JP4778380B2 - Locating device and ultrasonic diagnostic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that pressurizes a target bone and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to the target bone to acquire deformation characteristics of the target bone by pressurization, and at least pressurization when acquiring the deformation characteristics of the target bone The present invention relates to a position specifying apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for specifying a position.

  In order to diagnose bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis, determination of easy fracture, and quantitative diagnosis of bone fusion after fracture treatment, a simple and quantitative diagnosis method for bone mechanical properties is desired. ing. Currently, the diagnosis of bone mechanical properties, including strength and elasticity, relies heavily on radiographs. However, it is not only difficult to quantitatively diagnose bone strength with X-ray photographs, but also invasiveness to the subject due to X-ray irradiation is a problem.

  Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of bone using ultrasonic waves. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for measuring a bone shape change when a load is applied to a bone using ultrasonic waves and diagnosing a mechanical characteristic of the bone based on the measurement result. . By using such a technique, it is possible to easily diagnose bone strength and the like.

JP 2004-298205 A

  By the way, in this patent document 1, the strength of the bone is evaluated by the amount of bending when a part of the bone is pressurized. Since the amount of deflection greatly varies depending on the position to be pressurized, it is necessary to accurately pressurize a predetermined position at the time of diagnosis, for example, the central position of the tibia when diagnosing the tibia. is there. Conventionally, this pressure position has been specified by manually measuring the distance. However, manual position specification is complicated for the user. In addition, manual position specification has low position accuracy, and as a result, the accuracy of the diagnosis result is reduced.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can further improve the diagnostic accuracy of the mechanical characteristics of bone, and a position specifying apparatus that is used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

  The position specifying device of the present invention is a position specifying device that specifies at least a pressing position in order to measure a deformation characteristic of a target bone due to pressurization, and is a telescopic expansion and contraction arranged along the center line of the target bone A pair of contact bodies provided at both end positions of the shaft and the telescopic shaft, and a pair of contact bodies in contact with feature points that are visibly present in the vicinity of both ends of the target bone; A link body comprising a cross link and four link shafts forming a rhombus-shaped link structure having at least a part of the cross shaft as a diagonal line, and the cross shaft is a center point of the telescopic shaft. A link body that moves the cross axis in the direction of the telescopic axis in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the telescopic axis to pass, and a specifying means that specifies the projection point on the body surface of the intersection of the telescopic axis and the cross axis as the pressurization position, It is characterized by providing.

  In a preferred aspect, the specifying unit further specifies an attachment position of the ultrasonic probe set at a position away from the pressing position by a certain distance.

  In another preferred embodiment, the specifying means is provided at the tip of the lifting body that is movable up and down in the body surface direction from the intersection of the telescopic axis and the crossing axis, and contacts the body surface by contacting the body surface. Mark providing means for applying a mark. In this case, the mark is preferably a seal or a seal.

  In another preferable aspect, the specifying unit includes an irradiation unit that specifies a pressurization position by irradiating light from the intersection of the telescopic axis and the crossing axis toward the body surface. In this case, in the case where the specifying means also specifies the attachment position of the ultrasonic probe set at a position away from the pressurizing point, the specifying means is further away from the intersection by the predetermined distance. It is desirable to provide a second irradiation means for specifying the sticking position by irradiating light toward the body surface at the position. In addition, it further includes a pair of offset columns extending from both ends of the telescopic shaft toward the body surface and offsetting the telescopic shaft and the cross axis to a position away from the body surface, and the contact body is connected to the tip of the offset column. It is desirable.

  Another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that pressurizes a target bone and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to the target bone to acquire deformation characteristics of the target bone due to the pressurization. A position specifying means for specifying the position where the bone is pressed as a pressing position, a pressing means for pressing the pressing position specified by the position specifying means, and a position a certain distance away from the pressing means. An ultrasonic probe, and a calculation means for calculating a change in the target bone before and after pressurization based on an echo signal obtained by ultrasonic transmission / reception with the ultrasonic probe, and the position specifying means is A telescopic telescopic shaft arranged along the center line of the target bone and a pair of contact bodies provided at both end positions of the telescopic shaft, the feature points being visibly present in the vicinity of both ends of the target bone A pair of contact bodies that come into contact with each other and a telescopic shaft And a link body having four link shafts forming a diamond-shaped link structure having at least a part of the cross shaft as a diagonal line, and the cross shaft is a center point of the telescopic shaft. A link body that moves the cross axis in the direction of the telescopic axis in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the telescopic axis to pass through, and a specifying means that specifies the projection point on the body surface of the intersection of the telescopic axis and the cross axis as the pressurization position, Is provided.

  According to the present invention, when the telescopic shaft is expanded and contracted to bring the contact body into contact with the feature point located near both ends of the target bone, the pressing position can be automatically specified. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately specify the pressurization position as compared with the conventional method in which the position is manually specified. As a result, the diagnostic accuracy of the mechanical characteristics of the bone 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 an embodiment of the present invention. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is suitable for diagnosing the mechanical characteristics of bones, particularly the tibia 104 in the lower limb 100 of a person.

  The probe 14 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is an ultrasonic probe used in contact with the body surface 102 of the subject. The probe 14 forms an ultrasonic beam toward the target bone 104 existing in the body of the subject. In this embodiment, two probes 14 are used.

  The transmission / reception unit 16 controls the probe 14 to electronically scan the ultrasonic beam in the tomographic plane. When the probe 14 is a linear probe, for example, 120 ultrasonic beams are electronically scanned one after another, and an echo signal is acquired for each ultrasonic beam. The transmission / reception control unit 18 appropriately controls the transmission / reception unit 16 in accordance with an instruction from the user input via the operation panel 20.

  A plurality of echo signals acquired by the transmission / reception unit 16 are output to the tomographic image forming unit 22. The tomographic image forming unit 22 forms a tomographic image (B-mode image) of bone based on a plurality of echo signals. The echo signal acquired by the transmission / reception unit 16 is also output to the echo tracking processing unit 24. The echo tracking processing unit 24 performs so-called echo tracking processing that extracts and tracks a bone surface portion from each echo signal. As the echo tracking process, for example, a technique detailed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-309918 can be used. For example, three tracking echo signals are used for the echo tracking process. The tracking echo signal may be selected from echo signals (for example, 120 echo signals) used for tomographic image formation, or dedicated to three tracking signals transmitted by interrupting tomographic image formation. An echo signal may be used.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining how the surface portion of the bone 104 is tracked by three echo signals. Each echo signal corresponding to each of the three ultrasonic beams directed toward the bone 104 exhibits a large amplitude (amplitude maximum portion 44) at a portion corresponding to the bone surface. The echo tracking processing unit 24 specifies the bone surface position based on the position (waveform acquisition time) of the amplitude maximum portion 44. In FIG. 2, an example of three echo tracking echo signals is shown, but a plurality of signals other than three can be measured. In this echo tracking process, a tracking point 46 is a surface point tracked for each echo signal, that is, for each ultrasonic beam.

  The interpolation line generation unit 26 (see FIG. 1) generates an interpolation line connecting these tracking points 46. That is, an interpolation line is generated by performing curve interpolation on the plurality of tracking points 46 using spline interpolation, least square interpolation, or the like. The interpolation line generated here is a curve indicating the bone surface shape. This interpolation line can be made closer to the original bone surface shape by increasing the number of echo signals for echo tracking processing. The generated interpolation line is temporarily stored in the memory 28. The mechanical characteristic calculation unit 30 refers to information on the bone surface shape temporarily stored in the memory 28 and calculates the mechanical characteristic value of the bone, specifically, the amount of bending.

