The present invention relates to a portable ultrasonic diagnosis device, and in particular, relates to a portable ultrasonic diagnosis device in which a display device and a main body are separable from each other.
An ultrasonic diagnosis device has been widely spread as a medical image diagnosis device which is relatively simple and non-invasive, and a small or a portable ultrasonic diagnosis device which is able to be used in a patient's room inside a medical center (hospital) or outside the medical center as well as in an examination room inside the medical center has been variously developed. For example, a notebook type ultrasonic diagnosis device including a structure in which a display panel for displaying an image captured by the ultrasonic diagnosis device or the like, and an operation panel for performing an input manipulation of an instruction necessary for an ultrasonic measurement are connected to be openable and closable in one end is practically used.
In the notebook type ultrasonic diagnosis device, a structure in which a display housing including the display panel is rotatable with respect to a main body housing has been proposed (for example, Patent document 1). In such a type of ultrasonic diagnosis device, it is possible to rotate the display panel in a direction of 360 degrees by rotating the display panel in a state where the display panel is erected with respect to the main body.
In addition, as a structure in which a position of the display panel is changeable, a device in which the display housing and the main body housing are able to be changed from a position (an open mode) where they are opened or closed by a hinge to a position (a tablet mode) where the display panel overlaps on the main body housing has been proposed (Patent document 2). In a technology disclosed in PTL 2, at the time of the examination, the examination is performed while performing a manipulation by the operation panel in the open mode, and when the image of the display panel is observed by a plurality of people, the image is able to be viewed in a state where the display panel overlaps with the main body housing.
The ultrasonic diagnosis device disclosed in Patent document 1 adopts the structure in which the display panel is rotatable, and thus a range in which the display panel is able to be viewed is widened. However, a rotation operation is performed by connecting the display panel onto an arm protruding from the operation panel, and thus, for example, it may be difficult to perform the rotation operation in the narrow space of a bedside, and there is a limit to degrees of freedom in a movable range of the display panel.
In addition, a technology disclosed in Patent document 2, the position of the display panel is switched between two modes, and thus the manipulation of the operation panel is not able to be performed in the state where the display panel overlaps with the main body housing, and only visual recognition of the display panel is performed. That is, it is not possible to perform the manipulation of the operation panel while securing degrees of freedom of viewing the display panel.
The present invention is to provide a portable ultrasonic diagnosis device in which a display housing including a display panel is independently movable from a main body housing including an operation panel, and both of the display housing and the main body housing are integrally operated.
In order to solve the problem described above, the present invention provides a portable ultrasonic diagnosis device including a first housing which includes a display panel, and a second housing which includes an operation panel, in which the first housing and the second housing are able to be separated from each other, and a handle is formed by linking the first housing and the second housing together.
According to the present invention, the display housing including the display panel is able to be separated from the main body housing, and thus the display panel is able to display an image or the like in any position or in a state of being held, and it is possible to remarkably improve flexibility in a range of viewing the display panel.
A portable ultrasonic diagnosis device of the present invention includes connectable and separable two housings as basic elements. One of the two housings is provided with a display panel, the other is provided with an operation panel, and the respective housings include handle portions. The handle portions of the respective housings have a function as a connection portion which connects the two housings, are disposed in a position where the handle portions overlap with each other at the time of overlapping the two housings to be connected, and the handle portions are integrated into one handle. In addition, the handle portion disposed in the housing provided with the display panel is rotatably attached to the housing, and functions as a supporting base at the time when this housing is separated from the other housing and installed independently, and as the handle at the time of being carried by an operator.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the portable ultrasonic diagnosis device (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “ultrasonic diagnosis device”) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The ultrasonic diagnosis device 100 includes a first housing (a display housing) 10 provided with a display panel 11, a second housing (an operation housing) 20 provided with an operation panel 21, and a handle 40 as a main configuration. Devices for realizing functions necessary for the ultrasonic measurement which are able to be shared by the two housings or provided in any one or both of the housings are housed in the respective housings. The handle 40 is formed by linking the two housings 10 and 20 together in a linked state, and the display panel 11 of the first housing 10 and the operation panel 21 of the second housing 20 face each other.
Specifically, devices necessary for the ultrasonic measurement include an ultrasonic probe (a probe) 50, a connector portion 31 to which the probe 50 is connected, an ultrasonic transmission and reception unit 32, a control unit 33, a memory unit 34, a DSC 35, a display device 36, an input device 37, an auxiliary device 38, a power source device 39, and the like as illustrated in
The display device 36 includes the display panel and a driving device of the display panel, and is provided in the display housing 10 in this embodiment. However, a small display panel and a driving device thereof are able to be provided in the operation housing 20. The input device 37 includes an input key or a button, a GUI, and the like which input instructions necessary for operating the device, and is provided in the operation housing 20 as the operation panel 21 in which the input key or the button, the GUI, and the like are suitably arranged. However, an input device such as a touch panel is able to be provided in the display housing 10. The power source device 39 and a switch (not illustrated) for turning the power source device ON or OFF are provided in both of the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20. The power source device 39 is a simple power source such as a battery, and may be provided with a terminal for supplying electric power from an external power source. For example, the other devices 31 to 35, and 38 are able to be provided in one or both of the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20. In the ultrasonic diagnosis device 100 of this embodiment, as main components, the devices 31 to 35, and 38 are provided in the operation housing 20, and the memory unit 34 for the display housing is provided in the display housing 10. However, it is possible to assemble a simple device having the same function as the devices 31 to 35 in the display housing 10.
In the operation housing 20 and the display housing 10, a mechanical connection portion (described later) also serves as an electrical connection portion, and a data exchange between the devices in the housings may be performed through the electrical connection portion. However, the data exchange is able to be performed by wired or wireless connection. For this reason, the display housing 10 may include an input and output terminal 13 such as a USB port for performing the data exchange with devices in the operation housing 20, other ultrasonic diagnosis devices (including a device in addition to the portable device) or the like. Further, when the display housing 10 has an ultrasonic transmission and reception function, the display housing 10 may include the connector portion 31 of the probe 50. Similarly, the operation housing 20 may include an input and output terminal (not illustrated) for performing the data exchange with devices in the display housing 10, other ultrasonic diagnosis devices, an external display device, or the like.
Next, a structure of the ultrasonic diagnosis device will be described. In this embodiment, the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20 have thin thicknesses, and are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped in which corner portions of a side surface are rounded, respectively. In addition, a surface (a display surface) on which the display panel 11 of the display housing 10 is disposed, and a surface (a manipulation surface) on which the operation panel 21 of the operation housing 20 is disposed have the same shape and the same size, and thus the display housing and the operation housing are formed in the shape of an integrated rectangular parallelepiped without dislocation (deviation) on the side surface in a state where the display housing and the operation housing overlap with each other as illustrated in
The display housing 10 and the operation housing 20 are connected to each other by the handle 40 on one side surface side thereof. The display housing 10 is rotatably fixed to the handle 40, and thus the display housing is able to be in a closed state illustrated in
On a side surface (a back surface) 20A of the operation housing 20 on which the handle 40 is disposed, the connector portion 31 for connecting the probe 50 thereto is formed to protrude toward the backward direction along with the handle 40, as illustrated in
Next, a mechanism for separating and linking (coupling) the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20 will be described with reference to
In the ultrasonic diagnosis device of this embodiment, the handle 40 is divided into a portion (a first handle portion 41) on the display housing 10 side, and a portion (a second handle portion 42) on the operation housing 20 side, and in the linked state illustrated in
The handle 40 of this embodiment has a ring shape surrounding a central elongated opening into which fingers of the operator are inserted, and the respective handle portions 41 and 42 have a shape in which the handle 40 having such a shape is divided into two parts along a direction parallel to a main plane, as illustrated in
In the handle portion 41 on the display housing 10 side, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the handle portion 41 and the handle portion 42, locking mechanisms for connecting both of the handle portions are provided. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a combination of hooks 421 and holes 411, and lock release buttons 422, and is disposed on each end portion opposite to the portion connecting with the housings. The hook 421 which is erectly disposed on the top surface of the handle portion 42 is engaged with the hole 411 formed in the handle portion 41, and connects the handle portion 41 with the handle portion 42. The lock release button 422 allows the hook 421 to slide inside the hole 411, and thus releases a locked state between the hook 412 and the hole 411. Two sets of hooks and holes are illustrated in the drawings, but the combination of the hook and hole is not limited to the two sets.
