Abstract: An ablation method according to the present invention includes: a step I of observing a target region in a tissue of a subject and a conservation region that should not be ablated, the conservation region being adjacent to the ablation target region, using an observation unit; a step II of placing a thermal monitoring instrument that deforms if a temperature thereof exceeds a predetermined temperature, in a boundary between the ablation target region and the conservation region under the observation using the observation unit; a step III of heating the ablation target region using an ablation instrument while observing the ablation target region using the observation unit; and a step IV of stopping the heating at a stage where deformation of the thermal monitoring instrument is confirmed.

Abstract: A puncture tool includes: a needle tube internally including a channel; an opening portion arranged at a proximal end portion of a needle tube turning operation portion; a conical shape portion to be punctured into a subject, the conical shape portion being arranged at a distal end portion of the needle tube; an opening portion arranged on a proximal end side of the conical shape portion and communicating with the channel; a blade capable of being inserted through the channel of the needle tube and capable of causing a cutting portion to project from the opening portion when being inserted through the channel; and a connector for electrically connecting the conical shape portion and a high frequency power supply device.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe system includes a main body portion, an ultrasound observation portion transmitting ultrasound in a side surface direction of the main body portion and receiving a reflected wave, a distal-end portion provided such that a proximal-end face, on a proximal-end side is adjacent to a distal-end in an axial direction of the main body portion, a sheath portion housing the main body portion inside to be capable of advancing and retracting in the axial direction, a distal-end face arranged at a distal-end of the sheath portion and facing the proximal-end face, a specimen collecting portion provided on the proximal-end face and/or the distal-end face, the specimen collecting portion being formed at an acute angle to separate a specimen from a subject, and an edge portion arranged on the proximal-end face or the distal-end face to cross the entire circumference of the specimen collecting portion to cut the specimen.

Abstract: A method of transurethral local anesthesia includes: a step I of inserting a flexible ultrasound endoscope having a treatment instrument channel into a urethra or a urinary bladder; a step II of identifying a region to be anesthetized by ultrasound observation using the ultrasound endoscope; a step III of leading an injection needle out from the treatment instrument channel and injecting an anesthetic drug into the region to be anesthetized while performing ultrasound observation using the ultrasound endoscope; a step IV of extracting the ultrasound endoscope from the urethra; and a step V of inserting, after the step IV, an endoscope and/or a treatment instrument into the urethra or the urinary bladder and performing transurethral treatment.

Abstract: A treatment instrument insertion auxiliary is used to subserve passage of an elongated treatment instrument into a treatment instrument channel by being connected to an endoscope provided with a rigid insertion portion which includes the treatment instrument channel adapted to allow passage of the treatment instrument and a treatment instrument channel opening portion formed at a proximal end of the treatment instrument channel and used to insert the treatment instrument, where the treatment instrument insertion auxiliary includes a receiving portion adapted to suppress vibration of a distal end side of the treatment instrument by being placed in contact with the distal end side of the treatment instrument; and a first guide unit adapted to guide a distal end of the treatment instrument placed in contact with the receiving portion in a central axis direction of the treatment instrument channel opening portion.

Abstract: An ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound probe that is provided at a rigid portion at a distal end of an insertion portion, a cable that transmits electrical signals to and from the ultrasound probe, and a rigid flexible substrate that is interposed between the ultrasound probe and the cable to transmit the electrical signals, and configures a part of a planar member in which a plurality of layers including a wiring layer are stacked as a flexible portion further including an insulating layer, and the other portion as a rigid portion further including a rigid layer, wherein the ultrasound probe is connected to the rigid portion, and at least a part of the flexible portion is disposed in a spiral shape to surround a wiring connection portion of the cable and the rigid flexible substrate, and an uncovered portion of a distal end side of the cable.

