JP7096596B2 - Insulation equipment for mammography equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heat insulating device for a mammography device, specifically, a heat insulating device for an external mammography device that maintains the surface temperature of a photographing plate and a compression plate at a predetermined temperature when not in use.

The mammography device is a standard diagnostic imaging device used in breast imaging. Mammography images taken by a mammography device are used in the mammography examination.
Breast imaging is performed, for example, in breast cancer screening, where asymptomatic women are recommended to be seen once a year or once every few years. The interpreter interprets the captured mammography image to check for, for example, microcalcifications, structural disturbances, tumors, and focal asymmetric density (FAD).
Breast imaging is also done during follow-up for women with signs of breast cancer. The interpreter examines, for example, a lesion and a region of interest (ROI) by interpreting a mammography image taken at the time of examination.

It is generally known that mammography images change with positioning. Positioning affects, for example, how the breast is pinched by a compression plate provided in the mammography apparatus, that is, how the mammary gland is stretched. That is, the mammography image changes, and the positions of the lesion and ROI are different from the positions of the lesion and ROI included in the previously captured mammography image. When the position of the lesion and the ROI is changed, it is necessary to consider the difference in positioning when confirming the change with time from the mammography image taken in the past, and the interpretation efficiency is lowered.
Various proposals have been made from various documents (Patent Documents 1 and 2) and the like regarding this problem regarding positioning.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-11540 Special Table 2013-532001 Publication No.

However, even if the problem of mammography positioning is solved, the influence of the device on changes in the external environment is not taken into consideration. In other words, for medical equipment, it is required that the temperature is always the same from the start-up of the equipment (during warm-up) to the stage of turning off the power of the equipment after the medical treatment of all patients is completed. , Medical equipment including mammography equipment is generally fixed in a room equipped with air conditioning control equipment.

On the other hand, in a medical examination (so-called examination), when a medical device such as a mammography device is mounted on the examination vehicle and the examination is performed at the examination venue outside the hospital, the room temperature is raised by opening and closing the door of the examination vehicle. It is undeniable that it may change and not only load medical devices, but also affect testing. However, the reality is that even in winter, it is left unattended from the time of warming up to the stage of turning off the power of the device, even when the inspection is not performed, and it is exposed to changes in the room temperature of the medical device. I'm just there.

According to the present invention, even in an environment such as an in-vehicle mammography apparatus in which the room temperature changes significantly with time, the surface temperature of the photographing plate and the compression plate can be maintained at a predetermined temperature (room temperature, around 25 ° C.) at a minimum. It was found that the load applied to the medical device can be reduced, and the present invention was completed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat insulating device for an external mammography apparatus that maintains the surface temperature of a photographing plate and a compression plate at a predetermined temperature when not in use.

The invention according to claim 1 is a heat insulating device for a mammography device that maintains the surface temperature of the photographing plate and the compression plate at a predetermined temperature when the mammography device is not in use, and is a heat insulating device that covers the photographing plate and the compression plate. When the temperature measured by the covering member made of a material, the temperature measuring instrument for measuring the temperature inside the covering member when the compression plate and the photographing plate are coated, and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring instrument are different from the predetermined temperature. It also has an air conditioning member that heats or cools the ambient air of the coating member so that the temperature inside the coating member becomes a predetermined temperature, and a blower that blows the ambient air heated or cooled by the air conditioning member. It is a heat insulating device for mammography equipment.
The invention according to claim 2 is a heat insulating device for a mammography device that maintains the surface temperature of the photographing plate and the compression plate at a predetermined temperature when the mammography device is not in use, and is a heat insulating device that covers the photographing plate and the compression plate. When the temperature measured by the covering member made of a material, the temperature measuring instrument for measuring the temperature inside the covering member when the compression plate and the photographing plate are coated, and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring instrument are different from the predetermined temperature. In addition, an air conditioning member that heats or cools the air existing inside the covering member so that the temperature inside the covering member becomes a predetermined temperature, and a blower that blows air outside the covering member inside the covering member. It is a heat insulating device for a mammography device having.

