WO2017095184A1 - Housing for intravascular ultrasonic transducer - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention may provide a housing for an intravascular ultrasonic transducer. The housing comprises an inner housing and an outer housing, the inner housing uses at least one method of an electrode pattern and a groove for wire in order to connect an ultrasonic transducer to be received in the housing with an electrode, and the rear end part of the inner housing may be connected for rotation to a rotating shaft.

Description

Housing for Endovascular Ultrasound Transducer

The present invention relates to a housing for an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer inserted into a blood vessel, and more particularly, to an IVUS transducer for preparing an IVUS transducer for diagnosing or treating blood vessels. ) And a housing using a thin film pattern using a conductive material and a groove for a wire in order to connect the electrodes in the housing itself.

In the event of cardiovascular disease, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is used for accurate diagnosis and treatment. The IVUS technique is an IVUS transducer directly inserted into a blood vessel to image the inner wall of the blood vessel. In addition, the IVUS transducer can be accurately diagnosed by real-time imaging of the endothelium and the inner wall of the vessel. In addition, it is performed after a stent procedure for expanding the vessel. It is also used to determine the suitability of a.

In general, the IVUS converter may be divided into a single device converter and an array converter, and the single device IVUS converter has an advantage of keeping the size smaller than that of the array type IVUS converter by using one device. The single-element IVUS transducer images the vessel's inner wall by rotating 360 degrees (°) above 2000 rpm.

Because IVUS transducers must pass through narrowed vessels due to disease for monitoring the vessel wall, narrowing of the vessels can more easily pass through the narrowed vessels, resulting in patient discomfort and curved vessels. Aliasing can be reduced. Therefore, smaller single-element IVUS converters are preferred.

The present invention relates to a housing for an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer inserted into a blood vessel that can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and a method of manufacturing the same. In order to solve the problem of the method of connecting and grounding the signal line to the conventional IVUS stack, to simplify the process of manufacturing the IVUS housing, and furthermore, in the process of connecting the IVUS stack and the housing, In order to increase the convenience of the IVUS transducer manufacturing process.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a housing for an intravascular ultrasound transducer may be provided. The housing for the endovascular ultrasound transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inner housing and an outer housing, and at least one method of at least one of a groove for an electrode pattern and a wire in the inner housing for connecting an electrode for driving the ultrasound transducer. The rear end of the inner housing can be connected to the rotating shaft for rotation.

The inner housing may include an inclined surface to allow the traveling direction of the ultrasonic beam by the ultrasonic transducer to have a predetermined angle.

The inner housing may have a structure in which only an electrode pattern is used, only a groove for a wire is used, or an electrode pattern and a groove for a wire are simultaneously used when the electrode is connected to drive the ultrasonic transducer.

The signal line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the mating layer of the ultrasonic stack, fixing the ultrasonic stack to the inner housing and connecting the signal line and the electrode. Epoxy having electrical conductivity can be used for this purpose.

In the inner housing of the structure in which only the electrode pattern is used, the electrode pattern for signal line connection to the ultrasonic transducer is connectable from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing to the rear end of the inner housing, and the ultrasonic transducer The electrode pattern for connecting the ground line can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line is connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack, and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line is It can be connected to the matching layer.

In the inner housing of the structure where only the electrode pattern is used, the rotating shaft is composed of an insulator, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line are in contact with the rotating shaft so as to be connectable with the electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft. It may extend to the part.

The electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft may be replaced by a wire, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line of the inner housing and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line may be opposite to each other.

In the connection of the inner housing and the rotary shaft, the rear end portion of the inner housing may include a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft or may be formed such that the rear end portion has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotary shaft.

In the inner housing of the structure in which only the groove for the wire is used, for the ultrasonic transducer, the groove for the signal line starts from the portion where the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack is placed in the inner housing, and a hole for the signal line is positioned inside the rotating shaft. It may be formed through the inner housing.

