Tablet ultrasound system
Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Certain embodiments provide a multi-chip module for an ultrasound engine of a portable medical ultrasound imaging system, in which a transmit/receive chip, an amplifier chip and a beamformer chip are assembled in a vertically stacked configuration. Exemplary embodiments also provide an ultrasound engine circuit board including one or more multi-chip modules, and a portable medical ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound engine circuit board with one or more multi-chip modules. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for fabricating and assembling multi-chip modules as taught herein. A single circuit board of an ultrasound engine with one or more multi-chip modules may include 16 to 128 channels in some embodiments. Due to the vertical stacking arrangement of the multi-chip modules, a 128-channel ultrasound engine circuit board can be assembled within exemplary planar dimensions of about 10 cm×about 10 cm.
1 . An ultrasonic diagnostic and measurement system, comprising:
a cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device, the cart equipped with a multiport probe connector;
a transducer probe within a handheld probe housing that includes a transducer array having at least 64 transducer elements that transmits and receives ultrasound signals to and from a region of a patient in response to transmit and receive circuitry, and a beamformer integrated circuit connected to an ultrasound control circuit within the handheld probe housing, wherein the ultrasound control circuit receives digital signals to actuate an ultrasound imaging operation, the transducer probe configured to communicate with the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device by wireless communication; and wherein the transducer probe is further configured to communicate with a handheld-operable tablet display computing device,
a computing device-executable set of instructions executable on the handheld-operable tablet display computing device that communicates with the ultrasound control circuit to control an operation of the beamformer integrated circuit within the handheld probe housing, the handheld-operable tablet display computing device including a tablet display, at least a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the ultrasound control circuit to control an ultrasound imaging procedure conducted with the transducer probe; and
wherein the computing device-executable set of instructions are further executable on the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device that communicates with the ultrasound control circuit to control an operation of the beamformer integrated circuit within the handheld probe housing, the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device including at least one processor communicatively coupled to the ultrasound control circuit, and a touch screen display configured to operate the transducer probe for an ultrasound imaging procedure in response to a touch input, the set of instructions, when executed on at least one of the handheld-operable tablet display computing device and the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device include the steps of:
generating a display of an ultrasound image of the region of the patient in an image display area on at least one of the touch screen display and the tablet display, the ultrasound image based on ultrasound image signals processed by the beamformer integrated circuit, and
operating a user interface on at least one of the touch screen display that are each configured to actuate a menu window wherein ultrasound image data, patient data and a plurality of imaging modes are touch actuated using inputs that specify a subset of touch controls to be implemented for a selected imaging mode and wherein at least one touch actuated menu window is configured to provide selection of one of a plurality of examination types from a preset selection window on at least one of the touch screen display and the tablet display wherein different examination types have a plurality of different previously programmed preset imaging parameters for each of the different examination types, the touch screen display and tablet display being further configured to accept:
a first gesture input that initiates an imaging procedure performed with the transducer array based on a selected preset examination type from the preset selection window; and
a second gesture input to alter an operation of the ultrasound control circuit to select an imaging depth for the transducer array, wherein an image of a region of interest at the selected depth is generated and displayed in the image display area for the selected preset examination type.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first gesture input corresponds to a moving touch gesture on a virtual window within the image display area of the touch screen display.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array comprises a bi-plane transducer array.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions when executed responds to a further gesture input that includes a double tap gesture against the touch screen display to generate display of a first cursor inside a region of a virtual window.
5 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a tablet housing of the tablet display computing device encloses a display touch controller connected to the at least one processor that controls operation of the touch screen display, the touch screen controller operating and expanded preset selection window.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld probe housing further encloses a transmit driver circuit for at least 128 transducer elements in the transducer array and a power supply.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the handheld probe housing further encloses a memory.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second gesture input corresponds to a drag gesture on the touch screen display.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions when executed receives a third gesture input from the touchscreen display substantially simultaneously with a fourth gesture input.
