KR20110017127A

KR20110017127A - Ultrasonic diagnostic instrument

Info

Publication number: KR20110017127A
Application number: KR1020090074648A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김남웅
Original assignee: (주)메디슨
Priority date: 2009-08-13
Filing date: 2009-08-13
Publication date: 2011-02-21

Abstract

PURPOSE: An ultrasonic diagnostic instrument is provided to use a plurality of probes which are laminated, so there is no increase in the weight and size of the device. CONSTITUTION: A main body(120) comprises a controller. A display(160) shows an inspection content by an image. A first connector(130) is detachable from a probe mounting unit. A second connector(140) is detachable from the first connector. A test probe inspects a target. A controller selectively controls the first connector or the second connector.

Description

Ultrasonic Diagnostic Device {ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENT}

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of stacking a connector for connecting a probe and a main body used in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

In general, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is a device used to inspect a subject and a disease or other symptom of the subject, and includes a probe for transmitting / receiving ultrasound and a main body for controlling the ultrasound transmission / reception of the probe and processing a received signal. Equipped.

These ultrasonic diagnostic devices are often very large in volume and weight, so they are often fixed and mounted in the space that needs to be examined. Therefore, when the behavior of the test subject is uncomfortable or when the test site of the test subject is difficult to test, it is difficult to diagnose an ultrasound when the test subject is not movable.

As a result, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which is portable or easy to move is provided. However, in the case of the movable ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, only one probe is generally mounted because of the small size, and the ultrasonic switch box to which the probe and the main body are coupled is also small.

In order to mount two or more probes on the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, a probe connector may be formed according to a probe mounted on a side of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. As a result, the area of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is increased and the weight or volume of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used for the movement is increased, resulting in inconvenience in the movement of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

In addition, since the ultrasonic switch box to which the probe is coupled to the main body is small, it is difficult to have a control unit for controlling each probe, and the main body has difficulty controlling the probe.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which a plurality of probes can be used in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for ultrasonic diagnosis.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which weight or volume does not increase even when a plurality of probes are used.

According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of controlling a plurality of probes, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of multiple imaging using one probe or multiple imaging using multiple probes simultaneously.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a probe stacking unit formed on one side and a main body in which a control unit for controlling the probe stacking unit is embedded; A display that is rotatably provided at one end of the main body to display the inspection contents of the inspection object as an image; A first connector including a first stacking portion detachably formed at the probe stacking portion and a first switch electrically connected to the controller; A second connector including a second stacking portion detachably formed from the first stacking portion and a second switch electrically connected to the controller; And probes provided to the first and second connectors to inspect the inspection object. The control unit may selectively control the first switch or the second switch.

By the above configuration, a plurality of probes can be mounted on the main body without increasing the weight or volume of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the mounted diagnostic probes can be controlled.

The main body may include a beam forming board for focusing signals transmitted or received by the first and second connectors, and a controller may be formed on the beam forming board. The controller may be formed as an integrated circuit for switching a high voltage signal.

In addition, the beam forming board may be formed with a first control unit and a second control unit respectively connected to the first and second connectors, and the first and second control units may simultaneously control the first and second connectors. In this case, probes may be connected to the first and second connectors, respectively, and the first and second controllers simultaneously control the first and second connectors, thereby simultaneously imaging the inspection contents of the inspection object through the probe.

The first control unit and the second control unit may be connected to at least one display. That is, the first and second controllers may selectively image test results of probes connected to one display and connected to the first and second connectors. Alternatively, the first and second controllers may image test results of each probe to one display. It may be. In addition, the first and second controllers may be respectively connected to the display to image the results inspected by the respective probes.

In addition, the main body may include a first beam forming board and a second beam forming board on which first and second controllers are formed, respectively, and the first and second beam forming boards may be connected to at least one display. As such, one of the first and second beamforming boards may be connected to the display to selectively image the inspection result of the probe connected to either one of the first and second controllers.