For the ultrasonic transducer, the groove for the ground wire is located from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, and if the rear end of the inner housing connected to the rotating shaft has a hole the same size as the outer diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground wire is A connection is made before the rear end and a hole for connection with the insertion site of the rotating shaft can be included.

If the rear end of the inner housing is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer can be located along the surface of the inner housing and extend to the end of the rear end.

The position of the signal line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer and the ground line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer may be opposite to each other, and the groove for the signal line of the inner housing may be located along the surface of the inner housing, and the hole through the inner housing may be omitted. .

In the inner housing of the structure in which the groove for the electrode pattern and the wire are used at the same time, the signal line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the groove, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the electrode pattern.

The groove for the signal line can be connected to the hole through the inner housing starting from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, and the electrode pattern for the ground line can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing and rotated. It may extend to a position in contact with the shaft.

In the inner housing of the grooved structure, a grounding wire and an additional grounding wire can be used for the ultrasonic transducer, and the additional grounding wire is included in the coaxial cable connectable with the rotating shaft, and if the additional grounding wire is not used, the grounding wire is electrically conductive. Having a rotating shaft.

The outer housing surrounds all or a portion of the ultrasonic stack of the inner housing and the ultrasonic transducer and may be made of a material for insulation of the portion adjacent to the ultrasonic stack.

For the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern is used, the outer housing is made of an electrically insulating material and the surface is plated with metal. For the inner housing of the structure in which the groove is used, the outer housing can be made of an electrically conductive material. have.

According to one embodiment of the invention, in IVUS transducer fabrication, the housing of the IVUS transducer is separated into two parts to simplify the housing fabrication process, and when connecting the electrodes to the IVUS stack to apply a signal to the IVUS transducer, The use of grooves or electrode patterns in the IVUS housing can increase the simplicity and convenience in the manufacturing process of the housing in that the electrodes can be connected more easily and efficiently.

1 illustrates a combined state of an IVUS stack, a signal line, a rotating shaft, and a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 3 show an inner housing having a structure in which only an electrode pattern is used according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 to 6 show an inner housing of a structure in which only wire is used according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 to 9 illustrate an inner housing having a structure in which an electrode pattern and a wire are used at the same time according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 shows an example of an outer housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11 to 13 show the inner housing of the structure without the inclined surface.

14 shows an outer housing associated with the inner housing of FIGS. 11-13.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a housing for an intravascular ultrasound transducer may be provided. The housing for the endovascular ultrasound transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an inner housing and an outer housing, and at least one method of at least one of a groove for an electrode pattern and a wire in the inner housing for connecting an electrode for driving the ultrasound transducer. The rear end of the inner housing can be connected to the rotating shaft for rotation.

The inner housing may include an inclined surface to allow the traveling direction of the ultrasonic beam by the ultrasonic transducer to have a predetermined angle.

The inner housing may have a structure in which only an electrode pattern is used, only a groove for a wire is used, or an electrode pattern and a groove for a wire are simultaneously used when the electrode is connected to drive the ultrasonic transducer.

The signal line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the mating layer of the ultrasonic stack, fixing the ultrasonic stack to the inner housing and connecting the signal line and the electrode. Epoxy having electrical conductivity can be used for this purpose.

In the inner housing of the structure in which only the electrode pattern is used, the electrode pattern for signal line connection to the ultrasonic transducer is connectable from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing to the rear end of the inner housing, and the ultrasonic transducer The electrode pattern for connecting the ground line can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line is connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack, and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line is It can be connected to the matching layer.

In the inner housing of the structure where only the electrode pattern is used, the rotating shaft is composed of an insulator, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line are in contact with the rotating shaft so as to be connectable with the electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft. It may extend to the part.

The electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft may be replaced by a wire, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line of the inner housing and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line may be opposite to each other.

In the connection of the inner housing and the rotary shaft, the rear end portion of the inner housing may include a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft or may be formed such that the rear end portion has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotary shaft.

In the inner housing of the structure in which only the groove for the wire is used, for the ultrasonic transducer, the groove for the signal line starts from the portion where the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack is placed in the inner housing, and a hole for the signal line is positioned inside the rotating shaft. It may be formed through the inner housing.

For the ultrasonic transducer, the groove for the ground wire is located from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, and if the rear end of the inner housing connected to the rotating shaft has a hole the same size as the outer diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground wire is A connection is made before the rear end and a hole for connection with the insertion site of the rotating shaft can be included.

If the rear end of the inner housing is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer can be located along the surface of the inner housing and extend to the end of the rear end.

The position of the signal line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer and the ground line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer may be opposite to each other, and the groove for the signal line of the inner housing may be located along the surface of the inner housing, and the hole through the inner housing may be omitted. .

In the inner housing of the structure in which the groove for the electrode pattern and the wire are used at the same time, the signal line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the groove, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the electrode pattern.

The groove for the signal line can be connected to the hole through the inner housing starting from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, and the electrode pattern for the ground line can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing and rotated. It may extend to a position in contact with the shaft.

In the inner housing of the grooved structure, a grounding wire and an additional grounding wire can be used for the ultrasonic transducer, and the additional grounding wire is included in the coaxial cable connectable with the rotating shaft, and if the additional grounding wire is not used, the grounding wire is electrically conductive. Having a rotating shaft.

The outer housing surrounds all or a portion of the ultrasonic stack of the inner housing and the ultrasonic transducer and may be made of a material for insulation of the portion adjacent to the ultrasonic stack.

For the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern is used, the outer housing is made of an electrically insulating material and the surface is plated with metal. For the inner housing of the structure in which the groove is used, the outer housing can be made of an electrically conductive material. have.

Terms used herein will be briefly described and the present invention will be described in detail.

The terms used in the present invention have been selected as widely used general terms as possible in consideration of the functions in the present invention, but this may vary according to the intention or precedent of the person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technologies and the like. In addition, in certain cases, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the contents throughout the present invention, rather than the names of the simple terms.

When any part of the specification is to "include" any component, this means that it may further include other components, except to exclude other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, the terms "... unit", "module", etc. described in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one or more functions or operations, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. .

Throughout the specification, an “ultrasound image” refers to an image of an object obtained by using scattering, reflection, and refraction principles of ultrasonic waves.

Throughout the specification, a "user" may be a doctor, a nurse, a clinical pathologist, a medical imaging expert, or the like, and may be a technician who repairs a medical device, but is not limited thereto.

Throughout the specification "subject" may include a part of the body. For example, the subject may include organs such as blood vessels, liver, heart, uterus, brain, breast, abdomen, and the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Single-element IVUS converters can be broadly divided into IVUS stacks and IVUS housings. The IVUS stack serves to transmit and receive ultrasonic beams, while the IVUS housing protects the IVUS stack and is made of metal to ground the electrode for radio frequency shielding and RFUS driving. Play a role. In order to facilitate electrode connection, IVUS stacks generally use matching layers and sound-absorbing layers that are electrically conductive, and use electrically conductive adhesives when connecting electrodes.

Signal line connection and grounding methods in the IVUS stack are generally divided into two types. In the first method, an electrically conductive matching layer and an IVUS housing are connected or grounded to a cathode, and an electrically conductive sound absorption layer is connected to a signal line. Generally, the matching layer and the IVUS housing are interconnected. In order to do this, a gold / chromium sputtering method is used. In this case, since the gold / chromium plating technique is added in the process of connecting the matching layer and the IVUS housing, there is a problem that the manufacturing process is complicated and the production cost increases.

The second method is to use a wire, and the electrically conductive sound absorbing layer is connected to the IVUS housing by using an electrically conductive adhesive and grounded. The wire serves as a signal line and is electrically conductive using the same adhesive. It adheres to the matching layer which has. Commercially available products use the second method described above as a method of connecting a signal line to the IVUS stack, but in the manufacturing process, the signal line must be connected to the piezoelectric element region in which the ultrasonic beam is generated. The generation area of the beam is reduced and distortion of the ultrasonic beam transmitted and received as a whole occurs. To minimize this problem, minimize the area of the adhesive when connecting the IVUS transducer and IVUS housing, but select the type of adhesive and adhesive with the proper strength of adhesive so that the signal line and the mating layer are not separated by centrifugal force when rotating at 2000 rpm. The amount of control is essential.

