Transducer array imaging system

• US 20080110261A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Penrith Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Randall, Kevin S., Klessel, Jodi Schwartz, Urbano, Joseph A., Lannutti, Anthony P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/592
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4893 Nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• 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 8/4422 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4438 Means for identifying the diagnostic device, e.g. barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method, system, and device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium. The novel method includes transmitting a non-beamformed or beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium, receiving more than one echoed ultrasound wave from the medium, and converting the received echoed ultrasound wave into digital data. The novel method may further transmit the digital data. In some embodiments, the transmitting may be wireless. The novel device may include transducer elements, an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the transducer elements, and a transmitter in communication with the analog-to-digital converter. The transducers may operate to convert a first electrical energy into an ultrasound wave. The first electrical energy may or may not be beamformed. The transducers also may convert an echoed ultrasound wave into a second electrical energy. The analog-to-digital converter may convert the electrical energy into digital data, and the transmitter may transmit the digital data.

Claims

1. A method for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium, comprising:

wirelessly communicating ultrasound data at a first rate, wherein the ultrasound data is communicated with a unit;

monitoring an available communication capacity of the unit; and

adjusting the wireless communication of the ultrasound data to a second rate as a function of the available communication capacity of the unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first rate is greater than the second rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound data is digital.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the wireless communication of the ultrasound data to the second rate as a function of an available amount of power of the unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the available transmission capacity decreases.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the available transmission capacity increases.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a power level of the unit and adjusting to the second data rate as a function of the power level.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the power level of the unit decreases.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the power level of the unit increases.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a battery provides power to the unit.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising multiplexing the data using at least one of the following techniques:

time-division multiplexing, frequency-division multiplexing, code-division multiplexing, and pulse width-division multiplexing.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data at a rate that varies as a function of at least one of the following:

an available bandwidth of the transmission, a rate at which the digital data is acquired, an image frame, a transmit aperture, and a receive aperture.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving configuration information from the unit, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of a remote unit, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the digital data, and transmission characteristics of the digital data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the data using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, radio frequency, and ultrawideband frequency.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a unique identifier with the digital data, wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

initiating communication with the unit, synchronizing communication with the unit, and ensuring communication with a predetermined remote unit.

16. A device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium, comprising:

an ultrasound unit;

a transmitter in communication with the ultrasound unit, wherein the transmitter wirelessly communicates ultrasound data at a first rate with the ultrasound unit;

a processor for monitoring an available communication capacity of the ultrasound unit; and

a controller for adjusting the wireless communication of the ultrasound data by the transmitter to a second rate as a function of the available communication capacity of the ultrasound unit.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the first rate is greater than the second rate.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the ultrasound data is digital.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller adjusts the wireless communication of the ultrasound data by the transmitter to the second rate as a function of an available amount of power of the ultrasound unit.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the available transmission capacity decreases.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the available transmission capacity increases.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller monitors a power level of the ultrasound unit and adjusts to the second data rate as a function of the power level.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the power level of the unit decreases.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the first data rate is greater than the second data rate when the power level of the unit increases.

25. The device of claim 16, further comprising a battery that provides power to the ultrasound unit.

26. The device of claim 16, further comprising a multiplexer that arranges the data using at least one of the following techniques:

time-division multiplexing, frequency-division multiplexing, code-division multiplexing, and pulse width-division multiplexing.

27. The device of claim 16, further comprising a data store that stores the data at a rate that varies as a function of at least one of the following:

an available bandwidth of the transmission, a rate at which the digital data is acquired, an image frame, a transmit aperture, and a receive aperture.

28. The device of claim 16, wherein the transmitter receives configuration information from the ultrasound unit, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of a remote unit, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the digital data, and transmission characteristics of the digital data.

29. The device of claim 16, wherein the transmitter communicates the ultrasound data using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, radio frequency, and ultrawideband frequency.

30. The device of claim 16, wherein the transmitter communicates a unique identifier with the ultrasound data, wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

initiating communication with the unit, synchronizing communication with the unit, and ensuring communication with a predetermined remote unit.

31. The device of claim 16, wherein the ultrasound unit is at least one of the following:

a main unit, a remote unit, and another unit.

32. The device of claim 16, wherein the ultrasound data is digital.