US20090093719A1 - Handheld ultrasound imaging systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A handheld ultrasound device is provided, having a transducer assembly for emitting and receiving sonic signals, a configurable signal processing unit, and a data processor configured to provide configuration data to the signal processing unit. The configuration data defines a beamforming configuration, filtering configuration and envelope detection configuration for an operational mode. The operational mode may be selected by the user or may be determined based on a detected type of the transducer assembly.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims priority from U.S. patent application No. 60/977,353 filed 3 Oct. 2007 and entitled HANDHELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEMS. This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. patent application No. 60/977,353 filed 3 Oct. 2007 and entitled HANDHELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEMS which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• This invention relates to medical monitoring systems. The invention relates particularly to systems which apply ultrasound to detect physiological features or characteristics of a subject. Embodiments of the invention provide handheld ultrasound imaging devices.
BACKGROUND
• Ultrasound imaging systems are used in medicine to explore internal areas of a subject's body. Ultrasonic imaging is non-destructive and versatile and can provide high quality diagnostic images.
• A typical medical ultrasound imaging system has a transducer, a custom built electronic controller, and a user interface. The transducer typically comprises an array of at least several regularly-spaced piezoelectric transducer elements. The transducer elements may be arranged in any of several different geometries, depending upon the medical application for which the transducer will be used.
• The controller drives the transducer to emit ultrasound signals and collects and processes data from the transducer to provide, store, display and manipulate images. The user interfaces for typical ultrasound imaging systems typically include various input/output devices which allow a user to control the operation of the imaging system. The input/output devices typically comprise at least a control panel, a video display, and a printer.
• The electronic controller can send and receive electric signals to and from any of the transducer elements. To create a diagnostic image, the controller transmits electrical excitation signals to the transducer elements. The transducer elements convert the excitation signals into ultrasonic vibrations, which are transmitted into the subject's body. The ultrasonic vibrations typically have frequencies in the range of about 2 MHz to about 12 MHz. The ultrasonic vibrations are scattered and reflected by various structures in the subject's body. Some of the reflected and/or scattered ultrasonic vibrations, which may be called echoes, are received at the transducer. The echoes cause the transducer elements to generate electrical signals. After the excitation signals have been transmitted the controller receives and processes the electric signals from the transducer elements.
• The resulting image is displayed in real time on a display. The classic presentation of the display, called B-mode, is a two-dimensional image of a selected cross-section of the patient's body. Modern ultrasound systems also provide flow-imaging modes such as Color Doppler and Pulsed Doppler, which show and can help to quantify blood flow.
• Recent miniaturization of electronics has enabled the design of a generation of lighter, portable or handheld ultrasound systems. Ultrasound systems described in the patent literature include the following US patents:
• • U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,485 to Shinomura et al. describes a handheld ultrasound imaging system that can be adapted to support multi element array transducers and includes a beamformer.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,412 to Pflugrath et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,024 to Ogle et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,498 to Bunce et al. describe handheld ultrasound systems built around a set of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) chips. The systems include a transducer array, an ASIC transmit/receive front end, an ASIC that includes digitization and digital beamforming capabilities, an ASIC for signal processing and an ASIC for display processing.
  • U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,251,073 and 6,569,102 to Imran et al. describe a handheld ultrasound system that can construct an image built from multiple transmit/receive acquisitions that are temporarily stored in a memory. The handheld system has the ability to output a diagnostic image built from multiple transmit/receive acquisitions.
  • U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,590,658, 6,106,472, and 6,638,226 to Chiang et al. describe a handheld ultrasound system that includes a transducer coupled to a CCD-based analog beamformer and post processing electronics. The system uses a separate back-end to further process and display diagnostic images.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,093 to Halmann et al. describes a handheld ultrasound imaging system comprising a detachable scanhead coupled to a traditional beamforming module, that is connected via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port to a commercially available PDA (Portable Digital Assistant). The PDA performs post processing functions to yield ultrasound images.
