JP2733019B2 - Head fixing device for brain magnetic field measurement - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for fixing a head of a human body as a subject in order to measure a brain magnetic field of the head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, superconducting quantum interference fluxmeters (abbreviated as S
QUID) is used to detect a brain magnetic field in the head of a human body. This brain magnetic field is so small that the magnetometer must be fitted snugly to the patient's head, otherwise the detection accuracy will be reduced. Many people who should detect such a brain magnetic field of the head are physically handicapped, and even for such a handicapped person, the head is fixed and the detection accuracy is improved. It is desired.

[0003] Further, such measurement of the detection of the brain magnetic field requires a relatively long time, for example, two to three hours, and it is difficult to accurately maintain the posture of the patient in such a state. Therefore, there is a demand for a configuration in which the head is fixed at a fixed position even during long-time measurement. Hitherto, a configuration for fixing such a head for measuring a minute brain magnetic field has not been realized.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a head fixing device for measuring a magnetoencephalographic magnetic field capable of accurately positioning and firmly fixing the head of a human body on, for example, a superconducting quantum interference magnetometer. It is to provide a device.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a head covering for covering at least a skull of a head of a subject, and a head covering of the subject disposed opposite the head covering. A head support for brain magnetic field measurement, comprising: a chin support piece for supporting the chin; and a displacement adjusting means for adjusting the chin support piece to be vertically displaceable with respect to the head covering device. Device.

Further, according to the present invention, the displacement adjusting means includes a mounting member provided on a subject supporting portion for supporting the subject, and the mounting member is inserted vertically so that the lower portion of the chin support piece extends in the left-right direction of the subject. It is characterized by including a support bar provided so as to be angularly displaceable about a parallel axis, and fixing means for selectively fixing a part of the support bar in the longitudinal direction to the mounting member.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the mounting member is fixed to a mounting rod extending parallel to the left and right direction of the subject so that the position of the mounting member can be selectively fixed by adjusting the left and right positions.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the subject supporting portion is displaced up and down by the elevating means.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the head of a human body, which is a subject, is inserted into and attached to a head covering for measuring a brain magnetic field, for example, a superconducting quantum interference magnetic flux provided on the head covering. A minute brain magnetic field can be measured by a brain magnetic field measuring element such as a meter, and the jaw (chin) of the subject's head
Is supported by a chin supporting piece, and the chin supporting piece can be displaced up and down by the displacement adjusting means, so that the head can be kept tightly attached to the head covering.

Further, according to the present invention, since the chin is supported by the chin supporting piece, the head can be supported even when the measurement time of the brain magnetic field is long, and the head and the head cover can be covered. The vertical displacement relative to the tool can be prevented. Thereby, the measurement accuracy of the brain magnetic field can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, a mounting member is provided on a subject supporting portion for supporting a subject such as a bed, and a supporting rod is inserted vertically into the mounting member, and a longitudinal direction of the supporting rod, that is, The upper and lower middle portions can be selectively fixed to the mounting member by fixing means, and the support rod has a jaw support piece that can be angularly displaced around an axis parallel to the left and right direction of the subject, and thus to the horizontal direction. Since it is provided, it becomes possible to support the head according to the shape of the patient's head so that the head covering device does not cause relative displacement.

According to the present invention, the mounting member is fixed to the mounting rod extending parallel to the left and right direction of the subject so that the position of the mounting member can be selectively fixed by adjusting the left and right positions.
The support of the chin of the head by the chin support can be ensured even for a patient, for example a handicapped person or a patient with a rigid part.

