CN217390744U

CN217390744U - Composite probe

Info

Publication number: CN217390744U
Application number: CN202220907338.5U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 和晓念
Original assignee: Shenzhen Yingyue Medical Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Yingyue Medical Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-19
Filing date: 2022-04-19
Publication date: 2022-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2032-04-19

Abstract

The utility model provides a composite probe, which comprises a shell, a vibration component, an ultrasonic transducer and a driver, wherein the vibration component is positioned at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer, the driver drives the vibration component to generate vibration, and the composite probe also comprises a pressure detection device; the pressure detection device is used for detecting the pressing force between the vibration component and the target to be detected. According to the composite probe, the pressure between the vibration part and the target to be detected is detected through the pressure detection device, then whether the elastography detection function is started or not is judged according to the numerical value of the pressure detection device, so that the monitoring and feedback of the pressed condition of the vibration part can be realized, good two-dimensional imaging can be carried out, the repeatability of elasticity detection can be improved, and the detection quality of instantaneous elastography is ensured.

Description

Composite probe

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of medical equipment, in particular to composite probe.

Background

The instantaneous elastography principle is mainly used for judging the hardness of the liver by measuring the propagation speed of low-frequency shear waves in liver tissue fibers, so that the degree of liver fibrosis is evaluated. The shear wave in the instantaneous elastic imaging is to utilize the mechanical vibration of the probe to act on the surface of a detection target, excite the shear wave in the detection target and track and detect the propagation of the shear wave in the central shaft area under the probe. Research shows that when the size of a probe for exciting shear waves is increased, the excited shear waves have diffraction phenomena to a certain degree, and the shear wave velocity obtained by using the shear waves for elastic detection deviates from the true value. When instantaneous elastography is used for detection, a certain pressing pressure is required to be applied to the surface of a target to be detected to excite shear waves in the target to be detected. The instantaneous elastography detection can be realized under the appropriate pressing force.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model aims at providing a compound probe to make the probe both can carry out fine two-dimensional imaging, can improve the repeatability that elasticity detected again, ensure instantaneous elasticity imaging's detection quality.

The utility model provides a composite probe, which comprises a shell, a vibration component, an ultrasonic transducer and a driver, wherein the vibration component is positioned at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer, the driver drives the vibration component to generate vibration, and the composite probe also comprises a pressure detection device;

the pressure detection device is used for detecting the pressing force between the vibration component and the target to be detected.

Further, the vibration mode of the vibration component includes any one of vibration alone or vibration together with the ultrasonic transducer.

Further, when the vibration component vibrates alone, the vibration component is connected with the ultrasonic transducer through a connecting piece.

Further, the vibration member and the housing are hermetically connected.

Further, the vibration part and the shell are sealed in a piston type rubber ring sealing mode.

Further, the ultrasonic transducer comprises a plurality of ultrasonic array elements which can work independently.

Furthermore, the frequency bandwidth range of the ultrasonic transducer is 1-20 MHz.

Further, the driver comprises a driving motor, a rotor connected with the driving motor, and a stator connected with the shell;

the casing includes inner shell and elasticity handle shell, the stator with the inner shell is connected, the inner shell with the shell is relatively fixed.

Furthermore, the device also comprises a driving rod, an upper movable plate and a lower movable plate;

the upper end surface of the rotor is connected with the lower movable plate;

the vibration component and the ultrasonic transducer are fixed together through the upper movable plate;

the lower movable plate is fixedly connected with the upper movable plate through the driving rod.

The linear guide rail device comprises an upper fixing plate, a lower fixing plate and a first linear bearing arranged between the upper fixing plate and the lower fixing plate;

the upper fixing plate and the lower fixing plate are fixed with the inner shell;

the driving rod penetrates through the upper fixing plate and the lower fixing plate, through holes are formed in positions, corresponding to the driving rod, of the upper fixing plate and the lower fixing plate, three first linear bearings are arranged between the through holes of the upper fixing plate and the through holes of the lower fixing plate, and the three driving rods penetrate through the three first linear bearings respectively.

Further, the pressure detection device comprises a pressure sensor, a pressure rod, a first spring part and a second linear bearing for ensuring that the pressure rod moves linearly;

the pressure sensor is arranged on the lower end face of the upper movable plate;

the upper end point of the pressure rod is connected with the stress point of the pressure sensor through the first spring piece;

the pressure rod is provided with a first blocking ring, the pressure rod is sleeved with a first spring part, and the first spring part is arranged between the first blocking ring and the upper fixing plate.

Further, the pressure sensor vibrates in synchronization with the vibration member.

Furthermore, the elastic handle comprises a prompting device which is arranged in the elastic handle shell or at any position outside the elastic handle shell.

Above-mentioned composite probe, during the detection, the driver passes through the drive activity board down, promotes the fly leaf through the actuating lever, finally realizes the drive to vibrating part, lets the bellying at vibrating part top excite the shear wave in waiting to detect the target through the vibration, then utilizes ultrasonic transducer realizes tracking and detection and analysis to the shear wave, finally realizes the elastography, and detects vibrating part and wait to detect the pressure between the target through pressure detection device, according to the numerical value of pressure detection device, judges whether to open the elastography and detect, then can realize the monitoring and the feedback to vibrating part pressurized condition, both can carry out fine two-dimensional imaging, can ensure the detection quality of instantaneous elastography again.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a composite probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the composite probe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the composite probe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the composite probe of FIG. 1;

fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a composite probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the composite probe of FIG. 5;

fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a composite probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is an exploded view of the composite probe of fig. 7.

Description of the main element symbols:

shell body	10	Stator	43	Linear guide rail device	90
						Inner shell	11	Pressure detection device	50	Upper fixing plate	91
Elastic handle shell	12	Pressure sensor	51	Fixing hole	911
						Switch button	13	Pressure rod	52	Lower fixing plate	92
Vibration member	20	Second linear bearing	521	First linear bearing	93
						Raised part	21	First spring part	53	Fixing plate	94
Rubber ring	22	First block ring	54	Fourth linear bearing	95
						Ultrasonic transducer	30	Driving rod	60	Third linear bearing	96
Mounting plate	31	Fourth spring part	61	Third guide rod	97
						Fixing column	32	Second block ring	62	Fourth guide rod	98
Driver	40	Third spring part	63	Mounting seat	100
						Driving motor	41	Upper movable plate	70	Fixing piece	101
Mover	42	Lower movable plate	80	Connecting piece	102

The following detailed description of the invention will be further described in conjunction with the above-identified drawings.

Detailed Description

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the invention are presented in the drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "secured to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and the like as used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Example one

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, an embodiment of the present invention provides a composite probe, including a housing 10, a vibration component 20, an ultrasonic transducer 30, and a driver 40, where the vibration component 20 is located at a front end of the ultrasonic transducer 30, and the driver 40 drives the vibration component 20 to generate vibration, and further including a pressure detection device 50;

the pressure detection device 50 is used for detecting the pressing force between the vibration member 20 and the object to be detected.

According to the composite probe, the pressure between the vibration part 20 and the target to be detected is detected through the pressure detection device 50, whether the elastography detection function is started or not is judged according to the numerical value of the pressure detection device 50, and then the monitoring and feedback of the compression condition of the vibration part 20 can be realized, so that good two-dimensional imaging can be carried out, the repeatability of elastography can be improved, and the detection quality of instantaneous elastography is ensured.

It should be noted that, a control chip, such as a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), may be provided, which is to appropriately reduce the frequency and specification of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), integrate a memory (memory), a counter (Timer), a USB, an a/D conversion, a UART, a PLC, a DMA, and other peripheral interfaces, and even an LCD driving circuit, on a single chip to form a chip-level computer, perform different combination controls for different application occasions, receive the value of the pressure detection apparatus 50 through the MCU in the specific implementation Process, and determine whether to start the elastography detection function according to the value of the pressure detection apparatus 50.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the vibration component 20 is made of a sound-transparent material, and is disposed at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer 30; the vibration component 20 has a distinct protruding portion 21, and extends downward from the top end of the protruding portion 21 to form a cover for the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30, and a groove structure (not shown) is provided at a position of the vibration component 20 corresponding to the ultrasonic transducer 30, and the groove structure is used for accommodating the ultrasonic transducer 30; the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30 is tightly contacted with the inner side surface of the groove structure, in order to enable the ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic signal to smoothly penetrate through the vibration component 20, the medium of the vibration component 20 in the ultrasonic imaging region has the sound transmission characteristic, and the limit requirement of the sound transmission characteristic on the part of the vibration component 20 outside the ultrasonic imaging region of the ultrasonic transducer 30 is met. The driver 40 finally drives the vibration member 20 to vibrate. It should be noted that the vibration member 20 may not have a distinct protruding portion, and the vibration member 20 may also be a vibration member with other shapes, such as a vibration member 20 with a cavity structure, a vibration member 20 with a curved structure, or a vibration member 20 with a changeable shape.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the driver 40 includes a driving motor 41, a mover 42 connected to the driving motor 41, and a stator 43 connected to the housing 10; the shell 10 comprises an inner shell 11 and an elastic handle outer shell 12, the stator 43 is connected with the inner shell 11, the inner shell 11 is relatively fixed with the outer shell 12, the stator 43 is fixed on the inner shell 11, the inner shell 11 is relatively fixed with the elastic handle outer shell 12, and the fixing modes are all fixed through nuts. By providing a resilient handle housing 12, most of the vibration is eliminated, facilitating grasping by the user.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in order to connect the driver 40 to the vibration part 20, the composite probe further includes a driving rod 60, an upper movable plate 70, and a lower movable plate 80;

the upper end surface of the mover 42 is connected to the lower moving plate 80;

the vibration part 20 and the ultrasonic transducer 30 are fixed together by the upper movable plate 70;

the lower movable plate 80 is fixedly connected with the upper movable plate 70 through the driving rod 60; specifically, the lower movable plate 80 is fixedly connected to the upper movable plate 70 in a spiral manner through the driving rods 60, wherein the driving rods 60 are equidistantly distributed around the upper movable plate 70 and the lower movable plate 80, and two or three driving rods 60 may be provided. In order to increase the stability, adopt three actuating lever 60 in this scheme to realize going up movable plate 70, the fixed of lower movable plate 80, in the other embodiments of the utility model, can be according to the corresponding number of adjustment actuating lever 60 of the size of the girth of last movable plate 70, lower movable plate 80, the girth of specific last movable plate 70, lower movable plate 80 is big more, and the number of actuating lever 60 is more.