• The inventors have recognized a need for a handheld ultrasound imaging device that is cost effective and can be configured to operate in multiple different modes to address different application-specific needs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Non-limiting example embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments and figures disclosed herein are examples that illustrate ways in which the invention may be implemented. The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating major functional components of a ultrasound imaging device according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIGS. 2A,2B and2C illustrate an ultrasound imaging device according to an example embodiment of the invention equipped with different transducer assemblies for use in different operational modes. InFIG. 2A the transducer assembly has elements arranged in a convex array. InFIG. 2B the transducer assembly has elements arranged in a linear array. InFIG. 2C the transducer assembly has elements arranged to provide a phased array.
• FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for initializing an imaging device according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 4 is a more detailed view illustrating features of a processor unit and a signal processing unit in an example embodiment.
• FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasound imaging device configured for line placement andFIG. 5B is an example of an image that could be generated by the ultrasound imaging device ofFIG. 5A.
• FIG. 6A is a block diagram of an ultrasound imaging device configured for monitoring labour and delivery in obstetrics applications andFIG. 6B is an example of an image of the type that could be produced by the ultrasound imaging device ofFIG. 6A.
DESCRIPTION
• Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
• An example embodiment of the invention provides a hand-holdable ultrasound imaging device that can be configured to perform a range of specific ultrasound imaging procedures. The device preferably has a form-factor that permits it to be carried in a shirt pocket. The device may provide a simplified user interface for each operational mode so that it can be used by personnel who may not have extensive training. The different operational modes may be selected for use in different point of care settings, where a practitioner is interested in looking inside patients' bodies for gathering anatomy information, monitoring vital functions, targeting a particular body structure, observing organ configurations, looking at fetal positions or the like.
• The features of the invention described herein may be combined in any suitable combinations with the features described in the commonly-owned US provisional patent applications entitled:
• • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND SYSTEM HAVING STERILE ENCLOSURE (application No. 60/955,327);
  • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICE HAVING RECONFIGURABLE USER INTERFACE (application No. 60/955,328);
  • POWER MANAGEMENT IN PORTABLE ULTRASOUND DEVICES (application No. 60/955,329);
  • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICE HAVING REMOVABLE TRANSDUCER ARRAYS (application No. 60/955,325); and
  • WIRELESS NETWORK HAVING PORTABLE ULTRASOUND DEVICES (application No. 60/955,331)
    all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The features of the invention described herein may also be combined in any suitable combinations with the features described in the commonly-owned US non-provisional patent applications which are filed on the same day as the instant application and entitled:
  • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND SYSTEM HAVING STERILE ENCLOSURE (claiming priority from application No. 60/955,327);
  • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICE HAVING RECONFIGURABLE USER INTERFACE (claiming priority from application No. 60/955,328);
  • POWER MANAGEMENT IN PORTABLE ULTRASOUND DEVICES (claiming priority from application No. 60/955,329);
  • HAND-HELD ULTRASOUND IMAGING DEVICE HAVING REMOVABLE TRANSDUCER ARRAYS (claiming priority from application No. 60/955,325); and,
  • WIRELESS NETWORK HAVING PORTABLE ULTRASOUND DEVICES (claiming priority from application No. 60/955,331)
    all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
• FIG. 1 shows anultrasound imaging device10 according to an example embodiment of the invention.Device10 has ahousing12 containing electronic circuitry which controls transducer elements in atransducer assembly20 to transmit ultrasound signals into a subject. The electronic circuitry also receives ultrasound signals that have been reflected from within the subject and processes those ultrasound signals to yield an image.
• Device10 comprises adisplay14 upon which an image may be displayed, aprocessor unit16 which may comprise a data processor, memory and associated operating system, and a configurablesignal processing unit18. Under the control ofprocessor unit16,signal processing unit18 may be configured to provide signal processing appropriate to different operational modes.
• Some examples of different operational modes are modes tailored to:
• • obtaining at least basic information about fetus position prior to and during delivery in labour and delivery rooms;
  • monitoring a position of a needle in biopsy line placement and optionally providing a biopsy guide display;
  • screening for conditions such as Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; and,
