Ultrasonic lung tissue assessment
OwnerKenneth L. Watkin, Peter T. Mackleminventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A diagnostic method and apparatus for assessing lung tissue during breathing, transmits ultrasonic radiation into the lung tissue; reflected or echo radiation, is reflected dynamically by air spaces in the tissue; a signal is developed from the reflected or echo radiation as a dynamic real-time measure of parameters of the air spaces, particularly size and density or number, indicative of the state of the lung tissue.
Claims10
A non-invasive diagnostic method for determining the state of lung tissue housed in a chest cavity of a living subject comprising:
- transmitting ultrasonic radiation from an ultrasonic source disposed externally of an external chest wall of the chest cavity, through the chest wall and into the lung tissue, during breathing by the subject,
- receiving reflected ultrasonic radiation, reflected dynamically by airspaces in the tissue, and
- developing a signal from the reflected ultrasonic radiation as a dynamic real-time measure of parameters of the airspaces indicative of the state of the lung tissue.
A diagnostic apparatus for non-invasive determination of the state of lung tissue housed in a chest cavity of a living subject comprising:
- a source of ultrasonic radiation adapted to be disposed externally of an external chest wall of the chest cavity to transmit ultrasonic radiation through the chest wall and into the lung tissue,
- receiving means for reflected ultrasonic radiation adapted to receive reflected ultrasonic radiation dynamically reflected by airspaces in the lung tissue, and
- signal developing means for developing a signal from the reflected ultrasonic radiation as a dynamic real-time measure of parameters of the airspaces indicative of the state of the lung tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.