MEASURING TRANSDUCER MOVEMENT METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING
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Abstract
Methods and systems for measuring transducer movement are provided. For example, free-hand scanning for three-dimensional imaging is provided. An optical sensor within the transducer measures motion along the skin surface similar to measuring movement of a personal computer mouse with an optical sensor. Alternatively or additionally, the transducer is tilted at an angle other than perpendicular to the skin surface generally towards or away from the direction in which the transducer is translated. The transducer is then translated while maintaining the angle. Motion to or from the transducer is measured, and a component of the motion measured while the transducer is maintained at an angle is parallel to the direction of translation. The component of motion is angle corrected and used to determine a distance of travel.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method for measuring transducer movement for multi-dimensional ultrasound imaging, the method comprising:
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moving, by free-hand motion, a transducer across a patient'"'"'s skin; scanning a plurality of planes below the patients skin with ultrasound from the transducer, the plurality of planes at different locations within the patient due to the moving; directing an optical sensor and a blue-green light source at the patients skin during the moving; determining the different locations of the plurality of planes with the optical sensor responsive to blue-green light from the blue-green light source reflected from the patient skin; and rendering, from data responsive to the scanning, a three-dimensional representation as a function of the different locations. - View Dependent Claims (19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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20. A system for measuring transducer movement for multi-dimensional ultrasound imaging, the system comprising:
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a transducer positioned adjacent a housing surface of a probe such that the transducer is operable to transmit acoustic energy through the housing surface and into a patient; an optical sensor connected with the transducer, the optical sensor comprising a blue-green light source and a camera, the camera directed to receive light reflected of patient skin from the blue-green light; and a processor operable to determine, in response to a signal from the optical sensor, relative locations of scan planes due to movement of the transducer. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification