GB2093188A

GB2093188A - Positioning echosignal sensor and electrosignal sensors of cardiographic apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2093188A
Application number: GB8104895A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: VSESOJUZNYJ KARDIOLOGITSCHES
Current assignee: VSESOJUZNYJ KARDIOLOGITSCHES
Priority date: 1981-02-17
Filing date: 1981-02-17
Publication date: 1982-08-25
Also published as: GB2093188B

Abstract

A device for positioning and holding an echocardiograph sensor (2) and ECG sensors (3) on the body has a base (4) with two mutually perpendicular guideways (5, 6) for a movable carriage (7) to travel thereon. The carriage carries a swivel head (10) with a socket (12) for the echosignal sensors (2) and is angularly displaceable in such a way that the centres of rotation of the socket and of the head itself coincide. The ECG sensors (3) are fixed on the base (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for positioning echosignal sensor and electrosignal sensors of cardiographic apparatus The present invention relates to medicine and is concerned more specifically with apparatus for taking cardiograms, particularly to a device for positioning echosignal and electrosignal sensors of a cardiographic apparatus and adapted for simultaneously taking an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram.

According to the invention provision is made in an apparatus for taking cardiograms, comprising an echocardiograph and an electrocardiograph, for a a device for positioning and fixing the sensors of echosignals and electric signals connected to the echo- and electrocardiographs, said device incorporating a base with means for its arranging and fixing on the patient's body within the zone under examination, a movable carriage, two mutually square guideways for the movable carriage to mount and travel thereon, retainers provided on the .carriage to lock it in a required position on the guideways a swivel head angularly adjustable on said carriage in the plane perpendicular thereto and having a socket for the echosignal sensor to accommodate, said head being so made that when it is swivelled to an angle the centre of rotation of the socket coincides with the centre of rotation of the head itself and both centres are permanently situated at the same common point, said base having at least three sockets for the sensors of electric signals to accommodate.

Advantageous features of the device discussed above reside first and foremost in the provision of precision accuracy of positioning and fixing the echocardiograph and ECG sensors attainable due to a possibility of accurate two-coordinate traversing of the carriage carrying said sensors, as well as precision-accuracy angular displacement of said sensors and their fixing at a preset point.

On the other hand, high-accuracy examination findings are attained due to a rigid coordinate linkage between the sensors at the instance of taking electrocardiograms. It is also worth noting that the proposed device is capable of highprecision measurements when the patient under examination performs various physical exercises.

It is likewise obvious that the sensor positioning time is much reduced, whereby a total examination time is cut down as well, since all sensors are mounted on a common base.

According to one of the embodiments of the present invention the swivel head incorporates a hemispherical case with flat bases to be mounted on the carriage and with a hole in the central portion for a sleeve serving to accommodate the signal sensor, as well as two spherical members carrying said sleeve and embracing the latter, one from outside and the other from inside, which members are mounted with a possibility of being brought together or apart so that when brought apart said members can be swivelled along with the sleeve to an angle with respect to a preset point, while when brought together said members and the socket are fixed rigidly in position.Such a constructional arrangement of the swivel head enables the echosignal sensor to be moved accurately with respect to a present point within a solid angle and to fix said sensor reliably throughout the entire examination process.

In order to provide reliable pressing of the echosignal sensor against the patient's body it is expedient to make use of a cup-mounted spring with one of its end thrusting against the cup end and with the other, against the sleeve.

To provide convenient replacement of the sensor the swivel head may be made detachable.

In what follows the present invention will be illustrated in a detailed description of a specific embodiment of a device for positioning and fixing echosignal and ECG sensors adapted for use in an apparatus for taking cardiograms provided with an echocardiograph and an electrocardiogaph to be read in conjunction with and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the device for realization of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a place of installation of the swivel head; and Fig. 4 is the swivel head with a multibeam sensor.

Referring now to Figs 1 and 2 one can see that in apparatus, according to the present invention, for simultaneously taking echo- and electrocardiograms, provision is made for a device indicated as a whole at Reg. No. 1 and adapted for positioning and fixing an echosignal sensor 2 and sensor 3 of electric signals, said sensors 2 and 3 being connected to an echocardiograph and an electrocardiograph (not shown in the drawings); The device 1 comprises a base 4 which mounts mutually square guideways 5 and 6, the guideway 6 being stationary, while the guideway 5 is traversable along the guideway 6, whereby a carriage 7 can travel in two mutually square directions. Retainers 8 and 9 are provided for the carriage 7 to lock in place.The carriage 7 carries a swivel head 10 incorporating a hemispherical case 11 graduated on its outside surface, said case 11 having a flat base to be mounted on the carriage and a hole in the central portion thereof for a sleeve 12 to pass, said sleeve serving as a socket for the echosignal sensor 2 to accommodate. Two spherical members 13 and 14 embrace the case 11 from outside and inside, respectively and carry the sleeve 12.The members 13 and 14 are mounted with a possibility of being brought together and apart so that when brought apart said members can be swivelled to an angle along with the sleeve 12 with respect to a preset point in a plane square with the plane of the carriage, while the centre of rotation of the sleeve 1 2 coincides with the centre of rotation of the head itself, and both centres are permanently situated at the same common point, while when said members are brought together the sleeve and the members 13 and 14 are rigidly fixed in place due to the fact that shaped cams 1 5 loosely set on pivots 16 are turned till meeting a stop 17.An axial spring 19 is mounted in a cup 18 screwed onto the member 14 outside of the sleeve 12, said spring thrusting with one of its ends against the end of the cup 1 8, and with the other, against the sleeve 12, thus exerting a constant force of pressing the echosignal sensor 2 to the patient's body.

