Medical imaging system, cover, and communication method

Abstract

This provides a medical imaging system that reduces the number of connected cables. [Solution] The diagnostic imaging system 100 comprises a housing 20 and a control device 2 that transmits control signals to the imaging unit of a catheter 1 used for tomographic imaging and receives the captured image signals, and a cover 5 that covers the housing 20 and has a wireless communication antenna for which the control device 2 transmits and receives signals. The cover 5 may have a hole for passing the catheter 1 through which it is connected to the control device 2, and an adapter that includes wiring that electrically connects to the wireless communication circuit of the control device 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image diagnostic system, a cover, and a communication method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cover for a medical device, which includes a bottomed cylindrical cover body member having a closed one end and an open other end, and a restraint member, and is provided with an insertion port portion that self-expands from a restraint state having a size and shape that prevent insertion of the insertion side end portion of the medical device to a deployed state having a size and shape that allows insertion of the insertion side end portion of the medical device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent surgeries such as catheter surgeries, it is often the case that an information processing device is utilized to display patient information in real time and work is carried out while checking the patient's condition. Such an information processing device often uses a cable for connection in addition to a power cable, and when the number of information processing devices including measuring devices and devices for performing treatments increases, the number of cables routed in the operating room increases. For this reason, due to the cables routed in the passage, movement in the operating room may not be smooth, or in some cases, the operation may be interrupted due to tripping over a cable and resulting in disconnection, etc., which may make it difficult to continue the surgery.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an image diagnostic system or the like that reduces the number of cables to be connected.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) An image diagnostic system in one aspect of the present disclosure is an image diagnostic system comprising a housing that transmits control signals to the imaging section of a catheter used for tomography and receives the captured image signals, and a cover that covers the housing and has a wireless communication antenna for which the control device transmits and receives signals.

[0007] (2) In the image diagnostic system described in (1) above, the cover may have an adapter that includes a hole for passing the catheter connected to the control device and wiring that electrically connects to the wireless communication circuit of the control device.

[0008] (3) In the image diagnostic system described in (2) above, the antenna may be formed by a flexible wiring board electrically connected to the wiring of the adapter.

[0009] (4) In the image diagnostic system described in (2) above, the antenna may be formed by the wiring arranged in the adapter.

[0010] (5) In any of the imaging diagnostic systems described in (2) to (4) above, the control device may have a rotational drive mechanism that connects the drive shaft connected to the imaging unit through the hole in the adapter and rotates the imaging unit together with the drive shaft.

[0011] (6) In any of the image diagnostic systems described in (1) to (5) above, an image display device may be further provided, which displays an image based on the image signal received from the control device via wireless communication through the antenna.

[0012] (7) A cover in one aspect of the present disclosure is a cover that covers the housing of a control device that transmits control signals to the imaging unit of a catheter performing tomography and receives the captured image signals, and is equipped with a wireless communication antenna for the control device.

[0013] (8) A communication method in one aspect of the present disclosure is a communication method in which a control device transmits a control signal to the imaging unit of a catheter that performs tomography, receives the tomography image signal, and wirelessly transmits a signal based on the image signal via an antenna which is wiring provided on a cover that covers the housing of the control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] One aspect of this disclosure is that it is possible to reduce the number of cables connected in imaging diagnostic systems, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of an image diagnostic system. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a diagnostic imaging catheter. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a medical imaging system. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of a signal processing circuit configuration. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the cover that surrounds the control device. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing how the adapter is connected to the probe connection port of the control device. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing how to connect the probe connector to the probe connection section of the control device. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating an example of an antenna. [Figure 9] This is a front view of an adapter in a different example. [Figure 10] This is a side view of an adapter in a different example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, the image diagnostic system, cover, and communication method of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the drawings showing their embodiments. In the description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In the embodiments, cardiac catheter treatment, which is an intravascular treatment, will be described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. At least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0017] In this embodiment, an image diagnostic system (tomographic image generation system) using a dual-type catheter having both functions of intravascular ultrasound diagnosis (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) will be described. The image diagnostic system using a dual-type catheter is an example, and an image diagnostic system having only one of the functions of IVUS or OCT may also be used. Also, an implementation of IVUS or OCT in a mode different from the mode described below may be used.

