METHODS AND ULTRASOUND APPARATUS
20210386400 · 2021-12-16
Inventors
Cpc classification
A61B2562/222
HUMAN NECESSITIES
G01S7/5208
PHYSICS
B06B2201/40
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
G01S7/52096
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
This invention is the improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data and ultrasound images on the removable memory card. The improved methods provide the steps of the operation of the improved ultrasound apparatus, and the improved ultrasound apparatus includes the microprocessor unit and control organs unit, which provide control of an ultrasound unit, comprising piezoelectric devices, a transmission unit, a battery unit, including battery and battery wireless charging control circuitry, indication unit, and includes a card insertion registration device recognizing the presence of a removable memory card in the ultrasound probe.
Claims
1. A method for selection and control of a power supply of an ultrasound probe of an ultrasound apparatus comprising the steps of: selecting said power supply from a regular non-chargeable battery or a chargeable by cable battery or a wirelessly chargeable battery for a use in said ultrasound probe; providing a first control signal from a control organs unit or from a microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe to a battery unit, comprising said regular non-chargeable battery, wherein said first control signal provides a connection of a power supply line from said regular non-chargeable battery to all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit, when said regular non-chargeable battery is selected for said use in said ultrasound probe; providing a second control signal from said control organs or from said microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe to said battery unit, comprising said chargeable by said cable battery, wherein said second control signal provides said connection of said power supply line from said chargeable by said cable battery to said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit before a charging cycle or during said charging cycle or after a completion of said charging cycle of said chargeable by said cable battery, when said chargeable by said cable battery is selected for said use in said ultrasound probe; providing a third control signal from said control organs unit or a microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe to said battery unit, comprising said wirelessly chargeable battery, wherein said third control signal provides said connection of said power supply line from said wirelessly chargeable battery to said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit before said charging cycle or during said charging cycle or after said completion of said charging cycle of said wirelessly chargeable battery, when said wirelessly chargeable battery is selected for said use in said ultrasound probe; providing in an indication unit of said ultrasound probe, controlled by said control organs unit or by said microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe, an indication of said charging cycle of said chargeable by cable battery or said wirelessly chargeable battery of said battery unit of said ultrasound probe.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein further said second control signal provides a disconnection of said chargeable by said cable battery from said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit of said ultrasound probe before said charging cycle of said chargeable by said cable battery, and provides said connection of said chargeable by said cable battery to said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit after said completion of said charging cycle of said chargeable by said cable battery, when a charging instruction requires said disconnection of said chargeable by said cable battery from said all devices of said ultrasound probe before said charging cycle.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein further said third control signal provides a disconnection of said wirelessly chargeable battery from said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit of said ultrasound probe before said charging cycle of said wirelessly chargeable battery, and provides said connection of said wirelessly chargeable battery to said all devices of said ultrasound probe by said battery unit after said completion of said charging cycle of said wirelessly chargeable battery, when a charging instruction requires said disconnection of said wirelessly chargeable battery from said all devices of said ultrasound probe before said charging cycle.
4. A method for a recordation of an ultrasound data and an ultrasound image on a removable memory card comprising the steps of: selecting of said removable memory card for an ultrasound probe or for a Smart Device; inserting the selected removable memory card in a slot of said ultrasound probe or in said Smart Device; providing, in said ultrasound probe, an indication of a use of said removable memory card in said ultrasound probe or in said Smart Device; providing an identification of said use of said removable memory card; providing, in a control organs unit of said ultrasound probe or in a microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe, a control signal for turning-on of said recordation on said removable memory card of said ultrasound probe or on said removable memory card of said Smart Device; providing by said ultrasound probe a control and a processing of said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image by an ultrasound intensity I=ƒ{F,Y.sub.m,C, μ}; providing by said ultrasound probe a control of said recordation and a processing of said recordation of said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image on said removable memory card of said ultrasound probe or said control and said processing of said recordation on said removable memory card of said Smart Device, providing by a transmitting unit of said ultrasound probe a wireless transmission of said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image from said ultrasound probe to said Smart Device or to a central ultrasound station; providing by an indication unit of said ultrasound probe an indication of said recordation of said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image on said removable memory card of said ultrasound probe or on said removable memory card of said Smart Device, wherein said indication unit is controlled by said control organs unit or by said microprocessor unit of said ultrasound probe.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein further said Smart Device is a Smart Phone or an iPad or an iPhone.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein further said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image are transmitted from said transmitting unit of said ultrasound device to said Smart Device or to said central ultrasound station by a wire or wires.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein further said wire or said wires are an electrical cable.
