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Transesophageal echocardiography device

  • US 5,295,486 A
  • Filed: 10/18/1991
  • Issued: 03/22/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An ultrasound endoscopy device for transesophageal echocardiography, comprising;

  • an ultrasound transducer, for scanning a series of parallel section planes of the heart with ultrasonic energy, converting ultrasound scans into electrical signals, the electrical signals being analogs of the scanned series of parallel section planes, and transmitting the electrical signals, the ultrasound transducer being slidably mounted upon a sliding rail situated in the interior of the device, such that the transducer may be linearly moved along the sliding rail of the device;

    ultrasound diagnostic means for receiving analog signals of said series of parallel section planes, converting the analog signals into signals in the form of tomograms and transmitting the signals; and

    an image processing system for receiving the signals in the form of tomograms from the diagnostic means, the image processing system comprising,a memory storage buffer capable of storing at least one said tomogram in synchronization with the cardiac phases when scanning each said section plane;

    a main memory for storiong at least one three-dimensional image composed of a series of parallel ones of said tomograms;

    data selection and transmission means interconnecting a data output port of said memory storage buffer to a data entry port of said main memory, said data selection and transmission means selecting individual ones of said tomograms assigned to consecutive cardiac cycles and transmitting such to said main memory only in those instances where said individual tomograms correspond to cardiac cycles having the same duration; and

    means for preventing the movement of the ultrasound transducer to the next one of said section planes until a successful transfer of data from said memory storage buffer to said main memory.

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