TW201343142A - Inspection device and bone-density measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an inspection device such as a bone density measurement device, in which a mirror unit is disposed in order to observe the far side of a subject who is placed upon a loading surface. The mirror unit comprises a mirror member which moves rotationally. When an upper part comprising an x-ray detector rises upward, the force thereof is transmitted via a linking mechanism as a rotational movement of the mirror member. Thus, even is the viewpoint of an examiner is elevated, the mirror face is upturned, and it is possible to easily observe the far side of the subject, especially the lower part thereof. It would also be permissible to move the mirror member vertically in a sliding manner. It would also be permissible to dispose a light source in the mirror member. It would also be permissible to display a marker upon the mirror face.

Description

Inspection device and bone density measuring device

The present invention relates to a device for inspecting a subject, and more particularly to a device for measuring bone density by irradiating X-rays to a subject loaded on a mounting table.

The bone density measuring device that is a subject-inspecting device or a subject-measuring device is a device that measures the bone density of the lumbar vertebrae, the thigh bone, and the like in a living body, and is also called a bone salt amount measuring device (see Patent Document 1, 2). ). In general, in the bone density measuring apparatus, high-energy X-rays and low-energy X-rays are alternately irradiated to the subject, and X-rays transmitted through each irradiation are detected. The bone density (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)) was calculated from two detection data obtained by irradiating two types of X-rays.

A known bone density measuring apparatus includes a lower portion having an X-ray generator and a mounting surface (table top), an upper portion having an X-ray detector provided above the mounting surface, and a pillar connecting the units. The X-ray generator and the X-ray detector are mechanically integrated, and both move and scan simultaneously. An X-ray generator may be disposed on the upper portion and an X-ray detector may be disposed on the lower portion. A radiographic table used for radiography may be used as a mounting table for bone density measurement. In this case, the lower portion of the bone density measuring device can be inserted into the lower side of the imaging table (see Patent Document 3).

For the bone density measuring device for lumbar spine examination, etc., the mounting surface is visible from the front side of the device. The left and right direction extends, and the subject is loaded with the upward facing posture. The examiner (operator) confirms the position or posture of the subject on the placement surface before the X-ray irradiation on the side before the placement surface. If necessary, the examiner requests a change in position or posture of the subject. In addition, the examiner confirms that the subject is not wearing metal (buttons, buckles, belts, bracelets, etc.), and in particular, it is confirmed that there is no possibility of foreign matter being embedded in the X-ray irradiation area.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: JP-A-2011-244873

Patent Document 2: JP-A-2012-55451

Patent Document 3: JP-A-2003-325497

However, in the case where the examiner is on the front side of the mounting table, it is difficult for the examiner to observe the inside of the subject (for example, the presence or absence of metal foreign matter). Therefore, the subject bends himself and extends the head directly into the subject, from where the inside of the subject is observed. According to this, the inner space forming the shadow of the subject is visually confirmed. Further, in the case where it is confirmed whether or not the subject is in an appropriate position and posture, it is necessary for the examiner to make the above posture. In the past, as far as the examiner was concerned, the unreasonable posture was forced, so there was a problem that the burden of the examiner was large. The confirmation of the position or posture of the subject and the confirmation of the presence or absence of foreign objects may also cause problems that cannot be made quickly. In addition, the head of the examiner may collide with the upper unit. Even if the upper unit is a jump-lifting type, there is still a head-on collision for a tall operator.

The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the inspector's negative when the subject is examined or measured. Bear. Alternatively, the object of the present invention is to make a prior confirmation of a subject (for example, confirmation of position and posture and confirmation that no foreign matter is present in the X-ray irradiation region) before the bone density measurement is performed accurately and rapidly. Alternatively, the object of the present invention is to solve or reduce the dead angle around the subject.

The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting a subject lying on a mounting surface, and a mirror member having a mirror surface facing the front surface is disposed inside the inspection portion of the subject lying on the placement surface. Before the examination of the subject, the examiner can observe the inside of the subject by the mirror surface from the front side of the mounting surface. As the medical examination device, in addition to the bone density measurement device, a radiographic apparatus, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the like can be exemplified. For such devices, the mirror member described above may be provided.

