Portable ultrasound imaging system
AssigneeTeraTech Corporation
InventorsAlice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A portable ultrasound imaging system (10) includes a scan head (12) coupled by a cable (16) to a portable battery-powered data processor (14) and display unit. The scan head enclosure (12) houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
Claims20
A method of scanning a region of interest with ultrasound energy to image the region of interest comprising:
- providing a portable ultrasound imaging system including a transducer array and a beamforming circuit within a handheld probe, a data processing system, and a wireless interface that connects the handheld probe to the data processing system;
- delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest;
- collecting ultrasound energy returning to the transducer array from the region of interest;
- and
- transmitting data from the probe to the data processing system with the wireless interface.
A portable ultrasound system for scanning a region of interest with ultrasound energy to image the region of interest comprising:
- a hand-held probe housing in which a transducer array and a beamforming circuit are mounted;
- a data processing system that forms an electronic representation of the region of interest;
- and
- a wireless interface that connects the handheld probe to the processing system.
A method of scanning a region of interest with ultrasound energy to image the region of interest comprising:
- providing a portable ultrasound imaging system including a transducer array and a beamforming circuit within a handheld probe, a data processing system, and a wireless interface that connects the handheld probe to the data processing system;
- delivering ultrasound energy to material within the region of interest;
- collecting ultrasound energy returning to the transducer array from the material;
- and
- generating an image of the material from the ultrasound energy detected by the transducer array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.