Medical devices

Abstract

To provide a medical device that can display more biological information by expanding the display area. [Solution] The display area 20 is provided on at least a part of the front portion 21. The length L of the display area 20 is longer than the length W of the display area 20, and the lower end 20a of the display area 20 is located vertically V below the grip portion 12a of the handle 12. The handle 12 is attached to the side end portion 22 or the back portion 23, and the mounting position of the handle 12 is fixed relative to the display area 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a medical device that acquires and displays biological information.

Background Art

[0002] In the medical field, from the perspective of improving the accuracy of diagnosis and the like, multiple combinations of biological information used in examinations, diagnoses, etc. are being used. Regarding these multiple biological information, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, multiple displays are connected vertically or horizontally for display.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, when displaying multiple biological information on a display, it is conceivable to expand the display area of the display. However, the extension of the display area may be restricted in the actual medical field. In many medical devices, a handle that is gripped by the user during movement is provided at a position around the height of the user's waist. However, when trying to expand the display area of the display, the handle becomes an obstacle, making it difficult to expand the display area of the display.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a medical device that can expand the display area and display more biological information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a medical device that acquires and processes a patient's biological information and displays it, comprising a main body having a display area for displaying the biological information, a front portion that extends vertically in at least a portion thereof, a side portion that intersects the normal direction of the front portion and is located at the end of the front portion with respect to a lateral direction that intersects vertically, and a back portion located on the opposite side of the front portion with respect to the normal direction, and a handle having a gripping portion, wherein the display area is provided in at least a portion of the front portion, the handle is attached to the side portion or the back portion, the attachment position of the handle is fixed relative to the display area, the length of the display area in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the display area in the width direction, and the lower end of the display area is located vertically below the gripping portion of the handle.

[0007] The gripping portion is preferably vertically extending. The front portion has a first surface portion extending vertically and a second surface portion that is bent or curved relative to the first surface portion, and the display area is preferably provided on the first surface portion and the second surface portion. The angle of the display area of ​​the second surface portion relative to the first surface portion is preferably variable. The display area is preferably composed of a plurality of connected display panels. The front portion is composed of a third surface portion extending vertically, and the display area is preferably provided on the third surface portion.

[0008] Preferably, the device is equipped with multiple casters positioned vertically downward from the main body, and the gripping portion is located inside the caster region, with the installation position of each caster being its apex. Alternatively, it is equipped with multiple casters positioned vertically downward from the main body, and the gripping portion is located outside the caster region, with the installation position of each caster being its apex.

[0009] Preferably, at least a portion of the display area is positioned to face outward with respect to a first surface, which is composed of a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the medical device and a lateral axis. Preferably, the display area is positioned to face outward with respect to a second surface, which is composed of a vertical axis passing through the center of a caster region, with the installation position of each caster as its apex and a lateral axis passing through the center of that region.

[0010] The medical device is an ultrasound diagnostic device, and preferably has a transducer holder located vertically below the gripping part for holding the transducer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the display area can be expanded to display more biological information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a medical device. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a medical device. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a medical device having a second planar section whose angle with respect to a first planar section is variable. [Figure 4] This is a front view of a medical device whose display area consists of multiple display panels. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a medical device having a third planar section. [Figure 6] This is a front view of a medical device having a third planar section. [Figure 7] This is a top view of a medical device. [Figure 8] This is a top view of a medical device in which the gripping part is installed in a different position than in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a side view of a medical device to explain the orientation of the display area in relation to the center of gravity of the medical device. [Figure 10] This is a top view of a medical device to explain the orientation of the display area in relation to the center of gravity of the medical device. [Figure 11]A side view of a medical device for explaining the orientation of a display area with respect to the center position of a caster area. [Figure 12] A top view of a medical device for explaining the orientation of a display area with respect to the center position of a caster area.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the medical device 10 acquires biological information of a patient, processes the biological information, and displays it. Specifically, the medical device 10 is an ultrasonic diagnostic device, and processes and displays an ultrasonic image obtained by applying a probe to the patient. Note that the medical device 10 can be used as various medical devices such as a surgical device in addition to the ultrasonic diagnostic device.

[0014] The medical device 10 includes a main body 11, a handle 12, and casters 13. The main body 11 is provided above a pedestal 14. The handle 12 has a gripping portion 12a that is gripped by a user when moving the medical device 10. The casters 13 are provided in four below the main body 11 in the vertical direction V and at the lower part of the pedestal 14. With these four casters 13, the entire medical device 10 can be moved. Note that the number of casters is not limited to four as long as it can balance the entire medical device 10. Also, the main body 11 is a base portion of the medical device 10 and may not be a separate and detachable body.

[0015] The main body portion 11 has a display area 20, a front portion 21, side end portions 22, and a rear portion 23. The display area 20 displays biological information. At least a part of the front portion 21 extends in the vertical direction V. The side end portions 22 are located at the ends of the front portion 21 with respect to the lateral direction H, and have a right end portion 22a and a left end portion 22b. The lateral direction H intersects (specifically, is orthogonal) with the normal direction N of the front portion 21, and also intersects (specifically, is orthogonal) with the vertical direction V. The rear portion 23 is located on the opposite side of the front portion 21 with respect to the normal direction N. Note that a control unit for processing biological information or the like may be provided in the main body portion 11. In addition, a contact used for ultrasonic diagnosis is held by a contact holding portion 24 provided below the gripping portion 12a of the handle in the vertical direction V. Note that the front portion 21 that defines the normal direction is a plane, and is not a curve or a curved surface.

[0016] The display area 20 is provided in at least a part of the front portion 21, and the length in the longitudinal direction L is longer than the length in the width direction W. In addition, the lower end 20a of the display area 20 is provided below the gripping portion 12a of the handle in the vertical direction V. Further, the handle 12 is attached to the side end portion 22 or the rear portion 23. Thereby, the display area 20 can display more biological information by extending not only near the handle 12 but also below the gripping portion 12a of the handle 12 to the lower end 20a. In addition, although the handle 12 is usually extended in the lateral direction H at the height of the user's hip so that the user can easily push and move it, in the present embodiment, since the handle 12 is provided on the side end portion 22 or the rear portion 23, when trying to expand the area of the display area 20 downward in the vertical direction V, the handle 12 does not interfere. Note that the gripping portion 12a of the handle 12 preferably extends in the vertical direction V so that the user can easily push or pull it.

[0017] In contrast to the medical device 10 of this embodiment, conventional mobile medical devices typically have a monitor mounted on top of the device body, which includes a control panel, and the monitor and the device body move independently. This is because the orientation of the device body is adjusted by moving the casters relative to the control panel, while the monitor is intended to be finely adjusted to any orientation as needed, without having to move the device body, which is difficult to finely adjust the position and orientation of.

[0018] Therefore, in conventional mobile medical devices, the relative positional relationship between the handle and the display surface of the monitor changes because there is a difference in the amount of adjustment of position and orientation between the device body and the monitor. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the lower end 20a of the display area 20 is positioned vertically V lower than the gripping portion 12a of the handle, and the handle 12 is attached to the side end 22 or the back surface 23. By fixing the mounting position of the handle 12 relative to the display area 20, the handle 12 does not interfere with the display area 20 on the front side. As a result, it is possible to provide the user with display content of a widely expanded display area without the presence of the handle 12 being an obstacle. In conventional mobile medical devices, in order to prevent interference between the display surface of the monitor and the handle on the device body side, the handle is provided on the device body side where the control panel is located, and below the monitor, rather than on the monitor side, as in the medical device 10 of this embodiment.

[0019] The front portion 21 has a first planar portion 21a (first surface portion) extending in the vertical direction V and a second planar portion 21b (second surface portion) provided bent or curved relative to the first planar portion 21a, and the display area 20 is preferably provided along the first planar portion 21a and the second planar portion 21b. If the display area 20 is to allow touch operation by the user in addition to displaying biological information, it is preferable to display the biological information in the portion of the first planar portion 21a and the touch operation screen in the portion of the second planar portion 21b of the display area 20. This allows the user to perform touch operations at a low position, such as when performing an examination or diagnosis while sitting in a chair. Alternatively, the portion of the first planar portion 21a may be used as the touch operation screen and the portion of the second planar portion 21b may be used to display biological information, or both the display of the touch operation screen and the display of biological information may be performed in the first planar portion 21a or the second planar portion 21b, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the angle θ of the display area 20b of the second planar portion 21b of the display area 20 is variable relative to the first planar portion 21a. This allows the biological information to be displayed in accordance with the user's posture and line of sight, even when displaying biological information below the display area 20b of the second planar portion 21b. Specifically, in order to make the angle of the display area 20b variable relative to the first planar portion 21a, it is preferable that the second planar portion 21b has a display area 20b and an angle variable portion 21c that can change its angle relative to the first planar portion 21a, and an angle fixed portion 21d whose angle relative to the first planar portion 21a is fixed. The angle variable portion 21c is attached to the angle fixed portion 21d by a hinge (not shown) or the like.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the display area 20 is preferably composed of a plurality of connected display panels 25. It is preferable to virtually combine these plurality of display panels 25 into a single panel by connecting them. In this case, the display of biometric information is performed continuously as a single virtual panel, and touch operations are also recognized as a single panel. Specifically, it is preferable that the display panel 25 consists of three panels, with two of the three display panels 25 provided on the first planar section 21a along the vertical direction V, and one display panel 25 provided on the second planar section 21b. The number of display panels 25 may be two or four or more.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the front portion 21 is preferably composed of a third planar portion 21e (third surface portion) extending in the vertical direction, and the display area 20 is preferably provided along the third planar portion 21e. The display area 20 provided on the third planar portion 21e is provided along the vertical direction V from the upper end 20c to the lower end 20a, and does not curve or bend in any way, as shown in Figure 3.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, it is preferable that the gripping portion 12a of the handle 12 is located inside the caster area RC, which has its vertices at the installation positions of each caster 13. When the casters 13 are located at the four corners of the base 14, the caster area RC becomes rectangular. By positioning the gripping portion 12a inside the caster area RC in this way, stability is ensured due to the length of the display area being long in the vertical direction V, and it is possible to prevent the user from unintentionally coming into contact with the handle 12. Note that when the medical device 10 is rarely moved and is used in a fixed position, it is preferable to have the gripping portion 12a installed as shown in Figure 7.

