High performance handheld ultrasound
AssigneeVave Health, Inc.
InventorsAmin Nikoozadeh, Jung Woo Choe
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Abstract
This disclosure generally relates to system design for a handheld ultrasound imaging system, which may generate an ultrasound image of tissue. The handheld ultrasound imaging system may comprise: an ultrasound transducer array to generate ultrasound waves comprising a wavelength; a processor coupled to the ultrasound transducer array, the processor configured with instructions that when executed cause the processor to: receive ultrasound data derived from the ultrasound transducer array and generate the plurality of ultrasound images, the plurality of ultrasound images comprising an axial resolution capable of resolving the tissue structure no more than the wavelength, and output the plurality of ultrasound images.
Claims24
A handheld ultrasound probe for generating an ultrasound image, comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer array configured to generate ultrasound data;
- a processor coupled to the ultrasound transducer array, the processor configured with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
- receive ultrasound signals derived from the ultrasound data,
- generate radio frequency (RF) signals based on the ultrasound signals;
- generate RF samples based on the RF signals;
- generate a flag table at least in part by associating a flag with an RF
- sample of the RF samples, wherein the flag indicates whether or not the
- RF sample is used to generate the ultrasound image;
- select a subset of the ultrasound signals in accordance with & the flag table,
- generate a plurality of uncompressed pixels from the selected subset of the ultrasound signals,
- compress the plurality of uncompressed pixels to generate a plurality of compressed pixels, wherein compressing the plurality of uncompressed pixels comprises implementing a function to transform an input value of an uncompressed pixel from an ultrasound signal to a reduced-dynamic range output value for a compressed pixel from the ultrasound signal;
- and
- generate the ultrasound image from the plurality of compressed pixels.
A method for generating an ultrasound image with a handheld ultrasound probe, the method comprising:
- generating ultrasound data with an ultrasound transducer array;
- receiving, by a processor, ultrasound signals derived from the ultrasound data;
- generating radio frequency (RF) signals based on the ultrasound signals;
- generating RF samples based on the RF signals;
- generating a flag table at least in part by associating a flag with an RF sample of the RF
- samples, wherein the flag indicates whether or not the RF sample is used to generate the
- ultrasound image;
- selecting, by the processor, a subset of the ultrasound signals in accordance with & the flag table;
- generating, by the processor, a plurality of uncompressed pixels from the selected subset of the ultrasound signals;
- compressing, by the processor, the plurality of uncompressed pixels to generate a plurality of compressed pixels, wherein compressing the plurality of uncompressed pixels comprises implementing a function to transform an input value of an uncompressed pixel from an ultrasound signal to a reduced-dynamic range output value for a compressed pixel from the ultrasound signal;
- and
- generating, by the processor, the ultrasound image from the plurality of compressed pixels.
A handheld ultrasound probe for generating an ultrasound image, comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer array configured to generate ultrasound data;
- a processor coupled to the ultrasound transducer array, the processor configured with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
- receive ultrasound signals derived from the ultrasound data,
- generate radio frequency (RF) signals based on the ultrasound signals;
- generate RF samples based on the RF signals;
- generate a compressed flag table at least in part by:
- generating a flag table at least in part by associating a flag with an RF sample of the RF samples, wherein the flag indicates whether or not the RF sample is used to generate the ultrasound image;
- identifying a pattern of flag values within the flag table;
- reducing the information in the flag table in accordance with the pattern;
- and
- storing records of flag values that deviate from the pattern;
- select a subset of the ultrasound signals in accordance with the compressed flag table,
- generate a plurality of uncompressed pixels from the selected subset of the ultrasound signals,
- compress the plurality of uncompressed pixels to generate a plurality of compressed pixels, wherein compressing the plurality of uncompressed pixels comprises implementing a function to transform an input value of an uncompressed pixel from an ultrasound signal to a reduced-dynamic range output value for an compressed pixel from the ultrasound signal;
- and
- generate the ultrasound image from the plurality of compressed pixels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.