Patent Application
20250160770
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-196967, filed on Nov. 20, 2023. The above application is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, in its entirety, into the present application.
The technology of the present disclosure relates to a radiography unit and a radiography system.
JP2014-186695A discloses an autonomous mobile device comprising an object information acquisition unit that acquires detection information of objects present around the autonomous mobile device, a masking unit that masks detection information within a predetermined region from the detection information of the objects acquired by the object information acquisition unit, a local map creation unit that creates a local map of the region around the autonomous mobile device from the detection information masked by the masking unit, a moving unit that moves the autonomous mobile device, a self position estimation unit that estimates a self position based on the local map created by the local map creation unit and the amount of movement of the moving unit, a guiding unit that drives the moving unit based on a user operation to guide the autonomous mobile device, and an environmental map creation unit that creates an environmental map of a movement region from the self position estimated by the self position estimation unit and the local map while being guided by the guiding unit.
JP2021-176505A discloses an omnidirectional mobile device comprising a chassis on which a plurality of wheels that can move in all directions are arranged, a vehicle body arranged on the chassis, a universal joint that connects the chassis and the vehicle body and allows a posture of the vehicle body to be changed relative to the chassis, and a posture stabilization system that moves the chassis in the direction in which the posture of the vehicle body has changed and maintains the posture of the vehicle body stable.
WO2018/216530A discloses a mobile platform. The mobile platform includes a chassis configured to accommodate one or more medical devices, an omnidirectional wheel system including an omnidirectional wheel coupled to the chassis, a battery accommodated in the chassis, the battery being configured to supply power to drive the omnidirectional wheel system and/or supply power to operate the one or more medical devices, and a battery charging system accommodated within the chassis, the battery charging system being configured to facilitate wired and/or wireless charging of the battery.
In both JP2014-186695A and JP2021-176505A, it is stated that the device can travel in all directions in a case in which omni-wheels rotate by receiving power from a power source, but no consideration is given to the direction in which the device moves in the case of being moved manually. Also, WO2018/216530A discloses a mobile medical device driving platform having a chassis configured to accommodate a medical device and an omnidirectional wheel coupled to the chassis. However, in WO2018/216530A, manual position adjustment of the mobile medical device driving platform during radiography is not taken into consideration. In view of the above, the technology of the present disclosure provides a radiography unit and a radiography system that can facilitate position adjustment in a case in which manual position adjustment is performed.
A first aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to a radiography unit comprising: a wheel portion including a first wheel provided at a lower portion of a unit and movable in a first direction by rotation, and a second wheel arranged circumferentially in a rotation direction of the first wheel and movable in a second direction different from the first direction by rotation; a brake mechanism configured to restrict the rotation of the first wheel; and an operation unit configured to receive an operation of changing a state of restriction of the wheel portion by the brake mechanism, the operation being to set a movement direction of the unit by the wheel portion to one direction, in which, in a case in which the rotation of the first wheel is restricted by the brake mechanism in response to an operation on the operation unit and movement in another direction intersecting the one direction is restricted, movement in the one direction is enabled by the rotation of the second wheel.
A second aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the first aspect, in which a plurality of the wheel portions are provided, and the plurality of wheel portions include a first wheel portion which is the wheel portion disposed in an orientation in which the first direction is the one direction, and a second wheel portion which is the wheel portion disposed in an orientation in which the first direction is the other direction.
A third aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the second aspect, in which the operation unit is configured to receive an operation of setting a movable direction of the radiography unit to either the one direction or the other direction, and in response to the operation on the operation unit, the restriction of the rotation of the first wheel by the brake mechanism in the first wheel portion and the restriction of the rotation of the first wheel by the brake mechanism in the second wheel portion are selectively switched, thereby switching the movable direction to the one direction or the other direction.
A fourth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the second aspect, in which the number of the first wheel portions and the number of the second wheel portions are the same.
A fifth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the second aspect, in which the plurality of wheel portions include two or more of the first wheel portions and two or more of the second wheel portions.
A sixth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the first aspect, in which a plurality of the wheel portions are provided, and the plurality of wheel portions are disposed in such a manner that the first direction is the same.
A seventh aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the sixth aspect, in which the radiography unit is a radiation source unit including a radiation emitting unit configured to emit radiation and an arm that supports the radiation emitting unit, and the arm is configured to move the radiation emitting unit in a direction intersecting a movement direction of the radiography unit.
An eighth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the first aspect, in which, in the wheel portion, the second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
A ninth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the eighth aspect, in which the second wheel is formed of a material having a friction coefficient configured to suppress the movement in the other direction in the wheel portion in which the rotation of the first wheel is restricted by the brake mechanism.
A tenth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the first aspect, in which, in the wheel portion, the second direction is a direction inclined with respect to the first direction.