In addition, in the case of commercial products, when connecting the IVUS stack and the IVUS housing, the IVUS housing is drilled in the same shape as the IVUS stack, and the IVUS stack is first inserted into the IVUS housing and then connected and grounded. Therefore, the holes in the IVUS stack and the housing into which the IVUS stack is inserted must be made precisely, and the mating layer and the conductive layer are electrically connected to the signal lines due to the distance between the IVUS stack and the housing. Great care must be taken to avoid shorting the sound absorbing layer.

IVUS transducer housing provided as an embodiment of the present invention can be classified into three types depending on whether the groove for the electrode pattern or the wire is included, the housing of the structure using only the electrode pattern, the housing of the structure using only the groove, And it can be divided into a housing having a structure using the electrode pattern and the groove at the same time. The way to groove the housing is to make the connection of the wire easier by using the groove as a way to use the wire (wire).

1 illustrates a state in which an IVUS stack 24, a signal line 25, a rotating shaft 26, an inner housing, and an outer housing are all coupled according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) of FIG. 1 is a state when it has a 45 degree angle, (b) of FIG. 1 shows it when it has an angle of 0 degree. In other words, (b) of FIG. 1 shows an example of an IVUS converter having no slope.

2 to 9 show the inner housing with a 45 ° angle, and FIG. 10 shows the outer housing for FIGS. 2 to 9. In each of the figures (a) to (e) show a front perspective view, a rear perspective view, a front side view, a rear side view, and a rear view, respectively. The angle of the inner housing is not limited to the 45 ° angle can be various angles according to the user's purpose, such as 0 °, 30 °, 60 °. In addition, for convenience of description, in the description of each drawing, the electrode pattern for the signal line, the electrode pattern for grounding, the groove for the signal line, the groove for the ground line, etc., but the electrode described in each drawing according to the user's purpose Patterns or grooves may be reversed in function.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) transducer housing according to an embodiment of the present invention is divided into two parts (part), the inner housing and the IVUS stack 24 and the inner housing that can accommodate the IVUS stack 24 therein It may be composed of an outer housing for protecting the housing. The inner housing is made of a nonmetallic material, and by adjusting the angle at which the IVUS stack 24 is placed, the angle of the ultrasonic beam generated by the IVUS transducer can be easily adjusted. In the case of the outer housing, a metal or a nonmetal may be used depending on whether an electrode pattern is used, and when the non-metal is manufactured, the surface of the outer housing may be plated with a material such as gold that is less reactive in the human body for radio frequency shielding.

The housing for the intravascular ultrasound transducer includes an inner housing and an outer housing, the inner housing uses at least one method of an electrode pattern and a groove for the wire for connection of the electrode to the ultrasonic transducer to be received in the housing. The rear end of the housing can be connected with the rotating shaft for rotation.

The inner housing may include an inclined surface to allow the traveling direction of the ultrasonic beam by the ultrasonic transducer to have a predetermined angle.

The predetermined angle according to an embodiment of the present invention may be 0 °, 30 °, 60 °, etc., but is not necessarily limited thereto. In addition, the case having an angle of 0 ° refers to the case where the inclined surface is not included.

The inner housing may have a structure in which only an electrode pattern is used, only a groove for a wire is used, or an electrode pattern and a groove for a wire are simultaneously used when the electrode is connected to drive the ultrasonic transducer.

2 to 3 show the IVUS inner housing using only the electrode pattern. The rear end of the inner housing joined with the rotary shaft 26 to connect with the rotary shaft 26 is drilled to have the same diameter as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft 26, as in FIG. Likewise, the inner diameter of the rotating shaft 26 may be the same. The electrode pattern is present on the surface of the inner housing and can be divided into an electrode pattern 2 for a signal line and an electrode pattern 3 for a ground line. The electrode pattern 2 used as the signal line may be connected to the sound absorbing layer of the IVUS stack 24, and the electrode pattern 3 used as the ground line may be connected to the matching layer of the IVUS stack 24.

