JP2008086653A - Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To radiate heat generated inside the probe connector of an ultrasonic probe in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The probe connector 18 is provided with connector side heat transmission plates 44 and an apparatus main body side is provided with main body side heat transmission plates 42. When mounting and locking the probe connector 18, the movement of a lock handle 56 is transmitted to the connector side heat transmission plate 44 by a transmission mechanism 50 comprising parallel links. The connector side heat transmission plates 44 move in the directions of separating from each other and are in surface contact with the main body side heat transmission plates 42 facing each other. Through the heat transmission plates 44 and 42, the heat generated inside the probe connector 18 is radiated to the apparatus main body side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves into a subject and obtains an ultrasonic image based on the ultrasonic waves, and particularly relates to heat radiation of a probe connector for attaching and detaching an ultrasonic probe to and from an apparatus main body.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the inside of a subject and obtains an ultrasonic image of a target site using the received ultrasonic wave. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves according to a target region and an image to be obtained can be replaced. The ultrasonic probe includes a probe head that contacts an object and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves, a probe connector attached to the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and a probe cable that connects the probe head and the probe connector. By attaching the probe connector to the main body side, the terminal pin provided on the probe connector and the terminal hole provided on the main body side are connected, and the circuit on the device main body side and the ultrasonic transducer in the probe head are electrically connected Is done.

A conventional probe connector contains a wiring connecting an ultrasonic transducer of a probe head and a terminal pin.
JP 2001-353147 A US Pat. No. 5,560,362

  In recent years, in order to acquire a higher resolution and a three-dimensional ultrasonic image, there is a demand for an ultrasonic probe having a larger number of ultrasonic transducers, that is, a multi-channel ultrasonic probe. Since the ultrasonic transducer and the terminal pin are connected one-to-one, when the number of ultrasonic transducers increases, the number of terminal pins of the probe connector also increases, so that it does not fit in the connector. For this reason, it is conceivable that the drive control of the vibrator, the processing of the received signal, and the like performed on the apparatus main body side are performed by a circuit provided in the probe connector.

  However, if a driving circuit for ultrasonic transducers, a signal processing circuit for received signals, etc. are housed in the probe connector, heat generation of these circuits becomes a problem.

  In the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, techniques for controlling the temperature of the probe head of the ultrasonic probe are disclosed, but heat generation of the probe connector is not considered. In other words, conventionally, there has been no technique for solving the problem related to heat generated when an electrical circuit or the like is mounted on the connector of the ultrasonic probe.

  The present invention provides a technique for radiating heat from a probe connector on which an electric circuit or the like is mounted.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is provided with heat transfer bodies on both the apparatus main body and the probe connector, and when the probe connector is mounted on the apparatus main body, these heat transfer bodies are in surface contact, that is, between the heat transfer bodies. The heat generated in the probe connector is transmitted to the apparatus main body side to dissipate heat. In order to ensure that the heat transfer body on the main body side and the heat transfer body on the connector side are in close contact with each other, a heat transfer body drive mechanism for driving at least one heat transfer body is provided. When the probe connector is attached to the apparatus main body, the heat transfer body drive mechanism moves at least one of the heat transfer bodies on the main body side and the connector side in a direction in which they approach each other, and brings them into surface contact.

  The main body side heat transfer body and the connector side heat transfer body can be paired. One heat transfer body pair can sandwich the other heat transfer body pair from the outside to bring them into surface contact. Further, the pair of heat transfer members can be expanded so that they come into surface contact with each other by stretching from the inside of the other heat transfer member pair.

  The probe connector is provided with a lock mechanism that locks the probe connector so that it does not come off when the connector is attached to the apparatus main body, and the heat transfer body drive mechanism can operate in conjunction with the lock mechanism. Thereby, when the probe connector is mounted, the heat transfer body can be reliably brought into surface contact.

  The lock mechanism has a handle, and the probe connector can be locked by rotating the handle. A transmission mechanism, such as a link mechanism, that mechanically transmits the movement of the handle to the connector-side heat transfer body can be provided.

