ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS, WEARABLE DEVICE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING WEARABLE DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING METHODS RECORDED THEREON

• US 20160183918A1
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: PARK, Jin-hwan, HWANG, Yoon-gu, YANG, Sun-mo, YOO, Jun-sang, LEE, Kwang-hee, LEE, Seung-ju
• Granted Patent: US 10,702,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• 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 8/486 involving arbitrary m-mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network

Abstract

Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including: an image processor configured to acquire ultrasound data of an object; a controller configured to generate a wearable signal carrying information corresponding to a difference between the acquired ultrasound data and reference ultrasound data; and a communication module configured to transmit the wearable signal to a wearable device. The wearable signal is acquired by comparing the ultrasound data with the reference ultrasound data and includes information about the difference between the ultrasound data and the reference ultrasound data.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

an image processor configured to acquire ultrasound data of an object;

a controller configured to generate a wearable signal carrying information corresponding to a difference between the acquired ultrasound data and reference ultrasound data; and

a communication module configured to transmit the wearable signal to a wearable device.

2. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acquired ultrasound data comprises ultrasound Doppler data, and

wherein the controller compares first Doppler spectrum data corresponding to the ultrasound Doppler data with second Doppler spectrum data corresponding to the reference ultrasound data, thereby generating the wearable signal based on differences between values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data.

3. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the wearable signal based on the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data.

4. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller determines an item of the object that requires examination based on the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data and controls the wearable device to display the determined item.

5. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 2, wherein if at least one of the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data is greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller controls the wearable device to generate an alarm.

6. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor acquires ultrasound Doppler data of the object, and

wherein the controller compares a period in a first graph representing a Doppler spectrum corresponding to the acquired ultrasound Doppler data with a period in a second graph representing a Doppler spectrum obtained from predetermined ultrasound data and, if a difference between the periods in the first and second graphs exceeds a predetermined reference value, controls the wearable device to generate an alarm.

7. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor acquires ultrasound color data of the object, and

wherein the controller compares the acquired ultrasound color data with predetermined ultrasound color data, thereby generating a wearable signal based on a difference in color between the acquired ultrasound color data and the predetermined ultrasound color data.

8. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller controls the wearable device to display the acquired ultrasound color data in a color corresponding to the difference in color, based on the difference in color

9. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 7, wherein, if a value corresponding to the difference in color is greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller controls the wearable device to generate an alarm.

10. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference ultrasound data comprises standard ultrasound data and history ultrasound data of the object.

11. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wearable device configured to receive the wearable signal transmitted from the communication module, convert the wearable signal into at least one selected from the intensity of vibration, variation in color, and strength of sound, and output the at least one result obtained by the conversion.

12. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound data of the object comprises ultrasound Doppler data, ultrasound color data, and motion (M) mode ultrasound data of the object.

13. A wearable device comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a wearable signal carrying information corresponding to a difference between acquired ultrasound data and reference ultrasound data; and

an output unit configured to output a user interface signal corresponding to the difference based on the wearable signal.

14. The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the output unit comprises a vibration motor configured to output, based on the difference, a vibration that has varying intensity according to the wearable signal.

15. The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the output unit comprises a display configured to output, based on the difference, a screen depicting the wearable signal as a variation in color.

16. The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the output unit comprises an audio output unit configured to output, based on the difference, an audio signal representing the wearable signal as strength of sound.

17. A method of controlling an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring ultrasound data of an object;

generating a wearable signal carrying information corresponding to a difference between the acquired ultrasound data and reference ultrasound data; and

transmitting the wearable signal to a wearable device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acquired ultrasound data comprises ultrasound Doppler data, and

wherein the generating of the wearable signal comprises comparing first Doppler spectrum data corresponding to the ultrasound Doppler data with second Doppler spectrum data corresponding to the reference ultrasound data to thereby generate the wearable signal based on differences between values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the generating of the wearable signal comprises adjusting the intensity of the wearable signal based on the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an item of the object that requires examination based on the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data; and

controlling the wearable device to display the determined item.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising, if at least one of the differences between the values of the first and second Doppler spectrum data is greater than a predetermined reference value, controlling the wearable device to generate an alarm.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the acquiring of the ultrasound data of the object comprises acquiring ultrasound Doppler data of the object, and

wherein the generating of the wearable signal comprises:

comparing a period in a first graph representing a Doppler spectrum obtained from the acquired ultrasound Doppler data with a period in a second graph representing a Doppler spectrum obtained from predetermined ultrasound data; and

controlling the wearable device to generate an alarm if a difference between the periods in the first and second graphs exceeds a predetermined reference value.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the acquiring of the ultrasound data of the object comprises acquiring ultrasound color data of the object, and

wherein the generating of the wearable signal comprises comparing the acquired ultrasound color data with predetermined ultrasound color data and generating the wearable signal based on a difference in color between the acquired ultrasound color data and the predetermined ultrasound color data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the generating of the wearable signal further comprises controlling the wearable device to display the acquired ultrasound color data in a color corresponding to the difference in color.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the generating of the wearable signal further comprises, if a value corresponding to the difference in color is greater than a predetermined reference value, controlling the wearable device to generate an alarm.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the reference ultrasound data comprises standard ultrasound data and history ultrasound data of the object.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the wearable signal from the wearable device; and

converting the wearable signal into at least one selected from the intensity of vibration, variation in color, and strength of sound and outputting the at least one result obtained by the conversion.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 17 on a computer.

28. A method of controlling a wearable device, the method comprising:

receiving a wearable signal generated based on a difference between ultrasound data acquired by an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and reference ultrasound data and comprising information indicating the difference therebetween; and

outputting a user interface signal corresponding to the difference based on the wearable signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the outputting of the user interface signal comprises outputting, based on the difference, vibration that has varying intensity according to the wearable signal.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the outputting of the user interface signal comprises outputting, based on the difference, a screen depicting the wearable signal as a variation in color.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the outputting of the user interface signal comprises outputting, based on the difference, an audio signal representing the wearable signal as strength of sound.