Ultrasound apparatus and method for tissue resonance analysis
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring intra cranial pressure at a selected site in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of:
- placing an ultrasound probe on a forehead of a patient;
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the forehead of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a portion of said echo encephalogram signal;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsograph signal calculating the intra cranial pressure from said echo pulsogram signal in accordance with the formula;
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasound probe is placed on the head of a patient, and is used to generate an ultrasound pulse which propagates through the skull and brain of the patient, and is reflected off of the skull and soft tissue lying in a path perpendicular to the ultrasound probe. The reflected signals are received by the ultrasound probe, and then processed in a known manner to generate an echo encephalogram (Echo EG) signal, which is plotted as a function of amplitude vs. distance. A portion of the Echo EG signal is then selected, and the Echo EG signal is integrated over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsograph (EPG) signal. An electrocardiograph (ECG) signal for the patient is also generated in a known manner. Using the ECG signal as a reference, the EPG signal is used to provide information regarding the physiological state of the tissue at a depth from the ultrasound probe corresponding to the selected portion of the Echo EG signal. In addition, the ultrasound probe is preferably a probe having a concave shaped transmitting and receiving surface.
84 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring intra cranial pressure at a selected site in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of:
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placing an ultrasound probe on a forehead of a patient;
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the forehead of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a portion of said echo encephalogram signal;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsograph signal calculating the intra cranial pressure from said echo pulsogram signal in accordance with the formula;
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19)
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10. A method for monitoring intra cranial pressure at a selected site in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of:
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placing an ultrasound probe on a forehead of a patient;
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the forehead of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a portion of said echo encephalogram signal;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsograph signal;
calculating a second resonant frequency (F) of the echopulsogram across a cardiac systole;
calculating the intra cranial pressure from said echo pulsogram signal in accordance with the formula;
- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for monitoring pulsatility at a selected site in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of
placing an ultrasound probe on a skull of a patient, the ultrasound probe having a concave transmitting and receiving surface; -
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the skull of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate an echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a portion of said echo encephalogram signal;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsogram signal, said echo pulsogram signal providing an indication of the pulsatility of a portion of the brain of the human patient corresponding to the selected portion of the echo encephalogram signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
calculating intra cranial pressure at said portion of the brain as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
identifying the presence or absence of midline shift in the brain of the human patient as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
26. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
identifying the presence or absence of a shift of a lateral ventricle as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
identifying the presence or absence of a shift of a selected brain vessel as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
28. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
identifying the presence or absence of a shift of the fourth ventricle as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
29. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
monitoring blood vessel tension at said portion of the brain as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
30. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
monitoring blood vessel capacitance at said portion of the brain as a function of the echo pulsogram signal. -
31. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of
monitoring linear blood flow velocity at said portion of the brain as a function of the echo pulsogram signal.
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32. A method for identifying the presence or absence of midline shift in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of
placing an ultrasound probe on a temporal area of a patient; -
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the temporal area of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a dominant portion of said echo encephalogram signal corresponding to a third ventricle of the patient;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an echo pulsogram signal;
placing an ultrasound probe on an opposite temporal area of a patient;
transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the opposite temporal area of the patent;
receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
selecting a dominant portion of said echo encephalogram signal corresponding to the third ventricle of the patient;
integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate an opposing echo pulsogram signal, identifying the presence or absence of midline shift in the brain of the human patient as a function of the echo pulsogram signal and the opposing echo pulsogram signal.
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33. A method for identifying a location of a ventricle or vessel in a brain, comprising the steps of
(a) placing an ultrasound probe on an appropriate portion of a skull of a patient; -
(b) transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the skull of the patent;
(c) receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
(d) processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
(e) selecting an initial portion of said echo encephalogram signal corresponding to the vessel or ventricle of interest;
(f) integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the initial portion to generate an echo pulsogram signal, (g) identifying the echopulsogram signal as one of a positive phase signal and a negative phase signal; and
(1) if the echo pulsogram signal is a positive phase signal, identifying the initial portion of the echo encephalogram as corresponding an outer wall of the vessel or ventricle relative to the ultrasound probe;
(2) if the echo pulsogram signal is a negative phase signal, identifying the initial portion of the echo encephalogram as corresponding a near wall of the vessel or ventricle relative to the ultrasound probe;
(h) if a positive phase signal was identified in step(g), (1) selecting a second portion of the echoencephalogram signal which corresponds to a location in the brain which is closer to the ultrasound probe than the portion selected in step (e), (2) integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected second portion to generate an echo pulsogram signal, (3) if the echo pulsogram signal is a negative phase signal, identifying the second portion of the echoencephalogram is identified as corresponding to a near wall of the vessel or ventricle. (4) if the echo pulsogram signal is a positive phase signal, then repeating steps h(1) through (3) by selecting successive second portions of the encephalogram which correspond to locations in the brain which are successively closer to the ultrasound probe, until a negative phase signal is identified. (i) if a negative phase signal was identified in step(g), (1) selecting a second portion of the echoencephalogram signal which corresponds to a location in the brain which is farther from the ultrasound probe than the portion selected in step (e), (2) integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected second portion to generate an echo pulsogram signal. (3) if the echo pulsogram signal is a positive phase signal, identifying the second portion of the echoencephalogram is identified as corresponding to a far wall of the vessel or ventricle. (4) if the echo pulsogram signal is a negative phase signal, then repeating steps (i)(1) through (i)(3) by selecting successive second portions of the encephalogram which correspond to locations in the brain which are successively closer to the ultrasound probe, until a negative phase signal is identified. - View Dependent Claims (34)
identifying as a first distance, based upon the echo encephalogram, a distance from the ultrasound probe to the initial portion, identifying as a second distance, based upon the echo encephalogram, a distance from the ultrasound probe to the second portion; subtracting the second distance from the first distance to determine a width of the vessel or ventricle of interest.
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35. A method for diagnosing the presence or absence of midline shift in a brain of a human patient, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing an ultrasound probe on a temporal area of a first side of the skull of a patient;
(b) transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the first side temporal area of the patent;
(c) receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
(d) processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
(e) selecting a first-side dominant portion of said echo encephalogram signal corresponding to a third ventricle of the patient;
(f) integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate a first-side echo pulsogram signal;
(g) identifying a phase of the first-side echo pulsogram signal as one of a positive phase and a negative phase;
(h) identifying as a first distance, based upon the echo encephalogram, a distance from the ultrasound probe to the first side dominant portion;
(i) placing an ultrasound probe on a temporal area of a second side of the skull of a patient;
(j) transmitting an ultrasound pulse from the ultrasound probe into the second side temporal area of the patent;
(k) receiving a reflected signal from said ultrasound pulse;
(l) processing said reflected signal to generate a digital echo encephalogram signal;
(m) selecting a second-side dominant portion of said echo encephalogram signal corresponding to a third ventricle of the patient;
(n) integrating the echo encephalogram signal over the selected portion to generate a first-side echo pulsogram signal;
(o) identifying a phase of the second-side echo pulsogram signal as one of a positive phase and a negative phase;
(p) if the phase of the second-side echopulsogram is the same as the phase of the first-side echo pulsogram, identifying as a second distance, based upon the echo encephalogram, a distance from the ultrasound probe to the second side dominant portion;
(q) if the phase of the second-side echopulsogram is not the same as the phase of the first-side echo pulsogram, repeating steps (m) through (p) until a second-side dominant portion of the echo encephalogram is identified which has a corresponding second-side echo pulsogram with the same phase as the first side echo pulsogram. (r) diagnosing a presence or absence of midline shift based upon a comparison of the first distance and the second distance. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification