U.S. patent number 10,838,050 [Application Number 16/011,400] was granted by the patent office on 2020-11-17 for ultrasound imaging system including wireless probe tracking.
This patent grant is currently assigned to FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.. The grantee listed for this patent is FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc.. Invention is credited to Jon Battershell, John Kook, Jason Nguyen.
United States Patent |
10,838,050 |
Kook , et al. |
November 17, 2020 |
Ultrasound imaging system including wireless probe tracking
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging systems including transducer probes having
wireless tags, and associated systems and methods, are described
herein. For example, the wireless tags can store supplemental data
about the transducer probes, and the ultrasound system can include
a base unit configured to wirelessly communicate with nearby ones
of the wireless tags to receive the supplemental data. The base
unit can be further configured to display the transducer probes
that are nearby. In some embodiments, the operator can filter or
sort the displayed nearby transducer probes based on the
supplemental data to identify a particular one of the nearby
transducer devices that has one or more desired attributes.
Inventors: |
Kook; John (Seattle, WA),
Battershell; Jon (Bothell, WA), Nguyen; Jason (Bothell,
WA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. |
Bothell |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
(Bothell, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005185740 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/011,400 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2018 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20190383920 A1 |
Dec 19, 2019 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S
7/52053 (20130101); G01S 7/52098 (20130101); A61B
8/565 (20130101); A61B 8/4433 (20130101); A61B
8/461 (20130101); G01S 7/52085 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01S
7/52 (20060101); A61B 8/00 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pihulic; Daniel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. An ultrasound system, comprising: a first transducer probe
having a first wireless tag storing data about the first transducer
probe; a second transducer probe having a second wireless tag
storing data about the second transducer probe; and a base unit
including a display, a memory storing instructions, and a processor
configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to--
receive the data about the first transducer probe from the first
wireless tag; receive the data about the second transducer probe
from the second wireless tag; receive data about a current
ultrasound procedure; determine that the first transducer probe is
more appropriate than the second transducer probe for the current
ultrasound procedure based at least in part on the received data
about the first transducer probe, the received data about the
second transducer probe, and the received data about the ultrasound
procedure; and produce an indication on the display that the first
transducer is more appropriate than the second transducer probe for
the current ultrasound procedure.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data about the current
ultrasound procedure includes at least one of a region of interest
of a patient and a physical characteristic of the patient.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the base unit further includes
operator controls, and wherein the data about the current
ultrasound procedure is input by an operator via the operator
controls.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further
configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor-- to
access historical data about previous ultrasound procedures; and
determine that the first transducer probe is more appropriate than
the second transducer probe for the current ultrasound procedure
based at least in part on the historical data.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further
configured to execute the instructions to determine that the second
transducer probe is coupled to the base unit via a wired
connection, and wherein the indication includes an instruction to
an operator to couple the first transducer probe to the base
unit.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data about the first and
second transducer probes includes data about an invariable
characteristic of the first and second transducer probes.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to
execute the instructions to receive data including at least one of
a serial number of the first and second transducer probes, a
physical characteristic of the first and second transducer probes,
ownership information about the first and second transducer probes,
and warranty information about the first and second transducer
probes.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to
execute the instructions to receive data including at least one of
cleaning history of the first and second transducer probes, a
maintenance schedule of the first and second transducer probes, and
historical usage information of the first and second transducer
probes.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second transducer
probes are configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals,
and wherein the first and second wireless tags are Bluetooth Low
Energy tags.
10. An ultrasound system, comprising: a plurality of transducer
devices each having a wireless tag storing data about the
transducer device; a base unit including a display, a memory
storing instructions, and a processor configured to execute the
instructions to cause the processor to-- receive the data from one
or more of the wireless tags about the transducer devices;
determine that at least a subset of the transducer devices are
located proximate to the base unit; and produce a graphic on the
display showing the transducer devices that are located proximate
to the base unit.
11. The ultrasound system of claim 10 wherein the graphic is a
first graphic including a list of the transducer devices that are
located proximate to the base unit, and wherein the processor is
further configured to execute the instructions to-- receive an
operator input corresponding to at least one attribute of the
transducer devices; and produce a second graphic on the display
showing the transducer devices that are located proximate to the
base unit and that have the at least one attribute.
12. The ultrasound system of claim 11 wherein the at least one
attribute of the transducer devices is at least one of a cleaning
history and a maintenance schedule of the transducer devices.
13. The ultrasound system of claim 11 wherein the processor is
further configured to execute the instructions to-- receive an
operator input including information about an ultrasound procedure
to be performed on a patient; determine the ultrasound procedure to
be performed; associate operational characteristics of transducer
devices with the ultrasound procedure; and produce the second
graphic on the display showing the transducer devices that are
located proximate to the base unit and that have the operational
characteristics.
