JP2018061665A - Light irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that when an optical cable has redundancy, an operator is caught by the optical cable so that the optical cable comes off from a connector or the optical cable is damaged.SOLUTION: A light irradiation device includes tensile force relaxing means for relaxing the tensile force applied to an optical cable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a light irradiation apparatus.

  There is known an optical measuring device in which a device main body and a probe are connected by a first connection wiring for guiding light and a second connection wiring for transmitting an electric signal. Patent Document 1 describes that the second connection wiring is shorter than the first connection wiring. According to this configuration, since the tension is applied to the second connection wiring even when the probe is pulled strongly, a situation in which the first connection wiring is disconnected from the connector can be prevented.

JP 2013-255737 A

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, since the optical cable constituting the first connection wiring has redundancy, the operator is caught by the optical cable. As a result, the optical cable is dropped from the connector, or the optical cable is damaged. There is a concern.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a light irradiation device in which an optical cable is hardly damaged even when a tension is applied to the optical cable.

  A light irradiation device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a device including a first connector to which a light guide member that guides light emitted from a light source is connected, and a probe including a light irradiation unit that irradiates a subject with light. And a second connector that is detachably connected to the first connector, and includes a first connection wiring that guides the light to the light irradiation unit, and the first connector and the second connector; In a connected state, a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes the tension applied to the first connection wiring is provided.

  According to the present invention, in a light irradiation device having a probe, by providing a tension relaxation mechanism, it is possible to reduce the tension applied to the optical connector or the optical cable due to an unexpected external force. As a result, it is possible to prevent disconnection of the optical connector and damage to the optical cable without giving the optical cable an excessive length.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of a photoacoustic apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the tension relaxation part which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described below are merely exemplary, and may be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the apparatus to which the invention is applied and various conditions. is there.

  In the following, a photoacoustic apparatus that receives a photoacoustic wave generated in a subject irradiated with light by irradiating the subject with pulsed light from a probe will be described. The invention is applicable.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the photoacoustic apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 1 is connected to a probe 7, a monitor 5, and an input unit 6. The apparatus main body 1 includes a light source 2, a processing unit 3, and a control unit 4.

  The light source 2 is a device that generates light to irradiate a subject, and is appropriately designed depending on the measurement target. For example, when a living body is a measurement target, for example, light having a wavelength in the near-infrared region that is absorbed by a specific component (eg, hemoglobin) among components constituting the living body is used. The light source 2 preferably generates pulsed light on the order of several nanoseconds to several hundred nanoseconds. Specifically, a laser such as a solid laser, a gas laser, a dye laser, a semiconductor laser, or a light emitting diode can be used as the light source 2. The light irradiation device may include a plurality of light sources 2. By using a plurality of light sources capable of generating light of the same wavelength, the effective light irradiation interval can be narrowed or the light irradiation intensity can be increased. A plurality of light sources capable of generating light of different wavelengths can acquire distributions of optical characteristic values that differ depending on the wavelength. For example, the oxygen saturation in the subject can be obtained from the information on the light absorption coefficient distribution obtained at two or more wavelengths.

  The light generated by the light source 2 is guided to the main body side optical connector 22 through the optical cable 21 which is a light guide member. The main body side optical connector 22 has a light emitting portion from which light guided by the optical cable 21 is emitted, and is provided on the movable member 20 which is a part of the tension relaxation mechanism. The main body side optical connector 22 can guide the light generated by the light source 2 to the probe 7 by being coupled to a probe side optical connector 23 described later. Hereinafter, the main body side optical connector 22 and the probe side optical connector 23 are also referred to as optical connectors or connectors.

  The processing unit 3 performs signal processing based on the electrical signal received from the probe 7 and causes the display unit 5 to display the obtained information. In addition, it has a function of controlling the operation of the probe 7 in response to an instruction from the control unit 4. The processing unit 3 is connected to the probe 7 via the electric cable 31, the main body side electric connector 32, the probe side electric connector 33, and the electric cable 34. The electrical connector 32 is provided on the movable member 30 and is connected to the processing unit 3 via the electrical cable 31. The electric cable is a second connection wiring that transmits the electric signal output from the acoustic wave detection element to the processing unit 3. Hereinafter, the main body side electrical connector 32 and the probe side electrical connector 33 are also referred to as optical connectors or connectors.