  The display image forming unit 32 forms an image to be displayed on the display 34 as a diagnosis result. The display image forming unit 32 includes a tomographic image formed by the tomographic image forming unit 22, a mechanical characteristic value (such as a deflection amount) calculated by the mechanical characteristic calculating unit 30, and a target by a pressurizing mechanism 38 described later. The load value added to the bone is input. The display image forming unit 32 outputs an image obtained by graphing the input mechanical characteristic values and load values alone or in combination with a B-mode image to the display 34 as a display image. Based on the mechanical characteristics of the target bone displayed on the display 34, the user evaluates the degree of fusion and strength of the fractured bone.

  The tibia 104 to be diagnosed is a bone existing in the lower limb 100 of the subject, and the lower limb 100 of the subject is supported by the lower limb support mechanism 36. The lower limb support mechanism 36 is a mechanism that supports and fixes the lower limb 100 at the time of diagnosis, and thus the lower limb 100 for the purpose of preventing displacement of the tibia 104 that is a diagnosis target.

  The pressurizing mechanism 38 is a mechanism that pressurizes the tibia 104 when transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to the tibia 104. The pressurizing mechanism 38 applies a load having a designated magnitude to the target bone in accordance with an instruction from the user. The added load value is output to the display image forming unit 32 as described above and presented to the user.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower limb support mechanism 36 and the pressurizing mechanism 38. The lower limb support mechanism 36 includes a proximal fixing base 52 on which a position near the knee (hereinafter referred to as “proximal”) of the lower limbs is placed, and a distal fixing base 56 on which a heel is placed. These are all provided on the upper surface of the base 50 made of a ferromagnetic material such as steel. The proximal fixing base 52 is formed with a groove 52a having a substantially arc-shaped cross section for receiving the proximal end. The proximal fixing base 52 is also provided with a belt 54 for restricting the movement of the proximal (lower limb) accommodated in the groove 52a.

  The distal fixing base 56 includes a heel accommodating portion 57 for receiving a heel and an adjusting mechanism 58 for adjusting the position of the heel accommodating portion 57. The heel accommodating portion 57 is formed with a concave portion 57a having a shape corresponding to a human heel. The height and angle of the heel accommodating portion 57 can be adjusted by an adjusting mechanism 58 constituted by a guide rail, a rotating shaft, and the like. When diagnosing the mechanical characteristics of the tibia, the angle is adjusted so that the inner surface of the lower limb is on the upper side (the thumb is on the upper side and the little finger is on the lower side).

  The lower limb support mechanism 36 further includes an external fruit support 60 and a radial head support 62. The external fruit and the radial head are sites of bone located near both ends of the tibia, which is the target bone. Both the external fruit and the radial head are large protruding parts, and the positions are visible from the outside. When performing the mechanical characteristics of the tibia, the external capsule and the vicinity of the radial head are supported by the external capsule support base 60 and the radial head support base 62 to improve the stability of the lower limb support. The radial head support base 62 and the external fruit support base 60 include magnets, and are detachable from the base 50 by magnetic force. The positions of the radial head support base 62 and the external fruit support base 60 can be appropriately changed according to the lower limb shape of the subject.

  The pressure mechanism 38 includes a pressing shaft 64 that presses the tibia from the surface of the lower limb supported by the lower limb support mechanism 36. The pressing shaft 64 extends in the vertical direction, and advances and retreats according to driving of a motor (not shown). The amount of pressurization to the tibia is adjusted by adjusting the advance / retreat amount of the pressing shaft 64. The position of the pressurizing mechanism 38 is appropriately variable, and the pressurizing position can be changed according to the shape of the lower limb of the subject.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 will be described. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 of this embodiment further includes a position specifying mechanism 40. The position specifying mechanism 40 is a mechanism for specifying the position where the pressure is applied by the pressure mechanism 38 and the position where the probe 14 is attached. Before describing the specific configuration of the position specifying mechanism 40, first, the pressing position and the probe attaching position will be briefly described.