Meanwhile, the probe may include a first probe part and a second probe part for simultaneously switching an inspection object, and the first and second probe parts may be connected to the first and second connectors, respectively. In this case, the first connector or the second connector may have a first switch and a second switch for controlling the first and second probes. As described above, since the probe includes both the first and second probes, the test object can be inspected using one probe.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may be facilitated by stacking probes used for ultrasound diagnosis using a connector and using a plurality of probes during ultrasound diagnosis.

In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the probes are stacked on the main body to which the probes are connected by using connectors, so that the volume or weight of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may not be increased, and a plurality of probes may be mounted in a small space. .

In addition, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a control unit for selectively controlling each probe in the main body to which a plurality of probes are connected, it is possible to efficiently perform ultrasonic diagnosis.

In addition, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may provide multiple imaging using one probe by simultaneously providing one or more probes contacting a test object with one probe.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

Prior to the description of the present invention, the medical device of the present invention describes an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using a probe during a medical diagnostic procedure, for example, but the medical device of the present invention is not limited to the ultrasonic diagnostic device, and an embodiment of the present invention. It may be substituted by various medical devices that can be applied to the system.

In addition, the main body mounted on the medical device may be a main body of a stationary medical device to be used in a fixed place as well as the portable portable or portable medical device main body. Hereinafter, a portable type medical device that is movable according to a user's request will be described for convenience of description.

1 is a perspective view showing a medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the medical device 10 of the present invention includes a diagnostic probe capable of radiating an ultrasonic wave to a test object (not shown) and receiving an ultrasound echo from the test object, and a portable portable ultrasound type diagnostic apparatus 100. It supports and is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes a transfer device 20 that can support and fix the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or support and move the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

In this case, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may be connected to a plurality of diagnostic probes for inspecting a test object, and a connection connector for connecting the plurality of diagnostic probes may be provided to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100.

In particular, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed with a stacked portion 128 in which a connector provided to connect a plurality of diagnostic probes is mounted. In this case, only one connector may be mounted in the stacking unit 128, but another connector is stacked on the connector, so that the ultrasonic test may be performed without directly mounting the plurality of connectors to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100.

Hereinafter, the connector will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a perspective view illustrating the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a connector mounted on the main body of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A block diagram is shown.

2 to 4, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a diagnostic probe 132 and 142 and a probe stack 128 on one side thereof, and a probe stack 128. Main body 120 having a built-in control unit (not shown), a display 160 and a probe stack unit 128 that can be hinged at one end of the main body 120 and display the inspection contents of the inspection object as an image. The first connector 130 and a second connector 140 detachable from the first connector 130 may be included.

In addition, the main body 120 may include a control panel 122 that stores the test contents in the main body 120 or controls the operation of the diagnostic probes 132 and 142 in the process of inspecting the test object. have.

One side of the main body 120 may be formed with a probe stack 128 on which the probe connectors 130 and 140 may be mounted. In this case, the main body 120 may include a control unit 123 and 124 to control the probe stack 128 and the probe connectors 130 and 140 stacked on the probe stack 128.

The controllers 123 and 124 may be controlled by ICs which are high voltage switches 137 and 147 embedded in the first and second connectors 130 and 140. The high voltage switches 137 and 147 are multi-channel high voltage switch integrated circuits for switching signals of 100V or more and -100V or less to apply pulse signals of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 to specific elements of the diagnostic probes 132 and 142. Can be.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, the probe connectors 130 and 140 may include a first connector 130 mounted on the probe stack 128 and a second connector 140 mounted on the first connector 130. have. The first connector 130 and the second connector 140 are detachable from the probe stack 128 and the first connector 130, respectively, and are mounted on the probe stack 128 and the first connector 130. It may be formed of a male / female connector to maintain the. In the following exemplary embodiment, the first connector 130 is stacked on the probe stack 128, and the second connector 140 is stacked on the first connector 130. The position at which the two connectors 130 and 140 are stacked may be changed.

