WO2025107275A1 - Veterinary electrocardiographic signal acquisition apparatus, electrocardiographic function examination method, and ultrasonic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application provides a veterinary electrocardiographic signal acquisition apparatus, an ultrasonic device, and a veterinary electrocardiographic function examination method. The veterinary electrocardiographic signal acquisition apparatus comprises: a fixing assembly, capable of forming a wearing space for allowing a paw of an animal to enter, and fixing the paw of the animal after the paw of the animal enters; and an electrically conductive assembly, comprising an electrode arranged within the wearing space, wherein the electrode is used for being in contact with a paw pad on the paw of the animal after the paw of the animal enters the wearing space so as to acquire an electrocardiographic signal of the animal. The veterinary electrocardiographic signal acquisition apparatus is more friendly and convenient for both animals and medical staff.

Description

Veterinary ECG signal acquisition device, ECG function examination method and ultrasound equipment Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of medical equipment, and in particular to a veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device, an ultrasonic device, and a veterinary electrocardiogram function examination method.

Background Art

In animal medical services, when medical staff collect medical data such as electrocardiogram data from hairy animals, they need to establish a good and stable conduction between the conductive product and the animal's skin. The operation is often troublesome, requiring the animal's hair to be partially shaved first, and then the conductive product is contacted and fixed with the animal's epidermis to form conduction, and then the conductive product fixed on the animal's epidermis is connected to the medical equipment through a wire to complete the preparation for data collection. The whole operation is time-consuming and laborious, and shaving the animal's hair partially affects its appearance. This operation method is often not liked by animal owners.

In order to solve the impact of shaving the animal's hair, in some cases, medical staff will directly stick the electrode with hydrogel to the animal's hair. After the animal's hair is soaked with hydrogel, the conductive product fixed on the animal is connected to the medical equipment through a wire to complete the preparation for data collection. The problems caused by this operation method are: 1. Some animal hair will be stuck, and the animal will feel strong pain when taking the electrode; 2. The animal hair adhered to the electrode will greatly reduce the frequency of use of the electrode, increasing the cost of use.

It can be seen that the market is in urgent need of a product that is not only friendly enough to animals without causing pain, but also fast, reliable in operation and friendly to animal medical staff.

Technical issues

The main technical problem solved by the present invention is to provide a veterinary ECG signal acquisition device that is friendly and convenient to both animals and medical staff, as well as an ultrasonic device using the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device and a veterinary ECG function examination method.

Technical Solutions

According to the first aspect, an embodiment provides a veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device, comprising:

A fixing component, capable of forming a wearing space for an animal's claw to be inserted into, and fixing the animal's claw after the claw is inserted into the wearing space;

The conductive component includes an electrode arranged in the wearing space, and the electrode is used to contact the paw pad on the paw of the animal after the paw of the animal extends into the wearing space, so as to collect the electrocardiogram signal of the animal.

According to the second aspect, an ultrasonic device is provided in one embodiment, comprising:

monitor;

Ultrasound probe;

A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the animal;

A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal;

The aforementioned veterinary ECG signal acquisition device;

A processor is used to obtain an electrocardiogram waveform of the animal based on the collected electrocardiogram signal of the animal; and to generate an ultrasonic image of the animal based on the echo signal, and output the electrocardiogram waveform and the ultrasonic image to the display for display.

According to the third aspect, an embodiment provides a method for checking electrocardiogram function for animals, comprising:

The electrocardiographic signal of the animal is collected by a veterinary electrocardiographic signal collection device, wherein the veterinary electrocardiographic signal collection device comprises a fixing component and a conductive component, the fixing component can form a wearing space, the wearing space is used for the claw of the animal to be inserted into, and the claw of the animal is fixed after the claw of the animal is inserted into the wearing space, the conductive component comprises an electrode arranged in the wearing space, the electrode is used to contact the claw pad on the claw of the animal after the claw of the animal is inserted into the wearing space, so as to collect the electrocardiographic signal of the animal;

Obtaining an electrocardiogram waveform of the animal according to the electrocardiogram signal;

transmitting ultrasonic waves to the animal;

receiving the ultrasonic echo to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal;

generating an ultrasonic image of the animal according to the echo signal;

The electrocardiogram waveform and the ultrasound image of the animal are displayed simultaneously.

Beneficial Effects

The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device according to the above embodiment has a fixing component itself, which can form a wearing space for fixing the claws of the animal. The claws of the animal can be inserted into the wearing space to complete the fixation without the need for additional fixing devices, which is convenient for medical personnel to operate.

