JP5377342B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including a holding device that holds an ultrasonic probe.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an ultrasonic wave from an ultrasonic probe to a diagnostic target part in a subject, receives a reflected wave from the diagnostic target part from the ultrasonic probe, and obtains tomographic information of the diagnostic target part Is a device for imaging. The ultrasonic probe is used in a state where it is fixed and supported by a holding device having an arm and a joint.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an arm (holding) device that is fixed to a side wall of a housing of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body and that can be expanded and contracted and rotated at several positions of an arm portion.

  However, since the holding device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is attached in a state of being fixed to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, there is a problem that the operation range of the ultrasonic probe is limited and measurement is difficult. . Specifically, for example, when the subject is on the opposite side of the side wall to which the holding device is fixed, the holding device may not reach the subject. In this case, the holding device may not reach the subject. It was dealt with by moving the device main body to the position where it reached.

JP-A-6-70927

  Here, the present invention has been made in the background as described above, and the problem to be solved is to widen the operating range of the ultrasonic probe without increasing the size of the apparatus and to improve the operability. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of achieving the above.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus main body comprising a housing and a monitor, an ultrasonic probe derived from the apparatus main body, and an ultrasonic probe holding apparatus that is attached to the apparatus main body and holds the ultrasonic probe. The apparatus main body has a space opened between a bottom surface and an upper surface of the housing, and the ultrasonic probe holding device is disposed in the space formed in the housing. It is provided with the installation part installed and the arm part supported by the said installation part, The said installation part is comprised so that it can move in a horizontal surface, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus structured according to this aspect, the apparatus is enlarged by enabling the ultrasonic probe holding apparatus to move in a horizontal plane in an open space provided in the housing of the apparatus main body. In addition, the operating range of the ultrasonic probe can be widened.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first aspect, the installation portion is provided with a fixing mechanism that fixes movement in a horizontal plane.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus structured according to this aspect, the installation position of the ultrasonic probe holding device can be fixed at an arbitrary position by providing a fixing mechanism in the installation part, and furthermore, the ultrasonic probe holding The wobble of the device can be suppressed. Thereby, the operability can be improved and stable measurement can be performed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the installation portion is provided with an expansion / contraction mechanism that can expand and contract in an axial direction of the installation portion. It is characterized by that.

  In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having the structure according to the present aspect, the installation unit is provided with an expansion / contraction mechanism that can expand and contract in the axial direction of the installation unit. Thereby, the operativity can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the main body according to the present invention as viewed from the side. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the main body according to the present invention when the monitor is viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holding device according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view of the installation portion of the holding device according to the present invention as seen from the bottom. FIG. 6 is a perspective view and a front view of the holding unit according to the present invention when the installation portion is fixed and released.

  Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, an embodiment of an ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used for diagnosis of eyeball tissue will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of an ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. This ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes an ultrasonic probe 102, a main body 104, and a holding device 106. The main body 104 and the ultrasonic probe 102 are electrically connected by a probe cable (not shown). The ultrasonic probe 102 is a device for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the eye to be examined and receiving a reflected wave from within the subject. The main body 104 is a device that generates a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic probe 102, performs information processing on a received signal from the ultrasonic probe 102, and displays it as an image. The holding device 106 is a device for holding the ultrasonic probe 102 and allowing the position of the ultrasonic probe 102 to be freely adjusted, and assisting the operation of the ultrasonic probe during measurement. The specific configuration will be described in detail later. Describe.

  FIG. 2 is a view of the main body 104 according to the present invention as viewed from the side. The main body 104 includes a monitor 108 that displays an image and a housing 110. The monitor 108 is a touch panel type, and various settings can be performed by operating an operation key displayed on the monitor. In the case 110, a space 116 opened between the upper part 112 and the bottom part 114 of the case 110 is formed. In this embodiment, a space 116 opened in a part close to the bottom part 114 is formed. . In this space 116, an attachment portion 118 for connecting the holding device 106 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the attachment portion 118 is mounted on a rotation support shaft 120 that is rotatably supported in a horizontal plane in a space 116 provided in the housing 110, and can rotate by an angle α. In this embodiment, it is installed so that α = 140 °.

  Next, the holding device 106 used in the ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holding device 106 according to the present invention. The holding device 106 includes an installation portion 122 fixed to an attachment portion 118 attached to the main body 104 side in order to connect the main body 104 and the holding device 106, and an arm portion 124 that adjusts the position of the ultrasonic probe 102. It is configured.