The swivel head is made detachable and is mounted on the carriage 7 by bringing rods 20 (Fig.

3) in register with the holes in the carriage until balls 21 actuated by a spring 22 catch the respective recesses in the rods 20. A swivel head 23 with a multibeam sensor 24 (Figs. 3, 4) is set in position in a similar way. The sensors 3 are fixed in position on the base 4 through metallic holders 25 (Fig. 1) made fast on the base 4 by screws 26, said holders serving both as current leadouts of the sensors 3 and as means for connecting these to the electrocardiograph. The holders 25 are made in a current-conducting metal and have a special shape making possible their use as a support for fastening on the patient's body; they are electrically insulated from the base through gaskets 27 and bushes 28. The sensors 3 themselves are secured on the holder projection under the base so as to be pressed to the patient's body.The other portion of the holder, projecting upwards with respect to the base 4, has a slot 29 for the belt to pass when fastening the device on the patient's body, a contact socket 30. The contact socket 30 of all the sensors are connected to a common socket 31, which is adapted to be connected to the electrocardiograph.

The device of the present invention operates as follows.

The echosignal sensor 2 is fitted into the sleeve 12 and oriented vertically, the members 13 and 14 are brought together by turning the cams 1 5 till they meet the stops 17, and the device is made fast on the patient's body within the area to be examined, using belts (not shown) passed through the slots 29. Then the wire leads of the electrocardiograph are connected to the socket 31 through an appropriate cable, whereupon the swivel head 10 is lightly forced upwards from the carriage 7 and removed, after which a lubricant is applied to the patient's body within the square area over which the echosignal sensor will be moved. Next the swivel head is mounted onto the carriage by bringing the head rods 20 in register with the holes in the carriage, which is attained by lightly pressing the head until a characteristic click is heard.

Thereupon the members 13 and 14 are brought apart by moving the cams 15 down, and the cardiologist while keeping the cup 18 with your hand, is to search for a required examination point by travelling the carriage 7 along the guideways 5 and 6, at the same time observing the echosignal sensor readings against the monitor. Then the carriage is fixed and the thus-selected point using the retainers 8, 9, and examination is carried out by displacing the members 13, 14 over the hemispherical case 11, said members being connected, through the cup 16 and the sleeve 12 to the echosignal sensor 2, so that the members 13 and 14 describes a solid angle round the point in question.As soon as the desired zone of examination is located the members 13, 14 are brought together by turning the cams 1 5 till they meet the stops 17, and further examination procedure is carried out without touching to the echosignal sensor.

In order to replace the swivel head carrying a single-beam echosignal sensor with the swivel head 23 carrying the multibeam echosignal sensor 24, one must force the former head out of the carriage and bring the rods 21 out of the holes in its carriage, then take out said head and mount the head 23 instead.

While a specific and preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed hereinbefore, it will be understood that various modifications and versions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Thus, for instance, the shaped cams may be substituted by spring actuated buttons with rollers. However, in any case the above-discussed embodiment of the present invention is by no means limitative on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for taking cardiograms having an echocardiograph and an electrocardiograph, a device for positioning and fixing an echosignal sensor and sensors of electric signals, said sensors being connected to said respective echocardiograph and said respective electrocardiograph, said device comprising a base carrying means for its being arranged and fixed on the patient's body within the zone under examination, a movable carriage, two mutually square guideways for the movable carriage to mount and travel thereon, retainers provided on the carriage to lock it in a required position on the guideways, a swivel head angularly displaceable on said carriage in the plane perpendicular thereto and having a socket for the echosignal sensor to accommodate, said swivel head being so made that when it is swivelled to an angle the centre of rotation of the socket coincides with the centre of rotation of the.

head itself and both centres are situated permanently at the same common point, said base having at least three sockets for the sensors of electric signals to accommodate.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the swivel head incorporates a hemispherical case with a flat base to be mounted on the carriage and with a hole in the central portion for a sleeve serving to accommodate the signal sensor, as well as two spherical members carrying said sleeve and embracing the latter, one from outside and the other from inside, which members are mounted with a possibility of being brought together or apart so that when brought apart said members can be swivelled along with the sleeves to an angle with respect to a preset point, while when brought together said members and the socket are fixed rigidly in position.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the swivel head and the guideway are provided with a reading device.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein a cup-mounted axial spring is provided outside of the sleeve, said spring thrusting with one of its ends against the cup end, and with the other, against the sleeve so as to press the sleeve along with the sensor to the patient's body.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the swivel head is made detachable.

6. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the swivel head carries a multibeam sensor.

7. A device for positioning and fixing and echosignal sensor and sensors of electric signals in an apparatus for taking cardiograms substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.