In a portion, which rises up with respect to the handle portion 42, on the back surface 20A of the operation housing 20, as illustrated in
Further, a structure of the handle portion 41 on the display housing 10 side will be described with reference to
The arms 413 for being connected with the display housing 10 are formed in a portion of the first surface 41A of the handle portion 41 on a side opposite to a portion gripped by a user along a direction perpendicular to the first surface 41A. In an illustrated example, two arms 413 are formed at an interval from each other, and the display housing 10 is pivotally supported by the arms 413. In
The connection projection portion 415 which is the connection portion with the operation housing 20 is formed in a portion of the outer circumferential surface 41C of the handle portion 41 on the side opposite to the portion gripped by the user. The connection projection portion 415 is connected to the connection concave portion 22 which is formed on the back surface 20A of the operation housing 20 described above. The connection projection portion 415 is a projection portion which is elongated along the outer circumferential surface 41C, and has a tapered-shape cross-section in which a thickness thereof becomes thinner in a direction protruding from the outer circumferential surface 41C side. A tapered surface of the connection projection portion 415 is inclined with respect to the second surface 41B illustrated in
Next, connection mechanisms (411, 421, and 422) between the handle portion 42 of the operation housing 20, and the handle portion 41 of the display housing 10 will be described with reference to
When the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20 are to be connected, first, the connection projection portion 415 is inserted into the connection concave portion 22 on the back surface of the operation housing 20 in the state where the main plane of the handle portion 41 is slightly inclined from the horizontal surface, and then the handle portion 41 is made parallel to the handle portion 42. At this time, the angle of the display housing 10 connected to the handle portion 41 with respect to the handle portion 41 is arbitrary, and operability is higher in a state where the display housing 10 is slightly inclined to the handle portion 41 side compared to a position where the display housing 10 is perpendicular to the handle portion 41 side. When the connection projection portion 415 is fitted into the connection concave portion 22, and the handle portion 41 is parallel to the handle portion 42, the hook 421 of the handle portion 42 is engaged with the hole 411 of the handle portion 41, and thus the hook and the hole are locked.
Subsequently, when the display housing 10 is rotated, and the display panel and the operation panel of the operation housing 20 are parallel to each other so as to be overlapped with each other, the display housing 10 is in the closed state illustrated in
On the other hand, when the display housing 10 is separated from the operation housing 20, the release button 422 is pressed towards a left direction in
In the state where the display housing 10 and the operation housing 20 are connected, the ultrasonic diagnosis device of this embodiment is used similarly to the usual notebook type ultrasonic diagnosis device, that is, the probe 50 is connected to the connector portion 31 to perform the examination, and an obtained image is displayed on the display panel. In addition, as illustrated in
In the separated state, various usage patterns as described in the following can be adopted. A usage example of the display housing 10 in the separated state is illustrated in
Furthermore, in an example illustrated in
In addition, the operation housing 20 is able to be connected to a display device different from the display housing 10, for example, a display with a large screen installed in a patient's room, and thus it is possible to view the image by the display while performing the examination. Alternatively, the operation housing 20 is able to be connected to another ultrasonic diagnosis device, and thus it is possible to be operated as the operation panel of the device.