A conductive component is provided in the wearing space, and the conductive component can directly contact the paw pad of the animal. On the one hand, since the paw pad of the animal itself has exposed skin, it is not necessary to shave all the hair on the paw pad to collect the animal's electrocardiogram signal. On the other hand, since the wearing space fixes the animal's paw, there is no need to use glue to bond the conductive component and the animal's paw, which is more friendly to the animal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the inner and outer sides of a wearing space in an embodiment;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an electrocardiogram signal acquisition device for animals according to an embodiment;

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device;

FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device according to another embodiment;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a veterinary ECG signal acquisition device when the fixing component is a clamping claw structure;

FIG6 is another schematic diagram of the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device when the fixing component is a clamping claw structure;

FIG7 is a side schematic diagram of the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device when the fixing assembly is a clamping claw structure;

FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device when the assembly strap is fixed;

FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic device according to an embodiment;

FIG10 is a schematic diagram of an ECG module according to an embodiment;

FIG11 is a flow chart of a method for checking veterinary electrocardiogram function according to an embodiment;

100. Fixing components;

110, first splint;

111, first hand-held end; 112, first movable end; 113, first boss; 114, first guide plate;

120, second splint;

121, second hand-held end; 122, second movable end; 123, second boss; 124, second guide plate;

130, rotation axis;

140. Reset torsion spring;

150, straps;

151, first connecting portion; 152, second connecting portion;

200, conductive components;

210. Electrode;

212, support portion; 214, contact surface; 216, raised portion;

220, conductive buttons;

300, wearing space;

400. Claw.

1000. Ultrasonic equipment;

1100, ultrasonic probe;

1200. Veterinary ECG signal acquisition device;

1300, transmit/receive selection switch;

1310, transmitting circuit; 1320, receiving circuit; 1330, beamforming module;

1400, processor;

1500, memory;

1600, display;

1700, ECG module;

1710. Data acquisition circuit; 1720. Microcontroller; 1730. Rechargeable battery.

Embodiments of the present invention

The present invention is further described in detail below by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein similar elements in different embodiments adopt associated similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are for making the present application better understood. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, this is to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by too much description, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations according to the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

In addition, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be interchanged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a required sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings).

The animals referred to in this application refer to animals with claws 400, including but not limited to cats, canines, bears, etc. The claws 400 of animals usually include a hairy area and a hairless area, wherein the paw pad on the animal's claw 400 is usually a hairless area. For example, a common pet cat has a "meat pad" under its claw 400, which is not covered with hair.

The inside or inner side referred to in this application refers to the direction from the outside of the wearing space 300 to the inside of the wearing space 300 after the wearing space 300 is formed. The outside or outer side referred to in this application refers to the direction from the inside of the wearing space 300 to the outside of the wearing space 300 after the wearing space 300 is formed. For example, in Figure 1, the direction indicated by the solid arrow is the inside, and the direction indicated by the dotted arrow is the outside.

The most important concept of this application is that it utilizes the structural characteristics of the claw 400 of the animal, and after fixing the claw 400 of the animal, the conductive component 200 contacts the claw pad to collect the animal's ECG signal. On the one hand, animals usually find it difficult to fully comply with human instructions. By fixing the claw 400 of the animal with the fixing component 100 and then collecting ECG signals, it is possible to avoid inaccurate or failed signal collection caused by the random movement of the animal, and it is possible to quickly fix the animal without contacting other auxiliary equipment; on the other hand, the claw pad is a natural hairless area of the animal, so when collecting the animal's ECG signal, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the need to shave the animal, and it is also possible to reduce or eliminate the use of conductive glue, thereby avoiding damage to the animal and allowing the animal to cooperate better.

Please refer to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , which provides a veterinary ECG signal acquisition device, including a fixing component 100 and a conductive component 200 .

The fixing assembly 100 can form a wearing space 300, and the wearing space 300 is used for the claw 400 of the animal to extend into. After the claw 400 of the animal is extended into the wearing space 300, the claw 400 of the animal can be fixed in the wearing space 300. In some embodiments, one side of the wearing space 300 has an opening, and the claw 400 of the animal can extend into the wearing space 300 from the opening. In other embodiments, the wearing space 300 can have two or more openings, and the claw 400 of the animal can extend into the wearing space 300 from any opening, and a part of the claw 400 can also extend out of the wearing space 300 from other openings.