  Further, the lock mechanism can be provided with a lock sensor for detecting locking and unlocking, and the main body side heat transfer body can be moved by driving the motor based on the detection result of the sensor. A mechanism including a cam can be employed as a mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the motor to the main body side heat transfer body. The cam may have a profile in which positions where the main body side heat transfer body is brought into surface contact with the connector side heat transfer body and positions where the main body side heat transfer body are separated from the connector side heat transfer body are alternately provided. By this cam profile, the main body side heat transfer body can be sequentially set to the surface contact position and the separation position by the rotation of the motor in one direction.

  According to the present invention, heat generated in the probe connector can be transferred to the main body side by the main body side heat transfer body and the connector side heat transfer body in surface contact, and the connector can be radiated.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 transmits / receives ultrasonic waves by controlling an ultrasonic probe 14 and an ultrasonic probe 14 including a probe head 12 that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to / from a subject, and generates ultrasonic waves based on the obtained reception signals. It is roughly divided into an apparatus main body 16 that provides images.

  The ultrasonic probe 14 has a probe connector 18 that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 16, and a plug 22 having connection pins 20 is provided on the probe connector 18. The connection pin 20 and each transducer of the probe head 12 are connected by a probe cable 24. The probe connector 18 houses a connector-side transmission / reception circuit device 26 that controls transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves from the probe head 12, drives an ultrasonic transducer, and performs predetermined processing on received signals. .

  The apparatus body 16 is provided with a receptacle 28 for receiving the plug 22 of the probe connector, and the receptacle 28 is provided with a connection hole 30 for connecting to the connection pin 20 of the plug 22. When the probe connector 18 is attached to the apparatus main body 16, the plug 22 and the receptacle 28 are coupled, and the connection pin 20 contacts the connection hole 30. Thereby, the ultrasonic probe 14 and the apparatus main body 16 are electrically connected.

  The apparatus main body 16 includes a main body side transmission / reception circuit device 32. The main body side transmission / reception circuit device 32 cooperates with the connector side transmission / reception circuit device 26 to perform control related to transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves of the ultrasonic probe 14. The main body side transmission / reception circuit device 32 operates in accordance with the control of the transmission / reception control unit 34, and the transmission / reception control unit 34 controls the transmission / reception circuit device 32 in accordance with an instruction from the user input from the operation panel 36. The acquired reception signal is sent to the image forming unit 38, where predetermined processing is executed, and a predetermined image such as a B-mode tomographic image is formed. The formed image is displayed on the display 40, for example, and provided to the user.

  As described above, the probe connector 18 includes a part of a circuit that performs transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves, processing of received signals, and the like. These circuits are provided on the ultrasonic probe 14 side by separating a part of the transmission / reception circuit device provided in the conventional apparatus main body 16 and adding a new function. One of the reasons for adopting such a configuration is that as the number of ultrasonic transducers increases, the circuit scale increases, the space of the apparatus main body is insufficient, and the probe connector 18 is increased due to an increase in the number of wires. This is because the connection pins 20 provided on the connector do not fit on the surface of the connector facing the device main body 16. By performing some signal processing on the ultrasonic probe 14 side, the number of connection pins and connection holes is reduced.

  Thus, when a circuit is built in the probe connector 18, heat generation from a circuit element such as a circuit device becomes a problem. This heat generation may cause problems such as failure of the circuit device itself and deformation of the connector case, and it is necessary to dissipate heat appropriately.

  FIG. 2-4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration related to heat transfer between the probe connector 18 and the apparatus main body 16. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration around the receptacle 28 of the apparatus main body 16 and a configuration related to heat transfer of the probe connector 18, and other configurations are omitted or seen through. FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the main part. Note that the vertical, horizontal, and front-rear directions in the following description are defined as the vertical, horizontal, and penetrating directions in FIG. 3, respectively, and do not necessarily match the directions in the actual apparatus.

  The apparatus main body 16 and the probe connector 18 are provided with a pair of a main body side heat transfer plate 42 that is a main body side heat transfer body and a pair of connector side heat transfer plates 44 that are connector side heat transfer bodies. The main body side heat transfer plates 42 are located on the left and right sides of the receptacle 28 and are connected to a structure having good thermal conductivity, such as a housing such as the apparatus main body. The connector-side heat transfer plate 44 is disposed at a position that is inside the paired main body-side heat transfer plate 42 when the probe connector 18 is attached to the apparatus main body 16. The connector side heat transfer plate 44 is movable along the guide 46 (see FIG. 4) in a direction approaching or separating from the corresponding main body side heat transfer plate 42. The main body side heat transfer plate and the connector side heat transfer plate come into surface contact, and heat generated inside the probe connector is transmitted to the apparatus main body side. A follower 48 is provided at the upper and lower ends of the connector-side heat transfer plate 44, and this engages with a guide 46 extending in the left-right direction to restrict the movement of the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 only to the left and right. The connector-side heat transfer plate 44 is provided with a guide slit 54 into which the slide pin 52 of the transmission mechanism 50 is inserted. The guide slit 54 extends in the vertical direction as well shown in FIG.

  The probe connector 18 is provided with a lock mechanism for locking the probe connector 18 so as not to be detached from the apparatus main body 16. A lock shaft 58 extending rearward is integrally coupled to the lock handle 56 of the lock mechanism. When the probe connector 18 is attached, the lock shaft 58 enters into the lock hole 60 of the apparatus main body. A lock pin 62 is erected in the radial direction at the tip of the lock shaft 58. When the lock shaft 58 enters the lock hole 60, the position of the lock pin 62 is the position of the groove portion 60 a of the lock hole 60. Match. When the lock handle 56 is rotated, the lock pin 62 is also rotated in the apparatus main body 16, and the position with respect to the groove portion 60 a is shifted and engaged with the peripheral edge of the lock hole 60. This prevents the probe connector 18 from being disconnected. Therefore, the lock handle 56, the lock shaft 58, the lock hole 60, the lock pin 62, and the like function as a lock mechanism.

  The movement of the connector side heat transfer plate 44 in the left-right direction is interlocked with the rotation operation of the lock handle 56. On the lock shaft 58, an engagement piece 64 is further erected outward in the radial direction. The engagement piece 64 is engaged with an engagement hole 68 provided in one of the links 66 of the transmission mechanism 50 having a parallelogram link mechanism. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to specify the link provided with the engagement hole 68, it is referred to as a link 66a. The state of engagement between the engagement piece 64 and the engagement hole 68 is shown in FIG. The engagement hole 64 allows the engagement piece 64 to move between the engagement end surfaces 68a and 68b. When the rotation of the lock shaft 58, that is, the movement of the engagement piece 64 exceeds the range of the engagement end faces 68a and 68b, the rotation of the lock shaft 58 is transmitted to the link 66a. When the link 66 a rotates, this rotation is also transmitted to the upper and lower two links 66 via the connecting link 70. By the rotation of the link 66, the slide pin 52 provided at the tip of each link 66 moves in the left-right direction, and the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 that makes a pair in accordance with this also moves in the left-right direction.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 when the probe connector 18 is attached / detached. When the plug 22 of the probe connector 18 is inserted into the receptacle 28 of the apparatus main body 16, the connector side heat transfer plate 44 is spaced from the inside of the main body side heat transfer plate 42 as shown in FIG. positioned. When the lock handle 56 is rotated counterclockwise (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3), the lock pin 62 rotates and engages with the peripheral edge of the lock hole 60 and is locked. The link 66 rotates after the engagement piece 64 reaches the engagement end surface 68b. By this rotation, the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 is driven and comes into contact with the main body-side heat transfer plate 42 located on the outside so as to spread and stretch in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. This state is shown in FIG. 6 (b), and the two heat transfer plates 42 and 44 are in contact with each other across the opposing surfaces. When removing the probe connector 18, the lock handle 56 is rotated clockwise. When the engagement piece 64 reaches the engagement end surface 68a, the link 66 rotates, the connector side heat transfer plate 44 moves inward, and the contact state with the main body side heat transfer plate 42 is eliminated. Further, the lock pin 62 also comes to the position of the groove portion 60a of the lock hole, and the lock is released. Thereby, the probe connector 18 can be removed.