  The control unit 4 is a control unit that controls the light source 2 and the processing unit 3.

  The display unit 5 can use a display device such as a CRT or LCD.

  The input unit 6 is a user interface that receives an instruction from an operator, and is, for example, a mouse, a trackball, a touch panel, or a keyboard. The display unit 5 and the input unit 6 can be integrally configured using a display having a touch function.

  The probe 7 has an illumination optical system for irradiating the subject with light guided by the optical cable 24, and an acoustic wave detecting element for receiving a photoacoustic wave generated inside the subject irradiated with the light. An electrical signal generated when the acoustic wave detection element receives the photoacoustic wave is transmitted to the processing unit 3 via the electrical cable 34. The probe 7 may be further configured to be able to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, and obtain morphological information of the subject by reflected ultrasonic waves reflected from the subject. In this case, a dedicated conversion element may be used for transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves, or may also be used as an acoustic wave detection element that receives photoacoustic waves. In the present embodiment, the probe 7 will be described as a hand-held probe that can be grasped with an operator and moved in position. However, the present invention can be applied not only to a handheld probe but also to a mechanical scanning probe that is attached to a mechanical stage and moved by the stage.

  Assuming that the subject is a living body, since the photoacoustic wave generated from the living body is an ultrasonic wave of 100 KHz to 100 MHz, it is desirable that the acoustic wave detecting element can receive this frequency band. As such an acoustic wave detecting element, for example, a transducer using a piezoelectric phenomenon such as a piezo element, a transducer using optical resonance, a transducer using a change in capacitance such as a CMUT (Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer), or the like is used. it can.

  The optical cable 24 has one end connected to the probe 7 and the other end connected to the probe-side optical connector 23. In a state in which the probe side optical connector 23 is connected to the main body side optical connector 22, light emitted from the light emitting portion provided in the connector 22 passes through the optical cable 24 which is the first connection wiring. Guided to the light irradiator. The main body side optical connector 22 and the probe side optical connector 23 can be detachably coupled. The coupling method may be mechanically engaged, or magnetic force or adhesive force may be used. The same applies to the connectors 32 and 33.

  Next, the operation of the photoacoustic apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the photoacoustic apparatus of FIG. 1, the control unit 4 starts photoacoustic measurement in accordance with an operator instruction input from the user interface 6. First, the light source 2 outputs pulsed light in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 4. The output pulsed light is guided to the illumination optical system in the probe 7 by the in-body optical cable 21, the body-side optical connector 22, the probe-side optical connector 23, and the optical cable 24. Then, the subject is irradiated with pulsed light from the light irradiation unit 71 of the probe 7. When the light absorber inside the subject absorbs the energy of the measurement light, an acoustic wave (photoacoustic wave) corresponding to the absorption rate of the light energy is generated. The generated photoacoustic wave is converted into an electric signal by the acoustic wave detecting element and input to the processing unit 3 via the electric cable 34. The electrical signal (photoacoustic signal) is converted into a digital signal by the processing unit 3, and subject information is acquired by signal processing. The acquired object information that is imaged as distribution information can be displayed on the display unit 5. The object information refers to the source distribution of photoacoustic waves inside the object, the initial sound pressure distribution in the object, or the optical energy absorption density distribution derived from the initial sound pressure distribution, the light absorption coefficient distribution, and the tissue. This is the concentration distribution of the substance to be structured. If the light source 2 is a light source capable of generating light of two wavelengths, an oxygen saturation distribution and an oxidized / reduced hemoglobin concentration distribution can be obtained. The generated image data is displayed on the display unit 5.

  Next, the tension relaxation mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.

  2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus main body 1 in which the vicinity of the connectors 22 and 23 in FIG. 1 is enlarged.

  The casing 100 represents a portion that is an exterior of the apparatus main body 1. The right side in the figure is the outside of the apparatus body, and the left side in the figure is the inside of the apparatus body 1. The housing 100 has an opening, and the movable member 20 is provided in the opening so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in the drawing. The connector 22 is fixed to the movable member 20, and the connector 22 moves as the movable member 20 moves. The connector 22 may be configured integrally with the movable member 20. The movable member 20 is configured as, for example, a cylindrical shape or a quadrangular prism, but the shape is arbitrary as long as the conditions described later are satisfied.