8. An ultrasound apparatus comprising: a central ultrasound station or a Smart Device, wherein said central ultrasound station or said Smart Device comprises a display; an ultrasound probe comprising a card slot for insertion of a removable memory card providing a recordation of an ultrasound data and an ultrasound image, wherein said card slot includes a card insertion registration device; a microprocessor unit connected to said removable memory card and to a transmission unit which is connected to an antenna, wherein said transmission unit of said ultrasound probe transmits said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image to said central ultrasound station or to said Smart Device wirelessly, and wherein said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image are displayed on said display; an indication unit connected to said microprocessor unit; a control organs unit connected to said microprocessor unit, to said indication unit, and to said ultrasound unit which is connected to said microprocessor unit; a battery unit including a regular non-chargeable battery or a chargeable by cable battery or a wirelessly chargeable battery and including a wireless charging control circuitry connected to said regular non-chargeable battery or to said chargeable by cable battery or to said wirelessly chargeable battery, wherein said battery unit provides a power supply line to said removable memory card, to said microprocessor unit, to said transmission unit, to said indication unit, to said ultrasound unit, and to said control organs unit, and wherein said wireless charging control circuitry controls a charge of said chargeable by said cable battery or controls said charge of said wirelessly chargeable battery and controls a disconnection and a connection of said power supply line to said microprocessor unit, said indication unit, said transmission unit, said removable memory card, said control organs unit and to said ultrasound unit, when a charging instruction requires said disconnection of said chargeable by said cable battery or said disconnection of said wirelessly chargeable battery from all devices of said ultrasound probe before a charging cycle.
9. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein further said Smart Device is a Smart Phone or an iPad or an iPhone.
10. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein further said transmission unit of said wirelessly chargeable ultrasound probe transmits said ultrasound data and said ultrasound image to said central ultrasound station or to said Smart Device by a wire or wires.
11. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 10, wherein further said wire or said wires are an electrical cable.
12. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein further said card insertion registration device is connected to said power supply line.
13. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 8, wherein further said microprocessor unit, said indication unit, said transmission unit, said removable memory card, said control organs unit, said battery unit and said ultrasound unit are connected by a multiplexed bus for a communication.
14. The ultrasound apparatus of claim 13, wherein further said microprocessor unit, said indication unit, said transmission unit, said removable memory card, said control organs unit, said battery unit and said ultrasound unit are connected by said multiplexed bus to a card insertion registration device for said communication.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0029] In order that the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed can be more clearly understood, embodiments thereof will be described by way of example with reference to the attached flowcharts and drawings, of which:
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033]
[0034] It is understood, that these illustrations and drawings are the examples of the improved methods and apparatus configurations and architectures, and those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous steps, structures, modifications and advantages of the improved methods and ultrasound apparatus (i.e., ultrasound probe with the wirelessly chargeable battery and with the record of the ultrasound data and images on the removable memory card) may be made while retaining the teachings of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0035] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known prior art, the present invention provides an improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card of the ultrasound probe or on the removable memory card of Smart Device (e.g., on Smart Phone, on iPad, on iPhone, etc.). As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described hereinafter in greater details, is to provide the improved methods and wirelessly chargeable ultrasound probe with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card. The improved methods and apparatus have many of the advantages of the wireless charging of the ultrasound probe and recording of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card mentioned hereinabove and mostly heretofore, and many novel features that result in the efficient, secured and convenient methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card, which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested or even implied by any of prior art methods and apparatus/devices for ultrasound probes, either alone or in any combination thereof.
