High speed electronic remote medical imaging system and method

• US 6,614,969 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Ludlow Company LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: The Ludlow Company LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Page, Theron V. Jr., Eichelberger, Eric E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US09/966,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 385/100-114, 385/115-121
• US Class Current: 385/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/22 Cables including at least one electrical conductor together with optical fibres

Abstract

A medical imaging system with a base unit including an electronic display, and a remote imaging transducer connected to the display unit via a flexible cable. The cable includes a number of signal transmission lines, each of which includes a twisted pair of conductors for digital differential signal lines. Each conductor is connected at a first end to the transducer, and at a second end to the base unit. The signal transmission lines may be wrapped about a core, which may be an optical conduit communicating with a light source at the base unit.

Claims

1. A medical imaging system comprising:

a base unit including an electronic display;

a remote imaging transducer connected to the display unit via a flexible cable;

the cable including a plurality of signal transmission lines; and

each signal transmission line including a pair of conductors coupled for low voltage differential signal transmission.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the cable includes an optically transmissive element connected at one end to an illuminator, and operable to transmit light to a subject imaged by the transducer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each of the signal transmission lines is wrapped about the optically transmissive element.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the transducer is a photosensitive electronic device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the transducer is an ultrasound element.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the conductors of each signal transmission line are of a common wire gauge, and are each helically would about each other.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal transmission lines are evenly spaced apart from an axis defined by the core.

8. A method of medical imaging comprising the steps:

positioning a transducer adjacent a patient;

generating an electrical signal in the transducer to represent an image;

transmitting the signal via a flexible cable connected to a base unit, including transmitting separate signals via a plurality of pairs of conductors, employing low voltage differential signal transmission; and

in the base unit, displaying an image based on the signal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein transmitting signals includes transmitting signals via twisted pairs of wires.

10. The method of claim 8 including illuminating a subject portion of the patient imaged by the transducer via an optical conduit in the cable.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein generating an electrical signal in the transducer includes forming an image on a photosensitive electronic device.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein generating an electrical signal in the transducer includes receiving emitted ultrasound energy.