  The mechanical characteristics of the tibia 104 are determined based on the amount of deflection when the tibia 104 is pressurized. Here, the amount of deflection of the tibia 104 varies not only depending on the amount of pressure applied, but also varies greatly depending on the pressure position. Therefore, when diagnosing the mechanical characteristics of the tibia 104, it is necessary to pressurize a predetermined position. In the present embodiment, the approximate center position of the tibia 104 is set as the pressing position.

  Naturally, the tibia 104 exists in the body of the subject and cannot be visually recognized from the outside. Therefore, conventionally, the center position of the tibia 104, that is, the pressurization position is specified by the following procedure.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the lower limb 100 fixed with the inner surface facing upward. The tibia 104, which is the target bone, is a substantially plate-like bone that is wide in the front-rear direction of the subject. When specifying the pressurization position PP, after confirming the position of the tibia 104 by palpation, the center line CL of the tibia 104 is written with a magic or the like. Subsequently, a line PL that passes through the radial head and the external fruit (more precisely, the protruding portion caused by the radial head and external fruit) and is perpendicular to the center line CL is written. Here, the radius head and the external fruit are both end portions of the radius extending substantially parallel to the tibia 104. Since the radial head and the external fruit protrude outward, the position can be visually confirmed and palpated from the outside. In the present embodiment, the pressure position PP is specified by assuming the positions of the radial head and the external fruit as the end position of the tibia. That is, if a perpendicular line passing through the radial head and the external capsule is obtained, the middle position between the two perpendicular lines PL of the center line CL is subsequently specified as the pressure position PP. Further, a position that is a predetermined distance (for example, 3 cm or the like) on both sides along the center line CL from the specified pressure position PP is specified as the probe attachment position MP.

  The above is the conventional procedure for specifying the pressure position PP and the probe attachment position MP. As is clear from the above description, this conventional position specifying procedure requires a diagnostician (for example, a doctor) to write various lines and measure the distance, which is complicated. Moreover, since distance measurement etc. are performed manually, there also existed a problem that the precision was low. Furthermore, since many lines are written on the lower limbs of the subject, there is a problem that the appearance of the subject is adversely affected.

  The position specifying mechanism 40 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to eliminate these conventional problems. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the position specifying mechanism 40 of the present embodiment.

  The position specifying mechanism 40 includes a telescopic shaft 70 that can be stretched and an intersecting shaft 72 that intersects the telescopic shaft 70, and these two shafts 70, 72 are connected by four link shafts 74. The telescopic shaft 70 is an axis arranged along the tibia which is the target bone. The telescopic shaft 70 can be expanded and contracted according to the length of the tibia. Specifically, the telescopic shaft 70 has a double tube structure including an outer tube 76 and an inner shaft 78 inserted into the outer tube 76, and the inner shaft 78 can be moved forward and backward from the outer tube 76. It has become. The inner shaft 78 is graduated so that the inspector can easily recognize the amount of expansion / contraction. Reference blocks 80 are fixed to both ends of the telescopic shaft 70. A link shaft 74 and a contact body 82 are attached to the reference block 80.

  The intersecting axis 72 is an axis arranged orthogonal to the telescopic axis 70. The intersecting shaft 72 is moved in the direction of the telescopic axis (in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 5) in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the telescopic shaft 70 by a link shaft 74 described later. And by this movement, it is always regulated to a position passing through the center point of the telescopic shaft 70. Two sliders 84 to which the link shaft 74 is attached are inserted through the intersecting shaft 72. Each slider 84 is slidable along the intersecting axis 72.