[0036] This invention, methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card, provides the secure saving of the patient's ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card, which is extremely efficient instrument for using modern Smart Device technology (e.g. such as Smart Phone, iPad, iPhone, etc.) in the field of ultrasound diagnostic. Keeping patient's ultrasound diagnostic images, as a private, on the removable memory card provides a secured convenience for medical organizations and doctors. The removable memory card can be kept in the doctor's archived patient's file or erased after the data/images from the card will be transmitted to (recorded in) the patient's electronic file. The wireless charging of the wireless communicating ultrasound probe provides the unlimited mobility of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (ultrasound probe), for example, for the patients located at the difficult accessible areas (e.g., the emergency patients in the wild mountain forests areas, in the rural and wild Alaskan or other difficult to approach areas, etc.).
[0037] To attain this, the present invention generally comprises ultrasound unit, including piezoelectric devices, and transmission unit, which are controlled by the microprocessor unit and by control organs unit. Also, comprises a battery unit, including battery and wireless charging control circuitry, and comprises a card insertion registration device recognizing the presence of the removable memory card in the ultrasound probe. Additionally, the present invention comprises the wirelessly chargeable battery providing unconditional advantage for mobility of the ultrasound probe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] With reference now to the algorithms and drawings, an improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention.
[0039] As it has been mentioned hereinabove with respect to term of “Smart Device” (e.g. such as Smart Phone, iPad, iPhone, etc.), the term “removable memory card”, hereinabove and hereinbellow solely and/or jointly accumulate (in the same manner as for Smart Device) the meanings of the “removable card”, “memory card”, “card” and/or any other removable (portable) memory, etc. The term “probe”, hereinabove and hereinbellow solely and/or jointly accumulate the meanings of the “ultrasound probe”, “medical ultrasound probe” and/or any other ultrasound sensors (probes), etc. used in the medical diagnostic procedures. The term “chargeable” accumulate the mining of the “rechargeable”, etc. Therefore, the use at least one of the terms does not exclude the other meanings for the used terms, if otherwise not specified. This description (drawings, specification and claims) has many other terms for which this condition is applicable too.
[0040] In the
[0041] As demonstrated in
[0042] The microprocessor unit 9 is connected to the card 5, to ultrasound unit 10 and to transmission unit 11, which is connected to antenna 12. Also, the microprocessor unit 9 is connected to control organs unit 13. The control organs unit 13 is connected to ultrasound unit 10, comprising the piezoelectric device 14.
[0043] It is known, that intensity of ultrasound depends on high frequency of ultrasound [sometimes, intensity can be correlated with the length of wave “X” (not involved hereinbelow)].
[0044] Therefore:
I=μCV.sub.m.sup.2/2 (1) [0045] wherein: I—intensity of ultrasound; μ—a density of the material/environment (e.g., density of human body, etc.); C—ultrasound's velocity inside of the environment; V.sub.m—maximal amplitude of the velocity.
At the same time, it is known that:
V.sub.m=2πFY.sub.m (2) [0046] wherein: F—frequency of oscillation; Y.sub.m—amplitude of oscillation.
[0047] Then, according to (1) and (2), the intensity would be:
I=2π.sup.2μCY.sub.m.sup.2F.sup.2 (3)
[0048] Thus, the intensity “I” can be described by the following equation:
I=ƒ{F,Y.sub.m,C,μ} (4) [0049] wherein: ƒ—functional (symbol of function).
[0050] Also, the control organs unit 13 is connected to indication unit 8 and to battery unit 4, which provides the signal(s) to indication unit 8 and control organs unit 13 by the control/indication lines, shown in
[0051] The improved methods provide the following operation of the improved wirelessly chargeable ultrasound probe with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card.
[0052] Referring to
[0053] As it is described hereinabove and below, the ultrasound probe chargeable (rechargeable) battery can be charged by the cable (not shown in
[0054] Referring to
[0055] The control signals also follow by the fourth control line 33 from the control organs unit 13 to the indication unit 8 for control of the electronics [e.g., relays, transistors, triggers, etc. (not shown)] of the indication unit 8. The controlling signal(s) (e.g., such as ultrasound image recordation condition/stage, etc.) from microprocessor unit 9 follow by fifth control line 34 to the control organs unit 13. Additionally, the control signals (e.g., alarmed condition of the battery or presence of the charging process, etc.) from wireless charging control circuitry 3 of battery unit 4 follow by the six control line 35 to the control organs unit 13. The control of the ultrasound unit 10 is provided by the seventh control line 52, and the appropriate responses (e.g., “start/end diagnosis”, etc.) can follow by the eighth control line 53 to the control organs unit 13 for further controlling procedures.
