Transducer array imaging system

• US 20080114252A1
• 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., Weymer, Raymond F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/447
• 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 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8918 the array being linear
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52028 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

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:

an array of transducers;

a transceiver in communication with the array of transducers, wherein the transceiver communicates ultrasound data wirelessly;

a power source for providing electrical energy to at least one of the transducers; 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 from the power source by changing a load.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the load includes at least one of the following:

the transducer and the transceiver.

4. 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.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver adjusts communication of the ultrasound data based on a characteristic of the power source.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the characteristics of the power source includes at least one of the following:

capacity, type, charge state, power state, and age of power source.

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

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the direct current source is a battery.

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

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

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

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

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a reset mechanism to reset the timer.

14. The device of claim 12, 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.

15. The device of claim 14, 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.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the timer causes the power controller to adjust the electrical energy from the power source immediately or after an amount of time.

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

a predetermined value and a remote unit.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with the power controller.

19. The device of claim 18, 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.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the user interface provides an indication of at least one of the following:

power status, designation of remote unit, type of remote unit, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the 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, 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.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the power controller adjusts the electrical energy provided to at least one of the following:

the transducer, an analog-to-digital converter and a transceiver.

22. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the display displays time remaining before the power controller adjusts power from the power source.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the array of transducers.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the command to power down is received from a remote unit.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates configuration information from a 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 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.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates the digital data using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, radio frequency, and ultrawideband frequency.

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

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

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the power controller adjusts electrical energy from the power source as a function of the proximity sensor.

29. The device of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a unique identifier with the digital data, wherein the unique identifier initiates the power controller to adjust the electrical energy from the power source.

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

providing electrical energy to at least one transducer in an array of transducers;

communicating ultrasound data wirelessly with a transceiver; and

adjusting the electrical energy provided to the transducer.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy by changing a load.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the load includes at least one of the following:

the transducer and the transceiver.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy based on an amount of the ultrasound data communicated by the transceiver.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting communication of the ultrasound data based on a characteristic of the electrical energy.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the characteristics of the electrical energy includes at least one of the following:

capacity, type, charge state, power state, and age of a power source.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the power source is a direct current source.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the direct current source is a battery.

38. The method of claim 30, further comprising at least one of the following:

reducing the electrical energy, increasing the electrical energy, and interrupting the electrical energy.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy based upon a predetermined time.

40. The method of claim 39, 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.

41. The method of claim 40, 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.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy after at least one of the following:

immediately and an amount of time.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the amount of time is determined by at least one of the following:

a predetermined value and a remote unit.

44. The method of claim 30, further comprising displaying an indication of at least one of the following:

power status, designation of remote unit, type of remote unit, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the 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, 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.

45. The method of claim 30, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy provided to at least one of the following:

the transducer, an analog-to-digital converter and the transceiver.

46. The method of claim 30, further comprising displaying a time remaining before an adjustment of electrical energy is to occur.

47. The method of claim 30, further comprising converting an ultrasound echo wave to the ultrasound data.

48. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a command to adjust the electrical energy from a remote unit.

49. The method of claim 30, further comprising communicating configuration information from a 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 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.

50. The method of claim 30, wherein the transceiver communicates the digital data using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, radio frequency, and ultrawideband frequency.

51. The method of claim 30, further comprising sensing a proximity to a remote unit using at least one of the following techniques:

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

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising adjusting the electrical energy as a function of the proximity.

53. The method of claim 30, further comprising transmitting a unique identifier with the digital data, wherein the unique identifier initiates an adjustment of the electrical energy.