JP4580275B2 - Holding device and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a holding device that holds a plurality of ultrasonic probes in close proximity to a body surface and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that includes a plurality of ultrasonic probes.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that transmits an ultrasonic wave to a diagnostic target part inside a subject and acquires the state of the diagnostic target part based on an echo signal obtained at that time is widely known. . In this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, diagnosis is performed by bringing an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves into contact with or close to a body surface in the vicinity of a region to be diagnosed.

  Here, in order to perform an appropriate diagnosis, not only the temporary state of the diagnosis target part but also the change over time and the change state of the diagnosis target part before and after applying some load to the subject are acquired. May be desirable. In such a case, it is necessary to hold the ultrasonic probe in a fixed position. However, it has been extremely difficult to hold the ultrasonic probe in a predetermined position by a human hand. For this reason, a number of devices that maintain the relative positional relationship between the ultrasound probe and the diagnosis target part have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). According to these techniques, the ultrasonic probe can be held at a predetermined position.

JP 2003-79622 A JP 2000-70264 A

  By the way, in recent years, there is a demand for simultaneously acquiring the states of a plurality of spaced apart parts to be diagnosed using a plurality of ultrasonic probes. For example, a load is applied to a fractured bone, that is, a fractured bone, and the inclination angle and displacement amount of the fractured bone are obtained, and the degree of fusion (joining) of the fractured bone is determined based on the inclination angle or displacement amount. There are things to do. In order to acquire the inclination angle and the like, it is necessary to acquire positional information of two points on the fractured bone. In order to acquire position information of two points on the fractured bone, it is necessary to hold the two ultrasonic probes in a fixed position with respect to the fractured bone (diagnosis target site).

  However, since the conventional holding device can hold only a single ultrasonic probe, it has been difficult to simultaneously obtain the states of a plurality of spaced locations. Of course, it is also conceivable to simultaneously hold a plurality of ultrasonic probes using a plurality of conventional holding devices. However, in that case, adjustment of the positional relationship between the plurality of ultrasonic probes is complicated. In addition, when calculating the tilt angle and the like, an accurate distance between the ultrasonic probes is required. However, when a plurality of ultrasonic probes are held by separate holding devices, accurate ultrasonic waves are required. It was difficult to obtain the distance between the probes. As a result, there is a problem that the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis is lowered.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a holding device and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can further improve the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis. Another object of the present invention is to provide a holding apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can hold a plurality of ultrasonic probes in close proximity to and opposite to the body surface while maintaining their positional relationship.

  The holding device of the present invention is a holding device that holds a plurality of ultrasonic probes in close proximity to the body surface of a subject, and the ultrasonic probe with the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving surface exposed to the outside. A plurality of accommodating means for accommodating the transducer and restricting the position of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the holding device; and a coupling means for coupling the plurality of accommodating means to each other and maintaining the relative positional relationship thereof. The plurality of ultrasonic probes are brought close to and opposed to the body surface while maintaining the relative positional relationship thereof by sticking the housing means or the connecting means to the body surface with an adhesive member. .

  In a preferred aspect, the connecting means is a block body having a contact surface that comes into contact with the body surface, and the housing means is a recess formed on the contact surface of the block body.

  In another preferred aspect, the connecting means is detachable from the accommodating means. It is desirable that the connecting means can adjust a relative distance between the plurality of accommodating means. Further, it is desirable that the connecting means is capable of adjusting a relative angle between the plurality of accommodating means. For example, either the storage means or the connection means includes a shaft member, and the other of the storage means or the connection means includes a clamping member that clamps the shaft member and whose clamping force is variable. Is desirable.

  In another preferred aspect, the accommodating means includes a main body portion that accommodates the ultrasonic probe, and a hook member that extends outward from a lower end of the main body portion, and the hook member is an adhesive member. Adhere to the body surface. In another preferred aspect, the connecting means includes a contact member that contacts the body surface, and the contact member is attached to the body surface with an adhesive member.

