Transducer array imaging system

• US 8,312,771 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Randall, Kevin S., Klessel, Jodi Schwartz, Lannutti, Anthony P., Urbano, Joseph A., Weymer, Raymond F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US11/595,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 736/02, 736/18, 736/20, 736/23, 736/25, 736/26, 736/28, 600/407, 600/437, 600/442, 600/446, 600/447, 600/459
• US Class Current: 73/627
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4422 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4438 Means for identifying the diagnostic device, e.g. barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5276 due to motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8909 using a static transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8927 using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8977 using special techniques for image reconstruction, e.g. FFT, geometrical transformations, spatial deconvolution, time deconvolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52028 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52046 Techniques for image enhancement involving transmitter or receiver image enhancement by image data processing G06T5/00
• 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
• 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 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52096 related to power management, e.g. saving power or prolonging life of electronic components details of power supplies for ultrasonic medical diagnostic imaging devices A61B8/56

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method, system, and device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium. The novel method includes transmitting a non-beamformed or beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium, receiving more than one echoed ultrasound wave from the medium, and converting the received echoed ultrasound wave into digital data. The novel method may further transmit the digital data. In some embodiments, the transmitting may be wireless. The novel device may include transducer elements, an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the transducer elements, and a transmitter in communication with the analog-to-digital converter. The transducers may operate to convert a first electrical energy into an ultrasound wave. The first electrical energy may or may not be beamformed. The transducers also may convert an echoed ultrasound wave into a second electrical energy. The analog-to-digital converter may convert the electrical energy into digital data, and the transmitter may transmit the digital data.

Claims

1. A method for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium, comprising:

transmitting a non-beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium from a handheld probe;

receiving more than one echoed non-beamformed ultrasound wave from the medium at two locations at the handheld probe;

converting the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves into digital data at the handheld probe;

processing the digital data at the handheld probe, the processing including reducing the digital data without beamforming the digital data; and

transmitting the processed digital data to a third location relatively remote from the handheld probe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting is wireless.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting is over a wire including at least one of the following:

an electrical conductor, a magnetic conductor, twisted pair of conductors, coaxial conductor, or optical conductor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves are reflected from various points in the medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted non-beamformed ultrasound wave interrogates a relatively broad area of the medium.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the digital data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein arranging the digital data comprises at least one of the following:

multiplexing or interleaving.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising multiplexing using at least one of the following techniques:

time-division multiplexing, frequency-division multiplexing, code-division multiplexing, or pulse width-division multiplexing.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital data is interleaved as a function of at least one of the following:

time, position of transducer channels, or data bit position.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves prior to converting the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves to the digital data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the digital data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the digital data at a rate that varies as a function of at least one of the following:

an available bandwidth of the transmission, a rate at which the digital data is acquired, an image frame, a transmit aperture, or a receive aperture.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a data frame from the digital data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the digital data and transmitting the digital data after at least one data frame of digital data is stored.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing at least two data frames.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising reducing at least one of a transmitted non-beamformed wave or received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound wave to create the data frame.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon interruption of transmitting the digital data, storing the digital data.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the transmitted non-beamformed ultrasound wave using defocusing.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a noise associated with the received echoed non-beamformed waves via at least one of the following:

lowpass or bandpass filtering.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the received echoed non-beamformed waves to digital data using quadrature sampling.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising sampling the received echoed non-beamformed waves at a sampling rate and reducing a required bandwidth of the digital data when a lower sampling rate is desired.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging the digital data into a data stream.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating configuration information with a remote unit, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the handheld probe, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves, processing characteristics of the digital data, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of at least one of the following:

power status, designation of remote unit, type of remote unit, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the handheld probe, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves, processing characteristics of the digital data, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the indication is provided by at least one of the following:

the digital data transmission, visibly or audibly.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a transmission rate based on a minimum acceptable rate of displaying an image frame and an amount of digital data per image frame.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a displayed frame rate based on a rate of the transmission of the digital data.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an amount of digital data per image frame based on a rate of the transmission of the digital data.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a power required to convert the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves into digital data.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the medium and a non-beamformed ultrasound wave transmitter substantially stationary.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing movement of at least one of the following:

a non-beamformed ultrasound wave transmitter and the medium, or compensating for the movement by reducing a time interval for receiving the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting multiple non-beamformed ultrasound waves at substantially the same time.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting multiple non-beamformed ultrasound waves substantially sequentially.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a bandwidth of the digital data by quadrature sampling.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing is a function of a displayed region of interest of the medium.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising packetizing the digital data.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising retransmitting a compromised packet.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the digital data based on at least one of the following characteristics:

capability of the handheld probe, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, or availability of power.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the digital data using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, radio frequency, or ultrawideband frequency.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting configuration information , wherein the configuration information includes at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, capability of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the handheld probe, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the received echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves, processing characteristics of the digital data, or transmission characteristics of the distal data.

41. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a proximity to a remote unit using at least one of the following techniques:

optical, infrared, capacitive, inductive, electrically conductive, or radio frequency.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising providing power upon sensing a proximity to the remote unit.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a unique identifier with the digital data.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

initiating communication with a remote unit, synchronizing communication with a remote unit, or ensuring communication with a predetermined remote unit.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the unique identifier is a bit sequence.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the unique identifier establishes an image frame boundary.

47. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising switching between transmitting the beamformed ultrasound wave and transmitting the non-beamformed ultrasound wave.

49. A device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium, the device being a handheld probe, comprising:

a first transducer element in the handheld probe for converting a first electrical energy into an ultrasound wave, wherein the ultrasound wave is non-beamformed, and wherein a second transducer element and a third transducer element in the handheld probe convert more than one echoed non-beamformed ultrasound wave into a second electrical energy;

one or more analog-to-digital converters in the handheld probe in communication with the second transducer element and the third transducer element, wherein the one or more analog-to-digital converters convert, the second electrical energy into digital data;

a processor in the handheld probe, the processor configured at least in part to reduce the digital data without beamforming the digital data; and

a transmitter in the handheld probe in communication with the processor for transmitting the processed digital data to a location relatively remote from the handheld probe.

50. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter is wireless.

51. The device of claim 49, further comprising a multiplexer in communication with the one or more analog-to-digital converters for multiplexing the digital data.

52. The device of claim 49, wherein the multiplexer uses at least one of the following techniques:

time-division multiplexing, frequency-division multiplexing, or code-division multiplexing.

53. The device of claim 49, wherein the second transducer element is different than the first transducer element.

54. The device of claim 49, further comprising a multiplexer in communication with at least one of the second or third transducer element for multiplexing the second electrical energy.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein the multiplexer uses at least one of the following techniques:

time-division multiplexing, frequency-division multiplexing, or code-division multiplexing.

56. The device of claim 49, further comprising a data store for storing the digital data.

57. The device of claim 56, wherein at least a portion of the digital data comprises a data frame, and wherein the data store is capable of buffering at least two data frames.

58. The device of claim 56, wherein at least a portion of the digital data comprises a data frame, and wherein the data store is operable when transmission time of the data frame is equal to or greater than acquisition time of the data frame.

59. The device of claim 56, wherein the data store is at least one of the following:

a first-in-first-out buffer, a random access memory, or a flash memory.

60. The device of claim 56, wherein the data store stores the digital data at a rate that varies as a function of at least one of the following:

an available bandwidth of the transmitter, a rate that the digital data is acquired, a data frame, a transmit aperture, or a receive aperture.

61. The device of claim 49, wherein a number of ultrasound waves provided by the first transducer element to create a data frame is reduced.

62. The device of claim 49, wherein the digital data is interleaved prior to transmission.

63. The device of claim 49, further comprising a selector switch for selecting the first transducer element to receive the first electrical energy.

64. The device of claim 49, further comprising selector switches for selecting at least one of the second or third transducer element to provide the second electrical energy.

65. The device of claim 49, wherein one or more of the first, second, or third transducer elements are operated substantially simultaneously.

66. The device of claim 49, wherein one or more of the first, second, or third transducer elements are operated substantially sequentially.

67. The device of claim 49, further comprising an electrical energy source in communication with the first transducer element for causing the first transducer element to create an ultrasound wave.

68. The device of claim 67, wherein the electrical energy source comprises a power supply.

69. The device of claim 68, wherein the power supply provides 100-300 volts DC to the first transducer element.

70. The device of claim 49, further comprising a protection circuit in communication with the first transducer element, wherein the protection circuit isolates first and second electrical energies.

71. The device of claim 49, wherein the non-beamformed ultrasound waves are defocused.

72. The device of claim 49, further comprising a preamplifier in communication with at least one of the second or third transducer element.

73. The device of claim 72, wherein the preamplifier comprises low-noise characteristics.

74. The device of claim 72, wherein the preamplifier provides a variable gain.

75. The device of claim 72, further comprising a filter in communication with the preamplifier, wherein the filter reduces noise prior to conversion by the one or more analog-to-digital converters.

76. The device of claim 49, wherein the one or more analog-to-digital converters convert the second electrical energy using quadrature sampling.

77. The device of claim 49, further comprising a digital mixer in communication with the one or more analog-to-digital converters, wherein the digital mixer modulates the digital data.

78. The device of claim 49, further comprising a low-pass filter in communication with the one or more analog-to-digital converters, wherein the low-pass filter reduces the signal bandwidth when a lower data rate is desired.

79. The device of claim 78, further comprising a resampler in communication with the low-pass filter for resampling the digital data.

80. The device of claim 49, further comprising a data merger in communication with the transmitter, wherein the data merger merges the digital data into a data stream.

81. The device of claim 49, further comprising a control interface.

82. The device of claim 81, wherein the control interface communicates control information, and wherein the control information comprises at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of the handheld probe, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves, processing characteristics of the digital data, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

83. The device of claim 81, wherein the control interface accepts and interprets configuration information.

84. The device of claim 49, further comprising a battery.

85. The device of claim 49, further comprising an indicator, and wherein the indicator provides at least one of the following:

power status, designation of device, type of device, capability of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, capability of a remote unit, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power required for transmission of digital data, change in transmission rate, completion of transmission, quality of data transmission, look-up tables, programming code for field programmable gate arrays and microcontrollers, transmission characteristics of the non-beamformed ultrasound wave, processing characteristics of the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves, processing characteristics of the digital data, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

86. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter transmits the digital data at a rate based on a minimum acceptable rate of displaying an image frame and an amount of digital data per image frame.

