ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20190313999A1
• Filed: 04/05/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jun-seong
• Application Number:
  US16/344,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20190313999A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/02 Measuring pulse or heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5246 combining images from the same or different imaging techniques, e.g. color Doppler and B-mode

Abstract

Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including: a probe configured to receive echo signals from a fetus; a processor configured to acquire Doppler data based on the received echo signals, determine a heart rate of the fetus based on period information of the Doppler data, and modulate, based on the determined heart rate, a heartbeat Doppler sound of the fetus, which is acquired from the Doppler data, into a heartbeat sound that is similar to a sound of an actual heartbeat; and a speaker configured to output the heartbeat sound.

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprising:

a probe configured to receive echo signals from a fetus;

a processor configured to acquire Doppler data based on the received echo signals, determine a heart rate of the fetus based on period information of the Doppler data, and modulate, based on the determined heart rate, a heartbeat Doppler sound of the fetus, which is acquired from the Doppler data, into a heartbeat sound that is similar to a sound of an actual heartbeat; and

a speaker configured to output the heartbeat sound.

2. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to acquire gestational age information of the fetus based on the Doppler data and modulate the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound according to the gestational age information and the heart rate of the fetus.

3. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gestational age information of the fetus includes at least one of a gestational age of the fetus, and head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, abdominal thickness, transverse trunk diameter and crown rump length, all of which correspond to the gestational age of the fetus.

4. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the heart rate with a standard heart rate of a plurality of fetuses corresponding to gestational age information of the fetus, determine modulation information based on a result of the comparing of the heart rate with the standard heart rate and a standard heartbeat sound for the plurality of fetuses, and modulate the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound based on the modulation information.

5. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to control an operation of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus,

wherein the user interface is further configured to receive an input for determining a type of the heartbeat sound, and

wherein the processor is further configured to modulate the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound according to the type of the heartbeat sound.

6. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 5, wherein the type of the heartbeat sound comprises at least one of a heartbeat sound heard through a stethoscope, a preset resounding heartbeat sound, and a preset majestic heartbeat sound.

7. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display,

wherein the processor is further configured to control the speaker to output the heartbeat sound when an ultrasound image in which a focus is on a fetus'"'"'s heart is displayed on the display.

8. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication module configured to transmit the heartbeat sound to an external terminal.

9. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display at least one of an ultrasound image of the fetus, a Doppler spectrum of the fetus, and heart rate information thereof.

10. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display is further configured to display a waveform of the heartbeat sound.

11. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display is further configured to display the heart rate of the fetus and the waveform of the heartbeat sound to be respectively distinguished from a standard heart rate of a plurality of fetuses corresponding to gestational age information of the fetus and a waveform of a standard heartbeat sound for the plurality of fetuses.

12. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control the speaker to output prenatal music based on a state of the heart rate of the fetus.

13. A method of operating an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring echo signals from a fetus and acquiring Doppler data based on the echo signals,

determining a heart rate of the fetus based on period information of the Doppler data;

modulating, based on the determined heart rate, a heartbeat Doppler sound of the fetus, which is acquired from the Doppler data, into a heartbeat sound that is similar to a sound of an actual heartbeat; and

outputting the heartbeat sound.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising acquiring gestational age information of the fetus based on the Doppler data,

wherein the modulating of the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound comprises modulating the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound according to the gestational age information and the heart rate of the fetus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the modulating of the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound comprises:

comparing the heart rate with a standard heart rate of a plurality of fetuses corresponding to gestational age information of the fetus;

determining modulation information based on a result of the comparing of the heart rate with the standard heart rate and a standard heartbeat sound for the plurality of fetuses; and

modulating the heartbeat Doppler sound into the heartbeat sound based on the modulation information.