In this embodiment, the driving motor 41 may be a voice coil motor, or may be driven by other driving methods, such as a motor. The upper end surface of the mover 42 is fixedly connected to the lower movable plate 80 by screws.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer 30 is a multi-element ultrasonic transducer, i.e. has a plurality of ultrasonic elements that can work independently; which may be a phased array, convex array, linear array, or other type of transducer. The ultrasonic transducer 30 has a wide frequency band, and the frequency band range can be 1-20 MHz; the ultrasonic transducer has a two-dimensional imaging function, can realize an image guide function required in instantaneous elastic imaging, and can avoid areas which are not suitable for instantaneous elastic detection in the liver, such as large blood vessels, cysts and the like, by utilizing the image guide function; the two-dimensional imaging area realized by the ultrasonic transducer 30 is limited to a certain extent by the size of the upper end projection 21 of the vibration member 20, but has an image guide function to a certain extent. In one embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic transducer 30 has a first array and a second array; the first array is used for gray scale imaging, and the anatomical structure of the target to be detected can be observed through the gray scale imaging. The first array is a majority or all of the array elements of the ultrasound transducer 30. The second array is a small part of the array elements of the ultrasonic transducer 30, and is one array element or a plurality of array elements. The second array is centered right opposite the boss 21 of the vibrating member 20, i.e., on the boss 21 central axis. The second array is used for tracking and detecting the propagation of the shear wave generated by the vibration.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in order to enable the direction in which the driver 40 drives the vibration component 20 to vibrate to be better controlled, a linear guide device 90 may be added to ensure that the driver 40 can drive along a certain direction, specifically, the linear guide device 90 includes an upper fixing plate 91 and a lower fixing plate 92, and a first linear bearing 93 disposed between the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92, the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 are fixed with the inner shell 11, the driving rod 60 passes through the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92, and through holes (not shown) are disposed at positions of the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 corresponding to the driving rod 60, so that the driving rod 60 can pass through the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 without obstacles; three first linear bearings 93 are arranged between the through holes of the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92, the three driving rods 60 respectively pass through the three first linear bearings 93, and the linear guide device 90 ensures the vibration direction of the driving rods 60 through the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92, thereby ensuring that the driver 40 can drive along the direction of the first linear bearings 93.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure detecting device 50 is for improving the repeatability and accuracy of the instantaneous elasticity imaging, and the conventional instantaneous elasticity detection needs to apply a certain pressure on the target surface to be detected, and under a proper pressure, an effective shear wave field can be generated by vibration. In the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure detecting device 50 is used for detecting the pressure between the vibrating component 20 and the target to be detected; the pressure detecting device 50 mainly includes a pressure sensor 51, a pressure rod 52, a first spring member 53, and a second linear bearing 521 for ensuring the linear movement of the pressure rod 52. The pressure sensor 50 is disposed on the lower end surface of the upper movable plate 70, and the pressure sensor 51 is a contact pressure sensor, or a sensor of other types, such as a screw-on sensor. When the screw type sensor is used, one end of the pressure sensor 51 is fixedly connected to the pressure rod 52 by screw. A groove is formed in the center of the lower end surface of the upper movable plate 80, and the groove is used for accommodating the pressure sensor 51. The bottom end of the pressure sensor 51 is fixedly attached to and adhered to the groove on the lower end surface of the upper movable plate 70; the upper end point of the pressure lever 52 is kept connected to the force application point of the pressure sensor 51 by an elastic member such as a first spring member 53.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a first blocking ring 54 is disposed on the pressure rod 52, the first spring part 53 is sleeved on the pressure rod 52 and disposed between the first blocking ring 54 and the upper fixing plate 91, the first spring part 53 pushes the pressure rod 52 to move away from the upper fixing plate 91, so that the pressure rod 52 is pressed against a force-bearing point of the pressure sensor 51; in order to ensure that the pressure rod 52 can move along a straight line, even a second linear bearing 521 is arranged between the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 corresponding to the movable position of the pressure rod 52. The second linear bearing 521 is fixed between the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92. When the vibrating component is under pressure, the pressure sensor 51 is driven to move downwards, and since the upper fixing plate 91 is fixed, the first elastic element 53 will be compressed, and accordingly the pressure between the pressure rod 52 and the pressure sensor 51 will increase, so that the monitoring and feedback of the pressure condition of the vibrating component 20 can be realized.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the pressure sensor 51 may be a contact pressure sensor used in the embodiment, or may be a screw-type pressure sensor. When the pressure sensor 51 is the contact pressure sensor, the pressure detected by the contact pressure sensor can only be a proportional component of the actual pressure value of the vibration part 20 (part of the pressure of the vibration part 20 is shared by the second spring element (not shown) on the driving rod 60), and the actual pressure between the vibration part 20 and the object to be detected cannot be completely truly fed back. When the pressure sensor 51 is the screw pressure sensor, the screw pressure sensor is fixed to the driving rod 60 by a screw fixing method. In this embodiment, even if a screw pressure sensor is used, only a proportional component of the actual pressure value applied to the vibrating portion 20 can be detected (also, a part of the pressure of the vibrating portion 20 is shared by a second spring member (not shown) on the driving rod 60).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the composite joint further comprises a prompting device (not shown). When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 51 reaches a certain reasonable range, the prompt device enables an operator to better know whether to start the instantaneous elastic imaging detection. The prompting device can be arranged inside the elastic handle shell 12 or outside the elastic handle shell 12, and the prompting mode of the prompting device is prompted through light or sound and the like. The elastic handle shell 12 is further provided with a switch button 13, so that an operator can conveniently start instantaneous elastic imaging detection directly through the switch button 13 or start instantaneous elastic imaging detection through the switch button 13 after reaching a pressure preset value. The switch button 13 may be disposed on the elastic handle casing 12, or may be disposed outside the elastic handle casing 12. When the handle is arranged outside the elastic handle shell 12, the switch operation can be realized by adopting a pedal type.