In some embodiments, the conductive component 200 includes an electrode 210 disposed in the wearing space 300, and the electrode 210 is used to contact the paw pad on the paw 400 of the animal after the paw 400 of the animal extends into the wearing space 300, so as to collect the electrocardiogram signal of the animal. In other words, the electrode 210 can directly contact the hairless area of the animal, and at the same time, the fixing component 100 keeps the electrode 210 in contact with the hairless area, so as to collect the electrocardiogram signal of the animal.

In some embodiments, the structure of the electrode 210 itself is no different from a common electrode 210 . For example, the electrode 210 may be a conductor in a circular, square, or other shapes. The conductor includes but is not limited to metal, conductive foam, and the like.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the electrode 210 includes a plurality of protrusions 216 for contacting the paw pad of the animal. In daily life, if the hair of the paw 400 of some animals is not taken care of for a long time, it may cover a part of the paw pad. By providing a plurality of protrusions 216, the electrode 210 can have better contact with the paw pad without being affected by the hair. In addition, continuing to take a pet cat as an example, the paw pad of a pet cat includes a plurality of meat balls, which are similar to the five fingers of a person, and there are gaps between the meat balls. When the electrode 210 includes a protrusion 216, some of the protrusions 216 can also enter the gaps between the meat balls to further contact the skin of the animal, which not only increases the contact area with the animal within the limited wearing space 300, but also has an anti-slip effect, making the contact more stable. For example, the protrusion 216 is embedded in the gap between the meat balls to further prevent the displacement or sliding of the animal's paw 400. The above-mentioned protrusion 216 is set according to the structural characteristics of the animal's claw 400. Even if there is a protrusion structure set on the electrode 210 in other technical fields, it is not for adapting to the animal's claw 400, and it will not play a role in improving the contact effect and preventing slipping. It can be said that this is one of the unique designs of the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device of the present application.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the electrode 210 includes a support portion 212 whose bottom end is connected to the fixing assembly 100, and a contact surface 214 is provided at the top of the support portion 212, and the contact surface 214 is used to contact the paw pad of the animal, and at least the contact surface 214 on the support portion 212 is conductive, and the support portion 212 is configured to be deformable along the height direction of the support portion 212 under the action of an external force, so that the contact surface 214 is close to or away from the inner wall of the wearing space 300. It can be understood that the deformable support portion 212 can better adapt to claws 400 of different sizes. For example, when a larger claw 400 is to be inserted into the wearing space 300, the support portion 212 can be pressed down to accommodate the larger claw 400. In some embodiments, the support portion 212 is a hollow structure made of a flexible material, for example, the middle of the support portion 212 is hollowed out and the outside is made into a thin-walled structure, and the flexible material enables the support portion 212 to deform at least in the height direction, and the hollow structure is more conducive to the deformation of the support portion 212 on the one hand, and can reduce the weight of the support portion 212 on the other hand. The above-mentioned support portion 212 can also be conductive or insulating. In some embodiments, the support portion 212 is an arc-shaped structure, and the support portion 212 protrudes in the direction of the fixing assembly 100 connected to the bottom end of the support portion 212, so as to form an arc-shaped support structure to better support the claw 400 of the animal.

In some embodiments, the shape of the contact surface 214 is also specially designed. Specifically, the contact surface 214 is set to be wavy, and the direction of the waves on the contact surface 214 is set to be perpendicular to the direction in which the claw 400 of the animal extends. Taking Figure 7 as an example, in Figure 7, the direction of the waves is parallel to the direction of the paper surface, and the direction in which the claw 400 of the animal extends is perpendicular to the direction of the paper surface. When the claw 400 of the animal is pressed down in the middle, the middle support portion 212 is concave downward. Since there is a gap between the waves, the waves on both sides of the claw 400 will deflect toward the claw 400 as shown by the arrows in Figure 7 and contact the claw pad. Finally, the waves on both sides close to the claw 400 will "roll up" the claw 400, thereby forming a better contact with the claw pad.

In some embodiments, the plurality of protrusions 216 are located on the contact surface 214. When the contact surface 214 is wavy, the height of the protrusions 216 along the height direction of the support portion 212 is not less than the height of the wave crest of the contact surface 214, so as to ensure that the protrusions 216 can contact the claw pad, thereby playing the role of the protrusions 216 described above. In some embodiments, the plurality of protrusions 216 are distributed on multiple wave crests of the contact surface 214. For example, in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the contact surface 214 includes N waves, and the plurality of protrusions 216 are divided into N groups, each group including a plurality of protrusions 216. The plurality of protrusions 216 in the same group are arranged on the same wave crest, and the plurality of protrusions 216 in the same group are arranged perpendicular to the wave direction.