In addition, the configuration of the first connector 130 and the second connector 140 is formed in the same configuration, the effect of the configuration of the first connector 130 and the effect that can be derived from the second connector 140 The same can be said. Therefore, hereinafter, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the configuration of the first connector 130.

The first connector 130 may include a first stacking portion 133 that can be stacked on the probe stack 128 and a first accommodating portion 135 on which the second connector 140 can be stacked. . In this case, the first connector 130 may include a first switch 137 that may be electrically connected to the controllers 123 and 124, and the first switch 137 may be formed as a high voltage switch so that the diagnostic probe 132, 142 may be applied to the pulse signal.

The probe stack 128 and the first and second connectors 130 and 140 may be formed of a male and a male connector. For example, the probe stack 128 may be formed of a male connector, and the first stack 133 may be formed of a female connector, and when the first connector 130 is mounted on the main body 120, the probe stack 128 may be mounted. Makes it easy to maintain.

In addition, the first accommodating part 135 may be formed of a male connector. As a result, the second stacking part may be formed of a female connector. However, the configurations of the female and male connectors may be changed according to the conditions of the present invention.

As such, when both ends of the probe connectors 130 and 140 are formed as female and male connectors, the first connectors 130 or the second connectors are stacked on the main body 120 or when the respective probe connectors 130 and 140 are stacked. Even if the position of the connector 140 is changed, the operation of the diagnostic probes 132 and 142 may be continued.

5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of another modified example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the signals from the two diagnostic probes 132 and 142 are imaged (Linear image & Convex image) on one display 160 screen, whereas in FIG. 5, the displays 160a and 160b are separated from each other. By adding a control panel, one ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 may be used as if two. That is, the signals of the respective diagnostic probes 132 and 142 may be imaged on the two displays 160.

On the other hand, Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of another modified example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the main body 120 may include a beam forming board 125 that focuses signals transmitted or received by the first and second connectors 130 and 140, and the beam forming board 125. ) May include a control unit (123, 124). In addition, the main body 120 may include a processing unit 127 for processing a signal transmitted from the control units 123 and 124.

In particular, the beam forming board 125 may be formed with a first control unit 123 and a second control unit 124 connected to the first and second connectors 130 and 140, respectively. 123 and 124 may selectively control the first and second connectors 130 and 140. In this case, the processor 127 may add the signals transmitted from the first and second controllers 123 and 124, and may transmit the summed test result to the display 160.

For example, the first connector 130 may be connected to the first control unit 123, and the second connector 140 may be connected to the second control unit 124. In this case, either the first control unit 123 or the second control unit 124 displays only the signal transmitted from the diagnostic probes 132 and 142 connected to the first connector 130 or the second connector 140. Can be output to

Unlike this, the display 160 may output all signals transmitted from the diagnostic probes 132 and 142 connected to the first connector 130 and the second connector 140. For example, as shown in FIG. You can also print the output by splitting it into two screens.

In the case of FIGS. 4 and 5, since there is only one beamforming board 125 for focusing the transmission and reception beams, the control units 123 and 124 in the beamforming board 125 divide the entire channel. . However, when the beam forming board increases due to a channel increase or a system structure, the entire channel is divided into beam forming boards, which can be referred to as FIG. 6.

Meanwhile, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an example in which a plurality of connectors are connected to one display 160 will be described. In some cases, the display is connected to each connector and output from each of the diagnostic probes 132 and 142. Test results may also be monitored (see FIG. 5).

As described above, the first and second controllers 123 and 124 control or simultaneously control the first and second connectors 130 and 140, respectively, so that the test subject can check the desired test contents. In addition, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may simultaneously perform necessary tests by mounting a plurality of diagnostic probes 132 and 142, and may monitor the test results in real time.

In addition, since the plurality of connectors 130 and 140 are stacked and used, a plurality of diagnostic probes required for ultrasound diagnosis may be used, so that ultrasound diagnosis may be facilitated.

