Ultrasonic device

Abstract

The invention provides an ultrasonic device which can easily determine a measurement part in a living body with a simple structure. An ultrasonic device is provided with: an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves to the inside of a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inside of the living body; and a housing having a window portion through which the ultrasonic wave passes, the housing accommodating the ultrasonic wave therein, the housing being provided with a reference position indicating portion and a measurement position indicating portion, the measurement position indicating portion indicating the measurement position when the reference position indicating portion overlaps a specific site on the body surface of the living body, and the measurement position indicating portion indicating the measurement position when the reference position indicating portion overlaps the specific site on the body surface of the living body. The measurement position indication unit indicates a measurement site on the body surface of the living body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an ultrasonic device that uses ultrasonic waves to measure muscle thickness and fat thickness has been known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In the measurement device (ultrasonic device) described in Patent Document 1, an ultrasonic detector that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves is provided on a surface facing the living body, and a reference position unit that positions the ultrasonic detector at a specified position of the living body is provided. In this device, the reference position unit is a protrusion provided on the same surface as the ultrasonic detector, and by aligning the protrusion with the position of the navel of the living body, the ultrasonic detector can be positioned at a specified part of the living body. That is, when performing ultrasonic measurements at the same position repeatedly over time and observing the temporal change of the tissue of the living body, the contact position of the ultrasonic detector can be positioned at the same position each time.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001 - 104302

[0004] In the ultrasonic device of Patent Document 1, although the ultrasonic device can be set at the same position of the living body, it is necessary to separately provide a reference position unit composed of a protrusion on the surface where the ultrasonic detector is provided. Therefore, the configuration of the ultrasonic device becomes complicated, and miniaturization becomes difficult. In addition, when multiple parts of the living body are to be designated as measurement parts, it is necessary to provide reference position units corresponding to these measurement parts. If multiple reference position units are provided, the configuration becomes further complicated and the device becomes large-sized. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The ultrasonic device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes: an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves into the living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inside of the living body; and a housing that has a window portion through which the ultrasonic waves pass, the housing accommodating the ultrasonic waves inside, the housing including a reference position indicating portion and a measurement position indicating portion, and when the reference position indicating portion overlaps a specific part on the body surface of the living body, the measurement position indicating portion indicates the measurement part on the body surface of the living body. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 It is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic device according to the present embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of explaining the situation of determining the measurement part using the ultrasonic device according to the present embodiment.

[0008] Figure 3It is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a case where the ultrasonic device of the present embodiment determines other measurement sites.

[0009] Explanation of reference numerals

[0010] 10… Ultrasonic device; 20… Ultrasonic sensor; 20A… Transmitting / receiving surface; 30… Housing; 30A… Display surface; 31… Window portion; 32… Main body portion; 33… Detector portion; 50… Measurement main body portion; 321… Curved surface (reference position indicating portion); 322… Strap hole (measurement position indicating portion); 323… Reference position mark (reference position indicating portion); 324A, 324B… Corresponding marks (corresponding display portion); 325… Direction teaching portion; 325A… Horizontal teaching line; 325B… Horizontal teaching line; 331… Measurement position mark (measurement position indicating portion). Detailed implementation manner

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] Figure 1 It is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasonic device of the present embodiment.

[0013] The ultrasonic device 10 includes an ultrasonic sensor 20 and a housing 30.

[0014] Configuration of the ultrasonic sensor 20

[0015] The ultrasonic sensor 20 is a transmitting / receiving unit that transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body and receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the inside of the living body. As the ultrasonic sensor 20, for example, as long as it is a configuration capable of performing ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving processing on a living body, there is no particular limitation. For example, a block-type ultrasonic element may also be used. The block-type ultrasonic element vibrates itself by applying a voltage to a piezoelectric body to transmit ultrasonic waves, and detects a reflected wave based on a received signal output according to the strain of the piezoelectric body itself caused by the reflected wave.

[0016] Alternatively, it may be a thin-film type ultrasonic element in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers each having a piezoelectric element disposed in a thin-film vibrating portion are arranged in an array, and each vibrating portion is vibrated by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to transmit ultrasonic waves. In such a thin-film type ultrasonic element, the vibrating film vibrates due to the reflected wave, and a received signal is output from the piezoelectric element.

