Miniaturized ultrasound apparatus and method

• US 6,569,102 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems Incorporated (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brennan, James M., Lipps, William D., Imran, Mir A., McLaughlin, Glen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francia J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, William C.
• Application Number:
  US09/860,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/440, 600/441, 600/447, 600/446, 600/459
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0866 involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4438 Means for identifying the diagnostic device, e.g. barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• 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 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8981 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds, e.g. wall clutter filter
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52034 Data rate converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52079 Constructional features constructional features of transducers B06B; mounting transducers G10K11/00; constructional features of ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52082 : involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52084 : related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52096 : related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components details of power supplies for ultrasonic medical diagnostic imaging devices A61B8/56

Abstract

Ultrasound apparatus for examining tissue in a region of interest in a body comprising a housing having a viewing aperture. An ultrasonic transducer is provided comprised of an array of ultrasonic elements disposed in the viewing aperture. Electrical pulses are supplied to the transducer for transducer excitation to introduce ultrasonic signals into the body for reflection from the tissue in the region of interest. The transducer is capable of converting ultrasonic signals reflected from the tissue within the body to the transducer to provide electrical signals. The electrical signals are gain corrected in accordance with time. In-phase and out-of-phase components of the electrical signals are provided and then digitized. The digitized electrical signals are collected to form one image for a single frame of the tissue in the region of interest in the body from transducer excitations less than thirty-three in number which is then displayed.

Claims

1. Ultrasound apparatus for examining an area of tissue in a region of interest in a body comprising a housing having a viewing aperture, an ultrasonic transducer comprised of an array of ultrasonic elements disposed in the viewing aperture and having an inherent resolution, means substantially transparent to ultrasound carried by the housing forming an impedance matching lens overlying the array and having a surface capable of being placed in contact with the body, means for supplying transmitted electrical pulses to said transducer for a single transducer excitation to introduce ultrasonic signals into the body for reflection from an area of the tissue in the region of interest, said transducer being capable of converting ultrasonic signals reflected from within the body to provide electrical signals of raw data for the area of tissue, means for digitizing and storing the electrical signals and means for processing the digitized electrical signals to form an image for a single area from the raw data and utilizing a plurality of images to produce a video image.

2. A system for ultrasound analysis, comprising:

a scan head, including a transducer may for converting ultrasound echo to provide electrical signals of raw data;

a memory storage source for storing the raw data generated by the transducer array prior to image formation;

a digital signal processor for forming an image area using the stored raw data and constructing a video image from a plurality of such image areas;

a display for receiving the constructed video image; and

a battery supplying power to the scan head.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a housing sized to be held in a person'"'"'s hand and having first and second portions, at least a part of the scan head being disposed in the first portion of the housing and at least a part of the display being disposed in the second portion of the housing.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the housing having at least part of the scan head is detachable from the second portion of the housing having at least part of the display.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of scan heads each having a different transducer array geometry and each being selectively attachable to the first portion of the housing.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital signal processor is in the first portion of the housing, the battery supplying power to the digital signal processor.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising a connector compatible with a printer and coupled to the housing.

8. The system of claim 3 further comprising a separate external display coupled to the second portion of the housing.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a power amplifier for providing signals to the transducer array; and

a power management block for placing the power amplifier in a sleep mode.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising a power management block for placing the digital signal processor in a sleep mode.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising a slot for receiving a printed circuit card for storing the image.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein the transducer array is a transmitter and receiver of ultrasound signals.

13. An ultrasound apparatus for examining an area of tissue in a region of interest in a body comprising a main module having a viewing aperture and a transducer disposed in the viewing aperture, a display module for providing a visual image of the tissue in the region of interest in the body, means for supplying transmitted electrical pulses to the transducer for a single transducer excitation to introduce ultrasonic signals into the body for reflection from an area of the tissue in the region of interest, the transducer being capable of converting ultrasonic signals reflected from within the body to provide electrical signals of raw data for the area of tissue and means for establishing communication between the main module and the display module for the purpose of transferring digitized raw data and characteristics of the transducer from the from the maim module to the display module.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said means for establishing communication between the main module and the display module is an umbilical cord.

15. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said means for establishing communication between the main module and the display module is an infrared link.

16. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said means for establishing communication between the main module and the display module is a radio frequency link.

17. A method of ultrasound analysis, comprising the steps of:

generating ultrasound raw data using a scan head disposed at least partly within a housing and having a transducer for converting ultrasound echo to provide electrical signals of ultrasound raw data;

digitizing and storing the ultrasound raw data generated by the scan head;

using a digital signal processor to form an image for a single area from the stored digitized ultrasound raw data and to utilize a plurality of images to construct a video image;

displaying the constructed video image using a display disposed at least partly within the housing; and

supplying power to the scan head using a battery.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the housing is sized to be held in a person'"'"'s hand.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of detaching the scan head from the housing.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

selecting, from a plurality of scan heads each having a different transducer array geometry, a scan head with a specific transducer array geometry; and

attaching the selected scan head to the housing.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of using the battery to supply power to the digital signal processor.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

using a power amplifier to provide signals to a transducer array; and

placing the power amplifier in a sleep mode by using a power management block.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of using a power management block to place the digital signal processor in a sleep mode.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of storing the image on a printed circuit card.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of coupling a printer-compatible connector to the housing.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the generating step includes the step of transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals from a single transducer to generate ultrasound data.