Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Atl Ultrasound, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Andrew Lee Robinson

James Robertson Jago

Gary Cheng-How Ng

Lars Jonas Olsson

Kenneth R Linkhart

Paul Wittrock

Wojtek Sudol

Vijay Parthasarathy

Richard Edward Davidsen

James Christopher Taylor

Jochen Kruecker

Bernard Joseph Savord

John Douglas Fraser

Douglas Allen Stanton

Brent Stephen Robinson

Paul Ross Detmer

Steven Russell Freeman

Michael Scarsella

Boyd Edmondson

Gary Lee Andrews

David N Roundhill

Vijay Thakur Shamdasani

Antonia Cornelia Van Rens

Christopher Stephen Hall

Robert Randall Entrekin

Dennis Dean Clark

Darwin Philip Adams

Jeffrey Scott Hart

Scott Owen Schweizer

Shon Schmidt

Timothy Fred Nordgren

Richard Davidsen

Alexander Ulrich Douglas

Xidong Chen

Haifeng Wang

Susan Gay Heller

Richard Edward Davidson

Michael Scarsela

Ahmed Morsy

The invention is directed to an ultrasound probe () configured to be operatively coupled to a cable (), the cable () comprising a plurality of lanes adapted to carry signals between the ultrasound probe () and a data processing unit, which is adapted to process the signals, in particular to beamform the signals and to reconstruct ultrasound images of an imaging region. The ultrasonic probe () comprises a transducer head comprising a plurality of transducer elements, which are adapted to insonify the imaging region according to an insonification scheme and to receive ultrasound signals, and a controller adapted to, responsive to the information of a faulty lane from a fault detection module adapted to detect integrity of each of the plurality of lanes, redistribute and/or reconfigure the signals carried by the faulty lane onto one or more of the non-faulty lanes.

Ultrasound probe connected via a cable

An ultrasonic transducer probe comprises an array transducer and a microbeamformer ASIC () containing transmit amplifiers and receive circuitry for operation of the array transducer. For higher power operation, the drive current of the amplifiers is increased, rather than the transmit voltage. The elements of the array present a low impedance to the transmit amplifiers for increased drive current by their construction of thin layers () of piezoelectric material which are electrically coupled in parallel to an amplifier while being mechanically coupled in series for ultrasound transmission.

High power microbeamformer ultrasound transducer probe

Ultrasound imaging systems are provided. An ultrasound system according to some embodiments includes a console configured to selectively communicate with a first ultrasound imaging device and a second ultrasound imaging device. The console includes a housing, a computing device disposed within the housing, and a connector receptacle assembly coupled to the housing. The connector receptacle assembly includes a first connector bank including a first plurality of electrical connections; and a second connector bank including a second plurality of electrical connections. The connector receptacle assembly is selectively matable to a first connector of the first ultrasound imaging device via only the first connector bank and to a second connector of the second ultrasound imaging device via the first and second connector banks.

Connectors for ultrasound imaging system

An ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound probe housing and one or more ultrasound transducers disposed in the ultrasound probe housing. A dosimeter or ionizing radiation detector is disposed in or attached to the ultrasound probe housing. An alarm device receives radiation dose or radiation exposure data acquired by the dosimeter or ionizing radiation detector. The alarm device includes an electronic processor programmed to detect excessive radiation dose or radiation exposure received by the ultrasound probe based on the radiation dose or radiation exposure data acquired by the dosimeter or ionizing radiation detector, and output an alarm warning of the detection of excessive radiation dose or radiation exposure received by the ultrasound probe. In some embodiments, the dosimeter is a one-time use dosimeter that is not resettable.

Real time dosimetry of ultrasound imaging probe

An ultrasound system includes a 3D imaging probe and a needle guide which attaches to the probe for guidance of needle insertion into a volumetric region which can be scanned by the 3D imaging probe. The needle guide responds to the insertion of a needle through the guide by identifying a plane for scanning by the probe which is the insertion plane through which the needle will pass during insertion. The orientation of the insertion plane is communicated to the probe to cause the probe to scan the identified plane and produce images of the needle as it travels through the insertion plane.

