JP6824560B2 - Medical device housing structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a housing structure of a medical device, and more particularly to a housing structure of a detachable wireless communication adapter.

Medical devices such as electrocardiographs and sphygmomanometers are provided with a general-purpose interface for connecting external devices such as personal computers and storage devices, and a connector for wired connection of external devices is provided in the general-purpose interface. It is provided in. Patent Document 1 discloses a biological signal recording device that communicates with an analyzer connected to a USB interface and records a biological signal in a USB memory.

Conventionally, a connector for connecting an external device by wire is arranged so that it can be easily accessed from the outside of the housing, such as when it is exposed on the outer surface of the housing, in consideration of the ease of connecting and disconnecting the cable. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-124345

On the other hand, an adapter (wireless communication adapter) that connects to a general-purpose external interface (external I / F) such as USB possessed by the device and adds a wireless communication function to the device is known. The housing of a conventional medical device is arranged so that the external I / F connector is exposed from a hole provided on the side surface of the housing, and when the wireless communication adapter is connected, the main body of the wireless communication adapter is housing. It will be in a state of jumping out of the body. Then, if a force is erroneously (or intentionally) applied to the protruding main body portion, not only the wireless communication adapter but also the external I / F to which the wireless communication adapter is connected may be damaged. Further, even if the damage does not occur, the wireless communication adapter may be disconnected from the connector and communication with the external device may be interrupted, for example, a problem that a part of the biometric information being measured cannot be received by the external device may occur.

Furthermore, unlike storage devices, wireless communication adapters are not worn only while recording or playing back data, and are generally not removed once they are attached, making them vulnerable to mischief and theft. There is also. These problems can be suppressed to some extent by using a wireless communication adapter with a small main body, but the effect of suppressing theft and mischief is particularly small.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a housing structure of a medical device capable of suppressing a problem caused by attaching an external wireless communication adapter. ..

The above-mentioned purpose is a housing structure of a medical device to which an adapter for adding a wireless communication function to the medical device can be connected, and a first external I / F and a lid for detachably connecting the adapter. A first accommodating portion that accommodates the adapter and a second external I / F that is located at a different location from the first accommodating portion and conforms to the same standard as the first external I / F. Achieved by the housing structure of the medical device characterized by being provided.

With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a housing structure of a medical device capable of suppressing problems caused by externally attaching a wireless communication adapter.

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the electrocardiograph which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the housing structure of the electrocardiograph which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure regarding the power supply control to the external I / F of the electrocardiograph according to the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the housing structure of the electrocardiograph which concerns on another embodiment.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, embodiments in which the present invention is applied to the housing structure of an electrocardiograph will be described, but the electrocardiograph is merely an example of a medical device to which the present invention can be applied. The present invention is applicable to the housing structure of all medical devices having a general-purpose external interface to which a communication adapter can be connected.

(Electrocardiograph configuration)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electrocardiograph 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The electrode group 110 includes, for example, limb electrodes (4) and chest electrodes (6). The type and number of electrodes included in the electrode group 110 are determined by the type and number of electrocardiogram signals (leads) measured by the electrocardiograph 100.

The electrode group 110 (electrocardiogram electrode) is connected to a connector included in the input unit 111 of the electrocardiograph 100. The input unit 111 has, for example, a protection circuit, an induction selector, an amplifier circuit, and the like, and outputs a preset type and number of electrocardiogram signals.
The A / D conversion unit 112 digitizes each of the electrocardiogram signals output from the input unit 111 and outputs them as electrocardiogram waveform data. The input unit 111 and the A / D conversion unit 112 are also called an analog front end (AFE).

The filter processing unit 113 applies a noise removal filter to the electrocardiogram waveform data input through the A / D conversion unit 112 according to the settings from the control unit 120. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the filter processing unit 113 can selectively apply the myoelectric noise removal filter, the AC noise removal filter, and the drift noise removal filter as an example, but the type and number of filter processing are different. Not limited to these.
The speaker 114 is used by the control unit 120 to output, for example, a warning sound or a voice message.