  • the like.
• Device10 optionally includes a stored user manual and/or a stored audio and/or visual user guide that can be played to a user ondevice10. The user manual and user guide may explain use ofdevice10 in the current operational mode.
• Whendevice10 is operating in an operational mode,processor unit16 interacting withsignal processing unit18 generates control signals19 which cause transmit pulsers22 to generate driving signals for transducer elements intransducer assembly20. The driving signals are delivered totransducer assembly20 by way ofinterface26. The timing, phases, intensities and/or other characteristics of the driving signals may be set to provide ultrasonic signals appropriate to the current operational mode. For example, the timing, phases, intensities and/or other characteristics of the driving signals delivered totransducer assembly20 may be controlled by signal processing unit18 (using control signals19) which may in turn be configured for the current operational mode by processing unit16 (using appropriate control signals on data path28).
• Transducer assembly20 has elements which pick up reflected ultrasound signals. These reflected signals are passed throughinterface26 to receivesignal conditioning stage24.Signal conditioning stage24 may include filters, voltage controlled amplifiers, and the like to condition incoming signals.Signal conditioning stage24 also includes one or more analog to digital converters which digitize the signals picked up by elements oftransducer assembly20 and pass the digitized signals29 to signal processingunit18.
• Withinsignal processing unit18, signals29 are entirely or partially processed and then passed ondata connection30 toprocessor unit16 which displays the resulting image ondisplay14 or, in the alternative, provides further processing of the signals on data path30 (i.e. from signal processing unit18) and then displays the resulting image ondisplay14.
• In some embodiments the signals passed toprocessor unit16 by signal processing unit18 (on data path30) comprise RF data (e.g. data provided at a rate that is two or more times the frequency of the ultrasound emitted by transducer assembly20). In such embodiments,processor unit16 performs further processing to derive image data from the RF data. By way of non-limiting example,processor unit16 may perform functions such as: frequency analysis of the received signals (by way of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, for example); auto-correlation; and the like in addition to or as part of obtaining the image data.
• In modes which involve Doppler imaging,signal processing unit18 may be configured to perform digital wall filtering and/or auto-correlation.
• As is apparent from the above, some functions that are required in the signal path for certain operational modes may be performed either byprocessor unit16 or bysignal processing unit18. In some cases, performance may be increased by performing functions such as filtering, envelope detection, log compression, auto-correlation inprocessor unit16. This may permit additional functions to be provided insignal processing unit18 in those cases where the capacity ofsignal processing unit18 is limited.
• In some embodiments,signal processing unit18 is configured to perform beamforming on at least the signals received fromtransducer assembly20. In some embodiments, in addition to beamforming,signal processing unit18 performs filtering and/or envelope detection on the signals received fromtransducer assembly20.
• In those embodiments wheresignal processing unit18 performs filtering of the signals received fromtransducer assembly20,signal processing unit18 may be configurable to implement digital filters having different filter coefficients for different applications. The filter coefficients may be selected to provide a good signal-to-noise ratio for each specific application (e.g. each specific operational mode). For example, the filter coefficients may be selected to pass signals having frequencies in a band around a frequency at which elements oftransducer assembly20 are driven to emit ultrasound. Reconfiguringsignal processing unit18 may comprise programming interconnects (e.g. signal connections) within a section of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that implements one or more digital filters for the received signals.
• In those embodiments wheresignal processing unit18 performs envelope detection on the signals received fromtransducer assembly20,signal processing unit18 may be configurable to select from among a plurality of different envelope detection algorithms. Reconfiguringsignal processing unit18 may comprise programming interconnects (e.g. signal connections) within a section of an FPGA that implements one or more envelope detectors that act on the received signals.
• Input/output interface(s)32 may be provided to placeultrasound device10 in data communication with one or more other devices. Input/output interface(s)32 may comprise one or more wireless interfaces (which may, for example, comprise RF wireless interfaces, infrared wireless interfaces or the like) or other connections such as serial connections, USB connections, parallel connections, or the like. In some embodiments,device10 has wireless connectivity according to the Bluetooth™ standard or an IEEE 802.11 standard (otherwise known as WIFI).
