PRECISION ULTRASONIC SCANNER FOR BODY PARTS WITH EXTENDED IMAGING DEPTH
First Claim
1. An ultrasound scanner system, comprising:
- an instrument body;
a linear positioner assembly interconnected to the body;
an ultrasound probe which emits and receives an ultrasound pulse, the ultrasound probe interconnected to the linear positioner assembly wherein the ultrasound probe may operate in at least one dimension;
an instrument chamber disposed within the body and engaged with a membrane; and
a sealing chamber engaged with the membrane and a scanned object;
wherein one or more transducers in the ultrasound probe emits and receives the ultrasound pulse through the instrument chamber, the membrane and the sealing chamber, wherein the ultrasound pulse contacts the scanned object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for performing an ultrasound scan on a body part and specifically for a portable instrument which directly attaches to the surface of the body. This apparatus provides very high resolution images and greatly increased depth of imaging for high resolution ultrasound of targeted subsurface body tissues with ultrasound image resolution far superior to that of known state of the art ultrasound instruments. Targeted tissues could include but not be limited to joints, ocular structures, and internal organs.
The method and apparatus disclosed are also directed towards providing an ultrasound imaging system that can produce high image resolution (down to about 100 μm) at depths approaching about 50 mm to about 60 mm. The method and apparatus can stabilize and provide accurate determination of the position of the body part relative to the ultrasound probe.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An ultrasound scanner system, comprising:
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an instrument body; a linear positioner assembly interconnected to the body; an ultrasound probe which emits and receives an ultrasound pulse, the ultrasound probe interconnected to the linear positioner assembly wherein the ultrasound probe may operate in at least one dimension; an instrument chamber disposed within the body and engaged with a membrane; and a sealing chamber engaged with the membrane and a scanned object; wherein one or more transducers in the ultrasound probe emits and receives the ultrasound pulse through the instrument chamber, the membrane and the sealing chamber, wherein the ultrasound pulse contacts the scanned object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method, comprising:
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sealing an ultrasound scanner to a scanned object; filling a sealing chamber in a body of the ultrasound scanner with a sealing chamber fluid to provide a low acoustic impedance interface between the ultrasound scanner and a scanned object surface; emitting and receiving an ultrasound pulse from a transducer contained in an ultrasound probe to generate an ultrasound image of a target matter within the scanned object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification