JP2013000318A - Monitor support mechanism and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep the still state by an easy adjustment when a monitor is repositioned.SOLUTION: A support arm 50 (monitor support mechanism) for supporting the monitor 20 in a vertically movable manner includes: a base 30 which is connected with a support part; an arm member 41 one end of which is connected with the base 30 rotatably in the vertical direction, and the other end of which is connected with the monitor 20; a gas spring (elastic support member) 42 one end of which is connected with the base 30 while the other end of which is connected with the arm member 41, thereby elastically supporting the monitor 20 and the arm member 41; and a rotating member (adjustment mechanism) 43 for adjusting the position of the attachment fulcrum on either one of the ends of the gas spring 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitor support mechanism and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is a medical imaging device that obtains a tomographic image of a soft tissue in a subject from a body surface by an ultrasonic pulse reflection method is known.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a probe that radiates an ultrasonic wave to the examination area and receives an echo signal reflected from the examination area, a control panel for operating the apparatus, an ultrasonic wave A monitor for displaying an image, and the like.
At the time of diagnosis using such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a doctor who is a user grasps the probe with one hand, presses the probe against the subject, and moves the monitor to a position where the monitor can be easily viewed with the other hand. It is carried out.
For this reason, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is designed so that the weight of the arm supporting the monitor is constant and the balance can be maintained and the stationary state can be maintained even if the position of the monitor changes (for example, Patent Document 1). To 3).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-15529 JP 2007-37981 A Special table 2007-520304 gazette

By the way, in recent years, a monitor has a shorter development cycle and sales cycle than the main body of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and in the production of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, different types of monitors may be mounted on the same type of main body. .
Also, in the installed ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, when a monitor failure occurs, a different type of monitor may be mounted instead.
However, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is assumed that only one type of monitor is attached to the main body, and in the situation described above, a monitor of a different type from that originally assumed for the main body is mounted. In this case, there is a problem that the weight balance cannot be adjusted and the stationary state may not be maintained.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a monitor support mechanism capable of maintaining a stationary state with easy adjustment when the monitor is changed, and an ultrasonic diagnosis provided with the monitor support mechanism. Is to provide a device.

To solve the above problem,
The invention described in claim 1
In the monitor support mechanism that supports the monitor so that it can move vertically,
A base connected to the support;
An arm member having one end connected to the base portion so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and the other end connected to the monitor;
One end is connected to the base part, the other end is connected to the arm member, and an elastic support member that elastically supports the monitor and the arm member;
An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of an attachment fulcrum on one end side of the elastic support member;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 2 is the monitor support mechanism according to claim 1,
The adjustment mechanism is
A rotating member connected to one end of the elastic support member and pivotally attached to the base portion so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction;
A lock mechanism for rotating the rotating member and locking the rotation;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 3 is the monitor support mechanism according to claim 2,
The locking mechanism is
An adjustment lever that is rotated by a user to rotate the rotating member;
Fixing means for fixing the position of the adjustment lever;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 4 is the monitor support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The elastic support member is a gas spring or a winding spring.

The invention according to claim 5 is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus,
The monitor support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A monitor supported by the monitor support mechanism;
An apparatus main body for installing the monitor;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the present invention, the adjustment mechanism can adjust the attachment fulcrum position of the end of the elastic support member on the apparatus main body side according to the weight of the monitor. This keeps the monitor stationary.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the ultrasonic diagnosing device of this invention. It is a front view of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. It is a side view of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the vertical movement of a monitor. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a movable part. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a movable part. It is a figure for demonstrating adjustment of an attachment fulcrum position. It is a figure for demonstrating adjustment of an attachment fulcrum position. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating adjustment of an attachment fulcrum position. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of an adjustment lever. It is a figure for demonstrating the modification of a support arm.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

First, the configuration will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic probe S that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves in opposition to a subject, and an apparatus main body that controls the entire ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. 10, a monitor 20 that displays an ultrasonic image indicating the internal state of the subject based on echoes received by the ultrasonic probe S, and a support arm (monitor support) that supports the monitor 20 so as to be movable in the vertical direction Mechanism) 50 and the like.
Note that the support arm 50 of the present embodiment can support the replaced monitor 20 corresponding to this when the monitor 20 is replaced with a monitor 20 having a different weight.