In the inventions according to claims 1 and 2, the photographing plate and the compression plate are covered with a covering member having an internal space made of a heat insulating material. That is, the photographing plate and the compression plate are covered in a state where the photographing plate and the compression plate are housed in the internal space of the covering member. At this time, the temperature of the internal space is measured by a temperature measuring instrument so that the surface temperature of the photographing plate and the surface temperature of the compression plate are at a predetermined temperature (for example, around room temperature (25 ° C.)), and the temperature of the internal space is changed. If it is high, the ambient air is cooled by the air-conditioning member, and the cooled air is blown into the inside of the covering member by using a blower, or the air in the inner space of the covering member is cooled, and the internal space is used by the external air. Stir the air to make it uniform. If the temperature of the internal space is low, the surrounding air is heated by the air-conditioning member and the heated air is blown into the inside of the covering member by using a blower, or the air in the inner space of the covering member is heated and the outside air is blown. Use to stir and homogenize the air in the internal space. By doing so, the variation in the surface temperature between the photographing plate and the compression plate is reduced, and the influence of the external temperature load of the medical device is reduced.

The material constituting the covering member is not particularly limited as long as it is a heat insulating material, but if it is a foamable polymer material such as expanded polystyrene, it is advantageous because it can be manufactured at low cost.
Further, the type of the air-conditioning member may be not particularly limited, and a heater and a refrigerant may be combined in a configuration. However, when the Pelche element is used, the required power amount is small and the power supply is used like an in-vehicle mammography device. Even if it is difficult to secure it, it is effective because it can be used.
The blower may be a simple fan, although it is not particularly limited, and if the air heated / cooled by the air-conditioning member can be blown into the internal space at a position where the air can be blown into the internal space of the covering member, the ventilation form is used. Is not particularly limited.

The invention according to claim 3 is the heat insulating device for a mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning member has a Pelche element.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the air conditioning member is composed of a Pelche element, it is possible to heat / cool the ambient air with a low electric power amount. This makes it possible to use even an in-vehicle mammography apparatus in which it is difficult to secure a power source.

According to the first and second aspects of the invention, the variation in the surface temperature between the photographing plate and the compression plate is reduced, and the influence of the external temperature load of the medical device can be reduced.
In particular, in the invention according to claim 3, since the air conditioning member is composed of a Pelche element, it is possible to heat / cool the ambient air with a low electric power amount. This makes it possible to use even an in-vehicle mammography apparatus in which it is difficult to secure a power source.

The external perspective view of the heat insulation device for a mammography apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention is shown. It is a schematic front sectional view which shows the use state of the heat insulation device for a mammography apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic front sectional view which shows the use state of the heat insulation device for a mammography apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

The heat insulating device for a mammography device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a heat insulating device for a mammography device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view showing a usage state of the heat insulating device for a mammography device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The storage device for a mammography apparatus according to the first embodiment has a substantially rectangular upper surface portion in a plan view and a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and a substantially rectangular notch formed in a plan view extending from one side thereof. It has a bottom surface portion 10b and is fixed to the top surface portion and the bottom surface portion 10b so as to surround three of the four sides of the top surface portion and surround three sides of the bottom surface portion 10b excluding the side having the notch 11. It has a covering member 10 having a side surface portion. That is, the covering member 10 is a member of a square cylinder having a rectangular bottom when viewed in a plan view and a side view. A rectangular notch 11 is formed on the bottom surface portion 10b of the covering member 10 in a plan view from the opening of the covering member 10 toward the cylinder bottom (cylinder bottom portion 10a). The covering member 10 is made of expanded polystyrene, which is a heat insulating member so as not to be affected by the external temperature environment. The size of the entire covering member 10, the size of the opening, and the like are determined so that the covering member 10 can cover the photographing plate 101 and the compression plate 102 of the mammography apparatus 100.
The notch 11 is formed so that the photographing plate 101 and the compression plate 102 are housed in the covering member 10 without the member 101a fixing the photographing plate 101 of the mammography apparatus 100 colliding with the covering member 10. Is. The size of the notch 11 may be sufficient as necessary to achieve the purpose.

