Ultrasonic detector with integral confidence tests

• US 4,700,711 A
• Filed: 11/22/1985
• Issued: 10/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renco Corp.
• Original Assignee: Renco Corp.
• Inventors: Carlson, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US06/801,080
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 128/660, 73/1 DV, 73/609, 73/610, 73/612, 73/614
• US Class Current: 600/449
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 17/006 for detecting pregnancy of animals

Abstract

An ultrasonic sounding apparatus is described for measuring backfat and determining pregnancy in animals, having a plurality of self-test features to ensure integrity of the measurements. In the preferred embodiment, a hand-held ultrasonic device is described for detecting increased amounts of amniotic fluid in an animal'"'"'s uterus for an indication of pregnancy. Every two and one half seconds the hand-held ultrasonic device emits a small tone indicating that the transducer is in correct contact with the body of the animal. The generation of this skin contact tone is performed using the same ultrasonic circuitry that is used to detect the amniotic fluid, thereby providing the dual function of circuit self-test and skin contact test. In addition, the device includes a power-up confidence test to test the components of the circuit and indicate by an audible tone that everything is working properly. This power-up confidence test also uses the same ultrasonic circuitry that performs the detection of amniotic fluid. Included in this invention is a battery check that is also performed on power-up.

Claims

1. Ultrasonic sensing apparatus for measurements of animals'"'"' bodies, comprising:

means including a transducer adapted to be placed against the skin of an animal for transmitting ultrasonic energy bursts and for providing energy signals corresponding to said transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts and echo signals corresponding to return echoes from the body;

signal processing means including electrical measurement and detection means connected for receiving said energy signals and echo signals and for detecting and measuring features thereof corresponding to anatomical features within the animal'"'"'s body and indicating means operatively connected to said electronic measurement and detection means for providing indications to an operator of characteristics of the detected or measured anatomical features;

gate means operatively connected to said signal processing means and selectively operable in a first mode to suppress energy signals and echo signals occurring in a time period during and immediately after each ultrasonic pulse and corresponding in time to transmitted energy bursts and return echoes from the skin of the animal respectively, and selectively operable in a second mode to suppress energy signals occurring in said time period, and selectively operable in a third mode to pass all energy signals and echo signals; and

switching means connected for controlling said gate means for normally operating in said first mode so that said signal processing means may indicate characteristics of the detected or measured anatomical features with the body, and for periodically switching said gate means to said second mode so that said indicating means will provide the operator with an indication of effective skin contact by the transducer, and for switching said indicating means to said third mode so that said indicating means will provide the operator with an indication of proper operation of the entire circuit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said transducer means includes an ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer.

2. Ultrasonic sounding apparatus for measurements on animals, comprising:

first means including a transducer adapted to be placed against the skin of an animal, for periodically transmitting ultrasonic energy bursts and for receiving return echoes from the animal'"'"'s body;

circuit means electrically connected to said first means and operable for (1) receiving and amplifying energy pulses and echo pulses corresponding to said transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts and said received return echoes, respectively, (2) suppressing said pulses which are lesser in magnitude than a predetermined level, and (3) gating said pulses so that selected ones of said pulses are blocked and selected other ones of said pulses are passed;

blanking control means operably connected to said circuit means and synchronously operable in a first mode for causing said circuit means to block energy pulses corresponding to the periodically transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts and to pass echo pulses occuring thereafter until the next succeeding energy pulse;

said blanking control means operable in a second mode for causing said circuit means to further block echo pulses occuring within a predetermined time interval after a transmitted ultrasonic energy burst and corresponding to reflected ultrasonic energy returned from the skin of the animal;

timing means operatively connected to said blanking control means for switching said blanking control means between said first and second modes; and

indicator means electrically connected to said circuit means and operable for alerting the user of said apparatus of the presence of said pulses passed from said circuit means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including power-up control means electrically connected to said blanking control means and operable for causing said blanking control mcans to operate in a third mode for causing said circuit means to allow all of said pulses to pass through to said indicator means for a fixed period of time after the power is applied to said ultrasonic sounding apparatus.

4. An ultrasonic sounding apparatus for measuring back fat and determining pregnancy in animals, comprising:

transducer means for transmitting ultrasonic energy bursts into the animal, for receiving ultrasonic echoes returned from the animal'"'"'s skin and body, and for producing corresponding energy pulses and echo pulses, respectively, said transducer means adaptable to be placed against the skin of the animal;

circuit means electrically connected to said transducer means operable for amplifying said energy pulses and said echo pulses and further operable for passing said pulses that are greater in magnitude than a preset level to a blanking means;

said blanking means electrically connected to said circuit means for receiving said pulses from said circuit means and selectively operable to pass or block passage of said pulses;

blanking control means electrically connected to said blanking means operable in a first mode for causing said blanking means to block said energy pulses corresponding to the transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts;

said blanking control means normally operable in a second mode for causing said blanking means to further block echo pulses corresponding to the received ultrasonic echoes returned from the skin of the animal;

said blanking control means operable in a third mode for causing said blanking means to pass said energy pulses corresponding to the transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts for a fixed period of time after the power is applied to the ultrasonic sounding apparatus so that a self-test is performed;

indicator means electrically connected to said blanking means and operable for alerting the user of said apparatus of the presence of pulses passed from said blanking means;

control timer means electrically connected to said transducer means and operable for causing said transducer to transmit said ultrasonic energy bursts on a fixed periodic basis;

said control timer means further electrically connected to said blanking control means and operable to synchronize said blanking control means to the transmission of said ultrasonic energy bursts; and

skin contact timer means electrically connected to said blanking control means and operable for periodically placing said blanking control means into said first mode of operation so that skin contact is periodically checked.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said control timer means is further electrically connected to said circuit means and operable for causing said circuit means to amplify at a first level said energy pulses corresponding to said transmitted ultrasonic energy bursts and operable to amplify at a second level said echo pulses corresponding to said received ultrasonic echoes.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said indicator means includes a low battery detection means for alerting the user when batteries of sdid ultrasonic sounding apparatus fall below an acceptable preset threshold voltage.

8. The method of detecting and automatically indicating pregnancy in animals, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating an ultrasonic energy pulse and transmitting said energy pulse into the body of an animal by means of a transducer placed on the animal'"'"'s body;

(b) receiving return echo pulses from the animal'"'"'s skin and return echo pulses from the animal'"'"'s body produced in response to said transmitted energy pulse and passing said echo pulses along a common channel with said energy pulse;

(c) amplifying said energy pulse and said echo pulses on said common channel;

(d) testing the amplitude of said amplitude pulses against a predetermined amplitude to eliminate pulses below said predetermined level from said common channel;

(e) blocking said amplified echo pulses on said common channel that correspond to ultrasonic energy reflection on the animal'"'"'s skin;

(f) blocking said amplified energy pulse on said common channel;

(g) generating an audible tone in response to receiving from said common channel an unblocked amplified pulse with an amplitude greater than said predetermined level whereby to normally audibly indicate detection of a pregnancy condition;

(h) repeating steps (a) through (g) and periodically skipping step (e) whereby an audible tone is generated when an unblocked amplified echo pulse corresponding to the ultrasonic energy reflected from the animal'"'"'s skin is received from said common channel to automatically audibly indicate the close contact of said transducer to the animal'"'"'s skin; and

(i) repeating steps (a) through (g) and skipping steps (e) and (f) for the initial and the several following repetitions of steps (a) through (g) whereby an audible tone is generated when an unblocked amplified energy pulse corresponding to the transmitted energy pulse is received to automatically audibly indicate that the steps are being performed properly without failure.