Abstract: In a distal end portion of a flexible sheath which is inserted integrally with an ultrasound transducer array, cell collecting hole portions each including a through-hole which allows a distal end portion outer periphery and an internal space of the flexible sheath to communicate with each other is provided, an edge for specimen cutting is formed at an opening portion of an outer circumferential side of each of the cell collecting hole portions, and after the flexible sheath is caused to reach a lesion part or the like of a subject, specimen collection is performed without additionally inserting a biological forceps or the like into the flexible sheath, whereby a specimen of a target site such as a lesion part is reliably collected without unnecessarily increasing the number of times of insertion and extraction of an instrument into and from a body, and the burden on an examinee is reduced.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe system includes a main body portion, an ultrasound observation portion transmitting ultrasound in a side surface direction of the main body portion and receiving a reflected wave, a distal-end portion provided such that a proximal-end face, on a proximal-end side is adjacent to a distal-end in an axial direction of the main body portion, a sheath portion housing the main body portion inside to be capable of advancing and retracting in the axial direction, a distal-end face arranged at a distal-end of the sheath portion and facing the proximal-end face, a specimen collecting portion provided on the proximal-end face and/or the distal-end face, the specimen collecting portion being formed at an acute angle to separate a specimen from a subject, and an edge portion arranged on the proximal-end face or the distal-end face to cross the entire circumference of the specimen collecting portion to cut the specimen.

Abstract: A tumor reductive procedure under ultrasound observation includes observing a tissue from an inside or an outside of a body with an ultrasound observation device, dissolving, breaking up, resecting, or vaporizing a tumor inner portion under ultrasound observation by the ultrasound observation device, introducing a solvent for suspension into the tumor inner portion from a distal end of a needle tube arranged in the tumor inner portion, mixing the solvent for suspension with a tumor tissue of the dissolved, broken-up, resected, or vaporized tumor inner portion, and changing the tumor inner portion to a fluid, and collecting the tumor tissue, which is mixed with the solvent for suspension and softened, from the tumor inner portion using the needle tube or another duct after changing the tumor to the fluid under the ultrasound observation.

Abstract: A treatment instrument for an endoscope includes a specimen sampling tool including arm portions, a loading portion, and a claw portion, a proximal end of the arm portions being fixed, and a tube on an inside of which the specimen sampling tool is placed to be capable of moving back and forth. At least the claw portion is expanded in diameter further to an outer side in a radial direction R than a tube 3 according to relative movement of the specimen sampling tool and the tube 3. After the diameter expansion, the arm portions are retracted in the tube according to relative movement of the specimen sampling tool and the tube opposite to the relative movement in the diameter expansion in the extending direction.

Abstract: An ultrasound endoscope having an ultrasound probe that is provided at a rigid portion at a distal end of an insertion portion, a cable that transmits electrical signals to and from the ultrasound probe, and a rigid flexible substrate that is interposed between the ultrasound probe and the cable to transmit the electrical signals, and configures a part of a planar member in which a plurality of layers including a wiring layer are stacked as a flexible portion further including an insulating layer, and the other portion as a rigid portion further including a rigid layer, wherein the ultrasound probe is connected to the rigid portion, and at least a part of the flexible portion is disposed in a spiral shape to surround a wiring connection portion of the cable and the rigid flexible substrate, and an uncovered portion of a distal end side of the cable.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: transmission and reception signal lines that send transmission and reception signals of ultrasound to a plurality of ultrasound transducers; signal determining portions near the ultrasound transducers and determine a selection signal for selecting an ultrasound transducer to be driven or a readout signal for reading out the selection signal, the selection signal being sent out in synchronization with a transmission signal for forming the transmission and reception signal, and couple the ultrasound transducer to be driven with the transmission and reception signal line according to a result of the determination; and direct current blocking/clipping circuits that block a direct current bias component superimposed on the transmission and reception signal and sent via the transmission and reception signal line, and clip a waveform with large amplitude.

