JP4555674B2 - Measuring unit and bone diagnostic apparatus provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a measurement unit and a bone diagnostic apparatus including the measurement unit, and more particularly to a mechanism and apparatus for measuring bone mechanical characteristics in a state where an external force is applied to a bone to be diagnosed.

  Research has been conducted on measuring or diagnosing mechanical properties such as bone properties and strength using ultrasonic diagnosis. For example, the bone displacement when external force is applied to the target bone in the fusion evaluation after the fracture is measured using ultrasonic diagnosis, and the degree of bone fusion is diagnosed from the measurement result. In Patent Document 1 below, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received at a plurality of positions on the bone surface, and the displacement (distortion amount) of the bone surface at each position when an external force is applied is observed using an echo tracking technique. A possible ultrasound diagnostic device is described. However, details such as a mechanism for holding a living tissue, a mechanism for holding a probe, and a pressurizing mechanism (or a three-point bending mechanism) are not described.

JP 2004-298205 A JP 11-89836 A

  When an external force is artificially applied to the bone, a problem is likely to occur in terms of measurement accuracy. That is, it becomes difficult to make the position and direction to which pressure is applied constant, and it is difficult to ensure reproducibility. On the other hand, there is a need for a mechanism that can accurately and easily adjust the posture of the probe. In Patent Document 2 described above, a bone fusion diagnostic device is described, but details of a mechanism for holding tissue and a pressurizing mechanism are not described.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a measurement unit capable of reproducible and accurate bone diagnosis and a bone diagnostic apparatus including the same.

(1) The present invention includes a living body holding mechanism that holds a living body, a pressing tool that presses the living body and applies a bending load to a bone in the living body, and a drive unit that drives the pressing tool. And a probe holding mechanism that is provided adjacent to the pressure mechanism and holds a probe for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue.

  According to the above configuration, the living body is held by the living body holding mechanism, and the real-time ultrasonic diagnosis for the bone is performed in a state where a bending load is applied to the living body by the pressurizing mechanism. The pressurizing mechanism has a pressing tool and a drive unit, and can press the pressing tool against the living body by controlling or operating the driving unit by bringing the pressing tool into contact with the living body from an appropriate direction. Therefore, measurement accuracy can be improved.

  In the above configuration, the living body to be measured is a foot, an arm, or the like, and the above configuration can be used for a fusion diagnosis or a bone health diagnosis after a fracture. The living body holding mechanism is a mechanism that holds the living body so as not to move, and is preferably a mechanism that supports the living body at a plurality of fulcrums and maintains the state as described later. Various living body holding mechanisms can be employed according to the diagnosis site in the living body. The pressurizing mechanism is preferably a mechanism that periodically varies the pressing force, but may be a mechanism that generates a constant pressing force constantly, or a mechanism that generates a programmed arbitrary pressing force. It may be. The probe holding mechanism holds at least one probe, and desirably holds a plurality of probes side by side in the direction in which the bone extends. One probe and one probe of the pressing position may be selected to provide one probe, or two probes may be provided on both sides of the pressing position. Preferably, the probe is configured to be pressed in an appropriate direction toward the bone, and the probe positioning or beam control is performed so that one or more ultrasonic beams or scanning planes pass orthogonally over the bone centerline. It is desirable to do it.

  Preferably, the living body holding mechanism includes a support mechanism that supports the living body at a first support position and a second support position that are separated from each other, and a fixing mechanism that fixes the living body supported by the support mechanism, The living body is pressed at a position between the first support position and the second support position, and a three-point bending load is applied to the bone. In this configuration, one side of the living body is supported at two points, and the other side of the living body is pressed between them. The living body may be held in a horizontally lying posture, or the living body may be held upright.

  Preferably, the pressurizing mechanism includes a transmission mechanism that periodically varies the pressing force by the pressing tool. Due to the periodic variation of the pressing force, the displacement of the bone varies periodically. It is possible to measure the following characteristics or hysteresis characteristics at that time. It is desirable that the fluctuation period, fluctuation width (stroke length), etc. can be variably set as appropriate.

  Preferably, the transmission mechanism abuts against the eccentric cam to which the rotational force of the drive unit is transmitted, and applies a periodic forward force to the pressing tool by the rotation of the eccentric cam. A contact member. According to this configuration, it is possible to mechanically easily generate a pressing force that varies periodically by simply rotating the eccentric cam at a predetermined speed. Instead of this configuration, such a pressing force may be generated by electrical control.

  Preferably, the pressing tool includes a shaft member, and a contact provided at a tip of the shaft member and having a contact surface that comes into contact with the living body, and the contact surface is elongated in a direction in which the bone extends. And it has a short rectangle or ellipse in the direction orthogonal to the extension direction.