In addition to the wavy shape, the contact surface 214 may also be in other shapes or structures. In some embodiments, the contact surface 214 is a curved surface, which may be a curved surface with a uniform curvature, or a curved surface formed by splicing curved surfaces in different regions.

The following describes more specific structures of the fixing component 100 and the conductive component 200 in some embodiments in conjunction with Figures 5 to 8. It should be noted that the fixing component 100 and the conductive component 200 in Figures 5 to 8 are only examples, and the fixing component 100 and the conductive component 200 protected by this application include but are not limited to the following examples.

In some embodiments, the fixing assembly 100 includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion, and a wearing space 300 is formed between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion. The first fixing portion and the second fixing portion can be relatively close to or relatively far away from each other by movement, so that the wearing space 300 becomes larger or smaller, thereby better adapting to claws 400 of different sizes. Exemplarily, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the first fixing portion includes a first clamping plate 110, and the second fixing portion includes a second clamping plate 120. The first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120 are movably connected to open or close, that is, the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120 form a clamping claw structure.

In Figs. 5 to 7, the fixing assembly 100 includes, in addition to the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120, a rotating shaft 130 and a reset torsion spring 140 for movably connecting the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120. The first clamping plate 110 includes a first hand-held end 111 at one end and a first movable end 112 at the other end. The first clamping plate 110 has two first bosses 113 arranged at intervals between the first hand-held end 111 and the first movable end 112. The first bosses 113 have a first rotating center hole for mounting the rotating shaft 130 in the middle. The second clamping plate 120 includes a second hand-held end 121 at one end and a second movable end 122 at the other end. The second clamping plate 120 has two second bosses 123 arranged at intervals between the second hand-held end 121 and the second movable end 122. The second bosses 123 have a second rotating center hole for mounting the rotating shaft 130 in the middle. When the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120 are assembled, the side of the first clamping plate 110 provided with the first boss 113 faces the side of the second clamping plate 120 provided with the second boss 123 and approaches each other, and the rotating shaft 130 is inserted after the first rotating center hole and the second rotating center hole are aligned, then the first movable end 112 and the first hand-held end 111 form a seesaw structure relative to the rotating shaft 130, and the second movable end 122 and the second hand-held end 121 also form a seesaw structure relative to the rotating shaft 130, when the first hand-held end 111 and the second hand-held end 121 approach each other, the first movable end 112 and the second movable end 122 move away from each other, and the wearing space 300 becomes larger accordingly, and when the first hand-held end 111 and the second hand-held end 121 move away from each other, the first movable end 112 and the second movable end 122 approach each other, and the wearing space 300 becomes smaller accordingly.

The return torsion spring 140 is installed on the rotating shaft 130 and applies a force to the first handheld end 111 and the second handheld end 121 to move the first handheld end 111 and the second handheld end 121 away from each other, that is, without applying an external force, the first handheld end 111 and the second handheld end 121 are open, and the first movable end 112 and the second movable end 122 are closed, and the user can press the first handheld end 111 and the second handheld end 121 to open the clamping claws for the animal's claw 400 to be placed in. In other embodiments, other return structures besides the return torsion spring 140 may also be used, such as a telescopic return structure, etc.

In addition, the first hand-held end 111 and the second hand-held end 121 are both in a fishtail shape, forming a smooth transition of the finger fitting opening. This structure is more suitable for users to hold, more ergonomic, and more user-friendly. Anti-slip protrusions are also provided on the outer side of the first hand-held end 111 and the outer side of the second hand-held end 121, which is easier to operate.

The first movable end 112 has two first guide plates 114 extending outward and spaced apart, and the second movable end 122 has a second guide plate 124 extending outward. When the first movable end 112 and the second movable end 122 are approaching each other, the first guide plate 114 and the second guide plate 124 can cross each other. The advantage of such a design is that the clamping jaws can have a better guiding function, higher reliability, and can increase the compatibility of the clamping jaws 400 for large animals. If sleeves are added to the first guide plates 114 and the second guide plates 124, the clamping space can be further expanded, so that it is suitable for larger animals. In other embodiments, the first movable end 112 can also include more than two first guide plates 114, and/or the second movable end 122 can also include more than one second guide plate 124.