A through hole is provided in a substantially central portion of the cylinder bottom portion 10a of the covering member 10, and a substantially rectangular blower cover 16a is attached so as to cover the through hole on the outer surface of the covering member 10. A blower 16 is provided between the blower cover 16a and the cylinder bottom portion 10a. A substantially rectangular Pelche element cover 17a is attached to the inner surface of the covering member 10 so as to cover the through hole, and the Pelche element 17 is provided between the Pelche element cover 17a and the cylinder bottom portion 10a.
The size and output of the blower 16 are arbitrary, and in the first embodiment, a small size (about 10 W) blower 16a is used. If the output is too large, not only the weight of the heat insulating device for the mammography apparatus becomes heavy, but also the influence of the blown air by the blower 16 may affect the photographing plate 101 and the compression plate 102, which is not preferable.
The size and output of the Pelche element are also arbitrary, and in the first embodiment, a small one is used. The size of the Pelche element is restricted by the size of the Pelche element cover 17a, that is, the size of the cylinder bottom 10a, but the size of the Pelche element 17 is restricted so that air can be blown into the covering member 10. Will be done. Further, if the output of the Pelche element 17 is too large, temperature control becomes difficult, which is not preferable.
That is, it can be said that a small output of the blower 16 and the Pelche element 17 of the storage device for the mammography device according to the first embodiment is sufficient.

A temperature sensor 18 for measuring the temperature of the internal air of the covering member 10 is attached to the inner wall of the covering member 10. The temperature sensor 18 is connected to the control device 19 via a cable. Further, the control device 19 is connected to the blower 16 and the Pelche element 17 via a cable.
The control device 19 is configured separately from the covering member, and not only supplies power to the blower 16, the Pelche element 17, and the temperature sensor 18, but also receives the temperature sensor signal by the temperature sensor 18 and is based on the temperature sensor signal. It is a member that transmits a control signal for controlling the blower 16 and the Pelche element 17. The control device 19 is connected to a small power generator (100 W) (not shown).

The heat insulating device for the mammography device according to the first embodiment configured in this way is placed at an arbitrary place because it is unnecessary when the mammography device 100 is used. When the mammography apparatus 100 is not used, after setting the separation distance between the imaging plate 101 and the compression plate 102 of the mammography apparatus 100 to the optimum state, the imaging plate 101 and the compression plate 102 are attached to the covering member 10 of the heat insulating device for the mammography apparatus. The imaging plate 101 and the compression plate 102 are inserted inside the covering member 10 so as to cover and.
After that, the blower 16, the Pelche element 17, and the temperature sensor 18 are controlled by the control device 19.
The temperature of the internal space should be 27 ° C in winter and 23 ° C in summer so that the surface temperature of the photographing plate and the surface temperature of the compression plate are around room temperature (25 ° C). Set the set temperature to. The temperature sensor 18 constantly measures the temperature of the internal space, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control device 19 as a temperature sensor signal. After receiving the temperature sensor signal, the control device 19 calculates the internal temperature based on the temperature sensor signal.
When the internal temperature is higher than the set temperature, a control signal is transmitted to the Pelche element 17 so that the Pelche element 17 functions as a refrigerant, and a control signal is transmitted to the blower to start blowing air. After receiving the control signal, the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 operate based on the control signal. When the temperature of the internal space is lowered by the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 and reaches the set temperature, the control device transmits a signal to stop the operation of the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16. After the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 receive the signal to stop the operation, the operation being performed at that time is stopped.
On the contrary, when the internal temperature is lower than the set temperature, the control signal is transmitted to the Pelche element 17 so that the Pelche element 17 functions as a heater, and the control signal is transmitted to the blower to start the ventilation. After receiving the control signal, the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 operate based on the control signal. When the temperature of the internal space rises due to the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 and reaches the set temperature, the control device transmits a signal to stop the operation of the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16. After the Pelche element 17 and the blower 16 receive the signal to stop the operation, the operation being performed at that time is stopped.

