Probe apparatus, medical instrument comprising same, and control method of probe apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018249986-A1
Application number	US-201615759327-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Sep 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are a probe apparatus, a medical instrument having the same, and a method of controlling the probe apparatus, in which a medical probe apparatus includes a main body; and a head which is detachably provided in the main body, and includes a transducer array configured to output an ultrasound for diagnosis of an object, the main body including: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal to and from the transducer array through a plurality of channels; and at least one processor configured to control the transceiver to transmit a predetermined test signal to the transducer array of the head mounted to the main body, determine a probe type corresponding to the transducer array of the mounted head based on a feedback signal received through the transceiver in response to the test signal, and make the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type. Thus, a transducer having various shapes is selectively mounted to an ultrasound probe, and an operation automatically optimized to the mounted probe type is possible without additional parts or costs.

First claim

1 . A probe apparatus comprising:
a main body; and a head which is detachably provided in the main body, and comprises a transducer array configured to output an ultrasound for diagnosis of an object, the main body comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal to and from the transducer array through a plurality of channels; and at least one processor configured to control the transceiver to transmit a predetermined test signal to the transducer array of the head mounted to the main body, determine a probe type corresponding to the transducer array of the mounted head based on a feedback signal received through the transceiver in response to the test signal, and make the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type.

2 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor sets a parameter for making the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type.

3 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver transmits the test signal through one channel among the plurality of channels, and receives the feedback signal through channels except the channel used in transmitting the test signal among the plurality of channels.

4 . The probe apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor determines the probe type based on a pattern of a feedback signal received through each of the plurality of channels in sequence from a channel adjacent to the channel used in transmitting the test signal.

5 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor controls the transceiver to transmit the test signal to the transducer array through each of the plurality of channels, and initializes the transceiver by correcting an error between the plurality of channels based on deviation of the feedback signals received according to the plurality of channels of transmitting the test signal.

6 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor determines whether a channel of transmitting the test signal among the plurality of channels and the transducer array are connected or not based on the feedback signal, and cuts off power supplied to at least one among the plurality of channels based on a result of the determination.

7 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels correspond to arranged elements of the transducer array, and the number of elements in the transducer array is lower than or equal to the number of channels.

8 . The probe apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor detects a level of the feedback signal, determines impedance of the transducer array based on the detected signal level, and adjusts a level of power supplied to the transducer array to correspond to the determined impedance.

9 . A medical instrument comprising a probe apparatus and a display apparatus,
the probe apparatus comprising: a main body, and a head which is detachably provided in the main body, and comprises a transducer array configured to output an ultrasound for diagnosis of an object, the main body comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal to and from the transducer array through a plurality of channels; at least one processor configured to control the transceiver to transmit a predetermined test signal to the transducer array of the head mounted to the main body, determine a probe type corresponding to the transducer array of the mounted head based on a feedback signal received through the transceiver in response to the test signal, and make the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type; and a communicator configured to communicate with the display apparatus and transmit information about an ultrasound signal reflected from the object to the display apparatus, and the display apparatus displaying an ultrasound image generated based on information received through the communicator.

10 . A method of controlling a probe apparatus comprising a main body and a head detachably provided in the main body, the method comprising:
sensing whether a head comprising a transducer array configured to output an ultrasound for diagnosis of an object is mounted to the main body; transmitting a predetermined test signal to the transducer array; determining a probe type corresponding to the transducer array of the mounted head based on a feedback signal received in response to the test signal; and making the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting a parameter for making the probe apparatus operate corresponding to the determined probe type.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the transmitting of the test signal comprises:
transmitting the test signal through one channel among the plurality of channels of the transceiver provided in the probe apparatus; and receiving the feedback signal through channels except the channel used in transmitting the test signal among the plurality of channels.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the determining of the probe type comprises: determining the probe type based on a pattern of a feedback signal received through each of the plurality of channels in sequence from a channel adjacent to the channel used in transmitting the test signal.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the transmitting of the test signal comprises transmitting the test signal to the transducer array through each of the plurality of channels of the transceiver provided in the probe apparatus, and the determining of the probe type comprises correcting an error between the plurality of channels based on deviation of the feedback signals received according to the plurality of channels of transmitting the test signal.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining of the probe type comprises:
determining whether a channel of transmitting the test signal among the plurality of channels of the transceiver provided in the probe apparatus and the transducer array are connected or not based on the feedback signal; and cutting off power supplied to at least one among the plurality of channels based on a result of the determination.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jei-Young
• Kim Dong-Ki
• Kim Young-Hwan
• Seo Min-Woo

Classifications

• A61B8/58

  Testing, adjusting or calibrating the diagnostic device · CPC title

• A61B8/54

  Control of the diagnostic device · CPC title

• A61B8/145

  characterised by scanning multiple planes · CPC title

• A61B8/4411 Primary

  Device being modular · CPC title

• A61B8/4488

  the transducer being a phased array · CPC title