U-systems, Inc.

Other

General Electric Company

Douglas G Summers

Jiayu Chen

Shih-Ping Wang

Tor Collins Anderson

Wei Zhang

Thomas Neff

Zengpin Yu

Tommy Earl Cupples

Michael E Reed

Jeanine M Rader

An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue sample are described, the apparatus comprising an ultrasound transducer and a membranous sheet, the membranous sheet compressing the tissue sample, the ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet and ultrasonically scanning the tissue sample therethrough, wherein the membranous sheet has a generally arcuate shape and the ultrasound transducer is movable in a generally arcuate trajectory therealong during the ultrasonic scan. Also described is an apparatus for facilitating a medical procedure, comprising a membranous sheet compressing a tissue sample, an ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet to ultrasonically scan the tissue sample therethrough, and a biopsy guide operably coupled to the ultrasound transducer for maintaining a biopsy instrument in a scan plane of the ultrasound transducer to facilitate a percutaneous biopsy of a lesion located in the scan plane.

Ultrasound scanning and ultrasound-assisted biopsy

Various methods and systems are provided for a removable transducer module having memory. In one example, a transducer module for an ultrasound imaging system comprises a casing configured to fit into a module receiver of the ultrasound imaging system, an array of transducer elements, and a non-transitory memory configured to store at least one of usage data and specification data for the transducer module.

Method and systems for a removable transducer with memory of an automated breast ultrasound system

Various methods and systems are provided for imaging a tissue. In one example, a system comprises an adjustable arm, a scanning assembly attached to a first end of the adjustable arm, a counterweight coupled to a second end of the adjustable arm, and a weight adjustment system coupled to the counterweight and configured to modify an effective weight of the scanning assembly.

Method and systems for weight adjustment of an automated breast ultrasound system

An apparatus and a method are disclosed for obtaining ultrasound images of a patient's breast that is chestwardly compressed with a template that is essentially planar and rotates relative to the breast while one or more ultrasound transducers moving with the template take 2D images of the breast through one or more respective radially oriented slots in the template, preferably through a membrane that is porous to a gel. The 2D images are processed into slice images representing breast slices of desired thicknesses and orientation that are displayed alone or with some of the 2D images, preferably pairs of orthogonally disposed 2D images.

Breast ultrasound scanning device

Versatile ultrasound scanning of a breast is described using an apparatus () including a hand-manipulable compression/scanning assembly (). The compression/scanning assembly () comprises an ultrasound transducer () and a compressive member comprising an at least partially conformable membrane () in a substantially taut state, the membrane () having a first surface compressing the breast in a generally chestward direction and a second surface opposite the first surface. The compression/scanning assembly () further comprises a transducer translation mechanism coupled to the ultrasound transducer () and configured to sweep the ultrasound transducer across the second surface of the membrane to scan the breast while compressed in the generally chestward direction. Systemized and/or standardized ultrasonic scanning of a breast based on hand-manipulable scanners () having substantially planar scanning surfaces is also described.

Versatile breast ultrasound scanning

Apparatus and related methods for facilitating volumetric ultrasonic scanning of a breast are described. In one preferred embodiment, a generally cone-shaped radial scanning template having a vertex and a wide opening angle is provided, the radial scanning template having a slot-like opening extending outward from the vertex through which an ultrasound transducer scans the breast as the radial scanning template is rotated. In another preferred embodiment, a flexible membrane for compressing a skin surface of the breast is provided, the flexible membrane being mounted on a mechanical assembly such as a roller assembly to form a slot-like opening through which an ultrasound transducer directly contacts the skin surface, the flexible membrane rising and falling relative to the skin surface but not moving laterally as the slot-like opening and ultrasound transducer move laterally across the compressed breast, whereby stabilization of the breast and direct transducer-skin contact are concurrently achieved.

Breast ultrasound scanning template

Navigation among breast ultrasound volumes derived from different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast is described. On a display of a breast ultrasound workstation, a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume is displayed. A user election of a source region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume is identified that at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue in the breast as the source ROI. A second image derived from the second ultrasonic volume and including the destination ROI is displayed, the destination ROI being highlighted.

Breast ultrasound examination including scanning through chestwardly compressing membrane and processing and displaying acquired ultrasound image information

An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue volume are described, the apparatus being particularly advantageous in the context of freehand ultrasound assisted biopsy of the breast although readily applied to non-biopsy contexts and other body parts. The apparatus comprises a casing configured and dimensioned for single-handed manipulation relative to a surface of the tissue, and a texturably couplant-porous material sheet extending across an opening of the casing. The texturably couplant-porous material sheet has an outer side and an inner side relative to the casing, the outer side for compressively contacting the tissue surface. The apparatus further comprises an ultrasound transducer positioned against the inner side of the texturably couplant-porous material sheet and being mechanically translatable thereacross for volumetrically scanning the tissue volume therethrough.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Douglas G Summers