Method and system for PDA-based ultrasound system

• US 20030097071A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.), GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Halmann, Menachem, Amemiya, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,115,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4411 Device being modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8909 using a static transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52082 involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for a compact, inexpensive ultrasound system using an off-the-shelf personal digital assistant (PDA) device interfacing to a hand-held probe assembly through a standard digital interface. The hand-held probe assembly comprises a detachable transducer head attached to a beamforming module that performs digital beamforming. The PDA runs Windows applications and displays menus and images to a user. The PDA also runs ultrasound data processing software to support a plurality of imaging modes. An internal battery is provided in the PDA to power the system. The transducer head is detachable from the beamforming module.

Claims

1. A method of ultrasound imaging, said method comprising:

attaching a detachable transducer head to a beamforming module to form a hand-held probe assembly that includes said beamforming module and said detachable transducer head;

receiving ultrasound signals with said hand-held probe assembly from a region of interest to generate a plurality of received digital signals within said hand-held probe assembly;

digitally beamforming said plurality of received digital signals within said hand-held probe assembly to generate at least one beam of digital data corresponding to said region of interest; and

transmitting said at least one beam of digital data to a commercially available personal digital assistant (PDA) over a standard digital interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said detachable transducer head is selected from a group comprising a linear array transducer, a curved array transducer, and a phased array transducer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

demodulating said at least one beam of digital data, within said PDA, to generate demodulated data;

parameter estimating said demodulated data, within said PDA, to generate parameter estimate data;

scan converting said parameter estimate data, within said PDA, to generate scan converted data; and

display processing said scan converted data, within said PDA, to generate a displayed representation of said region of interest on a display of said PDA.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting digital control signals from said PDA to said hand-held probe assembly over said standard digital interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a wireless interface between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a serial link between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a parallel link between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said parameter estimating comprises performing Doppler processing.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said parameter estimating comprises performing non-Doppler processing.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising running Windows applications on said PDA to display menus and images to a user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said PDA includes ultrasound data processing and application software to support a plurality of ultrasound imaging modes.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said digitally beamforming includes time delaying and summing said plurality of received digital signals.

13. A system for performing ultrasound imaging, said system comprising:

a beamforming module for performing ultrasound signal processing functions including digital beamforming;

a detachable transducer head attaching to said beamforming module to form a hand-held probe assembly; and

a commercially available personal digital assistant (PDA) connecting to said hand-held probe assembly through a standard digital interface wherein said PDA performs ultrasound data processing functions.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said detachable transducer head comprises:

a set of transducer elements; and

a multiplexer connecting to said set of transducer elements to select and route a first set of received analog signals from a subset of said set of transducer elements to said beamforming module.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said beamforming module comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converting a third set of received analog signals to a first set of received digital signals;

a beamforming ASIC connecting to said ADC and generating at least one beam of digital data from said first set of received digital signals;

a pulser module generating a set of analog transmit signals in response to digital control data from said PDA and sending said set of analog transmit signals to said transducer head.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said beamforming module further comprises:

a TX/RX switching module to switch between passing said set of analog transmit signals and a first set of received analog signals;

a folder module generating a second set of received analog signals from said first set of received analog signals received from said transducer head via said TX/RX switching module;

a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) connecting to said folder module and generating said third set of received analog signals from said second set of received analog signals; and

a digital interface controller connecting to said beamforming ASIC and transmitting said at least one beam of digital data to said PDA and receiving said digital control data from said PDA over said standard digital interface.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said PDA includes software to perform ultrasound data processing functions including:

demodulation;

parameter estimation;

scan conversion; and

display processing.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said PDA includes a touch-screen display for displaying ultrasound image data and menus generated by said system.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a serial link.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a parallel link.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a wireless link.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein said PDA includes an internal battery that powers said PDA and said hand-held probe assembly.

23. The system of claim 13 further comprising an external battery connecting to said hand-held probe assembly to power said hand-held probe assembly.

24. The system of claim 13 further comprising a battery power interface connecting between said PDA and said hand-held probe assembly.

