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US 2013/0172757 A1Published application
Multiple transducer automatic initiation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSigmund Frigstad, Haakon Hoye
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Abstract
A first transducer and a second transducer provided by an ultrasound probe are spaced so as to be alternately coupled to tissue overlying an object to be imaged. The emission of ultrasound pulses by one of the first transducer and the second transducer is automatically initiated based on positioning of said one of the first transducer and the second transducer to the tissue overlying the object to be imaged.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a handheld ultrasound probe;
- a first transducer provided by the probe;
- a second transducer provided by the probe, wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are spaced so as to be alternately coupled to skin;
- and
- a controller to automatically initiate emission of ultrasound pulses by one of the first transducer or the second transducer based on positioning of said one of the first transducer and the second transducer to tissue overlying an object to be imaged.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- imaging an object by emitting ultrasound pulses and sensing reflections of the ultrasound pulses using a first transducer coupled to tissue while a second transducer is uncoupled from the tissue;
- sensing positioning of the second transducer with respect to the tissue;
- and
- automatically initiating anatomical imaging by the second transducer based upon the sensed positioning of the second transducer with respect to the tissue.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a non-transient computer-readable medium containing code configured to direct a processor to:
- generate control signals directing imaging by emitting ultrasound pulses and sensing reflections of the ultrasound pulses using a first transducer coupled to tissue while a second transducer is uncoupled from the tissue;
- generate control signals resulting from positioning of the second transducer with respect to the skin;
- and
- automatically initiating imaging by the second transducer based upon the sensed positioning of the second transducer with respect to the tissue.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.