In FIGS. 5 to 7 , electrodes 210 are disposed on the inner sides of the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120, and the upper and lower electrodes 210 can be connected to each other, for example, when the first movable end 112 and the second movable end 122 are closed, the electrodes 210 on both sides can directly contact. In other embodiments, the electrode 210 can also be disposed on only one of the first clamping plate 110 and the second clamping plate 120.

In some embodiments, the conductive component 200 further includes a signal transmission component, which is used to transmit the ECG signal collected by the electrode 210 to the medical device for further processing by the medical device. For example, the medical device can generate an ECG based on the ECG signal. Exemplarily, the signal transmission component in Figures 5 to 7 includes a conductive button 220, which has an opening on the first splint 110. One end of the conductive button 220 passes through the opening and is connected to the electrode 210, and the other end of the conductive button 220 is connected to the cable of the medical device, thereby transmitting the ECG signal to the medical device. The conductive button 220 has the characteristics of strong connection compatibility, easy material acquisition, and low cost.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the fixing assembly 100 includes a strap 150, the electrode 210 is mounted on the strap 150, the strap 150 is used to enclose a wearing space 300, and the strap 150 has a first connection portion 151 and a second connection portion 152 that cooperates with the first connection portion 151. When using the fixing assembly 100, the user can first align the electrode 210 with the paw pad on the animal's paw 400, and then wrap the strap 150 around the animal's paw 400, and after wrapping, fix the strap 150 through the first connection portion 151 and the second connection portion 152. It can be understood that in this way, the size of the wearing space 300 can also be changed to accommodate paws 400 of different sizes, and in this way, the use of conductive glue is also not required or can be reduced.

The first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152 are not necessarily at the ends of the strap 150. For example, the first connection part 151 or the second connection part 152 can be in the middle of the strap 150, or the first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152 can be located at the same position of the strap 150, that is, the first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152 are the same component, and the component can be self-locking. The following is an example of some ways of the first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152. The feasible first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152 in this application include but are not limited to the following examples.

In some embodiments, the first connection part 151 is the fur surface of the Velcro, and the first connection part 151 is located on the inner side of the strap 150, and the second connection part 152 is the hook surface of the Velcro, and the second connection part 152 is located on the outer side of the strap 150. The fur surface and the hook surface of the Velcro can form a connection structure after contact, and the two can only be separated after a certain force is applied. By utilizing the characteristics of Velcro, after the strap 150 is wrapped around the claw 400 of the animal, the first connection part 151 and the second connection part 152 are connected to complete the fixation of the strap 150.

In other embodiments, at least one of the first connection portion 151 and the second connection portion 152 is adhesive, and after the strap 150 is wrapped around the claw 400 of the animal, the first connection portion 151 and the second connection portion 152 are connected to fix the strap 150 through the adhesive.

In other embodiments, the first connecting portion 151 is a snap-fit structure, and the second connecting portion 152 is a snap-fit portion that cooperates with the snap-fit structure. For example, the snap-fit portion can be inserted into the snap-fit structure to complete the connection with the snap-fit structure, and the snap-fit structure and the snap-fit portion are both arranged on the strap 150.

In other embodiments, the first connection portion 151 or the second connection portion 152 may be a part of the strap 150 itself. For example, the first connection portion 151 is a clamping device provided on the strap 150, and the clamping device has a clamping opening for the strap 150 to pass through. After the strap 150 is wrapped around the claw 400 of the animal, one end of the strap 150 is passed through the clamping opening and the strap 150 is clamped to complete the fixation. The position of the strap 150 clamped by the clamping opening is different according to the size of the claw 400 of the animal, so in this way the position of the second connection portion 152 is not fixed.

Please refer to FIG9 , the present application also provides an ultrasound device 1000, which includes an ultrasound probe 1100, the above-mentioned veterinary ECG signal acquisition device 1200, a transmitting circuit 1310, a receiving circuit 1320, a processor 1400, and a display 1600. Further, the ultrasound device 1000 may also include a transmitting/receiving selection switch 1300 and a beamforming module 1330, and the transmitting circuit 1310 and the receiving circuit 1320 may be connected to the ultrasound probe 1100 through the transmitting/receiving selection switch 1300.

