Network-based ultrasound imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024125927-A1
Application number	US-202318330699-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2024
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

1 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . A method of ultrasound imaging comprising, the steps of:
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 from one or more reflectors with a plurality of receiver elements of the transducer array; converting analog signals from each of the plurality of receiver elements into a dataset of digital sample sets from all the receiver elements; beamforming the dataset of digital sample sets locally with the data capture device with first beamforming and image generation parameters to generate a first ultrasound image; displaying the first ultrasound image to a first operator of the data capture device; communicating at least a portion the dataset of digital sample sets to a network-based image generation system; beamforming the dataset of digital sample sets remotely with the network-based image generation system with second beamforming and image generation parameters different than the first beamforming and image generation parameters to generate a second ultrasound image; displaying the second ultrasound image to a second operator of the network-based image generation system.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting a second unfocused three-dimensional ping into an object from a second transmitter element, and repeating the receiving, converting, beamforming, displaying, communicating, beamforming, and displaying steps for the second unfocused three-dimensional ping.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein, in response to a control signal, transferring the dataset from the data capture device to the network-based image generation system and storing the dataset at the network-based image generation system.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising displaying the first ultrasound image on a display device that is physically attached to the data capture device.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising displaying the first ultrasound image on a display device that is not physically attached to the data capture device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the display device is a mobile device.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein beamforming the dataset remotely with the network-based image generation system does not change the first ultrasound image displayed to the first operator.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first beamforming and image generation parameters and the second beamforming and image generation parameters comprises an adjustment to speed-of-sound values.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first beamforming and image generation parameters and the second beamforming and image generation parameters comprises an adjustment to zoom level.

19 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first beamforming and image generation parameters and the second beamforming and image generation parameters comprises an adjustment to pan window.

20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first beamforming and image generation parameters and the second beamforming and image generation parameters comprises an adjustment to weighting factors.

21 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a difference between the first beamforming and image generation parameters and the second beamforming and image generation parameters comprises an adjustment to image layer combining algorithms.

22 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second beamforming and image generation parameters are received as an input from the second operator.

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

• G01S15/8929 Primary

  using a three-dimensional transducer configuration · CPC title

• A61B8/14

  Echo-tomography · CPC title

• A61B8/483

  involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data · CPC title

• A61B8/5207

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image · CPC title

• A61B8/523

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