Intraoperative scanner

Claim 2

A heat-sterilizable ultrasonic scanner comprising a housing formed to include a fluid-receiving cavity and a vent cavity in communication with both of the fluid-receiving cavity and the atmosphere, an ultrasonic transducer enclosed within the fluid-receiving cavity of the housing, coupling means for coupling ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic transducer through the housing to a region under examination, a fluid in the fluid-receiving chamber of the housing for coupling ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic transducer to the coupling means and vice versa, and resilient diaphragm means for permitting expansion and contraction of the coupling fluid in the fluid-receiving cavity of the housing without fluid loss therefrom during use and exposure to sterilization temperatures, said diaphragm means being mounted within the housing in spaced relation to the coupling means location to form a boundary between the fluid-receiving cavity and the vent cavity, the housing further including a wall defining a boundary of the vent cavity and substantially closing the vent cavity, the wall being formed to include an aperture interconnecting the vent cavity and the atmosphere, the wall protecting the resilient diaphragm means during sterilization and use while permitting air contained in the vent cavity to be discharged to the atmosphere via the aperture in response to movement of the resilient diaphragm means during expansion of the coupling fluid in the fluid-receiving cavity.

Claim 3

The scanner of claim 1 wherein the housing includes means for movably mounting the ultrasonic transducer within the housing.

Claim 4

The scanner of claim 2 wherein the means for movably mounting the ultrasonic transducer includes an armature for supporting the transducer for movement therewith.

Claim 5

The scanner of claim 3 wherein the housing includes means for limiting movement of the armature.

Claim 6

The scanner of claim 4 wherein the housing includes means for sensing the angular position of the armature.

Claim 7

The scanner of claim 5 wherein the housing includes means for coupling the signals from the transducer and from the means for sensing the angular position of the armature to external circuitry.

Claim 8

The scanner of claim 3 wherein the means for movably mounting said ultrasonic transducer further comprises a permanent magnet mounted on said armature, a stator mounted within said housing, and means for changing the polarity of the field of the stator such that the armature oscillates under the control of the field.

Claim 9

The scanner of claim 7 wherein the housing includes means for limiting the movement of the armature.

Claim 10

The scanner of claim 8 wherein the means for limiting the movement of the armature includes viscous damping stop means which includes means at approximately the outer limits of armature rotation.

Claim 11

The scanner of claim 9 and further comprising an optical encoder in the housing for sensing the angular position of the armature.

Claim 12

The scanner of claim 10 wherein the optical encoder comprises a first track having end points defining limits of rotation of said armature, and a second track defining increments of rotation of said armature between the limits.

Claim 13

The scanner of claim 1, wherein the resilient diaphragm means has a first cross-sectional area and the aperture has a second cross-sectional area substantially smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

Claim 14

A heat-sterilizable ultrasonic scanner comprising an ultrasonic transducer, rotor means for rotatably mounting the ultrasonic transducer for movement along an arcuate path, stator means for imparting rotational motion to the rotor means to move the ultrasonic transducer along the arcuate path, a housing formed to include a liquid-receiving cavity enclosing the ultrasonic transducer, the rotor means, and the stator means, and a vent cavity communicating with the liquid-receiving cavity and the atmosphere, the housing including acoustically transparent means for transmitting ultrasonic energy from and to the liquid-receiving cavity, a coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity for conducting ultrasonic energy from and to the ultrasonic transducer, and resilient diaphragm means forming a boundary of the liquid-receiving cavity for permitting expansion and contraction of the volume of the liquid-receiving cavity to permit expansion and contraction of the coupling fluid without fluid loss from the liquid-receiving cavity during use and exposure to sterilization temperatures, the resilient diaphragm means forming the interface between the liquid-receiving cavity and the vent cavity, the resilient diaphragm means being spaced from the acoustically transparent means, the housing further including wall means for substantially covering the resilient diaphragm means, the wall means forming the interface between the vent cavity and the atmosphere and including an aperture interconnecting the vent cavity and the atmosphere, the wall means protecting the resilient diaphragm means during use and sterilization while permitting air contained in the vent cavity to be discharged to the atmosphere via the aperture in response to movement of the resilient diaphragm means during expansion of the coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity and permitting air from the atmosphere to enter the vent cavity via the aperture in response to movement of the resilient diaphragm means during contraction of the coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity.

Claim 15

A heat-sterilizable ultrasonic scanner comprising an ultrasonic transducer, rotor means for rotatably mounting the ultrasonic transducer for movement along an arcuate path, stator means for imparting rotational motion to the rotor means to move the ultrasonic transducer along the arcuate path, a housing formed to include a liquid-receiving cavity enclosing the ultrasonic transducer, the rotor means, and the stator means, and a vent cavity communicating with the liquid-receiving cavity and the atmosphere, the housing including acoustically transparent means for transmitting ultrasonic energy from and to the liquid-receiving cavity, a coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity for conducting ultrasonic energy from and to the ultrasonic transducer, and resilient diaphragm means forming a boundary of the liquid-receiving cavity for permitting expansion and contraction of the volume of the liquid-receiving cavity to permit expansion and contraction of the coupling fluid without fluid loss from the liquid-receiving cavity during use and exposure to sterilization temperatures, the resilient diaphragm means forming the interface between the liquid-receiving cavity and the vent cavity, the resilient diaphragm means being spaced from the acoustically transparent means, the housing further including wall means for substantially covering the resilient diaphragm means, the wall means forming the interface between the vent cavity and the atmosphere and including an aperture interconnecting the vent cavity and the atmosphere, the wall means protecting the resilient diaphragm means during use and sterilization while permitting air contained in the vent cavity to be discharged to the atmosphere via the aperture in response to movement of the resilient diaphragm means during expansion of the coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity and permitting air from the atmosphere to enter the vent cavity via the aperture in response to movement of the resilient diaphragm means during contraction of the coupling fluid in the liquid-receiving cavity.

Claim 16

The scanner of claim 13, wherein the acoustically transparent means comprises a rigid housing portion.

Claim 17

The scanner of claim 13, wherein the resilient diaphragm means has a first cross-sectional area and the aperture has a second cross-sectional area substantially smaller than the first cross-sectional area.

Claim 18

The scanner of claim 13, wherein the rotor means includes an elongated armature, the ultrasonic transducer being fixed to one end of the armature, and a shaft for rotatably supporting the armature within the housing so that the ultrasonic transducer sweeps along the arcuate path during rotation of the armature.

Claim 19

The scanner of claim 16, wherein the rotor means further includes a permanent magnet fixed to the other end of the elongated armature, and the stator means includes a magnetic core assembly for conducting a magnetic field established by energizing the core assembly with an electrical current, means for applying an electrical current to the magnetic core assembly, and means for changing the polarity of the energizing electrical current to vary the magnetic field of the stator means such that the armature oscillates under the control of the field.

Claim 20

The scanner of claim 16, further comprising stop means for limiting movement of the armature along the arcuate path.