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US 5,230,339 AGranted
Performance evaluation of ultrasonic examination equipment
AssigneeArray Tech, Inc.
InventorThomas F. Charlebois
Life of this patent
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AssigneeArray Tech, Inc.
InventorThomas F. Charlebois
Estimating the term…
A test system is disclosed for facilitating analysis and evaluation of medical performance of ultrasonic examination equipment, including ultrasonic imaging systems, Doppler ultrasonic systems and ultrasonic color flow mapping systems. The test system is employed while the ultrasonic examination system is operating. A test transducer apparatus is positioned at a location at which it receives incident ultrasonic energy from the examination system. Receiver and analyzer circuitry senses and identifies characteristics of the incident ultrasonic energy being produced by the examination system, and electronically produces signals representing these sensed characteristics. A storage device is provided to preserve representations of these characteristics. Synthesizer apparatus and circuitry utilizes the stored characteristic information to actuate the test transducer apparatus to propagate back to the transducer of the examination system apparent return echoes resembling ultrasonic echoes which would have been produced by the incidence of incident ultrasonic energy upon an acoustic image, had such an acoustic image been located within the examination system's field of view. The monitored characteristics of the incident ultrasound include wave shape, frequency, phase, signal duration, pulse duration and pulse rate. The location of the apparent acoustic interface represented by the false echoes returned can be adjusted by varying the time delay of the apparent return echoes relative to the occurrence of the corresponding incident ultrasonic energy. A moving acoustic image or point thereof can be simulated by changing the frequency of the apparent echoes relative to the frequency of the incident ultrasonic energy.
A method for evaluating performance of an ultrasonic examination system by synthesizing the presence of an acoustic image within the field of view of the ultrasonic examination system, the system having ultrasonic transducer apparatus, a transmitter for actuating the transducer apparatus to propagate incident acoustic energy into the field of view and a receiver for detecting ultrasonic echoes produced by the incidence of said incident acoustic energy upon acoustic interfaces within the region, said method comprising the steps of:
A test system for evaluating performance of an ultrasonic examination system by emulating the presence of an acoustic image within the field of the ultrasonic examination system, the ultrasonic examination system having ultrasonic transducer apparatus, a transmitter for actuating the transducer apparatus to propagate incident acoustic energy into the field and a receiver for detecting ultrasonic echoes produced by the incidence of said incident acoustic energy upon acoustic interfaces within the region, said test system comprising:
A method for simulating to an ultrasonic imaging system the presence of an acoustic image in a region of the field of the system when in fact no such acoustic image is present in said region, said ultrasonic system including transducer apparatus for propagating pulsed incident ultrasonic energy into said region and for detecting ultrasonic echoes resultant upon incidence of said incident energy upon acoustical interfaces within said region, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.