Obstetrical Imaging at the Point of Care for Untrained or Minimally Trained Operators
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsHelen Feltovich, Timothy Hall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A specialized ultrasound machine tailored for use by traditional birth attendants provides an ultrasound transducer configuration adapted to work with the traditional sweeping motion of the attendant's hands over the patient's abdomen. Automatic analysis of various obstetrical conditions is performed without the need for the user to view or interpret standard ultrasound images. This machine analysis is used to provide real-time guidance in the acquisition of data by the user greatly reducing the required operator skill.
Claims18
A medical ultrasound machine comprising:
- an ultrasound transducer including:
- (1) a transducer bar hat Mg an upper surface receivable against a palm of a hand placed there against to extend across a lateral axis of the palm;
- (2) a hand retention element extendable upward from the transducer bar over a back of the hand to retain the transducer bar against the palm;
- and
- (3) a set of independently excitable transducer dements supported by the transducer bar and exposed for ultrasonic transmission and reception at a lower surface of the transducer bar opposite the upper surface;
- and
- an ultrasound processor including:
- (1) transducer interface circuitry communicating with the independently excitable transducer elements for acquisition of a Volume set of ultrasound echo signals;
- (2) a display;
- and
- (3) an electronic processor receiving the volume set of ultrasound echo signals and executing a stored program to identify within the volume set of ultrasound echo signals indications of conditions selected from the group of
- (i) placenta over cervix;
- (ii) fetus in non-head down presentation:
- (iii) multiple gestation;
- (iv) gestational age;
- and
- (v) fetal size;
- and to output at least one condition on the display.
A method of performing an ultrasonic evaluation of an expectant mother using a medical ultrasound machine having:
- an ultrasound transducer including:
- (1) a transducer bar having an upper surface receivable against a palm of a hand placed there against to extend across a lateral axis of the palm;
- (2) a hand retention element extendable upward from the transducer bar over a back of the hand to retain the transducer bar against the palm;
- and
- (3) a set of independently excitable transducer elements displaced laterally within the transducer bar and exposed for ultrasonic transmission and reception at a lower surface of the transducer bar opposite the upper surface;
- and
- an ultrasound processor including:
- (1) transducer interface circuitry communicating with the independently excitable transducer elements for acquisition of a volume set of ultrasound echo signals;
- (2) a display;
- and
- (3) an electronic processor receiving the volume set of ultrasound echo signals and executing a stored program to identify within the volume set of ultrasound echo signals indications of conditions selected from the group of:
- (i) placenta over cervix;
- (ii) fetus in non-head down presentation;
- (iii) multiple gestation;
- (iv) gestational age;
- and
- (v) fetal size;
- and to output at least one condition on the display;
- the method comprising the step of sweeping the ultrasonic transducer over a patient's abdomen to collect a volume set of ultrasonic data to provide a measure of the at least one condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.