87. The device of claim 49, wherein a wireless transmitter transmits the digital data a distance of less than 3 meters.

88. The device of claim 49, wherein the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves are substantially simultaneously received the second and third transducer elements.

89. The device of claim 49, wherein the one or more analog-to-digital converters are turned off.

90. The device of claim 49, wherein the one or more analog-to-digital converters are turned on for a time duration sufficient to convert the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves into digital data.

91. The device of claim 49, wherein the one or more analog-to-digital converters are turned on for a time duration sufficient for the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves to return to the second and third transducer elements.

92. The device of claim 49, wherein at least one of the first, second, or third transducer elements and the medium are substantially stationary.

93. The device of claim 49, further comprising a movement sensor that detects movement of at least one of the following:

at least one of the first, second, or third transducer elements or the medium.

94. The device of claim 93, wherein the movement sensor compensates for movement of at least one of the first, second, or third transducer elements or the medium by reducing a time interval for receiving the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves.

95. The device of claim 94, wherein the time interval is reduced by minimizing at least one of:

a number of transmitted ultrasound waves or a number of echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves.

96. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitted non-beamformed ultrasound wave is created by a substantially wideband excitation.

97. The device of claim 96, wherein the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves are correlated with a reference waveform.

98. The device of claim 49, wherein a number of transducer elements that receive the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves is reduced by selecting transducer elements.

99. The device of claim 49, wherein the first transducer element creates multiple non-beamformed ultrasound waves at substantially the same time.

100. The device of claim 49, wherein the first transducer element creates multiple non-beamformed ultrasound waves substantially sequentially.

101. The device of claim 49, wherein a bandwidth of the digital data is reduced by converting the second electrical energy to another frequency band prior to converting to digital data.

102. The device of claim 49, wherein the echoed non-beamformed ultrasound waves are converted to another frequency band using quadrature sampling.

103. The device of claim 49, wherein the reducing is a function of a displayed region of interest of the medium.

104. The device of claim 49, further comprising a data resampler in communication with the one or more analog-to-digital converters for resampling the digital data.

105. The device of claim 49, wherein the digital data is packetized.

106. The device of claim 105, wherein the transmitter retransmits compromised packets.

107. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter transmits digital data at a rate that varies with at least one of the following:

capability of the handheld probe, power status, designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power warnings, quality of transmission of digital data, quantity of errors in transmission of digital data, availability of power, a commanded change in transmission rate, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

108. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter uses a first communication channel and a second communication channel.

109. The device of claim 108, wherein the first and second communication channels have different characteristics including at least one of the following:

transmission protocol, operating frequency, orthogonal relationship with respect to one another, or temporal interleaving.

110. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter operates on at least one of the following multiplexing techniques:

time division multiplexing, frequency division multiplexing, wavelength division multiplexing, or code division multiplexing.

111. The device of claim 49, wherein the transmitter operates using at least one of the following transmission techniques:

infrared, optical, radio frequency, or ultrawideband frequency.

112. The device of claim 49, further comprising a proximity sensor that determines a proximity of the device to a remote unit.

113. The device of claim 112, wherein the proximity sensor operates using at least one of the following techniques:

infrared, capacitive, inductive, optical, radio frequency, or electrically conductive.

114. The device of claim 112, wherein upon sensing the remote unit, the proximity sensor provides power to the device.

115. The device of claim 49, further comprising a user interface in communication with the control interface.

116. The device of claim 115, wherein the user initiates power of the device by activating a portion of the user interface.

117. The device of claim 115, wherein the user changes a power state of the device from a low power state to a relatively more active power state by at least one of the following:

activating a portion of the user interface, holding the device, or moving the device.

118. The device of claim 115, wherein the user changes a power state of the device from at least one of the following:

on to off, off to on, lower power to higher power, or higher power to lower power.

119. The device of claim 115, wherein the user interface provides an indication of at least one of the following:

designation of device, type of device, frequency range, array configuration, power status, power warnings, capability of a remote unit, quality of data transmission, or transmission characteristics of the digital data.

120. The device of claim 49, further comprising a unique identifier that is transmitted by the transmitter.

121. The device of claim 120, wherein the unique identifier is used for at least one of the following:

initiating communication with a remote unit, synchronizing communication with a remote unit, or ensuring communication with a predetermined remote unit.

122. The device of claim 49, further comprising a unique identifier that is transmitted by the transmitter.

123. The device of claim 49, further comprising a bit sequence that is transmitted by the transmitter.

124. The device of claim 123, wherein the bit sequence establishes an image frame boundary.

125. The device of claim 49, wherein the first transducer further transmits a beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium.

126. The device of claim 125, wherein the first transducer further switches between transmitting the beamformed ultrasound wave and transmitting the non-beamformed ultrasound wave.