  The ultrasonic probe S includes a transducer array (not shown) in which a plurality of transducers made of piezoelectric elements are arranged in a unidirectional array or a two-dimensional array in the azimuth direction (scanning direction). Ultrasonic waves (transmission ultrasonic waves) are transmitted to a subject such as a living body (not shown), and a reflected wave (reflected ultrasonic wave: echo) reflected by the subject is received and a received signal is output.

  The apparatus main body 10 is connected to the ultrasonic probe S via a cable K, and transmits an electric signal drive signal to the ultrasonic probe S to the ultrasonic probe S to the subject. The transmitting ultrasonic wave is transmitted, and the inside of the subject is based on a reception signal that is an electric signal generated by the ultrasonic probe S in response to the reflected wave from the inside of the subject received by the ultrasonic probe S. Is visualized as an ultrasonic image and displayed on the monitor 20.

  The apparatus main body 10 includes, for example, an operation input unit 11 operated by a user, an ultrasonic probe holder 12 that holds the ultrasonic probe S, a caster 13 that enables the apparatus main body 10 to move, and a base unit 30. A support portion 14 for supporting (described later) is provided.

  The operation input unit 11 is provided on the upper surface portion of the apparatus main body unit 10 and includes a switch, a keyboard, and the like. The operation input unit 11 inputs a command for instructing the user to start diagnosis, sets a diagnosis mode, and personal information of the subject. Used when inputting data.

  A plurality of ultrasonic probe holders 12 are provided on both side surfaces of the apparatus main body 10, and holds the ultrasonic probe S when the ultrasonic probe S is not used.

  The caster 13 is provided in the lower part of the apparatus main body 10, and enables the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 to move to the patient.

  The support part 14 is an installation area provided for the installation of the base part 30 (described later) and thus the monitor 20, and is provided to be positioned behind the operation input part 11 in this embodiment.

The monitor 20 is a display device that displays an internal state in a subject imaged as an ultrasound image based on a reception signal that is an electrical signal generated by the ultrasound probe S. Liquid crystal display, organic EL (Electronic Luminescence) display, inorganic EL display, plasma display, and the like are applicable.
In the present embodiment, the monitor 20 is removable.

A first connecting portion 21 is provided on the back surface of the monitor 20. The first connecting portion 21 supports the monitor 20 so that the monitor 20 can be tilted at arbitrary angles in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by a rotation shaft (not shown).
A second connecting portion 45 (described later) of the movable portion 40 is connected to the first connecting portion 21, so that the monitor 20 can be translated in the vertical and horizontal directions in the same posture. Yes. As an example, FIG. 4A shows a state where the monitor 20 is lowered, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the monitor 20 is raised.
With this configuration, a user (physician or the like) can move the monitor 20 with one hand to a position where the monitor 20 can be easily viewed during diagnosis by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the support arm 50 includes a base portion 30 connected to the support portion 14 of the apparatus main body portion 10 and a movable portion 40 attached on the base portion 30.

The base portion 30 is attached to the base 31 arranged so that the rear end portion 31b protrudes rearward of the apparatus main body portion 10 from the rear upper center portion of the apparatus main body portion 10 and the rear end portion 31b of the base 31. Holder 33 and the like.
Specifically, the front end portion 31 a of the base 31 is provided with a vertical shaft 32 supported by the apparatus main body 10, and the base 31 can be rotated around the axis of the vertical shaft 32 (in the left-right direction). It has become.
In addition, a vertical shaft 34 is provided at the rear end portion 31 b of the base 31, and a holder 33 is attached via the vertical shaft 34. The holder 33 is rotatable around the axis of the vertical shaft 34 (in the left-right direction).

