JPH031689B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention A. Purpose of the Invention A-1. Field of Industrial Application The present invention is directed to moving an optical system placed on a fixed table, especially an optical system of an ophthalmological device, vertically and horizontally to connect the eye to be examined. The present invention relates to a joystick mechanism that enables the positioning of the device and the switching of the device.

A-2 Prior Art During fundus treatment using a laser photocoagulation device and fundus observation using a slit lamp microscope, the operator and examiner hold a contact lens with one hand, press it against the subject's eye, and use the other hand to open the instrument. Perform the operation.

Furthermore, when photographing the fundus using a fundus camera, if photographing is difficult due to the eyelids of the subject's eye, the examiner must operate the equipment while opening the eyelids with one hand.

Therefore, it would be ideal to be able to simultaneously open and close the switch for treatment, photography, and measurement, as well as make small movements in the vertical and horizontal directions of the machine, while still holding the joystick with the other hand.

As a conventional device, a joystick mechanism has been disclosed in which the optical system can be slightly moved in the vertical direction by rotating the joystick about an axis, and by turning it, the joystick can be slightly moved in any direction in the horizontal direction. In either case, due to mechanical limitations, the switch is built into the joystick, and it is difficult to extract the signals obtained by opening and closing the switch to the outside via electric wire.

If a device using these requires a switch operation at the same time as a slight movement, it is common to use a foot switch, but if the operation is performed with an unaccustomed foot for delicate movements, accurate movement cannot be expected and the switch may be accidentally pressed. I often had to step on it. Furthermore, since the entire joystick rotates and pivots, there is a drawback that even when only slight movement in the vertical direction by rotation is desired, the joystick rotates slightly and shifts its position in the horizontal direction. A mechanism has been disclosed in which the upper part of the joystick is released from rotation and the lower part is rotated to perform precise adjustment of the instrument, but this method involves resting the hand on the top of the joystick and grasping the rotating part of the lower part with the fingers. Therefore, the hand placement is unnatural, requiring some getting used to, and it is difficult to operate the device for a long time. Furthermore, since the top is covered by hands, it is impossible to place a switch or the like here.

In addition, it has been proposed that the upper part of the joystick is rotatable and the lower part is separated from rotation, but this method of inserting a cross joint and a transmission gear to transmit rotation into the spherical interior of the lower part of the joystick can be used to When the upper part of the joystick is rotated in the turning position, unintended horizontal movement occurs, which makes it impractical.

A-3 Problems to be Solved by the Present Invention Therefore, the present invention provides an operation for performing treatment, imaging, and measurement at the upper end of the joystick that aligns the optical system vertically and horizontally by rotating and pivoting. In addition to arranging the buttons, the lower part of the joystick is released from rotation, and the upper part of the joystick can be rotated with a finger, allowing extremely precise instrument positioning to be performed in a natural position for the surgeon and examiner. To provide a joystick mechanism which enables switching and switching in a reliable and simple manner.

B. Structure of the Invention B-1 Means for Solving Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rotatable and pivotable shaft that is disposed on the central axis of the joystick, and a shaft that can be rotated with a finger on the upper part of the shaft. The rotary knob is fixed, and an operation button for opening and closing the switch is placed inside the rotary knob. A swing knob is disposed on the outer periphery of the shaft and at the bottom of the rotation knob via a ball bearing, and a groove and a pin or a cross joint are used at the lower end of the swing knob to securely separate the switch from rotation and fix the switch to the swing knob. A ring-shaped plate is fixed to the operation button via a connecting shaft, and the distance between the ring-shaped plate and the switch is constant at any rotational position of the rotary knob, and the operation button cannot be pressed. This allows the switch to be opened and closed. By rotating the rotation knob, the rotation is transmitted to the gear via the groove and key of the spherical bearing at the bottom of the shaft, making it possible to move the optical system up and down.

By turning the turning knob, the shaft is turned through the ball bearing, and the shaft turns using the sliding plate at the lower end of the shaft as a fulcrum, thereby making it possible to make small horizontal movements of the instrument.

According to the present invention, operation buttons for treatment, imaging, and measurement can be arranged at the upper end of the joystick, and the lower part of the joystick can be separated from rotation, allowing the examiner to independently rotate and pivot the joystick with one hand. Not only can you operate the switch, but you can also open and close the switch.

RO-3 Embodiment The present invention will be described below based on the embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a joystick according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a fixing table for the instrument, and 2 a baize that can be moved horizontally on a friction plate 4 via a sliding plate 3. Optical systems such as a slit lamp and a fundus camera are supported via a vertical movement mechanism (not shown). There is. A housing 6 is installed on the base 2 via a ball bearing 5. Inside the housing 6, a lower spherical part of a shaft 7 engages with a key 14, and a joystick 8
By turning the turning knob 9 of the ball bearing 10
Since the shaft 7 is rotated about the spherical portion in the housing as a fulcrum via the shaft 7, the lower end of the shaft 7 swings the sliding plate 3. By selecting a material in which the frictional force between the sliding plate 3 and the friction plate 4 is stronger than the frictional force between the plate 11 fixed to the base 2 and the sliding plate 12 embedded in the sliding plate 3, When the lower end of the shaft 7 swings the sliding plate 3, the sliding plate 3 does not move and the base 2 slides horizontally on the sliding plate 12 via the plate 11, thereby realizing slight horizontal movement. .

A rotary knob 13 is fixed to the top of the shaft,
By turning the rotation knob 13, the shaft 7 rotates,
The housing 6 is rotated via the key 14. A gear 15 is fixed to the housing 6, and can transmit rotational force to an optical system vertical movement mechanism (not shown).

The turning knob 9 has a pin 16 fixed to the upper cover 17 at a horizontal position with respect to the turning center point of the shaft 7, which fits into the groove at the lower end of the turning knob 9 and releases the turning knob 9 from rotation. There is.

An operation button 18 is placed on the top of the rotary knob 13 via a spring 19, and a ring plate 21 is fixed via a connecting rod 20.

Switches 22 and 23 are fixedly attached to the turning knob 9, and when the ring plate 21 is pushed down, the switches 22 and 23 are activated, and a signal is sent to a control circuit (not shown) via an electric wire 24 to perform treatment.
Shooting and measurement begin.

Switches 22 and 23 are installed at different heights, and when the operation button 18 is pressed, switch 22 is activated first, and when it is further pressed, switch 23 is activated.

For example, in a laser photocoagulation device, in order to prevent laser light from entering the operator side, it is necessary to reliably insert a filter for protecting the operator into the observation optical system immediately before emitting the laser beam. With a fundus camera, before imaging, the anterior segment of the eye is observed and the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the device is accurately aligned, and then the optical path is switched and the fundus is observed to confirm that there is no flare in the fundus image. Take pictures. Furthermore, in an eye refractometer, when taking measurements after applying automatic concussion for an arbitrary period of time, it is necessary to use different amounts of pressure in order to quickly perform this operation with one hand and also to move vertically and horizontally using the joystick. Therefore, it is useful to have a plurality of switches built into the joystick that can open and close the switches.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and the switch does not need to be a general contact type switch, but may be a photoelectric switch using a combination of a light emitting element 25 and a light receiving element 26, or a Hall element. It may also be a switch or the like that utilizes resistance change.

It is also possible to use a cruciform joint 27, as shown in this embodiment, in place of the groove and pin 16 shown in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the outer periphery of the rotary knob 13 is extended to the lower part, so that the turning knob 9 is not exposed to the outside, and rotation and turning can be operated independently. Although one function of the present invention in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is lost, the basic structure regarding the switch is the same, and it goes without saying that it is included in the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the invention. 1... Fixed base, 2... Base, 6... Housing, 7... Shaft, 8... Joystick, 9...
Swivel knob, 13... Rotation knob, 16... Pin, 1
8... Operation button, 20... Connection shaft, 21... Ring plate, 22, 23... Switch, 25... Light emitting element, 26... Light receiving element, 27... Cross joint.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A shaft that can be rotated to vertically move an optical system such as a slit lamp or a fundus camera, and can also be rotated to slightly move the optical system in the horizontal direction is arranged on the central axis of the joystick, A rotary knob is fixed on the upper part of the outer circumference of the shaft for the operator to rotate with his or her fingers.
An operation button for operating a switch is disposed on the top of the rotary knob via a spring, a rotary knob that is separated from rotation is disposed on the outer periphery of the shaft and a lower part of the rotary knob, and at least one switch is disposed inside the rotary knob. , a connecting rod is fixed to the operating button, and a ring-shaped plate that engages with the switch is installed on the connecting rod. 2. The joystick according to claim 1, characterized in that, as a means for separating the turning knob from rotation, a rotation stopper using a groove and a pin is disposed at at least one location on a horizontal plane including the turning center point. mechanism. 3. The joystick mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that a cross joint is arranged on a horizontal plane including the pivot point as a means for disengaging the pivot knob from rotation.