ENDOSCOPIC PROBE

摘要

Endoscopic probe in particular suitable for use as a TEE-probe, comprising a flexible tube having at one end a probe head which is provided with ultrasonic transducer means of the phased array type with a transducer made up of a number of elongated transducer elements which elements can be individually electrically controlled by means of cables connected to the individual elements and extending through the flexible tube in which the transducer is mounted in an essentially cylindrical transducer housing which is placed in a cavity in the probe head and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the probe head, by means of drive means interacting with the transducer housing while the elongated transducer elements are connected by means of flexible conductors to the cables extending through the flexible tube and in which the cavity in the probe head is sealed with an acoustically transparent head and the transducer is coupled acoustically to the fixed cap by means of acoustic coupling means which permit a rotation of the transducer relative to the fixed cap.