  According to the experiment by the present inventor, it has been confirmed that when the contact surface has a convex spherical shape or the like, there is a high possibility of causing pain to the living body depending on the curvature. Therefore, it was tried to adopt a flat quadrangular shape or a circular shape. However, it was finally found that the painful feeling can be reduced to a rectangle extended in the direction of bone extension or a shape corresponding thereto (for example, an elliptical shape). However, it is desirable to set the length of each side of the contact surface to such an extent that pain can be alleviated as much as possible and the geometrical premise of three-point bending can be maintained. Each side (edge) of the contact surface may be slightly rounded.

  Preferably, the pressurizing mechanism includes a detector that detects a pressing force of the pressing tool against the living body. A contactor may be provided with a detector to directly detect the pressing force, or a detector may be provided at any location where the pressing force in the pressurizing mechanism is transmitted to indirectly detect the pressing force. You may make it do. The detector is composed of one or more sensors.

(2) The present invention includes a living body holding mechanism that holds a living body, a pressing tool that presses the living body and applies a bending load to a bone in the living body, and a drive unit that drives the pressing tool. A pressure holding mechanism, and a probe holding mechanism for holding two probes for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue, and the two probes are arranged on both sides of the pressing tool in the extending direction of the bone. It is provided.

  According to the said structure, a probe can be arrange | positioned on both sides of a pressing tool, and an ultrasonic diagnosis can be performed on both sides of the pressing location in a bone. Since the nature of the bone fluctuates along its extending direction, more accurate and objective measurement can be performed by measuring on both sides of the pressed portion. Two measurement results obtained by two probes may be considered comprehensively, or an average value thereof may be adopted, or one measurement result may be adopted after comparing them.

  Preferably, the probe holding mechanism includes two probe holding units, and each probe holding unit includes an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position and posture of the probe held by the probe holding unit. According to this configuration, positioning of each probe can be performed finely and appropriately. Preferably, the adjustment mechanism includes an advance / retreat mechanism for advancing / retreating the probe and an inclination mechanism for inclining the probe.

  Preferably, the tilt mechanism includes a first tilt mechanism that tilts the probe around a first virtual axis, and a second tilt mechanism that tilts the probe around a second virtual axis that is orthogonal to the first virtual axis; Consists of. According to this configuration, the orientation of the probe can be adjusted in two directions. Therefore, since the probe can be brought into contact with the living body from an appropriate direction according to the form and posture of the living body, the measurement accuracy can be improved.

  Preferably, a deformable coupling member is provided on the wave transmitting / receiving surface of the probe, and the first imaginary axis and the second imaginary axis are the cups in a state where the coupling member is deformed in contact with the living body. It passes through the center origin of the contact surface of the ring member. According to this configuration, since the tilt origin can be set on the surface of the living body, the contact state can be maintained even if the tilt motion is performed.

  Desirably, at least one of the two probe holding units has a function of holding the probe in parallel and orthogonally so that a long-axis cross-section and a short-axis cross-section of the bone can be obtained. When the surface displacement of the bone is observed at a plurality of positions in the direction of bone extension, the probe is positioned so that the scanning plane passes through the central axis of the bone, that is, a long-axis cross section can be acquired. On the other hand, when observing the short-axis cross section of the bone, the probe is positioned so that the scanning plane is orthogonal to the central axis of the bone. In this way, it is desirable that the scanning plane can be rotated or the scanning plane can be selected between 0 degrees and 90 degrees.

  Preferably, the probe holding mechanism includes an individual slide mechanism that slides each of the probe holding units independently. Preferably, an overall positioning mechanism for positioning the entire probe holding mechanism is provided. Preferably, the overall positioning mechanism includes a first overall slide mechanism that slides the probe holding mechanism in a direction in which the bone extends, and a second overall slide mechanism that slides the probe holding mechanism in a direction orthogonal to the extension direction. And an overall rotation mechanism for rotating the probe holding mechanism on a virtual plane defined by the extension direction and the orthogonal direction.

  Preferably, the pressure mechanism is moved to a measurement position before measurement, and the pressure mechanism is moved to a retracted position after measurement, and the probe holding mechanism is moved to a measurement position before measurement, and measurement is performed. And a second moving mechanism for moving the probe holding mechanism to a retracted position later.

(3) The present invention provides a bone diagnosis apparatus including a measurement unit, a control unit, and a diagnosis unit, wherein the measurement unit presses the living body against a bone in the living body by holding the living body. A pressure mechanism that applies a bending load and a probe holding mechanism that holds a plurality of probes for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue, and the control unit controls the operation of the pressure mechanism. The diagnostic unit calculates a mechanical characteristic of the bone based on reception signals output from the plurality of probes.

  According to the said structure, since each position of the some fulcrum and press point with respect to a biological body can be optimized, and pressing force can also be optimized, the reproducibility of a measurement can be improved and a measurement precision can be improved. In addition, since the assembly is configured by incorporating each mechanism, it is easy to use and measurement can be performed easily and in a short time.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a measurement unit capable of reproducible and accurate bone diagnosis and a bone diagnostic apparatus including the same.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. The bone diagnosis apparatus according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for evaluating the mechanical characteristics of bone, and is used, for example, for diagnosing a bone fusion state after a fracture. In FIG. 1, an XYZ coordinate system is defined as a reference coordinate system, and an xyz coordinate system shown in FIG. 2 is defined as a coordinate system obtained by rotating it by 45 degrees around the Y axis. . The Y axis and the y axis coincide.

  In FIG. 1, a living body 10 is a foot in the example shown in FIG. 1, and the foot is held by a measurement mechanism. A vertical plate 14 is disposed upright on a horizontal plate 12 as a pedestal. Spacer members 16 and 17 are provided on the horizontal plate 12. A spacer member is also disposed on the vertical plate 14, but is not shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the heel of the foot is supported by the spacer member 16, and the back of the knee is supported by a member not shown. That is, two points on the sole side of the foot are supported. The spacer members 16 and 17 are made of, for example, hard resin, while the spacer member arranged on the vertical plate 14 is made of a urethane material having high elasticity. In any case, two support positions are set on the back side of the living body 10 with the diagnostic region (pressurized region) interposed therebetween.

  The measurement mechanism shown in FIG. 1 has a pair of living body fixing mechanisms 18, a pressurizing mechanism 22, a multi-axis positioning mechanism 32, and a dual probe holding mechanism 30 that are arranged apart from each other in the Y direction. . Hereinafter, these mechanisms will be described in detail.

  The pair of living body fixing mechanisms 18 are arranged to be separated from each other in the extending direction (Y direction) of the living body 10 with reference to a pressing portion against the living body 10, and press the living body 10 at an oblique angle from one side of the living body 10, that is, the surface side. Thus, this is a mechanism for restraining the living body 10. That is, a living body holding mechanism is configured by the pair of living body fixing mechanisms 18 and the spacer member 16 described above, and the living body 10 is held by the measurement mechanism of FIG. 1 by the living body holding mechanism.

  Each living body fixing mechanism 18 has a frame 19 provided so as to cover the living body 10. This frame 19 can be opened and closed, that is, it can be lifted up and retracted at the end of the measurement, and it is pulled down prior to the measurement and positioned as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 2 shows a side view of the measurement mechanism shown in FIG. Each living body holding mechanism 18 includes the above-described frame 19, a shaft member provided orthogonal to the frame 19, and a pressing pad 21 provided at the tip of the shaft member. The living body is held by pressing the pressing pad 21 onto the surface of the living body. In this embodiment, the positioning operation of each mechanism is performed artificially, but of course, they may be automatically performed.

  The pressurizing mechanism 22 has a frame 24 provided so as to cover a pressurizing position in the living body 10. This frame 24 can also be flipped up after the measurement is completed, and after setting the living body, it can be pulled down from above to establish a state as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a hinge portion 24 </ b> A that forms the rotation axis of the frame 24. Note that the rotation axes of the frame 19 and the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 described in detail below are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pressurization mechanism 22 includes a drive motor 44 and a transmission mechanism 47. The transmission mechanism 47 includes a cam plate 46 attached to the motor shaft 44 </ b> A and a roller 45 that rotates in contact with the peripheral surface of the cam plate 46. The cam plate 46 constitutes a so-called eccentric cam, and the distance from the rotation center to the contact position of the roller 45 periodically varies according to the rotation angle of the cam plate 46. Therefore, when the cam plate 46 is rotated, the forward movement in the z direction is transmitted to the roller 45 accordingly. The movement force is transmitted to a push rod described later via the spring unit 48. A contact is provided at the tip of the push rod, and the contact presses the pressing portion in the living body. The back side of the living body is supported by two points, and a three-point bending load can be applied to the bone in the living body by pressing one point on the front side of the living body. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the load can be changed periodically. In FIG. 1, the drive unit having the drive motor 44 is not shown.

  FIG. 3 shows a spring unit 48 attached to the frame 24 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The spring unit 48 has a plurality of springs that urge the push rod 50 in the pressing direction. When a pressing force is applied to the roller 45 in the z direction, the pressing force is transmitted to the push rod 50 via the spring unit 48, and to the living body via the contact 51 provided at the tip of the push rod 50. The pressing force is transmitted. The roller 45 is always in contact with the cam plate 46 shown in FIG. 2 by the action of the spring unit 48. The position of the push bar 50 can be adjusted along the frame 24 shown in FIG.