The control unit 120 includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, and a programmable processor, and controls the operation of the entire electrocardiograph 100 by expanding the control program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the programmable processor. The driver software for the wireless communication adapter 130, which will be described later, is also stored in the ROM. In addition to the control program, various setting values and GUI data are stored in the ROM, which is appropriately used when the control program is executed. Further, at least a part of the ROM may be rewritable.

For example, the filter processing unit 113 may be realized by executing a program by a programmable processor included in the control unit 120, or may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or ASSP. The filter processing unit 113 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

A memory card can be attached to and detached from the card slot 116, and the control unit 120 can record the electrocardiogram examination data on the installed memory card and read the recorded electrocardiogram examination data from the installed memory card. ..

The operation unit 117 is an input device in which a user (medical personnel) inputs various settings and instructions to the electrocardiograph 100, and buttons, keys, a touch panel (software key), and the like are generally used, but the operation unit 117 is not limited thereto. .. Input methods that do not require physical input operations, such as voice input, may be supported.

The display unit 118 is a display device such as an LCD, and is an electrocardiogram and / or an analysis report based on the electrocardiogram being measured or the electrocardiogram examination data stored in the memory card installed in the card slot 116 under the control of the control unit 120. Or display the menu screen.
The printer 119 is, for example, a thermal printer, and prints out an electrocardiogram waveform and an analysis report in a predetermined format under the control of the control unit 120.

The power supply unit 121 is, for example, a secondary battery or a commercial power supply (AC adapter).
The external I / F power supply control unit 122 controls the power supply to the external I / F 123A to 123C. Like the control unit 120, the external I / F power supply control unit 122 also includes, for example, a ROM, a RAM, and a programmable processor, and the control program stored in the ROM is expanded into the RAM and executed by the programmable processor to supply power, which will be described later. Control can be implemented. It should be noted that at least a part of the operation of the external I / F power supply control unit 122 may be substantially executed by the programmable processor of the control unit 120. Power is also supplied from the power supply unit 121 to the components other than the external I / F 123A to 123C, but the configuration thereof will be omitted.

The external I / F 123A to 123C (collectively referred to as the external I / F 123) are general-purpose interfaces for connecting external devices by wire, and in this embodiment, they are interfaces conforming to the same standard (the shape of the connector is not the same). May be). In the present embodiment, the external I / F 123A to 123C are interfaces conforming to the USB 2.0 standard, but general-purpose interfaces conforming to other standards may be used. Further, the number of external I / F 123s does not have to be three.

The electrocardiograph 100 of this embodiment has three external I / Fs 123A to 123C. Of these, the external I / F 123A and 123B (second external I / F) have connectors arranged at positions such as the side surface and the upper surface of the housing that are easily accessible when the electrocardiograph 100 is used. On the other hand, the external I / F 123C (first external I / F) is connected to an accommodating portion (described later) provided in the housing for accommodating the attached wireless communication adapter 130 so as not to be substantially visible from the outside. Is placed.

Any external device 200 (for example, a USB memory or a personal computer) that can be connected via USB can be connected to the external I / F 123A and 123B. The wireless communication adapter 130 can be connected to the external I / F 123A or 123B, but it is not recommended. For example, when it is detected that the wireless communication adapter 130 is connected to the external I / F 123A or 123B, the control unit 120 outputs a message prompting the connection to the dedicated external I / F 123C through the display unit 118 and the speaker 114. You may. Alternatively, or in addition to that, when it is detected that the wireless communication adapter 130 is connected to the external I / F 123A or 123B, the control unit 120 does not operate the driver software of the wireless communication adapter 130, thereby invalidating the connection. It may be configured to do (do not recognize).

Similarly, when it is detected that an external device (for example, a USB memory) of a type different from the wireless communication adapter is connected to the external I / F 123C, the driver software of the external device to which the control unit 120 is connected is not operated. , The connection may be disabled (not recognized). In this case as well, the control unit 120 may output a message urging the external I / F 123C to be dedicated to the wireless communication adapter or to connect to the external I / F 123A or 123B through the display unit 118 or the speaker 114. The type of the external device connected to the external I / F 123 can be determined from the information of the external device acquired in the initial processing at the time of connection detection.