  In the present embodiment, when the optical cable 24 is pulled in the direction A which is the positive direction of the x axis in the drawing in a state where the connector 22 and the connector 23 are coupled, as shown in FIG. Accordingly, it moves in the direction A. A frictional force is generated between the opening provided in the housing 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 and the contact surface N1 of the movable member 20. In the present embodiment, when the maximum static frictional force between the movable member 20 and the housing on the contact surface N1 is T1, the maximum static frictional force T1 is disengaged from the main body side optical connector 22 and the probe side optical connector 23. Therefore, it is set to a value smaller than the tension T2 required for this and smaller than the tension at which the optical cable 24 is broken. The maximum static friction force T1 can be easily calculated from the static friction coefficient and the normal force on the contact surface N1.

With such a structure, when an unexpected external force is applied to the optical cable 24, when the maximum static frictional force (first threshold) is exceeded, the movable member 101 moves in the direction A, and the optical connector 22 on the main body side The tension applied to the probe side optical connector 23 and the optical cable 24 is substantially equal to the dynamic frictional force of the contact surface N1. That is, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 is equal to or less than the maximum static frictional force (first threshold) when the movable member 101 is stationary, and the tension when the movable member 101 is moving is approximately equal to the dynamic frictional force. Therefore, the tension applied to the main body side optical connector 22, the probe side optical connector 23, and the optical cable 24 can be relaxed. The mass that moves in the A direction (here, the mass of the movable member 20, the main body side optical connector 22, the probe side optical connector 23, the optical cable 21 and the optical cable 24 that moves), the acceleration of the moving mass is α, and the dynamic friction force Is N, and the tension applied to the optical connector and the optical cable 24 is F,
F−N = M × α (1)
Therefore, in order for the dynamic frictional force N to be substantially equal to the tension applied to the optical connectors 22 and 23 and the optical cable 24, M × α is sufficient compared to F for the dynamic frictional force N and the tension applied to the optical connector and the optical cable 24. Design to be smaller. If the mass moving in the A direction is reduced, the tension applied by the dynamic friction force to the optical connector and the optical cable 24 can be made substantially equal within the assumed acceleration.

  As described above, according to the present configuration, even if the optical cable 24 is pulled by an unexpected external force, the tension can be made equal to or less than the maximum static frictional force (first threshold value).

  In FIG. 2, the case where the optical cable 24 is pulled in the direction A parallel to the surface where the housing 100 and the movable portion 20 are in contact with each other has been described. However, a force may be applied to directions other than the direction A while the operator handles the probe 7. When a force in the direction A intersecting the direction is applied to the optical cable 24, the vertical drag on the contact surface N1 increases, so that the static frictional force on the contact surface N1 increases. As a result, a tension exceeding the maximum static frictional force may be applied to the optical cable 24. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, a guide 25 for limiting the moving direction of the optical cable 24 may be provided. The guide 25 can convert the direction of the force applied to the probe-side optical connector 23 to the A direction even when the optical cable 24 receives a tension in a direction different from the direction A, such as the a direction and the b direction in the drawing. it can. The optical cable 24 is configured to be in contact with the guide 25 at the opening op. That is, when the optical cable 24 is pulled in the direction A and a certain angle range centering on the direction A, if the optical cable 24 does not touch the guide 25, the frictional force at the opening op is in that range. Does not occur. The contact portion of the opening op with the optical cable 24 desirably has a small coefficient of friction, and desirably has a structure that changes only the direction of tension. In FIG. 3, the opening of the guide 25 is configured to surround the optical cable 24 over the entire circumference in the yz plane so that a force in any direction in the yz plane in the drawing can be converted to the x-axis direction in the drawing. . However, when the direction in which the optical cable 24 is pulled is limited to a specific direction, it may be a rain gutter-like structure having a C-shaped or concave cross section. For example, in the use of the light irradiation device, it is considered that the operator steps on the optical cable 24, pushes it down from above by hand, or drops an object on the optical cable 24. It is assumed that tension is applied. On the contrary, it is considered that the optical cable 24 is hardly pulled strongly from the bottom to the top. Therefore, a rain gutter type guide that converts the force applied to the optical cable 24 in the direction of gravity into the direction A in which the movable part can move may be used. The rain gutter-type guide has an advantage that the main body side optical connector 22 and the probe side optical connector 23 can be more easily connected than the shape of the truncated cone shown in FIG.