  The contact 51 in FIG. 3 has a cubic or block shape as shown. The lower surface is a contact surface 51A, and the length in the y direction (that is, the Y direction) is larger than the length in the x direction. That is, the direction along the bone is longer than the direction across the bone, and the contact surface 51A is substantially rectangular. However, the four corners or the four sides are slightly rounded, and consideration is given to avoid causing pain to the living body due to the edges. As described above, it has been confirmed that the pain caused when a load is applied to a living body can be considerably relieved by using the contact surface 51A that extends along the direction in which the bone extends. However, if the area of the contact 51 is increased too much, the geometric relationship of the three-point bending may be disrupted. Therefore, as long as such a problem does not occur and the pain can be alleviated as much as possible. It is desirable to define the shape of the surface 51A. An elliptical contact surface 51A can be used instead of the rectangle. Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the length of the contact surface 51A in the x direction is 30 mm, and the length in the y direction is 38 mm. Of course, the numerical value is an example, and it is desirable to selectively use the contact 51 having an appropriate size according to, for example, a diagnosis site.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is desirable that the reference position of the push bar 50 in the z direction can be freely adjusted, and when a periodically changing pressing force is generated. It is desirable that the fluctuation range and fluctuation period can be variably set.

  In the present embodiment, the living body and other mechanisms are positioned based on the pressurizing mechanism 22. That is, the living body is positioned at the start of measurement with the contact 51 as a reference. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressurizing mechanism 22 itself does not include a mechanism that slides in the Y direction or a mechanism that adjusts the direction of the push rod. However, a mechanism for sliding the pressure mechanism 22 in the Y direction or the like may be provided as necessary. Further, similarly to a mechanism for adjusting the posture of the probe, which will be described later, a mechanism for tilting the push rod freely around two orthogonal axes may be provided.

  Next, the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 is a mechanism for adjusting the position and posture of a dual probe holding mechanism 30 described in detail later. As described above, the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 can be lifted upward after the measurement is completed to release the living body 10 from the measurement mechanism, and the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 is pulled down from above before the measurement is started. It can be set to the state shown in The first base 34 is provided to be inclined so as to cover the living body 10 from an oblique direction. The first base 34 is slid in the Y direction by the horizontal slide mechanism 40. The state can be maintained by operating the lock mechanism after sliding. The lock mechanism is provided in each movable part. As described above, the first base 34 functions as a horizontal slide base, and the second base 36 is provided on the first base 34. The second base 36 is surface-bonded to the first base 34 and can be slid in the x direction while maintaining an inclined state with respect to the first base 34. Therefore, an inclined slide mechanism 44 that moves the second base 36 in the x direction is provided.

  A third base 38 is provided on the second base 36. The third base 38 is a rectangular frame, and arc-shaped elongated holes 38A are formed at the upper and lower ends thereof. Pins erected on the second base 36 are inserted into the long holes 38A. With such a structure, the third base 38 can rotate over a certain angular range with the center position on the second base 36, that is, the center position of the push rod as the rotation axis. The dual probe holding mechanism 30 is mounted on the third base 38. When the third base 38 is rotated, the dual probe holding mechanism 30 is also rotated accordingly.

  As described above, according to the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32, the dual probe holding mechanism 30 can be horizontally moved in the Y direction, can be horizontally moved in the x direction, and further on the xy plane. Can be rotated. This makes it possible to properly position the entire double probe holding mechanism 30 with respect to the bone in the living body 10. FIG. 2 shows a pair of slide units 40A and 40B constituting the horizontal slide mechanism 40 shown in FIG. That is, the lower end side and the upper end side of the first base 34 are supported by the slide units 40A and 40B, respectively, and can freely move in the Y direction.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the mechanism for raising and lowering the pressurizing mechanism 22 constitutes a first moving mechanism, and the mechanism for raising and lowering the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 is a second moving mechanism. The mechanism for jumping up and pulling down the pair of living body fixing mechanisms 18 constitutes a third moving mechanism. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 28 represents a lock member for fixing the frame 24 on the horizontal plate 12. As represented by this, a large number of locking members are provided where necessary. Four handles are provided at the four corners of the horizontal plate 12.

  Next, the dual probe holding mechanism 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 shows a perspective view of the dual probe holding mechanism 30 and FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the first holding unit 52 therein. In FIG. 4, the dual probe holding mechanism 30 includes a first holding unit 52 and a second holding unit 54. The first holding unit 52 holds the probe 53 in a detachable manner, and the second holding unit 54 holds the probe 55 in a detachable manner. The probes 53 and 55 are, for example, electronic linear scanning type or electronic sector scanning type probes. Of course, a convex type probe or the like can also be used. The first holding unit 52 and the second holding unit 54 are attached to a slide mechanism 56, and can individually slide in the y direction. The slide mechanism 56 has slide poles 58 and 60 arranged side by side in the z direction, and both ends of the slide poles 58 and 60 are fixed to a bearing member 64. Note that the pedestal in the dual probe holding mechanism 30 is the above-described third base 38, and each component is mounted on the third base 38. Reference numeral 63 represents a plate arranged upright on the third base 38. Since the first holding unit 52 and the second holding unit 54 have the same configuration, the first holding unit 52 will be described below as a representative.

