JP3278527B2 - Osteoporosis diagnostic device by ultrasound - 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 diagnosing osteoporosis using ultrasonic waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the increase in the aging population, the rapid increase in the number of illnesses called osteoporosis, which tends to cause fractures in ordinary daily life, has become a major problem in the medical field. Osteoporosis is a disease in which components such as bone calcium decrease and bone loss occurs, and cracks and breakage due to reduced strength are likely to occur.
It is said that about 30% of those aged 0 and over, and about 10% of men, fall under this category.

[0003] When osteoporosis is discovered early,
Since various treatments can effectively prevent the progression of osteoporosis, early detection by periodic examination is important. For this reason, conventionally, the progress of osteoporosis has been predicted and diagnosed by measuring bone mineral content (BMC) by X-ray radiation (X-ray) radiation or gamma ray radiation.

[0004] However, radiation is very harmful to living organisms, and is intended for people aged approximately 50 to 60 years or older, who are expected to have a high possibility of osteoporosis, and women who have closed their diameters. The diagnosis was at risk.
Therefore, an apparatus for diagnosing osteoporosis using ultrasound which is harmless to the human body has been proposed. For example, all of the main components of the diagnostic device can be stored in individual boxes so that they can be easily transported, or a structure in which all diagnostic devices are integrated. Proposed.

[0005]

However, the main components of the apparatus, which are all individually divided, are convenient to carry, but when used on the other hand, they must be assembled each time, and the patient (the patient) must be assembled. When the examiner came to the hospital suddenly, he could not respond quickly and was extremely inconvenient. On the other hand, a device having a structure in which main components are integrated tends to be relatively large in the entire device. However, depending on hospitals, health centers, and the like, the place where the diagnostic device is arranged is narrow, and there is a problem that the arrangement is restricted. Therefore, the present invention makes it easy for a doctor to perform an operation at the time of diagnosis, and it is easy for a patient (subject) to perform measurement, and after the diagnosis is completed, it is easy to store even a corner of a room. At the time of transportation, it is intended to provide a diagnostic device that is extremely portable.

[0006]

The main part of the device of the present invention is as follows.
A head having a CRT, a printer, an FD device, a KEY board, and a personal computer, a body having an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving section and an electric circuit below the head, and a water having a caster below the body. It comprises a base body A having a flat base plate as an integral structure, and a measuring section B having a footrest on which the subject's heel is mounted and a pair of ultrasonic probes. Of these, a notch with one opening is provided on the horizontal base plate below the base body A. A groove is provided on the side surface of the notch. In addition, an inclined guide surface is provided at the tip of the groove on the opening side. On the other hand, a roller is attached to the side surface of the measuring section B. At the time of diagnosis, the measuring section B is separated from the base main body A, and at the end of the diagnosis, the measuring section B is moved along the guide surface of the groove of the horizontal base plate of the base main body A. , Stored in the space of the notch,
The base body A and the measuring section B are configured to be movable at the same time.

[0007]

[Function] At the time of diagnosis, a base body having a personal computer body and a measuring section having a footrest and an ultrasonic probe are separated from each other, so that both a patient (subject) and a doctor are convenient. Placed in the position. On the other hand, at the end of the diagnosis, the measuring unit is mounted on the horizontal base plate of the base body, and the structure is integrated with the base body so that the measuring unit fits into the space of the notch, so transportation is easy. Easy.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the main parts of the apparatus of the present invention are a base body A having personal computer-related members and an ultrasonic probe. And a measuring unit B having a child. That is, the base body A has a CPU, ROM,
A personal computer body 1 including a RAM, a CRT 2, a printer 3, a KEY board 4, and an FD device 5 are mounted, while a body 6 below the head is formed hollow, and An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver, electric circuit components, and the like (to be described later) are incorporated therein. Further, a horizontal base plate 7 to which casters 8 are attached is attached to a lower portion of the body 6. The horizontal base plate 7 is provided with a notch portion 7a having one opening, and further, on the inner surface of the notch portion 7a, as shown in FIG.
7b, and at the end of the step on the side of the opening, inclined guide surfaces 7c, 7c are provided.
Further, recesses 7d, 7d for positioning are provided at the back of the step portion.

On the other hand, the measuring section B includes a footrest 10 on which the foot of a patient (examinee) is mounted, and a pair of ultrasonic probes 11, 11 connected to an ultrasonic transceiver (not shown). It is attached to the machine frame base 12, and further, on both sides of the machine frame base 12,
Rollers 13 are mounted and the machine frame 12
A caster 14 is attached to the lower part of the vehicle.

