Ultrasound imaging enhancement to clinical patient monitoring functions

• US 20030163045A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gatzke, Ronald D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,705,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• 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 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/582 Remote testing of the device

Abstract

An apparatus includes an ultrasound imaging unit integrated into a patient monitoring system continuously generating ultrasound images from a patient and continuously extracting therefrom diagnostic data.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a patient monitoring system; and

an ultrasound imaging unit integrated into the patient monitoring system continuously generating ultrasound images from a patient and continuously extracting therefrom diagnostic data.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit is a plug-in unit.

3. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit continuously executes at least one of an automatic boundary extraction algorithm, regional wall motion algorithm, an automatic gain control algorithm, kinesis measurement, or a physiological measurement.

4. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit continuously transmits the diagnostic data using a communication channel integrated therein to a person at a remote location.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the person at the remote location remotely controls the continuous extraction of the diagnostic data from the ultrasound images.

6. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit is coupled to a probe insertable through a mouth or a nose of the patient to monitor the region for a continuous period of time.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the person at the remote location remotely manipulates the probe via a communication channel in the ultrasound imaging unit.

8. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit automatically determines a region of a heart of the patient that needs to be monitored.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit further comprises a remote override capability allowing a person at a remote location to override and manually determine the region of the heart of the patient that needs to be monitored.

10. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the patient monitoring system comprises slots to plug modules comprising at least one of a blood pressure module and an ECG module to monitor a patient'"'"'s blood pressure and ECG signals.

11. The apparatus as recited in claims 10, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit comprises a communication channel to download to a hospital network at least one of the ultrasound images, the diagnostic data, the blood pressure, and the ECG signals.

12. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, further comprising a display screen displaying the ultrasound images and the diagnostic data on a screen.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, further comprising a split screen display displaying patient monitoring data and related trend lines and the ultrasound images and related trend lines extracted from the ultrasound images.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, further comprising a window-in-window display displaying patient monitoring data and related trend lines together with the ultrasound images and related trend lines extracted from the ultrasound images.

15. The apparatus as recited in claims 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an alarm indicating that a patient'"'"'s physiological parameter has exceeded a predetermined threshold, where the alarm is triggered by the ultrasound images or the diagnostic data comprising stroke volume, heart rate, or blood pressure.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a patient monitoring system; and

a compact standalone ultrasound imaging unit connected to the patient monitoring system continuously collecting ultrasound images from a patient and processing the ultrasound images to continuously extract therefrom diagnostic data.

17. The apparatus as recited in claims 16, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit continuously executes at least one of an automatic boundary extraction algorithm, regional wall motion algorithm, an automatic gain control algorithm, kinesis measurement, or a physiological measurement.

18. The apparatus as recited in claims 16, wherein the person at the remote location remotely controls via a communication channel the continuous extraction of the diagnostic data from the ultrasound images.

19. The apparatus as recited in claims 18, wherein the communication channel comprise a communication cable, an infrared (IR) port, a telephone modem, a wireless modem, or a business intranet connection.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit automatically determines a region of a heart of the patient that needs to be monitored.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit further comprises a remote override capability allowing a person at a remote location to override via a communication channel and manually determine the region of the heart of the patient that needs to be monitored.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein a person at a remote location remotely manipulates a probe coupled to the ultrasound imaging unit via a communication channel in the ultrasound imaging unit.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the ultrasound imaging unit comprises a communication channel to download to a hospital network at least one of the ultrasound images and the diagnostic data.

24. The apparatus as recited in claims 16, further comprising a display screen displaying the ultrasound images and the diagnostic data on a screen.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, further comprising a split screen display displaying patient monitoring data and related trend lines and the ultrasound images and related trend lines extracted from the ultrasound images.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, further comprising a window-in-window display displaying patient monitoring data and related trend lines together with the ultrasound images and related trend lines extracted from the ultrasound images.

27. The apparatus as recited in claims 16, wherein the apparatus comprises an alarm indicating that a patient'"'"'s physiological parameter has exceeded a predetermined threshold, where the alarm is triggered by the ultrasound images or the diagnostic data comprising stroke volume, heart rate, or blood pressure.

28. A method comprising:

integrating an ultrasound imaging unit to a patient monitoring system;

connecting the ultrasound imaging unit to a patient; and

continuously collecting ultrasound imaging data from the patient.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

processing the ultrasound imaging data to generate therefrom diagnostic data.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

continuously transmitting the diagnostic data using a communication channel to a person at another location.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising:

analyzing the diagnostic data and determining therefrom a medical treatment for the patient.

32. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

continuously executing at least one of an automatic boundary extraction algorithm, regional wall motion algorithm, an automatic gain control algorithm, kinesis measurement, or a physiological measurement.

33. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

automatically determining and analyzing a region of a heart of the patient that needs to be monitored using the ultrasound imaging unit.

34. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

allowing a person to override and manually control the ultrasound imaging unit.

35. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

continuously transmitting the ultrasound imaging data and the diagnostic data.