  In FIG. 4, the slide base 80 is attached to the slide mechanism 56 so as to be slidable in the y direction. The slide base 80 is provided with an elevating base 82 that can be moved up and down in the z direction. By rotating the knob 80A, the position of the elevating base 82 in the z direction can be freely adjusted with respect to the slide base 80. A rotating base 84 is provided for the lifting base 82 via a first rotating mechanism (not shown). The first rotation mechanism has the same configuration as a second rotation mechanism described later. However, in the second rotation mechanism, rotation adjustment is performed by operating the knob, whereas in the first rotation mechanism, rotation adjustment is performed by operating the lever 85.

  When viewed from the z direction, the rotation base 84 has an L-shape, that is, is composed of a plate 84A extending on the yz plane and a plate 84B extending on the xz plane. The rotation base 84 functions as an intermediate base that connects the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism.

  Here, the second rotating mechanism 90 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the first rotation mechanism basically has the same configuration as the second rotation mechanism 90. A frame 88 is attached to the plate 84B via the second rotation mechanism 90. The frame 88 has an L shape when viewed from the z direction. A rail member 96 having an arcuate curved surface is attached to the frame 88, and a roller 94 connected to the shaft of the knob 92 is in contact with the surface of the rail member 96. The roller 94 rotates on the arc-shaped surface of the rail member 96. A guide member 98 having a hook shape in cross section is attached to the frame 88, and a claw member 100 provided on the plate 84B is engaged with the guide member 98. Due to the engagement relationship between the guide member 98 and the claw 100 and the engagement relationship between the rail member 96 and the roller 94, the frame 88 is held with respect to the plate 84 </ b> B, and the first parallel to the y direction passing through the origin 91. The probe 53 can be tilted around two imaginary axes. The first rotation mechanism is configured to cause the probe 53 to tilt around the first imaginary axis parallel to the x axis passing through the origin 91. That is, by the action of the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism 90, the probe 53 can be swung around the two axes about the origin 91 as a rotation center. In that case, the lever 85 is operated to perform the tilting motion around the first virtual axis, and the knob 92 is operated to perform the tilting motion around the second virtual axis.

  4 and 5, the probe holder 102 is attached on the frame 88. The probe holder 102 is a member that holds the grip portion of the main body 70 in the probe 53.

  In the present embodiment, the probe holder 102 can hold the probe 53 in two postures of rotation angles 0 degrees and 90 degrees around the central axis of the probe 53. A wave transmission / reception unit 72 is provided below the main body 70, and a water bag 74 fixed by a fixture 75 is provided on the living body side of the wave transmission / reception surface. The water bag 74 functions as a coupling member, and a coupling liquid such as physiological saline is accommodated therein. The water bag 74 is easily deformed when coming into contact with a living body. When the probe 53 is brought into contact with the living body, the water bag 74 is deformed, and the center position of the lower surface of the water bag 74 (that is, the position on the living body surface) in the deformed state is set as the origin 91. According to this configuration, when the probe 53 is in contact with the living body, the probe 53 can be tilted about two axes while maintaining the contact state.

  As described above, the second holding unit 54 has the same configuration as the first holding unit 52. Since each holding unit 52, 54 is provided with a positioning function in the z direction and a tilting function about two axes around the origin 91 as described above, the multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 shown in FIG. Even after the entire positioning of the probe holding mechanism 30 is performed, it is possible to finely adjust the position of each probe individually.

  As described above, according to the measurement mechanism according to the present embodiment, in a state in which the living body 10 is properly held, the pressurizing mechanism 22 and the plurality of probes are properly positioned, and a three-point bending load is applied. Since the ultrasonic diagnosis can be performed, there is an advantage that the measurement accuracy can be extremely increased. Although it is possible to generate the pressure driving force in the pressure mechanism 22 artificially, in the above-described embodiment, the pressure can be periodically generated by electrical control. Therefore, there is an advantage that measurement can be performed with good reproducibility.

  Next, a bone diagnostic apparatus provided with the measurement mechanism 104 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the bone diagnostic apparatus.

  The measurement mechanism 104 positions and holds the two probes 53 and 55 as described above. The pressurizing mechanism includes a motor 44, and a pressure sensor 106 is provided on a push bar to which a driving force generated by the motor 44 is transmitted. The orientations of the probes 53 and 55 can be switched by the above-described double probe holding mechanism, that is, the scanning plane formed by the scanning of the ultrasonic beam can be set parallel to the extending direction of the bone 10A in the living body 10. It is also possible to make the scanning plane orthogonal to the extending direction. The parallel arrangement state is indicated by reference numeral 53, and the orthogonal arrangement state is indicated by reference numeral 53 '.

