Patent ID: 6428535
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A medical apparatus comprising:a terminal instrument and an apparatus body, wherein the apparatus body comprises a terminal-output-generating section for generating predetermined terminal output for activating the terminal instrument, wherein the terminal output is an electric or electromagnetic output and a primary control section for sending an output command that when received by the terminal-output-generating section activates the terminal-output-generating section to generate terminal output, and wherein the terminal instrument is removably connected via a cable to the terminal-output-generating section and activated by the terminal output, (1) wherein the terminal instrument is provided with an installed cell having a predetermined capacity and further with terminals respectively extending from the both poles of the installed cell and electrically connected via a cable to corresponding cell-voltage-input terminals on the apparatus body, and(2) wherein the apparatus body further comprises:(a) an allowable-length-of-use-setting/discharging section that is activated upon receipt of the output command from the primary control section, an extension-of-time-setting section that is activated upon receipt of the output command from the primary control section, a comparison-and-determination section, a standard-voltage-setting section for providing the comparison-and-determination section with standard-voltage information for reference, and an alarm-generating section, (b) wherein the allowable-length-of-use-setting/discharging section is so constructed that it, upon receipt of the output command, establishes electrical communication between the cell-voltage-input terminals via a predetermined resistor to form a closed circuit to discharge the installed cell and thereby keeps the installed cell being discharged while the terminal-output-generating section is activated by the output command transmitted thereto to generate terminal output, and that it sends a cell voltage-information output corresponding to the electromotive force of the installed cell determined based on the voltage between two different points along the circuit, to the comparison-and-determination section, (c) wherein the comparison-and-determination section is so constructed that it compares the voltage-information output with the standard-voltage information it has received from the standard-voltage-setting section to determine whether the electromotive force of the installed cell is equal to or greater than the standard voltage or has fallen below the standard voltage, and then sends the result signal to the extension-of-time-setting section as well as to the alarm-generating section, (d) wherein the extension-of-time-setting section is so constructed that it, depending on the result signal it has received from the comparison-and-determination section, transmits the output command from the primary control section to the terminal-output-generating section if the electromotive force of the installed cell is equal to or greater than the standard voltage but can block the transmission of the output command if the electromotive force of the installed cell is below the standard voltage, and (e) wherein the alarm-generating section is so constructed that it, according to the result signal it has received from the comparison-and-determination section, generates an alarm signal if the electromotive force of the installed cell is lower than the standard voltage.