[0018] In the dual-type catheter of this embodiment, a mode for acquiring an ultrasonic tomographic image only by IVUS, a mode for acquiring an optical coherence tomographic image only by OCT, and a mode for acquiring both tomographic images by IVUS and OCT are provided, and these modes can be switched and used. Hereinafter, the ultrasonic tomographic image and the optical coherence tomographic image will be appropriately referred to as an IVUS image and an OCT image, respectively. Also, the IVUS image and the OCT image are collectively referred to as a tomographic image.

[0019] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the image diagnostic system 100. The image diagnostic system 100 of this embodiment includes an image diagnostic catheter 1, a control device 2, a light source device 3, an image display device 4, and a cover 5. In the image diagnostic system 100 according to this embodiment, the light source device 3 having an optical system and the control device 2 are separated, but the light source device 3 and the control device 2 may be integrated. Also, the control device 2 can perform wireless communication with the display control device 41 of the image display device 4 and display an IVUS image or an OCT image on the monitor 42 of the image display device 4.

[0020] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of catheter 1. Note that the area enclosed by the upper dashed line in Figure 2 is an enlargement of the area enclosed by the lower dashed line. Catheter 1 has a probe 11 and a probe connector 15 located at the end of the probe 11. The probe 11 is connected to the control device 2 via the probe connector 15. In the following description, the side of catheter 1 furthest from the probe connector 15 will be referred to as the tip side, and the side with the probe connector 15 will be referred to as the proximal end side. The probe 11 is equipped with a catheter sheath 11a, and its tip is provided with a guidewire insertion section 14 through which a guidewire can be inserted. The guidewire insertion section 14 constitutes a guidewire lumen and is used to receive a guidewire that has been previously inserted into the blood vessel and to guide the probe 11 to the affected area by the guidewire. The catheter sheath 11a forms a continuous tube section from the guidewire insertion section 14 to the probe connector 15. A drive shaft 13 is inserted inside the catheter sheath 11a, and an imaging unit 12 is connected to the tip of the drive shaft 13.

[0021] The imaging unit 12 has a housing 12c, and the tip of the housing 12c is formed in a hemispherical shape to suppress friction and snagging with the inner surface of the catheter sheath 11a. Inside the housing 12c are an optical transmitting / receiving unit 12a that transmits near-infrared light into the blood vessel and receives reflected light from within the blood vessel, and an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b that transmits ultrasound into the blood vessel and receives reflected waves from within the blood vessel. In the example shown in Figure 2, the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b is provided on the tip side of the probe 11, and the optical transmitting / receiving unit 12a is provided on the proximal end side.

[0022] Furthermore, the optical transmitting / receiving unit 12a and the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b are arranged such that the transmission and reception directions of near-infrared light and ultrasound are approximately 90 degrees with respect to the axial direction of the drive shaft 13 (radial direction of the drive shaft 13). It is desirable that the optical transmitting / receiving unit 12a and the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b be mounted slightly offset from the radial direction so as not to receive reflected waves and reflected light on the inner surface of the catheter sheath 11a. In this embodiment, for example, as shown by the arrow in Figure 2, the optical transmitting / receiving unit 12a is positioned so that the direction inclined toward the tip side with respect to the radial direction is the irradiation direction of near-infrared light, and the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b is positioned so that the direction inclined toward the proximal end side with respect to the radial direction is the irradiation direction of ultrasound.

[0023] The drive shaft 13 contains an optical fiber cable 1a (see Figure 3) connected to the optical transceiver unit 12a and an electrical signal cable 1b (see Figure 3) connected to the ultrasonic transceiver unit 12b. The probe 11 is inserted into the blood vessel from the tip end. The imaging unit 12 and the drive shaft 13 can move forward and backward inside the catheter sheath 11a and can also rotate in the circumferential direction. The imaging unit 12 and the drive shaft 13 rotate around the central axis of the drive shaft 13 as the axis of rotation.

