DOCKING STATION AND ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM

• US 20090270727A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Zhensong, Liu, Lanping
• Granted Patent: US 8,182,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4411 Device being modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4433 involving a docking unit

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic system has a tablet type electronic device for ultrasonic diagnosis and a docking station for mounting thereto the electronic device removably. The docking station includes a receptacle section against which one side of the electronic device comes into abutment when mounting the electronic device, and a hold-down section for holding down the electronic device releasably on the side opposite to the one side when mounting the electronic device.

Claims

1. A docking station configured for removably mounting thereto a tablet type electronic device, said docking station comprising:

a receptacle section against which a first side of the electronic device comes into abutment when mounting the electronic device; and

a hold-down section configured to releasably hold down the electronic device on a second side of the electronic device opposite to the first side when mounting the electronic device.

2. A docking station according to claim 1, wherein said hold-down section comprises:

a hold-down member configured to hold down the second side of the electronic device;

a support mechanism configured to support said hold-down member such that said hold-down member is movable between a hold-down position and a release position and pivotable in a direction away from the electronic device at the release position;

a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock said hold-down member at the hold-down position; and

an urging member configured to urge said hold-down member from the hold-down position toward the release position.

3. A docking station according to claim 2, wherein said hold-down member comprises:

a curved portion adapted to cover the second side of the electronic device when holding down the electronic device;

a flat plate portion extending from a base portion of said curved portion;

a cam slot formed in said flat plate portion; and

a shaft of an elliptic section provided at an end in an extending direction of said flat plate portion perpendicularly to the extending direction and in parallel with said plate surface.

4. A docking station according to claim 3, wherein said support mechanism comprises:

a support member configured to support said shaft of said hold-down member such that said shaft is movable in parallel between the hold-down position and the release position and rotatable at the release position.

5. A docking station according to claim 4, wherein said support member comprises:

a guide slot having a width conforming to a minor diameter of said elliptic section of said shaft and also having a length corresponding to a distance between the hold-down position and the release position; and

a bearing hole formed in an end of a release position side of said guide slot and having an inside diameter conforming to a major diameter of said elliptic section of said shaft.

6. A docking station according to claim 3, wherein said locking mechanism comprises:

a pin adapted to engage said cam slot of said hold-down member to lock said hold-down member in the hold-down position;

a link adapted to be operated manually to cause said pin to move along said cam slot, thereby releasing said hold-down member locked by said pin; and

an urging member configured to urge said link in a direction opposite to a direction of the manual operation.

7. A docking station according to claim 2, wherein said urging member comprises a coil spring.

8. A docking station according to claim 1, wherein said hold-down section holds is configured to hold down the electronic device in a direction to push the electronic device against said receptacle section.

9. A docking station according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle section comprises an electrical connector.

10. A docking station according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle section is configured to receive therein the electronic device in an upright state.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising:

a tablet type electronic device configured for ultrasonic diagnosis; and

a docking station configured to removably mount said electronic device, said docking station comprising;

a receptacle section against which a first side of said electronic device comes into abutment when mounting said electronic device; and

a hold-down section configured to releasably hold down said electronic device on a second side of the electronic device opposite to the first side when mounting said electronic device.

12. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein said hold-down section comprises:

a hold-down member configured to hold down the opposite second side of said electronic device;

a support mechanism configured to support said hold-down member such that said hold-down member is movable between a hold-down position and a release position and pivotable in a direction away from said electronic device at the release position;

a locking mechanism configured to releasably lock said hold-down member at the hold-down position; and

an urging member configured to urge said hold-down member from the hold-down position toward the release position.

13. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said hold-down member comprises:

a curved portion adapted to cover the second side of said electronic device when holding down said electronic device;

a flat plate portion extending from a base portion of said curved portion;

a cam slot formed in said flat plate portion; and

a shaft of an elliptic section provided at an end in an extending direction of said flat plate portion perpendicularly to the extending direction and in parallel with said plate surface.

14. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 13, wherein said support mechanism comprises:

a support member configured to support said shaft of said hold-down member such that said shaft is movable in parallel between the hold-down position and the release position and rotatable at the release position.

15. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 14, wherein said support member comprises:

a guide slot having a width conforming to a minor diameter of said elliptic section of said shaft and also having a length corresponding to a distance between the hold-down position and the release position; and

a bearing hole formed in an end of a release position side of said guide slot and having an inside diameter conforming to a major diameter of said elliptic section of said shaft.

16. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 13, wherein said locking mechanism comprises:

a pin adapted to engage said cam slot of said hold-down member to lock said hold-down member in the hold-down position;

a link adapted to be operated manually to cause said pin to move along said cam slot, thereby releasing said hold-down member locked by said pin; and

an urging member configured to urge said link in a direction opposite to a direction of the manual operation.

17. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said urging member comprises a coil spring.

18. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein said hold-down section is configured to hold down said electronic device in a direction to push said electronic device against said receptacle section.

19. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein said receptacle section comprises an electrical connector.

20. An ultrasonic diagnostic system according to claim 11, wherein said receptacle section is configured to receive therein said electronic device in an upright state.