Ultrasonic Signal Processor for a Hand Held Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument

• US 20100121196A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Geoffrey H., Doherty, Terrance R., Pflugrath, Lauren S., Hwang, Juin-Jet
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• 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: A61B 8/46 Ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic devices with special arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5269 involving detection or reduction of artifacts for image enhancement algorithms G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• 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 15/892 the array being curvilinear
• 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 7/52026 : Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52028 : using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52033 : Gain control of receivers for seismic signals G01V1/245
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 : Data rate converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 : Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52068 : Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo 3D displays G01S15/8993 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52071 : Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 : Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 : with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/529 : Gain of receiver varied automatically during pulse-recurrence period for seismic signals G01V1/245
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 : Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/345 : using energy switching from one active element to another

Abstract

A hand held ultrasonic instrument is provided in a portable unit which performs both B mode and Doppler imaging. The instrument includes a transducer array mounted in a hand-held enclosure, with an integrated circuit transceiver connected to the elements of the array for the reception of echo signals. A digital signal processing circuit performs both B mode and Doppler signal processing such as filtering, detection and Doppler estimation, as well as advanced functions such as assembly of multiple zone focused scanlines, synthetic aperture formation, depth dependent filtering, speckle reduction, flash suppression, and frame averaging.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a transducer enclosure comprising;

an array transducer;

a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer;

a cable configured to connect said hand-held transducer enclosure to a second unit, said cable configured to propagate beam-formed signals between said hand-held transducer enclosure and said second unit, said second unit configured to accept and process beam-formed signals and to output an ultrasound image.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said cable is further configured to convey power to said hand-held transducer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said beam-formed signals propagated on said cable are digital beam-formed signals.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said second unit comprises a back end ASIC.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said back end ASIC implements scan conversion and outputs a video signal.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a display device configured to accept and display said video signal.

7. An ultrasound transducer apparatus comprising:

an array transducer;

a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer; and

a connection means configured to connect said hand-held transducer enclosure to a second unit via a connection link, said connections means configured to propagate beam-formed signals between said transducer apparatus and said second unit.

8. The ultrasound transducer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said connection link is a cable.

9. The ultrasound transducer apparatus of claim 8 wherein said connection means is configured to receive power which is conveyed by said cable.

10. The ultrasound transducer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said connection link is a modem.

11. The ultrasound transducer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said beam-formed signals are digital beam-formed signals.

12. An ultrasound system comprising:

a transducer unit comprising a sampled data beamformer configured to delay and combine samples of echo signals received by elements of said array transducer; and

a separate control unit configured to receive beam-formed signals from said transducer unit via a connection link.

13. The ultrasound system of claim 12 wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises a display device.

14. The ultrasound system of claim 12 wherein said connection link is a cable.

15. The ultrasound system of claim 14 wherein said beam-formed signals are digital beam-formed signals.

16. The ultrasound system of claim 14 wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises a power source configured to provide power to said transducer unit via said cable.

17. The ultrasound system of claim 12 wherein said separate hand-held control unit comprises a back end ASIC.

18. The ultrasound system of claim 17 wherein said back end ASIC implements scan conversion and outputs a video signal.

19. The ultrasound system of claim 12 wherein said separate hand-held control unit further comprises user controls configured to control ultrasound imaging.