  The telescopic shaft 70 and the intersecting shaft 72 are connected by four link shafts 74. All four link shafts 74 have the same length. Each link shaft 74 is inserted into a rotary shaft 86 provided on the reference block 80 at one end and a rotary shaft 88 provided on the slider 84 at the other end, and can rotate around the rotary shafts 86 and 88. It has become. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the four link shafts 74 constitute a rhombus-shaped link structure in which almost the entire telescopic shaft 70 and at least a part of the intersecting shaft 72 are diagonal lines. When the length of the telescopic shaft 70 is changed due to expansion and contraction, each link shaft 74 rotates about the rotation shafts 86 and 88 so that the inclination angle with respect to the telescopic shaft 70 and the intersecting shaft 72 is variable. The rotation of the link shaft 74 and, in turn, the change of the tilt angle with respect to the telescopic shaft 70 and the cross shaft 72 causes the cross shaft 72 to move in the telescopic shaft direction. Here, the diagonal line of the rhombus always passes through the center of the other diagonal line. Therefore, the intersecting axis 72, which is a rhombus diagonal composed of the four link shafts 74, always passes through the center point of the telescopic shaft 70, which is another diagonal of the rhombus. That is, it can be understood that the crossed shaft 72 is always regulated to pass through the center of the telescopic shaft 70 by the rhombus link structure constituted by the four link shafts 74.

  A center block 90 is provided at a position where the intersecting shaft 72 and the telescopic shaft 70 intersect. The center block 90 is a block that is slidable with respect to each of the intersecting shaft 72 and the telescopic shaft 70. That is, the center block 90 is formed with a first shaft hole through which the telescopic shaft 70 is inserted and a second shaft hole through which the cross shaft 72 is inserted. When the cross shaft 72 moves as the telescopic shaft 70 expands and contracts, the center block 90 also slides so as to be positioned at the intersection point between the cross shaft 72 and the telescopic shaft 70. A marking unit 96 is attached to the center block 90 via an elevating mechanism. The elevating mechanism is a mechanism for elevating the marking unit 96. Specifically, the elevating mechanism includes a frame 92 having a substantially rectangular cross section and an urging member 94 that urges the frame 92 upward. A side wall of the frame 92 is fitted into a guide groove formed on a side surface of the center block 90. The frame 92 is slidable in the vertical direction along the guide groove. A long hole that allows the cross shaft 72 to be inserted is also formed in the side wall of the frame 92. A marking unit 96 is fixed to the bottom surface of the frame 92. When the frame 92 is pressed downward against the urging force of the urging member 94, the marking unit 96 is lowered.

  The marking unit 96 is a unit that gives a mark to the body surface by contacting the body surface of the subject. The type of the mark to be given is not particularly limited, but for example, a stamp (a seal) or a seal can be used as the mark.

  Each reference block 80 provided at both ends of the telescopic shaft 70 is further provided with a contact body 82. The contact body 82 is a member that abuts on a feature point that can be visually recognized and palpated in the vicinity of both ends of the tibia that is the target bone, specifically, a protruding portion caused by the radial head and the external fruit. Each contact body 82 is composed of two semicircles 83 arranged to face each other, in other words, to form one circle. Each semicircular body 83 has a substantially semicircular shape, and an end portion thereof is inserted through a rotation shaft 81 provided coaxially with the telescopic shaft 70. Each semicircle 83 is opened and closed by rotating around the rotation shaft 81. When specifying the pressing position or the like, the lower limb is sandwiched between the two semicircular bodies 83 and a part of the semicircular body 83 is brought into contact with the feature point. At this time, the semicircle 83 can be regarded as a perpendicular passing through the feature point and orthogonal to the telescopic shaft 70. That is, it can be said that the semicircle 83 corresponds to the perpendicular line PL (see FIG. 4) in the conventional pressurizing position specifying procedure.

  Next, the flow of the tibial mechanical property diagnosis using this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 will be described. When diagnosing the mechanical characteristics of the tibia, first, the lower limb of the subject is supported by the lower limb support mechanism 36 (see FIG. 3). Specifically, among the lower limbs of the subject, the heel is placed on the heel accommodating portion 57, and the vicinity of the knee (proximal) is placed on the proximal fixed base 52, respectively. And the height and angle of the heel accommodating part 57 are adjusted, and the inner surface of a leg is turned up. At this time, the positions of the radial head support 62 and the external fruit support 60 are also adjusted as necessary. When the posture of the lower limb is appropriately adjusted, the movement of the lower limb is fixed by the belt 54 provided on the proximal fixing base 52.

  If the posture of the lower limb is fixed, subsequently, the pressing position and the probe attaching position are specified using the position specifying mechanism 40 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, first, the position specifying mechanism 40 is arranged so that the lower limb supported by the lower limb support mechanism 36 can be held between the two contact bodies 82.

  Subsequently, the position of the position specifying mechanism 40 is finely adjusted so that the telescopic shaft 70 is along the center line of the tibia. This is performed by roughly checking the shape of the tibia by palpation and positioning the telescopic shaft 70 on the centerline of the tibia whose shape has been confirmed.

  Next, the length of the telescopic shaft 70 is adjusted so that each contact body 82 comes into contact with a characteristic point, that is, a protruding portion generated by the radial head or the external fruit. In association with the expansion / contraction of the expansion / contraction shaft 70, the inclination angle of the four link shafts 74 changes. By changing the inclination angle of the link shaft 74, the cross shaft 72 always moves in the direction of the telescopic axis so as to pass through the center point of the telescopic shaft 70. Further, the center block 90 inserted through the intersection shaft 72 and the telescopic shaft 70 also moves in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the telescopic shaft 70.

  Here, as described above, the feature points are points corresponding to both end positions of the tibia. The contact body 82 is a member provided at both ends of the telescopic shaft 70. Therefore, in a state where the two contact bodies are in contact with the radial head and the external fruit, which are characteristic points, respectively, the position directly below the center point of the telescopic shaft 70 can be regarded as the center point of the tibia, that is, the pressure position. Since the crossing axis 72 always moves so as to pass through the center point of the telescopic shaft 70, the position immediately below the intersection of the telescopic shaft 70 and the crossing shaft 72 becomes the pressure position.

  Therefore, if the length of the telescopic shaft 70 can be adjusted, a mark indicating the pressing position is given to the body surface using the marking unit 96 at the crossing position of the telescopic shaft 70 and the cross shaft 72. That is, with the position specifying mechanism 40 attached to the lower limb, the frame 92 of the elevating mechanism is pushed down, and the tip of the marking unit 96 is pressed against the body surface. Thereby, a predetermined mark, for example, a stamp, a seal, etc. is given to the pressurization position of the body surface.

  If the pressure position can be marked, the position specifying mechanism 40 is removed from the lower limb. And a probe sticking position is specified on the basis of this marked pressure position. The probe attachment position is a position separated by a predetermined distance on both sides of the pressing position. Therefore, the probe sticking position is specified by manually measuring the pressure position as a reference. And if a probe sticking position can be specified, the mark which shows a probe sticking position will be provided to the specified position.

  In addition, if the mark which shows the relationship between a pressurization position and a probe sticking position is used beforehand as a mark provided with the marking unit 96, a manual measurement operation | work can be abbreviate | omitted. For example, if a scale is attached to a sticker or stamp used as a mark, it is possible to omit the trouble of measuring again. Instead of the scale, perforations may be formed on the seal at regular intervals.

  If the pressurization position and the probe attachment position can be specified, then the probe is attached to the specified position. Further, the position of the pressurizing mechanism 38 is adjusted so that the specified pressurizing position can be pressed.

  If the probe sticking and the position adjustment of the pressure mechanism 38 can be performed, all the preliminary preparations are completed. Therefore, thereafter, ultrasound transmission and reception and pressurization to the tibia may be performed as in the prior art. That is, first, transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves from the probe to the tibia is started, and bone shape information in an unloaded state is obtained based on an echo signal obtained at that time. Subsequently, pressurization is started in a state where transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves is continued. At that time, based on the obtained echo signal, information on the change in the shape of the tibia due to pressurization is obtained. If desired information is obtained, pressurization and transmission / reception of ultrasonic waves are stopped, and mechanical properties of the tibia, for example, a deflection amount, are calculated based on the obtained information.

  As is clear from the above description, when the position specifying mechanism 40 of the present embodiment is used, the pressurizing position can be specified only by extending and retracting the expansion / contraction shaft 70 so that the contact body 82 contacts the feature point. Therefore, it is possible to specify the pressing position very easily without performing complicated work such as distance measurement or drawing. In addition, the positional accuracy can be improved. Furthermore, by using a seal or the like with a scale or perforation as a mark indicating the pressurization position, it is possible to simplify and improve the accuracy of specifying the probe attachment position. As a result, the reliability of the mechanical characteristic diagnosis of the tibia can be improved.

  Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a position specifying mechanism 40 used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view around the center block 90. The position specifying mechanism 40 is greatly different from the above-described embodiment in that a light irradiation unit is provided instead of the marking unit. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the pressurization position and the probe position are marked such as a seal or a stamp that is directly applied to the body surface, but in this embodiment, pressurization is performed by irradiating light toward the body surface. Marking position and probe position.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the light source 97 for light irradiation is provided in the center block 90. As is clear from FIG. 7, a pressure position light source 97 a for irradiating light indicating the pressure position is provided at a position corresponding to the intersection of the telescopic shaft 70 and the cross axis 72 on the bottom surface of the center block 90. ing. Further, on both sides of the pressurizing position light source 97a, a sticking position light source 97b for irradiating light indicating the probe sticking position is provided. As these light sources 97, LED, LD, etc. can be used, for example. The diagnostician can recognize the position where the light emitted from the two types of light sources 97 hits the body surface of the lower limb of the subject as the pressurization position and the probe attachment position. In this way, when marking the pressurization position etc. with light, after the diagnosis is completed, there is no trace on the body surface, and it does not give the subject an appearance problem compared to the conventional technology that has been marked There are advantages.

  By the way, the marking by the light disappears when the position specifying mechanism 40 is removed from the lower limb. Therefore, the position adjustment of the pressurizing mechanism 38 and the probe attaching work need to be performed in a state where the position specifying mechanism 40 is attached to the lower limb. At this time, in order to prevent the position specifying mechanism 40 itself from interfering with the probe attaching work and the position adjustment of the position specifying mechanism 40, in this embodiment, the components of the position specifying mechanism 40 excluding the contact body 82 are directed upward. It is offset.

  That is, in the present embodiment, offset columns 98 extending downward are provided at both ends of the telescopic shaft 70, and a semicircle 83 is provided at the tip of the offset column 98.

  In such a configuration, when the semicircular body 83 is brought into contact with the feature point of the lower limb, the telescopic axis 70, the cross axis 72, etc. are present at positions offset from the body surface of the lower limb by the height of the offset column 98. Will do. As a result, a space is generated between the body surface and the telescopic shaft 70 or the like. Then, using this space, it is possible to perform a probe attaching operation, a position adjusting operation of the pressurizing mechanism 38, and the like.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the present embodiment, since the pressurization position and the like are marked with light, the pressurization position and the like can be provided to the diagnostician without leaving a mark on the body surface of the subject. Can be recognized. Further, the components of the position specifying mechanism 40 other than the contact body 82 are offset upward by an offset column 98. Therefore, even when the position specifying mechanism 40 is attached to the lower limb, a probe attaching operation or the like can be performed.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the mode of echo tracking. It is a schematic perspective view of a leg support mechanism and a pressurization mechanism. It is a figure explaining a pressurization position and a probe sticking position. It is a perspective view of a position specific mechanism. It is a perspective view of another position specific mechanism. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the position specifying mechanism of FIG. 6.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 14 Probe, 16 Transmission / reception part, 18 Transmission / reception control part, 20 Operation panel, 22 Tomographic image formation part, 24 Echo tracking process part, 26 Interpolation line production | generation part, 28 Memory, 30 Mechanical property calculation part, 32 Display image forming part, 34 Display, 36 Lower limb support mechanism, 38 Pressurization mechanism, 40 Position specifying mechanism, 70 Telescopic axis, 72 Cross axis, 74 Link axis, 82 Contact body, 90 Center block, 96 Marking unit, 97a Light source for pressure position, 97b Light source for sticking position, 98 offset column, 100 lower limb, 102 body surface, 104 tibia.

