Portable ultrasound imaging system

• US 20080300490A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Alice M., Broadstone, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,469,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4236 characterised by adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8934 using a dynamic transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52025 for pulse systems G01S7/52034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52046 Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52053 : Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52063 : Sector scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 : Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 : with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• 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

A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.

Claims

1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a hand-held probe housing having a transducer array circuit, the transducer array circuit generating a continuous time input signal;

a beamformer circuit that samples and delays the continuous time input signal and generates discrete time sampled signals;

a summing circuit that generates an electronic representation of the region of interest with the delayed discrete time sampled signals;

an interface unit connected to the probe housing′

a data processor housing having a memory and a data processor, the data processor generating ultrasound images from the electronic representation of the region of interest;

a cable connecting the interface unit to the data processor housing such that the electronic representation is conducted along the cable to the data processor; and

a display for presenting ultrasound images transferred from the processor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the hand-held prove housing is selected from the group comprising a linear array probe, a curved array probe, and a phased array probe.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second cable connecting the interface circuit and the probe housing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the beamformer circuit further comprises a charge coupled device (CCD) beamformer circuit.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising an analog to digital converter such that digital data is directed along the cable.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processor further comprises a personal computer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processor further comprises a laptop computer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the data processor further comprises a handheld computer.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a filter that filters the electronic representation.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a demodulator that demodulates the date.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a beamformer control circuit in the data processor housing that sends beamformer control signals to the probe housing.

12. The system of claim 1 the beamformer circuit further comprises a plurality of programmable tapped delay lines.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a battery providing power to the data processor.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a scan conversion circuit that converts the electronic representation from polar coordinates to rectangular coordinates.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a keyboard and a flat panel display on the data processor housing.

37. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is integral with the data processor.

38. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is located at a site remote from the data processor.

39. The system of claim 1 further comprising generating a plurality of images of the region of interest for display and selecting one of the images for display on the display.

40. The system of claims 39 further comprising storing the selected image in a memory.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the plurality of images further comprises images of moving objects processed using a Doppler processor.

42. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic representation of the region of interest further comprises one of digital signal data and analog signal data.

43. The system of claim 1 further comprising a video compression device in communication with the data processor.

16. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a hand-held probe housing having a transducer array, the transducer array receiving signals from a region of interest and that generates an input signal;

a beamformer circuit that samples the input signal and that generates discrete time sampled signals, the beamformer circuit delaying the discrete time sampled signals;

a summing circuit that generates an electronic representation of the region of interest with the delayed discrete time sampled signals; and

a cable that connects an interface unit to a personal computer having a memory, a processor, a graphical user interface and a display such that the electronic representation is conducted along the cable to the computer and is processed in the processor to generate ultrasound images, the ultrasound images being transferred to the display.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the hand-held probe housing is selected from the group comprising a linear array probe, a curved array probe, and a phased array probe.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a second cable that connects the interface unit and the probe housing.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the beamformer circuit further comprises a charge coupled device (CCD) beamformer circuit.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the personal computer further comprises a scan conversion program.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer comprises a laptop computer.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the computer comprises a handheld computer.

23. The system of claim 16 further comprising a filter in the probe housing that filters the delayed signals.

24. The system of claim 16 further comprising a demodulator that demodulates the delayed signals.

25. The system of claim 16 further comprises a beamformer control circuit that transmits signals from the computer to the probe housing.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein the transducer array comprises a plurality of rows, each row comprising a linear array.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the transducer array comprises a plurality of parallel rows such that one of the rows is longer than another of the rows.

28. The system of claim 16 further comprising a virtual control panel.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein the personal computer further comprises a Windows operating system.

30. The system of claim 16 further comprising a disk data storage system such that images can be stored on a disk.

31. The system of claim 16 wherein the display comprises a flat panel display.

32. The system of claim 16 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

33. The system of claim 16 wherein the interface unit comprises a processor circuit.

34. The system of claim 16 wherein the personal computer comprises a doppler processor.

35. The system of claim 16 further comprising a modem for remote transmission of image data.

36. The system of claim 16 further comprising a battery that provides power to the computer, the interface and the probe housing.

44. The system of claim 16 wherein the display is integral with the data processor.

45. The system of claim 16 wherein the display is located at a site remote from the data processor.

46. The system of claim 16 further comprising generating a plurality of images of the region of interest for display and selecting one of the images for display on the display.

47. The system of claim 46 further comprising storing the selected images in a memory.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein the plurality of images further comprises images of moving objects processed using a Doppler processor.

49. The system of claim 16 wherein the electronic representation of the region of interest further comprises one of digital signal data and analog signal data.

50. The system of claim 16 further comprising a video compression device in communication with the data processor.