An eleventh aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the first aspect, in which the radiography unit is a radiation source unit including a radiation emitting unit configured to emit radiation, and the operation unit is provided in the radiation emitting unit.
A twelfth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to the radiography unit according to the eleventh aspect, in which the operation unit has a display unit that indicates a movable direction of the radiation source unit, and a display on the display unit is switched depending on an irradiation direction of the radiation by the radiation emitting unit.
A thirteenth aspect according to the technology of the present disclosure relates to a radiography system comprising: a radiation source unit that includes a radiation emitting unit configured to emit radiation; and a detection unit that includes a radiation detection unit configured to detect the radiation, in which the radiation source unit and/or the detection unit is the radiography unit according to the first aspect.
According to the technology of the present disclosure, a radiography unit and a radiography system that can facilitate position adjustment in a case in which manual position adjustment is performed are provided.
An example of an embodiment of a radiography system 10 according to the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, for convenience of explanation, a front-rear direction (also called a depth direction), a width direction, and a height direction of the radiography system 10 are indicated by three arrows X, Y, and Z. First, the height direction is indicated by an arrow Z, and an arrow Z direction indicated by the arrow Z is defined as an upward direction of the radiography system 10, and an opposite direction thereof is defined as a downward direction. The up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction. The width direction is indicated by an arrow Y orthogonal to the arrow Z, and a direction indicated by the arrow Y is defined as a forward direction of the radiography system 10, and an opposite direction thereof is defined as a rearward direction. The left-right direction is indicated by an arrow X, which is a direction orthogonal to the arrows Z and Y, and a direction indicated by the arrow X is defined as a left direction of the radiography system 10, and an opposite direction thereof is defined as a right direction. In the following description, the expression using the side, such as an upper side, a lower side, a left side, a right side, a front side, and a rear side, has the same meaning as the expression using the direction.
In the present embodiment, the “vertical direction” refers not only to a perfect vertical direction but also to a vertical direction in the sense of including an error that is generally acceptable in the technical field to which the technology of the present disclosure belongs and that does not contradict the concept of the technology of the present disclosure. The same applies to the “horizontal direction”, which refers not only to a perfect horizontal direction but also to a horizontal direction in the sense of including an error that is generally acceptable in the technical field to which the technology of the present disclosure belongs and that does not contradict the concept of the technology of the present disclosure.
As an example, as shown in
The radiation source unit 20 comprises a body part 22, an arm 24, and a radiation emitting unit 26. The body part 22 is a part constituting the body portion of the radiation source unit 20, and accommodates therein a power supply system that supplies power to the radiation source 26A, a control device that controls the entire radiation source unit 20, and a mechanism for driving the arm 24, etc.
The arm 24 is a part that extends from the body part 22, with its base end attached to the body part 22 and the radiation emitting unit 26 provided at its tip part. The arm 24 is capable of being displaced in order to move the radiation emitting unit 26 relative to the subject A. Specifically, the arm 24 is expandable and contractible in the up-down direction. The arm 24 is also expandable and contractible in the horizontal direction. This allows the radiation emitting unit 26 to be moved relative to the subject A via the arm 24.
The body part 22 is provided with an operation unit 25. The operation unit 25 is capable of receiving an operation of designating a movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 in a predetermined direction. The operation unit 25 is, for example, an operation panel having buttons capable of designating the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20. The operation unit 25 is provided, for example, on the left side surface of the body part 22. The operation unit 25 is an example of an “operation unit” according to the technology of the present disclosure.
The radiation emitting unit 26 is capable of emitting radiation to the subject A. The radiation emitting unit 26 is attached to the tip part of the arm 24. The radiation emitting unit 26 accommodates a radiation source 26A therein. The irradiation direction of the radiation generated in the radiation source 26A is defined by an irradiation field limiter (not shown) inside the radiation source 26A. Then, the subject A is irradiated with radiation from the radiation source 26A. In the example shown in
Furthermore, the radiation emitting unit 26 comprises a grip portion 26B. The grip portion 26B is a part that can be gripped by a user of the radiography system 10 (for example, a radiologist or a doctor). A user can move the radiation source unit 20 by holding the grip portion 26B.
In addition, a base portion 28 is provided on the lower side of the body part 22. The base portion 28 is a part that supports the body part 22. In addition, a wheel portion 40 is provided on the lower surface of the base portion 28. The radiation source unit 20 can travel via the wheel portion 40 provided on the body part 22. The radiation source unit 20 can be manually moved by a user (for example, a doctor or a radiologist). Details of the wheel portion 40 will be described later. The wheel portion 40 is an example of a “wheel portion” according to the technology of the present disclosure.
The detection unit 30 comprises a body part 32, an arm 34, and a radiation detection unit 36. The body part 32 is a part constituting the body portion of the detection unit 30, and accommodates therein a power supply system that supplies power to the radiation detector 36A, a control device that controls the entire detection unit 30, and a mechanism for driving the arm 34, etc.