The ultrasonic probe 1100 includes a plurality of transducer array elements, which can be arranged in a row to form a linear array, or arranged in a two-dimensional matrix to form a surface array, or a plurality of transducer array elements can also form a convex array. The transducer array element is used to transmit ultrasonic waves according to the excitation electrical signal, or to convert the received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals. Therefore, each transducer array element can be used to realize the mutual conversion between the electrical pulse signal and the ultrasonic wave, so as to realize the transmission of ultrasonic waves to the tissue of the target area of the object to be tested, and can also be used to receive the ultrasonic wave echo reflected by the tissue. When performing ultrasonic testing, which transducer array elements are used to transmit ultrasonic waves and which transducer array elements are used to receive ultrasonic waves can be controlled by the transmission sequence and the reception sequence, or the transducer array elements can be controlled to transmit ultrasonic waves or receive ultrasonic wave echoes in time slots. The transducer array elements participating in ultrasonic wave transmission can be excited by electrical signals at the same time, so as to transmit ultrasonic waves at the same time; or, the transducer array elements participating in ultrasonic wave beam transmission can also be excited by several electrical signals with a certain time interval, so as to continuously transmit ultrasonic waves with a certain time interval.

During the ultrasonic imaging process, the transmitting circuit 1310 sends the delayed focused transmitting pulse to the ultrasonic probe 1100 through the transmitting/receiving selection switch 1300. The ultrasonic probe 1100 is stimulated by the transmitting pulse to transmit an ultrasonic beam to the tissue of the target area of the object to be measured, and receives the ultrasonic echo with tissue information reflected from the tissue of the target area after a certain delay, and reconverts the ultrasonic echo into an electrical signal. Among them, the object to be measured is an animal, such as a cat, a dog, a rabbit, etc. The receiving circuit 1320 receives the electrical signal converted and generated by the ultrasonic probe 1100, obtains the ultrasonic echo signal, and sends these ultrasonic echo signals to the beamforming module 1330, and the beamforming module 1330 performs focusing delay, weighting and channel summing on the ultrasonic echo signal, and then sends it to the processor 1400. The processor 1400 performs signal detection, signal enhancement, data conversion, logarithmic compression and other processing on the ultrasonic echo signal to form an ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image obtained by the processor 1400 can be displayed on the display 1600 or stored in the memory 1500.

Optionally, the processor 1400 may be implemented as software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof, and may use a single or multiple application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), a single or multiple general purpose integrated circuits, a single or multiple microprocessors, a single or multiple programmable logic devices, or any combination of the aforementioned circuits and/or devices, or other suitable circuits or devices. Furthermore, the processor 1400 may control other components in the ultrasound device 1000 to perform the corresponding steps of the methods in various embodiments of the present specification.

The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device 1200 is used to acquire ECG signals of animals, and then transmit the ECG signals to the ECG module 1700 for processing to obtain the ECG waveform or electrocardiogram of the animal.

In some embodiments, the structural block diagram of the ECG module 1700 is shown in Figure 10, and the electrode 210 transmits the animal's ECG signal to the data acquisition circuit 1710. The animal's ECG signal can be an analog signal. The data acquisition circuit 1710 includes an amplification circuit, a filtering circuit, and an A/D circuit, etc., which use amplification, filtering and A/D conversion methods known in the art to convert the analog signal into a digital signal.

The processing of the ECG signal by the data acquisition circuit 1710 generates a digital data waveform, which is transmitted to the microcontroller 1720 through the electrical connection between the data acquisition circuit 1710 and the microcontroller 1720. The microcontroller 1720 analyzes the digital waveform to identify certain digital waveform characteristics and threshold levels indicating abnormal conditions of the animal. For example, the microcontroller 1720 is a processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or other similar processing device. In addition, the ECG module 1700 can also be supplied with power by a rechargeable battery 1730, for example, the rechargeable battery 1730 is a removable lithium-ion battery that can be removed to allow replacement.

In some embodiments, the ultrasound device 1000 may not include the ECG module 1700 , and the veterinary ECG signal acquisition device 1200 directly transmits the ECG signal to the processor 1400 for processing. In other words, the processor 1400 may also implement the functions of the ECG module 1700 .

In some embodiments, the processor 1400 or the ECG module 1700 may generate an ECG waveform or an ECG based on the received ECG signal and display it on the display 1600 .

