Portable imaging system with remote accessibility

• US 9,033,879 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Urness, Mark Steven, Lavin, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): EVOY, NICHOLAS LANE
• Application Number:
  US13/023,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4427 Device being portable or laptop-like
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data

Abstract

A portable ultrasound imaging system is provided. The system includes a probe for acquiring ultrasound image data. A memory stores the acquired ultrasound image data. A processor generates an image based on the stored ultrasound image data. A presentation layer is provided for remotely accessing the generated image to display the generated image at a remote location.

Claims

1. A portable ultrasound imaging device comprising:

a housing;

a display electrically connected to the housing;

a probe communicatively coupled to the housing via at least one of a mechanical connection or a wireless connection, the probe configured to acquire ultrasound image data from an object during an ultrasound imaging scan;

a memory within the housing, the memory configured to store the ultrasound image data acquired during the scan;

one or more processors within the housing the one or more processors configured to access at least a subset of the ultrasound image data stored in the memory in response to a request received from a remote workstation that is remotely located relative to the ultrasound imaging device, the one or more processors further configured to generate at least one ultrasound image on a presentation layer, the at least one ultrasound image generated based on the subset of the ultrasound image date; and

a transmitter and receiver electrically connected to the housing, the receiver configured to receive the request from the remote workstation, the transmitter further configured to transmit the presentation layer to the remote workstation such that the at least one ultrasound image is viewable at the remote workstation without transmitting the subset of the ultrasound image data used to generate the at least one ultrasound image, the subset of ultrasound image data remaining stored in the memory.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is a secure encrypted memory.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the presentation layer comprises a software based display including a user interface forming a virtual desktop on a display at the remote workstation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a first ultrasound image generated by the one or more processors using a first subset of the ultrasound image data stored in the memory is transmitted to the remote workstation by the transmitter, while a second subset of the ultrasound image data is concurrently acquired with the probe and communicated to the memory during the ultrasound imaging scan.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the presentation layer is transmitted to the remote workstation by the transmitter through at least one of a web-based browser or a local area network.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the presentation layer is a first presentation layer that is viewable at the remote workstation as a virtual desktop, the display being configured to display a second presentation layer such that at least one ultrasound image is viewable at the portable ultrasound imaging device, the virtual desktop displaying the first presentation layer in the same manner as the second presentation layer is displayed on the display of the portable ultrasound imaging device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the presentation layer is transmitted by the transmitter to a central hub that is remotely interfaced with a plurality of imaging devices.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an image report generated at the remote workstation, the image report being stored in the memory within the housing.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an edited ultrasound image, the edited ultrasound image formed by manipulating, at the remote workstation, the at least one ultrasound image viewable at the remote workstation, the edited ultrasound image being stored in the memory.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to verify user credentials before accessing the at least subset of the ultrasound image data stored in the memory, the one or more processor verifying the user credentials by at least one of a password received at the remote workstation or a source location of the request.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to access different subsets of the ultrasound image data stored in the memory based on the user credentials.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the presentation layer transmitted by the transmitter to the remote workstation is a first presentation layer that includes a first ultrasound image, the display being configured to display a second presentation layer that includes a second ultrasound image, the second ultrasound image being viewable at the portable ultrasound imaging device.

10. A method for displaying an image from a portable ultrasound imaging device, the method comprising:

acquiring ultrasound image data from an object during an ultrasound imaging scan using a probe that is communicatively coupled to a housing of a portable ultrasound imaging device;

storing the ultrasound image data acquired during the scan in a memory within the housing of the ultrasound imaging device;

accessing at least a subset of the ultrasound image data stored in the memory in response to a request received from a remote workstation, the remote workstation being remotely located relative to the ultrasound imaging device;

generating at least one ultrasound image on a presentation layer, the at least one ultrasound image being generated based on the subset of the ultrasound image data; and

remotely accessing the generated image to display the generated image at a remote locationtransmitting the presentation layer to the remote workstation such that the at least one ultrasound image is viewable at the remote workstation without transmitting the subset of the ultrasound image data used to generate the at least one ultrasound image, the subset of ultrasound image data remaining stored in the memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory in which the ultrasound image data is stored is a secure encrypted memory.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying the presentation layer on a display of the ultrasound imaging device, the display being electrically connected to the housing.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of the ultrasound image data used to generate the at least one ultrasound image on the presentation layer is a first subset of ultrasound image data, the method further comprising acquiring and storing a second subset of ultrasound image data during the ultrasound imaging scan, the second subset being acquired and stored concurrently to the presentation layer being transmitted to the remote workstation.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the presentation layer is transmitted to the remote workstation through a web-based browser.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an image report at the ultrasound imaging device from the remote workstation and storing the image report in the memory within the housing.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an edited ultrasound image at the ultrasound imaging device from the remote workstation and storing the edited ultrasound image in the memory within the housing, the edited ultrasound image being formed by manipulating an appearance of the at least one ultrasound image viewable at the remote workstation on the presentation layer.