Ultrasound diagnostic equipment

Abstract

To reduce fatigue of a hand when touching and operating a touch panel monitor of an ultrasonic diagnostic device.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 includes: a display (touch panel monitor) 17; and a palm rest 171 for supporting a hand when touching and operating the display 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the monitors of ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses have become larger, and display panels with touch panels have become mainstream to allow for more intuitive operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-421 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the ultrasound diagnostic system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the touch panel monitor is basically positioned vertically, so when performing a touch operation on the touch panel monitor, the user must raise their hand and move it up, down, left, and right on the screen, which causes hand fatigue. This problem is particularly pronounced during ultrasound diagnosis, as the probe is held in one hand.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to reduce hand fatigue caused when touching and operating a touch panel monitor of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 comprises: An ultrasound diagnostic device, The ultrasonic diagnostic device is provided with a housing. A touch panel monitor and a palm rest for supporting a hand when performing a touch operation on the touch panel monitor; a control unit that controls the display of the touch panel monitor; Equipped with the palm rest is configured by a longitudinal groove provided on at least one of the left side surface and the right side surface of the housing of the touch panel monitor, into which a plurality of fingers can be simultaneously inserted; The control unit When displaying a touch-operable object on the touch panel monitor, the object can be displayed in a display mode that allows touch operation with the hand supported by the palm rest, When a plurality of the objects are displayed in the display mode, the plurality of objects are aggregated and displayed; If the number of the objects to be displayed in a consolidated manner exceeds a predetermined number, the objects are displayed in a distributed manner across multiple pages.

[0009] Claim 2 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in a detection unit that detects that a hand is supported by the palm rest; The control unit When the detection unit detects that the hand is supported on the palm rest, the object is displayed in the display mode.

[0010] Claim 3 The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2 In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in The control unit When the detection unit does not detect that the hand is supported on the palm rest, the object is displayed in a normal state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce hand fatigue caused when touching and operating a touch panel monitor of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of a palm rest, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a state in which an operator's hands are placed on the palm rest. [Figure 4] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of a palm rest, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a state in which an operator's hands are placed on the palm rest. [Figure 5] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of a palm rest, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a state in which an operator's hands are placed on the palm rest. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of a palm rest, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a state in which an operator's hands are placed on the palm rest. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a display control process. [Figure 8] (a) is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a group of icons is displayed on the display unit in a normal state, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when a group of icons in an aggregated state is displayed on the display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0016] <Configuration of Ultrasound Diagnostic Equipment> First, the overall device configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0017] The ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is a portable, all-in-one ultrasound diagnostic device that is installed in an examination room or the like in a medical facility such as a hospital. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 includes an ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 and an ultrasound probe 2. The ultrasound probe 2 transmits ultrasound waves (transmitted ultrasound waves) into a subject, such as a living patient, and receives reflected waves of the ultrasound waves (reflected ultrasound waves: echoes) reflected within the subject. The ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 is connected to the ultrasound probe 2 and transmits an electrical drive signal to the ultrasound probe 2 to cause the ultrasound probe 2 to transmit transmitted ultrasound waves toward the subject, and visualizes the internal state of the subject as ultrasound image data based on a received signal, which is an electrical signal generated by the ultrasound probe 2 in response to the reflected ultrasound waves received by the ultrasound probe 2 from within the subject.

[0018] Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are defined. The ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 has, on a housing 1a, an operation input unit 11, a display unit 17, a connector 32 (FIG. 2 (not shown in FIG. 1)), an ultrasound probe holder 40, and caster units 1b. Here, as an example, a configuration in which three connectors 32 are provided on the side surface of the housing 1a will be described, but the number is not limited to this. Correspondingly, a configuration in which three ultrasound probe holders 40 are provided on the side surface of the housing 1a will be described (however, two are not shown in FIG. 1), but the number is not limited to this. The housing 1a is made of metal, resin, or the like, and houses circuit components, etc., which will be described later.