The arm 34 is a part that extends from the body part 32, with its base end attached to the body part 32 and the radiation detection unit 36 provided on its tip end. The arm 34 is capable of being displaced in order to move the radiation detection unit 36 relative to the subject A. Specifically, the arm 34 is a rod-like member provided on the body part 32, and the arm 34 is capable of moving the radiation detection unit 36 in the up-down direction.
The body part 32 is provided with an operation unit 35. The operation unit 35 is capable of receiving an operation of designating a movement direction of the detection unit 30 in a predetermined direction. The operation unit 35 is, for example, an operation panel having buttons capable of designating the movement direction of the detection unit 30. The operation unit 35 is provided, for example, on the left side surface of the body part 32. The operation unit 35 is an example of an “operation unit” according to the technology of the present disclosure.
The radiation detection unit 36 detects the radiation emitted from the radiation emitting unit 26. The radiation detection unit 36 accommodates a radiation detector 36A therein. The radiation detector 36A detects radiation that is emitted from the radiation source 26A and transmits through a diagnosis target part of the subject A, and outputs a radiation image. The radiation detector 36A is called a flat panel detector (FPD). The radiation detector 36A has a scintillator that converts radiation into visible light, and may be an indirect conversion type that converts the visible light emitted by the scintillator into an electric signal, or a direct conversion type that directly converts radiation into an electric signal.
In addition, a base portion 38 is provided on the lower side of the body part 32. The base portion 38 is a part that supports the body part 32. In addition, a wheel portion 40 is provided on the lower surface of the base portion 38. The detection unit 30 can travel via the wheel portion 40 provided on the body part 32. The detection unit 30 can be manually moved by a user (for example, a doctor or a radiologist). Details of the wheel portion 40 will be described later.
Here, in radiography using the radiography system 10, there are cases in which it is necessary to adjust the positional relationship between the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30. For example, by adjusting the distance between the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30, a source to image receptor distance (SID), which is the distance from the focus of the radiation source 26A to the radiation detector 36A, may be adjusted. In this case, it is conceivable that each unit can adjust its position by moving on its own via the wheel portion 40; however, there are limitations on the speed at which the unit can move while traveling and on the minimum distance it can move. Therefore, the time required for position adjustment will be long.
Therefore, the user manually moves the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30 to adjust their positions. In this case, in order to facilitate position adjustment, it is required to move the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30 in only one direction. For example, after determining the position in the left-right direction of the radiation source unit 20 relative to the detection unit 30 (the direction along the X direction shown in
Therefore, the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30 according to the present embodiment are provided with a wheel portion 40. In the following description, the wheel portion 40 provided on the base portion 28 of the radiation source unit 20 will be used as an example, but the wheel portion 40 provided on the base portion 38 of the detection unit 30 has a similar configuration. In the following description, in a case in which there is no need to distinguish between the radiation source unit 20 and the detection unit 30, they may be simply referred to as “each unit”.
As an example, as shown in
Specifically, in the example shown in
The wheel portion 40 has main wheels 42A and 42B. The main wheels 42A and 42B are wheels for enabling the radiation source unit 20 to travel. The main wheels 42A and 42B have approximately the same outer diameter. In addition, the main wheels 42A and 42B are rotatable about a common rotation axis ML. Except in the case of manual position adjustment, the main wheels 42A and 42B may be rotatable by receiving power from a power source not shown, and the main wheels 42A and 42B rotate simultaneously by receiving power from a power source not shown. In other words, the main wheels 42A and 42B passively rotate in the case of manual position adjustment by the user. The main wheels 42A and 42B are disposed adjacent to each other along the direction of the rotation axis ML. The upper portions of the main wheels 42A and 42B are accommodated in a housing 41. The main wheels 42A and 42B are examples of a “first wheel” according to the technology of the present disclosure.
The wheel portion 40 has auxiliary wheels 44A arranged circumferentially in the rotation direction of the main wheels 42A. Specifically, the main wheel 42A includes auxiliary wheels 44A, and the auxiliary wheels 44A are attached along the outer periphery of the main wheels 42A. In other words, the auxiliary wheels 44A form the outer peripheral surface of the main wheels 42A that can come into contact with the ground. The auxiliary wheel 44A has a spindle shape and is rotatable about a rotation axis SL that is aligned with the central axis of the spindle shape. The rotation axis SL of the auxiliary wheel 44A is orthogonal to the rotation axis ML of the main wheel 42A. In other words, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A is orthogonal to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A. Additionally, the auxiliary wheels 74 rotate passively in the case of manual position adjustment. In the example shown in
The auxiliary wheels 44A are formed of a material having a friction coefficient capable of suppressing movement due to rotation of the main wheels 42A in a state in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A is restricted by a brake mechanism 46. The auxiliary wheels 44A are formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material (for example, rubber).
