An ultrasonic probe for insonifying the ascending aorta of a supine or reclining human patient. The probe has a head housing transducers for insonifying the patient's ascending aorta and for intercepting doppler-shifted energy reflected from the proximate and distal walls of the ascending aorta and from blood flowing through the aorta. The transducer head is integral with and extends below the handle of the probe, facilitating the manipulation of the probe and alignment of the beam of ultrasonic energy propagated by the probe relative to the ascending aorta of the patient. An oval cross-section and trapezoidal profile allow this to be done with a minimum of discomfort to either the patient or the user of the probe, and an L- or T-shaped handle allows the probe to be positioned and manipulated from a position behind the patient's head and with little or no sight of the patient's suprasternal notch.
The device for measuring the thickness of the mucous membrane in the region of the jawbone ridge consists of an evaluation instrument and a hand probe interconnected by a cable. The hand probe has a probe housing and an ultrasonic oscillator fitted therein on which are arranged a damping member on the back and a lead member on the front, in which the lead member forms a coupling surface for coupling to the mucous membrane and consists of a material with an acoustical impedance corresponding to 0.3 to 3 times the value and preferably 0.5 to 2.4 times the value of the acoustical impedance of water. A control electronic system and an evaluation electronic system, an electric power supply and a display unit are fitted in the evaluation instrument.
A device for detecting pregnancy in animals comprises a finger receptacle adapted to fit over a human finger. On the outer surface of the receptacle is a transducer housing having a transducer therein for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves and for receiving echo ultrasonic sound waves in response thereto and converting the echo ultrasonic sound waves into an electrical echo signal. Electrical leads carry the echo signal from the transducer to a computer or a strip chart recorder for analyzing and visually displaying indices which provide an indication of the velocity of the blood flow detected in the uterine artery of the animal by the transducer. The method of the present invention comprises placing the transducer in contact with the uterine artery of the animal, and measuring the velocity of blood flow in the uterine artery. An increase in the blood flow over the animal's normal blood flow in the uterine artery is an indication of pregnancy. The blood flow of the uterine artery in one horn of the animal's uterus can be compared to the blood flow of the uterine artery in the other horn of the animal's uterus to determine whether one of the two uterine horns has a developing embryo therein.
A therapeutic ultrasonic device which will transmit multiple ultrasonic frequencies through one ultrasonic applicator. The applicator includes a handle; two diaphragms connected to one end of the handle with each diaphragm having an applicating face directed away from the handle and a rear face directed into the handle so that the applicating faces may be independently applied to a patient during therapy; and at least two piezoelectric crystals. A piezoelectric crystal is connected to the rear face of each diaphragm for converting periodic electrical energy into ultrasonic energy and transmitting the ultrasonic energy through the diaphragm to which the crystal is connected independently of the other diaphragm. An excitation source is provided for independently applying a periodic electric field of selectable frequency across a crystal in order to select the crystal to receive the periodic electric field and to select the ultrasonic frequency transmitted through the diaphragm to which the selected crystal is connected.
An ultrasonic transducer probe and handle housing including an elongated base having a longitudinal axis and a multiple-angled handle. A first stem portion extends from the base along a first stem axis that forms an inclined angle with the base longitudinal axis. A second stem portion merges with the first stem portion and extends along a second stem axis that forms an inclined angle with the first stem axis. In an alternative embodiment, the probe and handle housing includes a handle having proximal and distal ends. In this embodiment, the proximal end is coupled to the base and the distal end extends away from the base in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the base. Additionally, a stand-off pad may be removably affixed to the base and may be adapted to contain a fluid.
A device for detecting pregnancy in animals comprises a finger receptacle adapted to fit over a human finger. On the outer surface of the receptacle is a transducer housing having a transducer therein for transmitting ultrasonic sound waves and for receiving echo ultrasonic sound waves in response thereto and converting the echo ultrasonic sound waves into an electrical echo signal. Electrical leads carry the echo signal from the transducer to a computer or a strip chart recorder for analyzing and visually displaying indices which provide an indication of the velocity of the blood flow detected in the uterine artery of the animal by the transducer. The method of the present invention comprises placing the transducer in contact with the uterine artery of the animal, and measuring the velocity of blood flow in the uterine artery. An increase in the blood flow over the animal's normal blood flow in the uterine artery is an indication of pregnancy. The blood flow of the uterine artery in one horn of the animal's uterus can be compared to the blood flow of the uterine artery in the other horn of the animal's uterus to determine whether one of the two uterine horns has a developing embryo therein.