In some embodiments, the display 1600 displays the electrocardiogram of the animal obtained based on the electrocardiogram signal while displaying the ultrasound image. Medical personnel can observe the electrocardiogram while viewing the ultrasound image, so as to have a better judgment on the animal's condition. For example, the medical personnel use the ultrasound probe 1100 to transmit ultrasound to the animal's heart, thereby generating and displaying an ultrasound image of the heart, and at the same time, displaying the animal's electrocardiogram waveform on the display 1600.

The display 1600 is connected to the processor 1400, and the display 1600 may be a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc.; or, the display 1600 may be an independent display such as a liquid crystal display, a television, etc., which is independent of the ultrasound device 1000; or, the display 1600 may be a display screen of an electronic device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc. The number of the displays 1600 may be one or more. For example, the display 1600 may include a main screen and a touch screen, wherein the main screen is mainly used for display, and the touch screen is mainly used for human-computer interaction.

The display 1600 can display the ultrasound image obtained by the processor 1400 and/or the ECG waveform obtained by the processor 1400. In addition, the display 1600 can also provide a graphical interface for human-computer interaction to the user, set one or more controlled objects on the graphical interface, and provide the user with a human-computer interaction device to input operation instructions to control these controlled objects, thereby performing corresponding control operations. For example, an icon is displayed on the graphical interface, and the icon can be operated using the human-computer interaction device to perform a specific function, such as drawing a region of interest box on the ultrasound image.

Optionally, the ultrasound device 1000 may further include other human-computer interaction devices in addition to the display 1600, which are connected to the processor 1400. For example, the processor 1400 may be connected to the human-computer interaction device via an external input/output port, and the external input/output port may be a wireless communication module, or a wired communication module, or a combination of the two. The external input/output port may also be implemented based on USB, bus protocols such as CAN, and/or wired network protocols.

The human-computer interaction device may include an input device for detecting user input information, which may be, for example, a control instruction for ultrasonic transmission/reception timing, an operation input instruction for drawing points, lines or frames on an ultrasonic image, or other instruction types. The input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a scroll wheel, a trackball, a mobile input device (such as a mobile device with a touch screen, a mobile phone, etc.), a multi-function knob, etc., or a combination of multiple thereof. The human-computer interaction device may also include an output device such as a printer.

The ultrasound device 1000 may further include a memory 1500 for storing instructions executed by the processor, storing received ultrasound echoes, storing ultrasound images, etc. The memory may be a flash memory card, a solid-state memory, a hard disk, etc. It may be a volatile memory and/or a non-volatile memory, a removable memory and/or a non-removable memory, etc.

It should be understood that the components included in the ultrasound device 1000 shown in FIG9 are only exemplary, and the ultrasound device 1000 may include more or fewer components, which is not limited in the present application.

Based on the above-mentioned veterinary ECG signal acquisition device, as shown in FIG11 , some embodiments of the present application also provide a veterinary ECG function examination method, including:

Step S100, collecting the ECG signal of the animal by means of a veterinary ECG signal collecting device. The structure of the veterinary ECG collecting device in step S100 is not described in detail here. By using the veterinary ECG collecting device, the animal can be better fixed and damage to the animal can be avoided.

Step S200, obtaining an animal's ECG waveform according to the ECG signal. In some embodiments, an ECG waveform of an animal may be generated by electrocardiography. Electrocardiography is a method of displaying the bioelectric activity generated when the heart is excited and examining the heart function according to its characteristics and changes. Before the heart mechanically contracts, a weak electric current is generated in the myocardium and spreads to various parts of the body with the help of body fluids. The electrocardiograph is used to amplify and record this weak potential change on the surface of the human body to form a continuous wave and segment, which is an electrocardiogram waveform or electrocardiogram.

Step S300: transmitting ultrasonic waves to the animal.

Step S400: receiving ultrasonic echoes to obtain ultrasonic echo signals, and generating an ultrasonic image of the animal according to the echo signals. The ultrasonic image of the animal may be an ultrasonic image of a specific tissue of the animal, such as an ultrasonic image of the stomach of the animal, an ultrasonic image of the heart of the animal, and the like.

Step S500: Display the ECG waveform and the ultrasonic image of the animal simultaneously. Medical staff can observe the ECG while viewing the ultrasonic image, so as to have a better judgment on the animal's condition.

The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device according to the above embodiment can easily fix the animal. At the same time, it utilizes the natural hairless area of the animal, eliminates the need for shaving, and reduces or eliminates the use of conductive glue, thereby improving the animal's cooperation and being more animal-friendly.

