Portable ultrasound imaging system

• US 7,500,952 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Original Assignee: Teratech Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Alice M., Broadstone, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMIREZ, JOHN FERNANDO
• Application Number:
  US09/619,123
• Time in Patent Office: 3,156 Days
• Field of Search: 600/443, 600/447, 128921-924
• US Class Current: 600/446
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4236 characterised by adhesive patches
• 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 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• 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: G01S 15/8915 using a transducer array
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8934 using a dynamic transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8979 Combined Doppler and pulse-echo imaging systems
• 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 7/52023 Details of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52053 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52063 : Sector scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 : Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 : with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead

Abstract

A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system comprising:

an ultrasonic array probe connected to an imaging system having a computer platform with a central processing unit (CPU) that receives beamformed image data from a programmable beamforming integrated circuit having at least 10 channels and connected to a control circuit that controls a variable delay setting for the beamforming integrated circuit, the computer platform comprising;

signal processing software for performing at least one of scan conversion and Doppler processing of processed signals from a region of interest; and

display processing software for performing display processing of said processed signals; and

a display coupled to said personal computer platform to receive processed signals for display of an ultrasonic image; and

the ultrasonic array probe, the beamforming integrated circuit and computer platform having a weight of ten pounds or less.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 wherein said computer platform further comprises an image data memory.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1 wherein said signal processing software and said display processing software are executed by said CPU.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a beamformer control circuit to control a plurality of differential delays for at least a single integrated circuit having at least the 10 channels used to beamform signals received by the probe from a region of interest.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe has at least 64 transducers.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is battery operated.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless connection to communicate ultrasound image data.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a memory communicating with the beamforming integrated circuit that stores delay control signals.

9. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system comprising:

an ultrasonic array probe connected to an imaging system that includes an integrated circuit beamforming device having at least a single integrated circuit with at least 10 variable delay channels and a computer platform having a central processing unit (CPU) that receives beamformed image data from the integrated circuit beamforming device, the computer platform comprising;

a memory to store the beamformed image data from a region of interest;

signal processing software for processing said shared digital data from the region of interest to generate digital images of the region of interest; and

a display coupled to said computer platform for displaying said digital images of the region of interest; and

the ultrasonic array probe, beamforming device and computer platform having a weight of 10 pounds or less.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 9 wherein said computer platform further comprises a scan conversion program.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 9 wherein said computer platform further comprises a beamformer control circuit.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic system of claim 9 wherein the beamforming device comprises a charge domain processing device.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic system of claim 9 wherein the display comprises a flat panel display attached to the computer.

14. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system comprising:

an ultrasonic array probe connected to an imaging system including an integrated circuit beamforming device having at least 64 channels and a computer platform with a central processing unit (CPU) that receives beamformed image data from the beamforming device, the computer platform comprising;

a memory to store beamformed image data of a region of interest;

signal processing software for processing said image data from the region of interest to generate digital images of the region of interest; and

a display coupled to said computer platform for displaying said digital images of the region of interest; and

the ultrasonic array probe, beamforming device and computer platform having a weight of ten pounds or less.

15. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 14 wherein said computer platform further comprises a scan conversion circuit.

16. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 14 wherein said computer platform further comprises a beamformer control circuit and a battery that provides power to the imaging system.

17. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 14 wherein the beamforming device comprises a charge domain processing device.

18. The ultrasonic diagnostic system of claim 14 wherein the display comprises a flat panel display attached to the computer.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a beamformer control circuit to control a plurality of differential delays used by a beamforming device to beamform signals received by the probe from a region of interest.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the probe has at least 64 transducer elements.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the probe has at least 128 transducer elements.