• FIG. 2A shows a handheldultrasound imaging device10 according to an example embodiment of the invention.Device10 has ahousing12 which is suitably small enough to be hand carried, and preferably is small enough to keep in a person's pocket. For example,housing12 may have dimensions of approximately 10 cm×8 cm×2 cm, anddevice10 may weigh less than 10 pounds (i.e. 4.5 kg). Adisplay14 is provided onhousing12 as are one or more user interface controls34.Control34 may, for example, comprise an on/off switch for the purpose of turningdevice10 on and shuttingdevice10 off.
• In some embodiments,display14 comprises a touch-sensitive display and controls for operatingdevice10 may be provided in the form of touch-sensitive areas ondisplay14 and/or by way of the capability ofdevice10 to recognize gestures or other patterns of contact between a user's finger, or a stylus anddisplay14.
• A benefit of the architecture described herein is that it permits the same hardware to be configured in different manners (e.g. different operational modes) so as to provide different specialized imaging functions. For example,ultrasound device10 may be configured to provide imaging suitable for use in monitoring a fetus prior to and during labour and delivery. Thesame device10 may be configured differently to provide imaging that is optimized for guiding a needle, such as a needle for taking a biopsy or some other type of needle into a tissue or other physiological structure of interest. Other operational modes may be provided for some other specific purposes.
• Each operational mode may have associated with it a number of different elements. These may include, for example:
• • specific configurations ofsignal processing unit18 and/or transmitpulsers22 to generate specific ultrasound signals and to process resulting reflected signals detected attransducer assembly20 in such a way as to provide ultrasound images appropriate to the operational mode;
  • user interface controls which are specific to the operational mode;
  • various help functions provided bydevice10 which are specific to the operational mode to assist users in properly usingdevice10 in the operational mode.
• The ability to configure a single hardware platform to provide a range of specialized operational modes permits volume manufacture of the platform even in cases where some of the individual operational modes may be very specialized and in relatively low demand. Furthermore, the ability to specialize the device under software control by adding and/or removing and/or repositioning and/or reconfiguring user interface controls ondisplay14 and/or by changing functions assigned to any interface controls not provided bydisplay14 permits thedevice10 to offer a simplified and highly effective user interface in each of its available specialized operational modes.
• In some embodiments, adevice10 can be locked in a selected operational mode. Such a device may be sold at a relatively low cost without disrupting the market fordevices10 configured to perform in other operational modes.
• The user interface may be provided as described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 60/955,328 entitled Hand-held Ultrasound Imaging Device Having Reconfigurable User Interface (filed on 10 Aug. 2007) or its counterpart US non-provisional application of the same title (filed on the same date as the instant application) both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
• In some cases for different operational modes it is desirable to provide different arrangements of transducer elements intransducer assembly20. For this purpose,device10 may be configured to permit the use ofinterchangeable transducer assemblies20 that may be removed and replaced with different transducer assemblies suitable for different operational modes. For example,device10 may be configured as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 60/955,325 entitled Hand-held Ultrasound Imaging Device Having Removable Transducer Arrays (filed on 10 Aug. 2007) or its counterpart US non-provisional application of the same title (filed on the same date as the instant application) both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
• In such cases,device10 may be configured so that it automatically switches between operational modes in response to detecting that atransducer assembly20 has been changed to a different type of transducer assembly. In the alternative,device10 can perform a routine to detect the type ofconnected transducer assembly20, either on initialization or at some other time and can select an appropriate operational mode based upon information identifying the type oftransducer assembly20 identified in the initialization routine.
• FIGS. 2A,2B and2C show, for example, adevice10 to whichdifferent transducer assemblies20,20A and20B have been attached respectively. A different operational mode may correspond to each oftransducer assemblies20,20A and20B.Device10 may be switched between these operational modes by selecting and installing the corresponding transducer assembly.
• In other embodiments, adevice10 may be switched between operational modes by means of a control provided on a user interface. In still other embodiments,device10 is intended to offer a single specific operational mode.Device10 may be upgraded to provide enhanced features or to work according to some different operational mode by uploading new configuration data todevice10 by way of input/output interface(s)32. In some embodiments,device10 stores configuration data on a removable medium such as a card, chip, memory stick, memory or the like. In such embodiments it may be possible to upgrade an existing operational mode or add or change to a new operational mode by replacing the removable medium with a removable medium that has configuration data for the new or upgraded operational mode. In some embodiments,device10 may have configuration data for a number of different operational modes but some of the operational modes may be locked out until a password, digital key, or other authorization code is provided to release the functionality of some of the operational modes.
