducer (114).