  As described above, by providing the guide 25 that restricts the moving direction of the optical cable 24, the direction of the force applied to the movable member 20 can be converted into the A direction, so that any direction of tension is applied to the optical cable 24. The tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be relaxed.

  With the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be relaxed to be equal to or less than the maximum static frictional force on the contact surface N <b> 1 between the movable member 20 and the housing 100. However, in the structure shown in FIG. 2, the movable member 21 may drop from the opening of the housing 100 when the movable member 21 is pulled by the optical cable 24 via the optical connector. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, it may be considered to further add a configuration for restricting the movement of the movable member. In FIG. 4, the movable member 20 is provided on the protrusion 102, and the housing 100 is provided with a slit-like recess 103. Since the protrusion 102 is locked by contacting the end portions 103a and 103b of the recess 103, the movable range of the movable member 20 can be limited. When the protrusion 102 hits the end portion 103b, the movable member 20 cannot move further in the x-axis direction in the drawing, so that the movable member 20 can be prevented from falling off the housing 100.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 cannot be relaxed any more when the protrusion 102 hits the end portion 103b. Therefore, a means for causing the operator to recognize the state of the tension relaxation mechanism is effective. FIG. 5A shows a configuration in which a displacement sensor 104 serving as a displacement detection unit is further provided in the configuration shown in FIG. The displacement sensor 104 detects the displacement of the movable member 20. The displacement sensor 104 shown in FIG. 5A is an optical sensor. For example, the displacement sensor 104 of the movable member 20 is measured by irradiating light onto the end surface 21a of the movable member 20 and measuring the time until the reflected light is received. The position can be grasped. Based on the detection result of the displacement sensor 104, the control unit 4 causes the processing unit 3 to notify the display unit 5. For example, when the movable member 20 moves by 50% or more of the moving range of the movable member 20 defined by the width of the concave portion 103, the display unit 5 displays a notice for warning. Further, when it is determined that the movable member 20 has moved to a position where the protrusion 102 contacts the end portion 103b, a message instructing not to pull the optical cable 24 any more is displayed on the display unit 5. In addition, providing the probe 7 with a notification means is preferable in that the operator who operates the probe 7 can more easily recognize the situation. As an example, an LED lamp can be provided on the probe 7, and the lighting pattern and color of the LED lamp can be changed according to the detection result of the displacement sensor 104. In this way, the operator can recognize the moving range of the movable member 20 with the LED lamp at hand while operating the probe 7, so that it is possible to reduce the inadvertent pulling of the optical cable 24. If it is determined from the detection result of the displacement sensor 104 that the movable member 21 has been displaced to a predetermined position (for example, a position of 90% or more of the recess 103), the light source 2 stops emitting light. Alternatively, the control unit 4 may control the irradiation of light from the probe 7 to stop.

  The displacement sensor 104 is not limited to an optical sensor, and other types of sensors such as a capacitive sensor and a mechanical switch may be used.

  The displacement sensor 104 is not limited to the configuration that detects the end 21a of the movable member 20, but may be one that detects the position of the protrusion 102 as shown in FIG. In the configuration shown in FIG. 5B, two displacement sensors 104 a and 104 b are provided, each of which is a detection sensor that detects contact with the protrusion 102. When the displacement sensor 104b detects contact with the protrusion 102, if the optical cable 24 is further pulled in the x-axis direction, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 is not relaxed, and the probe-side optical connector 23 is dropped from the main body-side optical connector 22. . Therefore, the possibility of breakage of the optical cable 24 and disconnection of the optical connector can be reduced by notifying the operator according to the detection result of the displacement sensor.

  Further, the housing 100 may have a protrusion that protrudes toward the movable member 20, and the movable member 20 may have a recess that restricts the movement of the protrusion.

