Ultrasound transducer finger probe

• US 20050085731A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Peszynski, Michael E., Miller, David G.
• Application Number:
  US10/965,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085731A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• 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 8/42 Details of probe positioning or probe attachment to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction

Abstract

Finger probe for use in ultrasonic imaging includes a housing and a matrix array arranged within the housing to produce ultrasound beams and which includes a plurality of independently-addressable transducer elements. A finger clip is coupled to the housing and arranged to accommodate an operator'"'"'s finger. A control unit is coupled to the transducer elements to provide planar and volumetric scanning capabilities. A system and method for ultrasonically interrogating a patient'"'"'s body part and for producing ultrasound images based on the interrogation using a finger-mounted ultrasound probe are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A finger probe for use in ultrasonic imaging, comprising:

a housing;

a matrix array arranged within said housing to produce ultrasound beams, said matrix array comprising a plurality of independently-addressable transducer elements such that ultrasound beams in various planes and volumes are generateable by said transducer elements; and

a finger clip coupled to said housing and arranged to accommodate an operator'"'"'s finger.

2. The finger probe of claim 1, wherein said housing includes an acoustic window arranged in alignment with said matrix array.

3. The finger probe of claim 1, further comprising an array backing arranged in said housing, a circuit board arranged in said housing and an integrated circuit arranged in said housing and connected to said circuit board, said transducer elements being bonded to said array backing and connected to said integrated circuit.

4. The finger probe of claim 1, wherein said transducer elements are segmented into transmit sub-arrays and receive sub-arrays, each of said transmit sub-arrays being connected to a respective intra-group transmit pre-processor which is connected to a respective transmit beamformer channel, each of said receive sub-arrays being connected to a respective intra-group receive pre-processor which is connected to a respective receive beamformer channel.

5. The finger probe of claim 1, wherein said matrix array is non-rotatable relative to said housing.

6. A system for ultrasonically interrogating a patient'"'"'s body part and for producing ultrasound images based on the interrogation, the system comprising:

an ultrasound probe including a matrix array arranged to produce an ultrasound beam and receive reflections of the beam by the patient'"'"'s body part, said matrix array comprising a plurality of independently-addressable transducer elements such that ultrasound beams in various planes and volumes are generateable by said transducer elements;

a finger clip coupled to said probe to enable attachment of said probe to an operator'"'"'s finger; and

a display unit coupled to said probe for displaying ultrasound images based on the ultrasound beam produced by said transducer elements and the reflections received by said transducer elements.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a control unit coupled to said matrix array for controlling said transducer elements to generate various planar and volumetric ultrasonic beams.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said control unit is coupled to said probe vie a cable.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said control unit is connected to said display unit.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a foot switch coupled to said control unit for enabling control of said transducer elements via said control unit.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said probe includes a housing, an array backing arranged in said housing, a circuit board arranged in said housing and an integrated circuit arranged in said housing and connected to said circuit board, said transducer elements being bonded to said array backing and connected to said integrated circuit.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein said transducer elements of said matrix array are segmented into transmit sub-arrays and receive sub-arrays, each of said transmit sub-arrays being connected to a respective intra-group transmit pre-processor which is connected to a respective transmit beamformer channel, each of said receive sub-arrays being are connected to a respective intra-group receive pre-processor which is connected to a respective receive beamformer channel.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein said probe includes a housing, said matrix array being arranged in said housing and being non-rotatable relative to said housing.

14. A method for ultrasonically interrogating a patient'"'"'s body part and for producing ultrasound images based on the interrogation, comprising the steps of:

arranging a matrix array in a housing of an ultrasound probe, the matrix array comprising a plurality of independently-addressable transducer elements;

coupling a finger clip coupled to the housing of the probe to enable attachment of the probe to an operator'"'"'s finger;

placing the housing of the probe over the patient'"'"'s body part;

controlling the transducer elements to produce an ultrasound beam and receive reflections of the beam from the patient'"'"'s body part; and

displaying ultrasound images generated from the reflections received by the transducer elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transducer elements are controlled by a control unit coupled to the matrix array.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

coupling a foot switch to the control unit; and

providing imaging control devices on the foot switch to enable control of the transducer elements via the control unit.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

segmenting the transducer elements into transmit sub-arrays and receive sub-arrays;

connecting each of the transmit sub-arrays to a respective intra-group transmit pre-processor which is connected to a respective transmit beamformer channel; and

connecting each of the receive sub-arrays being to a respective intra-group receive pre-processor which is connected to a respective receive beamformer channel.