25. The system of claim 13 wherein said hand-held probe assembly includes an internal battery to power said hand-held probe assembly.

26. The system of claim 13 further comprising a docking station to plug said hand-held probe assembly into for charging a battery of said hand-held probe assembly.

27. A method of ultrasound imaging, said method comprising:

attaching a detachable transducer head to a signal processing module to form a hand-held probe assembly that includes said signal processing module and said detachable transducer head;

receiving ultrasound signals with said hand-held probe assembly from a region of interest to generate a plurality of received digital signals within said hand-held probe assembly;

transmitting said plurality of received digital signals to a commercially available personal digital assistant (PDA) over a standard digital interface; and

digitally beamforming said plurality of received digital signals within said PDA to generate at least one beam of digital data corresponding to said region of interest.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said detachable transducer head is selected from a group comprising a linear array transducer, a curved array transducer, and a phased array transducer.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

demodulating said at least one beam of digital data, within said PDA, to generate demodulated data;

parameter estimating said demodulated data, within said PDA, to generate parameter estimate data;

scan converting said parameter estimate data, within said PDA, to generate scan converted data; and

display processing said scan converted data, within said PDA, to generate a displayed representation of said region of interest on a display of said PDA.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising transmitting digital control signals from said PDA to said hand-held probe assembly over said standard digital interface.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a wireless interface between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a serial link between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a parallel link between said hand-held probe assembly and said PDA.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein said parameter estimating comprises performing Doppler processing.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein said parameter estimating comprises performing non-Doppler processing.

36. The method of claim 27 further comprising running Windows applications on said PDA to display menus and images to a user.

37. The method of claim 27 wherein said PDA includes ultrasound data processing and application software to support a plurality of ultrasound imaging modes.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein said digitally beamforming includes time delaying and summing said plurality of received digital signals.

39. A system for performing ultrasound imaging, said system comprising:

a signal processing module for performing ultrasound signal processing;

a detachable transducer head attaching to said signal processing module to form a hand-held probe assembly; and

a commercially available personal digital assistant (PDA) connecting to said hand-held probe assembly through a standard digital interface wherein said PDA performs ultrasound data processing functions including digital beamforming.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said detachable transducer head comprises:

a set of transducer elements; and

a multiplexer connecting to said set of transducer elements to select and route a first set of received analog signals from a subset of said set of transducer elements to said signal processing module.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein said signal processing module comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converting a third set of received analog signals to a first set of received digital signals; and

a pulser module generating a set of analog transmit signals in response to digital control data from said PDA and sending said set of analog transmit signals to said transducer head.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said signal processing module further comprises:

a TX/RX switching module to switch between passing said set of analog transmit signals and a first set of received analog signals;

a folder module generating a second set of received analog signals from said first set of received analog signals received from said transducer head via said TX/RX switching module;

a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) connecting to said folder module and generating said third set of received analog signals from said second set of received analog signals; and

a digital interface controller connecting to said ADC and transmitting said first set of received digital signals to said PDA and receiving said digital control data from said PDA over said standard digital interface.

43. The system of claim 39 wherein said PDA includes software to perform ultrasound data processing functions including:

digital beamforming;

demodulation;

parameter estimation;

scan conversion; and

display processing.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein said PDA includes a touch-screen display for displaying ultrasound image data and menus generated by said system.

45. The system of claim 39 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a serial link.

46. The system of claim 39 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a parallel link.

47. The system of claim 39 wherein said standard digital interface comprises a wireless link.

48. The system of claim 39 wherein said PDA includes an internal battery that powers said PDA and said hand-held probe assembly.

49. The system of claim 39 further comprising an external battery connecting to said hand-held probe assembly to power said hand-held probe assembly.

50. The system of claim 39 further comprising a battery power interface connecting between said PDA and said hand-held probe assembly.

51. The system of claim 39 wherein said hand-held probe assembly includes an internal battery to power said hand-held probe assembly.

52. The system of claim 39 further comprising a docking station to plug said hand-held probe assembly into for charging a battery of said hand-held probe assembly.