KR101495525B1 - Medical image equipment having electrically movable wheels - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to medical imaging equipment with an electric wheel. The medical imaging apparatus of the present invention comprises a main body, at least one drive wheel and a driven wheel mounted on a lower surface of the main body, an in-wheel motor incorporated in a drive wheel for driving the drive wheel, a power source for supplying power to the in- A load cell for detecting the magnitude of the applied force and outputting it as an electric signal, and a control unit for controlling the rotational direction and rotational speed of the in-wheel motor in response to the electric signal received by the load cell. According to the above configuration, the medical image equipment can be moved by itself, and the direction and speed can be controlled when moving.

Medical imaging equipment, electric wheel, in-wheel motor, load cell, ultrasonic diagnostic device, automatic control

Description

[0001] MEDICAL IMAGE EQUIPMENT HAVING ELECTRICALLY MOVABLE WHEELS WITH ELECTRIC WHEEL [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a medical imaging apparatus, and more particularly, to a medical imaging apparatus which includes a rotatable wheel and is movable by itself, and whose direction is changed and a moving speed is controlled.

Medical imaging equipment that images the inside of the subject's body using ultrasound or magnetic resonance is widely used. Among them, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus uses ultrasound harmless to the living body and is widely used particularly for medical use.

As an example of such a medical imaging apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is shown in Fig. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes a main body 11 for housing main components and a display device 12 for displaying an image. Four wheels (front wheels 13 and 14 and rear wheels 15 and 16) are mounted on the lower surface of the main body 11 for movement of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10, and a knob 17, Is mounted on the rear side of the main body (11). The front wheels 13 and 14 are attached to the bottom surface of the main body 11 so as to be rotatable in the y-z plane through 360 degrees and the rear wheels 15 and 16 are fixed so as not to rotate in the y-z plane. Therefore, the operator can move the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 by holding and pulling the handle 17. Further, the operator can change the moving direction of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 by the front wheels 13 and 14 that are rotated while advancing or retracting.

Conventional medical imaging equipment, for example, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10, can be moved only when the operator pushes or pulls the medical imaging equipment directly, thereby giving the operator an inconvenience in use. Particularly, when the medical image equipment is composed of heavy materials, a great deal of force is required to move the medical image equipment and it is difficult to move the medical image equipment quickly. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is difficult to safely move the medical image equipment when the ramp is moved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical image equipment which can be moved by itself with an electric wheel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a medical imaging apparatus capable of changing the direction of an in-wheel motor and controlling a moving speed by operating a handle equipped with a load cell.

A medical imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, at least one driving wheel and a driven wheel mounted on a lower surface of the main body, an in-wheel motor incorporated in the driving wheel to drive the driving wheel, A load cell for detecting the magnitude of the power applied by the operator and outputting it as an electric signal, and a control unit for controlling the rotational direction and the rotational speed of the in-wheel motor in response to the electric signal received by the load cell.

Preferably, the medical imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes two in-wheel motors incorporated in two drive wheels and two drive wheels, respectively, and the control unit is configured to independently control two in-wheel motors .

Preferably, the main body has a handle, and the load cell is installed on both sides of the connecting member connecting the handle and the main body.

Preferably, the control unit is configured to increase or decrease the rotational speed of the in-wheel motor according to the magnitude of the force acting on the load cell.

According to the medical imaging apparatus of the present invention, the medical imaging apparatus can be moved by itself by the electrically-driven drive wheel. Further, since the rotational speed and the rotational direction of each of the in-wheel motor are independently controlled, the medical imaging apparatus can perform the direction change during the movement without separately configuring the steering apparatus. In addition, since it is possible to perform a direction change by applying a force in a desired direction of travel to the handle on which the load cell is mounted, the operation of changing direction is convenient.

Hereinafter, a medical imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The directions used herein will be described with reference to the coordinate axes shown in Fig. "Up", "Front", and "Right" indicate the x-, y-, and z-axis directions, respectively, and "Down", "Back" and "Left" indicate the opposite directions. In addition, "forward rotation" refers to the rotation when the medical imaging apparatus advances, and "reverse rotation"

In the following description, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is described as a specific application example of the medical imaging apparatus of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to various other medical imaging apparatus configured to be movable.

2 is a bottom perspective view of a medical imaging device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the medical imaging apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a main body 110 and a display device 115 for displaying a diagnosis result as an image. The medical imaging apparatus 100 further includes at least one driven wheel 120 and a driving wheel 130 mounted on the lower surface of the main body 110 and an in-wheel motor 130 incorporated in the driving wheel 130 for driving the driving wheel 130. [ (Not shown) for supplying power to the in-wheel motor 142, a pair of load cells 150 (see FIG. 3) for detecting the magnitude of the force applied by the operator, and a control unit 160 (see FIG. 5) for controlling the rotational direction and the rotational speed of the in-wheel motor 140 in response to an electric signal received by the load cell 150. [

The main body 110 includes various parts necessary for ultrasonic diagnosis of the body of the examinee. The display device 115 is connected to the main body 110, receives a signal from the main body 110, and displays an ultrasound diagnostic result as an image.