By doing so, the surface temperatures of the photographing plate 101 and the compression plate 102 of the mammography apparatus 100 become substantially constant, and the influence of the external temperature load of the medical device can be reduced.

(Example 2)
FIG. 3 is a schematic front sectional view showing a usage state of the heat insulating device for a mammography device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the storage device for a mammography device according to the second embodiment, the Pelch element cover is not used, and the Pelche element 27 is provided on the inner surface of the covering member 20 so as not to overlap the notch 21 on the bottom surface portion 20b.
Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment and are omitted.
When the internal temperature is higher than the set temperature, a control signal is transmitted to the Pelche element 27 so that the Pelche element 27 functions as a refrigerant, and a control signal is transmitted to the blower to start blowing air. After receiving the control signal, the Pelche element 27 and the blower 26 operate based on the control signal. The internal air is cooled by the Pelche element 27, the internal air is circulated by the blow by the blower 26, the temperature of the entire internal air drops, and when the set temperature is reached, the control device stops the operation of the Pelche element 27. Send a signal to After the Pelche element 27 receives the signal to stop the operation, the operation being performed at that time is stopped. The ventilation by the blower 26 is kept continuous in order to suppress the variation in the temperature of the internal air depending on the location inside the covering member 20.
When the internal temperature is lower than the set temperature, a control signal is transmitted to the Pelche element 27 so that the Pelche element 27 functions as a heater, and a control signal is transmitted to the blower to start blowing air. After receiving the control signal, the Pelche element 27 and the blower 26 operate based on the control signal. The internal air is heated by the Pelche element 27, the internal air is circulated by the blow by the blower 16, the temperature of the entire internal air rises, and when the set temperature is reached, the control device stops the operation of the Pelche element 27. Send a signal to After the Pelche element 27 receives the signal to stop the operation, the operation being performed at that time is stopped. The ventilation by the blower 26 is kept continuous in order to suppress the variation in the temperature of the internal air depending on the location inside the covering member 20.
Even with such a configuration, the surface temperatures of the photographing plate 101 and the compression plate 102 of the mammography apparatus 100 are substantially constant, and the influence of the external temperature load of the medical device can be reduced.

10, 20 covering members,
16, 26 blowers,
17, 27 Pelche element,
18 temperature sensor,
100 mammography equipment,
101 shooting board,
102 compression plate.

Claims (3)

A heat insulating device for a mammography device that maintains the surface temperature of the imaging plate and compression plate at a predetermined temperature when the mammography device is not in use.
A covering member made of a heat insulating material that covers the photographing plate and the compression plate, and
A temperature measuring instrument for measuring the temperature inside the covering member when the compression plate and the photographing plate are covered, and a temperature measuring instrument.
An air-conditioning member that heats or cools the ambient air of the covering member so that the temperature inside the covering member becomes the predetermined temperature when the temperature measured by the temperature measuring instrument is different from the predetermined temperature.
A heat insulating device for a mammography apparatus, comprising a blower for blowing ambient air heated or cooled by the air conditioner member. A heat insulating device for a mammography device that maintains the surface temperature of the imaging plate and compression plate at a predetermined temperature when the mammography device is not in use.
A covering member made of a heat insulating material that covers the photographing plate and the compression plate, and
A temperature measuring instrument for measuring the temperature inside the covering member when the compression plate and the photographing plate are covered, and a temperature measuring instrument.
An air-conditioning member that heats or cools the air existing inside the covering member so that the temperature inside the covering member becomes the predetermined temperature when the temperature measured by the temperature measuring instrument is different from the predetermined temperature.
A heat insulating device for a mammography apparatus having a blower for blowing air outside the covering member inside the covering member. The heat insulating device for a mammography apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air conditioning member has a Pelche element.

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