Handheld ultrasound imaging systems and methods for cooling transducers and electronics in the probe housing via air circulation through the housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11540813-B2
Application number	US-201414301299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2014
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods of transmitting heat away from an ultrasound probe are disclosed within. In one embodiment, a handheld ultrasound probe includes a transducer, electronics configured to drive the transducer, and a housing surrounding the transducer assembly and the electronics. A slot extending from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing and can allow air to pass adjacent transducer and the electronics. The slot can be sized to inhibit accessibility of an operator's finger to an inner surface of slot.

First claim

We claim:

1. A handheld ultrasound imaging probe, comprising:
a transducer assembly provided at a distal end of the imaging probe;
electronics configured to drive the transducer assembly, wherein the electronics are coupled to the transducer;
a housing surrounding the transducer assembly and the electronics having a longitudinal axis extending between a proximal end of the imaging probe and the distal end of the imaging probe, wherein the housing includes a sealed conduit extending through the housing, wherein the sealed conduit includes a first aperture and a second aperture positioned on opposite sides of the housing, and wherein the conduit is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the imaging probe;
one or more heat spreaders within the housing configured to absorb heat from the transducer assembly and the electronics, wherein the one or more heat spreaders are located between the electronics and the sealed conduit of the imaging probe,
wherein the electronics are located within the housing on two sides of the sealed conduit, wherein the sealed conduit is configured to dissipate heat by allowing air to flow through the sealed conduit, wherein an interior surface of the sealed conduit has a thermal conductivity that is greater than a thermal conductivity of the housing and is thermally coupled to the one or more heat spreaders to transfer heat from the transducer assembly and the electronics to the interior surface of the sealed conduit, wherein an exterior surface of the sealed conduit defines a sealed passageway through which air can pass from the first aperture to the second aperture and prevents the air from entering the housing, and wherein the sealed conduit is configured to remove the heat from the transducer assembly and the electronics by the air passing from the first aperture to the second aperture.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein the first and second apertures are sized to prevent accessibility to the interior surface of the conduit by a finger of an operator.

3. The probe of claim 2 wherein the first and second apertures each of a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than or equal to 5 times the width.

4. The probe of claim 1 wherein the one or more heat spreaders are bonded to the conduit.

5. The probe of claim 1 wherein the one or more heat spreaders are integral to the conduit.

6. A handheld ultrasound imaging probe, comprising:
a housing having a first side portion opposite a second side portion, and having a sealed conduit that defines a passageway through which air can pass, the sealed conduit extending from the first side portion to the second side portion and the sealed conduit include a first aperture in the first side portion and a second opening in the second side aperture;
an ultrasound transducer assembly and circuits disposed within the housing, wherein the ultrasound transducer assembly is coupled to the circuits; and
one or more heat spreaders thermally coupled to the ultrasound transducer assembly and the circuits, wherein the circuits are located within the housing on two sides of the sealed conduit, wherein the one or more heat spreaders are located between the circuits and the sealed conduit, wherein the sealed conduit is configured to dissipate heat by allowing air to flow through the sealed conduit, wherein an interior surface of the sealed conduit is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the housing and an exterior surface of the sealed conduit prevents air from entering the housing, wherein the sealed conduit is thermally coupled to the transducer assembly and to the circuits in the housing, to dissipate heat from the transducer assembly and the circuits by air passing through the passageway from one side portion of the housing to the opposite side portion of the housing.

7. The ultrasound probe of claim 6 wherein the the first and the second aperture are configured to prevent accessibility by a finger of an operator into an interior surface of the conduit.

8. The ultrasound probe of claim 6 wherein an exterior surface at a distal end of the conduit includes a recess that is configured to receive at least a portion of the ultrasound transducer.

9. The ultrasound probe of claim 6 , further comprising a thermally conductive material disposed in the housing that is adjacent the conduit, wherein the thermally conductive material has a higher thermal conductivity than the housing.

10. A handheld imaging probe, comprising:
an ultrasound transducer assembly and beamforming electronics coupled to the ultrasound transducer assembly;
an enclosure surrounding the transducer assembly and the beamforming electronics, wherein the enclosure includes a first opening and a second opening within opposite sides of the enclosure;
a sealed conduit positioned in thermal communication with the transducer array and the beamforming electronics, wherein the
sealed conduit extends from the first opening to the second opening, wherein an interior surface of the sealed conduit is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the enclosure that allows air to pass from the first opening to the second opening and an external surface of the sealed conduit prevents air from entering the enclosure, wherein the beamforming electronics are located within the enclosure on two sides of the conduit, wherein the conduit is configured to dissipate heat by allowing air to flow through the conduit; and

one or more heat spreaders thermally coupled to the transducer array and the beamforming electronics and to the conduit so that heat from the transducer array and the beamforming electronics is dissipated by air passing through the sealed conduit from the first opening to the second opening, wherein the one or more heat spreaders are located between the beamforming electronics and the sealed conduit.

11. The imaging probe of claim 10 wherein the first and second openings each have a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than or equal to 5 times the width.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Sonosite Inc

Inventors

• Nieminen Greg
• Willsie Todd
• Mccormack Evan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49007

  Indicating transducer · CPC title

• A61B8/08

  Clinical applications (A61B8/02, A61B8/04, A61B8/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• F28F1/04

  polygonal, e.g. rectangular {(F28F1/022 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01S15/899

  Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment · CPC title

• A61B8/546 Primary

  involving monitoring or regulation of device temperature · CPC title