  Transmitter / receivers 108 and 110 are connected to the probes 53 and 55. Each of the transmission / reception units 108 and 110 functions as a transmission beam former and a reception beam former. When forming a long-axis tomographic image or a short-axis tomographic image, an ultrasonic beam is scanned electronically, thereby forming a scanning plane. Based on the echo data acquired on the scanning plane, the tomographic image forming units 118 and 119 form a tomographic image (B-mode image). Such a tomographic image is displayed on the display unit 116. In the present embodiment, it is possible to display two tomographic images side by side. However, a tomographic image may be displayed only for one probe.

  The control unit 112 performs operation control of each component shown in FIG. In particular, the operation of the motor 44 is controlled, and transmission / reception control is performed when measuring bone displacement. When measuring the displacement of the bone 10A using the probes 53 and 55, for example, a plurality of measurement points are set for each probe along the extending direction of the bone 10A, and a plurality of super-points passing through these measurement points are set. A sound beam is formed. Displacement measurement at the RF signal level can be performed by applying echo tracking to the reception signal corresponding to each ultrasonic beam. When displacement measurement is performed for a plurality of measurement points for each probe 53, 55, the displacement amount is calculated by comprehensively considering the measurement results. For this, the calculation principle as described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 can be adopted. The bone diagnosis unit 114 shown in FIG. 6 performs the displacement amount calculation based on the received signal as described above. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 8, a displacement angle may be obtained as information corresponding to the amount of displacement, and an evaluation value representing the mechanical characteristics of the bone may be obtained from such a displacement angle. The calculation result by the bone diagnosis unit 114 is displayed on the display unit 116.

  FIG. 7 shows the mutual relationship between a plurality of mechanisms included in the measurement mechanism 104 described above. As described above, the measurement mechanism 104 includes the pair of living body fixing mechanisms 18 and the pressurizing mechanism 22. The multi-axis positioning mechanism 32 positions the double probe holding mechanism 30 in each of the Y direction, the z direction, and the θ direction as the rotation direction of the third base 38. The double probe holding mechanism 30 includes a first holding unit 52 and a second holding unit 54, and these holding units 52, 54 can slide in the y direction by a slide mechanism 56. The holding units 52 and 54 adjust the positions of the probes 53 and 55 with respect to the z direction and the rotation directions φ1 and φ2 around the virtual axis that are in two orthogonal relations.

  FIG. 8 shows a measurement state as a conceptual diagram. In addition, although the code | symbol 122 represents the biological body surface and the code | symbol 120 represents the surface of the bone, each deformation | transformation is drawn exaggerated on invention description.

The contact 51 provided at the tip of the push rod 50 is brought into contact with a pressurizing position on the living body surface 122. Then, a pressure is periodically applied to the bone by the action of the push rod 50. Probes 53 and 55 are provided on both sides of the push rod 50, and they are brought into contact with the living body surface 122. On the bone surface 120, a plurality of measurement points are defined for each of the probes 53 and 55. Measurement points P1 to P5 are determined for the probe 53, and measurement points P6 to P10 are determined for the probe 55. Displacement is measured at these measurement points using echo tracking technology. Q represents a position where a pressing force is applied to the bone. Like the technique described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the amount of displacement is obtained from displacement or position information obtained for a plurality of measurement points for each probe, and the mechanical characteristics of the bone are obtained by comprehensively considering them. You may make it ask. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the displacement angles R1 and R2 of the bone surface 120 may be obtained from the displacements at a plurality of measurement points, and the mechanical characteristics of the bone may be obtained based on the information. Further, when a pressing force is periodically applied, the displacement amount or the mechanical characteristic value may be drawn as a graph, and the bone mechanical characteristic may be obtained from the hysteresis characteristic or the area of the graph.

  Next, the operation of the bone diagnosis apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In S101, the flip-up state of each mechanism provided in the measurement mechanism is confirmed. In S102, a foot as a diagnosis target is arranged with respect to the measurement mechanism. In S103, the pair of living body fixing mechanisms are pulled down to hold the living body. Prior to that, the posture and position of the foot are adjusted so that the pressure position is properly positioned.

  In S104, the double probe holding mechanism in the flipped-up state is lowered and set to the measurement position. In S105, a tomographic image is formed in a state in which one probe or both probes are arranged orthogonally, and the cross section of the bone is observed while viewing the tomographic image, that is, the short-axis tomographic image. Thereby, the depth from the living body surface to the bone surface can be confirmed. It is also possible to position each probe or the double probe holding unit while checking such a tomographic image.

  In S106, the respective probes are arranged in parallel, and the position and posture of each probe are adjusted while observing one or a plurality of long-axis tomographic images formed using one or both probes. Thus, the measurement accuracy can be improved by positioning each probe while observing the tomographic image.

