Ultrasound probe having interchangeable accessories
US5671747A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 24, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 24, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/106
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In the present invention, an intraoperative ultrasound transducer probe, or intraoperative probe, has a housing, to which, interchangeable accessories may be attached. The interchangeable accessories adapt the intraoperative probe's shape to provide access to a patient's body parts in confined spaces in intraoperative environments. In one embodiment of the present invention a first interchangeable accessory has an extension handle that may be attached to the intraoperative probe to enable an operator to reach into surgical incisions and view the patient's body parts. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention a second interchangeable accessory has a finger cuff for attaching the intraoperative probe to an operator's finger. The finger cuff may be used in place of the extension handle, providing access to a patient's body parts in confined spaces, such as the posterior side of the heart for epicardial imaging during open heart surgery. Since the interchangeable accessories are separable from the intraoperative probe, they are easily sterilized and may be disposed of after use. The interchangeable accessories used to adapt the intraoperative probe's shape have low manufactur…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.