  The movable part 40 includes an arm member 41 connected to the monitor 20 and the base part 30, a gas spring (elastic support member) 42 connected to the arm member 41 and the base part 30, and a base part 30 side of the gas spring 42. A rotating member 43 for adjusting the mounting fulcrum position, an adjusting lever 44 for rotating the rotating member 43, a second connecting portion 45 that is a connecting portion with the monitor 20, and a cover member that forms the outer surface of the movable portion 40 46 and the like.

Specifically, the arm member 41 has a rear end portion 41 b connected to the holder 33 of the base portion 30 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.
The arm member 41 has a front end portion 41 a connected to the second connecting portion 45 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and is connected to the first connecting portion 21 of the monitor 20 via the second connecting portion 45.
The front end portion 41a and the rear end portion 41b of the arm member 41 may be directly connected to the monitor 20 (first connection portion 21) and the base portion 30 (holder 33), or other members may be used. It may be connected indirectly via.
Therefore, for example, the front end portion 41a of the arm member 41 and the second connecting portion 45 can be configured to be integrated. Alternatively, another member can be provided between the rear end portion 41 b of the arm member 41 and the holder 33.

The gas spring 42 has, for example, a configuration in which a piston that is integral with the rod and slides in the axial direction is provided inside the tube, and the inside of the tube is divided into two spaces by the piston. The two spaces communicate with each other through a hole (orifice) provided in the piston. The two spaces are filled with compressed gas (nitrogen gas). Since one of the two spaces has a smaller area for receiving gas pressure than the other, the rod always has a repulsive force in the extending direction.
The gas spring 42 of the present embodiment has a rear end portion 42b connected to the holder 33 of the base portion 30 via the rotating member 43, and a front end portion 42a connected to the lower surface of the arm member 41. The arm member 41 is elastically supported.
The front end portion 42a of the gas spring 42 may be directly connected to the arm member 41, or may be indirectly connected via another member.
Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, since the rear end portion 42 b of the gas spring 42 is connected to the base portion 30 via the rotating member 43, the attachment fulcrum at the rear end portion 42 b of the gas spring 42 is provided. The position changes as the rotating member 43 rotates.
And if the attachment fulcrum position in the rear-end part 42b of the gas spring 42 changes, inclination (alpha) with respect to the arm member 41 of the gas spring 42 will change (refer FIG. 9).
FIG. 9 schematically illustrates a case where the inclination α is changed from α1 to α2 due to the movement of the attachment fulcrum position.
The force with which the gas spring 42 pushes up the arm member 41 increases as the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41 increases.
For this reason, when the heavy monitor 20 is mounted, the stationary state can be maintained by increasing the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41.

The rotating member 43 is pivotally attached to the holder 33 of the base portion 30 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and adjusts the attachment fulcrum position at the rear end portion 42b of the gas spring 42 as described above.
An adjusting lever 44 attached to the side surface of the holder 33 is connected to the rotating member 43, and the rotating member 43 rotates in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of the adjusting lever 44.
The shape of the rotating member 43 is not particularly limited as long as it can adjust the mounting fulcrum position of the gas spring 42 (moving the mounting fulcrum position). For example, the rotating member 43 has a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or a rod shape. Can be used.

The adjustment lever 44 is rotated by the user to rotate the rotating member 43.
Specifically, when the adjustment lever 44 is rotated downward by the user (see FIGS. 7 and 8), the rotating member 43 rotates counterclockwise. In conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member 43, the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41 increases.

