Network-based ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020003896-A1
Application number	US-201916559017-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2019
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

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

• A61B8/523

  for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane · 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

• G01S15/8993

  Three dimensional imaging systems · CPC title

• G01S15/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title