In order to allow the position of the mover 42 of the actuator 40 to be in a balanced state, in an embodiment of the present invention, a balancing device (not shown) for the initial position of the mover 42 is provided. The mover initial position balancing means is implemented by providing a second elastic member (not shown) on the driving rod 60. Two second spring members are provided on each of the driving levers 60, and are respectively provided between the upper movable plate 70 and the upper fixed plate 91, and between the lower fixed plate 92 and the lower movable plate 80. Because the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 are fixed, the upper movable plate 70 and the lower movable plate 80 can always keep the mover 42 fixedly connected with the lower movable plate 80 in a fixed balance position under the common stress of the two second spring members.

In the implementation process, the stator 43 of the driver is fixed at the bottom end of the inner shell 11 by screws, and at the same time, the inner shell 11 is fixedly connected with the upper fixing plate 91 and the lower fixing plate 92 by screws. The inner housing 11 has a cavity structure, and the driver 40, the linear guide device 90, the pressure detection device 50, etc. are accommodated in the cavity of the inner housing 11. The outer side of the lower end of the inner shell 11 is provided with an installation seat 100, the installation seat 100 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the lower end of the inner shell 11 through screws, and the installation seat 100 is used for fixing the inner shell 11 and the elastic handle outer shell 12. The elastic handle outer shell 12 is designed into an integral barrel-shaped cavity structure, the inner shell 11 provided with the mounting seat 100 can be integrally placed inside the elastic handle outer shell 12, the lower end of the mounting seat 100 is provided with a threaded structure, the threaded structure penetrates out of the lower end of the elastic handle outer shell 12, the mounting seat 100 is fixed on the elastic handle outer shell 12 through the fixing piece 101, and the fixing mode is threaded fixing. The resilient handle housing 12 may be of an integral design or may be formed by two separate parts that snap together. The upper end of the elastic handle shell 12 is connected with the vibration part 20 in a sealing manner in a dynamic sealing manner, wherein the sealing can be realized by a flooding plug, a 0-shaped ring forming a sliding seal or a soft membrane seal, and in particular, in the embodiment, the vibration part 20 is sealed with the elastic handle shell 12 in a piston type rubber ring 22 manner. The periphery of the vibration part 20 is provided with a groove for accommodating a rubber ring 22, the rubber ring 22 is arranged in the groove, and the inner side of the upper end of the elastic handle shell 12 is connected with the bottom of the groove to realize sliding sealing.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor 51 vibrates synchronously with the vibration member 20.

In a specific implementation, the vibration mode of the vibration component 20 includes any one of vibration alone or vibration together with the ultrasonic transducer 30.

In the composite probe, during detection, the driver 40 drives the lower movable plate 80 and pushes the upper movable plate 70 through the driving rod 60, so as to finally drive the vibration component 20, enable the bulge 21 at the top end of the vibration component 20 to excite shear waves in a target to be detected through vibration, then realize tracking, detection and analysis of the shear waves by using the ultrasonic transducer 30, finally realize elastography, detect the pressure between the vibration component 20 and the target to be detected through the pressure sensor 51, and then judge whether to start elastography detection according to the numerical value of the pressure sensor 51, so as to realize monitoring and feedback of the pressure condition of the vibration component 20, thereby not only performing good two-dimensional imaging, but also ensuring the detection quality of instantaneous elastography.