[0024] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, it is preferable that the gripping portion 12a of the handle 12 be provided outside the caster area RC, which has the installation position of each caster 13 as its apex. By providing the gripping portion 12a outside the caster area RC in this way, access to the handle 12 is ensured. This makes it easier to apply pushing or pulling force to the medical device 10 when moving the medical device 10, thus facilitating the movement of the medical device 10. It is preferable to use the gripping portion 12a configuration shown in Figure 8 when the medical device 10 is frequently moved.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, at least a portion of the display area 20 is positioned in an outward direction DO with respect to the first plane 27 (first surface), which is composed of a vertical axis AX1 passing through the center of gravity P1 of the medical device 10 and a lateral axis AX2 passing through it. Of the display area 20, a portion 20d is oriented in the outward direction DO of the first plane 27. In this way, by oriented a portion of the display area 20, such as a portion 20d, in the outward direction DO facing the user, the position of the display area 20 is made as close as possible to the user's front side when facing the display area 20. As a result, when the user touches the display area 20, they do not have to stretch their arms more than necessary, even if there is a base 14 including casters 13.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, at least a portion of the display area 20 is positioned in an outward direction DO with respect to the second plane 28 (second surface), which is composed of a vertical axis AX3 passing through the center position P2 of the caster area RC and a lateral axis AX4 passing through the lateral axis AX4. A portion of the display area 20, area 20d, is oriented in the outward direction DO of the second plane 28. By oriented a portion of the display area 20, such as area 20d, in the outward direction DO facing the user, the position of the display area 20 is positioned as close as possible to the user's front. This allows the user to perform touch operations on the display area 20 without having to stretch their arm excessively, even if there is a base 14 including the casters 13.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the medical device 10 may have a variable (extendable) height for the main body 11 having a display area 20. The medical device 10 may also be made more mobile by using wireless power supply with a battery. In this case, it is preferable to place the battery below the medical device 10, for example, on a base 14, to improve stability. It is also preferable to provide a status display unit at the top of the display area 20 to display the status of biological information. Furthermore, it is preferable to make the main body 11 of the medical device 10 rotatable with the vertical direction V as the axis of rotation, so that the orientation of the display area 20 can be changed. The length of the main body 11 in the width direction W (or the distance between the casters 13) is preferably slightly smaller than the shoulder width of a person (for example, about 300 mm) so that it can pass through places where a person can pass when moving. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 10 Medical devices 11 Main body 12 handles 12a Grip part 13 Casters 14 Pedestal 20 Display area 20a bottom end 20b Display area 20c top end 20d Partial area 21 Front view 21a 1st plane part 21b 2nd plane part 21c Angle-adjustable section 21d Angle fixing part 21e 3rd plane section 22 Side edge 23 Back part 24 Contact holding part 25 Display Panel 27 1st plane 28 Second plane V Vertical direction N normal direction H Lateral direction L Longitudinal direction W (width direction) θ angle RC caster area AX1~AX4 axes DO Outward direction P1 Center of gravity position P2 center position

Claims

1. A medical device that acquires a patient's biological information, processes the biological information, and displays it, A main body having a display area for displaying the biological information, a front portion that extends vertically in at least a portion thereof, a side end that intersects the normal direction of the front portion and is located at the end of the front portion with respect to the lateral direction that intersects the vertical direction, and a back portion located on the opposite side of the front portion with respect to the normal direction, It is equipped with a handle having a gripping portion, The display area is provided in at least a part of the front surface, The handle is attached to the side end or the back surface, and the mounting position of the handle is fixed relative to the display area. The display area is a medical device in which the length of the display area in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the display area in the width direction, and the lower end of the display area is located vertically below the gripping portion of the handle.

2. The gripping portion extends in the vertical direction, as described in claim 1.

3. The front portion has a first surface portion extending in the vertical direction and a second surface portion that is bent or curved relative to the first surface portion. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is provided on the first surface and the second surface.

4. The medical device according to claim 3, wherein the angle of the display area of ​​the second surface of the display area with respect to the first surface is variable.

5. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is composed of a plurality of connected display panels.

6. The aforementioned front portion is composed of the third surface portion extending in the vertical direction, The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is provided on the third surface.

7. The main body is equipped with a plurality of casters located vertically below it, The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping portion is provided inside the caster region with the installation position of each caster as its apex.

8. The main body is equipped with a plurality of casters located vertically below it, The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping portion is provided outside the caster region, with the installation position of each caster as the apex.

9. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the display area is provided facing outward with respect to a first surface formed by the vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the medical device and the lateral axis.

10. The main body is equipped with a plurality of casters located vertically below it, The medical device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is provided facing outward with respect to a second surface composed of the vertical axis passing through the center of the caster area, with the installation position of each caster as its apex, and the lateral axis.

11. The medical device is an ultrasound diagnostic device, and has a probe holder portion provided vertically below the gripping portion for holding a probe, according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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