According to the present invention, the subject supporting portion may include:
The subject is vertically displaced by the elevating means, and the mounting member is attached to the subject supporting rod as described above. Therefore, when the patient is lifted by the subject supporting part and the head is inserted into the head covering, for example. In, the chin of the head can be kept supported by the chin support pieces, and the support state of the head can be maintained.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of a head fixing device 1 for measuring a brain magnetic field according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a side.
2 is a front view of a part of the head fixing device 1. FIG. The head 3 of the subject 2 whose brain magnetic field is to be measured is fixed by covering at least the skull with a head covering 39 (details will be described later) and supporting the jaw 4 with a jaw support piece 5. When the chin support piece 5 is described in detail, the chin 4 of the head 3 of the subject 2 is
The central portion is received and supported by the concave chin support piece 5. The length L1 before and after the chin support piece 5 is, for example, 45 m.
m, and the width L2 is, for example, 100 mm. The lower part 6 of the chin support piece 5 is provided on the upper part of a support rod 8 so as to be angularly displaceable about an axis 7. The support rod 8 vertically passes through the insertion hole 10 of the mounting member 9. An internal screw 11 is engraved on the mounting member 9 and a bolt 12 is screwed therein. Bolt 1
By contacting the end of the second shaft portion 12a with the outer peripheral portion of the support rod 8, a portion of the support rod 8 in the longitudinal direction can be selectively fixed to the mounting member 9, and the bolt 12 can be fixed. It is possible to adjust the vertical position of the support rod 8 by loosening. The bolt head 12b of the bolt 12 can be rotated by an operator.

The mounting member 9 is fixed to a mounting rod 13 extending parallel to the left and right direction of the subject 2 (the left and right direction in FIG. 2) so that the left and right positions thereof can be adjusted and selectively fixed. That is, an insertion hole 14 through which the mounting rod 13 is inserted is formed in the mounting member 9, and a shaft portion 16 a of a bolt 16 is screwed into a screw hole 15 formed in the mounting member 9. The end of the portion 16a abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting rod 13, and thus the positioning and fixing of the mounting member 9 along the mounting rod 13 is selectively performed. The bolt 16 is provided with a knob 16b, which can be rotated by an operator. The portion 9a of the mounting member 9 on the subject 2 side is provided so as not to contact or collide with the subject 2.
It is formed substantially parallel to the surface of the subject 2.

A notch 17 is formed in the upper part of the support rod 8 to form a pair of holding pieces 18 and 19. An inner screw 20 is formed on one holding piece 18 and the other holding piece 1
9 has an insertion hole 21 formed therein. The bolt 22 is inserted through the insertion hole 21, and further inserted through the insertion hole 24 of the projection 23 formed in the lower portion 6 of the chin support piece 5 and screwed into the internal screw 20. The bolt 22 has a knob 25. Thus, by rotating the knob 25 to clamp the projection 23 between the holding pieces 18 and 19, mutual angular displacement of the support rod 8 and the chin support piece 5 around the axis 7 can be prevented and fixed. By loosening the bolt 22, the mutual angular displacement between the support rod 8 and the chin support piece 5 can be adjusted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the brain magnetic field of the head 3 is detected using the human body measurement bed 27. A brain magnetic field measurement assembly 28 for detecting a brain magnetic field includes:
In a shielded room in which the magnetic field and the electric field are shielded by the conductor and the ferromagnetic material, the pair of arms 29 are swingably attached to the free ends of the pair of arms 29 with angular displacement about a horizontal axis. The base end is provided on a side wall of a shielded room in a building so as to be swingable around a horizontal axis by a bracket. After adjusting the swing angle of the arm 29, a pair of columns 30 are erected from the floor to hold the arm.

FIG. 4 shows that the brain magnetic field measurement assembly 28 includes:
Basically, there is provided an outer tank 35 constituting a cryogenic heat-insulating container, and an inner tank 36 provided at an interval inside the outer tank 35, and a vacuum heat insulating layer is provided between the two tanks 35, 36. A polyester film that is formed and has aluminum deposited thereon is housed therein to form a heat insulating structure, and a liquid helium 37 is stored in the inner tank 36.

The lower portion of the outer tub 35 has a helmet-shaped head covering 39 that covers at least the skull of the head 3. A large number of detection coils for detecting a cerebral magnetic field are arranged and fixed below the inner bath 36, and a coupling coil is connected to the detection coil, and each of the coupling coils is a SQUID.
It is magnetically coupled to the element, thus forming a superconducting quantum interference magnetometer. The SQUID element has a configuration in which a superconducting ring has a Josephson junction, and can obtain an electric signal corresponding to a weak brain magnetic field by a so-called DC type or AC type configuration.