[0024] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the diagnostic imaging system 100. The light source device 3 is a device equipped with an optical system for obtaining OCT images using the coherence of laser light. Here, a wavelength-swept optical system is described, but the method of optical measurement is not particularly limited. A spectral domain type or other optical system may be provided. The wavelength-swept light source device 3 according to this embodiment includes a wavelength-swept light source 31, a variable optical path length mechanism 32, an optical coupler 33, a photoelectric conversion element 34, a demodulator 35, a power supply circuit 36, and a light source connector 37.

[0025] The light source connector 37 includes an optical terminal 37a, a control signal terminal 37b, a detection signal terminal 37c, and a power supply terminal 37d. Each terminal of the light source connector 37 is housed in a single connector housing. In other words, the user (medical professional) can connect the optical fiber 3a, control signal line 3b, detection signal line 3c, and power supply line 3d, described later, to the control device 2 simply by connecting one light source connector 37. The optical fiber 3a, control signal line 3b, detection signal line 3c, and power supply line 3d are bundled together to form a single connection cable 30.

[0026] The wavelength-swept light source 31 is a light source that generates laser light with a continuously changing wavelength. The light output from the wavelength-swept light source 31 is branched by the optical coupler 33, and the first branched light (hereinafter referred to as the measurement light) is output externally from the optical terminal 37a via the optical fiber 3a. As will be described later, the externally output measurement light is output to the control device 2 and irradiated into the blood vessel through the control device 2 and the probe 11. The reflected light reflected from within the blood vessel is input to the light source device 3 via the control device 2 and the optical fiber 3a.

[0027] The second beam of light (hereinafter referred to as the reference beam), branched by the optical coupler 33, has its length adjusted by the optical path length variable mechanism 32, is reflected by a reflective mirror, and is transmitted through the optical fiber 3f. The reference beam and the reflected beam are combined at the optical coupler 33, and the combined interference beam is incident on the photoelectric conversion element 34 via the optical fiber 3f. The optical path length variable mechanism 32 is controlled by the optical path length control device 24a of the control device 2, which will be described later, via the control signal line 3b.

[0028] The photoelectric conversion element 34 converts the interference light into photoelectric signals and outputs the converted signal to the demodulator 35. The demodulator 35 outputs the signal obtained by demodulating the interference light signal (hereinafter referred to as the detection signal) from the detection signal terminal 37c and inputs it to the control device 2. The power supply circuit 36 ​​supplies power to drive the control device 2.

[0029] The control device 2 comprises a housing 20 (see Figure 1), a signal processing circuit 21, an MDU (Motor Drive Unit) 22, an IVUS-related circuit 23, an OCT-related circuit 24, a wireless communication circuit 25, a power supply circuit 26, a built-in battery 27, a probe connection section 28, and a light source device connection section 29. The housing 20 houses the aforementioned signal processing circuit 21, MDU (Motor Drive Unit) 22, IVUS-related circuit 23, OCT-related circuit 24, wireless communication circuit 25, power supply circuit 26, built-in battery 27, probe connection section 28, and light source device connection section 29.

[0030] The probe connection section 28 is a connector to which the probe connector 15 of the catheter 1 is detachably connected. The light source device connection section 29 is a connector to which the light source connector 37 of the light source device 3 is detachably attached. The light source device connection section 29 includes an optical fiber connection section 29a to which the optical fiber 3a is connected, a control signal line connection section 29b to which the control signal line 3b is connected, a detection signal line connection section 29c to which the detection signal line 3c is connected, and a power supply connection section 29d to which the power supply line 3d is connected.