  In another preferable aspect, when an acoustic matching member having ultrasonic wave permeability and elasticity is disposed between the ultrasonic probe and the body surface, the storage space of the storage member The cross-sectional area is larger than the cross-sectional area of the acoustic matching member in an unloaded state, and the depth of the housing space of the housing member is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the acoustic matching member and the ultrasonic probe in an unloaded state. .

  Another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of ultrasonic probes that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from a diagnostic part inside a subject, and the plurality of ultrasonic probes in proximity to the subject. And holding the ultrasonic probe with respect to the holding device. The holding device accommodates the ultrasonic probe with the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving surface exposed to the outside. A plurality of accommodating means for regulating the position of the child and a connecting means for connecting the plurality of accommodating means to each other and maintaining the positional relationship, and the accommodating means or the connecting means is attached to the body surface with an adhesive member. By wearing, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received while the plurality of ultrasonic probes are brought close to and opposed to the body surface while maintaining their relative positional relationship.

  According to the present invention, the positional relationship between the ultrasound probes is maintained by the accommodating means and the connecting means. Further, the distance between the ultrasonic probes can be easily acquired. As a result, the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis can be further improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 has a particularly suitable configuration for diagnosis of fractured bones. However, it can be applied to other applications by appropriately changing the number of probes 12 and the shape of the holder 16.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes two probes 12. As will be described in detail later, these two probes 12 are provided for simultaneously transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to two points on a fractured bone that is a diagnosis target site. Each probe 12 is an ultrasonic probe that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and nine single transducers are arranged in a 3 × 3 array. Each single transducer transmits an ultrasonic wave in response to an instruction from a transmitting / receiving unit 20 described later, and receives the reflected wave. The received reflected wave is output to the transmitter / receiver 20 as an echo signal via the probe cable 13 that connects the probe 12 and the apparatus main body 18.

  Here, the probe 12 in the present embodiment has a configuration in which the number of vibrators is very small as compared with a normal probe. This is to reduce the size and weight of the probe 12. That is, at the time of bone fusion diagnosis, the subject is exercised so that a load is applied to the fracture site with the probe 12 attached to the body surface of the subject. At this time, in order to prevent the probe 12 from hindering the movement of the subject and to prevent the displacement of the probe 12 due to its own weight, in this embodiment, the number of vibrators is reduced, and the probe 12 is reduced in size. It is lighter.

  Each probe 12 is opposed to the body surface via a standoff 14. The standoff 14 functions as an acoustic matching member, and is made of a material that can transmit ultrasonic waves and has an acoustic impedance close to that of a living body. The standoff 14 of the present embodiment is a solid having elasticity that can be deformed appropriately. The standoff 14 is deformed according to the shape of the body surface and the probe 12, thereby filling a gap existing between the probe 12 and the body surface. Thereby, attenuation and reflection of the ultrasonic wave by the air between the probe 12 and the body surface can be prevented, and more efficient ultrasonic transmission / reception can be performed.

  The two sets of probes 12 and standoffs 14 are held by a single holder 16. The holder 16 holds the two probes 12 while maintaining their positional relationship. As will be described in detail later, the holder 16 includes two storage portions and a connecting portion that connects the two storage portions. Each accommodating portion accommodates and holds the probe 12 and the standoff 14 described above. The holder 16 is attached to the body surface of the subject with a double-sided adhesive tape while holding the probe 12 and the standoff 14. Thus, the two probes 12 can be close to and opposed to the body surface of the subject while maintaining the positional relationship, and ultrasonic waves can be transmitted / received to / from the site to be diagnosed.

  The apparatus main body 18 includes a transmission / reception unit 20, a signal processing unit 22, a control unit 28, a display 30, and the like as a unit. In response to an instruction from the control unit 28, the transmission / reception unit 20 supplies a transmission signal instructing transmission of ultrasonic waves to the single transducer of the probe 12. The echo signal output from the probe 12 is received and subjected to signal processing such as phasing addition, gain adjustment, and dynamic range adjustment.

