Portable ultrasound imaging device

Abstract

To provide a portable ultrasonic image diagnostic device capable of improving visibility of a display panel.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic image diagnostic device 10 is connected with an ultrasonic probe P for performing transmission and reception of an ultrasonic wave, and has a configuration in which a device body 12 and the lower end of a lid body 14 having a display panel 16 are connected to each other with a hinge, and the lid body 14 is overlapped with the device body 12 to fold the ultrasonic image diagnostic device 10. The ultrasonic image diagnostic device 10 has a configuration in which the hinge is provided on the upper surface on the nearer side than the center of the device body 12 and the lid body 14 is rotated to the depth side of the device body 12 with a horizontal shaft H of the hinge as a spindle to fold the ultrasonic image diagnostic device 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known an ultrasound imaging diagnostic device that transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from a subject such as a living organism using an ultrasound probe, generates ultrasound image data based on signals obtained from the received ultrasound, and displays an ultrasound image based on this on an image display device. Ultrasound imaging diagnostics using such devices can obtain real-time images of heartbeats, fetal movements, etc., with a simple operation of simply placing the ultrasound probe on the surface of the subject's body, and can be performed repeatedly because it is non-invasive and highly safe.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent years, small, portable, portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging devices have been put to practical use, making it possible to perform diagnoses outside of medical facilities such as hospitals.

[0004] Such a portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device has, for example, a hinge connecting the rear end of a first housing, which has operating members that can be operated by the user, to the bottom end of a second housing, which has a display panel.After ultrasound imaging diagnosis is completed, the device can be stored by rotating the second housing toward the user using the hinge as a pivot and folding it (e.g., Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 6,980,419 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, the portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging device is small in size, and therefore has the advantage that the device can be installed anywhere when performing ultrasound diagnostic imaging. However, in a portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device such as that shown in Patent Document 1, the display panel is located at the back of the device during ultrasound image diagnosis. Therefore, for example, if the device is installed at a position higher than the eye level of a user such as a doctor or a patient, and an ultrasound diagnostic image is viewed from below the device while making a diagnosis, the first housing gets in the way and makes it difficult to see the display panel.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging device that can improve the visibility of the display panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a device to which an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is connected, The first housing and touch panel are installed. A second housing having a display panel and A portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device, a connecting portion that connects the first housing and the lower end of the second housing, the second housing can be closed relative to the first housing by rotating about a horizontal axis of the connection portion as a support axis, and can be folded in a state in which the second housing is substantially parallel to the first housing with a display surface of the display panel exposed, a front side is a direction in which the display surface faces when the second housing is rotated from the folded state and the second housing is raised up relative to the first housing, and the connection portion is provided at a position closer to the front than the center of the first housing; a grip portion that can be gripped by a user is formed on the front side of the connection portion, A gripping hole into which a user's hand can be inserted is formed on the front side of the connecting portion. It is characterized by:

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 is the portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device described in claim 1, The grip portion is provided so as to be able to protrude forward beyond the connecting portion. It is characterized by:

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is or 2. The portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device according to claim 2, One or more operating members that can be operated by a user are arranged on the front side of the center of the first housing. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the visibility of the display panel can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of an ultrasound diagnostic imaging device. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus in a folded state. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus in a folded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the cross section AA in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An ultrasound imaging diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In the following description, components having the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 includes a box-shaped device body 12 as a first housing and a lid 14 as a second housing having a display panel 16 on the front. The device body 12 is formed, for example, from a magnesium alloy and houses an electronic circuit board mounted with electronic components such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), not shown. The lid 14 is sized to fit the device body 12 in a plan view when folded. The display panel 16 is a touch panel including a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electronic Luminescence) display, and a position input device configured on the display screen of the display device. The position input device is, for example, a pressure-sensitive (resistive film thickness) device with transparent electrodes arranged in a grid pattern on the display screen. The position input device detects the XY coordinates of a force point pressed on the screen by a finger as a voltage value and outputs the detected position signal as an operation signal. The position input device is not limited to a pressure-sensitive type, and various types such as a capacitance type can be appropriately applied. Furthermore, the display panel 16 is not limited to a touch panel, and may be a display device having only a display function. In the description of this embodiment, the terms left and right, front and back, and up and down refer to the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 These refer to the left and right, front and back, and up and down with respect to the state in which the user is facing the display panel 16.

