Imaging device and associated method

An imaging device comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a flexible video screen disposed on said substrate;
• and
• a scanner operatively connected to said video screen for providing a video signal thereto, said video signal encoding an image of objects located near said substrate,
• wherein said scanner includes at least one electroacoustic transducer, an a-c current generator operatively connected to said transducer for energizing said transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave, at least one acoustoelectric transducer, and an analyzing component operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of said objects by analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at said objects in response to said first pressure wave.

An imaging device comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a flexible video screen disposed on said substrate;
• and
• a scanner operatively connected to said video screen for providing a video signal thereto, said video signal encoding an image of objects located near said substrate,
• wherein said substrate carries a plurality of electroacoustic transducers attached to said substrate in a predetermined array, said scanner including means for energizing said electroacoustic transducers in a predetermined sequence.

An imaging device comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a flexible video screen disposed on said substrate;
• and
• a scanner operatively connected to said video screen for providing a video signal thereto, said video signal encoding an image of objects located near said substrate,
• wherein said substrate carries a plurality of acoustoelectric transducers attached to said substrate in a predetermined array, said scanner including means for receiving signals from said acoustoelectric transducers in a predetermined sequence.

An imaging device comprising:

• a flexible substrate;
• a flexible video screen disposed on said substrate;
• and
• a scanner operatively connected to said video screen for providing a video signal thereto, said video signal encoding an image of objects located near said substrate,
• wherein said substrate and said video screen comprise a dual layered blanket member provided with a plurality of apertures each enabling traversal of said blanket member by a medical instrument.

A medical system, comprising:

• a carrier disposable in pressure-wave-transmitting contact with a patient;
• a plurality of electroacoustic transducers attached to said carrier;
• an a-c current generator operatively connected to said transducers for energizing said transducers with respective electrical signals of different pre-established ultrasonic frequencies to produce first pressure waves at said frequencies;
• a plurality of acoustoelectric transducers for detecting pressures waves in different frequency ranges;
• and
• analyzing means operatively connected to said acoustoelectric transducers for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal organs of the patient by analyzing signals generated by said acoustoelectric transducers in response to second pressure waves produced at internal organs of the patient in response to said first pressure waves.

A medical method comprising:

• providing an imaging device including a flexible substrate, a flexible video screen disposed on said substrate, and a scanner operatively connected to said video screen;
• disposing said substrate with said video screen on a body portion of a patient so that said substrate and said video screen substantially conform to the body portion of the patient and so that said video screen is facing away from the body portion of the patient;
• and
• after the disposition of said substrate and said video screen on the body portion of the patient, operating said scanner to provide a video signal to said video screen, said video signal encoding an image of internal tissues of the patient.

A medical imaging method, comprising:

• providing a thin video screen;
• disposing video screen adjacent to a patient so that said video screen overlies selected internal tissues of the patient;
• operating an ultrasonic scanner operatively connected to said video screen to provide a video signal thereto, said video signal encoding an image of the selected internal tissues of the patient;
• and
• operating said video screen in response to said video signal to reproduce said image so that internal tissue representations as displayed on said video screen substantially overlie respective corresponding ones of the selected internal tissues of the patient.