As shown in FIG. 10, the adjustment lever 44 has a fixing pin (fixing means) for fixing and releasing the rotation of the adjustment lever 44 by being inserted into and removed from a hole 33 a (fixing means) formed in the holder 33. ) 44a. The holder 33 is provided with a plurality of holes 33a, and when the adjustment lever 44 is rotated, the fixing pin 44a is replaced from one hole 33a to the other hole 33a.
Specifically, when the user pulls the adjusting lever 44 away from the holder 33, the fixing pin 44a is pulled out from the hole 33a, and the fixing of the adjusting lever 44 is released.
Further, after the user turns the adjustment lever 44 and pushes the adjustment lever 44 closer to the holder 33, the fixing pin 44a is inserted into the other hole 33a, and the position of the adjustment lever 44 is fixed. The
Thus, after the user releases the adjustment lever 44 and rotates it to a predetermined position, and fixes the adjustment lever 44 at the predetermined position, the user rotates the rotary member 43 in the vertical direction by a predetermined angle, It can be fixed.

The adjustment lever 44, the fixing pin 44a, and the hole 33a of the holder 33 function as a lock mechanism that rotates the rotation member 43 and locks the rotation.
Further, the rotating member 43 and the lock mechanism (the adjustment lever 44, the fixing pin 44a, the hole 33a of the holder 33) function as an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attachment fulcrum position at the rear end portion 42b of the gas spring 42. is doing.

The second connecting portion 45 is connected to the first connecting portion 21 so as to support the first connecting portion 21 of the monitor 20 from below.
A front end portion 41a of the arm member 41 is connected to the second connecting portion 45 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. For this reason, the monitor 20 can be rotated in the vertical direction with respect to the movable portion 40.

The cover member 46 covers the arm member 41 and the gas spring 42 and forms the outer shape of the movable portion 40.
Specifically, the cover member 46 includes an upper cover 46a and a lower cover 46b that can be separated vertically. The front end portions of the upper cover 46 a and the lower cover 46 b are connected to the second connecting portion 45, and the rear end portions are connected to the holder 33.

Next, the operation will be described.
When changing the monitor 20, the first connection portion 21 on the back surface of the monitor 20 is removed from the second connection portion 45 of the movable portion 40, and the first connection portion 21 of the new monitor 20 is replaced with the second connection portion of the movable portion 40. It is connected to the part 45.
The user pulls the adjustment lever 44 away from the holder 33, removes the fixing pin 44 a from the hole 33 a, releases the fixing of the adjustment lever 44, and operates the adjustment lever 44 to rotate the rotating member 43. (See FIGS. 7 and 8).
Then, since the rear end portion 42b of the gas spring 42 moves in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member 43, the attachment fulcrum position at the rear end portion 42b changes, and thereby the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41 is changed. Can be changed.
At this time, the greater the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41, the greater the force by which the gas spring 42 pushes up the arm member 41.
For this reason, by increasing the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41 for the heavier monitor 20, the attachment fulcrum position corresponding to the weight of the monitor 20 can be obtained, so that the stationary state can be maintained.
That is, even if the weight of the monitor 20 changes, the weight balance is not lost and the stationary state can be maintained.
Next, the user pushes the adjustment lever 44 close to the holder 33 to insert the fixing pin 44a into the predetermined hole 33a, thereby fixing the adjustment lever 44. Thereby, the attachment fulcrum position (the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41) is fixed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the base portion 30 connected to the apparatus main body portion 10, one end is connected to the base portion 30 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and the other end is connected to the monitor 20. One end of the arm member 41 is connected to the base 30, the other end is connected to the arm member 41, and the monitor 20 and the arm member 41 are elastically supported by the gas spring 42. An adjustment mechanism (rotating member 43, adjustment lever 44, and fixing pin 44a) for adjustment is provided.
Therefore, the gas spring 42 moves the arm member 41 by moving the attachment fulcrum position of the rear end portion 42b of the gas spring 42 according to the weight of the monitor 20 and changing the inclination of the gas spring 42 with respect to the arm member 41. The pushing force can be changed.
Therefore, even if the monitor 20 is changed to one having a different weight, the monitor 20 can be kept stationary with easy adjustment.

