The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 03, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 14, 2001
Kenichi Ohara, Gunma, JP;
Toshiyuki Hashiyama, Saitama, JP;
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An ultrasonic endoscope has a bending portion, an ultrasonic probe, and a flexible circuit board. The bending portion, connected to the point of a flexible tube, bends by remote control. The ultrasonic probe has a plurality of ultrasonic wave vibrators, which are arranged circumferentially, and send ultrasonic waves radially and receive echoes of the ultrasonic waves. The flexible circuit board, which transmits signals associated with the ultrasonic waves and the echoes, is constructed of a plurality of flexible circuit board strips in the bending portion so as to allow a bending motion. The plurality of ultrasonic wave coaxial lines, which are provided in the flexible tube to form an ultrasonic wave coaxial cable and are connected to the plurality of flexible circuit board strips, are loose and flexible in a given range.