Ultrasound imaging system combining static B-scan and real-time sector scanning capability
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
- (a) an articulated scan arm having an outermost terminus adapted to carry a transducer means, said scan arm including means for generating positional information concerning said outermost terminus based on the relative positions of segments of said scan arm;
(b) transducer means, removably attached to said outermost terminus of said scan arm; and
(c) means for selectively operating said transducer means to produce a sector of beams or to generate sonic beams only along a given axis.
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Abstract
A standard articulated B-scan arm provides positional and directional information for a transducer at its end, based on relative angular displacements of the separate arm segments. A real time scanner, preferably one having a fixed transducer and a fixed oscillating mirror, is freely attachable or detachable from the scan arm. The probe itself is operable either in a real time sector scan or in a static B-scan mode.
183 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
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(a) an articulated scan arm having an outermost terminus adapted to carry a transducer means, said scan arm including means for generating positional information concerning said outermost terminus based on the relative positions of segments of said scan arm; (b) transducer means, removably attached to said outermost terminus of said scan arm; and (c) means for selectively operating said transducer means to produce a sector of beams or to generate sonic beams only along a given axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In an ultrasound imaging system having a real time sector scan probe independently operable but freely attachable to and detachable from the terminus of an articulated scan arm, said probe comprising transducer means and means for selectively operating said transducer means to produce a sector of beams or to generate sonic beams only along a given axis, said scan arm producing information denoting the location of a transducer located at said terminus, a method of conducting ultrasound examinations comprising:
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(a) detaching said probe from said arm and conducting a free hand real time scan of an area in interest; (b) attaching said probe to said arm and repeating salient portions of said real time scan, while recording positional information for particular conditions in interest; (c) shifting the scan mode of said probe, while attached to said arm, from real time to static B-scan operation by adjusting said means for selectively operating said transducer means to generate sonic beams only along a given axis; and (d) performing static B-scan investigations of said conditions in interest based on said recorded positional information. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification