SYSTEM OF DIAGNOSING AND TREATING THE INTERIOR OF BLOOD VESSEL BY ULTRASONIC WAVE

摘要

A system capable of three-dimensionally observing/diagnosing a lesion in a blood-flowing blood vessel and concurrently removing/treating thrombus while discriminating in real time an affected part and a vessel, as well as thrombus in flowing blood. The system comprises, at the tip end of a catheter probe, at least a diagnosing ultrasonic probe based on ultrasonic echo, and a treating ultrasonic vibrator capable of removing thrombus in a blood vessel by being vibrated in the longitudinal direction of the probe at a specified frequency including that of ultrasonic wave. The diagnosing ultrasonic probe is preferably a flat type probe, and inspects/diagnoses a frontward blood vessel wall in a blood vessel. The treating ultrasonic vibrator has its cutting power improved with its vibration being imparted with a feed such as rotating or reciprocating motion. When an amplifying mechanism using a structural resonance is added, its breaking performance is further increased.