ULTRASONIC PROBE, AN ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, AN ULTRASONIC-PROBE-MONITORING SYSTEM, AND A METHOD OF STATE MANAGEMENT OF THE ULTRASONIC PROBE

• US 20080064955A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: MIYAJIMA, Yasuo
• Application Number:
  US11/848,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/44 Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5205 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead

Abstract

An ultrasonic probe comprises: an internal power source configured to be capable of supplying electrical power to the inside in a state in which the ultrasonic probe is detached from an ultrasonic diagnostic device; and a state-management part configured to be fed with power from the internal power source and manage the state of an ultrasonic probe'"'"'s main body. Consequently, it becomes possible to manage in real time the state of the ultrasonic probe in non-use. The state management in non-use allows for the factors behind abnormality occurrences to be specified and for secure storage management to be accomplished.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic probe comprising:

an ultrasonic wave transmitter/receiver configured to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves;

a connector connected to an ultrasonic diagnostic device and configured to mediate signal transmission/reception to/from the ultrasonic wave transmitter/receiver;

a state-management part configured to manage a state of the ultrasonic probe; and

an internal power supply configured to be capable of supplying electrical power to the state-management part in a state in which the connector is detached from the ultrasonic diagnostic device.

2. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the state-management part includes:

a sensor configured to sense physical irritations received by the ultrasonic probe; and

a detector configured to detect, based on a result of sensing by the sensor, the physical irritations of a predetermined level or more.

3. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is at least one of a sensor configured to measure acceleration, a sensor configured to measure temperature, a sensor configured to measure pressure, and a sensor configured to measure insulation resistance of the ultrasonic probe.

4. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the state-management part further includes a radio-communication part configured to transmit by radio a detection result detected by the detector to an external device.

5. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the state-management part further includes a notifying part configured to notify the detection result detected by the detector, by sound, light or display.

6. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 2, wherein the state-management part further includes a communication part configured to, when the detector detects the physical irritations of the predetermined level or more, output a cancel signal of the signal transmission/reception to the ultrasonic diagnostic device when the connector is connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic device.

7. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the state-management part includes a communication part configured to receive handling information of the ultrasonic probe from an external device.

8. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, wherein the state-management part further includes a notifying part configured to display the handling information received by the communication part.

9. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 7, wherein the state-management part further includes:

a sensor configured to measure proximity of an object; and

a notifying part configured to, when the communication part receives a predetermined piece of the handling information and the sensor measures the proximity of the object, give a warning by sound, light or display.

10. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the state-management part further includes:

a radio-communication part configured to communicate by radio with an external device; and

a notifying part configured to, when radio communication between the radio-communication part and the external device becomes disconnected, give a warning by sound, light or display.

11. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein the state-management part further includes:

a radio-communication part configured to receive a calling signal from an external device; and

a notifying part configured to, when the radio-communication part receives the calling signal, notify a position of the ultrasonic probe by sound, light or display.

12. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising an activation controller configured to control timing of power feeding from the internal power supply to the state-management part.

13. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 12, wherein the activation controller includes a timer configured to clock timing of supply of electromotive force from the internal power supply to the ultrasonic probe.

14. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 12, wherein:

the activation controller includes a passive sensor; and

power is fed from the internal power supply to the state-management part by taking a cue from the sensing by the passive sensor.

15. The ultrasonic probe according to claim 12, wherein:

the activation controller includes a radio-communication part configured to receive a feed-start signal or feed-stop signal from an external device; and

power feeding from the internal power supply to the state-management part is switched in accordance with the feed-start signal or feed-stop signal that the radio-communication part receives from the external device.

16. An ultrasonic diagnostic device comprising:

an ultrasonic probe removably connected to a device main body and configured to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves to/from an inside of a subject while transmitting/receiving signals for ultrasonic diagnostics to/from the device main body;

an image processor configured to generate an image of the inside of the subject based on the received ultrasonic waves; and

a device power supply disposed to the device main body and configured to supply electrical power to the ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe and the device main body are connected to each other, wherein the ultrasonic probe comprises;

a state-management part configured to manage a state of the ultrasonic probe; and

an internal power supply configured to be capable of supplying electrical power to the state-management part in a state in which the ultrasonic probe is detached from the device main body.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic device according to claim 16, wherein the state-management part includes:

a sensor configured to sense physical irritations received by the ultrasonic probe;

a detector configured to detect, based on a result of sensing by the sensor, the physical irritations of a predetermined level or more; and

a communication part configured to, when the detector detects the physical irritations of the predetermined level or more, output a cancel signal of the signal transmission/reception for the ultrasonic diagnostics to the device main body when the ultrasonic probe is connected to the device main body.

18. An ultrasonic-probe-monitoring system having an ultrasonic probe and an external device, wherein:

the ultrasonic probe comprises;

a sensor configured to sense physical irritations received by the ultrasonic probe;

a detector configured to detect, based on a result of sensing by the sensor, the physical irritations of a predetermined level or more;

a radio-communication part configured to transmit by radio the detection result detected by the detector to the external device; and

an internal power supply configured to be capable of supplying electrical power to the inside of the ultrasonic probe in a state in which the probe is detached from an ultrasonic diagnostic device; and

the external device comprises;

a radio-communication part configured to receive the detection result; and

a notifying part configured to notify the received detection result.

19. A method of state management of an ultrasonic probe having a state-management part configured to manage a state of the ultrasonic probe and an internal power supply, wherein:

electrical power is supplied from the internal power supply to the state-management part when the ultrasonic probe is detached from an ultrasonic diagnostic device; and

the state-management part manages the state of the ultrasonic probe in a state in which the ultrasonic probe is detached from the ultrasonic diagnostic device, upon receiving supply of the electrical power.