[0031] The MDU22 is a drive device that drives an internal motor in response to user operation and controls the movement of catheter 1 inserted into a blood vessel. The MDU22 comprises a rotary connector 22a, an optical rotary joint (optical connection part) 22b, a rotary drive mechanism 22c, a motor control device 22d, and a linear drive device 22e. The rotary connector 22a rotatably connects the electrical signal cable 1b, which is connected to the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b, to the ultrasonic signal transmitting / receiving unit 23a.

[0032] The optical rotary joint 22b is an optical connector that connects the optical fiber cable 1a connected to the optical transceiver unit 12a to the optical fiber connection part 29a of the light source device connection part 29, and rotatably connects the optical fiber cable 1a. The rotational drive mechanism 22c includes a motor that rotates the rotational electrode of the rotational connector 22a and the fixed part of the optical rotary joint 22b. By driving the motor of the rotational drive mechanism 22c, the imaging unit 12 and the drive shaft 13 inserted into the probe 11 can be rotated in the circumferential direction. The rotation of the motor is controlled by the motor control device 22d.

[0033] The motor control device 22d outputs a synchronization control signal to the rotary drive mechanism 22c and the signal processing circuit 21. The rotary drive mechanism 22c rotates the motor according to the synchronization control signal output from the motor control device 22d. The motor control device 22d also outputs the rotation angle signal output from the rotary drive mechanism 22c to the signal processing circuit 21. The linear drive device 22e includes a motor that moves the imaging unit 12 and the drive shaft 13, which are embedded in the probe 11, in the axial direction. The operation of the linear drive device 22e is controlled by the signal processing circuit 21.

[0034] With the MDU22 configured in this way, a pullback operation can be performed in which the imaging unit 12 and drive shaft 13, which are inserted into the probe 11, are pulled toward the MDU22 at a constant speed while rotating in the circumferential direction. The imaging unit 12 rotates while moving from the tip end to the proximal end due to the pullback operation, and continuously scans the inside of the blood vessel at predetermined time intervals. The signal processing circuit 21 can continuously generate multiple tomographic images that are substantially perpendicular to the probe 11 based on the scanning results. Although an MDU22 with a pullback function has been described, the MDU22 may also be configured without a pullback function.

[0035] The IVUS-related circuit 23 comprises an ultrasonic signal transceiver 23a, a detector 23b, and an A / D converter 23c. The ultrasonic signal transceiver 23a emits an ultrasonic signal for generating an IVUS image. The ultrasonic signal transceiver 23a transmits the ultrasonic signal to the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving unit 12b via a rotary connector 22a. The ultrasonic signal transceiver 23a also receives reflected waves that are irradiated into blood vessels and reflected back. The reflected waves received by the ultrasonic signal transceiver 23a are detected by the detector 23b. The A / D converter 23c converts the detected analog reflected signal into digital data.

[0036] The signal processing circuit 21 generates digital ultrasound line data (ultrasound tomography image data) from the reflected wave signal by sampling the reflected wave signal at a predetermined rate. The ultrasound line data is data that shows the ultrasound reflection intensity in the depth direction of the blood vessel as seen from the ultrasound transmitting / receiving unit 12b. Based on the generated ultrasound line data, an IVUS image representing the transverse layer of the blood vessel can be constructed. The OCT-related circuit 24 includes an optical path length control device 24a and an A / D converter 24b. The optical path length control device 24a outputs a control signal to the optical path length variable mechanism 32 via the control signal line connection unit 29b to adjust the optical path length of the reference light.

[0037] The A / D converter 24b converts the analog detection signal input via the detection signal line 3c and the detection signal line connection section 29c into digital data. The signal processing circuit 21 generates digital optical line data (optical coherence tomography image data) from the detection signal by sampling the detection signal at a predetermined rate. The control device 2 can construct an OCT image representing the transverse layer of the blood vessels based on the generated optical line data.

[0038] The wireless communication circuit 25 includes a communication circuit that performs wireless communication with the display control device 41 via wiring 251, wiring 53, and antenna 54. The wireless communication standards and protocols are not particularly limited. The wireless communication circuit 25 may be configured to communicate directly with the display control device 41 via wireless communication, or it may be configured to communicate via a router. The wireless communication circuit 25 can wirelessly transmit ultrasonic line data and optical line data provided by the signal processing circuit 21 to the display control device 41.

[0039] The wireless communication circuit 25 may wirelessly transmit ultrasonic line data and optical line data to the display control device 41, or it may wirelessly transmit frame data of IVUS images and OCT images, which are configured as two-dimensional frame images, to the display control device 41 as ultrasonic tomography image data and optical coherence tomography image data. Furthermore, as described later, the antenna 54 may be connected to the cover 5.

[0040] The power supply circuit 26 is a circuit that supplies power to the signal processing circuit 21 and other circuits that constitute the control device 2. The control device 2 may have a built-in battery 27, and the power supply circuit 26 can be configured to include a charging circuit for the built-in battery 27, which is a secondary battery. The power supply circuit 26 is connected to the power connection section 29d and can receive power supplied from the light source device 3 via the power line 3d. The power supply circuit 26 supplies the power supplied from the light source device 3 to the signal processing circuit 21 and the like. In Figure 3, the power supply circuit 26 receives power from the power supply circuit 36 ​​of the light source device 3, but it may be supplied from another power source.

[0041] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the signal processing circuit 21. The signal processing circuit 21 is a computer and comprises a processing unit 21a, a storage unit 21b, an ultrasonic line data generation unit 21c, an optical line data generation unit 21d, and an input / output interface 21e. The processing unit 21a is configured using one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), GPGPU (General-purpose computing on graphics processing units), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or SoC FPGA. The processing unit 21a is connected to each hardware component of the signal processing circuit 21 via a bus.

[0042] The storage unit 21b includes, for example, a main storage unit and an auxiliary storage unit. The main storage unit is a temporary storage area such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or flash memory, and temporarily stores data necessary for the processing unit 21a to perform arithmetic processing. The auxiliary storage unit is a storage device such as a hard disk, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), or flash memory. The storage unit 21b stores the computer program P executed by the processing unit 21a and various other data necessary for processing. The computer program P may be recorded in a readable manner on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or semiconductor memory, or a reading unit may read it from the recording medium and store it in the auxiliary storage unit.

[0043] The ultrasound line data generation unit 21c generates digital ultrasound line data (ultrasound tomographic image data) from the reflected ultrasound wave signal output from the ultrasound transmitting / receiving unit 12b of the catheter 1 by sampling the reflected wave signal at a predetermined rate. The processing unit 21a stores the generated ultrasound line data as IVUS tomographic image data in the storage unit 21b.

[0044] The optical line data generation unit 21d generates digital optical line data (optical coherence tomography image data) from the detection signal output from the light source device 3 by sampling the detection signal at a predetermined rate. The processing unit 21a stores the generated optical line data as OCT tomography image data in the storage unit 21b. The input / output interface 21e is an interface to which the wireless communication circuit 25 is connected. The processing unit 21a controls the operation of the wireless communication circuit 25 via the input / output interface 21e and transmits and receives various data and information.

[0045] The processing unit 21a of the signal processing circuit 21 reads and executes the computer program P stored in the storage unit 21b, thereby generating ultrasonic line data in the ultrasonic line data generation unit 21c and wirelessly transmitting the generated ultrasonic line data to the display control device 41 via the wireless communication circuit 25. Furthermore, the processing unit 21a can also read and execute the computer program P stored in the storage unit 21b, thereby generating optical line data in the optical line data generation unit 21d and wirelessly transmitting the generated optical line data to the display control device 41 via the wireless communication circuit 25. By wirelessly transmitting the ultrasonic line data and optical line data to the display control device 41, IVUS tomographic images and OCT images can be displayed on the monitor 42.

[0046] Furthermore, the storage unit 21b stores the generated ultrasonic line data and optical line data, and the processing unit 21a can wirelessly transmit the requested ultrasonic line data and optical line data to the display control device 41 when requested by the display control device 41.