The present invention relates to a bone density measuring device for measuring bone density by irradiating X-rays to a subject placed on a mounting surface, and includes a lower unit provided below the mounting surface and having X-rays One of a generator and an X-ray detector; the pillar unit is disposed inside the mounting surface and extends from the lower unit to the upper pillar unit; and the upper unit is disposed above the mounting surface The unit has a state of being coupled to the upper portion of the pillar unit and extending to the front side, and includes the other of the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector; and the mirror member is disposed on the mounting The inner side of the surface has a mirror surface for observing the inner side of the subject on the mounting surface from the front side of the mounting surface.

According to the above configuration, in the state in which the subject is placed on the placement surface, the examiner can observe the inside of the subject (that is, the portion that is not easily visible from the front side) by the mirror side from the front side of the placement surface. Therefore, foreign matter or the like existing inside the subject can be easily found, and the content reflected by the specular surface can quickly determine whether the position or posture of the subject is appropriate. Because the inspector is not always forced to perform the flexion posture, It can reduce the burden on the examiner. This brings about the advantage of shortening the entire inspection time. It is also possible to provide a photographic element on the inner side and to display the inside of the image. However, in this case, the configuration becomes complicated, and the posture or position of the subject cannot be easily confirmed. On the other hand, when the mirror member as described above is used, it is a simple configuration, and a portion that is difficult to see is reliably observed, and the inspection before inspection can be performed accurately and promptly. If the specular image is dark, a light source can be used.

Preferably, the lower unit, the pillar unit, and the upper unit constitute a movable body that relatively moves the mounting surface, and the mirror member is mounted on the movable body. It is preferable to confirm the presence or absence of the foreign matter or the posture of the subject, across the entire measurement site or the measurement region. In this case, the mirror member is changed to the measurement position of the movable device mirror member. The location is also optimized. For example, according to the above configuration, both the measurement of the lumbar vertebrae and the measurement of the femur bone are sequentially performed, and the appropriate position of the mirror member can be determined for each measurement site. However, a large mirror that is elongated toward the body axis of the subject may be fixedly disposed. When the mirror member is disposed so that there is a certain gap between the mirror surface and the subject, it is easy to observe the space inside the subject.

Preferably, a position indicator for assisting in evaluating at least one of a posture and a position of the subject on the mounting surface is formed on the mirror surface. According to this configuration, the posture of the subject or the like can be evaluated by the degree of the surface of the subject (i.e., the wheel) that is reflected on the mirror surface.

Preferably, the upper unit is rotatably operated about a rotation axis provided on the pillar unit, and at least one of a posture and a position of the mirror member is variably linked in response to a rotation angle of the upper unit. mechanism. For example, in the case of an operation of stretching the upper unit upward, since the head of the examiner is usually located at a high position, it is preferable to match the sight of the examiner with a slight elevation of the mirror. Conversely, when the upper unit is stretched downward to make a horizontal posture, The reason why the author's head is facing downward is high, and it is preferable to make the mirror a vertical or near vertical angle. However, it is also possible to adopt a height change or the like without changing the angle. It is also possible to use a curved mirror or a curved mirror without using a plane mirror.

Preferably, the interlocking mechanism is configured to change the direction of the mirror member with the rotation of the upper portion of the upper unit to face the mirror. In the case of a linkage mechanism, a mechanism for transmitting power by a belt or a wire may be used, and a mechanism for setting a rotation angle of the motor by an output value of the encoder may be used.

