ULTRASOUND ENDOSCOPE

Abstract

An ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound transducer mounted on a rigid tip end section at the distal end of an elongated endoscopic insert section, on the front side of a inclined casing wall section in which illumination windows and an optical image pickup assembly are fitted. For protrusion of a medical instrument into a body cavity, an instrument outlet of a biopsy channel is opened in a casing of the rigid tip end section in an obliquely upward direction from behind the ultrasound transducer. As far as a proximal end of the rigid tip end section, the biopsy channel is constituted by a flexible tube which is extended in the axial direction of the insert section and joined by way of a curved connecting pipe with a terminal passage which is formed internally of a casing of the rigid tip end section and inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the latter. The instrument outlet is opened in a flat top surface of a plateau which is provided on the casing of the rigid tip end section on the rear side of the ultrasound transducer, the flat top surface of said plateau being located at a level lower than a top end the ultrasound transducer and the illumination windows fitted in the inclined casing wall section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rigid tip end section at the distal end of an insert section of an ultrasound endoscope;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the rigid tip end section of the endoscopic insert section;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rigid tip end section of the endoscopic insert section;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration explanatory of an examination by the use of an ultrasound endoscope;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modification of a plateau with a flat top surface;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration explanatory of shadows which are cast by blockage of illumination light in case no receded light guide walls are provided at opposite lateral sides of a plateau;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a rigid tip end section according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the rigid tip end section of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of the rigid tip end section of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration explanatory of shadows which are cast in case receded light guide walls are provided at opposite lateral sides of a plateau;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a rigid tip end section according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of the rigid tip end section of the third embodiment; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the rigid tip end section of the third embodiment.

Claims

1. An ultrasound endoscope composed of an electronic scan type ultrasound transducer having an array of ultrasound elements mounted on a rigid tip end section of an endoscopic insert section in an axial direction thereof, an instrument outlet of a biopsy channel opened in a casing of said rigid tip end section in an obliquely upward direction from behind said ultrasound transducer for protruding a medical instrument into a body cavity, and an inclined casing wall section provided further on the rear side of said instrument outlet for fitting optical observation means including illumination windows and an image pickup assembly, characterized in that: said biopsy channel is constituted by a flexible tube extending in axial direction of said insert section up to a proximal end portion of said rigid tip end section and having a fore distal end joined with a curved connecting pipe for connection to a terminal passage inclined relative to longitudinal axis of said rigid tip end section and sloped toward said instrument outlet; anda plateau is provided on said rigid tip end section between said ultrasound transducer and said inclined casing wall section, said plateau having a flat top surface at a level lower than said ultrasound transducer and said illumination windows of said optical observation means, and said instrument outlet of said biopsy channel is opened in said flat top surface of said plateau.

2. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said ultrasound transducer has a plural number of transducer elements arrayed in a convexly arcuate shape on said rigid tip end section, and said instrument outlet is opened in said flat top surface of said plateau in alignment with a center of a tomographic scan field and a center of an observation view field by said optical image pickup assembly.

3. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein a couple of illumination window are fitted in said inclined casing wall, one on the right and the other one on the left side of said optical image pickup assembly.

4. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said flat top surface of said plateau is located at a lower level than said illumination windows on said inclined casing wall section, and extended substantially parallel with longitudinal axis of said rigid tip end section.

5. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said flat top surface of said plateau is located at a lower level than said illumination windows on said inclined casing wall section, and raised in forward direction relative to longitudinal axis of said rigid tip end section.

6. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein a fore end portion of said connecting pipe is placed in said terminal passage of said biopsy channel formed internally of said rigid tip end section, said connecting pipe being bent in a curved shape between a straight rear end portion joined with said flexible tube and a fore end portion providing a sloped guide passage for guiding said inserted medical instrument toward said instrument.

7. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein a balloon anchor groove is formed around a proximal end portion of said ultrasound transducer and on the front side of said flat top surface of said plateau.

8. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein said flat top surface of said plateau is limited to a minimum necessary area for installation of said instrument outlet of said biopsy channel, and opposite lateral sides of said plateau are cut away to provide receded light guide walls permitting unobstructed passage of illumination light.

9. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 8, wherein said receded light guide walls are formed by obliquely cutting opposite lateral sides of said plateau on said rigid tip end section to present a trapezoidal shape as a whole.

10. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 9, wherein cutback walls are provided at lateral sides of a transducer casing forward of said receded light guide walls.

11. An ultrasound endoscope as defined in claim 9, wherein said flat top surface of said plateau is limited to a minimum necessary area for installation of said instrument outlet of said biopsy channel, front corner portions of said plateau are obliquely cut off to provide cutback walls each fitted with an additional illumination window.