Sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe
AssigneeAsahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTeruo Ouchi
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Abstract
A sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe has an ultrasonic oscillator array (20) provided at the tip (12) of a cavity insertion portion (11) for scanning a sectorial area lateral to the tip (12). Individual ultrasonic oscillators (21) of the array (20) are inclined to be perpendicular to respective radial lines converging to a point located opposite from the sectorial area with respect to the ultrasonic oscillators, and are aligned straight in equidistant positions from the longitudinal axis of the tip (12) of the insertion portion (11).
Claims13
A sector scanning, intracavitary ultrasonic probe having an array of ultrasonic oscillators provided at a tip of a cavity insertion portion for scanning a sectorial area lateral to said tip, wherein the individual ultrasonic oscillators of the array are inclined to be perpendicular to respective radial lines converging to a point located opposite from the sectorial area with respect to the ultrasonic oscillators, and the ultrasonic oscillators are aligned straight in equidistant positions from a longitudinal axis of the tip of said insertion portion.
An ultrasonic scanning system to be inserted into a body cavity for scanning a diseased part of a patient along a sectorial area, said system comprising:
- an insertion portion to be inserted into the body cavity, the insertion portion having a tip forming member;
- and,
- a number of ultrasonic oscillators embedded in the tip forming member, the oscillators being arrayed on a straight line, and inclined to be perpendicular to respective radial lines converging to a point located opposite from the sectorial area with respect to the oscillators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.