  The signal processing unit 22 is a circuit that performs necessary processing on a received signal, and performs signal processing for forming a B mode, signal processing for forming an M mode, and the like according to a display mode. Further, the signal processing unit 22 performs so-called echo tracking processing in which the bone surface portion is extracted from the obtained echo signal and tracking is performed. Specifically, the position of the tracking point is detected from the amplitude of an echo signal obtained by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a specific bone point, that is, a so-called tracking point. For this echo tracking process, a well-known technique, for example, a technique detailed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-298205 can be used. In the present embodiment, the positions of two tracking points are detected using two probes 12.

  The output processing unit 24 performs coordinate conversion from the transmission / reception coordinate system to the display coordinate system, interpolation processing, and the like on the echo signal to form ultrasonic image data. The formed ultrasonic image data is output to the display 30. Further, the output processing unit 24 calculates the amount of change in the angle of the bone, the amount of change in the relative position of the two tracking points based on the obtained positions of the two tracking points, and converts them into numerical values and graphs. Output to the display unit. A diagnostician such as a doctor diagnoses the degree of fusion of the fractured bone based on the angle change amount and the relative position change amount. The control unit 28 controls the entire apparatus body 18. An instruction from the user is input to the control unit 28 via the operation unit 26. The control unit 28 outputs a control signal to each unit constituting the apparatus main body unit 18 according to the instruction from the user and controls it.

  Next, the holder 16 that holds the two probes 12 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view when the two probes 12 are set on the holder 16, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holder 16 as seen from a different angle.

  The holder 16 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block, and accommodating portions 34 for accommodating the probe 12 and the standoff 14 are formed at both ends of the bottom surface (the surface facing the body surface). That is, the holder 16 can accommodate two sets of probes 12 and standoffs 14. Specifically, the accommodating portion 34 is a concave portion formed on the bottom surface of the holder 16. The accommodation portion 34 is open on one surface of the body surface, and can accommodate the probe 12 with the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving surface exposed to the outside and facing the body surface. Further, one side surface in the longitudinal direction is also opened, so that the probe cable 13 drawn from one side surface of the probe 12 can be pulled out. The probe 12 accommodated in the accommodating portion 34 is attached to the holder 16 with a double-sided adhesive tape 36.

  The two accommodating portions 34 are connected by the main body portion 32 of the holder 16 while maintaining the positional relationship. Therefore, the main body portion 32 of the holder functions as a connecting means for connecting the two accommodating portions 34. By connecting the two accommodating portions 34 while maintaining the positional relationship, the positional relationship between the probes 12 is maintained. As a result, the relative positional relationship between the two tracking points extracted based on the received signals from the two probes 12 is maintained at the time of fracture bone fusion diagnosis, and as a result, the reliability of the bone fusion diagnosis can be further improved. The interprobe distance can be measured before or after the holder 16 is attached to the body surface. As a result, an accurate interprobe distance can be easily measured, and a more accurate inclination angle of the fractured bone can be obtained.

  A double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 38 is attached to the bottom surface of the holder 16 excluding the housing portion 34. And the holder 16 is stuck to the body surface by this double-sided adhesive tape 38. By this sticking, the relative positional relationship between the holder 16 and the fractured bone (diagnosis target site) is maintained, and as a result, the relative positional relationship between the probe 12 held by the holder 16 and the fractured bone is maintained.

  By the way, in this embodiment, the holder 16 has a two-layer structure, that is, a laminated structure of a flat substrate 42 and a positioning plate 40 fixed to the substrate 42. The substrate 42 is made of a lightweight and highly rigid material such as carbon fiber. The positioning plate 40 is made of a lightweight material having good processability such as acrylic. Cutouts are formed at both ends of the positioning plate 40, and the cutouts cooperate with the substrate 42 to form the accommodating portion 34. The two-layer structure is used to improve the rigidity of the entire holder 16. That is, if the entire holder 16 is made of a highly rigid material such as carbon fiber, the rigidity of the entire holder 16 can be improved. However, in that case, there is a problem that processing for forming the accommodating portion 34 and the like becomes difficult. Conversely, if the entire holder 16 is formed of a material having excellent processability such as acrylic, the processing of the housing portion 34 and the like is facilitated, but there is a problem that the rigidity of the entire holder 16 is lowered. Therefore, in this embodiment, a part is formed of a highly rigid material, and only a portion that needs to be processed is formed of a material excellent in workability. Thereby, the accommodating part 34 etc. can be processed with high precision, and the rigidity of the whole holder 16 is improved. However, as a matter of course, the structure may be composed of only a single material, not a two-layer structure. Moreover, it is desirable to use a lightweight material regardless of whether it is a multi-layer structure or a single-layer structure. This is to prevent the displacement of the holder 16 due to its own weight.

