Balance body ultrasound system

• US 8,052,606 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• 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., Bunce, Steven M., Cabatic, Bryan S., Barnes, Stephanie A., Purdue, Bill, Little, Blake W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cattungal; Sanjay
• Application Number:
  US12/771,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 600437-463
• 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, which has a center of gravity positioned close to a strength of a user'"'"'s hand when the ultrasound system is held by the user, said 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, 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; 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).

2. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein control of the medical ultrasound device is achieved through selecting through a series of window menus either by using the D-controller or the touch screen or a combination of both.

3. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein the ultrasound system weighs less than three and a half pounds (3.50 lbs.) and the balance body can be held with the same hand that operates the D-controller.

4. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein the touch screen responds to a series of on screen commands and is re-programmable to make one or more hot menus.

5. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein the touch screen further comprises a QWERTY style keypad.

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

7. The medical ultrasound system of claim 1, further comprising a handle.

8. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, further comprising a holster for retaining the transducer assembly.

9. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, further comprising a data storage means for ultrasound scans.

10. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein said balance body comprises an aperture and internal components arranged to achieve said balance body.

11. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 1, wherein said balance body is configured so that the user'"'"'s palm and fingers support the weight of said balance body by being essentially flat against a backside of said balance body.

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

13. The medical ultrasound system as described in claim 12, wherein the I/O port still further comprises a data path, a control path, and a power path for communicating with the docking station, such that data can move between said medical ultrasound system and said docking station, such that said medical ultrasound system can be controlled through the docking station, and such that the power supply can be recharged through the power path.

14. 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 capable of a plurality of diagnostic ultrasound modes, said body weighing less than three pounds, wherein said user interface comprises a controller and wherein said ultrasound instrument is configured so that a user may hold said ultrasound system with one hand and operate said controller with said one hand and wherein the system electronics package comprises an image processor, and a first digital signal processor capable of processing B mode, M mode and flow (2D Doppler) scans, 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 wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor are integrated into a single application specific integrated circuit (ASIC);

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

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; and

a digital beam former.

15. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said controller comprises a D-controller.

16. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument of claim 14, further comprising a holster for retaining a transducer assembly.

17. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said body is a balance body.

18. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said body comprises an aperture and internal components arranged such that said body is balanced for comfortable holding in the user'"'"'s hand.

19. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said body is configured so that the user'"'"'s palm and fingers support the weight of said body by being essentially flat against a backside of said body.

20. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said system electronics package comprises said digital beam former.

21. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein said transducer comprises said digital beam former.

22. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 14, wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

23. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 22, wherein the touch screen responds to a series of on screen commands and is reprogrammable for hot menus.

24. The lightweight diagnostic ultrasound instrument as described in claim 22, wherein the touch screen further comprises a QWERTY style keypad.

25. A medical ultrasound system comprising:

a balance body, which has a center of gravity positioned close to a strength of a user'"'"'s hand when the ultrasound instrument is held by the user, said balance body incorporating system electronics, a power supply and a user interface wherein said user interface comprises a controller and a touch screen; and

a transducer assembly wirelessly connected to said balance body, 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; 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).