The main wheel 42B is also provided with an auxiliary wheel 44B, similarly to the auxiliary wheel 44A of the main wheel 42A. However, the circumferential disposition of the auxiliary wheels 44B on the main wheels 42B is shifted by 60° with respect to the rotation axis ML with respect to the circumferential disposition of the auxiliary wheels 44A on the main wheels 42A. Accordingly, in a region of the main wheel 42A where there is no ground contact surface (that is, a region where the auxiliary wheel 44A is not provided), the auxiliary wheel 44B of the main wheel 42B is adapted to come into contact with the ground. As a result, either the main wheel 42A or the main wheel 42B of the wheel portion 40 comes into contact with the ground, thereby achieving stable movement by the wheel portion 40.
The main wheels 42A and 42B are, for example, so-called Omni-Wheels (registered trademark). Although an omni-wheel having three auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is given as an example here, this is merely one example. For example, there may be three or more auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B. In addition, an example of a form in which a pair of main wheels 42A and 42B are provided on one wheel portion 40 has been described, but this is merely one example, and one main wheel may be provided on one wheel portion 40. In this case, by increasing the number of auxiliary wheels provided on the main wheels (for example, 30 wheels) and increasing the surface area in contact with the ground, movement due to rotation of the main wheels can be stabilized.
In the wheel portions 40A and 40B, the rotation axes ML of the pair of main wheels 42A and 42B are oriented in the same direction. In other words, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B, the directions of movement caused by the rotation of the pair of main wheels 42A and 42B are the same. Here, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B, the rotation axis ML is along the front-rear direction (the direction along the Y direction shown in
On the other hand, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D, the rotation axes ML of the pair of main wheels 42A and 42B are also oriented in the same direction. In other words, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D, the directions of movement caused by the rotation of the pair of main wheels 42A and 42B are the same. Here, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D, the rotation axis ML is along the left-right direction (the direction along the X direction shown in
Thus, the plurality of wheel portions 40 include wheel portions 40A and 40B whose movable direction due to rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the left-right direction. The plurality of wheel portions 40 also include wheel portions 40C and 40D whose movable direction due to rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the front-rear direction orthogonal to the left-right direction. In addition, the number of wheel portions 40 whose movable direction due to the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the left-right direction is the same as the number of wheel portions 40 whose movable direction due to the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the front-rear direction. In a state of not being braked by the brake mechanism 46, the radiation source unit 20 is movable in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction by the plurality of wheel portions 40.
The brake mechanism 46 is provided on the base portion 28. The brake mechanism 46 is a mechanism capable of restricting the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portion 40. The brake mechanism 46 is not particularly limited, and a general wheel braking mechanism may be employed. In the example shown in
As described above, in the case of adjusting the position of the radiation source unit 20, first, the rough position of the radiation source unit 20 is set. Then, the brake mechanism 46 of the radiation source unit 20 is actuated to restrict the movement of the radiation source unit 20. From this state, the user manually moves the radiation source unit 20 only in a predetermined direction to adjust the position. Therefore, as an example, as shown in
In the example shown in
Note that, although an example of a form in which the left/right movement button 25A is pressed on the operation unit 25 has been described here, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in a case in which the operation unit 25 is a touch panel, the left/right movement button 25A may be a soft button displayed on the screen.
The operation unit 25 may include a display 25C capable of displaying information relating to the position of the radiation source unit 20. On the display 25C, the SID is displayed or the angle of the radiation source unit 20 with respect to the detection unit 30 is displayed.
In response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the brake mechanism 46 restricts the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B. Here, since an operation of setting the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 to the left-right direction has been received, the brake mechanism 46 restricts the movement of the wheel portion 40 in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B in the wheel portion 40C and the wheel portion 40D is restricted by the brake mechanism 46. On the other hand, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B in which the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the left-right direction, the restriction by the brake mechanism 46 is released.
After the state of restriction of the wheel portion 40 by the brake mechanism 46 is changed in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the radiation source unit 20 is manually moved by the user. In the example shown in
Here, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D, the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is not restricted. Furthermore, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40C and 40D is the left-right direction. Therefore, the radiation source unit 20 can move in the left-right direction not only by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portions 40A and 40B, but also by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40C and 40D.
Further, the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B are formed of a material having a friction coefficient capable of restricting movement in the front-rear direction. That is, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D, the movement in the front-rear direction is also restricted by the contact of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B with the floor surface.
In this manner, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is restricted, movement in the left-right direction is achieved by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B. The user adjusts the position of the radiation source unit 20 in the left-right direction.
Next, the user adjusts the position of the radiation source unit 20 in the front-rear direction. As an example, as shown in
Since an operation of setting the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 to the front-rear direction has been received, the brake mechanism 46 restricts the movement of the wheel portion 40 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B in the wheel portion 40A and the wheel portion 40B is restricted by the brake mechanism 46. On the other hand, in the wheel portions 40C and 40D in which the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the left-right direction, the restriction by the brake mechanism 46 is released.