  The displacement sensor is not limited to the configuration in which the protrusion 102 is provided, but is effective in the configuration shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

  According to the present embodiment described above, by providing a tension relaxation mechanism that reduces the tension applied to the optical cable 24, the optical connector can be disconnected or the optical cable can be damaged even when an unexpected external force is applied. Can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
In the configuration described in the first embodiment, after the movable member 20 moves in the positive direction of the x-axis in the drawing, the movable member 20 remains in that position unless an external force is applied. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 4, if the protrusion 102 stays at a position where it contacts the end portion 103b, the tension relaxation function does not work. Therefore, in this embodiment, return means for returning the movable member 20 to the original position is provided.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a coil spring 106 is provided as a return means in the configuration shown in FIG. Both ends of the coil spring 106 are fixed to the movable member 20 and the apparatus main body 1 by fixing members 107 and 108 such as pins. Needless to say, the return means is not limited to the coil spring, and other elastic members such as a leaf spring may be used.

  The tension relaxation mechanism in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The friction at the contact surface N2 between the hole of the housing 100 and the movable member 101 is preferably small. In the present embodiment, the coil spring 106 has two functions of a tension relaxation mechanism and a return means.

The spring constant of the coil spring 106 is k, the extension is d, and the mass moving in the direction A (the movable member 20, the main body side optical connector 22, the probe side optical connector 23, the movable portion of the optical cable 21, and the movable portion of the optical cable 24). (Mass) is M, and the acceleration of the moving mass is α, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 is F,
F−k × d = M × α (2)
Therefore, in order to make the elastic force of the coil spring 106 substantially equal to the tension F applied to the optical cable 24, M × α has sufficient elasticity k × d by the coil spring 106 and the tension applied to the optical cable 24 compared to F. Design to be smaller. By reducing the mass moving in the direction A, the elastic force of the coil spring 106 can be made substantially equal to the tension applied to the optical connector 23 and the optical cable 24 within the assumed acceleration. When this condition is satisfied, the equation (2) is expressed as F = k × d (3)
It becomes. In other words, even if an unexpected external force is applied to the optical cable 24 and the optical cable 24 is pulled, when the movable member 101 moves by the distance d, only the elastic force of the coil spring 106 shown in the expression (3) is used. Do not join the optical cable 24. Therefore, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be relaxed. According to this embodiment, since the movable member 20 returns to the original position by the elastic force of the coil spring 106 when the external force is lost, it is not necessary for the operator to return the movable member 20 to the original position.

  In FIG. 6, when a force other than the direction A is applied, the vertical drag on the contact surface N2 increases, so the frictional force on the contact surface N2 increases. If the housing 100 and the movable member 20 are designed so that the frictional force is a friction coefficient that is sufficiently smaller than the elastic force of the coil spring 106, the force is applied to the optical cable 24 in the direction a and the direction b. However, the tension shown in the above formula (3) is applied to the probe-side optical connector 23 and the optical cable 24. In the first embodiment, the tension relaxation mechanism is realized by the frictional force between the casing 100 and the movable member 101. However, in the third embodiment, the tension relaxation mechanism is realized by the coil spring 106. The friction coefficient of the contact surface N2 can be designed to be small.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the same protrusion 102 as in the first embodiment may be provided on the movable member 20.

Here, the extension of the coil spring 106 when the projection 102 is in contact with the end portion 103a is d1, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 is F1, and the extension of the coil spring 106 when the projection 102 is in contact with the end portion 103b. If d2, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 is F2, and the spring constant of the coil spring 106 is k, the following relationship is established.
F1 = k × d1 (4)
F2 = k × d2 (5)
Since d1 <d2,
F1 <F2 (6)
The relationship holds. Therefore, the tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be suppressed between F1 and F2 in the movable range of the movable member 20. The tension F1 is a force at which the movable member 20 starts to move, and corresponds to the first threshold value.

When the width of the recess 103, that is, the movable range of the movable member 20 is L,
L = d2-d1 (7)
Because
F2−F1 = k × L (8)
And transform equation (8)
k = (F2-F1) / L (9)
It can be asked.

The smaller force of the force required to release the coupling between the main body side optical connector 22 and the probe side optical connector 23 and the tension at which the optical cable 24 is broken is M, and 0 ≦ F1 = q1 × M. 10)
F1 ≦ F2 = q2 × M <M (11)
The parameters q1 and q2 may be designed so as to satisfy the following relationship. In addition, from Formula (10) and Formula (11), q1 and q2 are
0 ≦ q1 ≦ q2 <1 (12)
It becomes.

  According to the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the moving range of the movable member 20 can be restricted, and even if an unexpected tension is applied to the optical cable 24, the tension can be reduced to q2 × M.

