Docking station having auxiliary power management for use with portable medical equipment

• US 20080104300A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sonosite Incorporated (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sliger, Bradley J., Diener, Alexander M., Rankers, Uli, Aragon, Joel, Meseroll, Byron A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

When portable diagnostic medical equipment is placed into a dock, or docking station, the batteries of the docking station are used in a hierarchical manner to insure that the batteries in the portable equipment become charged and that any power needed to run the portable device is provided from a power source local to the docking station. In one embodiment, the docking station has a plurality of batteries and the system is designed so that when a portable diagnostic device is docked, the power from the docking station batteries will be used in a predetermined usage pattern so as to preserve (and charge) the batteries in the portable diagnostic tool.

Claims

1. A docking station comprising:

a plurality of batteries;

control circuitry operable for selecting at least one of said batteries in a hierarchal order for providing operating power to a docked medical diagnostic device such that the power internal to said diagnostic device is conserved while said diagnostic device is used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station.

2. The docking station of claim 1 wherein said diagnostic device comprises an ultrasound diagnostic tool,

3. The docking station of claim 2 wherein said internal power conservation comprises:

charging batteries internal to said diagnostic device from said docking station batteries.

4. The docking station of claim 3 further comprising:

means for charging said diagnostic device internal batteries prior to charging said docking station batteries when said diagnostic device is docked with said docking station and when said docking station receives an external source of power.

5. A portable medical diagnostic device comprising:

at least one battery for powering said diagnostic device when said device is operating in the portable mode; and

means for accepting power from at least one battery contained in a docking station to which said diagnostic device becomes attached, said power being accepted whether said diagnostic device is in a quiescent state or whether said diagnostic device is being used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said accepting means is operable for charging any of said diagnostic device'"'"'s batteries that requires a charge even while said diagnostic device is being used for performing diagnostic functions on a patient while mated with said docking station.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said portable medical device performs ultrasound testing.

8. A method of maintaining the batteries of a portable medical diagnostic device charged, said method comprising:

when said diagnostic device is being operated from batteries internal to said device, substituting operation of said device from said internal batteries to at least one battery external to said device, said substituting being triggered by said device becoming positioned in a support.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said portable medical device is a hand-held ultra sound testing device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said substituting further comprises:

switching in an ordered manner through a plurality of batteries external to said diagnostic device.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

charging said internal diagnostic device battery while said diagnostic device is positioned in said support and while said diagnostic device is performing its normal functions with respect to patients.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said external batteries are positioned physically within said support.

13. A method for using a hand-held portable diagnostic test device, said method comprising:

performing diagnostic testing on patients using said diagnostic test tool while said diagnostic test device is operable from power supplied by at least one battery internal to said diagnostic test tool,

placing said diagnostic test tool in a portable support;

continuing to perform diagnostic testing on patients while said diagnostic test device is supported by said portable support; and

automatically switching said diagnostic test device to operate from at least one battery contained within said support.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said support contains a plurality of batteries and wherein said power is supplied by one battery at a time in a pre-set hierarchical pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

charging at least one of said batteries in said diagnostic test device from power supplied from said support while said diagnostic test device is supported by said support.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said diagnostic test device performs ultrasound testing.

17. A hand-held ultrasound system operable for performing diagnostic testing on patients, said system comprising;

a portable support separate from said device, said support having contained therein at least one source of power;

means for displaying graphics of a diagnostic test being performed;

means internal to said device for providing said displaying means when said device becomes unplugged from an external source of power; and

means for supplying power to said displaying means exclusively from said source of power within said portable support when said device is mated with said support.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said allowing means is activated without human intervention when said device becomes mated with said support.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said support power source comprises:

a plurality of batteries arranged to provide power to said displaying means in an hierarchical manner.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

means for charging said device internal means from said supplying means.