PORTABLE ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS WITH FINE-GRAINED POWER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATED DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20150031999A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Willsie, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 10,898,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• 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 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52017 particularly adapted to short-range imaging G01S7/53 takes precedence
• 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

Portable ultrasound systems and associated devices and methods for managing power in such systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for conserving power in a portable ultrasound system includes disabling one or more first amplifiers and/or at least one or more first analog to digital converters (ADCs) upon initiation of a first pulse repletion interval (PRI). The method further includes, upon initiation of a second PRI, enabling the one or more first amplifiers and/or the one or more of the first ADCs and disabling one or more second amplifiers of and/or one or more second ADCs.

Claims

1. A method for conserving power in a portable ultrasound system having transducer electronics that include a plurality amplifiers and/or a plurality of analog to digital converters (ADCs), the method comprising:

upon initiation of a first pulse repletion interval (PRI), disabling at least one first amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers and/or at least one first ADC of the plurality of ADCs; and

upon initiation of a second PRI—

enabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC, and

disabling at least one second amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers and/or at least one second ADC of the plurality of ADCs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

disabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC comprises removing or reducing power from the first amplifier and/or the first ADC; and

enabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC comprises supplying or increasing power to the first amplifier and/or the first ADC.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC comprises removing or reducing power from the first amplifier and/or the first ADC over the entire duration of the first PRI while other amplifiers of the plurality of amplifiers and/or other ADCs of the plurality of ADCs are enabled.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC comprises removing or reducing power from the first amplifier and/or the first ADC over a portion of the duration of the first PRI while other amplifiers of the plurality of amplifiers and/or other ADCs of the plurality of ADCs are enabled.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the portion of the duration is based on a duty cycle in which the first amplifier and/or the first ADC is alternatingly enabled and disabled over the first PRI.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the portion of the duration of the first PRI is based on a plurality of pre-determined, quantized time units; and

the duty cycle has a pulse width that starts after a first number of time units within the first PRI and stops after a second number of time units within the first PRI.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transducer electronics includes a plurality of channels having at least a first channel associated with the first amplifier and/or the first ADC, and at least a second channel associated with the second amplifier and/or the second ADC.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

enabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC comprises enabling the first amplifier and/or the first ADC according to a first duty cycle; and

disabling the second amplifier and/or the second ADC comprises disabling the second amplifier and/or the second ADC according to a second duty cycle.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising upon initiation of the second PRI, disabling at least one third amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers and/or at a least one third ADC of the plurality of ADCs according to a third duty cycle, wherein the second and third duty cycles have different start times, but the same stop time.