Transducer array imaging system

• US 20080112265A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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., Weymer, Raymond F.
• Application Number:
  US11/595,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112265A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/87
• 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 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• 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 7/52096 related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components details of power supplies for ultrasonic medical diagnostic imaging devices A61B8/56

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 device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium, comprising:

a processor for processing ultrasound data;

a transceiver in communication with a remote unit, wherein the transceiver communicates ultrasound data wirelessly;

a power source for providing electrical energy to the processor; and

a power controller in communication with the power source, wherein the power controller adjusts the electrical energy from the power source.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller adjusts the electrical energy provided by the power source based on an amount of the ultrasound data communicated by the transceiver.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the power source is a direct current source.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the direct current source is a battery.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the power source is an alternating current source.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller adjusts the electrical energy provided by the power source based on the remote unit.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the remote unit provides a signal to the device to increase the electrical energy provided by the power source.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the signal is a wake-up command.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the remote unit provides a signal to the device to decrease the electrical energy provided by the power source.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the remote unit is a wireless ultrasound probe.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller reduces the electrical energy from the power source.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller increases the electrical energy from the power source.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller interrupts the electrical energy from the power source.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a timer that causes the power controller to adjust the electrical energy from the power source.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a reset mechanism to reset the timer.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the timer tracks a duration from at least one of the following:

initial application of the electrical energy, a predetermined threshold of available electrical energy, a predetermined amount of time, and a predetermined amount of inactivity.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the inactivity is determined by at least one of the following:

a depressable button, a motion detector, an acceleration detector, a heat detector, and a microphone.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the timer causes the power controller to adjust the electrical energy from the power source after at least one of the following:

immediately and an amount of time.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the amount of time is determined by at least one of the following:

a predetermined value and the remote unit.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with the power controller, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of the following:

a depressable button, a motion detector, an acceleration detector, a heat detector, and a microphone.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the user interface is located on at least one of the following:

the remote unit, the device, and another device.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the user interface provides an indication of at least one of the following:

power status, designation of the remote unit, type of the remote unit, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the remote unit, quality of transmission of ultrasound data, quantity of errors in transmission of ultrasound data, availability of power required for transmission of ultrasound data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of ultrasound data transmission, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the ultrasound data, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein a user initiates providing of electrical energy from the power source by activating a portion of the user interface.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein a user changes a power state provided by the power source from a low power state to a relatively more active power state by at least one of the following:

activating a portion of the user interface, holding the remote unit, moving the remote unit.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein a user changes a power state provided by the power source from at least one of the following:

on to off, off to on, lower power to higher power, higher power to lower power.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the user interface provides an indication of at least one of the following:

designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power status, power warnings, capability of the remote unit, quality of data transmission, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

27. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display in communication with the processor, wherein the display displays time remaining before the power controller adjusts power from the power source.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor receives configuration information from the remote unit, and 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 the remote unit, quality of transmission of ultrasound data, quantity of errors in transmission of ultrasound data, availability of power required for transmission of ultrasound 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 ultrasound data, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

29. The device of claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the proximity sensor senses a proximity to the remote unit using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, capacitive, inductive, electrically conductive, and radio frequency.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the power controller adjusts electrical energy from the power source upon sensing a proximity from the proximity sensor.

31. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates a unique identifier with the ultrasound data, and wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

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

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

communicating ultrasound data wirelessly with a remote unit;

processing the ultrasound data;

providing electrical energy to the processor; and

adjusting the electrical energy from a power source.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy provided by the power source based on an amount of the ultrasound data communicated.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the power source is a direct current source.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the direct current source is a battery.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the power source is an alternating current source.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy provided by the power source based on the remote unit.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the remote unit provides a signal to the device to increase the electrical energy provided by the power source.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the signal is a wake-up command.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the remote unit provides a signal to the device to decrease the electrical energy provided by the power source.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the remote unit is a wireless ultrasound probe.

42. The method of claim 32, further comprising reducing the electrical energy from the power source.

43. The method of claim 32, further comprising increasing the electrical energy from the power source.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising interrupting the electrical energy from the power source.

45. The method of claim 32, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy from the power source as a function of time.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising tracking a duration from at least one of the following:

initial application of the electrical energy, a predetermined threshold of available electrical energy, a predetermined amount of time, and a predetermined amount of inactivity.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the inactivity is determined by at least one of the following:

a depressable button, a motion detector, an acceleration detector, a heat detector, and a microphone.

48. The method of claim 45, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy from the power source after at least one of the following:

immediately and an amount of time.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the amount of time is determined by at least one of the following:

a predetermined value and the remote unit.

50. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing an indication of at least one of the following:

power status, designation of the remote unit, type of the remote unit, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the remote unit, quality of transmission of ultrasound data, quantity of errors in transmission of ultrasound data, availability of power required for transmission of ultrasound data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of ultrasound data transmission, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the ultrasound data, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

51. The method of claim 32, wherein a user initiates providing of electrical energy from the power source by activating a portion of a user interface.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein a user changes a power state provided by the power source from a low power state to a relatively more active power state by at least one of the following:

activating a portion of the user interface, holding the remote unit, moving the remote unit.

53. The method of claim 32, further comprising changing a power state provided by the power source from at least one of the following:

on to off, off to on, lower power to higher power, higher power to lower power.

54. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing an indication of at least one of the following:

designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power status, power warnings, capability of the remote unit, quality of data transmission, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

55. The method of claim 32, further comprising displaying a time remaining before adjusting power from the power source.

56. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving configuration information from the remote unit, and 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 the remote unit, quality of transmission of ultrasound data, quantity of errors in transmission of ultrasound data, availability of power required for transmission of ultrasound 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 ultrasound data, and transmission characteristics of the ultrasound data.

57. The method of claim 32, further comprising sensing a proximity to the remote unit using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, capacitive, inductive, electrically conductive, and radio frequency.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising adjusting electrical energy from the power source upon sensing a proximity.

59. The method of claim 32, further comprising the transceiver communicating a unique identifier with the ultrasound data, and wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

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