  In S107, the pressurizing mechanism in the flip-up state is pulled down and set to the measurement state. In S108, a pressurizing operation is executed, and the displacement of the bone in a state where a bending load is applied is measured by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. After the measurement is completed, the pressure mechanism is first lifted and positioned at the retracted position in S109, and the other mechanisms are similarly flipped up and positioned at the retracted position in S110. Then, in S111, the foot is pulled out from the measurement mechanism.

  FIG. 10 shows a measurement mechanism according to another embodiment. The basic structure is the same as the measurement mechanism shown in FIG. That is, the measurement mechanism shown in FIG. 10 has a horizontal plate 212 and a vertical plate 214 that is erected there, and a spacer member 216 is provided on the horizontal plate 212. Further, a spacer member 217 and a spacer member 256 are provided on the horizontal plate 212. The spacer members 216 and 217 are formed of a hard member, which constitutes a first support position. The members provided at the second support position are not shown in FIG. The spacer member 256 is made of an elastically deformable member such as urethane.

  The pressurizing mechanism 222 basically has the same configuration as the pressurizing mechanism 22 shown in FIG. 1, but in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the pressurizing mechanism 222 extends along the slide rail 250 in the X direction. It is provided so that it can exercise. That is, the lower end of the frame serving as the base of the pressure mechanism 222 is supported. This also applies to the pair of biological fixing mechanisms 218 and the multi-axis positioning mechanism 232 shown in FIG. 10, that is, these mechanisms are basically the same as those shown in FIG. Only the lower end of the frame is supported.

  Specifically, a first slide mechanism 239 and a second slide mechanism 240 are provided on the horizontal plate 212. The first slide mechanism 239 has a pair of slide rails 252 and 254 that are arranged apart from each other in the Y direction. The slide rails 252 and 254 extend in the X direction, and slide the horizontal slide mechanism 239 in the X direction.

  The second horizontal slide mechanism 240 is mounted on the first horizontal slide mechanism 239, and the second horizontal slide mechanism 240 slides the pair of biological fixing mechanisms 218 and the multi-axis positioning mechanism 232 in the Y direction. The multi-axis positioning mechanism 232 includes a mechanism that tilts and slides the double probe holding mechanism 230 and a mechanism that rotates the double probe holding mechanism 230 around the pressure center axis. The double probe holding mechanism 230 has the same configuration as the double probe holding mechanism 30 shown in FIG.

  Therefore, according to the configuration shown in FIG. 10, when the living body is set, each mechanism 222, 218, 232 slides in the X direction in the drawing and is positioned at the retracted position. Then, after the living body is set, the mechanisms 222, 218, 232 move forward and are positioned at the measurement positions. The configuration shown in FIG. 10 has an advantage that the mechanism can be simplified compared to the configuration shown in FIG. Of course, as long as the three-point bending load measurement can be appropriately performed, various other mechanisms can be employed.

  As described above, according to the bone diagnosis apparatus according to the present embodiment, in a state where a plurality of probes are appropriately positioned with respect to the living body, a bone can be diagnosed by applying a load to the living body from an appropriate direction. There is an advantage. In particular, since both the mechanism that adjusts the position of both probes simultaneously and the mechanism that adjusts the position of them individually are provided, the degree of freedom of positioning of each probe is increased and the probe can be positioned quickly and appropriately. There is an advantage that can be performed. Although it is possible to artificially pressurize a living body, in the above embodiment, pressurization can be performed by electrical control, so that objective and reproducible pressurization is performed to increase measurement accuracy. There is an advantage that

  In the above embodiment, the living body to be diagnosed is the foot, but of course, the same measurement method as described above can be applied to a hand other than the foot or other part. It is desirable to appropriately change the structure of the measurement mechanism in accordance with the target site. It is also possible to use a common measurement mechanism for various parts by exchanging members such as spacer members. In the above-described embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for bones is performed using two probes simultaneously or in a time-sharing manner. However, an ultrasonic diagnosis may be performed using one probe. An ultrasonic diagnosis may be performed using many probes. When measurement is performed using two probes, the existing ultrasonic diagnosis can be used as it is by alternately switching the probes that perform transmission and reception. That is, two probes may be connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the probes may be selected and used alternately using the probe select function.

It is a perspective view which shows suitable embodiment of the measurement mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a side view of the measurement mechanism shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of a pressurization mechanism. It is a perspective view of a double probe holding mechanism. It is a perspective view of a 1st holding unit. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the bone diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structural relationship of a measurement mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the measuring method. It is a flowchart which shows the bone diagnostic apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the measurement mechanism which concerns on other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  10 biological body, 18 biological body fixing mechanism, 22 pressure mechanism, 30 double probe holding mechanism, 32 multi-axis positioning mechanism, 40 horizontal slide mechanism, 44 inclined slide mechanism, 47 transmission mechanism, 50 push rod, 51 contactor, 52 1 holding unit, 54 second holding unit, 90 second rotating mechanism.

