Ultrasonic system and method for storing data

• US 6,171,244 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Acuson Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Guracar, Ismayil M., Finger, David J., Fash, D. Grant III, Shakouri, Shahrokh
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAULIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/001,489
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/444, 600/445, 600/446, 600/447, 600/449, 600/438, 600/454
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 Data rate converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing ultrasound data is provided. The apparatus includes an interface operatively connected to a memory, a programmable single instruction multiple data processor (or two symmetric processors), a source of acoustic data (such as a data bus) and a system bus. The memory stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus. The processor has direct access to the memory. Alternatively, the system bus has direct access to the memory. The interface device translates logically addressed ultrasound data to physically addressed ultrasound data for storage in a memory. The translation is the same for data from both the processor and the source for at least a portion of a range of addresses. The memory stores both ultrasound data and various of: beamformer control data, instruction data for the processor, display text plane information, control plane data, and a table of memory addresses. One peripheral connects to the ultrasound apparatus. An interface adapter, powered from the ultrasound apparatus, translates information transferred between the peripheral and the ultrasound apparatus. The adapter connects non-standard peripherals to various standard interfaces on the ultrasound apparatus.

Claims

1. An ultrasound apparatus for processing ultrasound data, the apparatus comprising:

an interface device comprising a memory port, a processor port, an ultrasound data port and a system port;

a memory operatively connected to the memory port;

a processor operatively connected to the processor port;

a source of acoustic data operatively connected to the ultrasound data port; and

a system bus operatively connected to the system port;

wherein the memory substantially concurrently stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus; and

wherein the processor has direct access to the memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the system bus has direct access to the memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the memory stores instruction data for the processor; and

the data from the processor comprises processed ultrasound data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory is operable to provide data to the source, the processor and the system bus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a Synchronous DRAM device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a RAMBUS device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises at least two memory banks, the at least two memory banks operatively connected to the memory port.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a single instruction, multiple data capable processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor comprises a multimedia extension processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processor further comprises a cache memory and a host bus, the host bus operatively connected to the processor port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source comprises a transfer controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the transfer controller comprises a device operable pursuant to an Accelerated Graphics Port Interface Specification.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the transfer controller comprises a buffer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source comprises a data bus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the data bus is operable to transfer ultrasound image data selected from the group consisting of:

B-mode data, M-mode data, beamformer data, color Doppler data, Spectral Doppler data, and combinations thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the data bus comprises a path operable to transfer ultrasound data selected from the group consisting of:

acoustic image data and video data.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one peripheral interface operatively connects to the system bus, and at least one peripheral operatively connects to the at least one peripheral interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory stores text plane data.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory stores a table of physical memory addresses.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one peripheral interface comprises an interface selected from the group consisting of:

a RS-232 serial interface, an IEEE Std. 1394-1995 interface, a Universal Serial Bus interface, an Ethernet 10/100 Base T interface, and an industry standard interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one peripheral comprises a peripheral selected from the group of:

a video cassette recorder, a printer, a camera, a physio module, a hard disk drive, a removable media storage device, a user interface, a Local Area Network connection, and combinations thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface device comprises a device operable pursuant to an Accelerated Graphic Port specification.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface device comprises a Quad Port Acceleration device.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

at least one peripheral interface operatively connects to the system bus, and at least one peripheral operatively connects to the at least one peripheral interface;

the source comprises a data transfer controller and a data bus for transferring ultrasound image data selected from the group consisting of;

acquired acoustic data, acquired video data, display acoustic data for reconstruction and combinations thereof;

wherein the memory stores instruction data for the processor; and

further comprising a display device operatively connected to the data bus.

25. A method for processing ultrasound data in an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting an interface device comprising a memory port, a processor port, an ultrasound data port and a system port to a memory, a processor, a source of ultrasound image data and a system bus, the memory operatively connected to the memory port, the processor operatively connected to the processor port, the source of ultrasound data operatively connected to the ultrasound data port, and the system bus operatively connected to the system port;

(b) storing data from a processor, ultrasound image data from the source, and data from a system bus in a memory; and

(c) providing direct access by the processor to the memory.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of providing direct access by the system bus to the memory.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the step (c) comprises transferring data between the processor and the memory in response to one bus transaction.

28. The method of claim 25:

further comprising the step (d) of storing instruction code data for the processor in the memory; and

wherein the step (b) comprises storing processed ultrasound image data from the processor.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of providing data to the source, the processor and the system bus from the memory.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the step (a) comprises connecting a single instruction, multiple data capable processor.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of operating the data port pursuant to an Accelerated Graphics Port Interface Specification.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of transferring ultrasound image data selected from the group consisting of:

B-mode data, M-mode data, beamformer data, color Doppler data, Spectral Doppler data, and combinations thereof with the source, the source comprising a data bus.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step (d) comprises transferring data selected from the group consisting of:

acoustic image data and video data.

34. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of:

(d) operatively connecting at least one peripheral interface to the system bus and at least one peripheral to the at least one peripheral interface; and

(e) transferring data between the at least one peripheral and the memory.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step (e) comprises transferring physio module data to the memory.

36. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of operating the data port pursuant to an Accelerated Graphic Port specification.

37. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step (d) of storing text plane data in the memory.

38. The method of claim 25 wherein the step (c) comprises storing a table of physical memory addresses in the memory.

39. An ultrasound apparatus for processing ultrasound data, the apparatus comprising:

an interface device comprising a memory port, a processor port, on ultrasound data port and a system port;

a memory operatively connected to the memory port;

a processor operatively connected to the processor port;

a source of ultrasonic data operatively connected to the ultrasound data port; and

a system bus operatively connected to the system port;

wherein the memory substantially concurrently stores data from the processor, ultrasound data from the source, and data from the system bus; and

wherein the system bus has direct access to the memory.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the processor has direct access to the memory.

41. A method for processing ultrasound data in an ultrasound system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting an interface device comprising a memory port, a processor port, an ultrasound data port and a system port to a memory, a processor, a source of ultrasonic data and a system bus, the memory operatively connected to the memory port, the processor operatively connected to the processor port, the source of ultrasound data operatively connected to the ultrasound data port, and the system bus operatively connected to the system port;

(b) storing data from a processor, ultrasound data from a source, and data from a system bus in a memory; and

(c) providing direct access by the system bus to the memory.