Ultrasonically guided biopsies in three dimensions

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system comprising an ultrasound probe having a transducer array configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit configured to generate a B-mode volume based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit configured to provide a current B-mode image based on the B-mode volume. The system further comprises a memory configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map. Also, the system comprises a registration unit configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map to the B-mode volume and to select a portion of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image. Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image based on the current B-mode image and the selected portion of the 3D-vessel map. The present invention further relates to a method for providing such ultrasound image with vessel information and a corresponding computer program.

Ultrasound imaging system and method for image guidance procedure

Ultrasound probe

A microbeamformer integrated circuit has sixty-lour microbeaauCormer channels which may be utilized with a 64-element or 128-element array transducer. Each microbeamformer channel includes a transmitter, a plurality of connection points for selectively coupling the transmitter to one or more transducer elements, a transmit/receive switch coupled to an output of the transmitter, and a receive channel including a variable delay. The connection points may be configured with only one connection point coupled to a transducer element, two connection points coupled to the same transducer element, or multiple connection points coupled to multiple transducer elements. The transmitter may also comprise a separate pulser coupled to each connection point. The receive channels are grouped in groups of sixteen which may be selectively coupled to one of two channel drivers to provide partially beamformed signals to the channels of a system beamformer.

Configurable microbeamformer circuit for an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system

A matrix array probe including a transducer array and integrated circuitry coupled to the transducer elements dissipates heat generated by the array and integrated circuitry through the cover of the transducer probe. A pump in the probe connector pumps fluid through a closed loop system including inbound an outbound fluid conduits in the cable. The fluid conduits in the cable are separated by the cable electrical conductors for the probe. The heat transfer in the probe is done by a heat exchanger in the transducer backing block. Additional cooling may be provided by metal to metal contact with a chiller in the ultrasound system.

Ultrasonic matrix array probe with thermally dissipating cable and backing block heat exchange

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system () comprising an ultrasound probe () having a transducer array () configured to provide an ultrasound receive signal. The system further comprises a B-mode volume processing unit () configured to generate a B-mode volume () based on the ultrasound receive signal, and a B-mode image processing unit () configured to provide a current B-mode image () based on the B-mode volume (). The system further comprises a memory () configured to store a previously acquired 3D-vessel map (). Also, the system comprises a registration unit () configured to register the previously acquired 3D-vessel map () to the B-mode volume () and to select a portion () of the 3D-vessel map corresponding to the current B-mode image (). Further, the system comprises a display configured to display an ultrasound image () based on the current B-mode image () and the selected portion () of the 3D-vessel map (). The present invention further relates to a method for providing such ultrasound image with vessel information and a corresponding computer program.

The present invention relates to a pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell () comprising a substrate () comprising a first electrode (), a membrane () comprising a second electrode (), wherein the cell has an outer region () where the membrane () is mounted to the substrate () and an inner region () inside or surrounded by the outer region (), wherein the membrane () is collapsed to the substrate () in a first collapsed annular-shaped region () located within the inner region ().

Pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell with annular-shaped collapsed region

An ultrasound system includes a 3D imaging probe and a needle guide which attaches to the probe for guidance of the insertion of multiple needles into a volumetric region which can be scanned by the 3D imaging probe. The needle guide responds to the insertion of a needle through the guide by identifying a plane for scanning by the probe which is the insertion plane through which the needle will pass during insertion. The orientation of the insertion plane is communicated to the probe to cause the probe to scan the identified plane and produce images of the needle as it travels through the insertion plane.

Ultrasonic guidance of multiple invasive devices in three dimensions

A matrix array probe including a transducer array and integrated circuitry coupled to the transducer elements dissipates heat generated by the array and integrated circuitry through the cover of the transducer probe. A pump in the probe connector pumps fluid through a closed loop system including inbound an outbound fluid conduits in the cable. The fluid conduits in the cable are separated by the cable electrical conductors for the probe. The heat transfer in the probe is done by a heat exchanger in the probe spaceframe or transducer stack backing block and may use a Peltier device. Additional cooling may be provided by metal to metal contact with a chiller in the ultrasound system.

Ultrasonic matrix array probe with thermally dissipating cable

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Andrew Lee Robinson