PORTABLE ULTRASOUND APPARATUS, PORTABLE ULTRASOUND SYSTEM AND DIAGNOSING METHOD USING ULTRASOUND

• US 20140303501A1
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: JIN, Gil-ju, AHN, Mi-jeoung, KIM, Hyoung-jin
• Granted Patent: US 10,799,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4444 related to the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/464 involving a plurality of displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus

Abstract

Provided are a portable ultrasound apparatus, a portable ultrasound system, and an ultrasound diagnosis method performed by using the portable ultrasound apparatus. The portable ultrasound apparatus includes at least two probes having different specifications; a first display unit for displaying an ultrasound image; and a second display unit for displaying a control screen.

Claims

1. A portable ultrasound apparatus comprising:

at least two probes having different specifications;

a first display unit for displaying an ultrasound image that is generated based on ultrasound data received by one of the at least two probes; and

a second display unit for displaying a control screen so as to control at least one of the ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.

2. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two probes comprises a linear array-type transducer, a convex array-type transducer, or a phased array-type transducer.

3. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the specifications comprises at least one of a frequency of an ultrasound signal to be transmitted by each of the at least two probes, a bandwidth of the ultrasound signal, a total number of channels of each of the at least two probes, and a resolution of each of the at least two probes.

4. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit receive a touch input by a user.

5. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one button that is matched with a function related to an ultrasound diagnosis.

6. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 5, wherein the function is matched with the at least one button according to a user input.

7. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensing unit for detecting an activated probe from among the at least two probes.

8. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensing unit comprises at least one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a tilt sensor.

9. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an activation display unit for displaying an activated probe from among the at least two probes.

10. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power unit that supplies power to the at least two probes, the first display unit, and the second display unit, and that is charged by wireless electric power received from an external power source.

11. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power unit that supplies wireless electric power received from an external power source to the at least two probes, the first display unit, and the second display unit.

12. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit rotate and display the ultrasound image and the control screen, based on an activated probe from among the at least two probes.

13. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit adjust at least one of a position and a size of the ultrasound image and the control screen based on a user input, and then display the ultrasound image and the control screen.

14. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit displays the control screen that is displayed by the second display unit, based on a user input of transition of a displayed screen.

15. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit displays the ultrasound image that is displayed by the first display unit, based on a user input of transition of a displayed screen.

16. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit detect a position on one display unit from among the first display unit and the second display unit, based on a user input of a corresponding position on the other display unit from among the first display unit and the second display unit.

17. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit have a same size at the portable ultrasound apparatus.

18. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit face each other at the portable ultrasound apparatus.

19. An ultrasound diagnosis method performed by using a portable ultrasound apparatus comprising at least two probes having different specifications, the ultrasound diagnosis method comprising:

displaying an ultrasound image on a first display unit, wherein the ultrasound image is generated based on ultrasound data received by one of the at least two probes; and

displaying a control screen on a second display unit, wherein the control screen controls at least one of the ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.

20. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a touch input by a user via at least one of the first display unit and the second display unit.

21. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising rotating and displaying the ultrasound image and the control screen, based on an activated probe from among the at least two probes.

22. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting at least one of a position and a size of the ultrasound image and the control screen based on a user input, and then displaying the ultrasound image and the control screen.

23. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein the displaying of the ultrasound image comprises displaying the ultrasound image, which is displayed by the first display unit, on the second display unit based on a user input of transition of a displayed screen.

24. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein the displaying of the ultrasound image comprises displaying the control screen, which is displayed by the second display unit, on the first display unit based on a user input of transition of a displayed screen.

25. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a user input of a position on one display unit from among the first display unit and the second display unit; and

detecting a corresponding position on the other display unit from among the first display unit and the second display unit.

26. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit have a same size at the portable ultrasound apparatus.

27. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit face each other at the portable ultrasound apparatus.

28. A portable ultrasound system comprising:

at least two probes having different specifications;

a digital beamformer for focusing an ultrasound signal transmitted or received by each of the at least two probes;

a processor for generating ultrasound data based on the ultrasound signal;

an image processing unit for generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data;

a first display unit for displaying the ultrasound image; and

a second display unit for displaying a control screen so as to control at least one of the ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.