[0017] In this embodiment, the top surface 12a of the device body 12 and the lower end of the lid 14 are connected by a hinge 30 (see FIG. 3 ) covered by the cover body 14a at a position forward (closer) to the center of the top surface 12a of the device body 12. The hinge 30 is a so-called two-axis hinge, and in FIG. 1 , the lid 14 can be rotated relative to the device body 12 about a horizontal axis H and a vertical axis V. Therefore, for example, when the lid 14 is tilted rearward (toward the back) from the state shown in FIG. 1 with the horizontal axis H as the support axis, the lid 14 and the device body 12 overlap with each other so that the back surface of the lid 14 faces the top surface 12a of the device body 12, as shown in FIG. 4 , and the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 can be folded. In other words, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 is folded so that the display panel 16 is exposed upward. Furthermore, when the cover 14 is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 1 around the vertical axis V as the pivot so that the display panel 16 faces rearward (i.e., so that the back surface of the cover 14 faces forward), and then tilted rearward around the horizontal axis H as the pivot, the cover 14 and the device body 12 are superimposed so that the display panel 16 and the upper surface 12a of the device body 12 face each other, as shown in FIG. 5, and the ultrasound imaging diagnostic device 10 can be folded.

[0018] Here, the specific configuration of the hinge 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the hinge 30 as seen from the front side. In reality, the hinge 30 is covered by the cover body 14a, and therefore cannot be seen from the outside.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge 30 is configured to include, for example, a pivot shaft 34, a horizontal arm 33, a torque limiter 32, and a mounting plate 31, and is attached to a slide base 26 engaged with the upper surface 12a of the device main body 12.

[0020] The rotating shaft 34 is supported in the center of the upper surface of the slide base 26 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis V. A torque limiter (not shown) is provided at the support portion of the slide base 26 for the rotating shaft 34, and is configured so that the rotating shaft 34 rotates relative to the slide base 26 when a rotational force of a predetermined torque is applied to the rotating shaft 34.

[0021] A horizontal arm 33 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 34. That is, the horizontal arm 33 is rotatable together with the rotating shaft 34 about a vertical axis V. Disk-shaped flanges 33a extending upward are formed integrally on both ends of the horizontal arm 33. Cylindrical torque limiters 32 that fit into the outer surfaces of the flanges 33a are fixed to the outer surfaces of the flanges 33a, respectively.

[0022] The torque limiter 32 supports the mounting plate 31 so that it can rotate about a horizontal axis H. The torque limiter 32 allows the mounting plate 31 to rotate when a rotational force of a predetermined torque is applied to the mounting plate 31.

[0023] The mounting plate 31 has an arm 31b attached to the torque limiter 32 and a flat mounting portion 31a integrally formed at the tip of the arm 31b. The mounting portion 31a has a plurality of screw holes so that it can be fastened to the lid 14 with screws. In this embodiment, since it is configured as described above, the cover 14 can be rotated about the vertical axis V and the horizontal axis H, and then supported in that position.

[0024] In this embodiment, as described above, a two-axis hinge is used as the hinge 30, but a single-axis hinge that can rotate only about the horizontal axis H may also be used.

[0025] 1, a terminal (not shown) is provided on the right side of the device main body 12, and is configured to allow connection of a connector CN of the ultrasound probe P. This allows the ultrasound probe P to transmit ultrasound waves (transmitted ultrasound waves) to a subject such as a living organism (not shown), and to receive reflected waves of the ultrasound waves reflected by the subject (reflected ultrasound waves: echoes). That is, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 transmits an electrical drive signal to the ultrasound probe P to cause the ultrasound probe P to transmit transmitted ultrasound waves to the subject, and can visualize the internal state of the subject as an ultrasound image based on a received signal, which is an electrical signal generated by the ultrasound probe P in response to the reflected ultrasound waves received by the ultrasound probe P from within the subject.

[0026] An operation area 18 is formed on the top surface 12a of the device body 12, closer to the front than the hinge 30, in which one or more operation members, such as a trackball, dial, and button, that can be operated by the user, are arranged. A substantially rectangular grip hole 20 is formed in the approximate center of the operation area 18, allowing the user's hand to be inserted therethrough. That is, the operation area 18 is configured so that the operation members are arranged around the grip hole 20. The user can then insert their hand through the grip hole 20 and grasp the grip portion 22 formed in front of the grip hole 20. This configuration allows the ultrasound imaging diagnostic device 10 to be easily carried with one hand. While the operation area 18 is configured with the grip hole 20 in this embodiment, the grip portion 22 may protrude from the front end of the device body 12. Alternatively, the device may be configured without the grip hole 20. The grip portion 22 may also function as a hand rest when the user operates the touch panel. This makes it easier to operate the touch panel, and reduces the operator's fatigue.

