Florida Atlantic University

New York Institute of Technology

Adalberto Vara

John W Marcinka

William E Glenn

Robert L Dhein

Albert Vara

A technique for producing electronic video signals representative of color images of a scene includes use of a regular CCD for the color channel and a back-thinned CCD for a luminance channel; a technique for deriving blue and reconstructing full resolution R, G, B from full resolution white and a red and green checkerboard pattern; and a technique for deriving an automatic gain control signal using an unshielded white area on the CCD to obtain a white reference.

Color video camera for film origination with color sensor and luminance sensor

The PC based ultrasound system utilizes a standard PC central processing unit or CPU (an Intel 486 processor or better), standard PC memory storage and retrieval components, a scan conversion board and a video processing board, all disposed and electronically linked to the bus in the computer. Additionally, the analog drive and return scan video signals are sent to and received from a video processing and motor control unit. The video processing and motor control unit is coupled to an ultrasound scan lead or probe. The virtual control user interface for the ultrasound system includes a software driven display obtained from memory. The software driven display reveals images representative of hardware control configurations for many different ultrasound processors. The images provided by the software driven display include: gain control tactile user interfaces, image enhancement control tactile user interfaces, focus control tactile user interface, multiple menu levels for gain control, image enhancement, and focus controls. In a further embodiment, the virtual control user interface is used in conjunction with a touch sensitive user input screen and the virtual control user interface includes a touch screen input command converter responsive to a user's touch on the touch sensitive display monitor to convert the tactile input into software commands. Other features include the ability to recall previously scanned ultrasound images, annotate recently acquired ultrasound images, preferably in color, electronically transfer the images to other peripheral computer equipment, and display a checklist for medical protocol involved in the ultrasound medical techniques. The medical protocol is loaded as pull down or pop up menu available to the user.

PC based ultrasound device with virtual control user interface

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus for determining position in a data space. A generally flat tablet is provided, the tablet being formed of a solid acoustically-conductive material. A movable element, such as a stylus, is adapted to be manually movable over the tablet surface, the movable element having a tapered tip which contacts the surface of the tablet. An acoustic transducer is coupled to the tip of the movable element. Fixed transducer means are coupled to the tablet. Means are provided for energizing acoustic energy to propagate in either direction between the transducer of the movable element and the fixed transducer means. The midrange frequency of the energy is selected such that the wavelength of the energy mode propagating parallel to the tablet surface is a function of the tablet thickness. Means are provided for determining the time of propagation of the acoustic energy travelling, in either direction, between the transducer of the movable element and the fixed transducer means. Each time of propagation is indicative of a coordinate position of the movable element. In the preferred embodiment, the tablet is formed of plastic and the fixed transducer means are strips of piezoelectric plastic. In this embodiment, the tip of the stylus is horn-shaped and the material of the tip has an acoustic impedance which is between the acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric transducer and the acoustic impedance of the tablet material. This further facilitates coupling of acoustic energy between the stylus tip and the tablet. In a form of the disclosure, means are provided for determining the amplitude of the acoustic energy which has propagated through the tablet. The pressure of the stylus tip on the tablet controls the amplitude of transmitted or received (as the case may be) acoustic energy. Accordingly, the stylus pressure can be determined from the measured amplitude. The writing pressure can be used to convey information such as the thickness of lines being hand drawn. Adjustment of the amplitude based on the distance travelled through the tablet is achieved using a time-gain compensation technique.

Growing community of inventors

Lighthouse Point, FL, United States of America

John W Marcinka