After the state of restriction of the wheel portion 40 by the brake mechanism 46 is changed in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the radiation source unit 20 is manually moved by the user. In the example shown in
Here, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B, the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is not restricted. Furthermore, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40A and 40B is the front-rear direction. Therefore, the radiation source unit 20 can move in the front-rear direction not only by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portions 40C and 40D, but also by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40C and 40D.
Further, the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B are formed of a material having a friction coefficient capable of restricting movement in the left-right direction. That is, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B, the movement in the left-right direction is also restricted by the contact of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B with the floor surface.
In this manner, in the wheel portions 40A and 40B in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is restricted, movement in the front-rear direction is achieved by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B. The user adjusts the position of the radiation source unit 20 in the front-rear direction.
In this way, in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the restriction of the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B by the brake mechanisms 46 in the wheel portions 40A and 40B and the restriction of the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B by the brake mechanisms 46 in the wheel portions 40C and 40D are selectively switched. Accordingly, the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 is switched between the left-right direction and the front-rear direction.
Although the above description has been given of manual position adjustment of the radiation source unit 20 by the user, it goes without saying that the position of the detection unit 30 may also be adjusted in a similar manner. Also, an example has been described in which the position adjustment in the left-right direction is followed by the position adjustment in the front-rear direction, but the order may be reversed, and the position adjustment may be performed a plurality of times. Also, only one of the position adjustments in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction may be performed. Further, manual position adjustment includes a completely manual adjustment performed only by the user's operation, and also includes a manual position adjustment performed in a state in which the wheel portion 40 is assisted by a driving force from a driving source.
As described above, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the wheel portion 40 is provided on the base portion 28. The wheel portion 40 has main wheels 42A and 42B. The wheel portion 40 also comprises auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B disposed circumferentially in the rotation direction of the main wheels 42A and 42B. The direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is orthogonal to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B. In addition, a brake mechanism 46 capable of restricting the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is provided on the base portion 28 of the radiation source unit 20. Furthermore, an operation unit 25 is provided on the body part 22 of the radiation source unit 20. The operation unit 25 is capable of receiving an operation of setting the direction of movement of the wheel portion 40 to a predetermined direction.
In the radiography system 10, the positions of the units may be adjusted manually. In this case, by making each unit movable only in one direction and not movable in the other direction, manual position adjustment becomes easier. For example, there may be a case in which only the distance of the radiation source unit 20 to the detection unit 30 is adjusted. In this configuration, in a case in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portions 40A and 40B is restricted by the brake mechanism 46 in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, for example, movement in the left-right direction is restricted. In this case, movement in the front-rear direction is possible by rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portions 40C and 40D. In addition, movement in the front-rear direction is possible by rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40A and 40B. Accordingly, the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 is limited to only one direction (only the front-rear direction in this case), making it easy to manually adjust the position of the radiation source unit 20.
Further, the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of wheel portions 40A to 40D. The wheel portions 40A and 40B are disposed in an orientation in which the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the left-right direction. Further, the wheel portions 40C and 40D are disposed in an orientation in which the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is the front-rear direction. Accordingly, it is achieved that the radiation source unit 20 moves stably in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. For example, compared to a case in which all the wheel portions 40 are attached in the same orientation, movement is achieved by rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B in both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. This stabilizes the movement of the radiation source unit 20 in both directions.
In addition, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 25 is capable of receiving an operation of setting the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 to the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. Then, in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the restriction of the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B by the brake mechanisms 46 in the wheel portions 40A and 40B and the restriction of the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B by the brake mechanisms 46 in the wheel portions 40C and 40D are selectively switched. This makes it possible to easily switch the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 by operating the operation unit 25.
Further, the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment is provided with two wheel portions 40A and 40B, and two wheel portions 40C and 40D. In other words, the number of wheel portions 40 whose movement due to the rotation direction of the main wheels 42A and 42B is in the front-rear direction and the number of wheel portions 40 whose movement due to rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is in the left-right direction are the same. Accordingly, the rolling resistance in each of the two movement directions is approximately the same, and thus the force required for manual movement is approximately the same, making position adjustment easier.
Further, the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment is provided with wheel portions 40A and 40B, and wheel portions 40C and 40D. Accordingly, stable movement is possible in each of the two movement directions (here, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction) using the two wheel portions 40. For example, in a case in which movement is possible only in one of two movement directions (for example, the front-rear direction) using only one wheel portion 40, there is a concern that movement will become unstable in that direction. In this configuration, the radiation source unit 20 can be moved while being supported by the two wheel portions 40 in each of the two movement directions, making it easy to manually adjust the position.