  The main body side heat transfer plate 42 and the connector side heat transfer plate 44 are preferably made of a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, a metal, particularly a metal such as aluminum or copper. Further, a layer made of a heat conductive sheet 72 having flexibility and good heat conductivity is provided on one of the two heat transfer plates 42 and 44 (in the connector side heat transfer plate 44 in the example of FIG. 6). It can also be provided. Thereby, the adhesiveness of the heat-transfer plates 42 and 44 increases, and the heat conductivity in a contact surface improves. The heat conductive sheet 72 can be made of a material such as silicon rubber. Further, a material in which silicon rubber is used as a base material and an additive for improving thermal conductivity, for example, a fine powder of carbon can be used.

  FIG. 7 is an example in which the arrangement of the main body side heat transfer plate 42 and the connector side heat transfer plate 44 is changed. In this modified example, the pair of connector side heat transfer plates 44 are positioned outside the pair of main body side heat transfer plates 42, and the heat transfer plates are in surface contact with the main body side heat transfer plates 42 sandwiched from the outside. . The components corresponding to those in the example of FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7A shows a state where the heat transfer plates are separated from each other, that is, when the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 is open. When the lock handle is rotated in the locking direction, in this example, the transmission mechanism operates to move the connector side heat transfer plate 44 inward as indicated by an arrow in the figure. By this operation, the main body side heat transfer plate 42 and the connector side heat transfer plate come into surface contact. When the lock handle is rotated in the releasing direction, the connector side heat transfer plate 44 is opened and separated from the main body side heat transfer plate 42.

  FIGS. 8-10 is a figure which shows the other form of the structure which concerns on the heat transfer of the apparatus main body 16 and the probe connector 18. FIGS. This embodiment has a main body side heat transfer body and a connector side heat transfer body as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-4 and the like, but in this embodiment, the main body side heat transfer body has Move to make surface contact with the connector-side heat transfer body. 8 is a front view showing a state of the main part of the apparatus main body related to the heat transfer mechanism as viewed from the connector side, FIG. 9 is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a right side view. Also in this embodiment, the up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions are determined by the top / bottom, left / right, and through directions of FIG. 8, respectively, and do not necessarily match the directions in the actual apparatus.

  The apparatus main body 16 and the probe connector 18 are each provided with a pair of a main body side heat transfer plate 80 which is a main body side heat transfer body and a connector side heat transfer section 82 which is a connector side heat transfer body. The connector-side heat transfer section 82 actually corresponds to a pair of opposite sides of a conductive, preferably metal rectangular enclosure 84 provided on the periphery of the plug 22 of the probe connector that engages the receptacle 28. Part. A guide plate 88 provided with a guide slit 86 is provided before and after the main body side heat transfer plate 80. At the upper and lower ends of the guide plate 88, a follower 90 that engages with a guide 89 fixed to the apparatus main body is provided. By the guide 89, the guide plate 88 is allowed to move only in the left-right direction.

  A slide pin 91 is inserted into the guide slit 86 and is slidable along the guide slit 86. The slide pin 91 is disposed so as to connect the two links 92 (92 a and 92 b) disposed on the front and rear sides, and the two links 92 and the slide pin 90 form a square. Two links 92 are arranged substantially in parallel on the top and bottom, and the link 92 and the guide plate 88 form a substantially parallelogram. Two connecting links 94 extending substantially parallel to the guide slit 86 are coupled to the two rear links (indicated by reference numeral 92b in FIG. 9), and the driving link 96 is coupled to the coupling link 94. Has been. The link 92 and the drive link 96 are arranged substantially in parallel. The drive link 96 is coupled to the motor 100 via a gear train 98 and is configured to swing as the motor 100 rotates.

  The rotation of the motor 100 is transmitted to the guide plate 88 and the main body side heat transfer plate 80 via the drive link 96, the connecting link 94, the link 92 and the slide pin 91, and these move to the left and right. This movement is performed so that the left and right main body side heat transfer plates 80 approach or move away from each other.