As in FIG. 2, the electrode pattern 2 for the signal line of the IVUS inner housing 1 may be connected from the position 4 where the IVUS stack 24 is placed to the rear end 6 along the center line. The electrode pattern 3 used as the ground line may be connected from the front end portion 5 to the rear end portion 6 of the inner housing with respect to the center line from the position where the mating layer of the IVUS stack 24 is located. The electrode pattern 2 for each signal line and the electrode pattern 3 for the ground line have an inner housing into which the rotation shaft 26 is inserted, so that the two electrode patterns are respectively connected to the electrode patterns inside the rotating shaft 26 composed of an insulator. The electrode can be connected to the inside of the. As described above, the electrode pattern 2 for the signal line and the electrode pattern 3 for the ground line may be opposite in function, and the electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft 26 may be replaced with a wire. An adhesive, such as an electrically conductive epoxy, may be used to secure the IVUS stack 24 and the inner housing and to connect the IVUS stack 24 with the electrode pattern in the housing.

The signal line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack inside the ultrasonic transducer, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer can be connected with the mating layer of the ultrasonic stack, fixing the ultrasonic stack to the inner housing, Epoxy with electrical conductivity can be used for the connection of the electrodes.

In the inner housing of the structure in which only the electrode pattern is used, the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line of the ultrasonic transducer is connectable from the position where the ultrasonic stack inside the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing to the rear end of the inner housing, and the ultrasonic transducer The electrode pattern for connecting the ground wire to the ruler can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line is connected with the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack, and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line is ultrasonic May be connected to a mating layer of the stack.

In the inner housing of the structure where only the electrode pattern is used, the rotating shaft is composed of an insulator, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line are in contact with the rotating shaft so as to be connectable with the electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft. It may extend to the part.

The electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft may be replaced by a wire, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line of the inner housing and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line may be opposite to each other.

In the connection of the inner housing and the rotary shaft, the rear end portion of the inner housing may include a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft or may be formed such that the rear end portion has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotary shaft.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electrode pattern 2 for the signal line of the IVUS inner housing 7 runs in the rear distal direction along the centerline at the position 4 where the IVUS stack 24 is placed, for insertion of the rotary shaft 26. It may be connected to a point where the outer diameter of the rear distal end is reduced, or may extend to the rear distal end. Similar to the electrode pattern 2 for the signal line, the electrode pattern 2 for the ground line is also located along the center line from the front end to the rear end and connected to the point where the outer diameter of the rear end decreases, or extends to the end of the rear end. Can be.

4 to 6 show the IVUS inner housing using wires only.

In the inner housing of the structure where only the groove for the wire is used, the groove for the signal line of the ultrasonic transducer starts from the portion where the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack inside the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, so that the signal line is positioned inside the rotating shaft. Holes for the purpose may be formed through the inner housing.

For the ultrasonic transducer, the groove for the ground wire is located from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, and if the rear end of the inner housing connected to the rotating shaft has a hole the same size as the outer diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground wire is A connection is made before the rear end and a hole for connection with the insertion site of the rotating shaft can be included.

If the rear end of the inner housing is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the grounding line for the ultrasonic transducer can be located along the surface of the inner housing and connected to the end of the rear end.

The position of the signal line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer and the ground line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer may be opposite to each other, and the groove for the signal line of the inner housing may be located along the surface of the inner housing, and the hole through the inner housing may be omitted. .