A head fixing device 1 for measuring a brain magnetic field according to the present invention
, The head covering 39 and the chin support piece 5 are arranged to face each other. The head 3 of the subject 2 has at least its skull attached to the head covering 39 and its jaw 4 supported by the chin supporting piece 5, so that the head 3 is sandwiched between the head covering 39 and the chin supporting piece 5. To prevent relative displacement.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of the human body measurement bed 27, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bed 27, and FIG. 7 is a front view of the bed 27. The subject support portion 41 includes a backrest portion 42 and a seating portion 43,
It is vertically displaced by the elevating means 44.

A support member 121 having a substantially U-shape in a substantially horizontal plane is provided on an upper portion of the backrest portion 42. The support member 121 is provided with a mounting rod 13 in front of the backrest portion 42. And a pair of adjusting rods 45 extending rearward from both ends of the mounting rod 13. The adjustment rod 45
It is adjustably attached to a holder 46 provided on the upper part of the backrest 42. The holding body 46 has an adjustment bolt 4
An inner screw into which the screw 7 is screwed is engraved, and a bolt 47 abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the adjusting rod 45 inserted through the insertion hole of the holding body 46 to set and hold the position of the adjusting rod 45 in the longitudinal direction. It can be fixed to the body 46. The jaw support piece 5 can thus be angularly displaced about the axis 7 around the arrow 48 in FIG. 5, displaceable about the arrow 49 in the longitudinal direction of the support rod 8, and The adjustment rod 45 is displaced with respect to the holding body 46 and can be adjusted by being displaced back and forth in the direction of the arrow 50.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the bed 27, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of another part of the bed 27. Referring to these drawings, rising members 53 and 54 are erected and fixed on pedestal 52, and both ends of stay 115 are fixed between rising members 53 and 54,
Strength is improved. These rising members 53, 54 have rails 55, 5 which protrude outward and extend obliquely and vertically.
6 are formed. The pedestal 57 is a rail gripping piece 6 having rail guide grooves 58, 59 fitted into the rails 55, 56.
0 and 61 are provided, so that the receiving table 57 can be displaced up and down along the rails 55 and 56. Pins 6 formed on both side walls 62 and 63 of the receiving base 57 so as to protrude inward.
4, 65 fit into the axial holes 67, 68 of the backrest 42 having the horizontal first axis 66, and thus the first axis 66.
The backrest 42 is angularly displaceable therearound.

The bracket 69 below the backrest 42,
70 has a second horizontal axis 71 extending laterally of the seat 43.
Are fitted in the shaft holes 74 and 75, respectively, so that the backrest portion 42 and the seating portion 43 are mutually angularly displaceable about the second axis 71. Seating part 4
Guide projections 7 protruding downward are provided at the lower portions on both left and right sides of 3.
6 and 77 are formed, and the guide projections 76 and 77 can be displaced along the upper surfaces of the sliding projections 79 and 80 fixed to the bottom 78 of the pedestal 57. Thus, the seat 4
3 corresponding to the displacement position before and after 3
7 is changed. Projections 76, 7
7 and the sliding protrusions 79 and 80 constitute guide means 81.

A shaft hole 83 is formed in the seat 43 at the rear end of an elongated rack 82 extending in the front-rear direction.
3, a pin 85 having a horizontal horizontal third axis 84 is inserted into the seating portion 43, and thus the rack 82 is provided so as to be angularly displaceable about the third axis 84. A pin 87 provided on a support member 86 is fitted in the receiving base 57 into a shaft hole 88 on the front side of the receiving base 57 and a horizontal horizontal fourth axis 89.
A support member 86 is provided so as to be angularly displaceable therearound.

