Ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYutaka Kunii, Toshikuni Shimoji, Masaaki Tsutsumi
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Abstract
An ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus comprises a first mechanism connected to the rotation shaft of a motor to convert a rotation motion to a circular motion, and an universal joint type second mechanism connecting at one end to said first mechanism such that it can be freely moved in any direction. The universal joint type second mechanism is connected at the other end such that it can swing in a predetermined direction to cause the circular motion transmitted by said first mechanism to be converted to the circular motion to permit an ultrasonic probe to oscillatingly scan a subject to be examined.
Claims11
An apparatus for oscillating an ultrasonic probe of an ultrasonic sector scanner through a variable sector angle to sector scan a subject to be examined comprising:
- a holder for supporting the ultrasonic probe,
- means pivotably mounting said holder about a first fixed axis to sector scan the probe about said first fixed axis,
- a support member pivotably fixed to said holder about a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first fixed axis, thereby forming in effect a universal joint,
- a connecting rod,
- a spherical bearing joining one end of said connecting rod to said support member at a point on said support member spaced from said first fixed axis,
- an adjustment mechanism rotatable about a third fixed axis and pivotably fixed to the end of said connecting rod at a pivot point opposite said spherical bearing, said adjustment mechanism being slidable along said third fixed axis to vary the distance between said pivot point and said first fixed axis, whereby the probe will oscillate through a sector angle as the adjustment mechanism rotates and whereby the sector angle traveled by the probe is a function of the distance between said first fixed axis and said pivot point, and
- means for sliding said adjustment mechanism along said third fixed axis to thereby adjust the sector angle through which said holder oscillates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.