Network-based ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11016191-B2
Application number	US-201916559017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for network-based ultrasound imaging are provided, which can include a number of features. In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system images an object with three-dimensional unfocused pings and obtains digital sample sets from a plurality of receiver elements. A sub-set of the digital sample sets can be electronically transferred to a remote server, where the sub-set can be beamformed to produce a series of two-dimensional image frames. A video stream made up of the series of two-dimensional images frames can then be transferred from the remote server to a display device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of ultrasound imaging comprising:
transmitting an unfocused three-dimensional ping into an object from a transmitter element of a transducer array in a probe of a data capture device;
receiving echoes of the unfocused three-dimensional ping with a plurality of receiver elements of the transducer array;
converting analog signals from each of the plurality of receiver elements into a full dataset of digital sample sets, wherein the full dataset comprises digital sample sets from all the receiver elements;
beamforming a sub-set of the digital sample sets locally with the data capture device to form a limited quality video stream, wherein the sub-set comprises fewer digital samples than the full dataset;
displaying the limited quality video stream on a first display coupled to the data capture device;
communicating the full dataset to a network-based image generation system;
beamforming the full data set with the network-based image generation system to form a high quality video stream; and
displaying the high quality video stream on a second display coupled to the network-based image generation system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the full dataset with a wired or wireless data transfer system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network-based image generation system is selected from the group consisting of a tablet, a personal computer, a laptop, and a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the limited quality video stream is displayed on the first display to a first user and the high quality video stream is displayed on the second display to a second user.

Assignees

• Maui Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Call Josef R
• Davis Henry A
• Smith David M
• Specht David J
• Le Viet Nam
• Mchardy Lang J
• Digiovanni Ii Joseph James
• Osborn Nathan W
• Ritzi Bruce R

Classifications

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G01S15/8993

  Three dimensional imaging systems · CPC title

• G01S15/8929 Primary

  using a three-dimensional transducer configuration · CPC title

• G01S15/8925

  the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays · CPC title

• G01S7/52053

  Display arrangements · CPC title