The above specific examples are used to illustrate the present invention, which are only used to help understand the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, according to the concept of the present invention, the above specific implementation methods can be changed.

Claims (15)

A veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device, characterized in that it comprises: A fixing component, capable of forming a wearing space for an animal's claw to be inserted into, and fixing the animal's claw after the claw is inserted into the wearing space; The conductive component includes an electrode arranged in the wearing space, and the electrode is used to contact the paw pad on the paw of the animal after the paw of the animal extends into the wearing space, so as to collect the electrocardiogram signal of the animal. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the electrode includes a plurality of conductive protrusions for contacting the paw pads of the animal. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 1 is characterized in that the electrode includes a supporting portion whose bottom end is connected to the fixing component, the top end of the supporting portion has a contact surface, the contact surface is used to contact the paw pad of the animal, at least the contact surface on the supporting portion is conductive, and the supporting portion is configured to be deformable along the height direction of the supporting portion under the action of an external force so that the contact surface is close to or away from the inner wall of the wearing space. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 3 is characterized in that the support portion is an arc-shaped structure, the support portion is connected to the fixing component, and the support portion protrudes toward the direction of the fixing component. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 3 is characterized in that the support portion is a hollow structure made of flexible material. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 3 is characterized in that the contact surface is wavy, and the direction of the waves on the contact surface is set to be perpendicular to the direction in which the animal's claws extend. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 6 is characterized in that a plurality of conductive protrusions for contacting the paw pads of the animal are provided on the contact surface, and the height of the protrusions along the height direction of the support portion is not lower than the height of the wave crest of the contact surface. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 7 is characterized in that a plurality of the raised portions are distributed on a plurality of crests of the contact surface. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that the fixing assembly includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion, the wearing space is formed between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, and the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion can move relatively close to or relatively far away from each other, thereby making the wearing space larger or smaller. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 9 is characterized in that the first fixing portion includes a first clamping plate, the second fixing portion includes a second clamping plate, and the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate are movably connected to open or close. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 10 is characterized in that the first clamp includes a first movable end located at the end of the first clamp, the second clamp includes a second movable end located at the end of the second clamp, and the first movable end and the second movable end are close to each other when the first clamp and the second clamp are closed; The first movable end has at least two first guide plates extending outward and spaced apart, and the second movable end has at least one second guide plate extending outward. When the first movable end and the second movable end approach each other, the first guide plate and the second guide plate can cross each other. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that the fixing component includes a strap, the electrode is mounted on the strap, the strap is used to enclose the wearing space, the strap has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion cooperating with the first connecting portion, and after the strap encloses the wearing space, the first connecting portion is used to connect with the second connecting portion. The veterinary ECG signal acquisition device as described in claim 12 is characterized in that one of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is the fur side of Velcro, and the other of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is the hook side of Velcro; or At least one of the first connecting part and the second connecting part is adhesive, so that the first connecting part and the second connecting part can be bonded. An ultrasonic device, characterized in that it comprises: monitor; Ultrasound probe; A transmitting circuit, used for stimulating the ultrasonic probe to transmit ultrasonic waves to the animal; A receiving circuit, used for controlling the ultrasonic probe to receive the ultrasonic echo to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal; The veterinary electrocardiogram signal acquisition device according to any one of claims 1 to 13; A processor is used to obtain an electrocardiogram waveform of the animal based on the collected electrocardiogram signal of the animal; and to generate an ultrasonic image of the animal based on the echo signal, and output the electrocardiogram waveform and the ultrasonic image to the display for display. A method for checking electrocardiogram function for animals, characterized by comprising: The electrocardiographic signal of the animal is collected by a veterinary electrocardiographic signal collection device, wherein the veterinary electrocardiographic signal collection device comprises a fixing component and a conductive component, the fixing component can form a wearing space, the wearing space is used for the claw of the animal to be inserted into, and the claw of the animal is fixed after the claw of the animal is inserted into the wearing space, the conductive component comprises an electrode arranged in the wearing space, the electrode is used to contact the claw pad on the claw of the animal after the claw of the animal is inserted into the wearing space, so as to collect the electrocardiographic signal of the animal; Obtaining an electrocardiogram waveform of the animal according to the electrocardiogram signal; transmitting ultrasonic waves to the animal; receiving the ultrasonic echo to obtain the ultrasonic echo signal; generating an ultrasonic image of the animal according to the echo signal; The electrocardiogram waveform and the ultrasound image of the animal are displayed simultaneously.