JPS6112975Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an imaging device used in medical equipment. For safety reasons, it is stipulated that electrical circuits of medical equipment must not be exposed in areas that are touched by patients or doctors. Therefore, even when connecting an external device to medical equipment, it is desirable that no electrical contacts be exposed in the connector. To give a specific example, there is an ultrasonic diagnostic device as a medical device, which performs diagnosis by displaying a tomographic image of the patient's body on a CRT (cathode image display tube) display. be.
Medical equipment having such an imaging means is usually connected to a dedicated photographing device for photographing a video screen, and a part of the medical equipment is provided with a connector for connection. Via this connector, signals including timing alignment between the medical equipment and the imaging device and various operations and commands are transmitted.

An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device for use in such medical equipment, which does not expose live electrical circuits.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining conventional connector means.

The connector shown in FIG. 1 is normally constructed so that the electrical circuit portion 3 is separated from the contact electrode 1 so that no electrical signal is exposed. When connecting an external device, the contact electrode 1 is pressed and the spring 2 is compressed to connect the part 3 of the electric circuit. For connector means with such a configuration,
There are two points of contact, electrode 1 and part 3 of the electric circuit, and changes in contact resistance, etc. at the contact points are expected, which poses a problem in terms of reliability.

The connector shown in FIG. 2 constitutes a high impedance circuit using a field effect transistor 4 and a high resistor 6, so that only a minute current flows through the external contact 5. However, the connector means having such a configuration has drawbacks such as being prone to malfunction due to noise and inherently allowing current to flow.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an imaging device according to the present invention and medical equipment to which it is connected. In the same figure, 1
0 is a medical device that can display an image of the subject's body on a display (not shown). Reference numeral 11 represents a light emitting means, which is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode, a lamp, or the like. Reference numeral 12 represents a connector, to which an external device is connected and signals are transmitted. Reference numeral 14 represents a light receiving means, which is composed of a photosensitive element such as a phototransistor, for example. 15 is a light transmitting optical fiber that guides the light from the light emitting means 11 to the connector 12, and 16 is a light receiving optical fiber that guides the light incident on the connector 12 to the light receiving means 14. In this way, the medical device 10 is configured so that no live electrical contacts are exposed to the outside. Reference numeral 20 denotes a photographing device according to the present invention, which, as described above, captures an image on the display of the medical device 10. Reference numeral 13 represents a connector, which is connected to the connector 12 provided on the medical device 10. 21 is connector 1
2, 13, one end of which is the light transmitting optical fiber 1
a first optical fiber optically bonded to 5;
22 is a second optical fiber whose one end is optically connected to the light receiving optical fiber 16 in the connectors 12 and 13. 23 is a means provided between the first and second optical fibers for passing and blocking light passing therebetween, such as a shutter. In this way, the photographing device 20 is configured so that live electrical contacts are not exposed to the outside.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 as described above operates as follows. First, it is assumed that the medical equipment 10 and the imaging device 20 are connected by connectors 12 and 13.
The light generated by the light emitting means 11 passes through the light transmitting optical fiber 15 and the first optical fiber 21 to the means 23.
is irradiated to. If the means 23 is, for example, part of a shutter mechanism, the light of the first optical fiber 21 is blocked by the means 23. Therefore, no light is irradiated onto the light receiving means 14 via the second optical fiber 22 and the light receiving optical fiber 16. the result,
The medical device 10 can determine that the shutter is currently closed, and can take actions such as presetting an image to be photographed.

Next, when the shutter is opened, light enters the light receiving means 14 through the optical path described above, and the medical equipment 10 can know that an image has been taken.

Photographs of images from ultrasound diagnostic equipment, etc. are 1
A method is used in which a sheet of film is divided into a plurality of areas, images of each area are projected onto each area, and images of each area are compared on the same film. If the device shown in Fig. 3 according to the present invention is used,
Photographing as described above can be easily performed.
First, if no signal has been obtained from the light receiving means 14, the display screen of the medical device 10 is controlled so that, for example, an image is displayed only on the left side of the film. When the shutter is opened and the first photographing is performed, the medical device 10 controls the screen of the display so that the next image is displayed in the center of the unexposed film. In this way, it is possible to image a plurality of frames on the same film by sequentially photographing the unexposed portions of the film.

In the above explanation, an example has been described in which the light from the medical device 10 is transmitted to the imaging device 20 side and blocked there, and the signal is detected by the medical device 10 and used for operation. It is also possible to modulate the light sent from 10 to create a command signal with special meaning.

Note that the light passing/blocking means 23 is only required to be able to change the intensity of the light passing through the optical fiber, and is not limited to completely turning on and off the light.

FIG. 4 is an example in which the idea of FIG. 3 is further developed. FIG. 4 operates as follows. Light emitting means 1
1 outputs a modulated light signal with a meaning, and sends the light to the photographing device 20. The receiving means 24 of the photographing device 20 receives this light, demodulates it, and performs an operation according to the received light. Further, from the imaging device 20 side, the modulated optical signal given a meaning can be transmitted to the medical equipment 10 by the transmitting means 25.

As described above, according to the present invention, a safe device can be provided without exposing the electric circuit to the external contact between the medical device and the imaging device.

Note that the imaging device 20 in FIG. 4 can be used as a power source by receiving the light transmitted from the medical equipment 10 with a solar cell or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining conventional connector means, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing an imaging apparatus according to the present invention and medical equipment to which it is connected. 10... medical equipment, 11... light emitting means, 12,
13...Connector, 14...Light receiving means, 15...
Optical fiber for light transmission, 16... Optical fiber for light reception,
20...Photographing device, 21...First optical fiber,
22...Second optical fiber, 23...Light passing through
means of blocking.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A connector to which an external device is connected, a light emitting means, a light receiving means, and a light transmitting optical fiber optically connecting the light emitting means and the connector; A photographing device used in a medical device that displays an image of a subject's body on a display, and includes a light-receiving optical fiber that optically connects the connector and the light-receiving means, wherein the connector transmits light. a first optical fiber whose one end is optically joined to the receiving optical fiber at the connector; a second optical fiber whose one end is optically joined to the receiving optical fiber at the connector; What is claimed is: 1. An imaging device that optically transmits information from the device to the medical equipment, comprising means for changing the intensity of light passing through the optical fibers, which is provided between the optical fibers. (2) The photographing device according to claim 1, which uses a shutter mechanism as a means for changing the intensity of the light. (3) The photographing device according to claim 1, which uses means 25 for performing light modulation as means for changing the intensity of the light.