JP2002272740A - Medical equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide compact medical equipment for investigating the state of a subject, in particular, a living body and excellent in economical efficiency. SOLUTION: The medical equipment is equipped with both of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and an electrocardiograph, which forms an electrocardiogram on the basis of an electrocardiographic signal picked up by an electrocardiographic electrode, provided in one housing 200 and also equipped with a liquid crystal display screen 270, on which both of an ultrasonic diagnostic image and an electrocardiogram used in common by the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and the electrocardiograph are displayed, and a thermal printer 240.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical device for examining an internal state of a subject, particularly a living body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various medical devices have been developed and used to examine the state inside a living body to obtain various information useful for diagnosing a disease.

[0003] For example, there is known an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which displays an image of a living body by examining the state of the living body using ultrasonic waves.

There is also known an electrocardiograph in which an electrocardiographic electrode is attached to a living body to pick up an electrocardiographic signal and record an electrocardiogram.

[0005] These ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses and electrocardiographs are representative of medical equipment for examining the state of a living body, and are widely used in the field of health management such as a medical checkup and the medical field for treatment. ing.

[0006]

Since these ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses and electrocardiographs are used in the same field because their measuring principles are completely different, they are conventionally configured as completely separate medical devices. And are supplied separately, there are various inconveniences such as an increase in costs for purchasing both, a large installation space, and a lack of uniformity in handling.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact and economical medical device.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems A first medical device of the medical device of the present invention that achieves the above object is applied to a subject, transmits an ultrasonic wave into the subject, and transmits the ultrasound in the subject. An ultrasonic probe equipped with an ultrasonic head at the tip for receiving reflected ultrasonic waves is connected, and generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image based on the ultrasonic reception signals obtained by ultrasonic reception by the ultrasonic head. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is connected to a dielectric cord having an electrocardiographic electrode mounted on a subject and picking up an electrocardiographic signal, and an electrocardiogram is generated based on the electrocardiographic signal picked up by the electrocardiographic electrode. Along with providing both an electrocardiograph and one electrocardiograph, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph, which are shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph, LCD table displaying both Characterized by comprising a screen.

[0009] The first medical equipment has an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiograph in a single housing. Therefore, the compactness and cost reduction are improved as compared with the case where these are configured as separate apparatuses. It is planned.

Further, the first medical device has a liquid crystal display screen and is commonly used by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph.
From this point, compactness and cost reduction are realized.

[0011] In the first medical apparatus, the ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph are integrated while taking temporal correspondence. It is preferable to include an image integrating means for displaying an image on a liquid crystal display screen.

[0012] By displaying the ultrasonic diagnostic image and the electrocardiogram in a time-corresponding manner, the information obtained from the ultrasonic diagnostic image and the information obtained from the electrocardiogram can be temporally correlated, and the diagnosis of a disease can be made. More accurate information can be obtained.

A second medical device of the medical device of the present invention that achieves the above object is applied to a subject, transmits an ultrasonic wave into the subject, reflects the ultrasound within the subject, and returns. Ultrasound diagnostic that generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image based on an ultrasonic reception signal obtained by receiving an ultrasonic wave by the ultrasonic head, connected to an ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic head for receiving an ultrasonic wave received An electrocardiograph, which is connected to a device and a dielectric cord having an electrocardiographic electrode mounted on a subject and picking up an electrocardiographic signal at a tip thereof, and generating an electrocardiogram based on the electrocardiographic signal picked up by the electrocardiographic electrode; Are provided in one housing, and are shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph, and both the ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph are recorded. Thermal printer Characterized by comprising.

The second medical device has an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiograph in one housing, like the first medical device described above, and therefore has the same structure as that of the first medical device. Similarly, the compactness is improved and the cost is reduced as compared with the case where these are configured as separate devices.

Further, the second medical device has a thermal printer and is shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph, so that compactness and cost reduction are realized from this point as well.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing one embodiment of the medical device of the present invention when viewed from obliquely forward. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the medical device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from behind.

The medical device 100 includes one housing 20.
Both the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph are provided in the unit 0, and are used by being placed on a desk or attached to a dedicated trolley.

