Portable ultrasound imaging system

A scan head for an ultrasound imaging system comprising:

• an array of ultrasonic transducers that transmits ultrasonic signals into a region of interest and that receives reflected ultrasonic signals from the region of interest, the transducers converting the received ultrasonic signals into electrical signals;
• pulse synchronization circuitry that provides timing signals to the array of ultrasonic transducers to time the ultrasonic signals transmitted into the region of interest by the ultrasonic transducers;
• beam forming circuitry that combines the electrical signals from the ultrasonic transducers, the beam forming circuitry including a delay circuit that generates an analog electrical representative of the region of interest;
• a first housing in which the ultrasonic transducers, the pules synchronization circuitry and the beam forming circuitry are housed;
• and
• an interface over which a combined electrical representation from the beam forming circuitry is forwarded from the first housing to processing circuitry in a second housing.

A method of scanning a region of interest with ultrasound energy comprising:

• providing a hand-held scan head having a housing in which an array of ultrasonic transducers and beam forming circuitry is located, the beam forming circuitry including a delay circuit;
• holding the hand-held scan head in a hand of a user to position the transducers in the housing adjacent to the region of interest;
• receiving reflected ultrasonic signals from the region of interest with the ultrasonic transducers, the ultrasonic transducers converting the received ultrasonic signals into analog electrical signals;
• selectively delaying and combining the electrical signals from the ultrasonic transducers with the beam forming circuitry into an analog electrical representation of the region of interest;
• and
• forwarding an electrical representation from the beam forming circuitry out of the housing of the scan head over an interface to a second housing.