  As described above, the present embodiment also includes a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes the tension applied to the optical cable 24, so that even if an unexpected external force is applied, the optical connector can be disconnected or the optical cable can be damaged. Can be reduced.

(Third embodiment)
Another embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the movable member 101 is coupled to the housing 100 of the apparatus main body 1 by the coupling means 105. The main body side optical connector 22 is fixed to the movable member and moves together with the movable member 101.

  The movable member 101 in the present embodiment is a plate-like member that covers the opening of the housing 100. The coupling means 105 is, for example, a pin, a rivet, or a screw. The force required for the coupling means 105 to drop off from the housing 100 is smaller than the tension required for the probe-side optical connector 23 to come off from the main body-side optical connector 22 and smaller than the tension at which the optical cable 24 is damaged. Configure. Specifically, the device mounting screw 105 has a lower cross-sectional area of the neck portion between the trunk portion and the head portion of the rivet than other portions, thereby reducing the strength compared to other portions, and removing the optical connector. A structure in which the neck portion breaks with a tension (first threshold) smaller than the tension at which the optical cable 24 is broken is conceivable. As a result, even if an unexpected external force is applied to the optical cable 24, the coupling member 105 is destroyed and the movable member 101 moves relative to the housing 100, so that the tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be relaxed. .

  The coupling means 105 is not limited to a member that is irreversibly broken when a tension is applied to the optical cable 24, and a member that can be repeatedly attached and detached, such as a push rivet, may be used.

  Also in the present embodiment, a detection sensor for detecting the displacement of the movable member 101 may be provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the operator is notified based on the detection result by the detection sensor. Also good.

  Also according to the present embodiment, by providing a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes the tension applied to the optical cable 24, even if an unexpected external force is applied, the possibility that the optical connector is disconnected or the optical cable is damaged can be reduced.

(Fourth embodiment)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the movable member linearly moves with respect to the housing to reduce the tension applied to the optical cable. This embodiment demonstrates the structure which relieves tension | tensile_strength by a movable member rotating.

  In FIG. 9, the movable member 901 to which the main body side optical connector 22 is coupled is fixed to the housing 100 so as to be rotatable in the xz plane around the rotation shaft 110. Furthermore, the movable member 901 is coupled to the housing 100 by a coil spring 106 that is an elastic member. The movable member 901 is provided with protrusions 102a and 102b, and the rotation range of the movable member 901 is restricted by contacting the surfaces 103c and 103d of the housing 100.

  In FIG. 9, in order to simplify the description, it is assumed that the position of the fixed member 107 that fixes the coil spring 106 to the movable member 901 and the position of the main body side optical connector 22 are equidistant from the rotating shaft 110. That is, it is assumed that the tension of the coil spring 106 is approximately equal to an unexpected external force. In addition, when the position of the fixing member 107 and the position of the main body side optical connector 22 are not equidistant from the rotation shaft 110, it may be considered that both moments are equal. For example, if the distance between the position of the fixing member 107 and the rotation shaft 110 is ½ times the distance between the position of the main body side optical connector 22 and the rotation shaft 110, it is ½ of the tension of the coil spring 106. Double is almost equal to unexpected external force.

  Also in the present embodiment, when the tension applied to the optical cable 24 exceeds the first threshold value, which is the elastic force due to the extension of the coil spring 106 when the protrusion 102a and the surface 103c are in contact, the movable member 901 follows the optical cable 24. By moving (here rotating), the tension applied to the optical cable 24 can be reduced. In addition, there is an effect that the movable member 901 is returned to the original position by the force that the coil spring 106 tries to restore.

  Although the tension relaxation mechanism using the coil spring 106 has been described in the present embodiment, a structure using a frictional force can be used as in the configuration described in the first embodiment. In this case, the coil spring 106 and the fixing members 107 and 108 can be omitted. The frictional force may be, for example, the frictional force on the contact surface between the movable member 101 and the housing 100 or may be realized using the frictional force of the rotating shaft 110.

  Also in this embodiment, the technical idea described in each of the previous embodiments can be applied. For example, a guide for limiting the moving direction of the optical cable 24 may be provided, a detection sensor for detecting the displacement of the movable member 901 may be provided, or the operator may be notified according to the detection result of the detection sensor.