14. The ultrasound system of claim 11 wherein the second graphic
includes a list of the transducer devices that are located
proximate to the base unit, and wherein the list is ordered based
on the transducer devices having the at least one attribute.
15. The ultrasound system of claim 10, wherein the processor is
further configured to execute the instructions to-- determine a
current operator of the ultrasound system; and modify the graphic
on the display based on the current operator.
16. The ultrasound system of claim 10 wherein the data about the
transducer devices includes a storage location of the transducer
devices, and wherein the graphic includes an indication of the
storage location of the transducer devices that are located
proximate to the base unit.
17. A method of detecting ultrasound probes, the method comprising:
receiving, at a base unit of an ultrasound imaging system, data
associated with a plurality of ultrasound probes from a plurality
of wireless tags attached to or embedded within the ultrasound
probes, wherein the ultrasound probes are configured for use with
the base unit; determining, based on the received data, that one or
more of the ultrasound probes are located proximate to the base
unit; and producing a graphic on a display of the base unit, the
graphic showing the one or more ultrasound probes that are located
proximate to the base unit.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving an
operator input corresponding to at least one attribute of the
ultrasound probes; and determining, based on the received data, the
ultrasound probes that are located proximate to the base unit and
that have the at least one attribute, wherein the graphic shows the
ultrasound probes that are located proximate to the base unit and
have the at least one attribute.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the wireless tags each include a
speaker, and wherein the method further comprises: receiving an
operator selection of one of the ultrasound probes that are located
proximate to the base unit; and sending a signal to the wireless
tag of the selected ultrasound probe, the signal configured to
cause the speaker of the wireless tag to emit a sound.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the base unit includes at least
two microphones, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the sound at the at least two microphones; determining a
location of the selected ultrasound probe based on the received
sound; and producing an indication of the location of the selected
ultrasound probe on the display of the base unit.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present technology relates to ultrasound imaging systems, and
in particular to systems including transducer probes having
wireless tags for improving workflow within clinical settings.
BACKGROUND
In ultrasound imaging, an operator of an ultrasound system uses a
probe to obtain data for ultrasound images of a patient during an
imaging procedure. Multiple probes may be compatible with the same
system, and a particular probe or probes may be more suitable for a
certain imaging procedure than other probes. Often, the operator is
unaware that a more suitable probe for the imaging procedure is
nearby (e.g., in the same room as the ultrasound system).
Alternatively, the operator may be aware of nearby probes that are
available for use during the imaging procedure, but unaware that a
certain probe is more suitable for the procedure than a probe they
have selected for use during the imaging procedure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of an ultrasound imaging system
configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present
technology.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of various electronic components of
the ultrasound imaging system shown in FIG. 1 configured in
accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method or process of locating or
selecting a nearby transducer device for an ultrasound imaging
procedure in accordance with an embodiment of the present
technology.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Specific details of several embodiments of ultrasound systems
having wireless communication between a base unit and one or more
probes are described below. In some embodiments, for example, an
ultrasound imaging system includes a plurality of transducer
devices each having a wireless tag storing data about the
transducer device. The ultrasound system further includes a base
unit including a display, a memory storing instructions, and a
processor or logic circuitry. The processor or logic circuitry can
be configured to receive data from one or more of the wireless tags
about nearby transducer devices located proximate to the base unit.
The processor or logic circuitry can further be configured to
produce a graphic on the display or other cue alerting a user of
the device(s) that are located proximate to the base unit. In some
embodiments, the graphic is a list that the operator may sort or
filter based on the data from the wireless tags in order to
identify a particular one of the nearby transducer devices that has
a desired attribute.
Certain details are set forth in the following description and in
FIGS. 1-3 to provide a thorough understanding of various
embodiments of the present technology. In other instances,
well-known components, devices, structures, materials, operations,
and/or systems often associated with ultrasound imaging systems are
not shown or described in detail in the following disclosure to
avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the various
embodiments of the present technology. Those of ordinary skill in
the art will recognize, however, that the present technology can be
practiced without one or more of the details set forth herein, or
with other structures, methods, components, and so forth. The
phrases "in some embodiments," "according to some embodiments," "in
certain embodiments," "in the illustrated embodiment," "in other
embodiments," and the like generally mean the particular feature,
structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in at
least one implementation of the present technology, and may be
included in more than one implementation. In addition, such phrases
do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or different
embodiments.
The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadest
reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with
a detailed description of certain examples of embodiments of the
technology. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below;
however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any
restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such
in this Detailed Description section.
I. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF ULTRASOUND SYSTEMS HAVING WIRELESS
TAGS
FIG. 1 is a partial schematic illustration of an ultrasound imaging
system 100 ("system 100") for imaging a region of interest of a
subject or patient 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the system 100
includes an ultrasound transducer device or probe 110a ("probe
110a") operably coupled to a base unit 120 by a signal cable 130a.
The probe 110a includes a housing 112 (e.g., a molded plastic
housing) having a scan head region 114 that encloses a single
movable transducer element or an array of transducer elements. In
some embodiments, the probe 110a can include one or more buttons,
triggers, touch sensors, or other input devices (not shown)
configured, for example, to toggle power on or off, to put the
system 100 in a run/standby state, or to perform other operations.
The base unit 120 can be a hand-held, portable, or cart-based unit
including a display 122 (e.g., a touchscreen display), one or more
operator controls 124, and input/output ports (I/O) 126. The
operator controls 124 can include, for example, buttons, knobs,
switches, a keyboard, a touchscreen, etc. The I/O ports 126 can
include, for example, audio, universal serial bus (USB),
high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) ports), EKG ports,
etc.
During an ultrasound imaging procedure, an operator (e.g., a
physician, sonographer, ultrasound technician, etc.) can use the
probe 110a and the base unit 120 to perform an ultrasound scan. In
particular, the operator can direct the probe 110a toward the
region of interest (e.g., an organ, a vessel, an internal cavity,
etc.) of the patient 1 and use the probe 110a to transmit
ultrasound signals into the region of interest and to receive the
corresponding echo signals. The system 100 converts one or more
characteristics of the received echo signals (e.g. their amplitude,
phase, power, frequency shift, etc.) into image data that is
formatted and displayed for the operator as an image on the display
122. In some embodiments, the operator can use the operator
controls 124 to input information about the particular region of
interest, characteristics of the patient 1, or other information
relevant to the imaging procedure into the system 100.
In some embodiments, the system 100 can include more than one probe
that is compatible with the base unit 120 and that can be operably
connected to the base unit 120 for performing an ultrasound scan.
For example, in addition to the probe 110a, the system can include
a plurality of probes 110b-110n (collectively "probes 110"). Each
of the probes 110 can have generally similar features or components
(e.g., a housing enclosing one or more transducer elements
configured to transmit ultrasound signals), but can have different
form factors, operating frequencies, focal depths, and/or other
characteristics that are optimized for different imaging functions.
Accordingly, as described in detail below, depending on the
particular imaging procedure to be carried out on the patient 1, a
particular one or ones of the probes 110 may be more appropriate
(e.g., better suited, customized, adapted, etc.) for the imaging
procedure than the others. In the illustrated embodiment, each of
the probes 110 includes a corresponding signal cable 130 (labeled
individually as signal cables 130b-130n) for operably coupling the
probes 110 to the base unit 120. In other embodiments, the probes
110 can be configured for wireless communication and operation with
the base unit 120. In some embodiments, the base unit 120 can be
operably connected to more than one of the probes 110 at the same
time.
As further illustrated in FIG. 1, each of the probes 110 includes a
wireless tag 115 (labeled individually as wireless tags 115a-115n).
In some embodiments, the wireless tags 115 are active or passive
radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags such as, for example,
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags. As described in detail below with
reference to FIG. 2, the base unit 120 is configured for wireless
communication with the wireless tags 115 to, for example, determine
that some or all of the probes 110 are located proximate to the
base unit 120 and/or to receive supplemental data (e.g.,
supplemental information) about the probes 110. In the illustrated
embodiment, the wireless tags 115 are shown affixed to the exterior
of the housing of the probes 110. In other embodiments, the
wireless tags 115 can be integrated with or embedded within the
probes 110, or the signal cables 130 that connect the probes 110 to
the base unit 120.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of various electronic components of
the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 configured in accordance with an
embodiment of the present technology. In the illustrated
embodiment, the system 100 includes transducer electronics 240 at
each of the probes 110, base unit electronics 250 at the base unit
120, and wireless tag electronics 260 at each of the wireless tags
115. In the following description, reference is made to the probe
110a and wireless tag 115a shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of
clarity.
The transducer electronics 240 can drive a transducer array 241,
such as an array of piezoelectric transducer elements, located at
the scan head region 114 of the probe 110a. The transducer
electronics 240 can also include one or more driver circuits 242
configured to supply driving voltage to the piezoelectric
transducer elements in such a fashion that an ultrasound beam is
produced in a desired direction. The transducer electronics 240 can
also include, for example, waveform generators 243, amplifiers 244,
analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 245, and other ultrasound
signal processing components (e.g., a CPU, controller,
transmit/receive beam forming circuitry, etc.). In some
embodiments, at least a portion of the transducer electronics 240
can be located at the base unit 120. In some embodiments, for
example where the probe 110a is configured for wireless operation
with the base unit 120 without the signal cable 130a, the
transducer electronics 240 can further include a power source 249
(e.g., a battery).