  A pressure sensor 102 that detects the contact pressure of the heat transfer plate 80 and the heat transfer portion 82 is provided on the surface facing the main body side heat transfer plate 80 and the connector side heat transfer portion 82. When the main body side heat transfer plate 80 is moved toward and brought into contact with the connector side heat transfer section 82 by the motor 100, the motor 100 stops when the pressure sensor 102 detects that the predetermined pressure is reached. Further, the pressure sensor 104 is disposed so as to face the surface of the main body side heat transfer plate 80 opposite to the surface facing the connector side heat transfer portion 82. The pressure sensor 104 is provided on a frame of the apparatus main body 16 or a member fixed to the frame. The pressure sensor 104 detects a pressure when the main body side heat transfer plate 80 comes into contact with a member provided with the pressure sensor 104. When the main body side heat transfer plate 80 is moved away from the connector side heat transfer section 82 by the motor 100 and abuts against the pressure sensor 104, the motor 100 detects that the pressure sensor 104 has reached a predetermined pressure. Is stopped.

  The main body side heat transfer plate 80 and the connector side heat transfer portion 82 are preferably made of a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, a metal, particularly a metal such as aluminum or copper. Further, one of the heat transfer plate 80 and the heat transfer portion 82 may be provided with a layer made of the heat conductive sheet 106 having flexibility and good heat conductivity. Thereby, the adhesiveness of the heat-transfer plate 80 and the heat-transfer part 82 increases, and the heat conductivity in a contact surface is improved. Furthermore, the member on the apparatus main body side provided with the pressure sensor 104 can be provided with a heat conductive sheet 108 that is flexible and has good heat conductivity. These heat conductive sheets 106 and 108 can be made of a material such as silicon rubber. Further, a material in which silicon rubber is used as a base material and an additive for improving thermal conductivity, for example, a fine powder of carbon can be used.

  FIG. 11 shows a sensor configuration for detecting that the probe connector 18 is locked and unlocked. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the unlocked state, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the locked state. In each figure, a probe connector 18 is attached to the apparatus main body 16 on the left side from the right side. The receptacle 28 of the apparatus main body is provided with a light emitting diode (LED) light source 110. A photosensor 112 that receives the LED light source 110 is fixed to a support piece 113 that is erected on the receptacle 28. In a state where the lock shown in (a) is released, the light emitted from the LED light source 110 is received by the photosensor 112. In the locked state shown in (b), the light from the LED light source 110 is blocked by the lock pin 62 and is not received by the photosensor 112. Thereby, it is determined whether the probe connector 18 is locked or unlocked.

  When the probe connector 18 is attached, if the lock handle 56 is rotated counterclockwise and locked, the photo sensor 112 does not receive the light from the LED light source 110. When detecting this, the control unit rotates the motor 100. The rotation direction at this time is rotation in a direction in which the main body side heat transfer plate 80 is brought close to the connector side heat transfer portion 82. When the main body side heat transfer plate 80 contacts the connector side heat transfer section 82 and reaches a predetermined contact pressure, the pressure sensor 102 outputs a signal, and the control section stops the motor 100 based on this signal. When the lock handle 56 is rotated clockwise to release the lock, the photosensor 112 receives light from the LED light source 110 again. When light is received with the pressure sensor 102 detecting a predetermined pressure, the control unit rotates the motor 100. This rotation direction is a direction in which the main body side heat transfer plate 80 is separated from the connector side heat transfer portion 82. And if the pressure sensor 104 outputs a signal, a control part will stop rotation of the motor 100 based on this.

  12-14 is a figure which shows the further another form of the structure which concerns on the heat transfer of the apparatus main body 16 and the probe connector 18 of an ultrasonic diagnosing device. In this embodiment, the main body side heat transfer body is moved to make surface contact with the connector side heat transfer body. 12 is a perspective view showing the main part, and FIGS. 13 and 14 are views showing the operation of the heat transfer plate. Constituent elements similar to those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. Also in the following description, the up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions are determined by the left and right, top / bottom, and the direction penetrating the sheet of FIG.

