# US 11,298,108 B2 · Ultrasound medical imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same

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- Number: US 11,298,108 B2
- Document ID: US11298108B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/871,200
- Filed: 2018-01-15
- Published: 2019-07-04
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-28
- Assignees: Samsung Medison Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Medison Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Young-seok Kang; Dae-hwan Kim; Mi-ae Byun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298108B2

## CPC

- A61B 8/461: {Displaying means of special interest}
- A61B 8/06: Measuring blood flow
- A61B 8/14: Echotomography
- A61B 8/4427: {Device being portable or laptop-like}
- A61B 8/467: {characterised by special input means}
- A61B 8/483: {involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data}
- A61B 8/54: {Control of the diagnostic device}
- A61B 8/565: {involving data transmission via a network}
- G06F 3/1462: {with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays}
- G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports
- G16H 15/00: ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
- G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- A61B 8/0866: {involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby}
- A61B 8/4405: {Device being mounted on a trolley}
- A61B 8/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display}
- G01S 7/52074: {Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information}
- G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units}
- G09G 2340/02: Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
- G09G 2340/0407: Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
- G09G 2370/16: Use of wireless transmission of display information
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

Provided are an ultrasound medical imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the ultrasound medical imaging apparatus. The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus includes: an ultrasound probe configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal from the object; at least one processor configured to obtain ultrasound image data by using the ultrasound echo signal and generate ultrasound streaming image data of the object based on the ultrasound image data; and a communicator configured to transmit the ultrasound streaming image data to an external device, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate ultrasound still image data based on the ultrasound image data when a preset event occurs, and the communicator is further configured to transmit the ultrasound still image data to the external device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasound medical imaging apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound probe configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal from the object;
at least one processor configured to obtain ultrasound image data by using the ultrasound echo signal, generate ultrasound images based on the ultrasound image data, and generate an ultrasound streaming video based on the ultrasound images;
a display configured to display the ultrasound streaming video;
a user input interface configured to receive a control signal for setting calipers on the ultrasound streaming video; and
a communicator,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
control the communicator to transmit the ultrasound streaming video to an external device, and
in response to detecting a preset event while the communicator is transmitting the ultrasound streaming video to the external device, generate an ultrasound still image based on the ultrasound streaming video, control the communicator to stop transmitting the ultrasound streaming video to the external device, control the communicator to transmit the ultrasound still image to the external device while controlling the communicator to stop transmitting the ultrasound streaming video, and control the communicator to transmit the ultrasound streaming video after being done with transmitting the ultrasound still image to the external device,
wherein the preset event comprises receiving of the control signal for setting calipers on the ultrasound streaming video.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second data is data of an image having a higher resolution than a resolution of a frame included in the first data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communicator is further configured to transmit the second data and the first data to the external device by respectively using separate communication ports.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communicator is further configured to transmit the second data to the external device in priority over first data, based on a bandwidth and transmission speed of a communication network formed between the ultrasound medical imaging apparatus and the external device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the user input interface is further configured to receive a control signal for freezing the ultrasound streaming video, and the preset event further comprises receiving of the control signal for freezing the ultrasound streaming video.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the user input interface is further configured to receive a control signal for measuring a size of at least a part of the object included in the ultrasound streaming video, and
wherein the preset event further comprises receiving of the control signal for measuring the size of at least the part of the object, and
wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises a measuring result value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the display is further configured to display a result report including a result value of measuring at least a part of the object,
wherein the preset event further comprises displaying of the result report, and
wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises the result report.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communicator is further configured to transmit at least one of the ultrasound image data and a result report including a result value of measuring at least a part of the object, to a server connected through a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and the preset event further comprises transmitting of the ultrasound image data and the result report including the result value of measuring at least the part of the object to the server connected through the PACS, wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises the result report.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The ultrasound medical imaging apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the preset event further comprises detecting of the ultrasound probe moving a predetermined reference number of times or less per unit time.

### Claim 10

A method of controlling an ultrasound medical imaging apparatus, the method comprising:
transmitting, by an ultrasound probe, an ultrasound signal to an object and receiving an ultrasound echo signal from the object;
obtaining ultrasound image data by using the ultrasound echo signal;
generating ultrasound streaming video based on the ultrasound image data;
displaying the ultrasound streaming video;
receiving a control signal for setting calipers on the ultrasound streaming video;
transmitting the ultrasound streaming video to an external device; and
in response to detecting a preset event while transmitting the ultrasound streaming video to the external device, generating an ultrasound still image based on the ultrasound streaming video, stopping transmission of the ultrasound streaming video to the external device, transmitting the ultrasound still image to the external device while stopping transmission of the ultrasound streaming video to the external device, and transmitting the ultrasound streaming video after being done with transmitting the ultrasound still image to the external device,
wherein the preset event comprises receiving of the control signal for setting calipers on the ultrasound streaming video.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the second data is data of an image having a higher resolution than a resolution of a frame included in the first data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the second data and the first data are respectively transmitted to the external device by using separate communication ports.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the second data is transmitted to the external device in priority over the first data, based on a bandwidth and transmission speed of a communication network formed between the ultrasound medical imaging apparatus and the external device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a control signal for obtaining an ultrasound image of the object, wherein the preset event further comprises receiving of the control signal for freezing the ultrasound streaming video.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a control signal for measuring a size of at least a part of the object included in the ultrasound streaming video, wherein the preset event further comprises receiving of the control signal for measuring the size of at least the part of the object, wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises a measuring result value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
displaying a result report including a result value of measuring at least a part of the object,
wherein the preset event further comprises displaying of the result report, wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises the result report.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
transmitting at least one of the ultrasound image data and a result report including a result value of measuring at least a part of the object, to a server connected through a picture archiving and communication system (PACS),
wherein the preset event further comprises transmitting of the ultrasound image data and the result report including the result value of measuring at least a part of the object to the server connected through the PACS, wherein the ultrasound still image further comprises the result report.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10,
wherein the preset event further comprises detecting of the ultrasound probe moving a predetermined reference number of times or less per unit time.