Unitary operator control for ultrasonic imaging graphical user interface

• US 6,669,633 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Inventors: Brodsky, Michael, Scheffler, Lois A., Hart, Paula J., Chiang, Alice M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/822,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/447, 600/437, 345/581, 345/589, 345/591, 345/594, 345/676, 345/713, 345/160-161, 345/163, 345/173
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/546 involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/582 Remote testing of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/585 Automatic set-up of the device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52025 for pulse systems G01S7/52034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52055 in association with ancillary recording equipment
• 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

Abstract

Conventional ultrasound imaging systems typically include a hand-held probe coupled to a processing and display unit. Typical controls in an ultrasound imaging system require that the operator continually focus on the controls, rather than the ultrasonic image of the area of interest, and manually manipulate the controls by moving their hand along the control panel. By controlling an ultrasonic imaging system from a unitary operating position, defining ultrasonic imaging operations and defining a ranges of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations, ultrasonic image processing is facilitated. An operator selects, via a first control, one of the ultrasonic imaging operations, and then selects, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation. The ultrasonic imaging system applies the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter. In this manner, the operator produces the desired ultrasonic image processing results by employing both the first control and the second control from a common operating position from one hand, thereby allowing the operator to continue scanning with a free hand while continuing to control the ultrasonic imaging system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

defining a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations in a computer readable medium;

defining a range of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations in the computer readable medium;

selecting, via a first control, one of the plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

in the computer readable medium;

selecting, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation; and

applying, via the ultrasonic imaging system, the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter, the first control and the second control being located and operable from a unitary interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying the ultrasonic imaging operation to ultrasonic image data gathered by the ultrasonic imaging system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a non-dominant hand to operate and control the unitary interface.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the non-dominant hand remains at the common operating position on the unitary interface throughout a series of ultrasonic imaging operations.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a common operating position corresponding to a control keypad in the unitary interface being accessible from a single hand.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting another ultrasonic imaging operation via the first control and selecting another parameter via the second control in the range of values corresponding to the selected another ultrasonic imaging operation from the same unitary interface.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising selecting a series of ultrasonic imaging operations from the unitary interface and further comprising executing no extraneous operations from another operating position.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control is a qualitative control.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second control is a quantitative control.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the range is a series of discrete values.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the range is a continuum.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic imaging operations include ultrasonic image scanning operations and ultrasonic image processing operations.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the ultrasonic image scanning operations are applicable to dynamic ultrasonic image data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the ultrasonic image processing operations are applicable to static and dynamic ultrasonic image data.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the ultrasonic image scanning operations include image processing operations selected from the group consisting of size, depth, focus, gain, Time Gain Compensation (TGC) and TGC lock.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the ultrasonic image processing operations include image processing operations selected from the group consisting of view, inversion palette, smoothing, persistence, map, and contrast.

17. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a central processing unit to execute the method of claim 1.

18. A system for controlling ultrasonic imaging comprising:

an ultrasonic imaging controller operable to apply a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations, the controller having a plurality of instructions for processing a plurality of image parameters to obtain ultrasound images;

a user input device operable to provide selection input in response to a first user control, and further operable to provide parameters in response to a second user control, the user input device connected to the first user control and the second user control from a common operating position; and

a graphical user interface (GUI) operable to receive the selection input corresponding to at least one of the ultrasonic imaging operations, and further operable to receive parameters in a range corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operations.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic imaging controller is further operable to apply the ultrasonic imaging operation to ultrasonic image data gathered by a hand held probe in an ultrasonic imaging system.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the common operating position is adapted to be accessible from a non-dominant hand.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the common operating position corresponds to a control keypad accessible from a single hand.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the user input device is operable to provide selection input and corresponding to another ultrasonic imaging operation via the first user control and further operable to provide another parameter via the second user control in the range of values corresponding to the selected another ultrasonic imaging operation from the same common operating position.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the user input device is further operable for selecting a series of ultrasonic imaging operations from the common operating position and further comprising executing no extraneous operations from another operating position.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein a non-dominant hand remains at the common operating position throughout the series of ultrasonic imaging operations.

25. The system of claim 18 wherein the first user control is a qualitative control.

26. The system of claim 18 wherein the second user control is a quantitative control.

27. The system of claim 18 wherein the range is a series of discrete values.

28. The system of claim 18 wherein the range is a continuum.

29. The system of claim 18 wherein the ultrasonic imaging controller is further operable to apply ultrasonic imaging operations including ultrasonic image scanning operations and ultrasonic image processing operations.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the ultrasonic imaging controller is further operable to apply ultrasonic image scanning operations applicable to dynamic ultrasonic image data.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the ultrasonic imaging controller is further operable to apply ultrasonic image processing operations applicable to static and dynamic ultrasonic image data.

32. A computer readable medium including instructions for controlling an ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

defining a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

defining a range of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations;

selecting, via a first control, one of the plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

selecting, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation; and

applying, via the ultrasonic imaging system, the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter, the first control and the second control being operable from a common operating position.

33. A computer readable data transmission medium having program code for controlling an ultrasonic imaging system comprising:

a first portion of program code for defining a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

a second portion of program code for defining a range of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations;

a third portion of program code for selecting, via a first control, one of the plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

a fourth portion of program code for selecting, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation; and

a fifth portion of program code for applying, via the ultrasonic imaging system, the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter, the first control and the second control being operable from a common operating position.

34. A computer program product for controlling and for displaying ultrasonic images in an ultrasonic imaging system, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code therein, including program code which:

defines a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

defines a range of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations;

selects, via a first control, one of the plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

selects, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation; and

applies, via the ultrasonic imaging system, the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter, the first control and the second control being operable from a common operating position.

35. A graphical user interface for controlling and displaying ultrasound images and data, comprising:

a graphical user interface element for displaying an ultrasonic image of a region of interest;

a graphical user interface element for selecting one of a plurality of ultrasonic imaging operations;

a graphical user interface element for selecting quantitative parameters corresponding to the ultrasonic imaging operations; and

a graphical user interface element for controlling the selection of the graphical user interface elements.