  In the configuration of FIG. 9, the rotation range of the movable member 901 is restricted by the end portions 103c and 103d. However, the movable member 901 can be configured to continuously rotate 360 degrees or more.

  For example, a configuration in which the movable member 901 is provided with a stretch portion such as a reel on which the optical cable is stretched, and the optical cable is wound around the stretch portion as the movable member 901 rotates is conceivable. The movable member 901 is coupled to the spiral spring, and when the tension applied to the optical cable 24 exceeds the first threshold value, the movable member 901 is driven by the optical cable 24 against the elastic force of the spiral spring, whereby the tension applied to the optical cable 24. Can be relaxed.

  Also according to the present embodiment, by providing a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes the tension applied to the optical cable 24, even if an unexpected external force is applied, the possibility that the optical connector is disconnected or the optical cable is damaged can be reduced.

(Other)
In each of the above embodiments, the description has been given focusing on the optical cable 24, but the same configuration can also be applied to the electric cable 34. In that case, the optical cable 24 and the electric cable 34 may be provided with the main body side connectors on separate movable members, or the main body side optical connector 22 and the main body side electric connector 32 may be provided on the same movable member. Also good. In any case, the technical ideas described in the above embodiments can be appropriately combined.

  Further, the length of the optical cable 24 may be longer than that of the electric cable 34 or may be shorter. Further, the length of the optical cable 24 may be equal to the length of the electric cable 34. When the length of the optical cable 24 is equal to that of the electric cable 34, the probe 7 can be easily handled because neither table has a surplus length.

  In each of the above embodiments, the configuration in which the tension relaxation mechanism is provided in the apparatus main body has been described. However, the probe 7 may be provided with the same tension relaxation mechanism as described above. If the probe is provided with a tension relaxation mechanism, especially in the case of a handheld probe, even if the connector is dropped, it is easy for the operator to reconnect the connector.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 2 Light source 3 Processing part 4 Control part 5 Display apparatus 6 Input part 7 Probe 20 Movable member 21 Optical cable 22 Main body side optical connector 23 Probe side optical connector 24 Optical cable 31 In-body electric wiring 32 Main body side electric connector 33 Probe side electric Connector 34 Electrical wiring 71 Light irradiation part 901 Movable member

Claims (14)

An apparatus having a first connector to which a light guide member for guiding light emitted from a light source is connected;
A probe including a light irradiation unit that irradiates the subject with light;
A second connector that is detachably connected to the first connector, and includes a first connection wiring that guides the light to the light irradiation unit;
A light irradiation apparatus comprising: a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes a tension applied to the first connection wiring in a state where the first connector and the second connector are connected.   When the tension applied to the first connection wiring exceeds a predetermined threshold in a state where the first connector and the second connector are connected, the tension relaxation mechanism moves the first connection wiring. The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism that moves with the movement. The tension relaxation mechanism includes an opening provided in the device;
A movable member movable with respect to the opening,
The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first connector is provided on the movable member.   The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the movable member slides or rotates as the first connection wiring moves.   The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a restriction unit that restricts movement of the movable member.   The light irradiating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the regulating means is an elastic member that connects the apparatus and the movable member.   The light irradiating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the restricting unit is a protrusion that locks the movable member with respect to the opening.   The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a displacement detection unit that detects a displacement of the movable member.   The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a notification unit that performs notification according to a detection result of the displacement detection unit. The light irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe is a handheld probe. The probe further includes an acoustic wave detection element that receives an acoustic wave from the subject and outputs an electrical signal,
The apparatus includes a processing unit that performs processing based on the electrical signal;
A third connector electrically connected to the processing unit;
The probe is connected to the processing unit via a third connection wire coupled to a fourth connector for transmitting the electrical signal, and the third connector. The light irradiation apparatus according to any one of 10.   The light irradiation according to claim 11, further comprising a tension relaxation mechanism that relaxes a tension applied to the second connection wiring in a state where the third connector and the fourth connector are connected. apparatus.   The tension relaxation mechanism for relaxing the tension applied to the first connection wiring moves with a tension smaller than the tension relaxation mechanism for relaxing the tension applied to the second connection wiring. The light irradiation apparatus of description.   The light processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit acquires subject information based on the electrical signal.

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