  Next, the shape of the accommodating portion 34 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view when the probe 12 and the standoff 14 are accommodated in the accommodating portion 34. FIG. 5A shows a no-load state, and FIG. 5B shows a state when the holder 16 is pressed to the body surface side.

  The accommodating portion 34 is roughly divided into a first space 44 that accommodates the probe 12 and a second space 46 that accommodates the standoff 14. The first space 44 has substantially the same size as the probe 12, that is, the same size as the probe 12 in width, depth, and height. Therefore, there is almost no gap between the probe 12 and the side surface of the housing portion 34, and the probe 12 hardly moves inside the first space 44. Therefore, if the probe 12 is accommodated in the first space 44, the probe 12 is automatically positioned with respect to the holder 16. As a result, the relative positional relationship between the two probes 12 is also maintained.

  The width and depth of the second space 46 in which the standoff 14 is accommodated are slightly larger than that of the standoff 14 in the unloaded state, and the height of the second space 46 is slightly smaller than that of the standoff 14. . That is, a gap is generated between the standoff 14 and the side surface of the accommodating portion 34 in the no-load state. This gap is provided to allow deformation of the standoff 14 when the holder 16 is pressed toward the body surface 50 side. Then, the shape deformation of the stand-off 14 removes air between the probe 12 and the stand-off 14, and between the stand-off 14 and the body surface 50, thereby enabling more efficient transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves.

  That is, normally, the body surface 50 is not a flat surface but has irregularities and arcs. Further, the standoff 14 is also a substantially flat surface in a no-load state, but there are some irregularities and arcs. A gap is easily generated between the standoff 14 and the body surface 50 having such irregularities and arcs. In addition, a gap is likely to be generated between the probe 12 having a flat surface and the standoff 14 having unevenness and an arc. At the time of ultrasonic diagnosis, the holder 16 is pressed toward the body surface 50 to deform the standoff 14 to remove this gap. In this embodiment, the second space 46 is formed slightly larger than the standoff 14 in order to allow the shape deformation of the standoff 14.

  Next, the flow of the fusion diagnosis of the fractured bone, in particular, the fractured fracture of the lower leg 52 using the holder 16 will be briefly described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of the fusion diagnosis of the broken bone of the lower leg 52. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view along AA in FIG. When performing bone union diagnosis, first, two sets of probes 12 and standoffs 14 are attached to the holder 16. That is, the double-sided adhesive tape 36 is attached to the top surface of the probe 12, and the probe 12 is accommodated in the first space 44 of the accommodating portion 34 in this state. At this time, the probe 12 is easily positioned with respect to the holder 16 by bringing the end face of the probe 12 into contact with the end face of the housing portion 34. And the relative position with respect to the holder 16 of the probe 12 is maintained by sticking the probe 12 to the holder 16 with the double-sided adhesive tape 36.

  Subsequently, the standoff 14 is accommodated in the two second spaces 46. At this time, since the stand-off 14 is in an unloaded state, a slight gap is formed between the stand-off 14 and the side surface of the accommodating portion 34, and the stand-off 14 slightly protrudes from the bottom surface of the holder 16. It has become.

  In this state, the holder 16 containing the two sets of probes 12 and the standoffs 14 is attached to the body surface in the vicinity of the site to be diagnosed. Specifically, the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 38 is attached to the bottom surface of the holder 16, and the double-sided adhesive tape 38 is further attached to the body surface 50. In this embodiment, since the purpose is to diagnose the fusion of the broken bone 56, the holder 16 is attached so that the two probes 12 are positioned directly above the broken bone 56. By this sticking, the holder 16 is held on the body surface 50, and the probe 12 held by the holder 16 is brought close to and opposed to the body surface 50. Further, the probe cable 13 drawn from the probe 12 is attached to an appropriate position on the body surface 50 with an adhesive tape 48 or the like. This is to prevent the position of the probe 12 and the like from being shifted due to the weight of the probe cable 13.

  If the holding tool 16 is attached, subsequently, transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves to the fractured bone 56 is started. The ultrasonic wave transmission / reception is first performed in a state where no load is applied to the fracture 56. At this time, a point on the broken bone that receives the ultrasonic beam from each probe 12 is extracted as the tracking point 58. In the present embodiment, since two ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received by the two probes 12, two tracking points 58 are extracted. The ultrasonic wave transmitted to the broken bone 56 is reflected by the bone surface and received by the probe 12. The reflected wave received by the probe 12 is transmitted to the apparatus main body 18 as an echo signal. In the apparatus main body 18, after performing signal processing such as phasing addition, two tracking points 58 are extracted and position information thereof is calculated. Then, based on the obtained positional information of the two points, the relative positional relationship between the two points and the inclination angle of the fractured bone 56 are calculated. In order to calculate the inclination angle or the like, a distance between probes is required. In this embodiment, since the interprobe distance held by the holder 16 is constant, an accurate interprobe distance can be easily obtained.

  If the position information and the inclination angle of the broken bone 56 in the unloaded state are obtained, subsequently, a load is applied to the broken bone 56, and the position information and the inclination angle in that state are acquired. Specifically, the subject exercises, for example, walks, so that the broken bone 56 is loaded. When walking, a load corresponding to the weight of the subject is applied to the fracture 56. Then, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in this state, position information and the like of the two tracking points 58 are calculated again, and the relative positional relationship between the two points and the inclination angle of the fracture 56 are calculated.

  If the relative positional relationship between the two points (tracking point 58) and the inclination angle of the broken bone 56 are obtained in the unloaded state and the loaded state, the amount of increase in inclination due to the load load and the position of the two points are obtained based on these information. The amount of change is calculated. Then, the fracture diagnosis of the fractured bone is performed based on the increase amount of the inclination and the position change amount. That is, as the degree of fusion of the broken bone 56 is higher, the amount of increase in inclination and the amount of change in position are smaller. Therefore, when the amount of increase in inclination and the amount of change in position are smaller than a predetermined reference value, it can be diagnosed that the fracture is sufficiently fused.

  Here, for accurate fusion diagnosis, it is important that the position of the tracking point 58 (ultrasonic wave transmission point) in the unloaded state and the loaded state is not shifted. In order to prevent displacement of the tracking point 58, it is necessary to maintain the relative positional relationship between the two probes 12 and the relative positional relationship between the probe 12 and the fractured bone 56. In the present embodiment, by using the holder 16 described above, the relative positional relationship between the two probes 12 and the relative positional relationship between the probe 12 and the broken bone 56 are maintained. As a result, the displacement of the tracking point 58 before and after the load can be prevented, and as a result, a more reliable fusion diagnosis can be performed.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except for the configuration of the holder 16. Therefore, only the holder 16 of the second embodiment will be described here. FIG. 8 is a perspective view when the probe 12 or the like is attached to the holder 16 in the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

  The holder 16 includes two housing members 60 and a connecting member 62 that couples the two housing members 60. Each housing member 60 includes a substantially box-shaped main body portion 64 in which the probe 12 and the like are accommodated, a flange portion 66 extending in the outer horizontal direction from the lower end of the main body portion 64, and a clamp secured to the upper surface of the flange portion 66. And a member 68. The main body portion 64 and the flange portion 66 are integrally formed of a rigid material such as a metal, and the clamping member 68 is fixed to the upper surface of the flange portion 66 with a bolt or the like.

