Portable ultrasound imaging data

• US 8,241,217 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• 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): Evoy, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/981,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/447
• 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 8/4455 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. A portable ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a plurality of ultrasound probes having different scanning transducer arrays, at least one of the plurality of ultrasound probes having a transducer array with at least 128 transducer elements; and

a handheld display device connectable to each of the plurality of the ultrasound probes, the handheld display device including an ultrasound image flat panel display, a user interface, a processing system configured to process beamformed image data to provide Doppler data, a memory configured to store beamformed image data in the handheld display device and a battery, the beamformed image data being generated by an integrated circuit with a plurality of selectable delay settings, such that each of the plurality of ultrasound probes having different scanning transducer arrays has a different selection of delay settings.

2. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device comprises a personal digital assistant.

3. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the processing system is configured to operate display processing software.

4. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device further comprises a second memory configured to store beamformer control data.

5. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the portable ultrasound imaging system is configured to generate audio information.

6. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 5 wherein the system comprises a stethoscope.

7. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a keypad.

8. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a mouse control.

9. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device further comprises a graphic user interface.

10. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the system weighs less than 10 pounds.

11. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device has a volume of less than 1000 cm³.

12. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device comprises a scan conversion circuit.

13. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the handheld display device further comprises a Doppler processor.

14. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a scan conversion computer program.

15. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a battery in the handheld device providing power to the ultrasound image flat panel display.

16. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit has a plurality of channels.

17. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a plurality of beamforming integrated circuits each having a plurality of charge coupled device delay channels.

18. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 7 wherein the transducer array has 64, 128 or 256 elements.

19. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises a virtual control panel.

20. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 1 wherein the display has a plurality of display windows.

21. A method of using a portable ultrasound imaging system comprising:

selecting scan parameters for a first ultrasound probe that includes a first transducer array connected to a handheld display device configured to communicate with the first ultrasound probe, the handheld display device further comprising an ultrasound image flat panel display, a user interface, a battery, a processing system configured to process beamformed image data to provide Doppler data, a memory device configured to store image data and different scan parameters for a plurality of different ultrasound probes having different transducer arrays, at least one of the different ultrasound probes having a transducer array with at least 128 elements;

performing a first ultrasound scan with the first ultrasound probe to image a region of interest within a body;

attaching a second ultrasound probe to the handheld display device, the second ultrasound probe having a second transducer array from among the different transducer arrays;

selecting different scan parameters using the handheld display device for the second transducer array, including altering the delay settings of an integrated circuit beamformer device; and

performing a second ultrasound scan with the second ultrasound probe to image a region of interest.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising using the handheld display device that comprises a personal digital assistant.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising storing beamformer control data in a second memory of the memory device in the handheld display device.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising displaying ultrasound scan images on the display wherein the portable ultrasound imaging system weighs less than 10 pounds.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising pulse synchronizing pulses emitted by each transducer array.

26. A method of using a portable ultrasound imaging system comprising:

selecting scan parameters for a first ultrasound probe including a first transducer array connected to a handheld display device that communicates with the first ultrasound probe, the display device further comprising an ultrasound image flat panel display that is rotatably attached to a processor housing, the processor housing having a control panel and a processing system that processes returned echoes to provide beamformed image data and Doppler data, the processor housing containing a battery, and a memory device that stores image data and different scan parameters for a plurality of ultrasound probes having different transducer arrays, at least one of the ultrasound probes having a transducer array with at least 128 elements;

performing a first ultrasound scan with the first ultrasound probe to image a region of interest;

attaching a second ultrasound probe to the handheld display device, the second ultrasound probe having a second transducer array from among the different transducer arrays;

selecting different scan parameters using the handheld display device for the second transducer array, including altering the selectable delay settings of a beamformer device; and

performing a second ultrasound scan with the second ultrasound probe to image a region of interest.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising using the handheld display device that comprises a personal digital assistant.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising storing beamformer control data in a second memory of the memory device in the handheld display device.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising using the system that weighs less than 10 pounds.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising pulse synchronizing pulses emitted by each transducer array.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising using the first transducer array wherein the first transducer array has at least 128 elements.

32. A portable ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a plurality of ultrasound probes that include different scanning transducer arrays, at least one of the plurality of ultrasound probes having a transducer array with at least 128 elements; and

a handheld display device connectable to each of the plurality of the ultrasound probes, the handheld display device further comprising an ultrasound image flat panel display that is rotatably attached to a processor housing, a user interface, a processing system within the processor housing that processes beamformed image data to provide Doppler data, a memory in the processor housing that stores image data and a battery, the beamformed image data being generated by one or more integrated circuits, each integrated circuit configured with a plurality of selectable delay settings, the delay settings being adjustable to different delay settings for each of the plurality of ultrasound probes having different scanning transducer arrays.

33. The portable ultrasound imaging system of claim 32 wherein the memory comprises:

a first memory device configured to store the image data and a second memory device configured to store selected delay settings for the ultrasound probe connected to the handheld display device.