Medical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12321539-B2
Application number	US-202117376378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A medical device includes: a main body in which an operation face meant for receiving input of position information from a user is formed on a principal face of the main body; a sheet configured to cover the operation face of the main body and cover an area from the principal face to a reverse face of the main body; and a guide that is installed on the reverse face, the guide being configured to hold the sheet in a slidable manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device comprising:
a casing having an interior cavity, the casing comprising:
a first surface including an input portion configured to receive an input from a user;
a second surface opposed the first surface; and
a third surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, the first, second and third surfaces surrounding the interior cavity;

a sheet comprising:
a first sheet portion at least partially covering the first surface including the input portion;
a second sheet portion at least partially covering the second surface; and
a third sheet portion connecting the first sheet portion to the second sheet portion and at least partially covering the third surface; and

a projection extending from the second surface for slidably holding the second sheet portion relative to the second surface in a direction towards or away from the third sheet portion while the first sheet portion contacts the input portion;
wherein the first sheet portion is configured to transmit the input from the user through the first sheet portion such that the input is received by the input portion.

2. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the input portion comprises a touchpad.

3. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the third surface includes a curved surface.

4. The medical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a base plate having the second surface, wherein
the second sheet portion is internal to the interior cavity; and
the projection is provided in the interior of the cavity.

5. The medical device according to claim 4 , wherein the second sheet portion comprises a slot elongated in the direction towards or away from the third sheet portion, the projection being disposed in the slot and fastened to the base plate to slidably hold the sheet on the base plate at the interior cavity.

6. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the casing is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion of the sheet such that the second sheet portion expands to slide relative to the second surface in the direction towards or away from the third sheet portion.

7. The medical device according to claim 6 , wherein the sheet including a hole, the projection being inserted in the hole and connected to the second surface to fix a portion of the second sheet portion to the second surface.

8. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the third sheet portion is configured to slide toward the third surface to cover a part of the third surface.

9. The medical device according to claim 8 , wherein the first sheet portion is configured to slide toward or away from the third surface to cover the part of the third surface.

10. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second sheet portion further comprising a slot elongated in the direction towards or away from the third sheet portion, and
the projection is connected to the second surface and disposed in the slot.

11. The medical device according to claim 10 , wherein
the projection further comprising a guide having a width in a guiding direction orthogonal to the direction that is greater than a width of the slot in the guiding direction; and
the slot comprises a plurality of linear slots.

12. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the projection comprises a plurality of projections, each disposed at the second surface and each independently slidably holding the second sheet portion relative to the second surface in the direction towards or away from the third sheet portion.

13. The medical device according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic material configured to bias the second sheet portion in a direction away from the third surface.

14. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the second sheet portion is configured to slide along the second surface in the direction.

15. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sheet portion is disposed against the first surface while the second sheet portion slides on the second surface.

16. A medical device comprising: a casing having an interior cavity, the casing comprising: a first surface including an input portion configured to receive an input from a user; and a second surface opposed the first surface; and a sheet at least partially covering the first surface including the input portion and at least partially covering the second surface, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the casing is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion of the sheet such that a portion of the sheet covering the second surface slides relative to the second surface in a direction towards or away from a portion of the sheet covering the first surface while a first sheet portion contacts the input portion; wherein the first sheet portion is configured to transmit the input from the user through the first sheet portion such that the input is received by the input portion.

17. The medical device according to claim 16 , wherein
the sheet further at least partially covering a third surface of the casing, the third surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, the first, second and third surfaces surrounding the interior cavity, and
a portion of the sheet covering the third surface slides relative to the second surface in a direction towards or away from the portions of the sheet covering the first surface and the second surface.

18. The medical device according to claim 16 , wherein
the second sheet surface is in an interior of the casing; and
the casing having an opening through which the second portion of the sheet enters the interior of the casing.

19. A medical device comprising:
a casing having an interior cavity, the casing comprising:
a first surface including an input portion configured to receive an input from a user;
a second surface opposed the first surface; and
a third surface connecting the first surface to the second surface, the first, second and third surfaces surrounding the interior cavity; and

a sheet comprising:
a first sheet portion at least partially covering the first surface including the input portion;
a second sheet portion at least partially covering the second surface; and
a third sheet portion connecting the first sheet portion to the second sheet portion and at least partially covering the third surface;

wherein the second sheet portion being slidable relative to the second surface in a direction towards or away from the third sheet portion while the first sheet portion contacts the input portion;
wherein the first sheet portion is configured to transmit the input from the user through the first sheet portion such that the input is received by the input portion.

20. The medical device according to claim 19 , further comprising a projection disposed at the second surface for slidably holding the second sheet portion relative to the second surface in the direction towards or away from the third sheet portion.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Yoshimura Takehiro

Classifications

• A61B5/7475

  User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick · CPC title

• A61B1/00042

  for mechanical operation · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• A61B1/01

  Guiding arrangements therefore · CPC title

• G06F1/169

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title