According to this embodiment, the display device and the main body including the manipulation portion of the ultrasonic diagnosis device are able to be separated from each other, and thus flexibility in the posture of the display panel is remarkably improved. In addition, the display device and the main body are connected by a pair of handle portions which configure one handle, and thus it is convenient to carry or handle the device even when the device is in the linked state or in the separated state.
According to this embodiment, the display device is rotatably connected to the handle portion, and thus the display device is able to take various postures.
For example, the angle of the handle portion provided in the display panel is able to be freely changed with respect to the display housing, and thus it is possible to place the handle portion on an installation plane as a support of the display panel. At this time, it is possible to arbitrarily change the angle of the display panel with respect to the installation plane.
Further, the handle portions which are disposed in the display housing and the main body housing, respectively, are linked together to configure the handle of the device, and thus a belt or a handle for carrying the device is not necessary to be separately provided, and operability at the time of carrying the device is improved. In addition, the handle portion itself of each of the housings functions as the handle of each of the housings, and thus it is possible to independently carry each of the housings and to manipulate the device in a state of holding the handle portion, and it is possible to remarkably improve operability of the ultrasonic diagnosis device even in a narrow space.
Furthermore, the illustrated shape of the ultrasonic diagnosis device of this embodiment is an example, and the shape is able to be arbitrarily changed insofar as the shape has the functions described above. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a case where both of the display housing and the operation housing are in the shape of a thin square and the main planes thereof have approximately the same size is illustrated, but each of the display housing and the operation housing may have any shape, and the sizes of the main planes may be different from each other. Similarly, the shape of the handle may also be a C shape or a trapezoid shape in which one side is opened as well as the ring shape insofar as the shape has a function as the handle, and the shape of the two handle portions may also be any shape insofar as the shape has a function of enabling the two handle portions to be connected with each other and functions as the handle at the time of being connected.
Further, in this embodiment, as a suitable arrangement, a case where the connector portion of the probe is arranged alongside the handle on the back surface side of the operation housing is illustrated, but the arrangement is not limited to the back surface insofar as the position of the connector portion does not interfere with the manipulation.
The following is a summary of the characteristics of the portable ultrasonic diagnosis device according to the present invention.
A first housing (a display housing) including a display panel, a second housing (an operation housing) including an operation panel surface on which an operation panel is arranged, and a first handle portion and a second handle portion for configuring one handle by being linked together are provided, the second handle portion is fixed to a main body housing, and the first handle portion is rotatably fixed to the display housing.
The display panel of the display housing and the operation panel of the operation housing face each other in a state in which the first handle portion and the second handle portion are connected.
The main body housing has a side surface perpendicular to the operation panel surface, and the second handle portion is fixed to the side surface perpendicular to the operation panel surface.
The first handle portion is provided with a projection portion for being connected to the main body housing. A concave portion with which a protruding portion of the first handle portion is engaged is formed on the side surface of the main body housing to which the second handle portion is fixed. The projection portion of the first handle portion and the concave portion of the main body housing are able to serve as a portion of electrical connection between electronic components housed in the display housing and electronic components housed in the main body housing.
The main body housing has a connector portion for connecting a probe, and the connector portion is able to be disposed on the side surface to which the second handle portion is fixed in proximity to the second handle portion.
The first handle portion and the second handle portion have a connection mechanism for engaging the first handle portion and the second handle portion with each other to be attachable and detachable.
Shapes of top surfaces of a portion excluding the first handle portion of the display housing, and a portion excluding the second handle portion of the main body housing are approximately identical to each other. In addition, the top surfaces of the portion excluding the first handle portion of the display housing, and the portion excluding the second handle portion of the main body housing are in the shape of a rectangle, and the first handle portion and the second handle portion are disposed in corresponding positions along a long side of each rectangle, respectively. In this case, the display panel of the display housing has a display mode in which a longitudinal direction of the rectangle is a top and bottom, and another display mode in which a short direction is a top and bottom.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012-074315 | Mar 2012 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2013/051448 | 1/24/2013 | WO | 00 |