3D mechanical probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10149662-B2
Application number	US-201113335772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2011
Priority date	Dec 27, 2010
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) mechanical probe for ultrasonic imagining is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3D) mechanical probe, comprising:
a base,
an acoustic window,
a hose that has an open, connection end, a closed end, and a central portion between the open and closed ends, and
a plug head,
wherein
the acoustic window is connected to the base,
a sealed space is provided between the acoustic window and the base,
the base is connected to a connector,
the open, connection end of the hose is connected to the connector,
the connector comprises a channel passing through the connector,
the central portion of the hose is in communication with the sealed space through the channel,
the plug head is connected to and seals the closed end of the hose,
the sealed space and the hose are filled with a coupling liquid,
wherein:
the central portion of the hose has a cross-sectional inner circumference, and, in a natural, uncompressed state, a natural, non-circular, inner cross-section taken perpendicular to a lengthwise-extending, central axis of the central portion;
in a state of minimum operating pressure of the coupling liquid, the central portion is open, permitting flow of the liquid from the sealed space into the central portion;
in a state of maximum operating pressure of the coupling liquid, the central portion retains an expanded, non-circular, inner cross-section;
the cross-sectional inner circumference of the central portion remains constant while the shape and cross-sectional area of the central portion vary from the state of minimum operating pressure to the state of maximum operating pressure,
whereby the volume of the coupling liquid in the central portion increases as the temperature of the coupling liquid increases and decreases as the temperature of the coupling liquid decreases.

2. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional inner circumference of the central portion is in the shape of an ellipse, a long circle, or a double curved shape.

3. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1 , wherein the state of minimum operating pressure corresponds to a lowest operating temperature and the state of maximum operating pressure correspond to a highest operating temperature.

4. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1 , wherein the open end and closed end have an inner cross-section taken perpendicular to the central axis that is different from the central portion.

5. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 4 , wherein the inner cross-section of the open end and closed end are circular.

6. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 4 , wherein the open end and closed end have a thickness that is different from a thickness of the central portion.

7. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of a sectional inner contour of the open, connection end is smaller than a perimeter of a sectional inner contour of the central portion and a perimeter of a sectional inner contour of the closed end.

8. The 3D mechanical probe according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling liquid is filled through the closed end of the hose and the plug head is installed in the closed end after the coupling liquid reaches the closed end.

Assignees

• Tang Shengli
• Bai Leyun
• Wang Zhenchang
• Chen Zhenyu
• Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tang Shengli
• Bai Leyun
• Wang Zhenchang
• Chen Zhenyu

Classifications

• A61B8/483

  involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data · CPC title

• A61B8/4281

  characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue · CPC title

• A61B8/4461 Primary

  Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe · CPC title

• A61B8/4444

  related to the probe · CPC title

• G01S15/894

  by rotation about a single axis · CPC title