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US 6,743,177 B2Granted
Puncturing needle guide, ultrasonic probe, and ultrasound imaging apparatus
AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorHiroki Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A puncturing needle guide includes a plate-like body whose width diminishes gradually from one end thereof to the other end thereof; a plurality of holes which are formed in an end surface of the puncturing needle guide at one end thereof and through which a puncturing needle can be passed; a single hole which is formed in an end surface of the puncturing needle guide at the other end thereof and through which the puncturing needle can be passed; a hollow that is formed inside the plate-like body and that allows the plurality of holes and the single hole to communicate with one another; and an attachment which is formed along an edge of the plate-like body in a width direction thereof and by which the plate-like body is attached to an ultrasonic probe.
Claims16
A puncturing needle guide comprising:
- a plate-like body whose width diminishes gradually from one end thereof to the other end thereof;
- a plurality of holes which are formed in an end surface of the plate-like body at one end thereof and through which a puncturing needle can be passed, each said hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes said hole;
- a single hole which is formed in an end surface of said plate-like body at the other end thereof and through which the puncturing needle can be passed, said single hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes said single hole;
- a hollow that is formed as an internal space of said plate-like body and that allows said plurality of holes and said single hole to communicate with one another;
- and
- an attachment that is formed along one edge of said plate-like body in a width direction thereof and attaches said plate-like body to a rod-like ultrasonic probe such that said rod-like probe and said plate-like body can be at least partially inserted within a cavity of a patient.
3 more elements
An ultrasonic probe comprising:
- a rod-like body having an ultrasound transmitting/receiving member incorporated in the distal part thereof
- a plate-like body whose width diminishes gradually from one end thereof to the other end thereof
- a coupler that is formed along an edge of said plate-like body in a width direction thereof and that couples said plate-like body to said rod-like body so that the other end of said plate-like body and the ultrasound transmitting/receiving member in said rod-like body will be located on the same side of said ultrasonic probe such that said rod-like body and said plate-like body can be at least partially inserted within a cavity of a patient;
- a plurality of holes which are formed in an end surface of said plate-like body at one end thereof and through which a puncturing needle can be passed, each said hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes the hole;
- a single hole which is formed in an end surface of said plate-like body at the other end thereof and through which the puncturing needle can be passed, said single hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes the single hole;
- and
- a hollow that is formed as an internal space of said plate-like body and that allows said plurality of holes and said single hole to communicate with one another.
4 more elements
An ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:
- an ultrasonic probe for transmitting ultrasonic waves to an object and receiving echoes of the ultrasonic waves;
- and
- an image producing means for producing an image on the basis of the received echoes, wherein:
- said ultrasonic probe comprises:
- a rod-like body having an ultrasound transmitting/receiving member incorporated in the distal part thereof;
- a plate-like body whose width diminishes gradually from an end thereof to the other end thereof;
- a coupler that is formed along an edge of said plate-like ‘body in a width direction thereof and that couples said plate-like body to said rod-like body so that the other end of said plate-like body and the ultrasound transmitting/receiving member in said rod-like body will be located on the same side of said ultrasonic probe such that said rod-like body and said plate-like body can be at least partially inserted within a cavity of a patient;
- a plurality of holes which are formed in an end surface of said plate-like body at one end thereof and through which a puncturing needle can be passed, each said hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes said hole;
- a single hole which is formed in an end surface of said plate-like body at the other end thereof and through which the puncturing needle can be passed, said single hole bounded by an internal surface of said plate-like body such that the internal surface circumscribes said single hole;
- and
- a hollow that is formed as an internal space of said plate-like body and that allows said plurality of holes and said single hole to communicate with one another.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.