The specific structure inside the support member 86 is shown in FIGS. A handle 91 is provided on the support member 86, and a gear 92 is fixed to the handle 91, and a gear 93 having a larger diameter meshes with the gear 92. A pinion 94 is fixed to the gear 93, and the pinion 94 meshes with a rack 82 guided through a guide hole 122 formed in the support member 86.
By rotating the handle 91 in this way, the rack 82, and thus the seat 43, can be displaced back and forth, with the guide projections 76, 77 being guided mainly on one arc-shaped sliding projection 79, 80. Is done. Gear 93
Is rotated by tightening a bolt 96 to which a knob 95 is fixed, and the end of the bolt 96 abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the gear 93 or the rotating shaft 97 integrated therewith, and thus the pinion 9 is rotated.
4 is prevented from being undesirably rotated, and the seat 43 is positioned.

FIG. 10 is a simplified side view showing a state in which the seat 43 is displaced rearward, and FIG.
It is the simplified side view which shows the state which displaced 3 forward. By displacing the seat portion 43 forward as shown in FIG. 11, the backrest portion 42 can be displaced about the second axis of the pin 73 by about 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and as shown in FIG. In a state where the seating portion 43 is displaced rearward, the backrest portion 42 can be set upright in a state perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

FIG. 12 shows a lifting means 1 for raising and lowering the receiving table 57.
FIG. 13 is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along section line XIII-XIII in FIG. 6 of FIG. 6. The elevating means 101 has a support 103 fixed to the side wall 102 of the rising member 53, and the support 103 is provided with a gear 105 driven to rotate by a handle 104. The gear 105 meshes with a gear 106 having a larger diameter.
The worm 107 is driven to rotate by 06. A worm wheel 108 meshes with the worm 107. The worm wheel 108 is fixed to a shaft 109, and the shaft 109 is fixed to a drive shaft 109 inserted between the rising members 53 and 54 of the pedestal 52. Drive shaft 109
, The winding drum 110 is fixed on the rail 55 side. One end of the flexible belt 111 (see FIG. 5 described above) is fixed to the rail gripping piece 60 of the pedestal 57. The belt 111 is wound around a pulley 112 rotatably provided with a horizontal rotation axis on the rising member 53, and the other end is fixedly wound around the winding drum 110. On the rail 56 side, the winding drum and the belt are similarly provided, and corresponding portions of the configuration on the rail 56 side are denoted by the same reference numerals with the suffix a. By rotating the handle 104 in this manner, the winding drums 110 and 110a are rotated, and accordingly, the belts 111 and 111a are rotated.
0, 110a can be wound or unwound, so that the cradle 57 can be raised and lowered. Hole 5 in pedestal 52
2a, the pedestal 57 has its hole 52
a, and can be displaced downward, so that the posture of the patient can be adjusted even if the main body bed 27 is configured low.

By properly selecting the shape of the arcuate surfaces of the sliding projections 79 and 80, the handle 91 is rotated to displace the seating portion 43 back and forth, and the backrest portion 42 is angularly displaced and inclined. Also, the change in the position of the head can be reduced. Even if the subject has a disability or is stiff, the sitting portion 43 and the backrest portion 4 of the bed 27 may be used according to various postures.
The reclining operation can be performed by appropriately selecting the angle 2. In FIG. 5, such an amount of angular displacement of the backrest portion 42 is indicated by an angle θ1, and is, for example, 60 degrees.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a part of another embodiment of the present invention. This brain magnetic field measurement fixing device 1
“a” has a configuration similar to that of the above-described embodiment, and corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the mounting member 9 includes two parts 9a and 9b, and these parts 9a and 9b are fixed. This facilitates assembly.

The head fixing device 1 for measuring a brain magnetic field and the bed 27 for measuring a human body are made of an electrically insulating and non-magnetic material,
For example, it is made of a material such as a synthetic resin or a fiber reinforced plastic (abbreviated as FRP), and further, a material such as rubber.

The present invention may be implemented not only in connection with the backrest 42 of the bed 27 but also in a stand or the like provided on the floor of a room.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the chin of the subject whose head is covered with the head covering for the measurement of the brain magnetic field is supported by the chin supporting piece. A piece
The head can be adjusted so that it can be displaced up and down, so that the head is kept attached to the head covering, and even if the patient is a disabled person, the head can be It can be firmly supported so as not to be displaced relative to the covering device.