Claims (8)

A position specifying device for specifying at least a pressing position in order to measure a deformation characteristic of a target bone by pressing,
A telescopic telescopic shaft arranged along the center line of the target bone;
A pair of contact bodies provided at both end positions of the telescopic shaft, and a pair of contact bodies in contact with feature points that are visibly present in the vicinity of both ends of the target bone;
An intersecting axis provided to intersect the telescopic axis;
A link body having four link shafts forming a rhombus-shaped link structure having a diagonal line with substantially the entire telescopic shaft and at least a part of the cross shaft, the telescopic shaft extending so that the cross shaft passes through the center point of the telescopic shaft A link body that moves the cross axis in the direction of the telescopic axis in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the
A specifying means for specifying the projection point on the body surface of the intersection of the telescopic axis and the intersection axis as a pressurizing position;
A position specifying device comprising: The position specifying device according to claim 1,
The specifying means further specifies a sticking position of the ultrasonic probe set at a position away from the pressurizing position by a certain distance. The position specifying device according to claim 1 or 2,
The specific means is
A lifting body that can move up and down in the body surface direction from the intersection of the telescopic axis and the crossing axis,
A mark applying means provided at the tip of the lifting body, for applying a mark to the body surface by contacting the body surface;
A position specifying device comprising: The position specifying device according to claim 3,
The position specifying device, wherein the mark is a seal or a seal. The position specifying device according to claim 1 or 2,
The position specifying device includes an irradiating means for specifying a pressurizing position by irradiating light from the intersection of the telescopic axis and the cross axis toward the body surface. The position specifying device according to claim 5,
In the case where the specifying means also specifies the attachment position of the ultrasonic probe set at a position away from the pressurization point by a certain distance,
The position specifying device further includes second irradiation means for specifying a sticking position by irradiating light toward the body surface at a position away from the intersection by the predetermined distance. The position identification device according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:
A pair of offset columns extending from both ends of the telescopic shaft toward the body surface and offsetting the telescopic shaft and the crossing axis to a position away from the body surface,
The position specifying device, wherein the contact body is connected to a tip of an offset column. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that pressurizes a target bone and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to the target bone to obtain deformation characteristics of the target bone by pressurization,
Position specifying means for specifying at least a position to press the target bone as a pressing position;
A pressurizing means for pressurizing the pressurizing position specified by the position specifying means;
An ultrasonic probe attached to a position away from the pressurizing means by a certain distance;
Based on echo signals obtained by ultrasonic transmission / reception with an ultrasonic probe, calculation means for calculating changes in the target bone before and after pressurization,
With
The positioning means is
A telescopic telescopic shaft arranged along the center line of the target bone;
A pair of contact bodies provided at both end positions of the telescopic shaft, and a pair of contact bodies in contact with feature points that are visibly present in the vicinity of both ends of the target bone;
An intersecting axis provided to intersect the telescopic axis;
A link body having four link shafts forming a rhombus-shaped link structure having a diagonal line with substantially the entire telescopic shaft and at least a part of the cross shaft, the telescopic shaft extending so that the cross shaft passes through the center point of the telescopic shaft A link body that moves the cross axis in the direction of the telescopic axis in conjunction with the expansion and contraction of the
A specifying means for specifying the projection point on the body surface of the intersection of the telescopic axis and the intersection axis as a pressurizing position;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

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