The present invention relates to an ultrasound apparatus of a body cavity insertable type which can be inserted into a body cavity such as a nasal cavity, an oral cavity, a pharynx, a vagina or the like and can perform an ultrasound treatment.

TECHNICAL FIELD

An ultrasound is used for various treatments and surgical procedures, and as an example a treatment method of treating diseases by noninvasively irradiating ultrasound in the tissues of a body cavity such as a nasal cavity has been introduced. A conventional ultrasound apparatus of a nasal cavity insertable type has a rod type supporting member which can be inserted into the nasal cavity and an ultrasound probe which is mounted on an end portion thereof. The ultrasound probe irradiates ultrasound in a state of being inserted into the nasal cavity, so a heat lesion is formed in the tissues within a nose in a noninvasive method to cure a disease such as a rhinitis.

Such an ultrasound apparatus of a nasal cavity insertable type has not yet been widely used, and technical progresses in various aspects such as an efficiency of an ultrasound irradiation, a stable structure and the like are required. In particular, depending on a kind of an ultrasound treatment, an enlargement of an area of irradiation of ultrasound and an increase of focusing density of an ultrasound may be required.

In particular, an ultrasound apparatus of a nasal cavity insertable type should be formed to be slender and long in order to be inserted into the nasal cavity and at the same time has a sufficient size of a piezoelectric element to generate ultrasound with a sufficient intensity. In addition, since the ultrasound energy cannot be transmitted without an ultrasound transmission medium, a structure for containing an ultrasound transmission medium should be effectively designed in a limited available space.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

1. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1857026

2. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1896565

3. Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1886673

4. US Patent Publication No. US2008/0027423

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Technical Problem

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide an ultrasound apparatus of a body cavity insertable type in which a size of a piezoelectric element can be maximized to increase an ultrasound energy, side effects of repeated uses of an ultrasound transmission film can be resolved, and assembling and manufacturing processes can be simplified to reduce manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the present invention has also been made in an effort to provide an ultrasound apparatus of a body cavity insertable type having means for preventing cross infections between patients.

Technical Solution

An ultrasound apparatus of a body cavity insertable type according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a handpiece; a supporting rod which is elongated from the handpiece; an ultrasound probe which is connected to the supporting rod and is configured to be able to be inserted in the body cavity; and a sealing cover which is separably coupled to the ultrasound probe to at least partially surround the ultrasound probe in a longitudinal direction from a distal end thereof. The ultrasound probe includes: a piezoelectric element; and a housing to which the piezoelectric element is mounted. An end of the housing is connected to the supporting, and the housing is provided with an ultrasound passing hole which is disposed outside the supporting rod. The sealing cover has an ultrasound passing window which is formed at a position corresponding to the ultrasound passing hole.

The housing may form an ultrasound transmission space which is filled with an ultrasound transmission medium, and the piezoelectric element may be disposed in the ultrasound transmission space. The sealing cover may be configured to seal the ultrasound transmission medium filled in the ultrasound transmission space.

The sealing cover may include: a cover member which is put on the housing and forms the ultrasound passing window; and an ultrasound transmission film which is formed of material which can transmit an ultrasound and is attached to or is put on the cover member so as to cover the ultrasound passing window.

An indication or a structure for determining an insertion position of the sealing cover may be provided to at least one of the housing and the supporting rod.

A protrusion may be provided to one of the sealing cover and the supporting rod and an indentation into which the protrusion can be inserted is provided the other one of the sealing cover and the supporting rod, in order to determine an insertion position of the sealing cover.

At least one of a mark indicating an insertion depth into the body cavity and a mark indicating an irradiation direction of an ultrasound may be indicated on the sealing cover.

The sealing cover may be provided with an ultrasound generation position mark which indicates a position of the piezoelectric element in a state of being put on the ultrasound probe.

A mark which indicates an irradiation direction of an ultrasound may be provided to the handpiece.

The sealing cover may be made of a flexible thin film.

The housing may be provided with a through hole which is disposed at the rear side of the piezoelectric element, and further comprising a rear cover which covers the through hole.

The ultrasound transmission medium may be liquid, and the ultrasound apparatus may further include an inlet hose and an outlet hose respectively for introducing the ultrasound transmission medium into the ultrasound transmission space and for discharging the ultrasound transmission medium from the ultrasound transmission space.

An entrance portion of the sealing cover may have a widened shape.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention, a size of a piezoelectric element can be maximized under given conditions so as to increase an ultrasound energy. Furthermore, by attaching an ultrasound transmission film to a separable sealing cover, the side effects caused by repeated uses of an ultrasound transmission film can be resolved and the assembling and manufacturing processes can be simplified. Furthermore, since a sealing cover can be replaced, a cross infection between patients can be prevented.