In addition, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is orthogonal to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B. Accordingly, because the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portion 40 arc omni-wheels, it is possible to achieve stable manual movement in two orthogonal directions (for example, the left-right direction and the front-rear direction).
Furthermore, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B are formed of a material having a friction coefficient capable of restricting movement in the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B in the wheel portion 40 in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is restricted by the brake mechanism 46. Accordingly, restriction on movement in a direction unintended by the user during manual movement is achieved not only by braking using the brake mechanism 46 but also by the frictional force between the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B and the floor surface.
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which the operation unit 25 is an operation panel has been shown, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the operation unit 25 may be a brake release lever provided on a handle for moving each unit. In this case, a lever for releasing the restriction on movement in the front-rear direction and a lever for releasing the restriction on movement in the left-right direction are provided. By operating these release levers, the movable direction of the radiation source unit can be selectively switched.
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which the four wheel portions 40A to 40D are provided has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number and disposition of the wheel portions 40 are not particularly limited. As an example, as shown in <A> of
Also, as shown in <B> of
Also, as shown in <C> of
In addition, in the present modification example, an example of a form in which the ball caster 50 is used has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any wheels that do not restrict the direction of movement may be used, and casters, for example, may be used.
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which the wheel portions 40A and 40B and the wheel portions 40C and 40D are disposed in such a manner that the rotation axes ML are orthogonal to each other has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In a second embodiment, the wheel portions 40A to 40D are disposed in such a manner that the directions of movement caused by rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B are in the same orientation.
As an example, as shown in
In a case in which the position of the radiation source unit 20 is adjusted, first, the operation unit 25 is operated, and the brake mechanism 46 restricts the movement of the wheel portions 40A to 40D. Then, after the state of restriction of the wheel portion 40 by the brake mechanism 46 is changed in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the radiation source unit 20 is manually moved by the user. That is, the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portions 40A to 40D is restricted by the brake mechanism 46. This restricts the movement of the wheel portions 40A to 40D in the front-rear direction.
Here, in the wheel portions 40A to 40D, the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B is not restricted. Furthermore, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40A to 40D is the left-right direction. Therefore, the radiation source unit 20 can move in the left-right direction by rotating the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B of the wheel portions 40A to 40D. In this manner, in the wheel portions 40A to 40D in which the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B is restricted by the brake mechanism 46, movement in the left-right direction is possible by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B. The user manually adjusts the position of the radiation source unit 20 in the left-right direction.
Note that, here, an example has been described in which the directions of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the four wheel portions 40A to 40D are all aligned in the front-rear direction (the direction along the Y direction shown in
As illustrated in
In the radiation source unit 20, the arm 24 is capable of moving the radiation emitting unit 26 in a direction (here, the front-rear direction) intersecting the movable direction the radiation source unit 20. More specifically, since the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B of the wheel portion 40 of the radiation source unit 20 is restricted by the brake mechanism 46, the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 is only in the left-right direction. Here, after the position in the left-right direction has been manually adjusted, it is necessary to adjust the position of the radiation emitting unit 26 in the front-rear direction. In this case, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the arm 24 is expanded and contracted in the front-rear direction to adjust the position of the radiation emitting unit 26 in the front-rear direction. Of course, after the position adjustment by the arm 24, the radiation source unit 20 may be moved.
As an example, as shown in
The decubitus table 60 comprises a placement part 62 and a leg part 64. The placement part 62 is a flat plate-shaped part on which the subject A is placed. In the example shown in
In addition, a leg part 64 is provided on the lower surface of the placement part 62. The leg part 64 is a member that supports the placement part 62. The leg part 64 set the placement part 62 at a predetermined height from the floor surface. In the example shown in
The arm 24 is expandable and contractible in the up-down direction. The arm 24 is also expandable and contractible in the horizontal direction. In the example shown in
Accordingly, in the radiation source unit 20, the arm 24 is capable of moving the radiation emitting unit 26 in a direction (here, the front-rear direction) orthogonal to the movable direction the radiation source unit 20. In the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the arm 24 is expanded and contracted in the front-rear direction to adjust the position of the radiation emitting unit 26 in the front-rear direction.
As described above, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the wheel portions 40A to 40D are disposed in such a manner that the directions of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B are the same. Accordingly, the radiation source unit 20 can be moved while being supported by the plurality of wheel portions 40 in the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20, thereby stabilizing manual movement. In addition, movement is possible due to the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 42A and 42B. Accordingly, while the brake mechanism 46 restricts movement due to the rotation of the wheel portions 40A to 40D, movement is possible due to the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 44A and 44B. As a result, the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 is limited to one direction only, making it easy to manually adjust the position.
Further, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the arm 24 that supports the radiation emitting unit 26 is provided. The arm 24 is capable of moving the radiation emitting unit 26 in a direction (for example, the front-rear direction) intersecting the movement direction (for example, the left-right direction) of the radiation source unit 20. Specifically, the arm 24 is capable of expanding and contracting in the front-rear direction. This allows the position of the radiation emitting unit 26 to be adjusted in a direction in which the radiation source unit 20 cannot move.
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which the four wheel portions 40A to 40D are provided has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number and disposition of the wheel portions 40 are not particularly limited. As an example, as shown in <A> of
Also, as shown in <B> of
Also, as shown in <C> of
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which omni-wheels are used as the main wheels 42A and 42B in the wheel portion 40 has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this third embodiment, a Mecanum wheel is used as a main wheel 72 in a wheel portion 70.
As an example, as shown in
The wheel portion 70 has main wheels 72. The main wheels 72 are wheels for enabling the radiation source unit 20 to travel. The main wheel 72 is rotatable about a rotation axis ML. Except in the case in which the position is adjusted manually, the main wheels 72 may be rotatable by receiving power from a power source (not shown).
The wheel portion 70 has auxiliary wheels 74 arranged circumferentially in the rotation direction of the main wheels 72. Specifically, the main wheel 72 includes auxiliary wheels 74, and the auxiliary wheels 74 are attached along the outer periphery of the main wheels 72. In other words, the auxiliary wheels 74 form the outer peripheral surface of the main wheels 72 that can come into contact with the ground. The auxiliary wheel 74 has a spindle shape and is rotatable about a rotation axis SL that is aligned with the central axis of the spindle shape. The rotation axis SL of the auxiliary wheel 74 is inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, 45°) with respect to the rotation axis ML of the main wheel 72. In other words, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 74 is inclined with respect to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheel 72. In the example shown in
The auxiliary wheels 74 are formed of a material having a friction coefficient capable of suppressing movement due to rotation of the main wheels 72 in a state in which the rotation of the main wheels 72 is restricted by a brake mechanism 76. The auxiliary wheels 74 are formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material.
The main wheels 72 are, for example, so-called Mecanum Wheels (registered trademark). Although an example of a Mecanum wheel having ten auxiliary wheels 74 is given here, this is merely one example. For example, there may be less than ten or eleven or more auxiliary wheels 74.
In the wheel portions 70A and 70D, the inclination direction of the rotation axis SL of the auxiliary wheel 74 relative to the rotation axis ML of the main wheel 72 is the same. In addition, the wheel portions 70B and 70C, the inclination direction of the rotation axis SL of the auxiliary wheel 74 relative to the rotation axis ML of the main wheel 72 is the same. Furthermore, the inclination direction of the auxiliary wheels 74 in the wheel portions 70A and 70D is opposite to the inclination direction of the auxiliary wheels 74 in the wheel portions 70B and 70C.
The brake mechanism 76 is provided on the base portion 28. The brake mechanism 76 is a mechanism capable of restricting the rotation of the main wheels 72 of the wheel portion 70. The brake mechanism 76 is not particularly limited, and a general wheel braking mechanism may be employed. In the example shown in
In a state of not being braked by the brake mechanism 76, the radiation source unit 20 is movable in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction by the plurality of wheel portions 70. For example, in a case in which the radiation source unit 20 is moved manually by a user, the radiation source unit 20 is movable in the front-rear direction by a plurality of wheel portions 70. Further, for example, by receiving power from a power source (not shown), the main wheels 72 of all the wheel portions 70A to 70D rotate in the same rotation direction, thereby achieving movement in the front-rear direction. In addition, the main wheels 72 in the wheel portions 70A and 70D rotate in the same rotation direction as each other, and the main wheels 72 in the wheel portions 70B and 70C rotate in the same rotation direction as each other but in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the wheel portions 70A and 70D, thereby achieving the movement in the left-right direction.
In response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the brake mechanism 76 restricts the rotation of the main wheels 72. The operation unit 25 can receive an operation of setting the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 to either a left oblique direction or a right oblique direction. In the case of movement in a left oblique direction, the rotation of the main wheels 72 in the wheel portions 70B and 70C is restricted by the brake mechanism 76. On the other hand, the restriction by the brake mechanism 76 is released for the wheel portions 70A and 70D.
In addition, in the case of movement in a right oblique direction, the rotation of the main wheels 72 of the wheel portions 70A and 70D is restricted by the brake mechanisms 76. On the other hand, the restriction by the brake mechanism 76 is released for the wheel portions 70B and 70C.
After the state of restriction of the wheel portion 70 by the brake mechanism 76 is changed in response to an operation on the operation unit 25, the user manually moves the radiation source unit 20 only in a predetermined direction to adjust the position. In the example shown in
The auxiliary wheels 74 are formed of a material (for example, a synthetic resin material such as rubber) having a friction coefficient capable of restricting movement in a right oblique direction. That is, in the wheel portions 70B and 70C, the movement in the right oblique direction is also restricted by the contact of the auxiliary wheels 74 with the floor surface.