The wireless communication adapter 130 is connected to the external I / F 123C to add a wireless communication function to the electrocardiograph 100. The wireless communication specifications provided by the wireless communication adapter 130 are not particularly limited, but may provide, for example, a wireless communication function compliant with wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11x) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) standards. The wireless communication adapter 130 has a connector portion that fits into the connector of the external I / F 123C, and a main body portion that includes a wireless transmitter / receiver, an antenna, and the like, and operates with power supplied through the connector of the external I / F 123C. Further, it is assumed that the driver software required for the operation of the wireless communication adapter 130 is prepared in advance in the ROM of the control unit 120.

When measuring and recording an electrocardiogram signal using an electrocardiograph 100 having such a configuration, for example, when the electrocardiograph 100 is turned on, the electrode group 110 is located at a predetermined position on the body surface of the subject. An electrode pad or an electrode clip provided at one end of the electrode group 110 is attached, and a connector provided at the other end of the electrode group 110 is connected to the input unit 111.

When the electrode group 110 is connected to the input unit 111, the detected electrocardiogram signal is input to the input unit 111, and is processed by the A / D conversion unit 112, the filter processing unit 113, and the like to the control unit 120 as electrocardiogram waveform data. Entered. The control unit 120 uses a part of the internal RAM as a buffer, and temporarily stores the ECG waveform data for the latest predetermined number of seconds. Further, the control unit 120 starts displaying the electrocardiogram on the display unit 118 by using the electrocardiogram waveform data in the buffer.

When the recording start instruction is input from the operation unit 117, the control unit 120 measures from the time when the recording start instruction is input until the electrocardiogram waveform data for a predetermined recording time is accumulated in the buffer. Then, the control unit 120 executes an automatic analysis process on the electrocardiogram waveform data for the recording period stored in the buffer. The control unit 120 generates test data including electrocardiogram waveform data, its automatic analysis result data, and subject information data, and is connected to a memory card installed in the card slot 116 or an external I / F 123A or 123B. Record in the external device 200. Further, the control unit 120 outputs the electrocardiogram waveform of the recording period and the automatic analysis result thereof to the display unit 118 and / or the printer 119 in a predetermined format. The operation described here is merely an example, and other operations can be executed depending on the setting such as the measurement mode.

2A and 2B are views showing an example of a housing structure of the electrocardiograph 100, FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the bottom surface viewed from diagonally above, and FIG. 2B is a right side surface (left side surface in FIG. 2A). ) It is a figure.
The housing of the electrocardiograph 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing is provided with a housing unit 180 for accommodating the wireless communication adapter, and the housing unit 180 is provided with a connector for an external I / F 123C. The accommodating portion 180 is formed in a size capable of accommodating the entire general wireless communication adapter. Although FIG. 2A shows a state in which the lid is removed so that the inside of the accommodating portion 180 can be seen, an openable / closable lid fixed with a screw is actually attached to the screw hole 182. Therefore, by fitting the connector of the wireless communication adapter 130 to the connector of the external I / F 123C and then attaching the lid, the wireless communication adapter 130 is hidden from the outside of the housing of the electrocardiograph 100. The side surface of the lid or the accommodating portion may be provided with a hole, a notch, a slit, or the like so that only a small part of the wireless communication adapter can be seen.

Since the bottom surface provided with the lid for accessing the accommodating portion 180 is hidden in the state where the electrocardiograph 100 is normally installed, the existence of the accommodating portion 180 cannot be known from the outside of the electrocardiograph 100. .. In addition, since it is necessary to turn over the electrocardiograph 100 and remove the screwed lid in order to access the accommodating portion 180, wireless communication is possible from accidental theft such as stealing a wireless communication adapter that is noticed when passing by. The effect of protecting the communication adapter is considered to be high. Further, if the screw for fixing the lid is a special screw such as a special screw so that it cannot be turned with a general tool such as a Phillips or flat-blade screwdriver, the theft suppression effect can be further enhanced.

On the other hand, the external I / F 123A and 123B are arranged with the connector exposed on the side surface of the housing, and external devices such as a USB memory and a personal computer can be easily attached and detached. A cover may be provided for the purpose of dustproofing or waterproofing the connectors of the external I / F 123A and 123B.

Next, the configuration and operation of the external I / F power supply control unit 122 (hereinafter, simply referred to as power supply control unit 122) of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3A. FIG. 3A is a functional block diagram schematically showing a configuration related to power supply control to the external I / F 123A to 123C among the configurations of the electrocardiograph 100 shown in FIG.

The power supply control unit 122 controls the current detection unit 1223 for detecting the current flowing through the external I / F 123C for the wireless communication adapter and the amount of current supplied to the external I / F 123A and 123B according to the detection result of the current detection unit 1223. It has current control units 1221, 1222 and the like. The current control units 1221, 1222 have the same configuration. Since the feeding voltage of the general-purpose interface is generally constant according to the standard, the control of the current amount is substantially equal to the control of the electric power amount.

Since the wireless communication adapter 130 transmits and receives radio waves, it requires a relatively large amount of electric power. In addition, the amount of power required is not constant and fluctuates with time. If the power required by the wireless communication adapter is not supplied, the wireless communication may be interrupted. For example, when the electrocardiogram signal being measured is transmitted to an external device in real time, if the wireless communication is interrupted, not only the electrocardiogram signal cannot be acquired for a period of time, but also the external device may not operate correctly.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, among the external I / F 123A to 123C, the power supply to the external I / F 123C for the wireless communication adapter is prioritized over the remaining external I / F 123A and 123B. Specifically, the current detection unit 1223 detects the amount of current flowing through the external I / F 123C, and notifies the current control units 1221 and 1222. The current control units 1221 and 1222 control the maximum amount of current supplied to the external I / F 123A and 123B according to the notified current amount.

For example, in USB 2.0, the maximum value of power supply per port is defined as 5V100mA at the time of bus power and 5V500mA at the time of self-power. However, since it is not essential in the standard to have the maximum power supply capacity, even if the power required by the connected external device is within the range of the maximum power supply in the standard, the required power can be obtained. It is not always possible to supply. In the present embodiment, the total power (maximum power supply) that can be supplied from the power supply unit 121 to the entire plurality of external I / F 123A to 123C is preferentially allocated to the external I / F 123C, and the remaining power is allocated to the remaining external I / F / F 123C. It is supplied to F123A and 123B.

Here, it is assumed that the current control units 1221 and 1222 control the remaining power supplied to the external I / F123C from the maximum power supply of the device so as to be equally divided by the external I / F123A and 123B. When the external device is connected to only one of the 123Bs, the entire remaining power may be allocated to the external I / F to which the external device is connected.

If, for example, the power supply unit 121 has the capacity to sufficiently supply the power required by the devices connected to the external I / F 123A to 123C (for example, when the power supply unit 121 is an AC adapter), the external I The power supplied to / F123A to 123C may be controlled independently.