• FIG. 3 shows amethod40 that may be implemented when adevice10 as described above is turned on. Inblock42 the device is turned on. Inblock44,device10 initializes itself by starting to run its operating system and then invoking embedded software which coordinates the overall operation of device10 (e.g. on a processor of processor unit16). Inblock46, the type oftransducer assembly20 that is connected todevice10 is determined (either by detecting information identifying thetransducer assembly20 or in some embodiments by receiving user input).
• Inblock48, the configuration data for the operational mode corresponding to thetransducer assembly20 recognized inblock46 is read and, in the illustrated embodiment,signal processing unit18 is configured according to the configuration data inblock50. The configuration data may additionally specify software to be run onprocessor unit16 to support imaging in the corresponding operational mode. Inblock50, the transmit and receive circuitry (i.e. transmit pulsers22 and receive signal processing stage24) may be shut down and placed in a standby mode waiting for instructions to commence imaging.
• Although not specifically shown inFIG. 3, user interface controls and/or user manual information associated with the operational mode may also be loaded byprocessor unit16 as a part ofmethod40 or otherwise.
• Imaging may commence automatically upondevice10 detecting thattransducer assembly20 is in contact with a subject or, in the alternative, may be invoked by means of a suitable user interface control.
• FIG. 4 shows, in more detail,processor unit16 andsignal processing unit18 according to a particular embodiment.Processor unit16 comprises one or more suitable data processor(s)55—asingle data processor55 is shown in the illustrated embodiment.Data processor55 may, for example, comprise a suitable microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), image processor, or the like. In an example embodiment,data processor55 comprises a BlackFin™ digital signal processor available from Analog Devices, Inc. of Norwood Mass.
• Processor55 is capable of executing software instructions which may be stored inmemory57 accessible toprocessor55 or which may be otherwise accessible toprocessor55. In the illustrated embodiment,memory57 contains anoperating system58A andconfiguration data58B for one or more operational modes.Memory57 may also have capacity to storepatient data58C (e.g. images, information identifying patients, or the like).
• Processor55 can cause configuration data (e.g. for a particular operational mode and/or for a particular type of transducer array20) to be delivered to signal processingunit18 bydata path28 or directly from amemory57 to signal processingunit18 by way of a suitable bus (e.g. bus59) connected to deliver the configuration data frommemory57 to signal processingunit18. Such configuration data may comprise all or a part ofconfiguration data58B stored inmemory57. The configuration data may cause suitable interconnects (e.g. signal processing paths) to be created withinsignal processing unit18 for the purpose of generating suitable transmitted ultrasound signals and processing received ultrasound signals in such a manner as to produce an image appropriate for the current operational mode.
• In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 4,signal processing unit18 is configured by configuration data delivered by way ofdata path28 to provide a transmitbeamformer60 and a receivebeamformer62. Depending upon the operational mode, transmitbeamformer60 and receivebeamformer62 may comprise different numbers of channels and may be configured in different ways to provide different characteristics of the transmitted ultrasound signal as well as to derive different information from received ultrasound signals.
• Processor unit16 may be configured to synchronize the transmission and reception of ultrasound signals bytransducer assembly20. In such embodiments, synchronization signals may be provided by way ofdata path28.
• When a received ultrasound signal is passed to signal processingunit18, the received signal is processed by way of receivebeamformer62 and the resulting data is passed toprocessor unit16 by way ofdata connection30.Processor55 processes the data that it receives in a manner specified by theconfiguration data58B associated with the current operational mode and displays the resulting data ondisplay14 in the form of a suitable display.Processor55 may optionally also store the image data inmemory57 and/or transmit the image data to a network or other device by way of input/output interface(s)32.
• In some embodiments,signal processing unit18 comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that is connected to amemory57 by abus59.Memory57 may storeconfiguration data58B.Such configuration data58B may comprise configuration data associated with one or more operational modes. By way of non-limiting example, the configuration data associated with each operational mode may comprise information specifying one or more of:
• • transmit beamforming parameters;
  • receive beamforming parameters;
  • filtering parameters;
  • envelope detection parameters;
  • etc.
