Transmissive imaging and related apparatus and methods

• US 9,268,014 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc. (Butterfly Network, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Butterfly Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Rothberg, Jonathan M., Sanchez, Nevada J., Charvat, Gregory L., Ralston, Tyler S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US14/191,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/438, 600/439, 600/443, 600/459, 601/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320069 for ablating tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4209 by using holders, e.g. positioning frames
• 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 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4263 using sensors not mounted on the probe, e.g. mounted on an external reference frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4483 characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4494 characterised by the arrangement of the transducer elements devices for short-range imaging using particular transducer elements arrangements under G01S15/8909; arrangements of transducers in generation of mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency B06B1/0607
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5207 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image reconstruction G06T11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 : Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 : Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described that include ultrasound imaging devices, which may operate in a transmissive ultrasound imaging modality, and which may be used to detect properties of interest of a subject such as index of refraction, density and/or speed of sound. Devices suitable for performing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as well as HIFU and ultrasound imaging, are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first plurality of ultrasound elements on a first support in a fixed relationship with respect to each other and configured as ultrasound imaging elements;

a second plurality of ultrasound elements on a second support in a fixed relationship with respect to each other and configured as ultrasound imaging elements, wherein the first plurality of ultrasound elements and the second plurality of ultrasound elements are configured in combination to operate in a transmissive imaging modality in which the first plurality of ultrasound elements are configured to transmit ultrasound signals and the second plurality of ultrasound elements are configured to receive the ultrasound signals;

a detector configured to dynamically detect a relative orientation and/or a relative position of the first plurality of ultrasound elements relative to the second plurality of ultrasound elements; and

processing circuitry coupled to the second plurality of ultrasound elements to receive the ultrasound signals received by the second plurality of ultrasound elements and further coupled to the detector to receive an output signal representative of the relative orientation and/or relative position, and configured to generate an ultrasound image by processing the ultrasound signals received by the second plurality of ultrasound elements in combination with the output signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is located separately from the first and second pluralities of ultrasound elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to dynamically detect the relative orientation of the first plurality of ultrasound elements relative to the second plurality of ultrasound elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to dynamically detect the relative position of the first plurality of ultrasound elements relative to the second plurality of ultrasound elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is integrated with the first plurality of ultrasound elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is physically coupled to the first support.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first support is a flexible support.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an accelerometer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a gyroscope.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an inertial navigation device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a range finder.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an inclinometer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of ultrasound elements are arranged in two dimensions.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of ultrasound elements are arranged in three dimensions.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of ultrasound elements are arranged in a substantially planar arrangement.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of ultrasound elements are arranged in an array in which ultrasound elements of the first plurality are regularly spaced from each other.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to dynamically detect the relative orientation and the relative position of the first plurality of ultrasound elements relative to the second plurality of ultrasound elements.