As shown in FIG. 2, the medical device 100 includes an ultrasonic head 500 at the front end, a probe connector 520 at the rear end, and an ultrasonic probe 500 connected between them by a cable 530. This medical device 100
Is used as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the probe connector 520 is attached to the housing 200 as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic head 510 is applied to the subject, and the ultrasonic head 510 applies ultrasonic waves into the subject. The ultrasonic wave that travels and is reflected in the subject and returned is received by the ultrasonic head 510, and the received signal is sent to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body in the housing. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, an ultrasonic diagnostic image is generated based on the transmitted received signal.

FIG. 2 shows a state where the ultrasonic head 510 is housed in the probe holder 310. The cable 530 connecting the ultrasonic head 510 and the probe connector 520 is attached to the cable hanger 330 as shown in FIG. 2 for convenience of handling.

The probe holder 310 is also provided with a container 320 containing echo jelly for improving the adhesion of the ultrasonic head 510 to the subject and improving the transmission of ultrasonic waves to the subject.

The medical device 100 has a dielectric cord 40 having an electrocardiographic electrode 410 at its tip as shown in FIG.
Has zero. The dielectric cord 400 has an inductive connector (not shown) at the rear end.
Is attached to the induction connector section 250 shown in FIG.

When the medical device 100 is used as an electrocardiograph, an electrocardiographic electrode 410 is attached to a subject, and the electrocardiographic electrode 410 picks up an electrocardiographic signal. The picked-up electrocardiogram signal is transmitted to the electrocardiograph main body in the housing 200, and the electrocardiograph main body generates an electrocardiogram based on the transmitted electrocardiogram signal.

The housing 200 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.
In front of it, a panel plate 210 is provided. The panel plate 210 is provided with a hinge 211 on a lower side, and is an openable and closable panel plate having a structure in which an upper side is opened along an arrow A. The panel plate 210 includes a panel in a state where the panel plate 210 is opened. On the upper surface of the plate 210, the operation panel 22
0 is deployed. The operation panel 220 is provided with an operator group 221 dedicated to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an operator group 222 including ten keys and function keys, which is shared by both the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph. I have.

Further, another operation panel 230 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 200.
0 has an operator group 231 dedicated to the electrocardiograph.

When using an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the operator often operates the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus while sitting on a chair. When using the apparatus as an electrocardiograph, the operator must
He often operates the electrocardiograph while standing. In the medical device 100, the operator group 221 dedicated to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided on the lower operation panel 220, and the operator group 231 dedicated to the electrocardiograph is provided on the upper operation panel 230.
It is an easy-to-handle device that matches the actual operation situation. The operator group 222 shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph is rarely operated during actual measurement,
Many of them are initial settings, and in this embodiment, are provided on the lower operation panel 220, but may be provided on the upper operation panel 230.

A thermal printer 240 is provided on the left side of the housing 200. The thermal printer 240 is shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph, and records both the ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph. Is done.

Further, another panel plate 260 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 200 of the medical device 100 to open and close the upper surface. The panel plate 260 has a hinge 261 at a rear portion thereof, and has a structure in which a front side opens along an arrow B. The panel plate 260 is provided with the panel plate 26 in a closed state.
A liquid crystal display screen 270 is provided on the lower surface of the “0”. The liquid crystal display screen 270 is shared by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the electrocardiograph. The liquid crystal display screen 270 includes an ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph. Are displayed.

In the housing, an ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiogram generated by an electrocardiograph are integrated while taking time correspondence, and the integrated image is stored. A circuit for displaying on the liquid crystal display screen 270 is also mounted.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the medical device 100 whose external appearance is shown in FIGS.

Transmission / reception circuit 610 inside housing 200
, A pulse signal for transmitting ultrasonic waves is sent toward the ultrasonic probe 500, and the ultrasonic probe 500 transmits ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic head 510 (see FIG. 2) at the tip thereof into the subject. . The ultrasonic wave reflected and returned within the subject is received by the ultrasonic head and the ultrasonic probe 5
00 to the transmission / reception circuit 610. Transmission / reception circuit 6
At 10, the received signal transmitted is appropriately amplified and A /
The signal is converted into a digital reception signal by the D converter 620, and an appropriate image processing is performed in the image processing unit 630. The image signal obtained by this image processing is edited for display by the display data editing unit 640, and the image edited by the display data editing unit 640 is displayed on the liquid crystal display screen (LCD) 270. When recording with the thermal printer 240, the image signal obtained by the image processing unit 630 is sent to the recording data editing unit 680, edited for recording, and recorded by the thermal printer 240.