As described above, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the third embodiment, the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the auxiliary wheels 74 is the inclined direction (for example, the left oblique direction) with respect to the direction of movement caused by the rotation of the main wheels 72 (for example, the front-rear direction). Accordingly, the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 is limited to only one direction (only the left oblique direction in this case), making it easy to manually adjust the position of the radiation source unit 20.
In the above first embodiment, an example of a form in which the operation unit 25 is provided on the body part 22 of the radiation source unit 20 has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this fourth embodiment, an operation unit 27 is provided in the radiation emitting unit 26.
As an example, as shown in
The operation unit 27 is provided with a forward/backward movement button 27A. The forward/backward movement button 27A receives an operation of setting the movement direction of the radiation source unit 20 to the front-rear direction (the direction along the Y direction shown in
In the case of upright imaging performed on a subject A in a standing state as shown in
The forward/backward movement button 27A provided on the operation unit 27 can indicate the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20. Specifically, the forward/backward movement button 27A is a button equipped with a liquid crystal display function. The forward/backward movement button 27A displays the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20 with a double-headed arrow. In the example shown in
As described above, the radiation emitting unit 26 rotates in accordance with the change in imaging method. Therefore, the operation unit 25 also rotates in accordance with the rotational movement. For example, in a case in which the operation unit 25 is provided on a side surface (here, the left side surface of the radiation emitting unit 26) whose normal direction is along the rotation axis R, as the operation unit 25 rotates, the movable direction displayed on the operation unit 25 (for example, a double-headed arrow indicating the movement direction) also rotates. In this case, in a case in which the display of the movable direction remains the same after rotation, the user may erroneously recognize the movable direction depending on the displayed movement direction. For example, the double-headed arrow displayed on the forward/backward movement button 27A shown in
Therefore, the display on the forward/backward movement button 27A is switched depending on the irradiation direction of the radiation by the radiation emitting unit 26. For example, the irradiation direction of the radiation is detected by an angle sensor provided in the radiation emitting unit 26, and the display on the operation unit 25 is switched based on a result of the detection. In the example shown in
As described above, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 27 is provided in the radiation emitting unit 26. Accordingly, in a case of manually adjusting the position of the radiation source unit 20 while gripping a part of the radiation emitting unit 26 (for example, the grip portion 26B), the gripping position and the position of the operation unit 27 are close to each other, making it easier to operate the operation unit 27.
In addition, in the radiation source unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the operation unit 27 has a forward/backward movement button 27A that indicates the movable direction of the radiation source unit 20. The display of the movement direction on the forward/backward movement button 27A is switched depending on the irradiation direction of the radiation by the radiation emitting unit 26. This makes it easy to know the direction in which the radiation source unit 20 can be manually moved, even in a case in which the irradiation direction of the radiation is changed depending on the radiography method.
In the above fourth embodiment, an example of a form in which the forward/backward movement button 27A is a button with a liquid crystal display function has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the case in which the operation unit 27 is a touch panel, the display of a soft button representing the forward/backward movement button 27A may be switched depending on the irradiation direction of radiation.
Further, in each of the above embodiments, an example of a form in which the decubitus table 60 is a dedicated bed for radiography has been described, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The decubitus table 60 may be a bed provided in a general hospital ward or a general examination table.
The described contents and illustrated contents shown above are detailed descriptions of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure, and are merely an example of the technology of the present disclosure. For example, the above description of the configuration, function, operation, and effect is an example of the configuration, function, operation, and effect of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, needless to say, unnecessary parts may be deleted, new elements may be added, or replacements may be made to the described contents and illustrated contents shown above within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the technology of the present disclosure. Further, in order to avoid complications and facilitate understanding of the parts related to the technology of the present disclosure, descriptions of common general knowledge and the like that do not require special descriptions for enabling the implementation of the technology of the present disclosure are omitted, in the described contents and illustrated contents shown above.
In the present specification, the term “A and/or B” is synonymous with the term “at least one of A or B”. That is, the term “A and/or B” means that only A may be used, only B may be used, or a combination of A and B may be used. In addition, in the present specification, the same approach as “A and/or B” is applied to a case in which three or more matters are represented by connecting the matters with “and/or”.
All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in the present specification are incorporated in the present specification by reference to the same extent as in a case in which each of the documents, patent applications, and technical standards are specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
Regarding the embodiments, the following supplementary notes are further disclosed.
A radiography unit comprising:
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 1,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 2,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 2 or 3,
The radiography unit according to any one of Supplementary Notes 2 to 4,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 1,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 6,
The radiography unit according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 8,
The radiography unit according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 1,
The radiography unit according to Supplementary Note 11,
A radiography system comprising:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-196967 | Nov 2023 | JP | national |