10‧‧‧ lower

12‧‧‧ upper

12A‧‧‧ upper

14‧‧‧ pillar unit

16‧‧‧Loading surface

18‧‧‧ Subjects

18A‧‧‧Measurement site

20‧‧‧X-ray generating unit

22‧‧‧X-ray generating tube

24‧‧‧Filter unit

26‧‧‧fan beam

28‧‧‧X-ray detector

30‧‧‧ vertical part

32‧‧‧ horizontal section

34‧‧‧Connector

36‧‧‧Rotary axis

38‧‧‧Mirror unit

40‧‧‧ linkage agency

42‧‧‧Mirror components

42A‧‧ ‧ mirror

44‧‧‧Rotary axis

46‧‧ ‧ column

48‧‧‧Steel wire

50‧‧‧Location Marking Elements

52‧‧‧Location Marking Elements

54‧‧‧ line

56‧‧‧Line

58‧‧‧ Operator

60‧‧ ‧ angle of sight

62‧‧ ‧ angle of sight

64‧‧‧ Sight angle

66‧‧ ‧ Sight angle

68‧‧‧Light source

70‧‧‧Mirror unit

72‧‧‧ linkage agency

74‧‧‧Mirror components

74A‧‧‧Mirror components

76‧‧‧ pillar

Fig. 1 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of the inspection apparatus (bone density measuring apparatus) of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view for explaining the movement of the movable portion.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the position marks formed by the mirror surface.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the mirror.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the mirror.

Fig. 6 is a view for explaining a mirror member having a light source.

Fig. 7 is a view showing a modification.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of the inspection apparatus of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a view showing a measurement portion thereof. This inspection device is a bone density measuring device that calculates a bone density (bone salt amount) based on the data obtained by irradiating X-rays to the bones of the subject, in a medical institution such as a hospital.

In the first embodiment, the lower portion 10 is a configuration example of the figure, and constitutes a bed, and an X-ray generation unit 20 as a lower mechanism is provided inside. The X-ray generation unit 20 has an X-ray generation tube 22. The filter unit 24 is disposed on the upper side of the X-ray generation unit 20. The top plate in the lower portion 10 constitutes the mounting surface 16. This mounting surface 16 is a material that does not weaken X-rays, and is made of, for example, an acrylic material or the like. The subject 18 is placed on the placement surface 16 with the subject 18 facing upward. The portion indicated by the symbol 18A in the subject 18 indicates a lumbar vertebra as an example of the measurement site. Other parts such as the thigh bone can also be measured. In the present embodiment, the lower portion 10 has a top plate, but a configuration in which a lower unit is disposed below the photographing table used in radiography may be employed.

As shown in Fig. 1, X-rays are formed by the X-ray generating tube 22, and in the figure, a fan beam of a broad fan shape is formed. Of course, other light beams such as a pencil beam can also be formed.

An upper portion 12 is disposed above the placement surface 16. The upper portion 12 constitutes an upper mechanism, and an X-ray detector 28 is provided inside. The X-ray detector 28 is constructed of a plurality of inductors having a one-element configuration corresponding to the fan beam 26. The X-ray generation unit 20 as the lower mechanism and the upper portion 12 are coupled by the column unit 14. The pillar unit 14 has a state of being elongated from the lower side to the upper side, and more specifically, includes a horizontal portion 32, a vertical portion 30, and a joint portion 34. The joint portion 34 is connected to the upper portion 12. Specifically, the inner end portion of the upper portion 12 is coupled to the joint portion 34. In the present embodiment, the upper portion 12 is actuated upward by the rotary shaft 36 as a center of rotation. .

The X-ray generation unit 20, the pillar unit 14, and the upper unit 12 as the upper unit constitute a movable body as the whole. In the illustrated example, the movable system is linearly actuated in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction. When the fan beam 26 is actuated in the Y direction, a scanning area of the second element is formed. Of course, it is also possible to make a zigzag scan of the second element by a pencil beam or the like. The movable body can be scanned in the X direction.

In the present embodiment, the mirror unit 38 is provided inside the mounting surface 16. The mirror unit 38 has a post 46 that is formed upright with respect to the horizontal portion 32, a connecting member that is rotatably provided at an upper end portion of the post 46, and a mirror member 42 that is fixedly disposed at a side end of the connecting member. The front side of the mirror member 42 is a mirror surface 42A which functions as a mirror. The post 46 is formed upright on the horizontal portion 32, but the post 46 can also be disposed in the vertical portion 30. In the present embodiment, the mirror unit 38 is moved in the Y direction together with the movable body, but the mirror unit 38 may be disposed in the lower portion 10 or the non-movable member. In the present embodiment, the rotation of the upper portion 12 is converted into the rotation of the mirror member 42 by the interlocking mechanism 40. Specifically, the rotation mechanism of the rotary shaft 36 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 44 of the mirror member 42 by the wire 48 or a plurality of pulleys, that is, when the upper portion 12 is rotated, the mirror member 42 constitutes a rotary motion. For example, the angle of the former is only half the angle of rotation, and the mirror member 42 constitutes a rotary motion. In the case where the upper portion 12 is returned to the horizontal state, the mirror member 42 facing upward also changes back to the vertical posture. This will be described using FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 which will be described later.

In the present embodiment, the interlocking mechanism 40 is configured by a mechanism using a steel wire. However, a mechanism using a conveyor belt, a mechanism using a gear, or the like may be employed. Further, an encoder may be provided on the rotary shaft 36, and the direction of the mirror member 42 may be determined based on the output signal via the control motor. The mirror surface 42A faces the front side of the examiner (i.e., the user). In Fig. 1, the mirror surface 42A is a vertical surface.

As shown in Fig. 1, the mirror surface 42A is disposed at a position which is higher than the width (i.e., thickness) in the vertical direction of the subject 18 from the horizontal position of the mounting surface, and is separated by the inner side of the subject 18. The location of the distance (gap). On the condition that the subject 18 is placed so as to be placed on the placement surface 16, the mirror surface 42A is provided at a position that is not hung above the placement surface 16, that is, is disposed further inside than the X-ray irradiation region.

Figure 2 shows the actuation of the movable body. The movable system as described above operates in the Y direction. The upper portion 12 is supported by the column unit 14, and the subject 18 is lying on the placement surface. The mirror member 42 is set to have a width wider than the width of the strut unit 14 in the example shown in Fig. 2, and the upper end is horizontally higher than the upper end of the abdomen of the subject 18. The mirror member 42 as described above is actuated together with the movable body. For example, in the case of measuring the femur, the mirror member 42 is also moved in the Y direction in accordance with the movement of the movable body in the Y direction.

Various position markers depicted by mirror 42A are shown in FIG. In the example shown in (A), a plurality of position marker elements 50, 52 are formed on the right and left sides of the mirror surface 42A. Each of the position marker elements is formed by a short line elongated in the horizontal direction, and the colors of the respective lines are different from each other. The example shown in (A) is that the central portion of the mirror surface 42A is open, and a portion thereof can be used to observe the inner space of the subject. If such a position mark is drawn, the upper level of the subject can be observed and confirmed on the mirror 42A, and it is easy to confirm whether the posture or position of the subject is appropriate.

In the example shown in (B), a plurality of lines 54 on the mirror 42A are depicted as position marks, and the widths of the lines are not the same. It is preferable that the respective lines are formed by a light-colored line, that is, when the foreign matter in the inner side of the subject is observed, it is preferable to construct each line so as not to form an interference concentration. It is also easy to reproduce the posture at the time of measurement in the past by confirming the subject or the like of the subject with such a line as a target.

Lines 56 are also shown in (C), and the line types in the lines are different from each other. It can also be constructed with other position markers. In short, it is convenient for the examiner to display the aid on the mirror surface to confirm the state of the subject or to assist the target.

Fig. 4 shows a pre-measurement confirmation step in the bone density measuring apparatus shown in Fig. 1. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the subject 18 is placed on the placement surface, and at this time, the upper part 12 is borrowed. The player 58 jumps up to the top. That is, the upper portion 12 is rotated upward with the rotary shaft 36 as the center of rotation. When the operation of the upper portion 12 is generated, the direction of the mirror member 42 changes slightly upward in the mirror unit 38 via the interlocking mechanism 40. That is, the mirror surface 42A is a slightly upward direction.

The upper 12 jumps to the upper state, and the head of the operator 58 is at a relatively high position, that is, as indicated by reference numeral 60, is set to the line of sight seen from the upper direction, while the mirror 42A is slightly upward, whereby As shown by the symbol 62, the visibility of the inner lower portion of the subject 18 is increased.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5, when the upper portion 12 is pulled downward to be in a horizontal posture, the mirror 42A returns to the original posture by the action of the interlocking mechanism 40, that is, returns to the vertical posture. That is to say, in such a state, for example, the operator 58 becomes a knee-bending posture, and since the position of the head becomes a relatively low position, as indicated by reference numeral 64, the angle of the line of sight is close to a slight level, so that the mirror 42A is vertical or created. Close to this state, in particular, the visibility of the inner lower portion of the subject 18 is increased. Such an observation path is indicated by symbol 66.

As shown in Fig. 6, when the amount of light inside the subject is insufficient, the light source 68 can be set. That is, the light source 68 is provided on the upper portion of the mirror member 42 of the mirror unit 38, whereby the inner region of the subject is irradiated with light. Such a light source 68 can also be placed in the pillar unit or the upper portion. The top plate in the lower portion may also be formed in a self-illuminating type, thereby making itself a light source.

The modification shown in Fig. 7 is shown. With this configuration example, the mirror unit 70 is configured such that the mirror member 74 moves up and down. That is, when the upper portion 12 is jumped up to the upper side (refer to 12A), the actuation is switched to the upper side of the mirror member 74 by the interlocking mechanism 72. The sliding mechanism is provided on the support post 76, whereby the movement of the mirror member 74 in the up and down direction is guided. Symbol 74A is a mirror member that displays a state of being moved upward. According to such a configuration, when the upper side is actuated, the line of sight is actuated above the mirror member 74, and the necessary field of view can be sufficiently ensured.

In the above embodiment, although the mirror member is rotated or moved up and down, Both of these may be performed in such a manner that the direction or height can be slightly adjusted in accordance with the preference of the operator or the height of the body.

Although the bone density measuring device is described above, the mirror member may be provided in another medical device.

10‧‧‧ lower

12‧‧‧ upper

14‧‧‧ pillar unit

16‧‧‧Loading surface

18‧‧‧ Subjects

18A‧‧‧Lumbar vertebrae

20‧‧‧X-ray generating unit

22‧‧‧X-ray generating tube

24‧‧‧Filter unit

26‧‧‧fan beam

28‧‧‧X-ray detector

30‧‧‧ vertical part

32‧‧‧ horizontal section

34‧‧‧Connector

36‧‧‧Rotary axis

38‧‧‧Mirror unit

40‧‧‧ linkage agency

42‧‧‧Mirror components

42A‧‧ ‧ mirror

44‧‧‧Rotary axis

46‧‧ ‧ column

48‧‧‧Steel wire

Claims (6)

An inspection apparatus that inspects a subject lying on a mounting surface, and a mirror member having a mirror surface facing the front is disposed inside the inspection site of the subject lying on the placement surface. Before the examination by the subject, the examiner can observe the inside of the subject by the mirror surface from the front side of the placement surface. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection apparatus is a bone density measurement apparatus that measures bone density by irradiating X-rays to a subject placed on the placement surface, wherein the bone density measurement is performed. The apparatus includes: a lower unit disposed below the mounting surface and having one of an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector; and a pillar unit disposed inside the mounting surface and configured by the The lower unit is extended upward; and the upper unit is a unit that is disposed above the mounting surface, and has an aspect in which the upper portion of the pillar unit is coupled to the front side, and the X-ray generator and the X are provided. The other of the radiation detectors. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lower unit, the pillar unit, and the upper unit constitute a movable body that relatively moves the mounting surface, and the mirror member is mounted on the movable body . The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mirror surface is formed with a position marker for assisting in evaluating at least one of a posture and a position of the subject on the placement surface. The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the upper unit is rotatably operated with a rotation axis provided on the pillar unit as a center, and is set in accordance with a rotation angle of the upper unit. There is a linkage mechanism that allows at least one of the posture and position of the mirror member to be variable. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the interlocking mechanism is configured to change the direction of the mirror member so as to face the mirror upward with the rotation of the upper unit.