Method and apparatus for exporting ultrasound data

• US 20050054921A1
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Oza, Hemen, Sokulin, Alexander, O'Dea, Paul Joseph, Katsman, Igor, Kempinski, Arcady, Rachvalsky, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8906 Short-range imaging systems; Acoustic microscope systems using pulse-echo techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and system for exporting ultrasound data is provided. The method includes accessing ultrasound data stored within an ultrasound system. The ultrasound data is stored in an ultrasound system readable format. The method further includes converting the ultrasound system readable format data to a user device readable format data for export from the ultrasound system and access via a user device.

Claims

1. A method for providing ultrasound data for access with a user device, comprising:

accessing ultrasound data stored within an ultrasound system, the ultrasound data stored in an ultrasound system readable format; and

converting the ultrasound system readable format data to a user device readable format data for export from the ultrasound system and access via a user device.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the user device readable format data on a medium accessible by the user device.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the user device readable format comprises at least one of JPEG, MPEG, HTML and PDF format.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a device remote from the ultrasound system.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising configuring the user device readable format data for automatic viewing upon access by a user device.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface in combination with the exported user device readable format data accessible by the user device for viewing the user device readable format data.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface in combination with the ultrasound system for controlling the converting, and wherein the user interface is configured to allow for selection of a source and destination for the ultrasound data, and wherein the ultrasound system readable format data is converted to the user device readable format based upon the selected destination.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ultrasound data comprises at least one of ultrasound images and ultrasound image cine loops.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the converting comprises converting the ultrasound data from a pixel format to at least one of a JPEG, MPEG, HTML and PDF format.

10. A method for exporting data from an ultrasound system for access with a user device, the method comprising:

displaying ultrasound data representing ultrasound images stored within an ultrasound system;

selecting at least one of the ultrasound images for exporting to an external medium;

selecting a source and destination for the at least one ultrasound image, the destination defining the external medium;

converting the at least one image to a format accessible by a user device; and

transferring the at least one ultrasound image to the external medium for access with the user device.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the converting comprises converting the at least one ultrasound image from an ultrasound system readable format to a user device readable format.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising determining the ultrasound images to transfer based upon patient information.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising searching the ultrasound data based upon a user defined search.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein a plurality of fields are provided for defining the search, the plurality of fields comprising at least one of identification information, name, birthdate, age and sex.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13, wherein a predetermined set of search criteria is provided to define the search.

16. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising displaying ultrasound data representing ultrasound images transferred to the external medium.

17. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising accessing the transferred ultrasound images using an interface provided in combination with the external medium.

18. A user interface for an ultrasound system comprising:

a scanner view control portion for selecting ultrasound data for converting and transferring to an external medium;

a media view control portion for viewing ultrasound data converted and transferred to an external medium; and

a scanner image control portion for controlling the conversion and transfer of the ultrasound data.

19. A user interface in accordance with claim 18, wherein the scanner view control portion comprises a plurality of search fields for defining a search for ultrasound data.

20. A user interface in accordance with claim 18, wherein the scanner image control portion comprises a source field and a destination field to define the source of the ultrasound data and destination for the converted data.

21. A user interface in accordance with claim 18, wherein the ultrasound data is converted from an ultrasound system readable format data to a user device readable format data for export from the ultrasound system and access via a user device.

22. A user interface in accordance with claim 18, furthering comprising a selection interface in combination with the external medium to select transferred ultrasound data to access with a user device.

23. A medium for accessing ultrasound data stored therein, comprising:

at least one ultrasound image formatted for access by a user device; and

an interface configured to automatically display on the user device the at least one ultrasound image.

24. A medium in accordance with claim 23, wherein the interface comprises a preview portion and viewing portion, the preview portion allowing a user to select ultrasound images stored on the medium and for viewing in the viewing portion.