Vibrating body unit and ultrasonic probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743902-B2
Application number	US-201715650475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A vibrating body unit includes a vibration generator, a vibration transmitter and first amplitude enlarger. The vibration generator generates ultrasonic vibration whose amplitude has a predetermined correlation with a frequency. The vibration transmitter has a proximal end and a distal end while the vibration generator is attached from a proximal side, and transmits the ultrasonic vibration to a distal side in a longitudinal axis direction. At least one first amplitude enlarger is provided in the vibration transmitter, and enlarges the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration at a first amplitude enlargement rate in a direction of transmission of the ultrasonic vibration, the first amplitude enlargement rate having a correlation with the frequency opposite to the predetermined correlation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibrating body unit comprising:
a vibration generator which is configured to generate ultrasonic vibration, amplitude of the generated ultrasonic vibration at the vibration generator having a predetermined correlation with a frequency, the predetermined correlation being positive when the amplitude increases with an increase in frequency, or negative when the amplitude decreases with the increase in frequency;
a vibration transmitting portion which has a proximal end and a distal end, and to which the vibration generator is attached on a proximal side, the vibration transmitting portion being configured to transmit the ultrasonic vibration to a distal side in a longitudinal axis direction; and
a first amplitude enlarger which is provided in the vibration transmitting portion, and which is configured to enlarge the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration at a first amplitude enlargement rate in a direction of transmission of the ultrasonic vibration, the first amplitude enlargement rate being a ratio of:
an output amplitude at a first position on a distal side of the first amplitude enlarger, and
an input amplitude at a second position on a proximal side of the first amplitude enlarger,

wherein:
a correlation between the first amplitude enlargement rate and the frequency is:
(i) positive when the first amplitude enlargement rate increases with the increase in frequency, or
(ii) negative when the first amplitude enlargement rate decreases with the increase in frequency, and

the correlation between the first amplitude enlargement rate of the first amplitude enlarger and the frequency is opposite to the predetermined correlation between the generated ultrasonic vibration at the vibration generator and the frequency.

2. The vibrating body unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined correlation is negative, and
the correlation between the first amplitude enlargement rate and the frequency is positive.

3. The vibrating body unit according to claim 2 , further comprising
a second amplitude enlarger which is provided in a third position different from that of the first amplitude enlarger in the vibration transmitting portion in the longitudinal axis direction, and which is configured to enlarge the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration at a second amplitude enlargement rate in the direction of transmission of the ultrasonic vibration, a correlation between the second amplitude enlargement rate and the frequency being negative.

4. The vibrating body unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the second amplitude enlarger is located on the distal side with respect to the first amplitude enlarger, and
the first amplitude enlarger and the second amplitude enlarger are arranged in a manner such that a first node of the ultrasonic vibration is located at the first amplitude enlarger and a second node of the ultrasonic vibration, which is located on the distal side with respect to the first node, is located in the second amplitude enlarger.

5. The vibrating body unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the first amplitude enlarger and the second amplitude enlarger are arranged in a manner such that the first node is located at a vibration output end of the first amplitude enlarger and the second node is located at a vibration input end of the second amplitude enlarger.

6. The vibrating body unit according to claim 4 , wherein
the first amplitude enlarger and the second amplitude enlarger are arranged in a manner such that the first node is located on the distal side with respect to an amplitude enlargement rate maximum point of the first amplitude enlarger and the second node is located on the proximal side with respect to an amplitude enlargement rate maximum point of the second amplitude enlarger, where the amplitude enlargement rate maximum point of the first amplitude enlarger denotes a first point where the first amplitude enlargement rate becomes a first maximum between a first vibration input end and a first vibration output end, and the amplitude enlargement rate maximum point of the second amplitude enlarger denotes a second point where the second amplitude enlargement rate becomes a second maximum between a second vibration input end and a second vibration output end.

7. The vibrating body unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the vibration transmitting portion includes:
a transmitting member to which the vibration generator is attached, and to which the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted from the vibration generator; and
an ultrasonic probe which has a proximal end detachably connected to a distal end of the transmitting member, and which forms the distal end of the vibration transmitting portion, the ultrasonic vibration being transmitted from the vibration generator to the ultrasonic probe via the transmitting member.

8. The vibrating body unit according to claim 7 , wherein
the first amplitude enlarger is provided in the transmitting member, and
the ultrasonic probe includes a second amplitude enlarger which is configured to enlarge the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration at a second amplitude enlargement rate in the direction of transmission of the ultrasonic vibration, a correlation between the second amplitude enlargement rate and the frequency being negative.

9. The vibrating body unit according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrating body unit is configured such that:
a first node of ultrasonic vibration occurs at a distal end of the vibration generator, and
a second node of ultrasonic vibration, adjacent to the first node, occurs at a vibration output end of the first amplitude enlarger.

10. The vibrating body unit according to claim 9 , wherein the second node is located on a distal side of the first node by approximately a half-wavelength of ultrasonic vibration.

11. The vibrating body unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a second amplitude enlarger located in the vibration generator,
wherein the vibrating body unit is configured such that:
a first node of ultrasonic vibration occurs at a vibration input end of the second amplitude enlarger, and a second node of ultrasonic vibration, adjacent to the first node, occurs at a vibration output end of the first amplitude enlarger; or
the first node of ultrasonic vibration occurs at a vibration output end of the second amplitude enlarger, and the second node of ultrasonic vibration, adjacent to the first node, occurs at a vibration input end of the first amplitude enlarger.

12. The vibrating body unit according to claim 11 , wherein the second node is located on a distal side of the first node by approximately a half-wavelength of ultrasonic vibration.

13. An ultrasonic probe which is separably connected to a vibration generating unit including a vibration generator, the vibration generator being configured to generate ultrasonic vibration, amplitude of the generated ultrasonic vibration at the vibration generator having a predetermined correlation with a frequency, the predetermined correlation being positive when the amplitude increases with an increase in frequency, or negative when the amplitude decreases with the increase in frequency, the ultrasonic probe comprising:
a vibration transmitting member which has a proximal end and a distal end, and which is configured to transmit, to a distal side, the ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the vibration generating unit to the proximal end in a longitudinal axis direction; and
an amplitude enlarger which is provided in the vibration transmitting member, and which is configured to enlarge the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration at an amplitude enlargement rate in a direction of transmissio

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Yamada Masashi
• Yoshimine Hideto

Classifications

• A61B2017/320089

  node location · CPC title

• A61B2017/22018

  segmented along its length · CPC title

• B06B3/02

  involving a change of amplitude · CPC title

• A61B2017/320095

  with sealing or cauterizing means · CPC title

• A61B2017/320088

  with acoustic insulation, e.g. elements for damping vibrations between horn and surrounding sheath · CPC title