Olympus Linear echoendoscope GF-UCT160-OL5

The GF-UCT160-OL5 belongs in endoscopy suites where endoscopic ultrasound forms part of the daily list. Hospital gastroenterology departments are the natural home for a linear echoendoscope, and the room holds the EU-C60 ultrasound centre beside the scope.

EUS-trained endoscopists operate the instrument. Assistants prepare the contact balloon or the sterile deaerated water and handle needles and accessories. Four-direction bending lets the operator steer the transducer face toward the tissue under examination, while the 55° oblique video view keeps the tip in sight during positioning.

The first use is imaging of the upper gastrointestinal tract and the structures beside it. The 150° sector at 7.5 MHz forms the B-mode image, and colour power Doppler adds blood-flow display. Acoustic contact comes from a balloon or from water immersion, and the operator chooses between them for each examination.

The second use is sampling. Once the scan has located a target, a 22G fine-needle aspiration needle passes through the 3.7 mm channel, so imaging and sampling share one insertion. That workflow suits units that run diagnostic and tissue-sampling sessions in the same room with the same equipment. A 100° video view and a depth of field from 3 to 100 mm support positioning before each scan.

A session follows the sequence built into the scope. The video view positions the tip, the balloon or the water establishes acoustic contact, and the 150° B-mode image shows the target. Colour power Doppler adds blood flow to the display, and a 22G needle then passes through the channel along the route the image has defined. Each stage runs through the same 12.6 mm insertion tube.

Scanning and sampling in one insertion

The transducer, video optics, and 3.7 mm channel share one insertion tube. After the 150° scan locates a target, a 22G fine-needle aspiration needle passes through the same scope to reach it. Scanning and sampling form one continuous sequence, and the operator stays in the position already reached for imaging.

A 150° sector at 7.5 MHz

The electronic linear array scans a 150° sector at 7.5 MHz, which gives a broad ultrasound field across the tissue facing the transducer. The array is electronic, and the operator reads one wide B-mode image while the scope stays in a single position.

Colour power Doppler beside B-mode

B-mode shows tissue structure, and colour power Doppler adds blood flow to the same display. Vessels near the target appear on screen while the operator plans the needle path. Flow and structure are read together, which keeps the sampling decision on one image.

Two routes to acoustic contact

The scope makes contact through a balloon or by immersion in sterile deaerated water. Either route carries the 7.5 MHz signal into the tissue. The operator selects the route that suits the site and the examination, so contact is a bedside decision for each case.

Four-direction bending

The tip bends 130° up, 90° down, 90° right and 90° left. That range gives the operator control over where the transducer face points. Upward travel reaches 130°, and the three 90° directions complete the set for placing the tip against the tissue of interest.

A 55° oblique view across 100°

The video optics look in a 55° oblique direction and cover a 100° field. The wide field gives a broad picture of the surroundings while the tip is positioned. A high-resolution CCD forms the image on the monitor.

Focus from 3 to 100 mm.

Depth of field runs from 3 to 100 mm, and the minimum visible distance is 6 mm. Tissue stays in focus across that span as the tip approaches and withdraws. The operator keeps a usable video picture throughout positioning.

A compact transducer

The transducer is ultra-compact, with a 5 mm radius of curvature, and sits at the distal end of a 12.6 mm insertion tube. A small curvature radius lets the array fit the tip while keeping the 150° scan. The distal end measures 14.6 mm across.

Paired with the EU-C60 ultrasound centre

The scope works with the EU-C60 ultrasound centre, which serves as its ultrasound processor. A team that already holds the EU-C60 can add the scope to its existing equipment set. The room needs space for the processor beside the scope.

Electronic linear array

The ultrasound transducer is an electronic linear array fitted at the distal end. It forms the B-mode image electronically and displays it alongside colour power Doppler.

7.5 MHz operating frequency

The array operates at 7.5 MHz. That single frequency balances image detail and depth for every scan the scope makes.

150° scan angle

Each scan covers a 150° sector in front of the transducer face. A sector of that width shows the target and the tissue around it in one frame.

5 mm radius of curvature

The transducer face has a 5 mm radius of curvature. The compact curve lets the array sit at the tip of a 12.6 mm insertion tube.

B-mode and colour power Doppler

Two display modes serve the ultrasound image. B-mode shows tissue structure, and colour power Doppler overlays blood flow.

Balloon or water contact

A balloon provides acoustic contact, as does immersion in sterile, deaerated water. Both routes are part of the scope's contact method.

55° oblique direction of view

The video optics view the shaft at 55 °. This oblique angle shapes how the tip sits against the tissue.

100° field of view

The video field spans 100°. A field of that width shows the tissue around the tip and the target ahead.

Depth of field and near focus

Depth of field covers 3 to 100 mm, and the minimum visible distance is 6 mm. The range holds the picture in focus during approach.

High-resolution CCD

A high-resolution CCD sensor forms the video image. It supplies the picture the operator uses for positioning before and between scans.

3.7 mm instrument channel

The instrument channel is 3.7 mm in diameter and takes 22G fine-needle aspiration needles. It leaves the tip beside the transducer, so a needle emerges close to the imaged plane.

Four-direction bending

Bending reaches 130° up, 90° down, 90° right and 90° left. The tip and the transducer face follow the operator's control in all four directions.

Distal end and insertion tube diameters

The distal end measures 14.6 mm across, and the insertion tube is 12.6 mm in diameter. Both dimensions describe the part of the scope that enters the patient.

Working and total length

The working length is 1,250 mm, and the total length is 1,575 mm. The working length is the insertable portion, and the totallength  includes the control section and cable.

EU-C60 compatibility

The EU-C60 ultrasound centre serves as the ultrasound processor for the scope. It completes the equipment set for scanning and Doppler display.

The GF-UCT160-OL5 suits endoscopy units that run endoscopic ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration in the same room with one instrument. Its strength is workflow. The 150° scan at 7.5 MHz locates the target, and the 3.7 mm channel then carries a 22G needle to it. Colour power Doppler, balloon or water contact and four-direction bending give the operator control over how each examination is set up, while the video optics cover 100° from 3 to 100 mm. With the EU-C60 ultrasound centre as its processor, the equipment set is complete. If you want scanning and sampling to follow one another through a single scope, you've found the answer. The transducer, channel and optics all sit within a 12.6 mm insertion tube.