[0019] The operation input unit 11 is disposed on the top surface (+z side) of the housing 1a. The operation input unit 11 has operation elements for accepting input of various image parameters for displaying, for example, a command to start a diagnosis, data such as personal information of a subject, and ultrasound image data on the display unit 17, and accepts operation input to the operation elements from users such as doctors and technicians. The operation elements are, for example, push buttons, encoders (rotary knobs), lever switches, joysticks, trackballs, keyboards, touch sensors (not shown) provided on the display unit 17, or multi-function switches that combine these.

[0020] Display unit (touch panel monitor) 17 is provided on the top surface (+z side) of housing 1a. Display unit 17 has a display panel such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or an inorganic EL display, and displays various types of display information such as ultrasound images on the display screen of the display panel.

[0021] The connector 32 is a receptacle connector that electrically connects the ultrasound probe 2 (connector 22 (FIG. 2)). The ultrasound probe holder 40 is a (probe) holder that holds the ultrasound probe 2. The caster unit 1b is arranged on the bottom surface (-z side) of the housing 1a and is a movable part such as a wheel that can move the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 (ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1) on the floor surface in the xy plane. The ultrasound diagnostic device 100 can be freely moved to a position such as the right or left side of a patient as a subject by the use of the caster unit 1b.

[0022] The ultrasound probe 2 includes an ultrasound probe body 21, a connector 22, and an ultrasound probe cable 23. The ultrasound probe body 21 includes transducers 2a and an acoustic lens (not shown) that focuses transmitted ultrasound toward a focal point. The transducers 2a are arranged in a one-dimensional array in the azimuth direction (e.g., 192 transducers). The transducers 2a may be arranged in a two-dimensional array. The number of transducers 2a can be set arbitrarily. While the ultrasound probe 2 is illustrated as employing a linear scanning electronic scan probe, it may employ either an electronic scanning or mechanical scanning method, and may employ any of a linear scanning method, a sector scanning method, or a convex scanning method. The above three ultrasound probes 2 using different scanning methods can be simultaneously connected to the connector 32 of the ultrasound diagnostic device body 1.

[0023] The ultrasound probe body 21 transmits ultrasound from the transducer 2a to the subject in response to a drive signal input from the ultrasound diagnostic device body 1, receives reflected ultrasound from the subject using the transducer 2a, generates a received signal, and outputs it to the ultrasound diagnostic device body 1.

[0024] The connector 22 is a plug connector that is fitted into and electrically connected to the connector 32. The ultrasonic probe cable 23 is electrically connected between the ultrasonic probe body 21 and the connector 22, and is a signal line made up of multiple insulated wires covered with a (protective) coating layer.

[0025] Next, the functional configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the ultrasound diagnostic device main body 1 includes, inside or outside a housing 1a, an operation input unit 11, a transmission unit 12, a reception unit 13, an image generation unit 14, an image processing unit 15, a display control unit 16, a display unit 17, a detection unit 18, a control unit 19, a selector 31, and a connector 32.

[0026] The operation input unit 11 receives operation input from an operator via various operation elements, and outputs the operation information to the control unit 19 .

[0027] The transmitter 12 is a circuit that supplies a drive signal, which is an electrical signal, to the ultrasonic probe 2 via the selector 31 and the connector 32 under the control of the control unit 19, causing the ultrasonic probe 2 to generate a transmission ultrasonic wave. The transmitter 12 also includes, for example, a clock generation circuit, a delay circuit, and a pulse generation circuit. The clock generation circuit is a circuit that generates a clock signal that determines the transmission timing and transmission frequency of the drive signal. The delay circuit is a circuit that sets a delay time for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a, delays the transmission of the drive signal by the set delay time, and focuses a transmission beam formed by the transmission ultrasonic wave. The pulse generation circuit is a circuit that generates a pulse signal as a drive signal at a predetermined period. The transmitter 12 configured as described above drives, for example, a continuous portion (e.g., 64) of the multiple transducers 2a (e.g., 192) arranged in the ultrasonic probe 2 to generate a transmission ultrasonic wave. The transmitter 12 then performs a scan by shifting the driven transducers 2a in the azimuth direction (scanning direction) each time a transmission ultrasonic wave is generated.

