Ultrasound probe and operating method thereof

• US 10,945,710 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 03/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Medison Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cho, Jeong, Han, Ho-san
• Primary Examiner(s): Remaly, Mark D
• Application Number:
  US14/845,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• 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 7/52084 related to particular user interfaces special user input means for ultrasonic medical diagnostic devices A61B8/467
• 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

Disclosed is a method for operating an ultrasound probe which is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus via a communication channel. The method includes acquiring bandwidth information that relates to the communication channel, determining at least one from among at least one parameter value associated with a quality of an ultrasound image and a transmission speed of a frame that constitutes the ultrasound image, based on the bandwidth information, generating ultrasound image data that relates to an object, based on the at least one parameter value, and transmitting the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus. The ultrasound image data is used to display the ultrasound image by using the ultrasound image providing apparatus.

Claims

1. An ultrasound probe that is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus via a communication channel, the ultrasound probe comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object, and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;

a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal and generate ultrasound image data by using the processed echo signal;

a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus; and

a controller configured to;

control the communicator to wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a first communication scheme,

acquire bandwidth information that relates to the communication channel by using the first communication scheme,

determine at least one parameter value that relates to a quality of an ultrasound image, based on the bandwidth information,

control the signal processor to generate the ultrasound image data that relates to the object, based on the at least one parameter value,

search for pre-stored data with respect to a transmission speed of the ultrasound image data associated with the quality of the ultrasound image, and

determine a transmission speed that corresponds to the determined at least one parameter value by mapping the at least one parameter value to the searched pre-stored data,

wherein, when the transmission speed is lower than a predetermined threshold speed, the controller is further configured to control the communicator to;

wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a second communication scheme in place of the first communication scheme, and

transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using the second communication scheme.

2. An ultrasound probe that is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus, the ultrasound probe comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object, and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;

a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal and generate ultrasound image data by using the processed echo signal;

a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus; and

a controller configured to;

control the communicator to wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a first communication scheme,

determine at least one parameter value that relates to a quality of an ultrasound image, based on a user input,

control the signal processor to generate the ultrasound image data that relates to the object, based on the determined at least one parameter value,

search for pre-stored data with respect to a transmission speed of the ultrasound image data associated with the quality of the ultrasound image, and

determine a transmission speed that corresponds to the determined at least one parameter value by mapping the at least one parameter value to the searched pre-stored data,

wherein the at least one parameter value comprises at least one selected from among number of scan lines that constitutes one frame of the ultrasound image, number of sampling points which are set on each of the scan lines, and number of bits which are generated by quantizing the ultrasound image data acquired from the sampling points,

wherein, when the transmission speed is lower than a predetermined threshold speed, the controller is further configured to control the communicator to;

wirelessly connect the ultrasound probe to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using a second communication scheme, and

transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus by using the second communication scheme in place of the first communication scheme.

3. The ultrasound probe of claim 2, wherein,

the ultrasound probe is connected to a plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses, including the ultrasound image providing apparatus, via different communication channels,

the controller is further configured to generate a plurality of transmission streams by processing the ultrasound image data, based on respective characteristics of each of the plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses, and

the communicator is further configured to transmit each of the plurality of transmission streams to a corresponding one of the plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses via a corresponding one of the different communication channels.

4. An ultrasound probe that is wirelessly connected to an ultrasound image providing apparatus, the ultrasound probe comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object, and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;

a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal;

a controller configured to;

acquire capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus from the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wherein the capability information includes information indicating at least one of types of data which are to be processed by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a quality of ultrasound image data capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wireless communication schemes capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a bandwidth available to the ultrasound image providing apparatus, communication channels capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus,

determine a transmission speed for transmitting ultrasound image data, based on the acquired capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus,

determine at least one parameter value that relates to a quality of an ultrasound image, based on the determined transmission speed, and

control the ultrasound transceiver and the signal processor to generate ultrasound image data that relates to the object, based on the determined at least one parameter value; and

a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus at the determined transmission speed,

wherein the at least one parameter value comprises at least one selected from among number of scan lines that constitutes one frame of the ultrasound image, number of sampling points which are set on each of the scan lines, and number of bits which are generated by quantizing the ultrasound image data acquired from the sampling points.

5. The ultrasound probe of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to decrease the at least one parameter value, based on a reduction in the transmission speed.

6. The ultrasound probe of claim 4, wherein

the ultrasound probe is connected to a plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses, including the ultrasound image providing apparatus, via different communication channels,

the controller is further configured to generate a plurality of transmission streams by processing the ultrasound image data, based on respective characteristics of each of the plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses, and

the communicator is further configured to transmit each of the plurality of transmission streams to a respective one of the plurality of ultrasound image providing apparatuses via a respective one of the different communication channels.

7. An ultrasound probe comprising:

an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal toward an object and to receive an echo signal reflected from the object;

a signal processor configured to process the received echo signal in order to generate ultrasound image data;

a controller configured to;

acquire capability information of an ultrasound image providing apparatus that is wirelessly connected to the ultrasound probe, wherein the capability information includes information indicating at least one of types of data which are to be processed by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a quality of ultrasound image data capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, wireless communication schemes capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, a bandwidth available to the ultrasound image providing apparatus, communication channels capable of being supported by the ultrasound image providing apparatus, and

determine a transmission speed of the generated ultrasound image data, based on the acquired capability information of the ultrasound image providing apparatus; and

a communicator configured to transmit the generated ultrasound image data to the ultrasound image providing apparatus at the determined transmission speed.