In addition, in order to mount the plurality of diagnostic probes required for the ultrasonic diagnosis to the probe connectors 130 and 140 on the main body 120, a plurality of mounting parts on which the probe connectors 130 and 140 are mounted by increasing the volume of the main body 120. It is not necessary to form the. Therefore, the volume or weight of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may not increase. In addition, the plurality of probe connectors 130 and 140 may be mounted on the main body 120 without increasing the size of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 6, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 100 may include the first beam forming board 125 and the second beam forming board 129 in which the first control unit 123 and the second control unit 124 are embedded. The first beam forming board 125 and the second beam forming board 129 may control the first and second connectors 130 and 140, respectively.

In this case, the first and second beamforming boards 125 and 129 may be connected to one display 160 to output a plurality of test results on one screen. Alternatively, the first beamforming board 125 and The display 160 may be connected to each of the second beam forming boards 129 to output signals transmitted from the first and second connectors 130 and 140.

On the other hand, Figure 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of another modification of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following description of the drawings, the same or equivalent components as those described above in the other modifications according to the present invention will be denoted by the same or equivalent components, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7, the diagnostic probe 150 may include a first probe 153 and a second probe 154 capable of switching one or more inspection contents of an inspection object, and include first and second probes 154. The probes 153 and 154 may be connected to the first and second connectors 130 and 140, respectively.

For example, the first probe 153 and the second probe 154 may be adjacent to one end of the diagnostic probe 150, and the first probe 153 may be connected to the first connector 130. The second probe 154 may be electrically connected to the second connector 140.

In this case, the first and second connectors 130 and 140 may include a first switch 137 and a second switch 147 capable of separately controlling the first and second probes 153 and 154, respectively. Therefore, the first and second probes 153 and 154 may be selectively or simultaneously controlled in the process of inspecting the inspection object.

That is, the user may perform an ultrasound test using the first probe part 153 as needed, or alternatively, an ultrasound test may be performed using both the first and second probe parts 153 and 154 simultaneously. In this case, the first and second switches 137 and 147 may select the first and second probes 153 and 154.

As described above, by forming one or more probes 153 and 154 on one diagnostic probe 150, various places of the test object may be inspected using one diagnostic probe 150. In addition, by mounting the different probes (153, 154) in one body 120, a plurality of probe connectors (130, 140) without having to increase the space of the body 120 to mount a plurality of probe connectors It may be mounted on the main body 120.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and may be appropriately changed within the scope described in the claims.

1 is a perspective view showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of FIG. 1.

3 is a perspective view illustrating a connector mounted on the main body of FIG. 2.

4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a modification of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of another modified example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of another modified example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

10: medical device 100: ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

120: main body 128: probe stack

130: first connector 132, 142: diagnostic probe

137: first switch 140: second connector

147: second switch 160: display

Claims

A main body including a probe stacking unit formed on one side and a control unit controlling the probe stacking unit;

A display that is rotatably provided at one end of the main body to display the inspection contents of the inspection object as an image;

A first connector including a first stacking portion detachably formed at the probe stacking portion and a first switch electrically connected to the controller;

A second connector including a second stacking portion detachably formed from the first stacking portion and a second switch electrically connected to the controller; And

A diagnostic probe provided to the first and second connectors to inspect the test object;

The control unit is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for selectively controlling the first connector or the second connector.

The method of claim 1,

The main body includes a beam forming board for focusing signals transmitted or received by the first and second connectors, and the beam forming board is provided with the control unit.

The method of claim 2,

The beam forming board includes a first control unit and a second control unit connected to the first and second connectors, respectively, and the first control unit and the second control unit simultaneously control the first and second connectors. Device.

The method of claim 3,

And the first controller and the second controller are connected to at least one display.

The method of claim 4, wherein

The beam forming board may include a first beam forming board and a second beam forming board on which the first and second controllers are formed, respectively, and the first and second beam forming boards are connected to at least one display.

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

The probe has a first probe and a second probe for simultaneously switching at least one inspection content of the inspection object,

And the first and second probes are connected to the first and second connectors, respectively.

The method of claim 6,

The first connector or the second connector includes a first switch and a second switch for controlling the first probe and the second probe.