10 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transducer array is connected to the ultrasound beamformer integrated circuit such that a transmit beam direction is altered with a moving gesture to steer the transmit beam direction.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions when executed performs at least one measurement on an ultrasound image based at least in part on a first cursor at a first location.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the set of instructions when executed generates a display of a second cursor at a second location inside the region of a virtual window within the image display area of the touch screen display in response to a second further input from the touch screen display such that at least one measurement for the ultrasound image is based at least in part on the respective locations of the first cursor and the second cursor inside the region of the virtual window.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the set of instructions when executed responds to a further input from the touch screen display connecting a line on the touch screen display extending from the first cursor across at least a portion of the ultrasound image to the second location inside the region of the virtual window.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer probe to the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device with a cable, or wherein the transducer probe communicates image data using a wireless transmission protocol.
15 . The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld-operable tablet display computing device that has a volume of less than 2500 cubic centimeters.
16 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a tablet housing of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device that has one or more external communication ports to communicate with the handheld-operable tablet display computing device.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiport probe connector on the cart is configured to electrically connect to the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device to a plurality of transducer arrays, wherein the transducer array selected for operation can be switched using a touch gesture on the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device.
18 . The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the first and second gesture inputs is associated with a preset examination type selected by scrolling through the plurality of preset examination types on the touch screen display.
19 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a preset threshold that is a time-associated moving gesture, or a preset threshold that is a speed-associated moving gesture, or a preset threshold that is a direction-associated moving gesture.
20 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a tablet housing of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device that includes a battery that provides power to the at least one processor.
21 . The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of imaging modes include one or more of B mode imaging, M mode imaging, pulsed wave spectral Doppler imaging, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and color flow imaging.
22 . The system of claim 1 wherein one of the imaging modes comprises tissue Doppler imaging having preset velocity scales.
23 . The system of claim 1 wherein the ultrasound control circuit adjusts delays to be applied to transducer signals generated by the transducer array.
24 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transducer array is connected to receive circuitry enclosed within the handheld probe housing, the receive circuitry being mounted on a circuit board with the ultrasound beamformer circuit.
25 . The system of claim 1 wherein the beamformer integrated circuit comprises an application specific integrated circuit that processes at least 16 transducer channels from the transducer array.
26 . The system of claim 1 further comprising vertically stacked integrated circuits including the beamformer integrated circuit.
27 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transducer array includes a plurality of transducers along an x axis and a further plurality of transducers along a y axis.
28 . The system of claim 1 wherein a battery for the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device includes a battery mounted on the cart.
29 . An ultrasonic diagnostic and measurement system, comprising:
a cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device, the cart equipped with a multiport probe connector connected to a clock generation complex programmable logic device (CPLD) for clocking operation of an ultrasound scan using a transducer array;
a transducer probe within a handheld probe housing that includes the transducer array that includes a plurality of transducer elements that transmits and receives ultrasound signals to and from a region of a patient in response to operation of transmit and receive circuitry, and beamformer processing circuitry including an ultrasound control circuit enclosed within the handheld probe housing, wherein the ultrasound control circuit receives signals to actuate an ultrasound imaging operation of the transducer probe, the transducer probe is configured to communicate with the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device by wireless communication and also
configured to communicate with a handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device, and
a computing device-executable set of instructions executable on at least one of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device and the handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device that are each configured to communicate with the ultrasound control circuit to control an operation of the beamformer processing circuitry enclosed within the handheld probe housing, the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device and the handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device each further respectively including at least one processor communicatively connected with the transducer probe, and a respective touch screen display configured to operate at least one transducer probe for an ultrasound imaging procedure in response to a touch control input, the set of instructions when executed:
generating a display of an ultrasound image of the region of the patient in an image display area on at least one touch screen display, the ultrasound image based on ultrasound image signals processed by the beamformer processing circuitry, and
operating a user interface on the at least one touch screen display that is configured to actuate a menu window wherein ultrasound image data, patient data and a plurality of imaging modes are touch actuated inputs that specify a subset of touch controls to be implemented for a selected imaging mode and wherein at least one touch actuated menu window includes selection of one of a plurality of examination types from a preset selection window on at least one touch screen display wherein different examination types have different previously programmed preset imaging parameters, at least one touch screen display further configured to accept:
a first gesture input that initiates an imaging procedure performed with the transducer array based on a selected preset examination type from the preset selection window; and
a second gesture input to alter an operation of the ultrasound control circuit to select an imaging depth for the transducer array, wherein an image of a region of interest at the selected depth is generated and displayed in the image display area for the selected preset examination type.