The IVUS inner housing 8 of FIG. 4 may have grooves for the wires in the inner housing so that the wire can be naturally positioned along the housing surface. The groove for the wire connection is divided into a groove 9 for a signal line and a groove 11 for a ground line. Similar to the electrode pattern, the groove 9 for the signal line starts from the portion where the sound absorbing layer is placed in the inner housing, and is connected to the hole 10 additionally penetrating the inner housing to enter the inside of the rotating shaft 26. have. When the signal line is connected, the signal line and the sound absorbing layer are connected as in the case of using the electrode pattern, and the signal line is located in accordance with the groove thickness from the position 4 where the IVUS stack 24 is placed to the hole 10 penetrating the inner housing. Can be. The groove 11 for the ground wire is also located from the front end to the rear end and the groove 11 for the ground wire is not completely connected to the rear end so that the ground wire is located inside the rotary shaft 26, for example, Holes 12 are drilled at about one-third of the housing and can be connected to the portion into which the rotary shaft 26 is inserted. At this time, the position of the hole 12 for the ground wire may be changed. The ground wire is connected with the mating layer of the IVUS stack 24 and enters the rotating shaft 26 along the groove 11 and the hole 12. In the same manner as FIGS. 2 to 3, the IVUS stack 24 is located in the inner housing, and an electrically conductive epoxy may be used to connect the fixed and signal and ground lines of the IVUS stack 24, respectively. Positions of the signal line and the ground line may be changed with each other. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear end portion of the inner housing joined to the rotary shaft 26 to connect the rotary shaft 26 is bored with the same diameter as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft 26, or FIGS. 5 and FIG. As in 6, the rotation shaft 26 may have the same diameter as the inner diameter. 5 and 6, when the rear distal end of the inner housing has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft 26, the groove for the signal line is connected with a hole through the inner housing (eg, in FIG. 5) or inside It may be positioned along the surface of the housing (eg, FIG. 6), in which case there may be no holes penetrating the inner housing.

5 is a case where the rear end 6 of the IVUS inner housing 13 of the IVUS inner housing using only wires is designed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft 26. At this time, the groove 9 for the signal line is connected to the hole 10 penetrating through the inner housing so that the signal line can be located inside the rotary shaft 26, as shown in Figure 3, the groove 11 for the ground line It is located along the surface of the inner housing and can be connected to the end of the rear end 6.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the groove 9 for the signal line in FIG. 5 is located along the surface of the inner housing. It is connected to the rear end 6 of the inner housing in the same manner as the groove 11 for the ground wire, and there is no need for a hole 10 penetrating the inner housing.

7 to 9 show the IVUS inner housing using the electrode pattern and the wire simultaneously. The inner housing according to the embodiment of the present invention may preferably have a structure in which the electrode pattern and the wire are used simultaneously as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9.

In the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern and the groove for the wire are simultaneously used according to an embodiment of the present invention, the signal line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the groove, and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer may use the electrode pattern.

The groove for the signal line can be connected to the hole through the inner housing starting from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, and the electrode pattern for the ground line can be connected from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing and rotated. It may extend to a position in contact with the shaft.

In the inner housing of the grooved structure, a grounding wire and an additional grounding wire can be used for the ultrasonic transducer, and the additional grounding wire is included in the coaxial cable connectable with the rotating shaft, and if the additional grounding wire is not used, the grounding wire is electrically conductive. Having a rotating shaft.

For convenience of description, the grooves for the electrode patterns and the wires in FIGS. 6 to 8 serve as the grooves for the ground lines and the signal lines, respectively. The signal lines may be made of electrode patterns and the ground lines may be made of wires. Do. The groove 9 for the signal line can be connected to the opening 10 through the inner housing for wire connection, starting at the position where the IVUS stack 24 is placed in the inner housing. The electrode pattern 3 for grounding is connected from the front end 5 to the rear end 6 of the inner housing, and the electrode pattern 3 for grounding is connected with the mating layer of the IVUS stack 24. Can be used. The electrode pattern 3 for grounding may be located up to a portion to which the rotary shaft 26 is connected in order to be connected to the rotary shaft 26. The inner housing 15 of FIG. 7 is a case in which a hole is formed at a rear end portion of the inner housing joined to the rotating shaft 26 to the same diameter as the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 26, and the electrode pattern for grounding is a rotating shaft ( It can be positioned up to the inside of the hole to which the rotary shaft 26 is connected in order to be connected to 26. The inner housing 16 of FIG. 8 is a case where the rear end of the inner housing has the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft 26, and as shown in FIG. 9, a groove for the signal line may be located along the surface of the inner housing 17. In this case, there may be no hole through the inner housing. The electrode pattern for grounding may be positioned so that the electrode pattern may be connected to the rotating shaft 26.

