Balance body ultrasound system

• US 6,575,908 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Rice, Kari L., Schultz, John D., Cabatic, Bryan S., Barnes, Stephanie A., Purdue, Bill, Bunce, Steven M, Little, Blake W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jain, Ruby
• Application Number:
  US10/227,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20030078501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/459, 600/437, 600/447, 600/441, 736/25, 736/26, 736/18, 367/7, 367/11, 128/916
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• 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 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52017 particularly adapted to short-range imaging G01S7/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52028 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display
• 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 7/52084 : related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 : Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/004 : Mounting transducers, e.g. provided with mechanical moving or orienting device mountings specially adapted to a particular sound-producing device, see the preceding groups G10K1/00 - G10K9/00, e.g. G10K1/26, G10K1/28, G10K9/22; arrangements of sonic watch equipment on submarines B63G8/39; buoys B63B22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/345 : using energy switching from one active element to another

Abstract

A hand held ultrasound system comprises a balance body, a transducer assembly connected to said balance body via a communication means and a plurality of control elements arranged in an ergonomic fashion on said balance body, such that a user may hold said system and operate at least one of said control elements with the same hand. In particular a medical ultrasound system comprising a balance body incorporating system electronics, a power supply and a user interface wherein the user interface comprises a D-controller and a touch screen and a transducer assembly attached to the balanced body by a cable.

Claims

1. A diagnostic hand held ultrasound system weighing less than three and a half pounds (3.50 lbs), including a battery, display screen and system electronics within a common enclosure and a transducer wherein said common enclosure comprises:

a body having an aperture, said aperture being adapted for operating as a handle;

a plurality of control elements positioned near said aperture such that a person may carry said system and utilize at least one of said plurality of control elements with the a single hand;

a main board having said battery and said system electronics arranged such that said aperture is positioned at least partially between said battery and said system electronics; and

a sample data beamformer and at least one digital signal processor (DSP) capable of producing 2D or 3D images, contained within said system electronics, wherein said aperture, main board, and beamformer are positioned so that the body is balanced when held in the hand.

2. The system as described in claim 1, wherein the transducer is connected to the balance body by a cable.

3. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said plurality of control elements includes a D-controller and one or more buttons.

4. The system as described in claim 1, wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

5. The system as described in claim 4, wherein the touch screen responds to a series of on screen commands and is re-programmable.

6. The system as described in claim 4, wherein the touch screen further comprises a QWERTY style keypad.

7. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said transducer assembly is a pen transducer.

8. The system as described in claim 1, further comprising an I/O port for connecting to a docking station.

9. The system as described in claim 1, wherein said battery is rechargeable or removable.