    Allconfiguration data58B may be stored inmemory57.Memory57 may, for example, comprise a flash memory or the like. Providing asingle memory57 that contains allconfiguration data58B simplifies construction and potentially reduces power consumption.Processor unit16 may control, directly or indirectly, what portion ofconfiguration data58B is loaded frommemory57 intosignal processing unit18. The portion ofconfiguration data58B loaded intosignal processing unit18 may be associated with a particular operational mode.
• Some embodiments provide the option of configuringsignal processing unit18 differently for each line of an ultrasound image. In some such embodiments, configuration data for all lines of the ultrasound image may be stored inmemory57 and retrieved by way of bus59 (or data connection28) on an as-needed basis. For example,signal processing unit18 may comprise a buffer that holds configuration data for a current ultrasound image line and also has space to receive configuration data for one or more subsequent ultrasound image lines. The configuration data for the subsequent ultrasound image lines may be read into the buffer frommemory57 while the current ultrasound image line is being processed according to configuration data in the buffer. To facilitate such operation, the buffer may be set up as a circular buffer or ‘ping-pong’ buffer, for example.
• Some or all of theconfiguration data58B stored inmemory57 may be generated byprocessor55 executing suitable software instructions. For example,processor55 may execute software for calculating filtering coefficients and/or beamforming coefficients for a particular operational mode. User controls may be provided so that a user can define features of the operational mode. The resulting coefficients may then be saved intomemory57 so that they are available to be loaded for configuration ofsignal processing unit18 when the user-defined operational mode is invoked.
• FIG. 5A shows an example of adevice10 which has been configured to provide a line placement operational mode andFIG. 5B shows an example of a resultingimage66 whendevice10 is so configured. In the illustrated embodiment, line placement software executes onprocessor unit16A andsignal processing unit18A is configured in such a manner as to provide line placement imaging sequence and guide functions. In this operational mode,signal processing unit18A may be configured with beamforming coefficients that result in enhanced visibility in animage66 of aneedle66B or the like (FIG. 5B) being inserted into a subject.
• FIG. 5B shows an example of animage66 which could be provided ondisplay14 during operation ofdevice10 when it is in the line placement operational mode ofFIG. 5A.Image66 includesdepictions66A of various anatomical structures in the subject, an image of a needle or probe66B, and generatedguide lines66C which indicate a desired placement of the needle or probe. Parameters used to generateguidelines66C may be specified in configuration data and/or in software executing onprocessor unit16.
• FIG. 6A illustrate adevice10 configured to operate in a labour and delivery operational mode which is intended for monitoring the labour or pregnant women and the delivery of babies in obstetric applications andFIG. 6B shows an example of a resultingimage68 which may be provided ondisplay14 whendevice10 is so configured. In this embodiment,processor unit16B is configured to execute labour and delivery software andsignal processing unit18B is configured to generate ultrasound signals and process detected ultrasound signals in ways suitable for providing good quality images of a fetus in utero and/or in the birth canal.
• Adevice10 may usefully include features as described in co-pending U.S. Application No. 60/955,329 entitled Power Management in Portable Ultrasound Devices (filed on 10 Aug. 2007) or its counterpart US non-provisional application of the same title (filed on the same date as the instant application) both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. These applications describe the use of configuration data to place an ultrasound device in different operational modes as well as to use configuration data to place the ultrasound device in various power consumption modes.
• As discussed above,signal processing unit18 may comprise an FPGA. Advantageously, the same FPGA may be configured to both generate control signals for transmit pulsers22 and to provide processing of detected signals received from elements oftransducer assembly20. Providing both of these functions in a single FPGA is advantageous because it reduces the width of the signal path required betweenprocessor unit16 andsignal processing unit18.
• Example embodiments of the invention may be made from readily-available off the shelf components as contrasted with custom circuitry such as complicated application specific integrated circuits (ASICS) which are required to provide specialized functions in other devices.
• Where a component (e.g. a processor, circuit, beamformer, signal conditioner, filter, control, assembly, device, circuit, etc.) is referred to above, unless otherwise indicated, reference to that component (including a reference to a “means”) should be interpreted as including as equivalents of that component any component which performs the function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), including components which are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. The embodiments described above and depicted in the Figures are examples only. Features of those embodiments may be combined in ways other than those expressly set out herein.
• While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.