Further, according to the present invention, it is easy to keep the head tightly attached to the head covering even if the measurement time of the brain magnetic field is long, thereby making it possible to measure the brain magnetic field. Accuracy can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, a mounting member is provided on a subject support portion such as a bed for supporting a subject, and the mounting member is provided with a support rod inserted vertically.
The lower part of the chin support piece is provided on this support rod so as to be angularly displaceable about an axis parallel to the left-right direction of the subject. It is easy to fix the head while keeping the head mounted on the head covering.

In addition, according to the present invention, the support rod is configured such that a part in the longitudinal direction thereof can be selectively fixed to the mounting member. It is easy to fix to the tool.

Further, according to the present invention, the mounting member can be selectively fixed to the mounting rod extending parallel to the left and right direction of the subject by adjusting the left and right positions thereof, so that the body is inconvenient. Even for a person or a person with a rigid body, the head can be inserted into the head covering and the head mounted on the head covering can be reliably maintained.

Further, according to the present invention, the subject supporting portion is
The subject is displaced up and down by the elevating means, so that it is easy for the subject to rise and insert the head into the head covering, and in such a situation, the chin is supported by the chin supporting piece. This makes it possible to insert the head into the head covering device reliably and easily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a head fixing device for brain magnetic field measurement 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a side.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the configuration of the head fixing device for brain magnetic field measurement 1 as viewed from the front.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a brain magnetic field measurement device to which the head fixing device for brain magnetic field measurement 1 is attached and used.

FIG. 4 is a simplified longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the brain magnetic field measurement assembly 28.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the bed 27 cut away as viewed from the side.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a bed 27.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the bed 27 as viewed from the front.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a pedestal 52 of the bed 27 and a configuration in the vicinity thereof.

9 is a perspective view showing a backrest portion 42, a seating portion 43, a cradle 57, and the like, which are different portions of the bed 27 from FIG.

FIG. 10 is a simplified side sectional view showing a state where the seating portion 43 is displaced forward.

FIG. 11 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing a state where the seating portion 43 is displaced rearward as viewed from the side.

FIG. 12 is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of a head fixing device 1a for measuring a brain magnetic field according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 head fixing device 2 subject 3 head 4 jaw 5 jaw support piece 8 support rod 9 mounting member 13 mounting rod 27 human body measurement bed 28 brain magnetic field measurement assembly 39 head covering 41 subject support section 42 backrest section 43 Seating part 45 Adjusting rod 46 Holder 52 Pedestal 53, 54 Standing member 55, 56 Rail 57 Receiving base 66 First axis 71 Second axis 76, 77 Guide projection 79, 80 Sliding projection 81 Guide means 82 Rack 84 Third Axis 86 Supporting member 89 Fourth axis 101 Elevating means 109 Drive shaft 110 Winding drum 111 Belt

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) The inventor Kenichi Chiba Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. 4-1-2, Hirano-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (56) References

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A head covering device for covering at least a skull of a head of a subject, and a chin support for supporting a chin of a head of the subject disposed to face the head covering device. And a displacement adjusting means for adjusting the chin support piece so as to be vertically displaceable with respect to the head covering device. 2. A displacement adjusting means, comprising: a mounting member provided on a subject support portion for supporting a subject; and an insertion member vertically inserted through the mounting member, and a lower portion of the chin supporting piece is parallel to the left-right direction of the subject. 2. A head for measuring a magnetoencephalographic magnetic field according to claim 1, further comprising: a support rod provided so as to be angularly displaceable therearound; and fixing means for selectively fixing a part of the support rod in a longitudinal direction to a mounting member. Department fixing device. 3. The brain according to claim 2, wherein the mounting member is fixed to a mounting rod extending parallel to the left-right direction of the subject so as to be selectively fixable by adjusting the left-right position thereof. Head fixing device for magnetic field measurement. 4. The head fixing device for brain magnetic field measurement according to claim 2, wherein the subject supporting portion is vertically displaced by an elevating means.