Further, from the electrocardiographic lead cord 400, an electrocardiographic signal picked up by an electrocardiographic electrode 410 (see FIG. 1) at the tip thereof is transmitted to an electrocardiographic amplifier 650 and appropriately amplified, and A / D converted. The signal is converted into a digital electrocardiographic signal by the detector 660 and temporarily stored in the waveform memory 670. The electrocardiogram signal once stored in the waveform memory 670 is read out by the display data editing unit 640 when displayed on the liquid crystal display screen (LCD) 270 and edited for display, and the electrocardiogram obtained by the editing is displayed. Displayed on LCD 270. The electrocardiographic signal once stored in the waveform memory 670 is sent to the recording data editing unit 680 when recording by the thermal printer 240, edited for recording by the recording data editing unit 680, and obtained by the editing. An electrocardiogram is recorded by the thermal printer 240.

When displaying or recording an ultrasonic diagnostic image and an electrocardiogram on one screen, the waveform memory 670 is used.
Is sent to the image processing unit 630, and the image processing unit 630 generates an image in which the ultrasonic diagnostic image and the electrocardiogram are integrated. The integrated image signal is displayed on the LCD 270 via the display data editing unit 640 or the recording data editing unit 680, or recorded by the thermal printer 240.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a screen displayed on the LCD.

On the left side of the LCD 270, a B-mode image 271 which is a kind of ultrasonic diagnostic image is displayed. On the upper right part of the LCD 270, an M-mode image 272 which is also a kind of ultrasonic diagnostic image is displayed. The electrocardiographic waveform 273 is displayed below it. Here, the time axes of the M-mode image 272 and the electrocardiographic waveform 273 coincide with each other, and the temporal change of the M-mode image 272 and the temporal change of the electrocardiographic waveform 273 can be observed in association with each other. ing. As described above, by displaying the ultrasonic diagnostic image and the electrocardiogram (electrocardiographic waveform) in a time-related manner, comprehensive diagnosis by comparing both the ultrasonic diagnostic image and the electrocardiogram is facilitated.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a compact and low-cost medical device equipped with both an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiograph.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention when viewed obliquely from the front.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the medical device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from behind.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the medical device whose external appearance is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the LCD.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Medical equipment 200 Case 210 Panel board 211 Hinge 220 Operation panel 221 Operator group 222 Operator group 230 Operation panel 231 Operator group 240 Thermal printer 250 Induction connector section 260 Panel board 270 Liquid crystal display screen 271 B mode image 272 M mode Image 273 Electrocardiographic waveform 310 Probe holder 320 Container 330 Cable hanger 400 Dielectric cord 410 Electrocardiographic electrode 500 Ultrasonic probe 510 Ultrasonic head 520 Probe connector 530 Probe holder 610 Transmitter / receiver circuit 620 A / D converter 630 Image processing unit 640 Display data Editing unit 650 ECG 660 A / D converter 670 Waveform memory 680 Recorded data editing unit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshihisa Nakahashi Fukuda Electronics Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 4C027 AA02 BB05 HH11 4C301 CC02 CC04 EE13 EE17 FF28 JA18 JC15 KK34 LL15

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic head at its tip for transmitting an ultrasonic wave applied to a subject and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected and returned inside the subject. Is connected, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image based on an ultrasonic reception signal obtained by ultrasonic reception by the ultrasonic head, and an electrocardiogram that is attached to the subject and picks up an electrocardiographic signal An electrocardiograph for generating an electrocardiogram based on an electrocardiographic signal picked up by the electrocardiographic electrode, which is connected to a dielectric cord having an electrode at a tip thereof, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus; And a liquid crystal display screen that is shared by the electrocardiograph and displays both an ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph. Medical equipment. 2. An ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph are integrated while taking temporal correspondence, and the integrated image is displayed on the liquid crystal display screen. 2. The medical device according to claim 1, further comprising an image integration unit for displaying. 3. An ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic head at its tip for transmitting an ultrasonic wave applied to a subject and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected and returned in the subject. Is connected, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that generates an ultrasonic diagnostic image based on an ultrasonic reception signal obtained by ultrasonic reception by the ultrasonic head, and an electrocardiogram that is attached to the subject and picks up an electrocardiographic signal An electrocardiograph for generating an electrocardiogram based on an electrocardiographic signal picked up by the electrocardiographic electrode, which is connected to a dielectric cord having an electrode at a tip thereof, and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus; And a thermal printer shared by the electrocardiograph and recording both an ultrasonic diagnostic image generated by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an electrocardiogram generated by the electrocardiograph. Medical equipment.