Processing of medical signals

• US 20050265267A1
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Juinjet
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method in which real-time ubiquitous imaging is feasible in local areas, such as inside a clinic, hospital room or doctor office. This is achieved by designing a wireless network having a central processing server with, for example, distributed broadband acquisition and video bus capability. Remote access is possible using store-and-forward image transfer over a wide area network. With these capabilities, a physician can use a handheld transducer (such as an ultrasound transducer) as a basic tool to facilitate diagnostic decisions similar to the way a stethoscope is used today.

Claims

1. A system for medical treatment, said system comprising:

at least one common processor;

a plurality of spaced apart receivers, each said receiver adapted for receiving wireless signals from at least one medical transducer, each said receiver in physical proximity to the transducer from which it receives said wireless signals; and

at least one communication link between said receivers and said server such that data contained in any wireless signal received by a receiver is communicated over said link to said server.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

control within said processor for analyzing received data from individual ones of said transducers independent from data received from any other transducer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said transducers are in different locations and wherein said control further comprises:

memory for storing analyzed data from each transducer separate from analyzed data from any other transducer.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said transducers are in different locations and wherein said control further comprises:

communications capability for communicating back to a particular location at least a portion of said analyzed data, said portion based on signals received from a transducer of said particular location.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said control is operable to forward at least some of said received data on a transducer by transducer basis.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said other location is a person knowledgeable with respect to said forwarded data.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said other location comprises:

communication links for sending data to a location associated with said forwarded data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of said transducers send sound energy into a patient and receive sound energy echoes back from said patent and wherein said data sent from said transducer to said receiver comprise at least a portion of said sound energy received from a patient.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each said transducer has a display associated therewith and wherein said data is displayed on said display from said remote location.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said data received by said processor from each transducer is ultrasound imaging data.

11. A method of examining a patient comprising:

positioning a transducer with respect to a patient so as to obtain electronic signals from selected locations of said patient;

said signals capable of analization for diagnostic purposes;

transmitting obtained ones of said electronic signals to a processor, said processor arranged to receive electronic signals from transducers located at a plurality of different locations; and

transmitting from said processor to a location of a transducer image data processed by said processor, said processor data for displaying images based on real-time obtained data from said transducer at said location.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said transmitting is wireless.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said wireless transmission is in two links, with a first link between a node and at least one transducer location;

and a second link is between said node and said processor.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transmission process for each link is different.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said processor can receive said signals from a plurality of said transducers concurrently.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting to a third party at least a portion of said data received from a transducer at a particular location.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said third party is an expert in diagnosing medical conditions based on said data received from said transducer.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting data from said third party to said particular location of said transducer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said last-mentioned transmitted data comprises information from said third party useful for medical treatment of said patient at said particular location.

20. A medical system comprising:

a plurality of wireless ultrasound transducers;

a processor common to said plurality of transducers;

a plurality of short range relay units for obtaining wireless signals for said transducers and for transmitting said signals to said common processor;

a display in locations where said ultrasound transducer can be used for obtaining diagnostic signals from a patient; and

a transmission link from said common processor to each said display for sending to a display at a location where said transducer is being used to obtain diagnostic signals, processed images of said diagnostic signals obtained at said location.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said displays are separate from said transducers.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a link from said common processor to a third party expert;

said link operable for sending at least a portion of data from a plurality of locations to said third party; and

a link from said third party selectively to a display associated with a transducer from which said data was obtained, said link operable for providing medically relevant data to said display pertaining to said data obtained at said associated transducer.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said links are temporarily established for the duration of a data transfer.

24. A method for providing medically relevant information in real-time from a third party;

said method comprising;

obtaining raw electronic data from a patient at a location;

transmitting said raw electronic data to a processor common to a plurality of locations from which said raw electronic data can be obtained;

processing reviewed raw data for each said location by said common processor; and

sending back to a selected location from which said raw data has been obtained medically relevant information, at least a portion of said medically relevant data being an image of said data.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said third party is said processor.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said third party is remote from said processor.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein said transmitting comprises sending said raw data from a portable transducer to an intermediate data relay point at a first data transfer node.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising sending data from said internal data point to said processor using said data transfer node.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said first point is close to relocated said transducer.

30. A medical system comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart wireless data gathering points, each said wireless data gathering point operable for receiving data from medical devices located in proximity to said wireless data gathering point;

a processor remote from said wireless data gathering points, said processor operable for performing back-end processing on medical data received from said wireless data gathering points;

a communication link between said wireless data gathering points and said processor; and

a communication link between said processor and locations where said medical devices are currently located, said communication link operable for sending to a particular location at least a portion of said back end processing with respect to medical data received from a medical device at said particular location.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said medical devices are wireless.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein at least one of said medical devices can move among said wireless data gathering points.

33. A wireless ultrasound handheld device comprising:

a transmit/receive circuit for receiving and sending signals to an ultrasound transducer;

a digital beam forming (DBF) circuit for forming signals for driving said transmit/receive circuit;

a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing signals to and from said DBF; and

a radio for transmitting output signals from said DSP for processing of ultrasound.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein said device contains its own power.

35. The device of claim 33 wherein said device does not contain a monitor.

36. The device of claim 33 wherein said signal processing from said DSP does not include image formation.