US-12622676-B2 - Device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements

US12622676B2US 12622676 B2US12622676 B2US 12622676B2US-12622676-B2

Abstract

A device ( 1 ) for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements comprises an ultrasonic transducer ( 60 ), a pressure sensor ( 50 ), a housing ( 10 ) to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer ( 60 ) and the pressure sensor ( 50 ), a support plate ( 40 ) arranged in the housing ( 10 ) and a flexible membrane ( 21 ) arranged on the end face of the housing. A sealed chamber ( 47 ) for receiving a liquid medium is formed between the membrane ( 21 ) and the support plate ( 40 ), and the ultrasonic transducer ( 60 ) and the pressure sensor ( 50 ) are arranged on the support plate ( 40 ) in such a way that a first transmission surface of the ultrasonic transducer ( 60 ) and a second transmission surface of the pressure sensor ( 50 ) are directed towards the chamber ( 47 ).

Inventors

Ulrich Baumann
Vincent Boris BAUMANN
Peter Nuot FREI

Assignees

COMPREMIUM AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221026
Priority Date: 20211209

Claims (15)

1 . A device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer; a pressure sensor; a housing to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor; a support plate arranged in the housing; and a flexible membrane arranged at a front of the housing; wherein a sealed chamber for receiving a liquid medium is formed between the flexible membrane and the support plate, and wherein the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor are arranged on the support plate in such a way that a first transmission surface of the ultrasonic transducer and a second transmission surface of the pressure sensor are directed towards the sealed chamber.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane has a circular base.
3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a retaining ring is attached to a peripheral retaining region of the support plate and encloses a proximal retaining section of the flexible membrane and holds it on the support plate.
4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible membrane has a bead in the holding section, wherein the bead enters a circumferential groove of the support plate, wherein the circumferential groove is arranged distally in front of the peripheral retaining region.
5 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein a proximal section of the retaining ring attaches to a shell-side region of the housing in a manner of a clip connection.
6 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein, a circumferential seal is arranged between the proximal section of the retaining ring and the shell-side region of the housing.
7 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein the proximal section of the retaining ring attaches to the shell-side region of the housing in a manner of a clip connection.
8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer is attached to a center of the support plate and wherein the pressure sensor is attached off-center to the support plate.
9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor are each accommodated in a corresponding through-opening of the support plate, the through-openings with accommodated ultrasonic transducer and pressure sensor being sealed against passage of the liquid medium.
10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is filled with an ultrasound-transparent liquid.
11 . The device according to claim 10 , wherein the ultrasonically transparent liquid is an oil with a viscosity in a viscosity class of 32-68 ISO VG.
12 . The device according to claim 1 , comprising a filling opening for the liquid medium, the filling opening configured as a through-opening in the support plate.
13 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein a circuit board for holding electronic components is fixed to a rear surface of the support plate, and a main surface of the circuit board extends perpendicular to a main surface of the support plate.
14 . A method of assembling a device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer: a pressure sensor; a housing to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor; a support plate arranged in the housing; and a flexible membrane arranged at a front of the housing; wherein a sealed chamber for receiving a liquid medium is formed between the flexible membrane and the support plate, and wherein the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor are arranged on the support plate in such a way that a first transmission surface of the ultrasonic transducer and a second transmission surface of the pressure sensor are directed towards the sealed chamber, the method comprising: inserting, sealing and fastening the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor in the support plate; inserting a filling hose into the support plate; attaching the flexible membrane to the support plate to form the sealed chamber; filling the liquid medium into the chamber through the filling hose; and closing a filling opening for the liquid medium as soon as a predetermined quantity of the medium has been filled in.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein a retaining ring is slid over the membrane and fastened to the support plate to form the sealed chamber after the flexible membrane has been attached.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements. It also relates to a method for assembling such a device. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Sonography is a well-established imaging technique for examining organic tissue in medicine and veterinary medicine. An ultrasound probe is commonly used, which is guided over the surface of the body. The probe comprises an ultrasound transducer for generating ultrasound waves, for example by means of a piezo array. These are coupled into the human or animal body via an end face of the ultrasound probe. The reflected signals are in turn recorded by the ultrasonic transducer, and the depths of the reflecting tissue structures can be determined based on the transit time of the reflected signals. The desired image data can then be processed from this, with the brightness of the image information being determined on the basis of the echo signals. It is known to perform ultrasonic examinations while the examined tissue is subjected to different external pressures. This allows the elastic properties of the examined tissue and/or the internal pressure in vessels, such as blood vessels, to be examined. In this context, hand-held devices comprising an ultrasound probe and a device for measuring pressure have already been proposed. For example, CH 707 046 A2 (VeinPress GmbH) describes a pressure measuring device that is used together with an ultrasonic measuring unit, whereby the pressure measuring device comprises a container for an ultrasound-transparent measuring liquid that has at least two ultrasound-permeable windows. The actual pressure sensor is coupled to the accommodation volume with the measuring liquid. The container is formed, for example, by an annular housing section that surrounds the front surface of the ultrasonic measuring unit. The pressure in the container can be increased by means of a pressure generating device. WO 2019/106535 A1 (U. Baumann, V. Baumann) describes a pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure and/or elasticity of a vein, an organ or a compartment and for combination with an ultrasound measuring unit. It comprises a pressure sensor designed as a foil pressure sensor, whereby a space between the foils of the foil pressure sensor is filled with an ultrasound-transparent and non-electrolytically active liquid. The pressure measuring device is placed on the body surface in the area of the tissue to be examined, the ultrasonic measuring unit then interacts mechanically with the back of the pressure measuring device and the ultrasonic waves are transmitted through the pressure measuring device. Handling two separate units is cumbersome. The publication therefore also suggests coupling the pressure measuring device mechanically to the body surface or to the ultrasound measuring unit. The latter is done, for example, by means of an L-shaped adapter that can be attached to the housing of the ultrasonic measuring unit. This solution allows easier handling, but is structurally complex and has a number of optical interfaces from the ultrasound transducer to the tissue under examination, which can negatively affect the optical quality of ultrasound imaging. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to create a device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements, which belongs to the technical field mentioned at the beginning, which is simple in design and enables a high imaging quality. The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, the device for performing ultrasonic examinations and pressure measurements comprises: a) an ultrasonic transducer;b) a pressure sensor;c) a housing to accommodate the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor;d) a support plate arranged in the housing; ande) a flexible membrane arranged at the front of the housing. A sealed chamber for receiving a liquid medium is formed between the membrane and the support plate, and the ultrasonic transducer and the pressure sensor are arranged on the support plate in such a way that a first transmission surface of the ultrasonic transducer and a second transmission surface of the pressure sensor are directed towards the chamber. Ultrasonic transducers convert alternating electrical voltage into mechanical vibrations and vice versa. They are usually based on piezo crystals arranged in a so-called array (ultrasonic array, piezo array). In the context of the invention, this array is now arranged at the support plate and is suitable for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves into and through the chamber. The pressure sensor is suitable for measuring an essentially static pressure prevailing in the chamber, which results in particular from the pressure force of the device on an object under investigation, e. g. a region of the body of a human or animal. Preferably, the front main surface of the support plate facing the chamber is flat, but t