  A heat transfer unit 114 is provided around the plug 22 of the probe connector 18. The outer shape of the heat transfer section 114 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. A side surface of the rectangular parallelepiped, that is, a surface extending in the vertical direction among the surfaces orthogonal to the surface facing the apparatus main body, becomes a connector-side heat transfer section 116 that makes surface contact with the heat transfer body on the main body side. The apparatus main body 16 is provided with a receptacle 28 facing the plug 22, and a pair of main body side heat transfer plates 118 are arranged so as to sandwich the plug 28. The main body side heat transfer plate 118 and the connector side heat transfer section 116 function as a main body side heat transfer body and a connector side heat transfer body that are in surface contact with each other and transmit heat in the connector to the apparatus main body. The main body side heat transfer plate 118 is supported by a support shaft 120 in the vicinity of the lower end, and can swing around this axis. An opening / closing cam 122 is in contact with the upper end of the main body side heat transfer plate 118. A pinion 124 is provided coaxially with the opening / closing cam 122, and a worm gear 130 provided on the output shaft 128 of the motor 126 is engaged with the pinion 124. The motor 126 is coupled to a rotary encoder 132 that detects the rotation angle of the output shaft.

  When the motor 126 rotates the output shaft 128, the open / close cam 122 rotates through the worm gear 130 and the pinion 124, and the main body side heat transfer plate 118 swings according to the cam profile. The main body side heat transfer plate 118 is urged by a spring 134 so as to always contact the cam surface.

  The operation when the probe connector 18 is attached / detached will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the control unit 136 of the motor 130. A falling detection unit 138 and a rising detection unit 140 that detect that the plug 22 and the receptacle 28 are connected and disconnected are provided, and these outputs are sent to the OR gate 142. The output of the OR gate 142 is sent to a set terminal of a reset set-flip flop (hereinafter referred to as RS-FF) 144. A motor driver 146 is connected to the output terminal of the RS-FF 144, and the motor 130 is driven by the output of the motor driver 146. The output of the RS-FF 144 is also sent to the counter 148, and the counter 148 counts the pulses of the rotary encoder 132 while the output is Hi. When the predetermined number is counted, the reset terminal of the RS-FF 144 is set to Hi. And

  16 correspond to the signals at points A to E shown in FIG. When the probe connector 18 is attached, the signal at the point A falls from Hi to Lo, and this is detected by the fall detection unit 138, and the fall detection unit 138 outputs a pulse signal of Hi (signal B in FIG. 16). reference). Upon receiving this pulse signal, the RS-FF outputs a Hi signal (signal C), and the motor driver 146 drives the motor 130. As a result, the opening / closing cam 122 rotates, and the main body side heat transfer plate 118 is driven from the opened state in FIG. 13 to the closed state in FIG. 14. The rotation angle of the motor until the closed state in FIG. 14 is determined, and when the number of pulses corresponding to this rotation angle is emitted from the rotary encoder 132 (signal D), the counter 148 generates a pulse signal. Output (signal E), whereby the output of the RS-FF becomes Lo (signal C), and the motor 130 is stopped. At this time, the open / close cam 122 rotates halfway, and the two heat transfer plates 116 and 118 are in surface contact as shown in FIG.

  When the probe connector 18 is removed, the signal at the point A rises from Lo to Hi, and this is detected by the rise detection unit 140, and the OR gate 142 outputs a pulse signal (signal B). Thereby, the output of RS-FF144 becomes Hi and the motor 130 rotates. This rotation direction is the same as that when the main body side heat transfer plate 118 is opened. When the number of output pulses of the rotary encoder 132 reaches a predetermined number corresponding to half rotation of the opening / closing cam 122, the motor 130 is stopped by a signal from the counter 148, and the main body side heat transfer plate 118 shown in FIG. It becomes.

  In the above embodiment, when the opening and closing cam 122 makes one rotation, the main body side heat transfer plate 118 is configured to perform a reciprocating motion that opens and closes once, but by appropriately selecting the shape of the opening and closing cam, The heat transfer plate can be reciprocated once by half rotation of the opening / closing cam, 1/3 rotation, or the like. For example, in order to make the heat transfer plate reciprocate once by half rotation of the cam, the nose portions of the cam may be arranged at intervals of 180 °.