Claims (17)

A living body holding mechanism for holding a living body;
A pressing mechanism that includes a pressing tool that presses the living body and applies a bending load to the bone in the living body, and a driving unit that drives the pressing tool;
A probe holding mechanism that is provided adjacent to the pressure mechanism and holds a probe for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue;
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, comprising: The measurement mechanism according to claim 1,
The living body holding mechanism is
A support mechanism for supporting the living body at a first support position and a second support position separated from each other;
A fixing mechanism for fixing the living body supported by the support mechanism;
Including
The measurement mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, wherein the living body is pressed at a position between the first support position and the second support position, and a three-point bending load is applied to the bone. The measurement mechanism according to claim 1,
The measuring mechanism for a bone diagnosis device, wherein the pressurizing mechanism includes a transmission mechanism that periodically varies the pressing force by the pressing tool. The measurement mechanism according to claim 3, wherein
The transmission mechanism is
An eccentric cam to which the rotational force of the drive unit is transmitted;
An abutting member that abuts on the eccentric cam and applies a periodic forward force to the pressing tool by rotation of the eccentric cam;
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, comprising: The measurement mechanism according to claim 1,
The pressing tool is
A shaft member;
A contact provided at the tip of the shaft member and having a contact surface in contact with the living body;
Have
The measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, wherein the contact surface has a rectangular or elliptical shape that is long in the direction of elongation of the bone and short in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation. The measurement mechanism according to claim 1,
The measuring mechanism for a bone diagnosis device, wherein the pressurizing mechanism includes a detector that detects a pressing force of the pressing tool against the living body. A living body holding mechanism for holding a living body;
A pressing mechanism that includes a pressing tool that presses the living body and applies a bending load to the bone in the living body, and a driving unit that drives the pressing tool;
A probe holding mechanism for holding two probes for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue;
Including
The measurement mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, wherein the two probes are provided on both sides of the pressing tool in the direction of bone extension. The measurement mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
The probe holding mechanism has two probe holding units;
Each of the probe holding units includes an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position and posture of the probe held by the probe holding unit. The measurement mechanism according to claim 8, wherein
The adjustment mechanism is
An advancing and retracting mechanism for advancing and retracting the probe;
A tilt mechanism for tilting the probe;
A measuring mechanism such as a bone diagnostic apparatus. The measurement mechanism according to claim 9, wherein
The tilt mechanism is
A first tilting mechanism for tilting the probe about a first virtual axis;
A second tilting mechanism for tilting the probe around a second virtual axis orthogonal to the first virtual axis;
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic device, comprising: The measurement mechanism according to claim 10, wherein
A deformable coupling member is provided on the wave transmitting / receiving surface of the probe,
For the bone diagnostic apparatus, the first virtual axis and the second virtual axis pass through a central origin of a contact surface of the coupling member in a state where the coupling member is deformed by contacting the living body. Measuring mechanism. The measurement mechanism according to claim 8, wherein
At least one probe holding unit of the two probe holding units has a function of holding the probe in parallel and orthogonally so that a long-axis cross-section and a short-axis cross-section of the bone can be obtained. Measuring mechanism for bone diagnostic equipment. The measurement mechanism according to claim 8, wherein
The bone holding device measuring mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the probe holding mechanism has an individual slide mechanism for sliding the probe holding units independently. The measurement mechanism according to claim 8, wherein
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, comprising an overall positioning mechanism for positioning the entire probe holding mechanism. The measurement mechanism according to claim 14, wherein
The overall positioning mechanism is
A first overall slide mechanism for sliding the probe holding mechanism in the direction of elongation of the bone;
A second overall slide mechanism for sliding the probe holding mechanism in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the extension direction;
An overall rotation mechanism for rotating the probe holding mechanism on a virtual plane defined by the extension direction and the orthogonal direction;
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, comprising: The measurement mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
A first moving mechanism that moves the pressure mechanism to a measurement position before measurement and moves the pressure mechanism to a retracted position after measurement;
A second moving mechanism that moves the probe holding mechanism to a measurement position before measurement and moves the probe holding mechanism to a retracted position after measurement;
A measuring mechanism for a bone diagnostic apparatus, comprising: In a bone diagnostic apparatus including a measurement unit, a control unit, and a diagnostic unit,
The measuring unit is
A living body holding mechanism for holding a living body;
A pressurizing mechanism that presses the living body and applies a bending load to the bone in the living body;
A probe holding mechanism for holding a plurality of probes for ultrasonic diagnosis of bone in the living tissue;
Including
The control unit controls the operation of the pressurizing mechanism,
The diagnostic unit calculates the mechanical characteristics of the bone based on reception signals output from the plurality of probes.
A bone diagnostic apparatus characterized by the above.

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