SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING FORCE AND TORQUE ON ULTRASOUND PROBE DURING IMAGING THROUGH STRAIN MEASUREMENT
First Claim
1. A medical instrument, comprising:
- an ultrasound probe including an ultrasound transducer for acquiring images of anatomical region; and
a strain sensor arranged on the ultrasound probe to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images of the anatomical region,wherein strain sensor encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe and is spaced from the ultrasound transducer relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound system employs an ultrasound probe (31), a strain sensor(33) and a workstation (20). The ultrasound probe (31) includes an ultrasound transducer for acquiring ultrasound images (40) of an anatomical region. The strain sensor(33) is arranged on the ultrasound probe (31) to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe (31) as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images (40) of the anatomical region. The strain sensor(33) encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31) and is spaced from the ultrasound transducers relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31). The workstation (20) reconstructs an ultrasound volume (41) from the ultrasound images (40) acquired by ultrasound transducer, and responsive to the longitudinal strain measured by strain sensor (33), determines an axial force and/or 36 a bending force applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe (31) as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images (40) of the anatomical region.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A medical instrument, comprising:
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an ultrasound probe including an ultrasound transducer for acquiring images of anatomical region; and a strain sensor arranged on the ultrasound probe to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images of the anatomical region, wherein strain sensor encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe and is spaced from the ultrasound transducer relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An ultrasound system, comprising:
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an ultrasound probe including ultrasound transducer for acquiring images an anatomical region; a strain sensor arranged on the ultrasound probe to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images of the anatomical region, wherein the strain sensor encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe and is spaced from the ultrasound transducer relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe; and a workstation operable to reconstruct an ultrasound volume from the ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound transducer, wherein, responsive to the longitudinal strain measured by the strain sensor, the workstation is further operable to determine at least one of an axial force and a bending force applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images of the anatomical region. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification