Ultrasound probe with integrated data collection methodologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453534-B2
Application number	US-202217987717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2022
Priority date	Nov 16, 2021
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An ultrasound-imaging system includes an ultrasound probe and a console. The ultrasound probe includes (i) an array of ultrasonic transducers, activated ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers configured to emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals of the ultrasound signals for processing into an ultrasound image, and (ii) a secondary data collection module. The console includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon logic, when executed by the one or more processors, causes operations that can include: receiving and processing the electrical signals to generate the ultrasound image, receiving secondary data from the secondary data collection module, wherein the secondary data is data other than the electrical signals corresponding to reflected ultrasound signals, and providing a notification to administrator that includes the secondary data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ultrasound-imaging system, comprising:
an ultrasound probe including (i) an array of ultrasonic transducers, activated ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers configured to emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals of the generated ultrasound signals for processing into an ultrasound image, and (ii) a secondary data collection module including a rotatable arm having a camera positioned thereon, wherein the ultrasound probe includes a groove that is configured to receive the rotatable arm when in a closed position; and a console configured to communicate with the ultrasound probe, the console including one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon logic, when executed by the one or more processors, causes operations including:
receiving and processing the corresponding electrical signals to generate the ultrasound image,
receiving secondary data from the secondary data collection module, wherein the secondary data includes image data from the camera, and
generating a graphical user interface (GUI) is rendered on a display screen of a network device, wherein the GUI includes at least a portion of the image data.

2 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a barcode scanner and the secondary data further includes barcode data.

3 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the barcode data identifies one of the patient, a clinician, or a medical device, and wherein a notification includes information corresponding to the patient, the clinician, or the medical device.

4 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the image data includes a medical device, a packaging of the medical device, a patient identifier, a clinician identifier, or an insertion site of the patient.

5 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the image data includes a video capturing insertion of a medical device into the patient.

6 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the network device is the console, wherein the GUI includes the ultrasound image and additional information being at least one of (i) patient information, or (ii) medical device information.

7 . The ultrasound-imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) sensor and the secondary data further includes RFID data.

8 . An ultrasound probe apparatus comprising:
an array of ultrasonic transducers, activated ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers configured to emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals of the generated ultrasound signals for processing into an ultrasound image; and a secondary data collection module including a rotatable arm having a camera positioned thereon, wherein the ultrasound probe apparatus includes a groove that is configured to receive the rotatable arm when in a closed position, wherein the secondary data collection module is configured to collect secondary data including image data from the camera.

9 . The ultrasound probe apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a barcode scanner and the secondary data further includes barcode data.

10 . The ultrasound probe apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the barcode data identifies one of the patient, a clinician, or a medical device, and wherein a notification includes information corresponding to the patient, the clinician, or the medical device.

11 . The ultrasound probe apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the image data includes a medical device, a packaging of the medical device, a patient identifier, a clinician identifier, or an insertion site of the patient, or video capturing insertion of the medical device into the patient.

12 . The ultrasound probe apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the-network device is a console, wherein a GUI includes the ultrasound image and additional information being at least one of (i) patient information, or (ii) medical device information.

13 . The ultrasound probe apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) sensor and the secondary data further includes RFID data.

14 . A method of utilizing an ultrasound-imaging system including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions that cause the ultrasound-imaging system to perform a set of operations for ultrasound imaging when the executable instructions are executed by a processor of a console of the ultrasound-imaging system, the method comprising:
activating ultrasonic transducers of an array of ultrasonic transducers of an ultrasound probe communicatively coupled to the console, whereby the ultrasonic transducers emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals of the generated ultrasound signals for processing into ultrasound images; activating a secondary data collection module of the ultrasound probe, wherein the secondary data collection module includes a rotatable arm having a camera positioned thereon, and wherein the ultrasound probe includes a groove that is configured to receive the rotatable arm when in a closed position; receiving and processing the corresponding electrical signals to generate the ultrasound images; receiving secondary data from the secondary data collection module, wherein the secondary data includes image data from the camera; and generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that is rendered on a display screen of a network device, wherein the GUI that includes at least a portion of the image data.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a barcode scanner and the secondary data further includes barcode data.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the barcode data identifies one of the patient, a clinician, or a medical device, and wherein a notification includes information corresponding to the patient, the clinician, or the medical device.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the image data includes a medical device, a packaging of the medical device, a patient identifier, a clinician identifier, or an insertion site of the patient.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the image data includes a video capturing insertion of a medical device into the patient.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the network device is the console, wherein the GUI includes the ultrasound images and additional information being at least one of (i) patient information, or (ii) medical device information.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the secondary data collection module further includes a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) sensor and the secondary data further includes RFID data.

Assignees

• Bard Access Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sowards Steffan
• Mclaughlin William Robert
• Misener Anthony K

Classifications

• A61B8/4444

  related to the probe · CPC title

• A61B90/90

  Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags · CPC title

• A61B90/98

  using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders · CPC title

• A61B90/96

  using barcodes · CPC title

• A61B2034/2061

  using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings · CPC title