Abstract: When an ultrasound endoscope arrives at an objective area, a puncture needle is located in a scan area of a first ultrasound image. Thereby, an image of the puncture needle is delineated on the first ultrasound image. Furthermore, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the puncture needle and an ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound probe is arranged in the objective area through the puncture needle. Then, the ultrasound probe is driven and a second ultrasound image is delineated. Detailed observation inside the objective area in which the puncture needle is punctured is possible with the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: A treatment instrument for endoscope of the present invention includes a puncture needle having a barb. A lymph node removing method of the present invention includes: an insertion step, wherein an endoscope has an insertable insertion portion which is inserted into an esophagus or a trachea being a lumen inside the body of a subject; the step of inserting a distal end portion arranged at the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the lumen; a confirmation step of confirming the position of a mediastinal lymph node by performing ultrasound scanning using an ultrasound transducer arranged at the distal end portion; an anchoring step of placing an anchoring device which has been inserted through a channel inside the insertion portion of the endoscope, on the mediastinal lymph node by performing the ultrasound scanning; a incision step of cutting a wall of the lumen to make a fistula; and a drawing-in step of drawing the mediastinal lymph node into the lumen with the anchoring device.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: transmission and reception signal lines that send transmission and reception signals of ultrasound to a plurality of ultrasound transducers; signal determining portions near the ultrasound transducers and determine a selection signal for selecting an ultrasound transducer to be driven or a readout signal for reading out the selection signal, the selection signal being sent out in synchronization with a transmission signal for forming the transmission and reception signal, and couple the ultrasound transducer to be driven with the transmission and reception signal line according to a result of the determination; and direct current blocking/clipping circuits that block a direct current bias component superimposed on the transmission and reception signal and sent via the transmission and reception signal line, and clip a waveform with large amplitude.

Abstract: An ultrasound-guided ablation method captures an objective area to be ablated in an ultrasound scan area of an ultrasound transducer and delineates the objective area on an ultrasound image; specifies an ablation target area to display the ablation target area with a margin necessary for ablating the objective area on the ultrasound image processed by an ultrasound observation device and displayed on a display device; ablates, by an ablation device, the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image; and checks, on the ultrasound image, that an ablated area ablated by the ablation device has reached the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image.

Abstract: A treatment instrument for endoscope of the present invention includes a puncture needle having a barb. A lymph node removing method of the present invention includes: an insertion step, wherein an endoscope has an insertable insertion portion which is inserted into an esophagus or a trachea being a lumen inside the body of a subject; the step of inserting a distal end portion arranged at the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the lumen; a confirmation step of confirming the position of a mediastinal lymph node by performing ultrasound scanning using an ultrasound transducer arranged at the distal end portion; an anchoring step of placing an anchoring device which has been inserted through a channel inside the insertion portion of the endoscope, on the mediastinal lymph node by performing the ultrasound scanning; a incision step of cutting a wall of the lumen to make a fistula; and a drawing-in step of drawing the mediastinal lymph node into the lumen with the anchoring device.

Abstract: An ultrasound-guided ablation method captures an objective area to be ablated in an ultrasound scan area of an ultrasound transducer and delineates the objective area on an ultrasound image; specifies an ablation target area to display the ablation target area with a margin necessary for ablating the objective area on the ultrasound image processed by an ultrasound observation device and displayed on a display device; ablates, by an ablation device, the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image; and checks, on the ultrasound image, that an ablated area ablated by the ablation device has reached the ablation target area displayed on the ultrasound image.

Abstract: When an ultrasound endoscope arrives at an objective area, a puncture needle is located in a scan area of a first ultrasound image. Thereby, an image of the puncture needle is delineated on the first ultrasound image. Furthermore, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the puncture needle and an ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound probe is arranged in the objective area through the puncture needle. Then, the ultrasound probe is driven and a second ultrasound image is delineated. Detailed observation inside the objective area in which the puncture needle is punctured is possible with the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: A treatment instrument for endoscope of the present invention includes a puncture needle having a barb. A lymph node removing method of the present invention includes: an insertion step, wherein an endoscope has an insertable insertion portion which is inserted into an esophagus or a trachea being a lumen inside the body of a subject; the step of inserting a distal end portion arranged at the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the lumen; a confirmation step of confirming the position of a mediastinal lymph node by performing ultrasound scanning using an ultrasound transducer arranged at the distal end portion; an anchoring step of placing an anchoring device which has been inserted through a channel inside the insertion portion of the endoscope, on the mediastinal lymph node by performing the ultrasound scanning; a incision step of cutting a wall of the lumen to make a fistula; and a drawing-in step of drawing the mediastinal lymph node into the lumen with the anchoring device.