[0028] The receiving unit 13 is a circuit that receives a received signal, which is an electrical signal, from the ultrasound probe 2 via the connector 32 and the selector 31 under the control of the control unit 19. The receiving unit 13 includes, for example, an amplifier, an A / D conversion circuit, and a phasing and summing circuit. The amplifier is a circuit that amplifies the received signal at a preset amplification factor for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a. The A / D conversion circuit is a circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion (A / D conversion) of the amplified received signal. The phasing and summing circuit is a circuit that adjusts the time phase by providing a delay time for the A / D converted received signal for each individual path corresponding to each transducer 2a, and adds these signals together (phasing and summing) to generate sound ray data.

[0029] The image generator 14, under the control of the controller 19, performs envelope detection processing, logarithmic compression, etc. on the sound ray data from the receiver 13, adjusts the dynamic range and gain, and performs brightness conversion to generate B (Brightness) mode image data made up of pixels having brightness values ​​as received energy. In other words, B mode image data represents the strength of received signals by brightness. The image generator 14 may be capable of generating B mode image data as ultrasound image data in B mode, as well as ultrasound image data in other image modes such as A (Amplitude) mode, M (Motion) mode, and image modes based on the Doppler method (such as color Doppler mode).

[0030] The image processing unit 15, under the control of the control unit 19, performs image processing on the B-mode image data output from the image generation unit 14 in accordance with the various image parameters being set. The image processing unit 15 also includes an image memory unit 15a configured with a semiconductor memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Under the control of the control unit 19, the image processing unit 15 stores the B-mode image data that has been subjected to image processing in the image memory unit 15a on a frame-by-frame basis. Image data on a frame-by-frame basis may be referred to as ultrasound image data or frame image data. Under the control of the control unit 19, the image processing unit 15 sequentially outputs the image data generated as described above to the display control unit 16.

[0031] The display control unit 16 converts the image data received from the image processing unit 15 into an image signal for display under the control of the control unit 19 , and outputs the image signal to the display unit 17 .

[0032] The detection unit 18 has a touch sensor (not shown), and by providing the touch sensor on a palm rest 171 described later, the detection unit 18 detects that the operator's hand is placed on the palm rest 171. When the detection unit 18 detects that the operator's hand is placed on the palm rest 171, the detection unit 18 outputs the detection information to the control unit 19.

[0033] The control unit 19 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), reads various processing programs such as a system program stored in the ROM, loads them into the RAM, and controls the operation of each unit of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 in accordance with the loaded programs. The ROM is configured with nonvolatile memory such as a semiconductor, and stores the system program corresponding to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100, various processing programs executable on the system program, and various data such as a gamma table. These programs are stored in the form of computer-readable program code, and the CPU sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code. The RAM forms a work area for temporarily storing various programs executed by the CPU and data related to these programs.

[0034] The selector 31 is a circuit section that switches the connector 32 to be used for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves (driving signal output from the transmitter 12 and receiving signal input from the receiver 13) under the control of the controller 19.

[0035] For each component of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100, some or all of the functions of each functional block can be implemented as a hardware circuit such as an integrated circuit. An example of an integrated circuit is an LSI (Large Scale Integration), which is also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit), system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI depending on the level of integration. Furthermore, the integrated circuit implementation is not limited to LSI; it can be implemented using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor, or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or a reconfigurable processor that allows the reconfiguration of the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of each functional block can be implemented by software. In this case, the software is stored on one or more storage media such as a ROM, an optical disk, or a hard disk, and is executed by a processor.

[0036] Next, the palm rest 171 provided on the display unit 17 will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view showing an example of a palm rest 171, and Fig. 3(b) is a diagram showing a state in which an operator's hands are placed on the palm rest 171. Note that Figs. 3(a) and 3(b) only show the display unit 17 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 (the same applies to Figs. 4 to 6).

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the palm rest 171 is configured by a vertically long groove D provided on the right side surface of the housing of the display unit 17. This groove D is sized so that, for example, four fingers of the right hand (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) excluding the thumb can be inserted simultaneously. As a result, when an operator performs a touch operation on the display unit 17, the operator can insert the four fingers into the palm rest 171, thereby allowing the right hand to be supported by the palm rest 171, thereby reducing hand fatigue during the touch operation. The palm rest 171 is not limited to being provided on the right side surface of the housing of the display unit 17, but may also be provided on the left side surface of the housing or on both sides (left side surface and right side surface) of the housing.

[0038] 4(a) and 4(b), the palm rest 171 may be configured by providing a notch on the right side surface of the housing of the display unit 17. This notch is sized to accommodate, for example, four fingers of the right hand excluding the thumb. This allows the operator to place the four fingers on the palm rest 171 when performing a touch operation on the display unit 17, thereby allowing the right hand to be supported by the palm rest 171, thereby reducing hand fatigue during touch operations.

[0039] 5(a) and 5(b), the palm rest 171 may be configured by a bar B extending from one end to the other end of the display unit 17 in the vertical direction (z-axis direction; see FIG. 1) on the rear right side of the housing of the display unit 17, i.e., a substantially U-shaped bar B erected on the -x side (see FIG. 1). This allows the palm rest 171 to function as a buffer member for cushioning external shocks to the display unit 17. The bar B is sized to allow, for example, four fingers of the right hand, excluding the thumb, to be placed on the bar B simultaneously with the thenar eminence (base of the thumb) resting on the front right side of the housing of the display unit 17. The bar B is not limited to being linear from one end to the other. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the bar B may be bent midway from one end to the other end to provide a recess (depression) to facilitate support of the four fingers, excluding the thumb, of the right hand. Like the palm rests 171 shown in Figures 3 and 4, each palm rest 171 shown in Figures 5 and 6 may be provided not only on the right side surface of the housing of the display unit 17, but also on the left side surface of the housing or on both sides (left side surface and right side surface) of the housing.

[0040] Next, a display control process for the touch-operable icon group G displayed on the display unit 17 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the display control process.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, when the display control process is started, first, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the detection unit 18 has detected that the hand is supported on the palm rest 171 (step S1).

[0042] In step S1, if it is determined that the detection unit 18 has not detected that the hand is supported on the palm rest 171 (step S1; NO), the control unit 19 causes the display unit 17 to display the icon group G in the normal state (normal condition) as shown in Fig. 8(a) via the display control unit 16 (step S2). Here, in the normal state, the icon group G is displayed in two horizontal rows and six vertical rows, for example, from the top to the bottom of an icon display area to the right of the main display area that displays ultrasound image data and the like.

[0043] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S1 that the detection unit 18 has detected that the hand is supported on the palm rest 171 (step S1; YES), the control unit 19 causes the display unit 17 to display the group of icons G in an aggregated state, as shown in FIG. 8(b), via the display control unit 16 (step S3). Here, in the aggregated state, the group of icons G is displayed in two horizontal columns and six vertical columns in the center of the icon display area. That is, in the aggregated state, each icon in the group of icons G is reduced in size and displayed in a position (range) that can be reached by the thumb of the operator's right hand (see FIG. 3(b)) supported by the palm rest 171, that is, in a position where touch operation with the thumb is possible.

[0044] Next, the control unit 19 determines whether or not a predetermined operation to end the display on the display unit 17 (for example, operation of an end button (not shown)) has been performed (step S4).

[0045] In step S4, if it is determined that a predetermined operation to end the display on the display unit 17 has not been performed (step S4; NO), the control unit 19 returns the process to the determination process of step S1 and repeats the subsequent processes.

[0046] Furthermore, in step S4, if it is determined that a predetermined operation to end the display on the display unit 17 has been performed (step S4; YES), the control unit 19 ends the display control process.

[0047] As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes the display unit (touch panel monitor) 17 and the palm rest 171 for supporting the hand when performing a touch operation on the display unit 17. Therefore, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, the palm rest 171 can support the hand when touching the display unit 17, thereby reducing hand fatigue when touching the display unit 17 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100. Furthermore, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, the palm rest 171 supports the hand that touches the display unit 17, thereby making it possible to prevent the operator's body from shaking. As a result, the hand that holds the ultrasound probe 2 on the opposite side to the hand that touches the display unit 17 can be easily stabilized, allowing for smooth capture of ultrasound images.