  The main body 64 has a substantially box shape with an open bottom surface, and the probe 12 and the standoff 14 are accommodated in the box shape. The width and depth of the main body 64 are substantially the same as those of the probe 12. Therefore, the position of the probe 12 with respect to the housing member 60 is regulated by being housed in the main body portion 64. On the other hand, the width and depth of the standoff 14 are slightly smaller than those of the main body 64. Instead, the sum of the thicknesses of the standoff 14 and the probe 12 is slightly larger than the depth of the main body 64. That is, a gap is generated between the side surface of the standoff 14 and the inner surface of the main body portion 64. This gap is provided to allow deformation of the standoff 14. The standoff 14 is deformed according to the shape of the probe 12 and the body surface, so that air intervening from the probe 12 to the body surface is removed, and more efficient transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves is possible. Become. A notch 64a for drawing out the probe cable is formed on one side of the main body 64.

  A flange 66 extending in the outer horizontal direction is formed from the lower end of the main body 64. The bottom surface of the collar portion 66 becomes a contact surface with the body surface, and a double-sided adhesive tape 74 is adhered to the bottom surface. And the relative position of the holder 16 with respect to a broken bone is hold | maintained by sticking this double-sided adhesive tape on a body surface.

  A clamping member 68 is fixed to the upper surface of the collar portion 66. The clamping member 68 is a member that clamps a connecting member 62 described later, specifically, a shaft member 63. A through hole 69 for receiving the insertion of the shaft member 63 is formed in the clamping member 68. Further, a notch 70 is formed from the upper end of the holding member 68 to the through hole 69. By changing the width of the notch 70, the inner diameter of the through hole 69 can be changed. The width of the notch 70 can be changed by varying the tightening amount of the bolt 72a and the nut 72b that penetrates perpendicularly to the notch 70.

  By increasing the tightening amount of the bolt 72a and the nut 72b and decreasing the inner diameter of the through hole 69, the shaft member 63 can be firmly held, and the distance relationship and the angular relationship of the housing member 60 with respect to the shaft member 63 can be maintained. As a result, the positional relationship between the probes can be maintained, and the reliability of ultrasonic diagnosis can be further improved. On the other hand, by reducing the tightening amount and increasing the inner diameter of the through-hole 69, the removal of the shaft member 63, the insertion amount of the shaft member 63, the angle of the shaft member 63 with respect to the housing member 60, and the like can be changed. it can. The distance relationship between the two housing members 60 can be adjusted by the insertion amount of the shaft member 63, and the angular relationship between the two housing members 60 can be adjusted by the angle of the shaft member 63. Further, by removing the shaft member 63 and replacing it with another shaft member having a different length, the distance relationship between the two housing members 60 can be varied more flexibly. Even when the relative positional relationship between the two housing members 60 is changed, the relative positional relationship between the two housing members 60 can be easily measured by measuring after removing the holder 16 from the body surface. Alternatively, the shaft member 63 may be graduated so that the distance between the probes can be recognized.

  As described, the connecting member 62 is the shaft member 63 inserted through the through hole 69 of the clamping member 68. The both ends of the shaft member 63 are clamped by the clamping members 68 of the two storage members 60, thereby connecting the two storage members 60. Then, the distance relationship and the angle relationship between the two housing members 60 are maintained.

  The flow of performing a fusion diagnosis using the holder 16 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment. That is, after setting the probe 12 and the stand-off 14 in each housing member 60, the holder 16 is attached to the body surface, and transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves is started. However, in this embodiment, the distance and the angular relationship between the two housing members 60 can be adjusted according to the shape of the body surface to which the holder 16 is attached. That is, the body surface of the subject is not flat, but is curved or inclined. Such a curvature or inclination may cause a problem that the bottom surface of the standoff 14 cannot be in close contact with the body surface, or the double-sided adhesive tape 74 attached to the bottom surface of the collar 66 cannot contact the body surface. is there. In this case, in the present embodiment, the holding force of the holding member 68 can be loosened to change the insertion amount and the insertion angle of the shaft member 63 so that the accommodation member 60 can be adjusted to be disposed at a suitable position and angle. . As a result, the air between the probe 12 and the body surface can be more reliably removed, so that a more suitable ultrasonic wave can be transmitted and received. Moreover, the contact area of the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 74 and the body surface can be increased, and a higher sticking force can be obtained.