  The arm portion 124 includes a plurality of arms 128 a, 128 b, 130, and 132 that are connected to a support column 126 that protrudes upward from the installation portion 122, and the ultrasonic probe 102 is attached to the distal end portion of the arm 132. A probe holder 134 for holding is provided. Further, joints 136a and 136b are provided between the column 126 and the arms 128a and 128b, joints 138 are provided between the arms 128a and 128b and the arms 130, joints 140 and arm 132 are provided between the arms 130 and 132, and A joint 142 is provided between the probe holder 134 and the probe holder 134. By changing the angle of each joint, the position of the tip can be adjusted.

  FIG. 5 is a view of the installation portion 122 in the holding device 106 according to the present invention as seen from the bottom surface. The installation part 122 is provided with a stopper member 144 that stops the rotation operation of the installation part 122 itself. The stopper member 144 of the present embodiment includes a lever 146 and a stopper 150 made of an elastic body such as rubber having a cam shape on the end surface of the lever shaft 148. The stopper 150 is attached to a hole 152 provided in the installation part 122.

  Next, operations for fixing and releasing the installation portion 122 in the holding device 106 will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view and a front view of the holding device 106 according to the present invention when the installation portion 122 is fixed and released. 6A is a diagram when the installation unit 122 is unfixed, and FIG. 6B is a diagram when the installation unit 122 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the lever 146 is lowered, the stopper 150 protrudes from the hole 152 provided in the installation portion 122, and between the protruding stopper 150 and the upper portion 112 of the housing 110. By generating the frictional force, the rotation operation of the installation portion 122 can be stopped and fixed. As shown in FIG. 6A, by raising the lever 146, the stopper 150 does not protrude from the hole 152 provided in the installation portion 122, so that the fixing of the installation portion 122 can be released. it can.

  In addition, the installation portion 122 is provided with a rail 154 so that it can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the rail 154 provided in the installation portion 122 is slidably fitted to and attached to the attachment portion 118 attached to the main body 104 and is detachable, and is attached at a position suitable for measurement. Then, it is fastened with a fixing screw (not shown) to be fixed at a certain position. As a result, the holding device 106 and the main body 104 are connected.

  In the ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 having such a structure, since the holding device 106 is movable in a horizontal plane in an open space 116 provided in the housing 110, the apparatus The operating range of the ultrasonic probe can be widened without increasing the size. In addition, since the holding device 106 is rotated around the rotation support shaft 120 provided in the main body 104, a wider operating range of the ultrasonic probe 102 can be ensured.

  Further, by providing the stopper member 144 in the installation portion 122 of the holding device 106, the installation position of the holding device 106 can be fixed at an arbitrary position, and further, the wobbling of the holding device 106 can be suppressed. Thereby, the operability can be improved and stable measurement can be performed. Further, the stopper member 144 in the present embodiment can easily fix and release the installation position of the holding device 106 with a simple configuration without complicating the device.

  Furthermore, the rail 154 that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction is provided on the installation portion 122 of the holding device 106, so that it can be adjusted to an arbitrary position where the examiner can easily inspect.

  As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention is not limited in any way by the specific description in the embodiment, and various changes, modifications, and modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Needless to say, the present invention can be implemented in a mode with improvements and the like, and all such modes are included in the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the holding device 122 is connected to the mounting portion 118 that rotates and moves around the rotation support shaft 120 in the space 116 provided in the housing 110. 106 is moved in a horizontal plane, but the present invention is not limited to this. A rail is provided in a space 116 provided in the housing 110, and the installation unit 122 is connected thereto, whereby the holding device 106 is moved in the horizontal direction. You may make it the structure to move.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the holding device 106 is fixed and released by operating the stopper member 144 of the installation unit 122 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the control for controlling the drive of the installation unit 122 is performed. Means may be provided, and the holding device 106 may be automatically fixed and released by operating a switch or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the rail 154 is provided in order to make the installation portion 122 extendable and contractable in the axial direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the installation portion 122 is configured to be extendable and contractable in the axial direction using a telescopic mechanism. May be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Ophthalmic ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 102 Ultrasonic probe 104 Main body 106 Holding | maintenance apparatus 110 Case 112 Upper part 114 Bottom part 116 Space 118 Mounting part 120 Rotation support shaft 122 Installation part 124 Arm part 144 Stopper member 152 Rail

Claims (3)

In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body comprising a housing and a monitor; an ultrasonic probe derived from the apparatus main body; and an ultrasonic probe holding apparatus attached to the apparatus main body for holding the ultrasonic probe.
The apparatus main body has a space opened between a bottom surface and an upper surface of the housing, and the ultrasonic probe holding device is installed in the space formed in the housing; and the installation An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an arm part supported by a part, wherein the installation part is configured to be movable in a horizontal plane.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the installation unit includes a fixing mechanism that fixes movement in a horizontal plane.   The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the installation unit is provided with an expansion / contraction mechanism that can expand and contract in an axial direction of the installation unit.

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