The driven wheel 120 is mounted in front of the lower surface of the main body 110. In this embodiment, two driven wheels 121 and 122 are provided. The driven wheels 121 and 122 are fixed so as not to rotate on the y-z plane and freely rotatable on the x-y plane.

The drive wheel 130 is mounted on the rear side of the lower surface of the main body 110. In this embodiment, two drive wheels 131 and 132 are provided. Hereinafter, the rear left drive wheel is referred to as a "first drive wheel 131" and the rear right drive wheel is referred to as a "second drive wheel 132". The first and second drive wheels 131 and 132 do not rotate on the y-z plane in the same manner as the driven wheels 121 and 122. However, unlike the driven wheels 121 and 122, the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 are combined with the first and second driving wheels 131 and 132, respectively. Hereinafter, the in-wheel motor incorporated in the first drive wheel 131 will be referred to as a "first in-wheel motor 141" and the in-wheel motor incorporated in the second drive wheel 132 will be referred to as a "first in-wheel motor 142" .

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second drive wheel 132, showing a state in which the second in-wheel motor 142 is incorporated.

As shown in the figure, the second drive wheel 132 includes a hub shaft 132a serving as a rotation center, a hollow cylindrical wheel body 132b rotatably engaged with the hub shaft 132a, And a wrapping tire 132c. One end of the hub shaft 132a is coupled to a support leg 111 fixed to the main body 110. [

The in-wheel motor 142 incorporated in the drive wheel 132 includes a plurality of stator 142a radially arranged on the hub shaft 132a and each coil (not shown) is wound to function as an electromagnet, And a plurality of rotors 142b spaced apart from the stator 142a by a predetermined distance and configured by permanent magnets. When a current is applied to the coil wound around the stator 142a, the wheel body 132b is subjected to the force of rotating about the hub axis 132a by the interaction of the stator 142a and the rotor 142b, The drive wheel 132 rotates. The configuration of the first drive wheel 131 and the first in-wheel motor 141 incorporated therein is the same as that of the second drive wheel 132 and the second in-wheel motor 142.

The medical imaging apparatus 100 of the present invention further includes a handle 150 for receiving a signal from an operator and generating a signal for controlling the driving wheels 131 and 132.

4 is an exploded view of a handle mounted on the main body.

As shown, the handle 150 includes first and second connecting members 153 and 154 for mounting to the main body 110, and a handle bar (not shown) connected between the first and second connecting members 153 and 154 155). The first connecting member 153 includes a first main body mounting portion 153a, a second handlebar mounting portion 153b, and a first load cell 151 disposed therebetween. Similarly, the second coupling member 154 includes a second main body mounting portion 154a, a second handlebar mounting portion 154b, and a second load cell 152 disposed therebetween.

One end of each of the first and second main body mountings 153a and 154a is coupled to the main body 110 and the other end thereof is coupled to one end of the first and second load cells 151 and 152, respectively. One end of each of the first and second handlebar mounting portions 153b and 154b is coupled to the other end of the first and second load cells 151 and 152 and the first handlebar mounting portion 153b and the second handlebar mounting portion And the handle bar 155 is coupled between the handle bars 155a and 154b.

The first and second load cells 151 and 152 can detect the magnitude of the force as an electrical signal by measuring the resistance change of the strain gage attached to the surface of the sensing unit by the elastic deformation of the sensing unit by an external force It is a kind of sensor. Therefore, the first and second load cells 151 and 152 output a compressive force or a tensile force acting on both ends thereof as an electric signal.

5 is a block diagram showing control of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142. As shown in Fig.

The controller 160 is configured to control the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 in response to signals received from the first and second load cells 151 and 152 of the handle 150, respectively. That is, the rotational speed and the rotational direction of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 are independently controlled by the controller 160. The control unit 160 may be embedded in the main body 110.

Power supply to the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 is performed by the power supply unit 170. [ The power source unit 170 may be a DC power source, and may be embedded in the main body 110.

The control unit 160 controls the magnitude of the current supplied to the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 and the current application direction from the power supply unit 170 so that the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 Forward or reverse rotation, or controls the rotational speed to be variable. However, even if the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 are controlled independently, the rotational speed and rotational direction of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 may be the same .