Claims (42)

1. A handheld ultrasound system comprising:

a transducer assembly comprising an array of transducer elements;

driving circuits connected to the transducer assembly to excite the transducer elements to emit sonic signals;

receive circuits for conditioning signals detected at the transducer assembly;

a display for displaying an image based at least in part on the signals detected at the transducer assembly;

a configurable signal processing unit;

a data processor configured to provide configuration data to the signal processing unit and to thereby configure the signal processing unit for signal processing operation associated with a particular operational mode.

2. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the data processor is configured to provide one of a plurality of sets of configuration data to the signal processing unit and to thereby configure the signal processing unit for signal processing operation associated with a particular one of a plurality of operational modes, wherein each of the plurality of sets of configuration data is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of operational modes.

3. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the transducer assembly includes identification information relating the transducer array and wherein the data processor is configured to select the one of the plurality of sets of configuration data based at least in part on the identification information.

4. A system according toclaim 3 wherein the identification information comprises information indicating that the array of transducer elements comprises at least one of: a convex array, a linear array and a phased array.

5. A system according toclaim 2 comprising one or more user interface controls for providing user input to the data processor and wherein the data processor is configured to select the one of the plurality of sets of configuration data based at least in part on the user input.

6. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular operational mode comprises provision of transmit beamformers and wherein the configuration data comprises data which defines a transmit beamforming configuration for the particular operational mode.

7. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular operational mode comprises provision of receive beamformers and wherein the configuration data comprises data which defines a receive beamforming configuration for the particular operational mode.

8. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular operational mode comprises digital filtering of the signals detected at the transducer assembly and wherein the configuration data comprises data which defines one or more digital filters for the particular operational mode.

9. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular operational mode comprises envelope detection of the signals detected at the transducer assembly and wherein the configuration data comprises data which defines one or more envelope detectors for the particular operational mode.

10. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular one of the plurality of operational modes comprises provision of transmit beamformers and wherein the one of the plurality of sets of configuration data comprises data which defines a transmit beamforming configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes.

11. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular one of the plurality of operational modes comprises provision of receive beamformers and wherein the one of the plurality of sets of configuration data comprises data which defines a receive beamforming configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes.

12. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular one of the plurality of operational modes comprises digital filtering of the signals detected at the transducer assembly and wherein the one of the sets of configuration data comprises data which defines one or more digital filters for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes.

13. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the signal processing operation associated with the particular one of the plurality of operational modes comprises envelope detection of the signals detected at the transducer assembly and wherein the one of the sets of configuration data comprises data which defines one or more envelope detectors for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes.

14. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the configuration data provided to the signal processing unit comprises data which defines any two or more of: a transmit beamforming configuration for the particular operational mode; a receive beamforming configuration for the particular operational mode; a filtering configuration for the particular operational mode; and an envelope detection configuration for the particular operational mode.

15. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the one of the plurality of sets of configuration data provided to the signal processing unit comprises data which defines any two or more of: a transmit beamforming configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes; a receive beamforming configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes; a filtering configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes; and an envelope detection configuration for the particular one of the plurality of operational modes.

16. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the data processor is configured to provide a different one of the plurality of sets of configuration data to the signal processing unit and to thereby re-configure the signal processing unit for signal processing operation associated with a different one of the plurality of operational modes.

17. A system according toclaim 16 wherein the signal processing unit comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and each of the plurality of sets of configuration data comprises a corresponding set on interconnects for configuration of the FPGA.

18. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the signal processing unit comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and each of the plurality of sets of configuration data comprises a corresponding set of interconnects for configuration of the FPGA.

19. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the signal processing unit comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and the configuration data comprises a set of interconnects for configuration of the FPGA.

20. A system according toclaim 1 comprising a storage medium for storing the configuration data.

21. A system according toclaim 2 comprising a storage medium for storing the plurality of sets of configuration data.

22. A system according toclaim 1 comprising one or more input/output interfaces for receiving the configuration data into the system.

23. A system according toclaim 22 wherein the one or more input/output interfaces comprise at least one of: an interface to a removable memory medium; a wireless communication interface; a serial data interface; a parallel data interface; and a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

24. A system according toclaim 1 comprising one or more user interface controls for providing user input to the system and wherein the data processor is configured to interpret the user input from each user interface control in a manner which is dependent on the particular operational mode.

25. A system according toclaim 24 wherein the one or more user interface controls are manipulable to provide a help request to the system and wherein the data processor is configured to respond to the help request in a manner which is dependent on the particular operational mode.

26. A system according toclaim 25 comprising a storage medium for storing user guide information and wherein the data processor is configured to respond to the help request by providing a subset of the user guide information associated with the particular operational mode.

27. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the display comprises one or more touch-sensitive user interface controls for providing user input to the system.

28. A system according toclaim 2 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise two or more of: a line placement operational mode; a labour and delivery operational mode; an abdominal aortic aneurysm operational mode; and a Doppler operational mode.

29. A system according toclaim 1 wherein the data processor is configured to provide different configuration data to the signal processing unit and to thereby configure the signal processing unit for different signal processing operation for different lines of an ultrasound image.

30. A system according toclaim 1, wherein the handheld ultrasound system weighs less than 10 pounds.

31. A system according toclaim 1, wherein the handheld ultrasound system has transverse and longitudinal dimensions less than about 15 centimetres and a width less than about 5 cm.

32. A method for initializing a handheld ultrasonic system having a data processor, a configurable signal processing unit and a transducer assembly, the method comprising:

determining an operational mode of the handheld ultrasonic device; and

providing configuration data to the signal processing unit to thereby configure the signal processing unit for signal processing operation associated with the operational mode.

33. A method according toclaim 32 wherein determining the operational mode comprises determining a particular operational mode from among a plurality of operational modes and wherein providing the configuration data to the signal processing unit comprises providing a corresponding one of a plurality of sets of configuration data to the signal processing unit to thereby configure the signal processing unit for signal processing operation associated with the particular operational mode.

34. A method according toclaim 32 wherein determining the operational mode comprises: ascertaining identification information from the transducer assembly, the identification information related to a type of transducer array associated with the transducer assembly; and determining the operational mode based at least in part on the identification information.

35. A method according toclaim 34 wherein the identification information comprises an indication that the type of transducer array comprises one or more of: a convex array of transducer elements, a linear array of transducer elements and a phased array of transducer elements.

36. A method according toclaim 32 wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of: data which defines a transmit beamforming configuration for the operational mode; data which defines a receive beamforming configuration for the operational mode; data which defines one or more digital filters for the operational mode; and data which defines one or more envelope detectors for the operational mode.

37. A method according toclaim 32 wherein the signal processing unit comprises a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and wherein providing configuration data to the signal processing unit comprises creating interconnects for configuration of the FPGA.

38. A method according toclaim 32 comprising receiving user input from one or more user interface controls and interpreting the user input in a manner which is dependent on the operational mode.

39. A method according toclaim 38 wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving a help request and interpreting the user input comprises interpreting the help request in a manner which is dependent on the operational mode.

40. A method according toclaim 39 wherein interpreting the help request in a manner which is dependent on the operational mode comprises outputting a user guide that is dependent on the operational mode.

41. A method according toclaim 33 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise two or more of: a line placement operational mode; a labour and delivery operational mode; an abdominal aortic aneurysm operational mode; and a Doppler operational mode.

42. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon statements and instructions which when executed by a suitably configured processor cause the processor to perform the method ofclaim 33.

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