ULTRASOUND PATIENT INTERFACE DEVICE
First Claim
1. An ultrasound patient interface device for coupling an ultrasound transducer with a patient'"'"'s body, the device comprising:
- a fluid chamber having an ultrasound transducer interface for placing an ultrasound transducer in contact with water within said fluid chamber; and
a water permeable membrane having an internal membrane surface in contact with said water within said fluid chamber, and an external membrane surface which can be placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body, said membrane being water permeable to allow said water within the fluid chamber to slowly permeate said membrane to wet said external membrane surface but does not allow said water to flow out of said fluid chamber.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound coupling device for acoustically coupling an ultrasound transducer with a patient'"'"'s body comprises a fluid chamber having an ultrasound transducer interface for placing an ultrasound transducer in contact with water within said fluid chamber. The coupling device also has a patient interface comprising a water permeable membrane. The membrane has an internal membrane surface which is in contact with the water in the water tank and an external membrane surface can be placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body. The membrane is specially designed to allow water from inside the water tank to slowly permeate or “leak” to the external membrane surface while such surface is in contact or placed in very close proximity to the patient'"'"'s skin. The slow permeation rate maintains the external membrane surface wet and free of air bubbles during a procedure which can take several hours. At the same time, the slow rate of permeation does not cause any water spillage around the patient.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An ultrasound patient interface device for coupling an ultrasound transducer with a patient'"'"'s body, the device comprising:
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a fluid chamber having an ultrasound transducer interface for placing an ultrasound transducer in contact with water within said fluid chamber; and a water permeable membrane having an internal membrane surface in contact with said water within said fluid chamber, and an external membrane surface which can be placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body, said membrane being water permeable to allow said water within the fluid chamber to slowly permeate said membrane to wet said external membrane surface but does not allow said water to flow out of said fluid chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An ultrasound apparatus, comprising:
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a housing having a bottom and a sidewall extending from said bottom and defining an opening opposite said bottom, said sidewall defining at least a portion of a fluid chamber for containing water which is open at said opening, said housing having a membrane mounting flange disposed at said opening; an ultrasound transducer mounted within said fluid chamber; and a water permeable membrane mounted on said mounting flange, said membrane having an internal membrane surface in contact with said water within said fluid chamber, and an external membrane surface which can be placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s body, said membrane being water permeable to allow said water within the fluid chamber to slowly permeate said membrane to wet said external membrane surface but does not allow said water to flow out of said fluid chamber. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification