Acoustic wave apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017367656-A1
Application number	US-201715629351-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An acoustic wave apparatus is used, the apparatus comprising: a supporting member supporting an examinee and having insertion opening; a subject holding member holding the subject; a transducer array including transducers and being distant from the subject holding member; a load acquiring unit acquiring a load value applied between the supporting member and the subject holding member based on an amount of deformation of the subject holding member; a memory unit storing a first load reference value determined based on the amount of deformation of the subject holding member and an area applied with the load when the subject holding member and the transducer array come into contact with each other; a comparing and determining; and an interlock controlling unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An acoustic wave apparatus, comprising:
a supporting member configured to support an examinee, and provided with an insertion opening through which the subject is configured to be inserted; a subject holding member configured to hold the subject inserted though the insertion opening; a transducer array configured to include a plurality of transducers for receiving acoustic waves and configured to be distant from the subject holding member; a load acquiring unit configured to acquire a load value applied between the supporting member and the subject holding member based on an amount of deformation of the subject holding member; a memory unit configured to store a first load reference value determined based on the amount of deformation of the subject holding member and an area applied with the load when the subject holding member and the transducer array come into contact with each other; a comparing and determining unit configured to compare the load value with the first load reference value; and an interlock controlling unit configured to perform interlock control when the comparing and determining unit determines that the load value exceeds the first load reference value.

2 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a position control unit configured to change relative positions of the transducer array and the subject, wherein the interlock controlling unit is configured to perform the interlock control by causing the position control unit to abort changing of the relative positions.

3 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the load acquiring unit includes a load detector configured to detect a load value exerted on the subject holding member due to a weight of the examinee, and the load acquiring unit is configured to acquire the load value based on a load strength signal output from the load detector.

4 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising
a plurality of the load detectors, wherein the load value is a value obtained by adding up load values output from the plurality of load detectors.

5 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising
a presenting unit configured to present, to the examinee, in what way a posture should be changed based on a load value output from each of the plurality of load detectors.

6 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
a load value applied between the subject holding member and the supporting member in correspondence with the amount of deformation of the subject holding member is acquired by a tool for measuring the load value.

7 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the transducer array is capable of holding an acoustic matching liquid which matches acoustic impedances of the subject and the transducer, and the load acquiring unit is configured to include a liquid level sensor for detecting a liquid level of the acoustic matching liquid, which is related to the load value, and to estimate a load value based on a liquid level signal output from the liquid level sensor.

8 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a presenting unit, wherein the comparing and determining unit is configured to compare the load value with a second load reference value which is smaller than the first load reference value, and the interlock controlling unit is configured to cause the presenting unit to output a warning when the comparing and determining unit determines that the load value exceeds the second load reference value.

9 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a presenting unit, wherein the comparing and determining unit is configured to compare the load value with a third load reference value, which is smaller than the first load reference value, and the interlock controlling unit is configured to cause the presenting unit to output that the subject is not set when the comparing and determining unit determines that the load value not exceeds the third load reference value.

10 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the storage section is configured to store a relationship between the load value and the deformation of the subject holding member as a table or a mathematical expression.

11 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the relationship between the load value and the deformation of the subject holding member is set in plurality in accordance with the area applied with the load.

12 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the interlock controlling unit is configured to cancel the interlock control when, after performing the interlock control, the load value falls below the first load reference value.

13 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the subject holding member is constituted by a mesh member and a sheet member and deforms by holding the subject.

14 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transducer array receives a plurality of acoustic waves generated from the subject and outputs a plurality of electrical signals.

15 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising
an image constructing unit configured to generate characteristic information on the subject using the plurality of electrical signals.

16 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising
a light source, wherein the transducer array receives, as the plurality of acoustic waves, a plurality of photoacoustic waves generated when the subject is irradiated with light from the light source.

17 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
the interlock controlling unit is configured to cause irradiation of the light to be aborted as the interlock control.

18 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the transducer array receives, as the plurality of acoustic waves, a plurality of echo waves which is transmitted from the transducer array and reflected by the subject.

19 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the subject is a part of the examinee.

20 . The acoustic wave apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of deformation of the subject holding member is due to the load applied to the holding member by the subject.

21 . A control method of an acoustic wave apparatus including: a supporting member configured to support an examinee and provide with an insertion opening through which the subject configured to be inserted; a subject holding member configured to hold the subject; a transducer array including a plurality of transducers and configured to be distant from the subject holding member; a load acquiring unit; a comparing and determining unit; and an interlock controlling unit,
the method comprising: receiving, by the transducer, an acoustic wave generated from the subject and output an electrical signal; acquiring, by the load acquiring unit, a load value corresponding to an amount of deformation of the subject holding member due to a load of the subject; comparing, by the comparing and determining unit, the load value with a first load reference value which is determined based on the load value when the subject holding member and the transducer array come into contact with each other; and performing, by the interlock controlling unit, interlock con

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ohishi Shinji

Classifications

• A61B5/70 Primary

  Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means · CPC title

• A61B8/14

  Echo-tomography · CPC title

• A61B5/0095 Primary

  by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements · CPC title

• A61B8/40

  Positioning of patients, e.g. means for holding or immobilising parts of the patient's body · CPC title

• A61B8/54 Primary

  Control of the diagnostic device · CPC title