  In each of the above embodiments, the connector-side heat transfer plate 44 and the connector-side heat transfer portions 82 and 116 are supplied with heat conduction from a heating element such as an electronic circuit housed in the probe connector 18 to a metal plate, a heat pipe, or the like. Heat is transferred through a good member.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device of this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure which concerns on the heat transfer of a probe connector and an apparatus main body. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the probe connector of FIG. It is a side view which shows the principal part of the probe connector of FIG. It is a top view which shows the contact and separation operation | movement of a heat exchanger plate. It is a figure which shows the engagement state of the lock shaft 58 and the link 66a. It is a top view which shows the other example of the contact and separation operation | movement of a heat exchanger plate. It is a front view which shows the principal part of the other structural example which concerns on the heat transfer of a probe connector and an apparatus main body. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the probe connector of FIG. It is a right view which shows the principal part of the probe connector of FIG. It is explanatory drawing about the detection of the lock | rock of a probe connector, and unlocking | release. It is a perspective view which shows the further another structural example which concerns on the heat transfer of a probe connector and an apparatus main body. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the probe connector of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the probe connector of FIG. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of the control part of the motor of FIG. It is a figure which shows the signal waveform of the circuit of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  10 ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, 16 equipment body, 18 probe connector, 22 plug, 28 receptacle, 42, 80, 118 body side heat transfer plate, 44 connector side heat transfer plate, 52, 91 slide pin, 54, 86 guide slit, 56 Lock handle, 58 Lock shaft, 60 Lock hole, 62 Lock pin, 66, 92 link, 70, 94 Link, 82, 116 Connector side heat transfer section, 96 Drive link, 100 Motor, 122 Open / close cam, 126 Motor

Claims (6)

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus for obtaining an ultrasound image by transmitting and receiving ultrasound to a subject,
The device body;
A probe connector that is included in an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to a subject, and that detachably connects the ultrasonic probe to the apparatus main body;
A main body side heat transfer body provided in the apparatus main body,
Provided in the probe connector, when the probe connector is attached to the apparatus main body, the connector side heat transfer body that comes into surface contact with the main body side heat transfer body,
A heat transfer body drive mechanism for moving at least one of the main body side heat transfer body and the connector side heat transfer body in a direction in which they are close to and away from each other;
Have
When the probe connector is mounted on the apparatus main body, the heat transfer body drive mechanism drives at least one of the main body side heat transfer body and the connector side heat transfer body to bring them into surface contact, and the main body side heat transfer body and the connector side Conducts heat generated in the probe connector by the heat transfer element to the device body.
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The main body side heat transfer body and the connector side heat transfer body make a pair, and either one of the main body side heat transfer body or one pair of the connector side heat transfer bodies sandwiches the other pair from the outside, The pair expands and stretches from the inside of the other pair to come into surface contact.
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The probe connector is provided with a lock mechanism that locks the probe connector so that it does not come off when the probe connector is attached to the apparatus body.
The heat transfer body drive mechanism operates in conjunction with the lock mechanism.
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,
The lock mechanism has a handle that rotates to lock,
The heat transfer body drive mechanism has a transmission mechanism that mechanically transmits the movement of the handle to the connector side heat transfer body.
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,
Furthermore, it has a lock sensor that detects locking and unlocking by the locking mechanism,
The heat transfer body drive mechanism includes a motor that moves the main body side heat transfer body, and when the lock is detected by the lock sensor, the main body side heat transfer body is driven by the motor and brought into surface contact with the connector side heat transfer body, When unlocking is detected, the main body side heat transfer body is driven by a motor to be separated from the connector side heat transfer body,
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5,
The heat transfer body drive mechanism includes a cam that transmits the rotation of the motor to the main body heat transfer body,
The cam has a cam profile in which a position where the main body side heat transfer body is in surface contact with the connector side heat transfer body and a position where the main body side heat transfer body is separated from the connector side heat transfer body are alternately formed,
The motor rotates only in one direction, and the main body side heat transfer body is alternately moved to the position to contact the surface and the position to separate.
Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment.

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