TUBULAR PROBE FOR SENSING HARDNESS VARIATIONS WHEN RUBBED OVER A SURFACE TO BE EXAMINED

摘要

Hardness measuring probes for continuously and quickly measuring the hardness around an object position by a simple operation. …??The hardness of a living body structure within a body cavity and the variations of an affected part and normal part have been conventionally measured with a pressure sensor fixed to the tip of an endoscope, or with a sensor inserted through a forceps channel. However, the measured value will fluctuate depending on the manner of contacting the object to be measured, and on variations of the ambient atmospheric pressure. Therefore, in embodiments of the present invention, the ambient pressure around the object to be measured is led from an aperture to one pressure receiving surface, and contacting means, such as a rounded rotatable roller (20) or ball (51) is contacted with the object (5) and the hardness of the object is measured on the other pressure receiving surface (6A) so that the hardness may be continuously and quickly measured by a simple operation.