In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the power supply control unit 122'can be configured to have independent current control units 1221, 1222, 1224 for each of the external I / F 123A to 123C. The current control unit 1224 that controls the electric power supplied to the external I / F 123C has a larger maximum current amount that can be supplied than the current control units 1221 and 1222 that control the electric power supplied to the external I / F 123A and B. deep. Here, the maximum amount of current that can be supplied by the current control unit 1224 is set so that the maximum power that can be supplied by the wireless communication adapter can be supplied. As a result, the maximum power supply amount to the external I / F 123C can be made larger than the maximum power supply amount to the external I / F 123A and 123B, and the wireless communication adapter can sufficiently supply the necessary power.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the housing of the medical device to which the wireless communication adapter can be attached is provided with a connector for detachably connecting the wireless communication adapter, and the wireless communication adapter connected to the connector is provided. An accommodating part was provided so as not to be seen from the outside of the housing. Therefore, the connected wireless communication adapter does not jump out of the housing, and the fact that the wireless communication adapter is connected cannot be determined from the appearance. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a situation in which the wireless communication adapter or the medical device is damaged or the wireless communication adapter is stolen due to an impact applied to the wireless communication adapter protruding from the housing.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, the lid of the housing portion is a part of the outer surface (bottom surface) of the housing (that is, the housing portion can be accessed immediately by removing the lid). However, communication is performed by expanding a part of the accommodating portion (second accommodating portion) of other members (members different from the communication adapter) that are detachably housed in the housing, such as a battery or recording paper. An adapter accommodating portion (first accommodating portion) may be provided. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example in which a part of the bottom surface 192 of the battery accommodating portion 190 is further dug down to form the accommodating portion 180 of the communication adapter. When using the electrocardiograph 100, a lid is attached to the battery housing 190 by screws 193 and 194. In this case, since it looks like a battery housing from the outside of the housing, it becomes more difficult to identify the location where the communication adapter exists, and it is expected that the anti-theft effect will be enhanced. Further, since the battery is usually housed in the housing part 190, the battery hides at least a part of the housing part 180 of the communication adapter. Therefore, even if the lid of the battery accommodating portion 190 is removed, the presence of the communication adapter is inconspicuous, and a further anti-theft effect is expected.

100 ... electrocardiograph, 120 ... control unit, 123A, 123B, 123C ... external I / F, 180 ... accommodation unit

Claims (12)

It is a housing structure of medical equipment to which an adapter for adding a wireless communication function can be connected.
A first external I / F for detachably connecting the adapter, a lid, and a first accommodating portion for accommodating the adapter.
A second external I / F, which is arranged in a place different from the first accommodating portion and conforms to the same standard as the first external I / F,
The housing structure of the medical device, which is characterized by being provided with. It is a housing structure of medical equipment to which an adapter for adding a wireless communication function can be connected.
A first accommodating portion comprising a first external I / F for detachably connecting the adapter and accommodating at least a part of the adapter so as not to be seen from the outside of the housing.
A second external I / F, which is arranged in a place different from the first accommodating portion and conforms to the same standard as the first external I / F,
The housing structure of the medical device, which is characterized by being provided with. The housing structure of a medical device according to claim 2, wherein the first housing portion constitutes an outer surface of the housing and has a lid that can be opened and closed. The housing structure of a medical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second external I / F is arranged so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the housing. .. It further has a second accommodating portion for detachably accommodating a member different from the adapter.
The first accommodating portion is formed by expanding a part of the second accommodating portion, and at least a part of the adapter is hidden by the member accommodated in the second accommodating portion. The housing structure of the medical device according to claim 1. The housing structure of a medical device according to claim 5, wherein the second housing portion constitutes a part of the outer surface of the housing and has a lid that can be opened and closed. The housing structure of a medical device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the member is a battery or a recording paper. The housing structure of a medical device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adapter can also be connected to the second external I / F. A power source that supplies electric power to the first external I / F and the second external I / F,
Further having a control means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the first external I / F and the second external I / F within the range of the maximum power supply that the power supply can supply.
Claim 1 to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the amount of electric power so as to supply electric power in preference to the first external I / F over the second external I / F. 8. The housing structure of the medical device according to any one of 8. The control means is characterized in that the maximum power supply excluding the power required by the first external I / F is controlled to be supplied to the second external I / F. The housing structure of the medical device according to claim 9. A power source that supplies electric power to the first external I / F and the second external I / F,
Further having a control means for controlling the amount of power supplied to the first external I / F and the second external I / F within the range of the maximum power supply that the power supply can supply.
Any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the maximum power supply amount to the first external I / F is larger than the maximum power supply amount to the second external I / F. The housing structure of the medical device described in. It further has a detecting means for detecting the type of the member connected to the first external I / F.
Claims 1 to 11 are characterized in that, when the type of the member connected to the first external I / F is not the adapter, the member connected to the first external I / F is not recognized. The housing structure of the medical device according to any one item.

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