Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system configured by probe firmware

• US 9,301,730 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Poland, McKee Dunn
• Primary Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/911,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,658 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 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: 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 7/52096 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

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system (50) includes analog and/or digital components which are configurable by firmware data. An ultrasound probe (10) contains firmware data for configuring the programmable devices of an ultrasound system for operation with the probe. The firmware data is uploaded from the probe and used to configure the analog and/or digital components for operation with the probe at runtime.

Claims

1. An ultrasound system, the system comprising:

an ultrasound probe which is removably connected to the ultrasound system and having a storage device comprising firmware data;

a connector by which the probe and the storage device are removably coupled to the ultrasound system; and

the ultrasound system having programmable circuitry comprising an FPGA coupled to the storage device and being configurable by the firmware data of the probe storage device.

2. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises at least one of programmable digital circuitry or programmable analog circuitry.

3. The ultrasound system of claim 2, wherein the programmable circuitry comprises programmable analog circuitry.

4. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the storage device is located in the connector.

5. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the probe further includes a microbeamformer located in the probe.

6. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the firmware data comprises ttf files.

7. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the programmable circuitry comprises signal processing circuitry.

8. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the programmable circuitry comprises interface circuitry.

9. An ultrasound system including a display configured to present an image on the display, and the system further comprising:

an ultrasound probe having a storage device comprising firmware data;

a connector by which the probe and the storage device are removably coupled to the ultrasound system;

an ultrasound signal acquisition subsystem comprising an FPGA, located in the ultrasound system and responsive to the firmware data stored in the probe when the probe is connected to the ultrasound system, wherein the FPGA is configurable by the firmware data.

10. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the FPGA includes digital beamformer circuitry which is configured by the firmware data stored in the probe.

11. The ultrasound system of claim 10, wherein the digital beamformer circuitry further comprises a receive beamformer.

12. The ultrasound system of claim 10, wherein the digital beamformer circuitry further comprises a transmit beamformer.

13. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the ultrasound signal acquisition subsystem further includes programmable analog circuitry which is configured by the firmware stored in the probe.

14. The ultrasound system of claim 13, wherein the programmable analog circuitry further includes a programmable filter.

15. The ultrasound system of claim 13, wherein the programmable analog circuitry further includes a variable gain amplifier.

16. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the ultrasound signal acquisition subsystem further comprises programmable analog circuitry and programmable digital circuitry which are responsive to the firmware stored in the probe.

17. The ultrasound system of claim 9, wherein the acquisition subsystem is configured at runtime.