Example two

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, a second embodiment of the present invention is a composite probe, which is different from the first embodiment in that in the second embodiment, it is the vibrating member 20 that is used for generating shear waves by vibration, the ultrasonic transducer 30 does not need to vibrate together with the vibrating member 20, and the ultrasonic transducer 30 of multiple array elements can be kept stationary relative to the vibrating member 20. That is, the vibration member 20 alone vibrates, and the ultrasonic transducer 30 does not vibrate. When the vibration component 20 vibrates alone, and particularly when the vibration component 20 vibrates back and forth and is away from the ultrasonic transducer 30, a gap is generated between the vibration component 20 and the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30, and the gap will block normal propagation of an ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic transducer 30. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, when the vibration member 20 vibrates alone, in order to solve the gap problem, a connection member 102 is disposed between the vibration member 20 and the ultrasonic transducer 30, that is, the connection member 102 is connected.

Specifically, the connecting member 102 has a sound transmission characteristic, and may be a cavity formed by a sound transmission elastic membrane, and the cavity is filled with a sound transmission medium; the sound transmission medium can be water, glycerol and other sound transmission media. When the vibration component 20 vibrates, the connecting component 102 enables the vibration component 20 to still maintain the connection between the vibration component 20 and the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30, so as not to affect the normal propagation of the ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic transducer 30. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 30 is fixed by a mounting plate 31, a groove structure is provided at an upper end of the mounting plate 31, the groove structure is used for fixing the ultrasonic transducer 30, the ultrasonic transducer 30 is fixed in a groove on the mounting plate 31, the fixing manner may be adhesive fixing, a fixing column 32 is provided on a lower end surface of the mounting plate 31, the fixing column 32 penetrates through a fixing hole 911 fixed on the upper fixing plate 91 by the upper movable plate 70, and the fixing manner may be embedded adhesive fixing. The fixed columns 32 are respectively arranged at four corners of the mounting plate 31, the upper movable plate 70 is provided with through holes for the fixed columns 32 to pass through, and the fixed columns 32 are in contact with the through holes to pass through. When the driver 40 drives the upper movable plate 70 to move, the ultrasonic transducer 30 can still remain relatively still because the ultrasonic transducer 30 is fixed on the upper fixing plate 91. Specifically, the vibration member 20 and the upper movable plate 70 are fixedly connected by a screw having a limiting function. It should be noted that the distance between the vibration component 20 and the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30 is large enough, usually larger than 1mm, and only when the distance is sufficient, the vibration component 20 may not cause mechanical impact on the detection surface of the ultrasonic transducer 30 when the driver 40 drives the vibration component 20 to vibrate. It should be noted that, when the vibration component 20 vibrates, the ultrasonic transducer 30 may still be kept relatively still, and when the ultrasonic transducer 30 is kept relatively still, no further motion compensation processing is required for the information collected by the ultrasonic transducer 30 in the subsequent extraction of shear wave information. It is understood that, in this embodiment, the pressure sensor 51 still detects the pressure between the vibrating component and the object to be detected, and is not affected by whether the ultrasonic transducer 30 is moving or not.

It should be noted that the fixing manner of the ultrasonic transducer 30 is not limited to the mounting plate 31, and other fixing manners may also be adopted to realize the relative fixing of the ultrasonic transducer 30 and the elastic detection handle 12 directly or indirectly.

EXAMPLE III

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, a composite probe according to a third embodiment of the present invention is different from the second embodiment in that the pressure sensor 51 and the driving rod 60 are set as a center in the third embodiment. The pressure sensor 51 is a screw pressure sensor that can bear the entire pressure borne by the vibration member 20 because the driving force of all the vibration members 20 passes through the screw pressure sensor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the vibration part 20 and the upper movable plate 70 are fixed together by a screw having a clamping function, and a pressure sensor 51 and an actuating rod 60 are disposed between the upper movable plate 70 and the lower movable plate 80 in a screw connection manner. The upper end of the screwed pressure sensor 51 is screwed and fixed to the upper movable plate 70. The lower end of the threaded pressure sensor 51 is fixedly threaded with the driving rod 60. The lower end of the driving rod 60 is fixed to the lower movable plate 80 by screwing. The lower movable plate 80 is fixedly connected to an upper end surface of the mover 42 of the actuator 40. The axis of the screw-type pressure sensor 51 and the driving rod 60 is the motion central axis of the mover 42. The upper movable plate 70 and the lower movable plate 80 may maintain an integral synchronous motion by being driven by the mover 42 of the driver 40. The pressure between the vibrating member 20 and the object to be detected can be detected by the screw type pressure sensor 51 fixedly connected to the upper movable plate 70.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in order to ensure that the moving direction of the mover 42 of the driver 40 and the vibrating direction of the vibrating member 20 can be consistent and vibrate according to the expected set direction, a linear guide device 90 is further provided. The linear guide rail device has two purposes: 1, ensuring that the moving direction of the mover 42 of the driver 40 is along the central axis direction; 2, ensuring that the vibration direction of the vibration component is consistent with the motion direction of the mover 42 of the driver 40. The linear guide device 90 mainly includes a fixing plate 94, a third linear bearing 96, a fourth linear bearing 95, a third guide rod 97, and a fourth guide rod 98. The fixing plate 94 is directly fixed with the inner shell 11 through screws, and indirectly fixed with the elastic handle outer shell 12. The three third linear bearings 96 are disposed below the fixing plate 91, and for stability, the three third linear bearings 96 are uniformly disposed around the fixing plate 94 at equal intervals. The third linear bearing 96 and the fixing plate 94 can be fixed by adhesion or screw connection. The fourth linear bearing 95 is fixed to the upper end of the fixing plate 94 in the same manner. Through holes are formed in the fixing plate 94 at positions corresponding to the linear bearings, and the through holes are used for accommodating the third guide rod 97 and the fourth guide rod 98. The number and positions of the third guide rods 97 correspond to those of the third linear bearings 96. The lower ends of the third guide rods 97 are fixedly screwed with the lower movable plate 80, and the upper ends of the three third guide rods 97 penetrate through the third linear bearings 96 respectively. In order to further ensure that the driving direction of the mover 42 of the driver 40 coincides with the direction set by all linear bearings. In the same way, the upper ends of the three fourth guide rods 98 are fixed to the upper movable plate 70 in a threaded manner, and the lower ends of the three fourth guide rods 98 penetrate through the fourth linear bearings 95 respectively. The third linear bearing 96 and the fourth linear bearing 95 ensure that the movement direction of the upper movable plate 70 is consistent with the driving direction of the mover 42 of the driver 40.

It should be noted that a gap is left between the upper end of the third guide rod 97 and the lower end of the fourth guide rod 98, that is, the third guide rod 97 and the fourth guide rod 98 cannot contact each other, and if they contact each other or the third guide rod 97 and the fourth guide rod 98 are integrally designed, the third guide rod 97 and the fourth guide rod 98 will bear or share the pressure applied to the vibration component 20, and the pressure sensor 51 will detect inaccurately.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in order to control the initial position of the mover 42 of the driver 40, a mover 42 initial position balancing device is set. The mover initial position balancing device mainly avoids the problem that the initial position of the mover 42 in the driver 40 is not fixed. The balancing device for the initial position of the rotor mainly comprises a fourth spring part 61, a second blocking ring 62 and a third spring part 63. The driving rod 60 is provided with a second blocking ring 62, the fourth spring part 61 is sleeved on the driving rod 60, and the fourth spring part is arranged between the second blocking ring 62 and the upper end face of the fixing plate 94; the third spring element 63 is also fitted over the drive rod 60 and is arranged between the lower movable plate 80 and the lower end face of the fixed plate 94. Under the condition that the third spring element 65 and the fourth spring element 61 are stressed together, the mover 42 of the actuator 40 fixed integrally with the lower movable plate 92 can be in a stress balance position, and thus the initial position is fixed.

