Basic Properties of Ring-Type Ultrasonic Probe for Biopsy

Ultrasonography is widely used for imaging internal body structure or a fetus and is also used in biopsy procedures. The ultrasonic probes usually used in biopsies are either the convex type of probe or the endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) probe. The convex type is large because it is manipulated in contact with the surface of the body, whereas the EUS-FNA probe is small enough to be manipulated in an endoscope. In abdominal surgery and laparoscopic surgery one needs an ultrasonic probe that is small and can control the position of the puncture needle precisely. In this study, we fabricated a small ring-type ultrasonic probe with a through hole and investigated its basic operation in biopsies while observing the positions of the puncture needle and the lesion in the front of the probe.