30 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the first gesture input corresponds to a moving touch gesture on a virtual window within the image display area of the at least one touch screen display.
31 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the transducer array comprises a bi-plane transducer array.
32 . The system of claim 29 further comprising a tablet housing of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device that encloses a display touch controller connected to the at least one processor in the tablet housing wherein the display touch controller controls operation of the touch screen display in the tablet housing.
33 . The system of claim 29 wherein the handheld probe housing further encloses a transmit driver circuit for at least 128 transducer elements in the transducer array and a power supply.
34 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the beamformer processing circuitry further comprises a field programmable gate array and a memory.
35 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the CPLD controls operation of a cable connected transducer probe.
36 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the transducer array is connected to the ultrasound beamformer processing circuitry such that a transmit beam direction is altered with a moving gesture to steer the transmit beam direction.
37 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the set of instructions when executed performs at least one measurement on an ultrasound image based at least in part on a first cursor at a first location or wherein the set of instructions when executed responds to a further input from the touch screen display connecting a line on the touch screen display extending from the first cursor across at least a portion of the ultrasound image to a second location inside the region of a virtual window.
38 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the handheld probe housing wirelessly communicates image data using a wireless transmission protocol.
39 . The system of claim 29 wherein the plurality of imaging modes include one or more of B mode imaging, M mode imaging, pulsed wave spectral Doppler imaging, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) having preset velocity scales, and color flow imaging.
40 . An ultrasonic diagnostic and measurement system, comprising:
a cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device, the cart equipped with a multiport probe connector;
a transducer probe within a handheld probe housing that includes a transducer array having a plurality of transducer elements that transmits and receives ultrasound signals to and from a region of a patient in response to transmit and receive circuitry, and a beamformer integrated circuit connected to an ultrasound control circuit enclosed within the handheld probe housing, wherein the ultrasound control circuit receives digital signals to actuate an ultrasound imaging operation, the transducer probe configured to communicate with the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device by wireless communication and also
configured to communicate with a handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device, and
a computing device-executable set of instructions, the instructions executable on at least one of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device connected to the multiport probe connector and the handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device that are each configured to be selected to communicate with the transducer probe during an ultrasound imaging procedure, wherein at least one of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device and the handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device can be selected to communicate with the ultrasound control circuit to control an operation of the beamformer integrated circuit enclosed within the handheld probe housing, each of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device and the handheld-operable ultrasound tablet display device including, respectively, at least one processor communicatively coupled to the ultrasound control circuit, and a touch screen display configured to select at least one transducer probe for an ultrasound imaging procedure in response to a touch control input, the set of instructions when executed:
generating a display of an ultrasound image of the region of the patient in an image display area on at least one selected touch screen display, the ultrasound image based on ultrasound image signals processed by the beamformer integrated circuit, and
operating a user interface on each respective touch screen display that are each configured to actuate a menu window wherein ultrasound image data, patient data and a plurality of imaging modes are touch actuated using inputs that specify a subset of touch controls to be implemented for a selected imaging mode and wherein at least one touch actuated menu window includes selection of one of a plurality of examination types from a preset selection window on the selected touch screen display wherein different examination types have different previously programmed preset imaging parameters, the selected touch screen display further configured to accept:
a first gesture input that initiates an imaging procedure performed with the transducer array based on a selected preset examination type from the preset selection window; and
a second gesture input to alter an operation of the ultrasound control circuit to select an imaging depth for the transducer array, wherein an image of a region of interest at the selected depth is generated and displayed in the image display area for the selected preset examination type.
41 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the set of instructions when executed responds to a further gesture input that includes a double tap gesture against the selected touch screen display to generate display of a first cursor inside a region of a virtual window.
42 . The system of claim 40 further comprising a tablet housing of the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device enclosing a display touch controller connected to the at least one processor wherein the display touch controller controls operation of the touch screen display on the tablet housing.
43 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the hand held probe housing further encloses a memory.
44 . The system of claim 40 wherein the cart mounted battery powered tablet computing device includes a tablet housing with one or more external communication ports.