6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D show compressive or tensile forces acting on the load cell when the medical imaging device is advanced, reversed, left, or right. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 are shown by dotted lines and the arrows on the respective sides of the first and second load cells 151 and 152 indicate a compressive force or a tensile force, The middle point 155a is shown at the middle point in the longitudinal direction and the traveling direction of the middle point 155a is the traveling direction of the medical imaging apparatus 100. [

When the operator pushes the handle bar 155 forward with both hands, a compressive force acts on the first and second load cells 151 and 152. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the magnitude of the compressive force as an electric signal to the controller 160. The controller 160 controls the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 ). On the other hand, when the operator pulls the handle bar 155 backward with both hands, a tensile force acts on the first and second load cells 151 and 152. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the magnitude of the tensile force as an electric signal to the control unit 160. The control unit 160 controls the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 ). Therefore, when the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 rotate forward, the medical imaging apparatus 100 advances by the first and second drive wheels 131 and 132, When the motors 141 and 142 are reversely rotated, the medical imaging apparatus 100 is reversed by the first and second drive wheels 131 and 132 rotating in the opposite direction.

When the operator pulls the handle bar 155 with his left hand and pushes it with his right hand, a tensile force acts on the first load cell 151 and a compressive force acts on the second load cell 152. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the magnitude of the tensile force and the compressive force, respectively, as electric signals, and transmit the electric signals to the controller 160. The control unit 160 rotates the first in-wheel motor 141 in the reverse direction and the second in-wheel motor 152 in the forward direction in response to the signal. Then, the first driving wheel 131 rotates in the reverse direction and the second driving wheel 132 rotates forward, so that the medical imaging apparatus 100 makes a left turn.

On the contrary, when the operator pushes the handle bar 155 with his left hand and pulls it with his right hand, a compressive force acts on the first load cell 151 and a tensile force acts on the second load cell 152. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the magnitude of the compressive force and the tensile force, respectively, as electric signals, and transmit them to the controller 160. The control unit 160 rotates the first in-wheel motor 141 in the forward direction and inversely rotates the second in-wheel motor 142 in response to the signal. Then, the medical imaging apparatus 100 makes a right turn while the first drive wheel 131 is rotated forward and the second drive wheel 132 is rotated in the reverse direction.

The controller 160 is configured to increase or decrease the rotational speed of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 according to the magnitude of the compressive force or the tensile force acting on the first and second load cells 151 and 152, respectively. For example, when the magnitude of the compressive force or the tensile force acting on the first and second load cells 151 and 152 increases, the rotational speed of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 increases, The rotational speed of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 decreases as the magnitude of the compressive force or the tensile force acting on the first and second in-wheel magnets 151 and 152 decreases.

When the operator pulls the handlebar 155 backward during forward travel, the magnitude of the compressive force acting on the first and second load cells 151 and 152 decreases. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the magnitude of the reduced compression force as an electric signal to the controller 160. The control unit 160 is configured to stop the medical imaging apparatus 100 by reducing the rotational speeds of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 in response to the signal. On the other hand, when the operator pushes the handlebar 155 forward in the backward travel, the magnitude of the tensile force acting on the first and second load cells 151 and 152 decreases. The first and second load cells 151 and 152 output the reduced magnitude of the tensile force as an electric signal to the controller 160. The control unit 160 is configured to stop the medical imaging apparatus 100 by reducing the rotational speeds of the first and second in-wheel motors 141 and 142 in response to the signal.

The method of stopping the medical imaging apparatus 100 moving forward or backward can be used as a braking method in the case of driving downhill. Therefore, even when driving downhill, the operator can safely move the medical imaging apparatus 100.

The driven wheels 121 and 122 do not rotate on the yz plane and only control of the rotational direction and the rotational speed of the first and second drive wheels 131 and 132 is performed when the medical imaging apparatus 100 makes a left turn or a right turn . Since the direction is switched by controlling the rotational directions of the first and second drive wheels 131 and 132, the medical imaging apparatus 100 can turn left and right without adding a steering device for changing the moving direction.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

1 is a bottom perspective view of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

2 is a bottom perspective view of a medical imaging device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a drive wheel and an in-wheel motor.

4 is an exploded view of a handle mounted on the main body.

5 is a block diagram showing the control of the in-wheel motor.

6A to 6D are schematic views for explaining forces acting on the load cell.

Description of the Related Art

100: medical image equipment 110: main body

115: display device 121, 122:

131, 132: first and second drive wheels 141, 142: first and second in-wheel motor

151, 152: first and second load cells 153, 154: first and second connecting members

155: handle bar 160:

170:

Claims (4)

A main body, At least two driven wheels and at least one driven wheel mounted on the lower surface of the main body, Two or more in-wheel motors incorporated respectively in the two or more drive wheels to drive the two or more drive wheels, A power source for supplying power to the in-wheel motor, A load cell for detecting the magnitude of the force applied by the operator and outputting it as an electric signal, And a control unit for controlling the rotational direction and the rotational speed of the two or more drive wheels respectively driven by the two or more in-wheel motors in response to the electric signal received by the load cell Medical imaging equipment. delete [2] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a handle, and the load cell is installed on both sides of the connecting member connecting the handle and the main body Medical imaging equipment. The in-wheel motor according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to increase or decrease a rotation speed of the in-wheel motor according to a magnitude of a force acting on the load cell Medical imaging equipment.

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