[0047] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the cover 5 that covers the control device 2. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing how the adapter 51 is connected to the probe connection part 28 of the control device 2. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing how the probe connector 15 is connected to the probe connection part 28 of the control device 2. The cover 5 separates the catheter 1, which is located in the sterile field, from the control device 2, which is located in the non-sterile field.

[0048] The cover 5 has a bag-shaped main body 59, which can be made of, for example, mainly transparent resin. The main body 59 of the cover 5 opens toward the right side of the paper in Figure 5, and is closed on the left side of the paper. The opening has a folded portion 58 which is folded multiple times. After inserting the control device 2 from the probe connection portion 28 side through the opening of the cover 5 and covering the control device 2, the folded portion 58 is spread out and extended backward, thereby covering the cable extending to the rear of the control device 2 (opposite the probe connection portion 28 side) to a predetermined length, thereby separating the clean field from the unclean field.

[0049] The cover 5 also has an adapter 51. The adapter 51 has a hole 511 through which the catheter 1, which is connected to the control device 2, passes, and the probe connector 15 of the catheter 1 can be connected to the probe connection part 28 of the control device 2 through this hole. The adapter 51 can be made of, for example, a hard resin. The adapter 51 also has wiring 53 that electrically connects to the wireless communication circuit 25 of the control device 2 and a connector 52 on the adapter 51 side. In this embodiment, the connector 52 on the adapter 51 side is positioned to form a recess on the surface facing the control device 2. However, it may also be formed to protrude from the surface facing the control device 2.

[0050] By utilizing the hole 511 through which the catheter 1 passes, the antenna 54 used by the wireless communication circuit 25 can be installed outside the housing 20 without any additional processing of the housing 20. In this embodiment, the connector 52 is formed in a position that is directly above the hole 511 when attached to the control device 2, but it may be in any position on the side facing the control device 2.

[0051] The cover 5 also has wiring (e.g., a coaxial cable) 53 extending from the connector 52 to the inside of the cover 5 on the outside of the housing 20, and an antenna 54 connected to the wiring 53 and mounted on the inside of the cover 5. When the adapter 51 is assembled into the housing 20, it makes contact with the housing 20 around the hole 511. The wiring 53 connected to the connector 52 exits from inside the adapter 51 in the area above the hole 511 where the adapter 51 and the housing 20 are not in contact, and connects to the antenna 54 on the outside of the housing 20 and inside the cover 5.

[0052] The antenna 54 is positioned along the main body portion 59 of the cover 5, on the way to the opening, but its placement is not restricted. If the antenna 54 is formed from, for example, a flexible wiring board (Figure 8) as described later, the board surface can be positioned along the top surface of the housing 20.

[0053] By placing the antenna 54 on the inside of the cover 5, blood, medication, etc., can be prevented from coming into contact with the antenna 54, thereby maintaining the quality of wireless communication. The cover 5 may also have a catheter fixing part 57 for securing a predetermined location on the catheter 1. The antenna 54 may also be attached to the outside of the cover 5.

[0054] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the adapter 51 is inserted into a hole 201 in the housing 20 that leads to the probe connection part 28, and the control device 2 is covered with the cover 5. At this time, the housing-side connector 252 connected to the wiring 251 extending from the wireless communication circuit 25 and the adapter 51-side connector 52 are connected. The housing-side connector 252 can be a protruding part if the adapter 51-side connector 52 forms a recess. Conversely, if the adapter 51-side connector 52 forms a protruding part, the housing-side connector 252 can be a recess. As a result, the wireless communication circuit 25 is electrically connected to the antenna 54, and the wireless communication circuit 25 can transmit and receive radio waves via the antenna 54 located inside the cover 5 on the outside of the housing 20, enabling higher quality wireless communication.