[0048] The ultrasound diagnostic device 100 also includes a control unit 19 that controls the display of the display unit 17, and when the control unit 19 displays a group of icons (objects) G that can be touched on the display unit 17, the control unit 19 can display the group of icons G in a display format that allows touch operation while the hands are supported by the palm rest 171. Therefore, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, it is possible to touch the icon group G while keeping the hand supported by the palm rest 171, thereby further reducing hand fatigue when touching the display unit 17 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0049] Furthermore, when the control unit 19 of the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 displays a group of icons (multiple objects) G in a display mode that allows touch operation while the hand is supported by the palm rest 171, the control unit 19 displays the group of icons G in an aggregated manner, so that touch operation of each icon can be performed suitably even if the number of icons constituting the group of icons G is large.

[0050] In addition, the ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is equipped with a detection unit 18 that detects that a hand is supported by the palm rest 171, and when the detection unit 18 detects that a hand is supported by the palm rest 171, the control unit 19 displays the icon group G in a display mode that allows touch operation while the hand is supported by the palm rest 171. Therefore, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, when the hand is supported by the palm rest 171, the display mode of the icon group G can be automatically switched to a display mode that allows touch operation while the hand is supported by the palm rest 171, thereby improving the operability of the icon group G.

[0051] Furthermore, when the detection unit 18 does not detect that the hand is supported on the palm rest 171, the control unit 19 of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 displays the icon group G in the normal state (usual condition). Therefore, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 100, when the hands are not supported by the palm rest 171, the display mode of the icon group G can be automatically switched to the normal display mode, thereby improving the operability of the icon group G.

[0052] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified within the scope of the invention. For example, in the display control process of the above embodiment, the display control targets a group of icons G that can be touch-operated and are displayed on the display unit 17, but the display control targets can be any object that can be touch-operated, including toolbars, buttons, sliders, etc.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a palm rest on which the operator can place their hands may be provided at the lower end of the display unit 17 on the front side of the display unit 17. In such a case, the detection unit 18 detects that the operator's hands have been placed on this palm rest. Then, when the detection unit 18 detects that the operator's hands have been placed on the palm rest, the control unit 19 displays the above-mentioned icon group G in a display mode that allows touch operation with the operator's hands placed on the palm rest. Specifically, the control unit 19 displays the icon group G collectively in the center of the bottom of the screen of the display unit 17.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the number of icons constituting the icon group G exceeds a predetermined number (for example, 12), the icons may be displayed, for example, dispersed across multiple pages when the icon group G that has been aggregated in the process of step S3 of the display control process described above is displayed on the display unit 17. In such a case, for example, by using both the forward button and the back button, it is possible to switch to the page on which the icon to be operated is displayed.

[0055] In addition, the specific details of the configurations and controls shown in the above embodiments can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations and controls shown in the above embodiments can be appropriately combined without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 100 Ultrasound diagnostic equipment 1. Ultrasound diagnostic device 1a Housing 1b Caster part 11 Operation input section 12 Transmitter 13 Receiving unit 14 Image generation unit 15 Image processing section 15a Image memory section 16 Display control unit 17 Display 171 Palm rest 18 Detection unit 19 Control Unit 31 Selector 32 connectors 40 Ultrasonic Probe Holder 2 Ultrasonic probe 21 Ultrasonic probe body 2a Oscillator 22 Connector 23 Ultrasonic probe cable

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic device, a touch panel monitor provided on a top surface of a housing of the ultrasonic diagnostic device; a palm rest for supporting a hand when performing a touch operation on the touch panel monitor; a control unit that controls the display of the touch panel monitor; Equipped with the palm rest is configured by a longitudinal groove provided on at least one of the left side surface and the right side surface of the housing of the touch panel monitor, into which a plurality of fingers can be simultaneously inserted; The control unit When displaying a touch-operable object on the touch panel monitor, the object can be displayed in a display mode that allows touch operation with the hand supported by the palm rest, When a plurality of the objects are displayed in the display mode, the plurality of objects are aggregated and displayed; If the number of the objects to be displayed in a consolidated manner exceeds a predetermined number, the objects are displayed in a distributed manner across multiple pages. An ultrasonic diagnostic device characterized by:

2. a detection unit that detects that a hand is supported by the palm rest; The control unit When the detection unit detects that the hand is supported on the palm rest, the object is displayed in the display mode.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit When the detection unit does not detect that the hand is supported on the palm rest, the object is displayed in a normal state.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2.

Images