Modular apparatus for diagnostic ultrasound

• US 8,088,071 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Juin-Jet, Little, Blake W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US12/467,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/459, 710/303, 710/304
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4411 Device being modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4433 involving a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary 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 7/52082 involving a modular construction, e.g. a computer with short range imaging equipment modular ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/4411

Abstract

A modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus is provided comprising a core unit, system electronics and an I/O port. The core unit comprises a housing and a system electronics package within the housing. The system electronics has one or more concatenated filters, including a front end transmit/receive circuit, a processor, a back end circuit for scan conversion, a system clock and a programmable system memory device. There is at least one I/O port connected to the front end and the back end of the system electronics package and extending through the core unit housing wherein all system data processing information is transmitted or received through the I/O port.

Claims

1. A modular diagnostic ultrasound system, said system comprising:

a core module having at least one I/O port; and

a receptacle module releasably mated with said core module, said receptacle module having a plurality of connector apertures for connecting to a plurality of diagnostic probes and a single transducer connector for connecting to said core module via said at least one I/O port, wherein when said core module is mated to said receptacle module, said core module detects which of said plurality of diagnostic probes are attached to said receptacle module, switches between said plurality of diagnostic probes under direction of a user, and selects beamformer programming and data processing to match a selected diagnostic probe.

2. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 1, said receptacle module further comprising:

a receptacle housing;

a plurality of peripheral ports mounted in said receptacle housing; and

a receptacle for releasably mating with said at least one I/O port and electrically communicating with said plurality of peripheral ports.

3. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 2 wherein said electrically communicating occurs through a pass-through connection.

4. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 3 wherein said electrically communicating occurs through an active connection.

5. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 4, said receptacle module further comprising:

at least one active circuit.

6. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 2, said receptacle module further comprising:

a latching mechanism for securing said receptacle module to said core module.

7. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 2 wherein said receptacle module is attached to a docking station.

8. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 7 wherein said docking station is stationary.

9. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 7 wherein said docking station is mobile.

10. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein said core module switches between said plurality of diagnostic probes using a plurality of electromechanical switches.

11. The modular diagnostic ultrasound system of claim 1 wherein said core module switches between said plurality of diagnostic probes using a soft switch within said core module.

12. A modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus comprising:

a core module including a system electronics package mated to at least one plug; and

a receptacle module having a receptacle for matingly engaging said at least one plug of said core module, a plurality of connector apertures for connecting to a plurality of diagnostic probes, and a plurality of peripheral ports for connecting to a plurality of peripheral devices, wherein said receptacle reads data from said core module and sends data to at least one of said plurality of peripheral devices in electronic communication with said receptacle and wherein when said core module is mated to said receptacle module, said core module detects which of said plurality of diagnostic probes are attached to said receptacle module and selects beamformer programming and data processing to match a detected diagnostic probe.

13. The modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 12, said system electronics package further comprising:

a transmit/receive ASIC which receives echo data;

a front end ASIC which transforms said echo data into beamformed scan line signals; and

a back end ASIC which converts said beamformed scan line signals to video output signals.

14. The modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 13, said system electronics package further comprising:

a digital signal processing ASIC which filters said beamformed scan line signals.

15. The modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 14, said back end ASIC further comprising:

a central processor coupled to said front end ASIC and said digital signal processing ASIC to control and synchronize processing and control functions for said core module.

16. The modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 12, said system electronics package further comprising:

at least one programmable system memory device.

17. The modular diagnostic ultrasound apparatus of claim 12 wherein said core module is configured to switch between said plurality of diagnostic probes under direction of a user, and select beamformer programming and data processing to match a selected diagnostic probe.

18. A modular ultrasound diagnostic system, said system comprising:

a core module including at least one I/O port; and

a mini-dock configured to connect a plurality of diagnostic probes and peripheral devices to said core module, said mini-dock comprising a receptacle housing, a plurality of peripheral device ports for connecting to said plurality of peripheral devices, a plurality of connector apertures for connecting to said plurality of diagnostic probes, and a receptacle for matingly engaging with said at least one I/O port of said core module, said receptacle in electronic communication with said plurality of peripheral device ports, wherein said core module communicates with said-plurality of peripheral devices through said mini-dock and wherein when said core module is mated to said mini-dock, said core module is configured to switch between said plurality of diagnostic probes connected to said core module under direction of a user, wherein said core module is configured to select beamformer programming and data processing to match a selected diagnostic probe.

19. The modular ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 18 wherein each of said plurality of peripheral device ports is mounted in said receptacle housing and is connected to one or more electrical connectors for electrical communication with said receptacle.

20. The modular ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 18 having one or more means for removably connecting said mini-dock to said core module.

21. The modular ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 18 wherein at least one of said plurality of peripheral device ports comprises an ultrasound transducer adaptor.