7 to 9, an additional ground line may be used to reduce noise generated when transmitting or receiving ultrasonic waves. If no additional ground wire is used, a ground wire may be used and may be connected to the rotating shaft 26 having electrical conductivity. In case of using an additional grounding wire, a coaxial cable is used. In addition to the rotating shaft 26 serving as a grounding, a grounding wire in an additional coaxial cable is used, and thus, the total of two grounding wires can be used to more effectively cancel noise. .

10 shows the inner housing and outer housing 18 used to protect the IVUS stack 24. The IVUS stack 24 should be well protected since it rotates above about 2000 rpm for a single device IVUS transducer. Thus, an external housing may be used to protect the IVUS stack 24 and wire and electrode patterns for signal application and to facilitate insulation around the IVUS stack 24. The outer housing is provided with a window 19 so as not to block the propagation of the ultrasonic beam.

In addition, the outer housing may be made of a metal material or an insulator material having electrical conductivity depending on whether the electrode pattern is used. In other words, the outer housing surrounds all or a portion of the ultrasonic stack of the inner housing and the ultrasonic transducer and may be made of a material for insulation of the portion adjacent to the ultrasonic stack.

For the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern is used, the outer housing is made of an electrically insulating material and the surface is plated with metal. For the inner housing of the structure in which the groove is used, the outer housing can be made of an electrically conductive material. have.

2, 3 and 7 to 9 should be fabricated using an insulator material, and the outer housing surface is plated with metal to shield electromagnetic signals of radio frequency (RF). 4, 5, 7 to 9, when the positions of the grooves for the electrode pattern and the wire are changed, the surface of the outer housing may be made of a metal material having electrical conductivity.

11 to 13 show the inner housing of the structure without the inclined surface. In other words, FIGS. 11-13 show the front and rear perspective views when the housing has an angle of 0 °. As such, the angle that the inner housing may have is not limited thereto and may have various angles. 11 is an IVUS inner housing 20 using only an electrode pattern, and FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D are the same as in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. 12 is an IVUS inner housing 21 using only wires. (A) and (b) are the same as those of FIG. 4 and (c) and (d) are the same as those of FIG. Grooves 9 and grooves 10 for ground wires may be located along the surface of the inner housing. FIG. 13 illustrates the use of an electrode pattern and a wire at the same time (22). FIGS. 13A, 13B, (C) and d are the same as those of FIGS. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the groove 9 for the signal line may be located along the surface of the inner housing. 14 shows the outer housing for FIGS. 11-13. As in FIG. 10, it is used to protect the IVUS stack 24 and the inner housing, and there may be a window 19 for ultrasonic beam propagation.

The foregoing description of the present invention is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive.

The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the above description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims (17)

