Ultrasonic diagnosis and therapy system in which focusing point of therapeutic ultrasonic wave is locked at predetermined position within observation ultrasonic scanning range

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• a first therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part, so as to be focused;
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave over a scanning range which is set in order to acquire an ultrasonic image;
• and
• lock means for locking a focusing point of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave to a predetermined position in said scanning range.

An ultrasonic endoscope comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• an illumination optical system arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting illumination light;
• an observation optical system for optically observing an object which is illuminated by said illumination light;
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image;
• and
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for irradiating, in focusing, an ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part.

An ultrasonic diagnosis and therapy system comprising:

• ultrasonic observation and therapy means provided with a bendable curvature part, an observation ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image and a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• signal processing means for conducting signal processing for generating a signal driving said observation ultrasonic transducer and for generating an image with respect to the ultrasonic wave which is received by said observation ultrasonic transducer;
• drive means for driving said therapeutic ultrasonic transducer to generate a drive signal for generating the therapeutic ultrasonic wave;
• and
• display means for displaying an image signal which is generated by said signal processing means.

An ultrasonic diagnosis and therapy system comprising:

• ultrasonic observation and therapy means provided, on the side of a distal end of an elongated insertion part capable of being inserted into a coelom, with an illumination optical system for outputting illumination light, an observation optical system for optically observing an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, an observation ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image and a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for irradiating the ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• signal processing means for conducting signal processing for generating a signal driving said observation ultrasonic transducer and for generating an image with respect to an ultrasonic wave which is received by said observation ultrasonic transducer;
• drive means for driving said therapeutic ultrasonic transducer to generate a drive signal for generating a therapeutic ultrasonic wave;
• and
• display means for displaying the image signal which is generated by said signal processing means.

An ultrasonic diagnosis and therapy system comprising:

• ultrasonic observation and therapy means provided, on the side of a distal end of an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom, with an observation ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image and a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• signal processing means for conducting signal processing for generating a signal driving said observation ultrasonic transducer and for generating an image signal with respect to an ultrasonic signal which is received by said observation ultrasonic transducer;
• drive means for driving said therapeutic ultrasonic transducer to generate a drive signal for generating the therapeutic ultrasonic wave;
• display means for displaying said ultrasonic image corresponding to said image signal;
• and
• irradiation-state confirmation means for displaying a state of the object part in the vicinity of a focusing point to which said therapeutic ultrasonic wave is irradiated, onto said display means as said ultrasonic image.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• and
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image, over a set scanning range including a direction in which said therapeutic ultrasonic wave is outputted.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• and
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image so as to be overlapped with a direction in which said therapeutic ultrasonic wave is emanated.

An ultrasonic endoscope comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image;
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part, so as to be focused;
• and
• optical observation means arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, including an illumination window for outputting illumination light and an observation window for optically observing an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, said optical observation means including an optical observation range which is set so as to be overlapped with a direction in which said therapeutic ultrasonic wave is outputted.

An ultrasonic diagnosis and therapy system comprising:

• ultrasonic observation and therapy means provided, on the side of a distal end of an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom, with an observation ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave to acquire an ultrasonic image and a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• signal processing means for conducting signal processing for generating a signal driving said observation ultrasonic transducer and for generating an image signal from an ultrasonic signal which is received by said observation ultrasonic transducer;
• drive means for driving said therapeutic ultrasonic transducer to generate a drive signal for generating the therapeutic ultrasonic wave;
• display means to which said image signal is inputted for displaying said ultrasonic image corresponding to said image signal;
• scanning means for scanning said observation ultrasonic wave;
• and
• lock means for locking a focusing point of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave to a predetermined position on said ultrasonic image, with respect to scanning of said observation ultrasonic wave.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• an elongated insertion part insertable into a coelom;
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy With respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave over a scanning range which is set to acquire an ultrasonic image;
• and
• a lock mechanism for locking a focusing point of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave in a predetermined direction of said scanning range.

An ultrasonic probe comprising:

• an elongated insertion part capable of being inserted into a coelom;
• a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer arranged on the side of a distal end of said insertion part, for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave for conducting therapy with respect to an object part so as to be focused;
• and
• an observation ultrasonic transducer arranged on a plane substantially the same as said therapeutic ultrasonic transducer, on the side of the distal end of said insertion part, for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave.

A therapy method comprising the steps of:

• a first step of inserting, into a coelom, an ultrasonic probe which is provided, on the side of a distal end of an insertion part, with an observation ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving an observation ultrasonic wave for acquiring an ultrasonic image and a therapeutic ultrasonic transducer for outputting a therapeutic ultrasonic wave;
• a second step of bringing the side of the distal end of said ultrasonic probe into intimate contact with the vicinity of a diagnosis object part within the coelom, to set the ultrasonic wave to a state in which the ultrasonic wave is capable of being outputted toward the diagnosis object part;
• a third step of displaying an ultrasonic image from the ultrasonic signal which is received by said observation ultrasonic transducer, by scanning of said observation ultrasonic wave;
• a fourth step of modifying a scanning direction of the observation ultrasonic wave which is outputted toward said diagnosis object part, to set a lesion part to be conducted in therapy, to a state in which said lesion part is displayed on said ultrasonic image;
• a fifth step of adjusting the side of said ultrasonic probe so that a position on said ultrasonic image which corresponds to a focusing point of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave and a display position of said lesion part are in agreement with each other;
• a sixth step of conducting high-temperature therapy due to irradiation of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave with respect to said lesion part set to said focusing point;
• a seventh step of observing a state of said lesion part to which said therapeutic ultrasonic wave is irradiated, on said ultrasonic image;
• and
• an eighth step of further conducting the irradiation of said therapeutic ultrasonic wave in case where said lesion part observed on said ultrasonic image does not reach a state suitable for therapy.