The base unit electronics 250 include a central-processing unit
("CPU") 251, input/out devices (I/O) devices 254, communication
components 257, and a power source 259. The CPU 251 includes a
programmable processor (microprocessor, GPU, DSP or equivalent
logic circuits, or a combination thereof) 253 configured to execute
instructions stored in a memory 252 or operate as configured in
order to perform various processes, logic flows, and routines. The
I/O devices 254 can include, for example, the display 122, the
operator controls 124, one or more microphones 255, one or more
speakers 256, USB ports, EKG ports, HDMI ports, and/or other
suitable components. The communication components 257 can include,
for example, signal buses coupled to the I/O ports 126, a suitable
network adaptor, a wireless transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or
cellular transceiver), or other suitable components for
communication over computer communication links (LAN, WAN, Internet
etc.) through a wired (e.g., Ethernet, USB, Thunderbolt, Firewire,
or the like) or wireless (e.g., 802.11, cellular, satellite,
Bluetooth, or the like) communication link. As further illustrated
in FIG. 2, the communication components 257 include one or more
wireless antennas 258 for receiving/transmitting wireless signals
from/to the wireless tags 115 in one or more of the probes 110. In
a particular embodiment, the wireless antennas 258 are configured
for communication with the wireless tags 115 via a Bluetooth
connection.
In the illustrated embodiment, the wireless tag electronics 260 are
not powered by the same power source that powers (e.g., are
separate from) the transducer electronics 240. Accordingly, the
wireless tag 115a can include a separate power source 262. In some
embodiments, the power source 262 is a CR2032 lithium coin battery
or other suitable battery. In other embodiments, the wireless tag
electronics 260 can be at least partially coupled to or integrated
with the transducer electronics 240 (e.g., sharing a common power
source). As shown, the wireless tag electronics 260 further include
a memory 264, and a transceiver 266 configured for wireless
communication with the base unit electronics 250 via a BLE or other
suitable connection. In some embodiments, the wireless tag
electronics 260 further include a speaker 268 or other output
device, and/or a GPS receiver or other location detection
receiver.
The memory 264 can be a read-only non-volatile memory storing
supplemental data about the probe 110a. For example, the data
stored in the memory 264 can include information about invariable
or semi-invariable properties or attributes of the probe 110a, such
as its physical, operational, or functional characteristics (e.g.,
a center frequency, a shape (e.g., curved or linear), etc.),
procedures generally performed with the probe (e.g., cardiac,
abdominal, musculoskeletal, etc.), a type of patient the probe is
generally used with (e.g., adult, pediatric, infant, etc.), serial
numbers, warranty information, ownership information, usage
information, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 264 can be a
programmable memory (e.g., an electrically erasable programmable
read-only memory (EEPROM)) that can be erased and reprogrammed to
store data about varying attributes or properties of the probe
110a. For example, the data stored in the memory 264 can include
information about: a cleaning history of the probe 110a (e.g.,
information about the last use and/or cleaning of the probe 110a);
maintenance history or a maintenance schedule of the probe 110a
(e.g., information about a date and/or time when the last current
leakage or other integrity test was performed on the probe 110a, a
date and/or time of the next scheduled integrity test for the probe
110a, a power level of the power source 262 of the wireless tag
electronics 260, a date/time when the power source 249 and/or the
power source 262 were last replaced, etc.); historical usage of the
probe 110a (e.g., information about when the probe 110a was last
used, the user and/or usage time, non-identifying patient data such
as the number and type of patients on which the probe 110a was
used, ultrasound procedures the probe 110a was previously used for,
whether there were transducer element failures with the probe 110a
during a previous use, etc.); an assigned location or storage site
of the probe 110a (e.g., information that the probe 110a is
normally stored in a particular drawer, cabinet, etc., within a
particular examination room); an actual or average location of the
probe 110a based on one or more detected GPS or Wi-Fi signals; a
preferred status of the probe 110a (e.g., that the probe 110a is
preferred by a certain operator, for a particular imaging
procedure, etc.); and/or other properties or attributes of the
probe 110a that may be relevant to an operator of the system
100.
In operation, the wireless tag 115a can be configured to
continuously, nearly-continuously, or intermittently transmit a
wireless signal (e.g., a Bluetooth or BLE signal). The base unit
electronics 250 are configured to determine that the probe 110a is
located proximate to (e.g., located nearby to, within a
predetermined range of, etc.) the base unit 120 by detecting a
wireless signal from the wireless tag 115a. As described in detail
below, the CPU 251 can further process the signal from the wireless
tag 115a and cause one or more of the I/O devices 254 to indicate
that the probe 110a is located nearby to the base unit 120. For
example, the CPU 251 can cause the display 122 to display an
indication, a graphic, a map, etc., showing that the probe 110a is
located proximate to the base unit 120 and further showing any of
the supplemental data associated with the probe 110a.