FIG. 4 shows a measuring section B including the ultrasonic probe 11.
And an electric circuit diagram showing a connection relationship between an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver built in the body portion 6 of the base main body A and the personal computer main body 1 and the like. The ultrasonic probes 11, 11 are relays, respectively. It is connected to an ultrasonic transceiver 16 via a substrate 15. The electric pulse signal from the ultrasonic probe 11 is converted into an ultrasonic signal by the piezoelectric element and transmitted to the other ultrasonic probe 11. The ultrasonic probe 11 converts the ultrasonic signal into an electric signal again by the piezoelectric element. The ultrasonic transceiver 16 includes a filter 17, an amplifier 18,
Is connected to an A / D converter 19, among which the filter 17 removes low frequency and high frequency components from the RF signal of the ultrasonic transceiver 16 and sends the signal to the amplifier 18,
On the other hand, the A / D converter 19 converts the signal from the amplifier 18 into a digital signal and sends the data to the CPU of the personal computer 1. In addition, the CP of the personal computer 1
U estimates the trabecular bone area ratio and the trabecular shape by performing arithmetic processing based on the signal from the ultrasonic transceiver 16. Furthermore, the ultrasonic transceiver 16 is connected to the CPU of the personal computer 1, while the CPU is connected to the CRT 2, the printer 3, and the FDD.
It is also connected to the device 5 and outputs the results of the arithmetic processing to these devices, and stores and holds the results. The ultrasonic probe 11 of the measuring section B and the ultrasonic transceiver 16 built in the hollow portion of the body of the base body A are connected by a cable 20.

An example of an apparatus for practicing the present invention is configured as described above. At the time of diagnosis, a measuring unit B including an ultrasonic probe 11 as shown in FIG. A is separated from the caster A.
4 can be freely moved to a position where the patient (subject) is easily measured. The physician can easily operate the KEY board 4 and the like of the personal computer 1,
The base body A to which the casters 8 are attached can be freely moved and arranged. When the diagnosis is completed, the measuring section B is stored in the horizontal base plate 7 of the base body A as shown in FIG. That is, since the tip of the stepped portion 7b of the cutout portion 7a of the horizontal base plate 7 is formed on the inclined guide surface 7c, the measuring section B has the machine frame base 12 with the rollers 13 attached to the side surface thereof. From there, the roller 13 of the measuring section B is positioned by being fitted into the recess 7d provided at the depth of the step groove 7b guided along the guide surface 7c. In this way, the measuring unit B rides on the horizontal base plate 7 of the base main body A, and the measuring unit is fitted into the space of the cutout portion 7a of the horizontal base plate 7 to form an integrated structure. , Transportation becomes extremely easy.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the measuring section having the footrest on which the subject's foot is placed and the ultrasonic probe is detachably attached to the base body having the personal computer body and the like. Therefore, the device can be placed at a position where the doctor can easily operate the device at the time of diagnosis as compared with the conventional device, and at the same time, it can be placed at a position where the patient (subject) can measure without taking an unreasonable posture. Further, at the end of the diagnosis, the measurement unit and the base main body are formed in an integrated structure, so that it is very convenient to carry and there is no need for a place to store the entire apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an apparatus for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a measuring unit is stored in a base body.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a horizontal base plate at a lower part of a base body.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electric circuit showing a connection relationship between an ultrasonic transceiver and a personal computer main body and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List A Base body B Measurement unit 1 Personal computer body 2 CRT 3 Printer 4 KEY board 5 FDD device 6 Body 7 Horizontal base plate 7a Notch 7b Step 7c Guide surface 7d recess 11 Ultrasonic probe 13 Roller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-30935 (JP, A) JP-A-5-228148 (JP, A) JP-A-5-237101 (JP, A) 96807 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 8/00-8/15

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A head having a CRT 2, a printer 3, a KEY board 4, an FD device 5, and a personal computer 1, a body 6 having a built-in ultrasonic transmission / reception unit and an electric circuit below the head. A base body A integrally provided with a horizontal base plate 7 having casters 8 below a body part 6, a footrest 10 on which a heel of a subject is mounted, and a pair of ultrasonic probes 11 , 11 having a notch 7a with an opening on one side of the horizontal base plate 7 at the lower part of the base body A.
A step 7b is provided on the side surface of a, and an inclined guide surface 7c is provided at the tip of the step portion 7b on the opening side, and a roller 13 is mounted on the side surface of the measurement section B. The measuring section B is separated from the base main body A. On the other hand, when the diagnosis is completed, the measuring section B is moved along the guide surface 7c of the step portion 7b of the horizontal base plate 7 of the base main body A. At least, the base body A is stored in the space of the cutout 7a.
An osteoporosis diagnostic apparatus characterized in that the diagnosing device and the measuring section B are simultaneously movable.