Method and system for PDA-based ultrasound

• US 9,936,936 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Halmann, Menachem, Amemiya, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Brutus, Joel F
• Application Number:
  US14/274,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20140243669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 600437, 600446
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/145 characterised by scanning multiple planes
• 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 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4488 the transducer being a phased array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/462 characterised by constructional features of the display
• 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 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• 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: G01S 15/8909 using a static transducer configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5208 with integration of processing functions inside probe or scanhead
• 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 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for a compact, inexpensive ultrasound system using an off-the-shelf personal digital assistant (PDA) device interfacing to a hand-held probe assembly through a standard digital interface. The hand-held probe assembly comprises a detachable transducer head attached to a beamforming module that performs digital beamforming. The PDA runs Windows applications and displays menus and images to a user. The PDA also runs ultrasound data processing software to support a plurality of imaging modes. An internal battery is provided in the PDA to power the system. The transducer head is detachable from the beamforming module.

Claims

1. A method of ultrasound imaging, said method comprising:

attaching a first detachable transducer head to a signal processing module to form a hand-held probe assembly that comprises said signal processing module and said first detachable transducer head;

receiving ultrasound signals of a region of interest with said hand-held probe assembly to generate a plurality of received digital signals within said hand-held probe assembly;

transmitting said plurality of received digital signals to a hand-held display assembly having a touch-screen display over a digital interface;

digitally beamforming said plurality of received digital signals within said hand-held display assembly to generate at least one beam of digital data corresponding to said region of interest; and

creating and displaying an ultrasound image on said touch-screen display of said hand-held display assembly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first detachable transducer head is selected from a group comprising a linear array transducer, a curved array transducer, and a phased array transducer.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

demodulating said at least one beam of digital data, within said hand-held display assembly, to generate demodulated data;

parameter estimating said demodulated data, within said hand-held display assembly, to generate parameter estimate data;

scan converting said parameter estimate data, within said hand-held display assembly, to generate scan converted data; and

display processing said scan converted data, within said hand-held display assembly, to generate a displayed representation of said region of interest on a display of said hand-held display assembly.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said parameter estimating comprises performing Doppler processing.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting digital control signals from said hand-held display assembly to said hand-held probe assembly over said digital interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital interface comprises a standard wireless interface between said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital interface comprises at least one of a standard serial link and a standard parallel link between said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital interface comprises a standard Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said hand-held display assembly includes ultrasound data processing and application software to support a plurality of ultrasound imaging modes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said digitally beamforming includes time delaying and summing said plurality of received digital signals.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting an imaging mode from a menu on said touch-screen display of said hand-held display assembly.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said selecting said imaging mode from said menu on said touch-screen display is performed using a touch-screen stylus.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising recharging an internal battery in each of said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising detachably coupling said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly by a cable with a detachable connector.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising:

removing said first detachable transducer head from said signal processing module; and

attaching a second detachable transducer head to said signal processing module to foul′

a hand-held probe assembly that comprises said signal processing module and said second detachable transducer head.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising automatically changing an imaging application based on said attaching said second detachable transducer head to said signal processing module.

17. A system configured to perform ultrasound imaging, said system comprising:

a hand-held probe assembly comprising;

a signal processing module configured to perform ultrasound signal processing, and

a detachable transducer head attaching to said signal processing module; and

a hand-held display assembly having a touch screen display that connects to said hand-held probe assembly through a digital interface, said hand-held display assembly configured to;

perform ultrasound data processing functions including digital beamforming, and

create and display ultrasound images on said touch screen display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said detachable transducer head comprises:

a set of transducer elements; and

a multiplexer that connects to said set of transducer elements to select and route a first set of received analog signals from a subset of said set of transducer elements to said signal processing module.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said signal processing module comprises:

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts a third set of received analog signals to a first set of received digital signals; and

a puller module that generates a set of analog transmit signals in response to digital control data from said hand-held display assembly and sends said set of analog transmit signals to said transducer head.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said signal processing module comprises:

a TX/RX switching module to switch between passing said set of analog transmit signals and a first set of received analog signals;

a folder module that generates a second set of received analog signals from said first set of received analog signals received from said transducer head via said TX/RX switching module;

a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) that connects to said folder module and generates said third set of received analog signals from said second set of received analog signals; and

a digital interface controller that connects to said ADC and transmits said first set of received digital signals to said hand-held display assembly and receives said digital control data from said hand-held display assembly over said digital interface.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said hand-held display assembly includes software to perform ultrasound data processing functions including:

digital beamforming;

demodulation;

parameter estimation;

scan conversion; and

display processing.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said touch-screen display is configured to display menus generated by said system.

23. The system of claim 22, comprising a touch-screen stylus operable to select at least one item from said menus generated by said system and displayed at said touch-screen display.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein said digital interface comprises at least one of a standard serial link and a standard parallel link.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein said digital interface comprises a standard wireless link.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said digital interface comprises a standard Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein said hand-held display assembly includes an internal battery that powers said hand-held display assembly and said hand-held probe assembly.

28. The system of claim 17, comprising an external battery that connects to said hand-held probe assembly to power said hand-held probe assembly.

29. The system of claim 17, comprising a battery power interface that connects between said hand-held display assembly and said hand-held probe assembly.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein said hand-held probe assembly includes an internal battery to power said hand-held probe assembly.

31. The system of claim 17, comprising a docking station to plug said hand-held probe assembly into to charge a battery of said hand-held probe assembly.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein each of said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly comprises an internal battery.

33. The system of claim 17, comprising a cable with a detachable connector configured to detachably couple said hand-held probe assembly and said hand-held display assembly.

34. The system of claim 17, wherein said detachable transducer head is one of a plurality of detachable transducer heads, each of said plurality of detachable transducer heads of a different type corresponding to a different imaging application.