In some embodiments, where the memory 264 is a programmable memory,
the CPU 251 can operate to generate and send one or more update
signals to the wireless tag 115a for updating the data stored in
the memory 264. For example, the base unit electronics 250 can
update the data stored in the memory 264 to reflect the latest
cleaning, maintenance, use, storage location, etc., of the probe
110a. More particularly, the operator of the system 100 can use the
I/O devices 254 to input the updated information into the base unit
electronics 250 for transmission to the wireless tag electronics
260. In some embodiments, the base unit electronics 250 can be
programmed or configured to automatically update any of the data
stored by the wireless tag 115a--for example, during or after an
imaging procedure is performed with the probe 110a, after
maintenance is performed on the probe 110a, etc.
II. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF METHODS FOR DETECTING PROXIMATE
TRANSDUCER PROBES
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and as set forth above, the system
100 is configured to detect that one or more of the probes 110 are
located proximate to the base unit 120 by detecting signals
transmitted by the wireless tags 115. That is, signals from
wireless tags 115 of probes 110 that are within range of the base
unit 120 (e.g., in the same room in a medical facility as the base
unit 120) will be detected and those probes 110 will be determined
to be proximate to the base unit 120, while probes 110 that are out
of range of the base unit 120 (e.g., in a different room in the
medical facility) will not be detected by the base unit 120. The
detection of proximate probes 110 may be automatically performed or
manually initiated by the operator of the system 100.
In some embodiments, the system 100 can perform a general search to
detect each of the probes 110 that are located proximate to the
base unit 120. For example, an automatic search may begin once a
user has specified various information about the usage of the
system 100, such as exam type, patient data, or similar
information. In some embodiments, the system 100 may analyze which
probes 110 are currently connected to the base unit 120 to
determine if alternative options are required or more well suited
for the various inputted information. In other embodiments, the
operator of the system 100 can initiate a search for nearby probes
110 that have specific attributes by entering information into the
base unit 120 via the operator controls 124, or by selecting
desired attributes of a particular imaging mode from a menu. The
system 100 can then analyze the supplemental data received from the
wireless tags 115 to identify the nearby probes 110 having the
specified attributes. In a particular example, the operator of the
system 100 could initiate a search for a probe 110 having a
specific serial number. The base unit 120 can then send a request
message to the wireless tag 115 associated with the probe 110
having the specific serial number and the wireless tag 115 can
respond with its location. If the probe 110 cannot be detected, the
operator could then walk around with or otherwise move the base
unit 120 and, when the wireless tag 115 associated with the probe
110 having the specific serial number is within range, the system
100 could signal (e.g., via the display 122, the speakers 256, or
another suitable output device) that the probe 110 having the
specific serial number is nearby. In another example, the operator
could enter a generic probe type to search for (e.g., a 5 MHz
linear transducer) and the processor of the base unit 120 can
transmit a request for probes 110 having the desired
characteristics. If none are found, the operator can proceed to
move the base unit 120 until the system 100 identifies a particular
probe 110 of that type nearby.
In some embodiments, the system 100 is further configured to
specifically locate the probes 110 relative to the base unit 120.
In some embodiments, for example, in response to an operator
selection (e.g., in response to the operator selecting one of the
proximate probes 110 from a list displayed on the display 122), the
base unit 120 can send an instruction to the wireless tag 115 of
the selected probe 110 to produce a sound via the speaker 268. In
some embodiments, the sound produced via the speaker 268 can be an
audible sound (e.g., a chirp) that enables the operator to track
and locate the selected probe 110. In other embodiments, the sound
produced via the speaker 268 can be an inaudible sound (e.g.,
having a frequency of greater than about 20 kHz) that is detectable
by the microphones 255 of the base unit electronics 250. In other
embodiments, the base unit electronics 250 are configured to
determine an approximate direction and/or to triangulate a specific
position of the selected probe 110 relative to the base unit 120
based on, for example, a time difference between when the
microphones 255 receive the sound from the wireless tag 115 of the
selected probe 110. If the wireless tag electronics 260 include a
position sensor (GPS locator), the location of the selected probe
110 can be sent to the base unit 120. The determined location or
direction of the selected probe 110 can be outputted to the
operator via the I/O devices 254. In some embodiments, for example,
the base unit 120 can be configured to generate and display one or
more directional indicators on the display 122. In certain
embodiments, the directional indicators can vary in intensity based
upon a determined distance from the base unit 120 to the selected
probe 110.