[Modification 1]
In the first modification, as shown in FIG. 11, a winding spring 47 is provided as an elastic support member instead of the gas spring 42.
When the winding spring 47 is used, the rear end portion 47 b of the winding spring 47 is connected to the holder 33 via the rotating member 43, and the front end portion 47 a of the winding spring 47 is connected to the inner surface of the lower cover 46 b of the cover member 46. The
The winding spring 47 can increase the force with which the winding spring 47 pulls the arm member 41 by rotating the adjustment lever 44 upward.

  In the above-described embodiment and Modification 1, the apparatus main body 10 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 has been described as an apparatus main body on which the monitor 20 is installed. However, the movable unit 40 of the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic. Of course, the present invention can be applied to apparatuses other than the apparatus.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment and the modification 1, although the structure which adjusts the attachment fulcrum position of the rear end part of the gas spring 42 or the winding spring 47 using the rotation member 43 was demonstrated and demonstrated, the said attachment fulcrum position is demonstrated. As long as it can be adjusted, in addition to the rotating member 43, for example, a slide mechanism that slides the attachment fulcrum position of the rear end portion of the gas spring 42 or the winding spring 47 may be provided.

Moreover, in the said embodiment and the modification 1, the structure which adjusts the attachment fulcrum position (namely, attachment fulcrum position to the base part 30) of the rear end side of an elastic support member (gas spring 42, the winding spring 47) is illustrated. However, it is good also as a structure which adjusts the attachment fulcrum position (namely, attachment fulcrum position to the arm member 41) of the front end side.
In this case, the front end portion of the elastic support member is connected to the arm member 41 via a rotating member 43 that is rotatable in the vertical direction, and the rear end portion of the elastic support member is connected to the base portion 30 (holder 33). The Rukoto. At this time, the rear end portion of the elastic support member may be directly connected to the base portion 30 (holder 33), or may be indirectly connected via another member.
Even in such a configuration, the rotation member 43 is provided with a lock mechanism, and the rotation member 43 and the lock mechanism function as an adjustment mechanism, as in the above embodiment and the first modification.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 Apparatus main body part 11 Operation input part 12 Ultrasonic probe holder 13 Caster 14 Support part 20 Monitor 21 1st connection part 50 Support arm (monitor support mechanism)
30 Base part 31 Base 31a Front end part 31b Rear end part 32 Vertical shaft 33 Holder 33a Hole part (fixing means, lock mechanism, adjustment mechanism)
34 Vertical shaft 40 Movable part 41 Arm member 41a Front end part 41b Rear end part 42 Gas spring (elastic support member)
42a Front end portion 42b Rear end portion 43 Rotating member (adjustment mechanism)
44 Adjustment lever (lock mechanism, adjustment mechanism)
44a Fixing pin (fixing means, locking mechanism, adjusting mechanism)
45 2nd connection part 46 Cover member 46a Upper cover 46b Lower cover 47 Winding spring (elastic support member)
47a Front end 47b Rear end S Ultrasonic probe K Cable

Claims (5)

In the monitor support mechanism that supports the monitor so that it can move vertically,
A base connected to the support;
An arm member having one end connected to the base portion so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction and the other end connected to the monitor;
One end is connected to the base part, the other end is connected to the arm member, and an elastic support member that elastically supports the monitor and the arm member;
An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of an attachment fulcrum on one end side of the elastic support member;
A monitor support mechanism comprising: The adjustment mechanism is
A rotating member connected to one end of the elastic support member and pivotally attached to the base portion so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction;
A lock mechanism for rotating the rotating member and locking the rotation;
The monitor support mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising: The locking mechanism is
An adjustment lever that is rotated by a user to rotate the rotating member;
Fixing means for fixing the position of the adjustment lever;
The monitor support mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:   The monitor support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic support member is a gas spring or a winding spring. The monitor support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A monitor supported by the monitor support mechanism;
An apparatus main body for installing the monitor;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

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