[0055] The drive shaft 13 connected to the imaging unit 12 is connected to the rotary drive mechanism 22c via the hole 511 of the adapter 51 by the probe connection part 28. The rotary drive mechanism 22c rotates the imaging unit 12 together with the drive shaft 13. This allows the rotary drive mechanism 22c of the MDU 22 to be operated even when the housing 20 is covered with the cover 5. In addition, the image display device 4 can display the tomographic image captured by the imaging unit 12 based on the image signal received from the control device 2 via wireless communication through the antenna 54.

[0056] Figure 8 shows an example of an antenna 54. As shown in this figure, the antenna 54 has lands 542 and 543 to which conductive members included in the wiring 53 are connected, and each is electrically connected to two different conductive films 541. Here, the two different conductive films 541 may be covered with a flexible resin and formed as a flexible wiring substrate.

[0057] Thus, since the antenna 54 is formed from a flexible wiring board electrically connected to the wiring 53 of the adapter 51, the arrangement, size, and shape of the antenna 54 can be predetermined to ensure sufficient communication quality when the cover 5 is attached. Furthermore, due to the flexibility of the flexible wiring board, even when the control device 2 is covered by the cover 5, the cover 5 can maintain a functional shape without compromising its flexibility.

[0058] As described above, in the diagnostic imaging system 100, the control device 2 has a housing 20 and transmits control signals to the imaging unit 12 of the catheter 1 that performs tomography, and also receives the captured image signals. The cover 5 covers the housing 20 and has a wireless communication antenna 54 that the control device 2 transmits and receives.

[0059] With this configuration, the cover 5 and the image diagnostic system 100 can improve the insufficient wireless communication quality caused by the housing 20 being made of metal or the like, and reduce the number of cables connected to the control device 2. Furthermore, even if the housing 20 is not made of metal or the like, the presence of the antenna 54 on the outside of the housing 20 can suppress the deterioration of wireless communication quality due to the influence of electromagnetic waves generated by the rotary drive mechanism 22c and the transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals. Therefore, the image diagnostic system 100 can reduce the number of connected cables.

[0060] Figure 9 is a front view of a different example of adapter 61. Figure 10 is a side view of a different example of adapter 61. Adapter 61 is an adapter portion of a cover in a different form than that described above. In Figures 9 and 10, for example, parts corresponding to the main body portion 59 of cover 5 are omitted, but as with the above-described form, the main body portion of the cover can also have the same configuration as the main body portion 59 of cover 5 described above.

[0061] As shown in these figures, the adapter 61, like the adapter 51, has a hole 611 through which the catheter 1 passes. The adapter 61 also has a connector 62 on the adapter 61 side that connects to the housing-side connector 252. The adapter 61 differs from the above configuration in that the wiring 63 from the connector 62 on the adapter 61 side does not extend inside the main body portion 59 of the cover 5, but instead forms an antenna 64 within the adapter 61.

[0062] Two different electrodes of the connector 62 are electrically connected to two different wires (conductive films) 63. The adapter 61 can be made of a rigid resin, and the two wires (conductive films) 63 can be formed thinly along the surface of the adapter 61 to form the antenna 64. In Figures 9 and 10, the antenna 64 is formed by wires (conductive films) 63 extending in different directions along the upward-facing curved surface of the adapter 61 when it is attached to the control device 2, but the arrangement and shape of the wires (conductive films) 63 are not limited to this.

[0063] The antenna 64 can be formed by wiring 63 arranged on the adapter 61. This allows the antenna 64 to be easily formed by attaching the adapter 61, regardless of the mounting state of the cover 5.

[0064] Even in configurations like those shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cover 5 and the diagnostic imaging system 100 can improve the insufficient wireless communication quality caused by the housing 20 being made of metal or the like, thereby reducing the number of cables connected to the control device 2. Furthermore, even if the housing 20 is not made of metal or the like, the presence of the antenna 54 on the outside of the housing 20 can suppress the deterioration of wireless communication quality due to the influence of electromagnetic waves generated by the rotary drive mechanism 22c and the transmission and reception of ultrasonic signals. The diagnostic imaging system 100 can also reduce the number of connected cables even when using a cover 5 with an adapter 61.