  If the two housing members 60 can be adjusted to suitable positions, the bolts 72a and nuts 72b of the clamping member 68 are tightened to fix the positional relationship between the two housing members 60. Thereby, the positional relationship between the probes 12 is maintained. Further, the relative positional relationship between the probe 12 and the broken bone is also maintained. As a result, the positional deviation of the tracking point before and after the load is applied to the fractured bone is prevented, and a better ultrasonic diagnosis becomes possible.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is also substantially the same as the first embodiment except for the configuration of the holder 16. Therefore, below, it demonstrates centering around the structure of the holder 16 in 3rd embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view when the probe 12 and the like are stored in the holder 16 in the third embodiment, and FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

  The holder 16 is roughly divided into two accommodating members 60 and a connecting member 62 that couples the accommodating members 60. Each accommodating member 60 has a substantially box shape for accommodating the probe 12 and the standoff 14, and a notch 62 a for drawing out the probe cable 13 is formed on one side surface thereof. Further, a connecting shaft 82 is formed so as to protrude from one different side surface. The connecting shaft 82 is clamped by a clamping member 68 provided on a connecting member 62 described later.

  The inner dimension of the housing member 60 is substantially the same as the housing member 60 of the second embodiment. That is, the width and depth are approximately the same as that of the probe 12 and slightly larger than that of the standoff 14. Instead, the depth is slightly smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the probe 12 and the standoff 14. By setting it as such an internal dimension, the relative position of the probe 12 with respect to the housing member 60 can be regulated. Moreover, the shape deformation of the standoff 14 can be allowed, and the air interposed between the probe 12 and the body surface can be removed. As a result, it is possible to efficiently transmit and receive ultrasonic waves.

  The connecting member 62 includes a substrate 80 and two clamping members 68 fixed on the substrate 80. The substrate 80 is a flat plate made of a rigid material, and a double-sided adhesive tape 74 is attached to the bottom surface thereof. The clamping member 68 clamps the connecting shaft 82 of the above-described housing member 60. Two clamping members 68 are provided, one at each end of the substrate 80. Each clamping member 68 is formed with a through hole 69 for receiving the insertion of the connecting shaft 82, and a cut 70 extending to the upper end of the clamping member 68 is formed in the upper part of the through hole 69. Then, by adjusting the tightening amount of the bolt 72a inserted perpendicularly to the notch 70 and the nut 72b screwed to the bolt 72a, the inner diameter of the through hole 69 can be varied, in other words, the connection The holding force of the service shaft 82 can be varied. For example, if the tightening amount of the bolt 72a and the nut 72b is increased, the connecting shaft 82 inserted through the through hole 69 can be firmly held, and the positional relationship of the housing member 60 with respect to the connecting member 62 is maintained. be able to. As a result, the relative positional relationship of the two probes 12 accommodated in the two accommodating members 60 can be maintained. On the other hand, if the tightening amounts of the bolts 72a and nuts 72b are reduced to increase the inner diameter of the through hole 69, the housing member 60 can be removed, and the insertion amount and insertion angle of the connecting shaft 82 can be adjusted. In other words, by reducing the tightening amount, it is possible to adjust the relative positional relationship of the housing member 60 with respect to the connecting member 62, and thus the relative positional relationship between the housing members 60. That is, also in the present embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the housing members 60 can be adjusted according to the shape of the subject body surface, and the housing member 60 can be appropriately disposed at a desired position. Thereby, the air of the probe 12 and the body surface can be removed more reliably, and a more suitable ultrasonic wave can be transmitted and received. Moreover, the contact area of the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 74 and the body surface can be increased, and a higher sticking force can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the substrate 80 of the connecting member 62 is a flat plate, but may be a plate material that is curved according to the body surface shape of the subject. By making the board | substrate 80 into the shape according to the body surface of the subject, the contact area of the double-sided adhesive tape 74 and the body surface can be increased, and the position of the probe 12 with respect to the broken bone can be more reliably maintained. it can.