When the detection system of the composite probe based on elasticity detection detects a patient, two imaging modes are provided, one is a conventional B-image imaging mode, and the other is a transient elasticity imaging detection mode. During detection, firstly, the convex part 21 of the vibration part 20 of the composite probe is placed in a gap between two ribs close to the liver, the initial position of the elastic detection probe is approximately vertical to the surface of the skin, couplers are added at the position where the vibration part 20 is in contact with the ribs and the peripheral position of the vibration part, so that the convex part 21 is in full contact with the skin on the surface of the ribs, and B-picture imaging is performed by using the first array of the ultrasonic transducer 30. Whether the imaging area contains a large blood vessel, a biliary tract or a local focus can be observed through the B picture, and the imaging area can be avoided through observation, so that the image guide function is realized.

After the proper position is selected, a certain pressure is applied to the composite probe along the detection direction, the pressing strength between the end of the vibration component 20 and the rib gap is increased, and the pressing strength between the vibration component 20 and the object to be detected can be detected and monitored by the pressure detection device. When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 51 reaches a certain reasonable range, the prompt device enables an operator to better know whether to start the instantaneous elastic imaging detection. Different predetermined values of the pressure can be set for different test subjects (generally classified into three categories: child, adult, obese). If the pressure value reaches the preset value, the prompting device gives display in a color or sound mode and the like so as to achieve the purpose of prompting the operation.

The prompting device can be arranged inside the elastic handle shell 12, and can also be arranged outside the elastic handle shell 12. The elastic handle shell 12 is further provided with a switch button 13, so that an operator can directly start instantaneous elastic detection through the switch button 13 or start instantaneous elastic imaging detection through the switch button 13 after reaching a pressure preset value. After the transient elastic function is activated, the second array of ultrasonic transducers 30 is activated, either before, during or after the vibration of the vibrating member. The second array is used for tracking and detecting shear waves generated by vibration. And further performing subsequent algorithm analysis on the ultrasound signals probably generated by the second array, and finally extracting structural information and characteristic information such as liver hardness, fat content degree and the like. And finally, displaying the detection result through a display device. The display device may be disposed on the flexible handle housing 12 or on a host display coupled to the flexible handle housing 12.

The above-mentioned embodiments only represent some embodiments of the present invention, and the description thereof is specific and detailed, but not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, several variations and modifications can be made, which are within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A composite probe comprises a shell, a vibration component, an ultrasonic transducer and a driver, wherein the vibration component is positioned at the front end of the ultrasonic transducer, and the driver drives the vibration component to generate vibration;

2. The composite probe of claim 1, wherein the vibration means of the vibrating member comprises any one of vibration alone or vibration together with the ultrasonic transducer.

3. The composite probe of claim 2, wherein the vibrating member is connected to the ultrasound transducer by a connector when the vibrating member is vibrated alone.

4. A composite probe according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating member and the housing are sealingly connected.

5. A composite probe according to claim 4 wherein the vibrating member is sealed to the housing by means of a piston-type rubber ring seal.

6. A composite probe according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises a plurality of independently operable ultrasound array elements.

7. The composite probe of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer has a frequency bandwidth in the range of 1-20 MHz.

8. The composite probe of claim 1, wherein the driver comprises a drive motor, a mover coupled to the drive motor, and a stator coupled to the housing;

9. The composite probe of claim 8, further comprising a drive rod, an upper movable plate, and a lower movable plate;

the upper end surface of the rotor is connected with the lower movable plate;

10. A composite probe according to claim 9 further comprising a linear guide arrangement comprising upper and lower fixed plates and a first linear bearing disposed between the upper and lower fixed plates;

11. A composite probe according to claim 10, wherein the pressure detecting means comprises a pressure sensor, a pressure rod, a first spring member, and a second linear bearing that ensures linear movement of the pressure rod;

12. A composite probe according to claim 11, wherein the pressure sensor vibrates in synchronism with the vibrating member.

13. A composite probe according to claim 8, further comprising an alerting device disposed at any location within the resilient handle housing or outside the resilient handle housing.