[0017] When the ultrasonic sensor 20 receives a reflected wave from a living body, it outputs a received signal having a signal value corresponding to the sound pressure of the received ultrasonic wave. Here, in the present embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 20 continuously receives the reflected wave within a predetermined period from the ultrasonic wave transmission timing. Therefore, a received signal including the change in the signal value over time series is output from the ultrasonic sensor 20, and this received signal is output to a measurement main body portion (not shown).

[0018] It should be noted that the measurement main body portion is a device connected to the ultrasonic device 10 in a communicable manner by wire or wirelessly, and is composed of a computer such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer, for example. In the present embodiment, although detailed description is omitted, the measurement main body portion receives the received signal from the ultrasonic device 10 and performs various processes based on the received signal. As various processes, for example, measurement of the thickness of a predetermined tissue (such as muscle, fat, etc.) in a living body, recording of the change over time of the thickness, etc. can be cited. In addition, generation of an internal tomographic image of a living body based on the received signal from the ultrasonic sensor 20 can also be performed.

[0019] Configuration of the housing 30

[0020] The housing 30 houses the ultrasonic sensor 20 inside. Specifically, the housing 30 includes a window portion 31, and the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic sensor 20 is disposed on the window portion 31. It should be noted that an acoustic matching layer, an acoustic lens, etc. that also function as protection for the transmission / reception surface 20A may be provided on the window portion 31. In addition, although not shown, a drive control circuit that controls the drive of the ultrasonic sensor 20, a communication portion that communicates with the measurement main body portion, a battery that supplies power to each component, etc. are also housed inside the housing 30.

[0021] More specifically, as Figure 1 shown, the housing 30 includes a main body portion 32 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and a detector portion 33 provided on one end side of the main body portion 32.

[0022] The main body portion 32 houses the drive control circuit, the communication portion, the battery, etc.

[0023] As described above, the main body portion 32 is an outer shell that is substantially rectangular in plan view when viewed from one direction, but as Figure 1As shown, one end face on the side opposite to the detector unit 33 becomes a curved surface 321 that is concave and curved in the direction toward the detector unit 33. In addition, in one of the corner portions of the four corner portions of the housing 30, for example, a strap hole 322 capable of engaging a strap or the like is provided. Here, in the present embodiment, the curved surface 321 constitutes one of the reference position indicating portions in the present disclosure, and the strap hole 322 constitutes one of the measurement position indicating portions. That is, the curved surface 321 is a part of the housing 30 and functions as a reference position indicating portion. The strap hole 322 is a part of the housing 30 and functions as one of the measurement position indicating portions.

[0024] In addition, a reference position mark 323 is provided at a specified position of the main body portion 32 of the housing 30. For example, when viewed from a specified direction Figure 1 As shown in the plan view of the housing 30, the reference position mark 323 is provided at the centroid position of one surface (display surface 32A) of the housing 30. Although the details will be described later, the reference position mark 323 is a mark indicating the reference position when determining the measurement portion for performing ultrasonic measurement, and is provided by printing, embossing, or the like. This reference position mark 323 becomes one of the reference position indicating portions in the present disclosure.

[0025] The detector unit 33 is provided on one end side of the main body portion 32 and protrudes away from the main body portion 32. The above-described window portion 31 is provided at the protruding front end of the detector unit 33. An ultrasonic sensor 20 is accommodated inside the detector unit 33, and the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface 20A of the ultrasonic sensor 20 is exposed to the outside from the window portion 31. It should be noted that, as described above, the configuration is not limited to the case where the transmission / reception surface 20A is exposed from the window portion 31, and the transmission / reception surface 20A may be configured to be protected by an acoustic matching layer or the like.

[0026] In addition, a measurement position mark 331 is provided on the detector unit 33 by printing, embossing, or the like, and this measurement position mark 331 constitutes a measurement position indicating portion in the case of performing ultrasonic measurement. The measurement position mark 331 is a mark that indicates a part of the outer edge of the housing 30 when viewed from a specified direction Figure 1 As shown in the plan view of the housing 30. In other words, it is a mark indicating a part of the boundary between the housing 30 and the living body when the housing 30 is in contact with the body surface of the living body and viewed from the housing 30 toward the living body.

[0027] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a corresponding display portion indicating the combination of the reference position indicating portion and the measurement position indicating portion is provided on the housing 30. For example, the strap hole 322 as the measurement position indicating portion is associated with the reference position mark 323 as the reference position indicating portion, and a corresponding mark 324A as the corresponding display portion indicating this is provided.