  In addition, each of the holders 16 in the first to third embodiments is configured to hold the two probes 12, but by increasing the number of the storage portions 34 or the storage members 60, a larger number of the holders 16 can be provided. The probe 12 may be held. In addition, the shape or the like of the storage unit 34 or the storage member 60 can be changed as appropriate according to the probe 12 or the shape of the subject. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the holder 16 is stuck to the body surface using a double-sided adhesive tape, you may stick using another sticking means. For example, a single-sided adhesive tape may be stuck from the upper side of the holder 16, or the holder 16 may be crimped to the body surface side with a band-shaped member. In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses of the above embodiments are all intended for diagnosis of fractured bones, but of course, they can also be applied to other applications by changing the number of probes, the shape of the holder, etc. it can.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a perspective view of the holder in a state where a probe or the like is set. It is a disassembled perspective view of the holder of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the holder of FIG. 2 from another angle. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the holder of the state which set the probe etc., (A) shows a mode of a no-load state, (B) shows a mode at the time of pressing a holder on the body surface side. It is a figure which shows the mode of the fusion diagnosis of a fractured bone. It is an AA schematic sectional drawing in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the probe etc. were set to the holder of 2nd embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the holder of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the probe etc. were set to the holder of 3rd embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the holder of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 12 Probe, 14 Standoff, 16 Holder, 18 Apparatus main body part, 20 Transmission / reception part, 22 Signal processing part, 24 Output processing part, 26 Operation part, 28 Control part, 30 Display, 34 Accommodating Part, 36, 38, 74 Double-sided adhesive tape, 50 body surface, 56 fractured bone, 58 tracking point, 60 housing member, 62 connecting member, 63 shaft member, 64 body part, 66 collar part, 68 clamping member.

Claims (10)

A holding device that holds a plurality of ultrasonic probes in close proximity to the body surface of a subject,
A plurality of accommodating means for accommodating the ultrasonic probe in a state in which an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface is exposed to the outside, and regulating a position of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the holding device;
Connecting means for connecting the plurality of accommodating means to each other and maintaining the relative positional relationship thereof;
And adhering the housing means or the connecting means to the body surface with an adhesive member, so that the plurality of ultrasonic probes are brought close to and opposed to the body surface while maintaining their relative positional relationship. A holding device characterized. The holding device according to claim 1,
The connecting means is a block body having a contact surface that comes into contact with the body surface,
The holding device is a holding device, wherein the holding means is a recess formed in a contact surface of the block body. The holding device according to claim 1,
The holding device is characterized in that the connecting means is detachable from the accommodating means. The holding device according to claim 3,
The holding device is characterized in that a relative distance between the plurality of accommodating means is adjustable. The holding device according to claim 3 or 4,
The holding device is characterized in that the connecting means is capable of adjusting a relative angle between the plurality of accommodating means. The holding device according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
Either one of the accommodating means or the connecting means includes a shaft member,
The other of the accommodating means or the connecting means includes a holding member that holds the shaft member and whose holding force is variable. The holding device according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
The accommodating means is
A main body for accommodating the ultrasonic probe;
An eaves member extending outward from the lower end of the main body,
And holding the heel member on the body surface with an adhesive member. The holding device according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
The connecting means includes a contact member that is in contact with the body surface,
A holding device, wherein the contact member is adhered to a body surface with an adhesive member. The holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
When an acoustic matching member having transparency and elasticity for ultrasonic waves is disposed between the ultrasonic probe and the body surface,
The cross-sectional area of the housing space of the housing member is larger than the cross-sectional area of the acoustic matching member in an unloaded state,
The depth of the accommodation space of the accommodation member is smaller than the sum of the thickness of the acoustic matching member and the ultrasonic probe in an unloaded state. A plurality of ultrasonic probes that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the diagnostic site inside the subject; and
A holding device that holds the plurality of ultrasonic probes in close proximity to a subject; and
The holding device has
A plurality of accommodating means for accommodating the ultrasonic probe in a state in which an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface is exposed to the outside, and regulating a position of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the holding device;
Connecting means for connecting the plurality of accommodating means to each other and maintaining the positional relationship;
And attaching the housing means or the connecting means to the body surface with an adhesive member so that the plurality of ultrasonic probes are closely opposed to the body surface while maintaining their relative positional relationship. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus characterized by transmitting and receiving sound waves.

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