Handheld volumetric ultrasound scanning device

A method for performing a medical procedure in which a generally elongate freehand percutaneous medical instrument is manipulated toward a target lesion in a tissue volume, comprising:

• manually maintaining a handheld ultrasound probe in compressive contact with a surface of the tissue volume, the handheld ultrasound probe comprising a texturably couplant-porous material sheet having a first side compressively contacting said surface and a second side opposite the first side, the handheld ultrasound probe further comprising an ultrasound transducer repetitively translated across the second side of the texturably couplant-porous material sheet to acquire volumetric ultrasound scans of the tissue volume therethrough;
• viewing ultrasound images of said target lesion and at least a portion of the freehand percutaneous medical instrument on an ultrasound display that is updated in real time with said acquisition of said volumetric ultrasound scans;
• and
• guiding said freehand percutaneous medical instrument toward said lesion based at least in part on the viewed ultrasound images.

An apparatus for ultrasonically scanning a tissue volume, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a handheld ultrasound device, comprising:
• a casing configured and dimensioned for single-handed manipulation within which is disposed a mechanically oscillated ultrasound transducer, said casing having a top surface and a bottom opening;
• a membranous material sheet extending across said bottom opening for compressively contacting a surface of the tissue volume, said ultrasound transducer being mechanically translated across the material sheet while in contact therewith, said ultrasound transducer acquiring ultrasonic scans of the tissue volume downward through said material sheet during said mechanical translation, said processor processing the ultrasonic scans to generate an ultrasound volume representative of an ultrasonic property of the tissue volume;
• a first ultrasound display integral with an upper surface of said casing for displaying a first two-dimensional image derived from the ultrasound volume;
• a lid hingably coupled to said casing near said first ultrasound display, said lid being manually closable to cover the first display and manually openable to uncover the first display and remain at a user-adjustable opening angle relative thereto;
• a second ultrasound display integral with an inner surface of said lid for displaying a second two-dimensional image derived from the ultrasound volume when said lid is in an open position;
• and
• an angle detection device for detecting said opening angle of said lid;
• wherein said processor computes said first two-dimensional image by compositing said ultrasound volume in a generally upward direction, and wherein said processor computes said second two-dimensional image by receiving said detected opening angle and compositing said ultrasound volume in a first direction faced by said second ultrasound display as determined by said detected opening angle.