In yet other embodiments, the base unit 120 can include multiple
wireless antennas 258 each configured (e.g., shaped and positioned)
to detect wireless tags 115 located within a certain sector or
angle relative to the base unit 120. For example, the base unit
electronics 250 could include three wireless antennas 258 each
positioned to receive signals from wireless tags 115 in a different
sector spanning about 120.degree. around the base unit 120.
Accordingly, based on a particular one of the wireless antennas 258
that detects the selected probe 110, the processor in the base unit
120 can determine an approximate direction or location of the
selected probe 110 relative to the base unit 120. In still other
embodiments, the wireless antennas 258 could partially or fully
overlap (e.g., the wireless antennas 258 could each be
omnidirectional). In such embodiments, the time differences between
when the different wireless antennas 258 detect the wireless tag
115 of the selected probe 110 could be used to determine an
approximate direction and/or a specific position of the selected
probe 110 relative to the base unit 120.
In some embodiments, as described in detail above, the supplemental
data stored within the wireless tags 115 includes location or
storage information about the probes 110, such as a normal storage
location for each of the probes 110. The normal storage locations
can be average GPS positions for the probes 110, or other
descriptive information about the storage location of the
probes--for example, that a particular one of the probes 110 is
assigned to and normally stored in a particular drawer in a
particular examination room. Accordingly, in such embodiments, the
base unit 120 can simply display or otherwise indicate to the
operator the assigned (e.g., normal) storage location of a selected
probe 110, the owner of the probe, performance capabilities,
license data, and/or cost for use.
In certain embodiments, the system 100 can be configured to produce
an alert (e.g., a visual or audible alert) when a probe 110 is
moved out of range of the base unit 120 to reduce the likelihood of
the probes 110 being lost or stolen. For example, if a periodic
heart beat signal from one of the wireless tags 115 is lost (e.g.,
no longer detected by the base unit electronics 250) and/or below a
threshold level, the system 100 can produce an audible alert via
the speakers 256 of the base unit 120 and/or via the speaker 268 of
the wireless tag 115. In some embodiments, the system 100 can
interface with multiple wireless scanners (e.g., Bluetooth
scanners) strategically placed within a room or building to detect
if the probes 110 are removed from the room or building.
The current method for detecting and locating nearby transducer
probes requires that the operator of the ultrasound system look
around and physically locate a desired transducer probe. The
challenge of finding the transducer probe can be significant if the
transducer probe is inside a drawer or otherwise out of
sight--adding significant delay to an ultrasound imaging procedure.
Accordingly, in contrast to conventional ultrasound systems, the
present technology advantageously allows the operator of an
ultrasound system to quickly view and/or locate nearby transducer
probes. In addition, the present technology allows probes to be
managed independently from a CPU system.
III. SELECTED EMBODIMENTS OF METHODS FOR DISPLAYING, FILTERING, AND
SORTING PROXIMATE TRANSDUCER PROBES
With reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the base unit 120 is
configured to display a graphic on the display 122 showing the
probes 110 that have been detected by the base unit 120 so that the
operator of the system is informed of what probes 110 are nearby.
The graphic can be any visual indication identifying the nearby
probes 110 such as, for example, a list of serial numbers, images,
physical characteristics, or other attributes of the probes 110. In
some embodiments, the base unit 120 can further display all or a
portion of the supplemental data received from the wireless tags
115 associated with the nearby probes 110. For example, the
displayed graphic can include separate columns each identifying a
different portion of the supplemental data associated with the
nearby probes 110 (e.g., cleaning history, maintenance schedules,
etc.). The displayed graphic could also include other indications
based on the supplemental data--such as triangles with exclamation
marks to distinguish the nearby probes 110 that need attention for
maintenance or cleaning.
In some embodiments, the displayed graphic data can be manually or
automatically sorted, filtered, augmented, etc., based on (i) the
supplemental data received from the wireless tags 115 and/or (ii)
an operator or other input to the system 100. In particular, the
data in the graphic can be updated or modified to distinguish
certain ones of the nearby probes 110 using, for example, color
coding, ranking (e.g., placing certain probes 110 at the top of a
displayed list), list trimming (e.g., removing certain probes 110
from a displayed list), or any other suitable method or combination
thereof for prioritizing, distinguishing, and/or emphasizing
certain ones of the probes 110 on the display 122.
In certain embodiments, for example, the operator of the system 100
can filter or sort the display of nearby probes 110 by manually
entering information (e.g., a specific probe attribute) via the
operator controls 124, and the base unit 120 can update, modify,
etc., the data in the graphic on the display 122 to show the nearby
probes 110 that have that attribute. For example, an ultrasound
technician responsible for maintenance of the system 100 may want
to filter the display of nearby probes 110 to show those that
require maintenance or cleaning, while a sonographer may want to
filter the display of nearby probes 110 to show those that have
specific physical characteristics appropriate for an imaging
procedure to be carried out by the sonographer. In either instance,
the relevant probes 110 could be displayed alone, displayed at the
top of a list, displayed in a certain color, etc., in order to
distinguish the probes 110 having the specified attribute to the
ultrasound technician/sonographer.
In some embodiments, the current operator of the system 100 may
enter their identity (e.g., ultrasound technician, sonographer,
etc.) and the display of nearby probes 110 may be updated to
distinguish those nearby probes 110 that may be more pertinent to
the current operator. For example, those proximate probes 110 that
need maintenance or cleaning may be more pertinent to the
ultrasound technician, while the opposite is likely true for a
sonographer seeking a probe for a current imaging procedure. In yet
another example, the supplemental data may include information
about sonographers' preferred probes 110 (e.g., historical usage
information), and the system 100 can display and/or distinguish
those probes 110 after determining the identity of the sonographer
using the system 100.
In some embodiments, the current operator may not be familiar with
the exam room and location of probes. The operator may display a
list of all probes available for use which may include drawer
location, license information, owner, cost for use, performance
capabilities, system compatibility, etc. For example, if the probes
are managed by a third party, newer or more capable probes (e.g.
those having fewer dead elements, increased element count, lower
loss, etc.) may be presented and cost the operator more for
usage.
In some embodiments, the display of nearby probes 110 may be
updated to distinguish at least one appropriate (e.g., suitable,
preferred, etc.) or more appropriate one of the proximate probes
110 for an imaging procedure to be carried out on the patient 1.
FIG. 3, for example, is a flow diagram of a process or method 300
of selecting a nearby probe for an ultrasound imaging procedure
using the system 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present
technology.
Beginning at block 302, the method 300 includes detecting the
probes 110 that are located proximate to the base unit 120 and
receiving supplemental data from the wireless tags 115 associated
with the nearby probes 110, as described in detail above. At block
304, the method includes receiving information about the imaging
procedure and/or information about the patient 1. In some
embodiments, for example, the operator (e.g., the sonographer) can
use the operator controls 124 of the base unit 120 to enter or
select information about the particular region of interest to be
imaged, a particular feature to be imaged, the
size/weight/height/age or other characteristic of the patient 1,
etc. In a particular example, the operator of the system 100 could
specify that the imaging procedure is a peripheral vascular
examination and that the targeted structure is a varicose vein
located near the skin surface of the patient 1.
At block 306, the method 300 includes determining which, if any, of
the nearby probes 110 are appropriate for the specific imaging
procedure and patient. In some embodiments, the determination can
be based at least in part on predetermined rules and/or historical
data about probes used in previous imaging procedures and on
patients having certain characteristics. The predetermined rules
and historical data can be stored in the memory of the base unit
120 or otherwise made accessible to the base unit 120. Continuing
the particular example set forth above, the base unit 120 may
determine that probes 110 having a higher frequency (e.g., 7.5 MHz)
as opposed to a lower frequency (e.g., 5 MHz) are more appropriate
for the peripheral vascular examination because the targeted
varicose vein is located near the surface and thus the ultrasound
waves need not penetrate as deeply and the resolution needed to
find the vein is better with a high frequency probe.
As further examples of the determination at block 306, the base
unit 120 can determine that a probe 110 having a curved transducer
array that operates between 1-5 MHz is most appropriate for imaging
procedures that are abdominal, spinal, pulmonary, gynecological,
musculoskeletal, and/or obstetric examinations. Further, in some
embodiments, the base unit 120 can determine that a probe 110
having a linear transducer array that operates between 3-12 MHz is
most appropriate for imaging procedures that are superficial,
breast, arterial, venous, and/or ophthalmic examinations. Likewise,
in certain embodiments, the base unit 120 can determine that a
probe 110 having a phased transducer array that operates between
1-5 MHz is most appropriate for imaging procedures that are
neurovascular examinations.
At block 308, the method 300 includes displaying a graphic of the
appropriate nearby probes 110 on the display 122. As set forth in
detail above, the graphic can suitably distinguish (e.g., via color
coding, ranking, etc.) the appropriate nearby probes 110 from the
inappropriate or less appropriate nearby probes 110, or can list
only the appropriate nearby probes 110. For example, the
appropriate nearby probes 110 could be displayed at the top of a
list of all nearby probes. In some embodiments, the method 300 may
return to block 304 as the operator enters additional information
about the patient 1 and/or the current imaging procedure. The
method 300 can then proceed again through blocks 306 and 308 to
further update the display of appropriate nearby probes 110. For
example, the method 300 may proceed until only a single nearby
probe 110 is displayed. If no appropriate probes 110 are detected,
the graphic can include an indication that no appropriate probes
110 are nearby and, in some embodiments, can provide an indication
of a determined next-best nearby probe 110 and/or an indication
instructing the operator to search for nearby probes 110 in a
different location (e.g., by moving the base unit 120 to another
examination room in a medical facility).
In some embodiments, the system 100 can be configured to detect
that one or more of the probes 110 are connected to the base unit
120 (e.g., via corresponding ones of the signal cables 130).
Accordingly, the method 300 can further include determining whether
the one or more connected probes 110 include the appropriate probes
110 as determined at block 306. If the determined appropriate probe
110 is not connected to the base unit 120, the method 300 can
further include providing an indication or alert on the display 122
that the appropriate probe 110 is nearby but is not currently
connected to the base unit 120. That is, the system 100 may prompt
the operator to connect a different one of the nearby probes
110.
Some ultrasound imaging procedures are advantageously performed
using two or more different probes (e.g., having different physical
characteristics). Accordingly, in some embodiments, the method 300
can include determining two or more appropriate probes 110 based on
received or selected information about the imaging procedure and/or
the patient 1. In such embodiments, at block 308, the method 300
can include displaying the two or more appropriate probes 110
ordered or otherwise distinguished, for example, based on their
presumptive order of use during the imaging procedure. Where the
base unit 120 can be connected to two more of the probes 110, the
display of nearby probes 110 can further include an indication of a
particular I/O port 126 in which each of the appropriate probes 110
should be connected.
Current ultrasound systems rely on the experience of the operator
and the records of the facility housing the ultrasound system to
guide the operator in selecting a particular probe for a particular
examination or for cleaning, maintenance, etc. In particular, it
may be difficult for ultrasound technicians to reliably locate
probes that need service, and sonographers may often select an
inappropriate or less appropriate probe for a procedure than what
is available nearby. Accordingly, in contrast to conventional
ultrasound systems, the present technology advantageously permits
operators to search for nearby probes having particular attributes
of interest and can also guide operators in the selection of the
most appropriate available probe.
IV. CONCLUSION
Embodiments of the subject matter and the operations described in
this specification can be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware,
including the structures disclosed in this specification and their
structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them.
Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification
can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or
more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on computer
storage medium for execution by, or to control the operation of,
data processing apparatus.
A computer storage medium can be, or can be included in, a
computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage
substrate, a random or serial access memory array or device, or a
combination of one or more of them. Moreover, while a computer
storage medium is not a propagated signal, a computer storage
medium can be a source or destination of computer program
instructions encoded in an artificially-generated propagated
signal. The computer storage medium also can be, or can be included
in, one or more separate physical components or media (e.g.,
multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices). The operations
described in this specification can be implemented as operations
performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored on one or
more computer-readable storage devices or received from other
sources.
The term "processor" encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices,
and machines for processing data, including by way of example a
programmable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple
ones, or combinations, of the foregoing. The apparatus can include
special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable
gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).
The apparatus also can include, in addition to hardware, code that
creates an execution environment for the computer program in
question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a
protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system,
a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a
combination of one or more of them. The apparatus and execution
environment can realize various different computing model
infrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing and
grid computing infrastructures.
A computer program (also known as a program, software, software
application, script, or code) can be written in any form of
programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages,
declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any
form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component,
subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing
environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a
file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a
file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts
stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated
to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g.,
files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of
code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one
computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or
distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a
communication network.
The processes and logic flows described in this specification can
be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one
or more computer programs to perform actions by operating on input
data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also
be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special
purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate
array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).
Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a
read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential
elements of a computer are a processor for performing actions in
accordance with instructions and one or more memory devices for
storing instructions and data. To provide for interaction with a
user, embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented on a imaging system having a
display device, e.g., an LCD (liquid crystal display), LED (light
emitting diode), or OLED (organic light emitting diode) monitor,
for displaying information to the operator and a keyboard and a
pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the
operator can provide input to the computer. In some
implementations, a touch screen can be used to display information
and to receive input from a user. Other kinds of devices can be
used to provide for interaction with an operator as well; for
example, feedback provided to the operator can be any form of
sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback; and input from the operator can be received in
any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific
embodiments of the technology have been described herein for
purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be
made without deviating from the disclosure. Accordingly, the
invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
Furthermore, certain aspects of the new technology described in the
context of particular embodiments may also be combined or
eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, although advantages
associated with certain embodiments of the new technology have been
described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments
may also exhibit such advantages and not all embodiments need
necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the
technology. Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology
can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described
herein.
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