[0028] In addition, a measurement position marker 331 serving as a measurement position indicating portion is associated with a curved surface 321 serving as a reference position indicating portion, and a corresponding marker 324B serving as a corresponding display portion for indicating this is provided.

[0029] These corresponding markers 324A and 324B are provided on the housing 30 by printing, embossing, or the like.

[0030] In addition, as the corresponding markers 324A and 324B, a direction teaching portion 325 may be provided, and the direction teaching portion 325 teaches the tilting direction of the housing 30 when the housing 30 is brought into contact with the living body in such a manner that the reference position indicating portion (reference position marker 323, curved surface 321) overlaps with a specific portion.

[0031] For example, in Figure 1 the example shown, horizontal teaching lines 325A and 325B are provided, and the horizontal teaching lines 325A and 325B indicate the orientation of the housing 30 when the housing 30 is brought into contact with the living body in such a manner that the reference position indicating portion overlaps with a specific portion when the living body (human body) is standing.

[0032] Method for determining measurement site for ultrasonic measurement

[0033] Next, a method for determining the position (measurement site) where the ultrasonic device 10 is provided with respect to the living body will be described.

[0034] By using the ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment, ultrasonic measurement can be continuously and repeatedly performed at a specified measurement site of the living body, and changes in tissues within the living body can be observed. For example, a case where changes in the thickness of a specified tissue (such as muscle, fat, etc.) within the living body over time during measurement (process observation) are described. The user brings the ultrasonic device 10 into contact with the measurement site corresponding to this tissue to perform ultrasonic measurement. For process observation, it is necessary to bring the ultrasonic device 10 into contact with the same measurement site at a specified cycle (for example, every other day, every other week, etc.) to perform ultrasonic measurement. At this time, if the ultrasonic device 10 is brought into contact with different positions each time measurement is performed, correct process observation of the target tissue cannot be performed, so it is necessary to bring the ultrasonic device 10 into contact with the same position each time measurement is performed.

[0035] In the present embodiment, in order to determine the measurement site, instead of using other components for positioning in the ultrasonic device 10, a part of the housing 30 is used to determine the measurement site.

[0036] Next, as an example, a method for determining the measurement site in the case of performing process observation of the rectus abdominis muscle and the thigh muscle will be described.

[0037] Figure 2 FIG. 0 is an example showing a case where the measurement site is determined using the ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for determining the measurement site of the rectus abdominis muscle.

[0038] When measuring the rectus abdominis muscle using the ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment, the measurement site is determined by the reference position marker 323 and the strap hole 322 associated with each other by the corresponding marker 324A.

[0039] As described above, the reference position marker 323 is provided on the housing 30 by printing, embossing, or the like, and the strap hole 322 is provided at one of the four corners of the housing 30. Here, the distance between the reference position marker 323 and the strap hole 322 is set to a general distance from the navel to the rectus abdominis muscle. As a general distance, for example, the average value of the distance between the abdominal position directly above the rectus abdominis muscle and the navel position can be exemplified. Alternatively, the ultrasonic device 10 may be divided into those for adult males, adult females, children, etc., and the distances between the reference position marker 323 and the strap hole 322 may be determined correspondingly.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the user makes the display surface 32A on which the reference position marker 323 of the housing 30 is displayed face the front side, and brings the back surface into contact with the abdomen (see Figure 2 ). At this time, the housing 30 is brought into contact with the abdomen in such a manner that the reference position marker 323 is located at the navel position and the horizontal teaching line 325A is horizontal (when the subject is standing). Then, the user marks the body surface of the organism corresponding to the position of the strap hole 322, and determines the marked position as the measurement position of the rectus abdominis muscle.

[0041] Then, the ultrasonic device 10 is brought into contact with the marked position, and ultrasonic measurement is performed. After that, by performing the same procedure when measuring the rectus abdominis muscle, the same position of the rectus abdominis muscle can be observed over time.

[0042] Figure 3 FIG. 19 is a diagram showing another example of determining the measurement site using the ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for determining the measurement site of the thigh muscle.

[0043] When measuring the thigh muscle using the ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment, the measurement site is determined by the curved surface 321 and the measurement position marker 331 associated with each other by the corresponding marker 324B.

[0044] As described above, the curved surface 321 is an end surface of the housing 30, and the measurement position mark 331 is provided in the detector unit 33 of the housing 30. Here, the distance from the curved surface 321 to the measurement position mark 331 is set to the general distance from the upper edge of the patella to the thigh muscle. As described above, the ultrasonic device 10 may be divided into those for adult males, adult females, children, etc., and the distance from the curved surface 321 to the measurement position mark 331 may be determined correspondingly.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the user takes the display surface 32A on which the measurement position mark 331 of the housing 30 is displayed as the front side, and makes the back surface contact the thigh (see Figure 3 ). At this time, the housing 30 is brought into contact such that the curved surface 321 is arranged along the upper edge of the patella and the horizontal teaching line 325B becomes horizontal (when the person to be measured is standing). Then, the user marks the body surface of the organism corresponding to the position of the measurement position mark 331, and determines the marked position as the measurement position of the thigh muscle.

[0046] Then, the ultrasonic device 10 is brought into contact with the marked position, and ultrasonic measurement is performed. After that, by performing the same steps as in the case of measuring the thigh muscle, the process observation of the same position of the thigh muscle can be performed.

[0047] Function and effect of the present embodiment

[0048] The ultrasonic device 10 of the present embodiment includes an ultrasonic sensor 20 and a housing 30 that houses the ultrasonic sensor 20. The ultrasonic sensor 20 transmits ultrasonic waves into the organism and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inside of the organism. The housing 30 has a window portion 31 through which ultrasonic waves pass, and includes a reference position mark 323 and a curved surface 321 as a reference position indicating portion, and a strap hole 322 and a measurement position mark 331 as a measurement position indicating portion. In addition, when the reference position mark 323 and the curved surface 321 as the reference position indicating portion overlap a specific portion on the body surface of the organism, the strap hole 322 and the measurement position mark 331 as the measurement position indicating portion indicate the measurement portion on the body surface of the organism.

[0049] That is to say, the distance between the reference position indicating portion and the measurement position indicating portion becomes the general average distance between a specific portion in the organism (such as the navel position, the upper edge of the patella, etc.) and the desired measurement portion (such as the position corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle, the position corresponding to the thigh muscle). Therefore, the user can easily identify the position of the measurement position indicating portion as the measurement portion by overlapping the reference position indicating portion with the specific portion. By marking this position, the user can make the ultrasonic device 10 contact the same position each time ultrasonic measurement is performed, and can appropriately perform the tissue observation in the organism.

[0050] In addition, in the present embodiment, since a part of the housing 30 is used as the reference position indicating portion and the measurement position indicating portion, there is no need to separately provide a teaching unit for teaching the measurement site. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the complication and enlargement of the configuration of the ultrasonic device 10, and the measurement site can be determined with a simple configuration. In addition, it is also possible not to require measurement pieces, jigs, etc.

[0051] In the present embodiment, as the reference position indicating portion, a marker image (reference position marker 323, or the curved surface 321 which is a part of the shape of the housing 30) displayed on the outer surface of the housing 30 is used.

[0052] The reference position marker 323 is a marker displayed on the housing 30 by printing, embossing, etc., and is not an additional special structure assembled as the reference position indicating portion. Similarly, the curved surface 321 is a part of the configuration of the housing 30, and is not an additional special structure assembled to the housing 30 as the reference position indicating portion. Thus, as described above, compared with the case of providing other configured teaching units, simplification of the configuration can be achieved.

[0053] In the present embodiment, as the measurement position indicating portion, the measurement position marker 331 which represents a part of the boundary between the housing 30 and the living body when the housing 30 is in contact with the body surface of the living body and observed from the housing 30 toward the living body, and the strap hole 322 which is a corner portion of the housing 30 are provided.

[0054] The measurement position marker 331 is a marker displayed on the housing 30 by printing, embossing, etc., and is not an additional special structure assembled as the measurement position indicating portion. Similarly, the strap hole 322 is one of the four corners of the housing 30, and is not an additional special structure assembled to the housing 30 as the measurement position indicating portion. Thus, as described above, compared with the case of providing other configured positioning units, simplification of the configuration can be achieved. In addition, since the measurement position indicating portion is a part of the boundary between the living body and the housing 30 when the housing 30 is in contact with the living body, it is easy to mark the portion indicated by the measurement position indicating portion on the body surface of the living body, and it is also possible to suppress the bad situation of overlooking the determined measurement site.

[0055] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the strap hole 322 is provided at one of the four corners of the housing 30, but the strap hole 322 may not be provided, and in this case, it is only necessary to provide a measurement position marker indicating one of the four corners of the housing 30.

[0056] In the present embodiment, on the housing 30, a plurality of measurement position indicating portions are provided corresponding to different measurement sites of the living body, and a reference position indicating portion is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of measurement position indicating portions. For example, a reference position mark 323 is provided for the strap hole 322 corresponding to the measurement of the rectus abdominis muscle, and a curved surface 321 is provided for the measurement position mark 331 corresponding to the measurement of the thigh muscle.

[0057] Thus, in the present embodiment, by ultrasonic measurement, whether it is a case of observing the process of the rectus abdominis muscle or a case of observing the process of the thigh muscle, the measurement can be implemented using the same ultrasonic device 10. In the present embodiment, the rectus abdominis muscle and the thigh muscle are taken as an example, but in order to set measurement sites corresponding to other tissues, other portions of the housing 30 can also be used as the measurement position indicating portion and the reference position indicating portion. In any case, a plurality of measurement sites can be easily determined by one ultrasonic device 10.

[0058] In the present embodiment, for determining the measurement site corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle, a corresponding mark 324A (corresponding display portion) is further provided, and this corresponding mark 324A indicates the correspondence between the reference position mark 323 as the reference position indicating portion and the strap hole 322 as the measurement position indicating portion corresponding to the reference position mark 323. Similarly, for determining the measurement site corresponding to the thigh muscle, a corresponding mark 324B (corresponding display portion) is further provided, and this corresponding mark 324B indicates the correspondence between the curved surface 321 as the reference position indicating portion and the measurement position mark 331 as the measurement position indicating portion corresponding to the curved surface 321.

[0059] Thus, when the ultrasonic device 10 is arranged in such a way that the reference position indicating portion overlaps with a specific portion of the living body, the user can easily confirm which position of the housing 30 should be determined as the measurement site.

[0060] Variant

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and configurations obtained by deformation, improvement, and appropriate combination of the embodiments within the scope capable of achieving the object of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0062] Variant 1

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the reference position markers 323 and the curved surface 321 are illustrated as the reference position indicating portion, but it may be other portions. For example, regarding the determination of the measurement site corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle, a part of the boundary between the housing 30 and the living body when the ultrasonic device 10 is brought into contact with the body surface of the living body and the living body is observed from the ultrasonic device 10 side may be used as the measurement position indicating portion.

[0064] In addition, only one reference position indicating portion may be provided. For example, only the reference position marker 323 may be provided, and a plurality of measurement position indicating portions may be provided for the reference position marker 323. For example, the strap hole 322 which is one of the four corners of the housing 30 may be used as the measurement position indicating portion when measuring the rectus abdominis muscle, and the measurement position marker 331 may be used as the measurement position indicating portion when measuring the pectoralis muscle. In this case, in the measurement of the pectoralis muscle, the reference position marker 323 is arranged to overlap with the rib portion.

[0065] Modification Example 2

[0066] The strap hole 322 and the measurement position marker 331 are illustrated as the measurement position indicating portion, but it may be other portions.

[0067] In addition, even in the case of the ultrasonic device 10 corresponding to a plurality of measurement sites, it may be configured such that only one measurement position indicating portion is provided, and a plurality of reference position indicating portions are provided corresponding to the measurement sites respectively.

[0068] Modification Example 3

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, as the direction teaching portion 325, an example is shown in which the horizontal teaching lines 325A and 325B are provided on the housing 30, and the housing 30 is brought into contact with the living body in such a manner that the reference position indicating portion overlaps with a specific portion and the horizontal teaching lines 325A and 325B are in the horizontal direction, but it is not limited thereto. For example, as the direction teaching portion 325, a vertical teaching line indicating the vertical direction may be provided. In this case, the housing 30 is brought into contact with the living body in such a manner that the reference position indicating portion overlaps with a specific portion and the vertical teaching line is in the vertical direction.

[0070] Modification Example 4

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, although an example in which the measurement main body portion and the ultrasonic device 10 are separately configured is shown, an arithmetic circuit portion may be provided in the housing 30 of the ultrasonic device 10, and the arithmetic circuit portion functions as the measurement main body portion. In this case, the ultrasonic device 10 performs various processes, and the processing result may be output to a display or other terminal devices.

[0072] Alternatively, it can also be configured to separately provide the display of the output destination on the housing 30. In this case, the display can also be provided on the display surface 32A of the housing 30, and the measurement position marker 331, reference position marker 323, corresponding markers 324A and 324B, and horizontal teaching lines 325A and 325B described below can be displayed on this display. In this configuration, it can also be configured to have a function that allows the user to select the measurement part to be measured and only display the measurement position indicator, reference position indicator, and horizontal teaching line (direction teaching part) corresponding to the selected measurement part.

[0073] Summary of the present disclosure

[0074] The ultrasonic device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes: an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves into the interior of a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected from the interior of the living body; and a housing that has a window portion through which the ultrasonic waves pass, the housing accommodating the ultrasonic waves inside, the housing including a reference position indicator and a measurement position indicator, and when the reference position indicator is overlapped with a specific part on the body surface of the living body, the measurement position indicator indicates the measurement part on the body surface of the living body.

[0075] Accordingly, the user does not need to use a dedicated jig or measurement piece, and by overlapping the reference position indicator with a specific part of the living body, the position of the measurement position indicator can be easily recognized as the measurement part. In addition, since a part of the housing is used as the reference position indicator and the measurement position indicator, there is no need to separately provide a teaching unit for teaching the measurement part, which can suppress the complication and enlargement of the configuration of the ultrasonic device, and the measurement part can be determined with a simple configuration.

[0076] In the ultrasonic device of this aspect, preferably, the reference position indicator is a marker image displayed on the outer surface of the housing or a part of the shape of the housing.

[0077] Accordingly, compared with the case of providing a teaching unit for other configurations for determining the measurement part, the configuration can be simplified.

[0078] In the ultrasonic device of this aspect, preferably, the measurement position indicator is a part of the boundary between the housing and the living body or a corner of the housing when the housing is in contact with the body surface of the living body and observed from the housing toward the living body.

[0079] Thus, compared with the case of a teaching unit having other components for determining the measurement site, simplification of the components can be achieved. In addition, since the measurement position indicating portion is a part of the boundary between the living body and the housing 30 when the housing 30 is in contact with the living body, it is easy to mark the portion indicated by the measurement position indicating portion on the body surface of the living body, and it is also possible to suppress the defect of overlooking the determined measurement site.

[0080] In the ultrasonic device of this embodiment, it is preferable that the housing is provided with a plurality of the measurement position indicating portions corresponding to different measurement sites of the living body.

[0081] Thus, a plurality of measurement sites can be determined by one ultrasonic device. Therefore, compared with the case of using, for example, a jig for the rectus abdominis muscle, a jig for the thigh muscle, etc., the measurement site can be determined more simply.

[0082] In the ultrasonic device of this embodiment, it is preferable that the housing is provided with a plurality of the reference position indicating portions corresponding to the plurality of the measurement position indicating portions respectively.

[0083] Thus, a plurality of measurement sites can be determined by the housing of one ultrasonic device.

[0084] In the ultrasonic device of this embodiment, it is preferable that the ultrasonic device is further provided with a corresponding display portion which indicates the correspondence between one of the reference position indicating portions and one of the measurement position indicating portions corresponding to the one reference position indicating portion.

[0085] Thus, even when a plurality of measurement position indicating portions are provided in the housing, or when reference position indicating portions corresponding to the plurality of measurement position indicating portions are provided, the user can easily visually confirm the correspondence therebetween, and the defect of erroneously setting the measurement site can be suppressed.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic device, characterized in that: have: an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves to the inside of a living body and receives the ultrasonic waves reflected by the inside of the living body; and A shell having a window portion for the ultrasonic wave to pass through, wherein the shell contains the ultrasonic wave inside. The housing includes a reference position indicating portion and a measurement position indicating portion. When the reference position indicating portion is overlapped with a specific portion on the body surface of the living body, the measurement position indicating portion indicates the measurement portion on the body surface of the living body.

2. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, characterized in that The reference position indicator is a mark image displayed on the outer surface of the housing, or a part of the shape of the housing.

3. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, characterized in that The measurement position indicating portion is a portion of a boundary between the shell and the living body, or a corner of the shell, when the shell is brought into contact with the body surface of the living body and viewed from the shell toward the living body.

4. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing includes a plurality of the measurement position indicating portions corresponding to different measurement sites of the living body.

5. The ultrasonic device according to claim 4, characterized in that The housing includes a plurality of the reference position indicating portions corresponding to each of the plurality of measurement position indicating portions.

6. The ultrasonic device according to claim 5, characterized in that The ultrasonic device is further provided with a correspondence display section that indicates a correspondence relationship between one of the reference position indicating sections and one of the measurement position indicating sections corresponding to one of the reference position indicating sections.

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