[0027] In addition, a slide groove 24 extending in the front-rear direction is formed from the center of the top surface 12a of the device body 12 to the operation area 18. The slide groove 24 guides a slide base 26, to which a hinge 30 is attached, to slide in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the cover 14 is slidable in the front-rear direction (the direction indicated by arrow R in FIGS. 1 and 2) along the slide groove 24 relative to the device body 12. As a result, the cover 14 is displaceable between the position indicated by the solid line and the position indicated by the chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0028] Here, the configuration for allowing the lid 14 to slide relative to the device body 12 will be specifically described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 2, showing an enlarged view of the slide base 26. Figure 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged view of the slide base 26. Note that Figure 7 shows a portion of the top surface 12a of the device body 12 broken away.

[0029] 6 and 7, a pair of flanges 121 are provided on the upper surface 12a of the device body 12 so as to protrude opposite to each other, thereby forming a slide groove 24 as a guide portion having a convex cutout extending in the front-rear direction in cross section. A pair of support members 122 are attached to the back surface of the upper surface 12a of the device body 12 so as to cover the lower side of the slide groove 24.

[0030] The support member 122 extends along the extension direction of the slide groove 24. The support member 122 has a base portion 122a formed along the upper surface 12a of the device body 12, a bent portion 122b bent downward at a right angle from the tip of the base portion 122a, and a tip portion 122c bent at a right angle from the lower end of the bent portion 122b. The pair of support members 122 are attached so that the tip portions 122c face each other. The support member 122 is attached to the back side of the upper surface 12a of the device body 12 by fastening the base portion 122a to the back side of the upper surface 12a of the device body 12 with screws B. At this time, a gap 241 is formed between the pair of tip portions 122c through which a wiring C can be inserted. The wiring C electrically connects an electronic circuit board housed in the device body 12 to the display panel 16 and is made of, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC). A pair of flexible closing members 123 are attached to the underside of each tip portion 122c so as to pass through the gap 241. The closing members 123 are formed, for example, from a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) resin film, and are provided to extend along the extension direction of the slide groove 24. The pair of closing members 123 are provided so that their tip portions abut against each other. Since the closing members 123 are configured as described above, they can close the gap 241 while sandwiching the wiring C inserted through the gap 241. Furthermore, since the closing members 123 are flexible, they allow the wiring C to move in the extension direction of the slide groove 24.

[0031] The slide base 26, which serves as a slide member, is formed in a box shape, with flanges 26a protruding laterally from the lower left and right sides. The slide base 26 is accommodated in the slide groove 24, and is arranged so that its underside is covered by a support member 122. At this time, the flange 121 of the device main body 12 and the flange 26a of the slide base 26 are arranged so as to face each other in the vertical direction. This allows the slide base 26 to slide along the slide groove 24 without escaping from the slide groove 24. The slide base 26 has a cylindrically bored-out portion at the center of its upper surface to form a support portion 26b, which rotatably supports a rotation shaft 34. The rotation shaft 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and an insertion hole 26c, through which a wiring C can be inserted, is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the support portion 26b, so that the interior of the rotation shaft 34 is connected to the insertion hole 26c. Therefore, the wiring C inserted into the gap 241 can be guided to the display panel 16 through the insertion hole 26c and the inside of the rotation shaft .

[0032] 7, an engagement recess 26d is formed on the side surface of a flange 26a provided on the right side of the slide base 26, and a locking member 124 that engages with the engagement recess 26d is attached to a predetermined position facing the slide groove 24 on the upper surface 12a of the device body 12. The locking member 124 has an elastically deformable arm 124a and a locking portion 124b that is integrally formed at the tip of the arm 124a and bulges toward the slide groove 24. The arm 124a is biased toward the slide groove 24, and when the slide base 26 slides and the locking portion 124b is pressed by the side surface of the flange 26a, the arm 124a elastically deforms against the biasing force. Thereafter, when the engagement recess 26d and the locking portion 124b mate with each other, the elastic deformation of the arm 124a is restored, and the locking portion 124b is locked in the engagement recess 26d. This makes it slightly more difficult for the slide base 26 to slide, and therefore the positioning of the cover 14 can be easily performed.