A housing for an intravascular ultrasound transducer, The housing includes an inner housing and an outer housing, At least one of an electrode pattern and a groove for a wire is provided in the inner housing to connect an electrode to the ultrasonic transducer to be received in the housing, and a rear end of the inner housing is connected to a rotating shaft for rotation. The outer housing protects the electrode pattern, the wire and the ultrasonic acoustic stack included in the inner housing. The method of claim 1, The inner housing includes a slanted surface for inclining the traveling direction of the ultrasonic beam by the ultrasonic transducer to a predetermined angle. The method of claim 1, The inner housing has a structure for allowing only the electrode pattern, only the groove for the wire, or the groove for the electrode pattern and the wire to be used simultaneously when connecting the electrode for driving the ultrasonic transducer. Housing for intravascular ultrasound transducer. The method of claim 1, The signal line for the ultrasonic transducer may be connected to the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer, the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer may be connected to the matching layer of the ultrasonic stack, and the ultrasonic stack is fixed to the inner housing. And an epoxy having electrical conductivity is used to connect the signal line and the electrode. The method of claim 3, wherein In the inner housing of the structure using only the electrode pattern, the electrode pattern for connection of the signal line to the ultrasonic transducer is from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing to the rear end of the inner housing The electrode pattern for connection of the ground wire to the ultrasonic transducer may be connected, and the electrode pattern for connection of the signal line may be connected to the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack. And the electrode pattern for connection of the ground line is connected to the matching layer of the ultrasound stack. The method of claim 5, In the inner housing of the structure using only the electrode pattern, the rotating shaft is composed of an insulator, the electrode pattern for the connection of the signal line and the electrode pattern for the connection of the ground line is connected to the electrode pattern inside the rotation shaft A housing for intravascular ultrasound transducer, characterized in that it extends to a portion in contact with the rotatable shaft. The method of claim 6, The electrode pattern inside the rotating shaft may be replaced by a wire, and the electrode pattern for connecting the signal line of the inner housing and the electrode pattern for connecting the ground line may be opposite to each other. Housing for ultrasonic transducer. The method of claim 3, wherein In the connection between the inner housing and the rotary shaft, the rear end portion of the inner housing includes a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the rotary shaft or the rear end portion is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotary shaft. Housing for intravascular ultrasound transducer. The method of claim 8, In the inner housing of the structure in which only the groove for the wire is used, the groove for the signal line for the ultrasonic transducer starts from the portion where the sound absorbing layer of the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, and the signal line is the A housing for endovascular ultrasound transducer, characterized in that a hole is formed through the inner housing for positioning in the rotating shaft. The method of claim 9, The groove for the ground wire for the ultrasonic transducer is located from the front end to the rear end of the inner housing, and the rear end of the inner housing connected to the rotating shaft has a hole having the same size as the outer diameter of the rotating shaft. And a groove for the ground wire is connected to the front end of the rear end and includes a hole for connection with an insertion portion of the rotary shaft. The method of claim 9, When the rear end portion of the inner housing is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft, the groove for the ground wire for the ultrasonic transducer is located along the surface of the inner housing and connected to the end of the rear end portion Housing for intravascular ultrasound transducer. The method of claim 9, The position of the signal line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer and the ground line with respect to the ultrasonic transducer may be opposite to each other, and when the rear end portion of the inner housing is formed to have the same diameter as the inner diameter of the rotating shaft, the inner housing The groove for the signal line of the housing for the intravascular ultrasound transducer, characterized in that located along the surface of the inner housing and the hole through the inner housing can be omitted. The method of claim 3, wherein In the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern and the groove for the wire is used at the same time, the signal line for the ultrasonic transducer uses the groove and the ground line for the ultrasonic transducer uses the electrode pattern. Housing for my ultrasonic transducer. The method of claim 13, The groove for the signal line may be connected to a hole penetrating through the inner housing starting from the position where the ultrasonic stack of the ultrasonic transducer is placed in the inner housing, and the electrode pattern for the ground line may be formed from the front end of the inner housing. A housing for endovascular ultrasound transducer, which is connectable to the rear distal end and extends to a position in contact with the rotating shaft. The method of claim 1, A ground line and an additional ground line for the ultrasonic transducer may be used in the inner housing of the structure in which the groove is used, The additional ground wire is included in the coaxial cable connectable with the rotating shaft, The housing for endovascular ultrasound transducers, characterized in that when the additional ground wire is not used, the ground wire is connected to the rotating shaft having electrical conductivity. The method of claim 1, And the outer housing encloses all or a portion of the ultrasonic stack of the inner housing and the ultrasonic transducer and is made of a material for insulation of the portion adjacent to the ultrasonic stack. The method of claim 16, For the inner housing of the structure in which the electrode pattern is used, the outer housing is made of an electrically insulating material and the surface is plated with metal, The housing for the endovascular ultrasound transducer, characterized in that for the inner housing of the structure in which the groove is used, the outer housing is made of an electrically conductive material.

Images