[0056] It should be understandable, that the quantity of the control lines and their functional meaning are presented conditionally in the
[0057] Additionally, the control of the ultrasound unit 10 and piezoelectric device 14 can be provided by the control organs unit 13 via microprocessor unit 9, and vice versa. The microprocessor unit 9 also can provide the initial processing of ultrasound information/data and ultrasound images with transmission through the transmission unit 11 and antenna 12 to the central station (not shown) for complete processing of the ultrasound images and displaying them on the display/monitor (not shown) of the central station (not shown), or can provide the full processing of ultrasound information/data and ultrasound images with transmission them to the Smart Device (e.g., Smart Phone, iPad, iPhone, etc.). It should be understandable, that the transmission of ultrasound information/data and images, processed in the improved probe, to the Smart Device can be provided by the cable instead of the wireless transmission, but it still continue teaching of the improved methods and apparatus of the present invention.
[0058] It is also understood, that the ultrasound unit 10 can comprise its own additional microprocessor device/unit (not shown) or any other controller (not shown), etc., and the processing of the ultrasound information/data/images can be provided by either one of them or both of them.
[0059] Also, it is still should be understandable, that some units/circuitries/card(s)/blocks, etc. can be included in the central station (not shown), but it will still continue teaching of this invention.
[0060] The operations with the probe's removable memory card 5 or Smart Device's removable memory card (not shown) are presented in
[0061] As it was described hereinabove, when the card 5 is inserted in the slot 6, the card insertion registration device 7 [which can be represented by a pair of sprang contacts (not shown) or by a push-button mini/micro switch (not shown)] produces a signal indicating the insertion and use of the probe's removable memory card 5. When the card insertion registration device 7 comprises the electrical element(s), for example, such as electrical relay [not shown], etc., then the power supply line 17 from battery unit 4 can be connected to the card insertion registration device 7, as it is shown in
[0062] It should be understandable, that the structures and functions of the units/devices/card/circuitry presented in
[0063] The improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card are significantly needed to provide the ultrasound diagnosis independently from the length of electrical cables and/or from the necessity of the A/C power source presence, and independently from the patient location (e.g. emergency patients in the wild mountain forests areas, in the rural Alaskan or other difficult to approach areas, etc.), etc.
CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION AND SCOPE
[0064] Accordingly the reader will see that, according to the invention, the improved methods and ultrasound apparatus with the wirelessly chargeable battery of the ultrasound probe and with the record of the ultrasound data/images on the removable memory card are provided. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention. In this respect, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of steps, construction/structures and to the arrangements of the components (units/devices, etc.) set forth in the description and/or drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0065] While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but as exemplification of the presently-preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications are possible within the teaching to the invention. For instance, the improved methods and structure(s) can be fully and successfully used in the biology science for research of the specific tissues by ultrasound probes, etc.
[0066] The persons of ordinary skills and/or creativity in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and advantages of the improved methods and ultrasound probe may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
[0067] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, can readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other ultrasound probes, for carrying out the several purpose of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
THE DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0068] 1.—an ultrasound probe; [0069] 2.—a battery; [0070] 3.—a wireless charging control circuitry; [0071] 4.—a battery unit; [0072] 5.—a removable memory card; [0073] 6.—a removable memory card's slot; [0074] 7.—a card insertion registration device; [0075] 8.—an indication unit; [0076] 9.—a microprocessor unit; [0077] 10.—an ultrasound unit; [0078] 11.—a transmission unit; [0079] 12.—an antenna; [0080] 13.—a control organs unit; [0081] 14.—a piezoelectric device; [0082] 15.—a multiplexed bus; [0083] 16.—a first control line; [0084] 17.—a power supply line; [0085] 18, 20-22, 24, 25-27, 29, 30—the algorithm's blocks (