Ultrasonic Diagnostic Imaging System With Multiplexed Voice and Image Communication

• US 20080198872A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Pierce, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/914,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/468 allowing annotation or message recording
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An ultrasound system which is capable of sending images and/or reports over a data network by means of an Internet protocol has a sound card coupled to a microphone and a loudspeaker. When operator of the ultrasound system speaks into the microphone the voice is digitized by the sound card and the voice data is packaged as payloads of data packets. The packets are sent over the same data network by a protocol stack using an Internet protocol. The packets are received and returned to analog voice signals at a receiving terminal. The voice capability can reach other terminals on the network or external correspondents by means of the Internet or external networks such as public switched telephone networks.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system which can send and receive images or reports over a data network by an Internet protocol comprising:

a loudspeaker;

a microphone;

a digitizing circuit coupled to the microphone to digitize voice signals; and

a communication protocol, responsive to digitized voice signals, which acts to transmit and/or receive packets of voice data using an Internet protocol.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound system transmit and/or receives packets of voice data to recreate substantially real time speech.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage device which stores images or reports produced by the ultrasound system,

wherein the communication protocol transmits and/or receives packets of voice data over the same data network as that over which images or reports are sent or received.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a local area network;

and

wherein the packets of voice data include the IP addresses of the source and destination devices on the local area network.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound system is coupled to a local area network;

and

wherein the destination device of transmitted voice data packets is not a device on the local area network.

6. The ultrasound system of claim 5, wherein the transmitted voice data packets are transmitted over a public switched telephone network.

7. The ultrasound system of claim 5, wherein the transmitted voice data packets are transmitted over the Internet.

8. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the packets of voice data are transmitted and/or received directly between the ultrasound system and another endpoint device.

9. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the packets of voice data are mediated by one or more routers during transport between the ultrasound system and another endpoint device.

10. A method of transmitting voice communication and diagnostic images between an operator of an ultrasound system and a diagnostic image reader located at a computer terminal coupled to the ultrasound system by a data network, comprising:

producing a diagnostic image on the ultrasound system;

transmitting the diagnostic image over the data network in one or more data packets to the computer terminal using an Internet protocol;

speaking into a microphone;

digitizing voice signals;

transmitting the digitized voice signals over the data network in one or more data packets to a destination device using an Internet protocol; and

reproducing the voice through a loudspeaker on the destination device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting digitized voice signals further comprises transmitting the voice of the ultrasound system operator to the computer terminal and transmitting the voice of the diagnostic image reader to the ultrasound system to reproduce real time conversation.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising producing a diagnostic image by the ultrasound system in response to voice communication by the diagnostic image reader.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer terminal comprises a diagnostic image analysis workstation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data network comprises a local area network to which the diagnostic image analysis workstation and a plurality of ultrasound systems are coupled;

wherein each ultrasound system and workstation has a unique IP address on the network; and

wherein transmitting digitized voice signals further comprises addressing a voice data packet to the IP address of a destination device at which voice is to be reproduced.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting further comprises receiving a digitized voice packet at a router on the network;

and

retransmitting the digitized voice packet to a destination device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting the digitized voice packet to a gateway;

and

retransmitting the digitized voice packet from the gateway to a destination device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the data network includes a public switched telephone network.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting further comprises utilizing a TCP/IP protocol.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the digitized voice signals further comprises utilizing the TCP and UDP protocols.