[0033] In this embodiment, as described above, the slide groove 24 and slide base 26 are provided to allow the lid 14 to slide in the front-rear direction, but the lid 14 may be configured not to slide.

[0034] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 is connected to an ultrasound probe P for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves, and is configured such that the device body 12 and the lower end of the lid 14 having the display panel 16 are connected by a hinge 30, allowing the lid 14 to be folded so as to overlap the device body 12. The ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 is configured such that the hinge 30 is provided on the upper surface of the device body 12 closer to the user than the center, and the lid 14 is rotated toward the back of the device body 12 around the horizontal axis H of the hinge 30 as a support axis, thereby allowing the display panel 16 to be easily viewed, even when the device is installed at a position higher than the eye level of a user such as a doctor or a patient and an ultrasound diagnostic image is viewed from below the device during diagnosis, thereby improving the visibility of the display panel.

[0035] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the hinge 30 is a two-axis hinge having a vertical axis V perpendicular to the horizontal axis H, and the cover 14 is rotatable about the vertical axis V as a support axis. Since the display panel can be stored without being exposed, the display panel can be well protected.

[0036] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the display panel 16 is a touch panel, the display panel is placed close to the user's hand, and for example, the user can perform touch operations on the display panel while supporting his or her hand on the installation base of the device, thereby improving the operability of the device.

[0037] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 is provided with the slide base 26 to which the hinge 30 is attached and the slide groove 24 that guides the slide base 26 in the front-to-rear direction of the top surface 12a of the device body 12, so that the second housing can be moved back and forth as needed to a position where the display panel is easily visible, improving convenience.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic imaging device 10 has an operation area 18 in front of the hinge 30 of the device body 12, in which one or more operation members that can be operated by the user are arranged, and a gripping hole 20 into which the user's hand can be inserted is opened in the operation area 18, forming a gripping portion 22 that can grip the front end of the device body 12. Therefore, the device can be made more compact than if the gripping portion were provided protruding from the device body, and the device can be made smaller.

[0039] The description of the embodiment of the present invention is merely an example of the ultrasound imaging diagnostic device according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. The detailed configuration and detailed operation of each functional unit constituting the ultrasound imaging diagnostic device can also be modified as appropriate.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lid 14 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction by the slide groove 24 and the slide base 26 that is guided along the slide groove 24, but the configuration is not limited to the above as long as it can guide the lid 14 to be movable in the front-rear direction. For example, a guide protrusion extending in the front-rear direction may be provided on the top surface 12a of the device body 12, and the slide base may be guided by the guide protrusion to slide on the top surface 12a, thereby allowing the lid 14 to be moved in the front-rear direction. The shapes of the slide groove 24 and the slide base 26 are not limited to those described above, and any appropriate shape may be used.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, the cover 14 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction, but it may be configured to be immovable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10. Ultrasound imaging diagnostic device (portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device) 12 Device main body (first housing) 14 Lid (second housing) 16 Display panel 18 Operation area 20 Gripping hole 22 Gripping part 24 Slide groove (guide part) 26 Slide base (slide member) 30 Hinge P Ultrasonic probe H horizontal axis V vertical axis

Claims

1. A portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging device is connected to an ultrasound probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasound, and includes a first housing and a second housing having a display panel with a touch panel, a connecting portion that connects the first housing and a lower end portion of the second housing, the second housing can be closed relative to the first housing by rotating about a horizontal axis of the connection portion as a support axis, and can be folded so as to be approximately parallel to the first housing with a display surface of the display panel exposed, a front side is a direction in which the display surface faces when the second housing is rotated from the folded state and the second housing is raised up relative to the first housing, and the connection portion is provided at a position closer to the front than the center of the first housing; a grip portion that can be gripped by a user is formed on the front side of the connection portion, A portable ultrasound diagnostic imaging device, characterized in that a gripping hole into which a user's hand can be inserted is opened closer to the front side than the connecting portion.

2. A portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the gripping portion is arranged to be able to protrude forward further than the connection portion.

3. A portable ultrasound imaging diagnostic device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one or more operating members that can be operated by a user are arranged forward of the center of the first housing.

Images