Patent · US Expired

Ultrasound inspection apparatus detachably connected to endoscope

US6461304B1 · kind B1 · utility

144Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 21, 2000
Grant dateOct 8, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 21, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B8/4488
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An ultrasound inspection apparatus detachably connected to an endoscope comprises an ultrasonic scanning portion in the front-end side having an ultrasound transducer for performing ultrasonic scanning by arranging a number of transducer chips in a rectangular arrangement. The ultrasonic scanning portion is detachably attached to a distal end portion of an insertion unit in the endoscope so as to protrude ahead the distal end portion by a predetermined length. In order to hold the ultrasonic scanning portion in a fixed state, an endoscope-placing portion for placing the distal end portion is connected to the base end of the ultrasonic scanning portion, and an endoscope-fixing portion for detachably fixing the distal end portion thereto is arranged with the endoscope-placing portion. A predetermined number of wires connected to each transducer chip is inserted into a signal cable from a base end position of the endoscope-placing portion so as to bundle the wires.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.