3-D ultrasound imaging device and methods
AssigneeJointVue, LLC
InventorRay C. Wasielewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasound cover for use with an ultrasound imaging system, a method of examining a patient with ultrasound, and an ultrasound diagnostic system. The ultrasound cover includes a central layer configured to conform to a shape of a patient's body and a plurality of ultrasound sensors positioned within the central layer. The ultrasound cover is positioned on a patent to be examined and conformed to the shape of the patient's body. RF ultrasound signals are acquired from the plurality of sensors and a 3-D model of the patient created from extracted echoes. The cover may be used with a diagnostic system that includes a computer configured to compare ultrasound data to a orthopedic-specific dataset to locate bony boundaries.
Claims10
A method of examining a patient using ultrasound, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasound cover on the patient, the ultrasound cover comprising a body drape having at least two layers, wherein a first layer is configured to conform to a shape of a patient's body, the first layer is comprising a vacuum passage within the first layer and a plurality of apertures coupled to the vacuum passage, and
- a plurality of ultrasound sensors positioned within the first layer;
- acquiring raw RF ultrasound signals from at least one of the plurality of ultrasound sensors;
- extracting a plurality of echoes directly from the raw RF ultrasound signals;
- and
- creating a 3-D model of a portion of the patient'body using at least one echo from the plurality of echoes extracted directly from the raw RF ultrasound signals.
An ultrasound diagnostic system comprising:
- an ultrasound cover comprising a body drape having at least two layers wherein a first layer is configured to conform to a shape of a patient's body, the first layer further comprising a vacuum passage within the first layer and a plurality of apertures coupled to the vacuum passage, and
- a plurality of ultrasound sensors positioned within the first layer;
- and
- a computer having access to an orthopedic-specific dataset that includes data relating to a plurality of patient bones that statistically models a morphology of a bone, the computer configured to acquire raw RF ultrasound data-signals and to locate bony boundaries by comparing the raw RF ultrasound signals to the orthopedic-specific dataset.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.