Balance body ultrasound system

• US 7,819,807 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Schultz, John D., Purdue, Bill, Bunce, Steven M, Little, Blake W., Rice, Kari L., Cabatic, Bryan S., Barnes, Stephanie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cattungal; Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US10/099,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20030013966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,147 Days
• Field of Search: 600437-463, 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 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• 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 7/52034 Data rate converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5206 Two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction; B-scan display
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52068 Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo 3D displays G01S15/8993 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52071 Multicolour displays; using colour coding; Optimising colour or information content in displays, e.g. parametric imaging
• 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 7/529 : Gain of receiver varied automatically during pulse-recurrence period for seismic signals G01V1/245
• 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

The present invention relates to a hand held ultrasound system having 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. The present invention relates to a hand held ultrasound system having 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 medical ultrasound system comprising:

a balance body incorporating system electronics, a power supply and a user interface wherein said user interface comprises a D-controller and a touch screen; and

a transducer assembly attached to said balanced body via a cable, said medical ultrasound system being a programmable diagnostic ultrasound instrument having a plurality of diagnostic modes, wherein access to the diagnostic modes is controlled through a gate flag registry, the gate flag registry configured to be modified through a verification procedure utilizing a secure means for extracting hidden bits from a keycode based on one or more unique system identifiers.

2. A lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument comprising:

a body having a power supply, a user interface for controlling the instrument, a display screen, and a system electronics package configured to operate in a plurality of diagnostic ultrasound modes, said body weighing less than three pounds;

a transducer assembly comprising a digital beam former, an A/D converter circuit, and a transducer array, the transducer assembly weighing less than one pound; and

a wire connecting said body and said transducer assembly, the wire having a path for feeding power from the power supply to the transducer assembly, and a signal path for transmitting digital signals between the system electronics and the transducer assembly, said lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument being a programmable diagnostic ultrasound instrument having a plurality of diagnostic modes, wherein access to the diagnostic modes is controlled through a gate flag registry, the gate flag registry configured to be modified through a verification procedure utilizing a secure means for extracting hidden bits from a keycode based on one or more unique system identifiers.

3. A wireless diagnostic ultrasound system comprising:

a first body having system electronics, a user interface having a display screen and at least one control element, a first wireless transmit/receive element and a first power supply, said first body weighing less than two pounds; and

a second body having a digital beam former, an A/D converter circuit, a transducer array, a second power supply, and a second transmit/receive element such that the digital beam former can be controlled by the system electronics via the first and second transmit/receive elements, said second body weighing less than one pound, wherein the system electronics comprises a digital beam former, an image processor, and a first digital signal processor configured to process B mode, M mode and flow (2D Doppler) scans; and

a second digital signal processor comprising;

a digital Doppler QBP filter for filtering PW Doppler signals; and

a digital signal processor core for PW Doppler signal processing, wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor are integrated into a single application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

4. The wireless diagnostic ultrasound system as described in claim 3, wherein said display screen is a touch screen.

5. The wireless diagnostic ultrasound system as described in claim 4, wherein the touch screen is configured to respond to a series of on screen commands and is re-programmable for hot menus.

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

7. The wireless diagnostic ultrasound system as described in claim 3, wherein the at least one control element is a D-controller.

8. The wireless diagnostic ultrasound system as described in claim 3, wherein said first body can be held and operated with one hand.

9. The wireless diagnostic ultrasound of claim 3, further comprising a holster for retaining a transducer assembly.

10. A wireless diagnostic ultrasound system comprising:

a first body having system electronics, a user interface having a display screen and at least one control element, a first wireless transmit/receive element and a first power supply, said first body weighing less than two pounds; and

a second body having a digital beam former, an A/D converter circuit, a transducer array, a second power supply, and a second transmit/receive element such that the digital beam former can be controlled by the system electronics via the first and second transmit/receive elements, said second body weighing less than one pound, said wireless diagnostic ultrasound system being a programmable diagnostic ultrasound instrument having a plurality of diagnostic modes, wherein access to the diagnostic modes is controlled through a gate flag registry, the gate flag registry configured to be modified through a verification procedure utilizing a secure means for extracting hidden bits from a keycode based on one or more unique system identifiers.

11. A lightweight medical ultrasound system comprising:

a first body having system electronics, a first transmit/receive element and a first power supply, said first body weighing less than two pounds;

a second body having a digital beam former, an A/D converter circuit, a transducer array, a second power supply, a second transmit/receive element and at least one control element, said second body weighing less than one pound; and

a headset comprising a visual display, a receive element and a third power supply such that the first body, second body and head set are in communication with each other through the first and second transmit/receive element and the receive element so that a user may control the system through the at least one control element of the second body, while the first body performs the diagnostic operations through said system electronics, and the user may see the operations through the visual display of the head set.

12. The lightweight medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, wherein the first and second transmit/receive elements are wireless.

13. The lightweight medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, wherein the receive element of the headset is wireless.

14. The lightweight medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, wherein the first and second transmit/receive elements and the receive element of the headset are wired.

15. The lightweight medical ultrasound system as described in claim 14, wherein a first power supply in the first body also provides power to the second body and to the headset, the second power supply and the third power supply being omitted.

16. The lightweight medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, wherein the first body and the second body are incorporated into a single transducer assembly weighing less than two pounds and sharing a single power supply and having a single transmit/receive element.

17. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, wherein the system electronics comprises a digital beam former, an image processor, and a first digital signal processor capable of processing B mode, M mode and flow (2D Doppler) scans.

18. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 17, having a second digital signal processor comprising:

a digital Doppler QBP filter for filtering PW Doppler signals; and

a digital signal processor core for PW Doppler signal processing.

19. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 18, wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor are integrated into a single application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

20. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 11, being a programmable diagnostic ultrasound instrument having a plurality of diagnostic modes, wherein access to the diagnostic modes is controlled through a gate flag registry, the gate flag registry configured to be modified through a verification procedure utilizing a secure means for extracting hidden bits from a keycode based on one or more unique system identifiers.

21. A method of operating a hand held ultrasound system comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a balance body ultrasound system having an aperture and control elements, wherein the control elements are positioned such that the control elements can be operated using the thumb of a hand of a user, when the hand is inserted into the aperture;

(b) inserting a first hand into an aperture of a balance body ultrasound system;

(c) activating said ultrasound system;

(d) operating said ultrasound system controls with said first hand;

(e) manipulating a scan head with a second hand;

(f) recording data from said scan head by operating said ultrasound system with said first hand; and

(g) operating any system functions with said first hand wherein all operations of the balance body occur using a thumb of the first hand without the need to move the first hand to accomplish any desired operational controls.

22. The method as described in claim 21, wherein step (g) further comprises:

(g1) typing information in on a touch screen using a user'"'"'s free hand.