[0065] In this embodiment, an image diagnostic system 100 for obtaining tomographic images of blood vessels has been described, but it may also be configured to acquire tomographic images of tubular organs other than blood vessels.

[0066] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an example using a dual-type catheter 1 equipped with both intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) functions, it is also possible to use an IVUS catheter equipped with an ultrasound transceiver 12b but without an optical transceiver 12a, or an OCT catheter equipped with an optical transceiver 12a but without an ultrasound transceiver 12b, by connecting them to the control device 2.

[0067] The forms of this disclosure are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is not limited to those shown in the above disclosure but is shown by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended.

[0068] The matters described in each embodiment can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the independent claims and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the form of reference. In addition, although the claims do not use the form of a multi-claim that further references a multi-claim (multi-multi-claim), it may be a combination that uses the form of a multi-multi-claim that references all higher-level claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1: Catheter 11: Probe 12: Imaging Unit 13: Drive shaft 14: Guide wire insertion section 15: Probe connector 2: Control device 20: Cabinet 201: Hole 21: Signal Processing Circuits 22a: Rotary connector 22b: Optical rotary joint (optical connection part) 22c: Rotary drive mechanism 22d: Motor control device 23: IVUS-related circuits 23a: Ultrasonic signal transceiver 23b: Detector 23c: A / D converter 24: OCT-related circuits 24a: Optical path length control device 24b: A / D converter 25: Wireless communication circuit 251: Wiring 252: Enclosure-side connector 26: Power supply circuit 27: Built-in battery 28: Probe connection section 29: Light source device connection section 29a: Optical fiber connection section 29b: Control signal line connection section 29c: Detection signal line connection section 29d: Power connection section 3:Light source device 3a: Optical fiber 3b: Control signal line 3c: Detection signal line 3d: power line 30: Connection cable 31: Wavelength swept light source 32: Variable optical path length mechanism 33: Optical coupler 34: Photoelectric conversion element 35: Demodulator 36: Power supply circuit 37: Light source connector 37a: Optical terminal 37b: Control signal terminal 37c: Detection signal terminal 37d: Power terminal 4: Image display device 41: Display control device 42: Monitor 5: Cover 51: Adapter 511: Hole 52: Connector 53: Wiring 54: Antenna 541: Conductive film 542: Land 543: Land 57: Catheter fixation site 58: Folding part 59: Main body 100: Medical imaging system 61: Adapter 611: Hole 62: Connector 63: Wiring 64: Antenna P: Computer program

Claims

1. A control device having a housing that transmits control signals to the imaging unit of a catheter used for tomographic imaging and receives the captured image signals, A cover that encloses the housing and has an antenna for wireless communication that the control device transmits and receives. A diagnostic imaging system equipped with the following features.

2. The cover has an adapter that includes a hole for passing the catheter, which is connected to the control device, and wiring that electrically connects to the wireless communication circuit of the control device. The image diagnostic system according to claim 1.

3. The antenna is formed by a flexible wiring board electrically connected to the wiring of the adapter. The image diagnostic system according to claim 2.

4. The antenna is formed by the wiring arranged in the adapter. The image diagnostic system according to claim 2.

5. The control device has a rotational drive mechanism that connects the drive shaft connected to the imaging unit through the hole in the adapter, and rotates the imaging unit together with the drive shaft. The image diagnostic system according to claim 2.

6. The system further includes an image display device that displays an image based on the image signal received from the control device via wireless communication through the antenna. The image diagnostic system according to claim 1.

7. The device covers the housing of a control device that transmits control signals to the imaging unit of a catheter used for tomography and receives the captured image signals, and includes a wireless communication antenna for the control device. cover.

8. The control device A control signal is transmitted to the imaging unit of the catheter used for tomography. Upon receiving the image signal from the aforementioned tomography, Wireless communication of signals based on the image signal is performed via an antenna, which is wiring provided on the cover that encloses the housing of the control device. Communication method.

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