Network-based ultrasound imaging system

Inventors

Call, Josef R. • Davis, Henry A. • Smith, David M. • Specht, David J. • Le, Viet Nam • McHardy, Lang J. • DIGIOVANNI, II, Joseph James • Osborn, Nathan W. • RITZI, Bruce R.

Abstract

Systems and methods for network-based ultrasound imaging are provided, which can include a number of features. In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system images an object with three-dimensional unfocused pings and obtains digital sample sets from a plurality of receiver elements. A sub-set of the digital sample sets can be electronically transferred to a remote server, where the sub-set can be beamformed to produce a series of two-dimensional image frames. A video stream made up of the series of two-dimensional images frames can then be transferred from the remote server to a display device.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to transmitting an unfocused three-dimensional ping into an object from a transmitter element of a transducer array in a data capture device, receiving echoes from one or more reflectors with a plurality of receiver elements, and converting analog signals into a dataset of digital sample sets from all the receiver elements. The data capture device performs local beamforming and image generation with first beamforming and image generation parameters to generate a first ultrasound image, and displays the first ultrasound image to a first operator of the data capture device.

The invention further includes communicating at least a portion of the dataset of digital sample sets to a network-based image generation system, and beamforming the dataset remotely with second beamforming and image generation parameters different than the first beamforming and image generation parameters to generate a second ultrasound image. The network-based image generation system then displays the second ultrasound image to a second operator of the network-based image generation system.

In example architectures, the data capture device stores raw un-beamformed echo data from transmit and receive elements, and the remote server performs beamforming and voxel formation to generate series of two-dimensional image frames. The disclosed operation supports live imaging mode with reduced data communicated, and high quality data capture mode where full digital sample sets are stored and later transferred for near real-time or time-shifted higher-quality re-beamforming, including selecting sample subsets using image windows or slicing planes, and combining image layers.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim is a method claim that includes local beamforming and operator display at the data capture device, communication of a dataset to a network-based image generation system, and remote beamforming with different parameters to generate and display a second ultrasound image. The dependent claims specify multiple inventive ways to implement differences between the first and second beamforming and image generation parameters, and include constraints on preserving what the first operator sees.

Across the independent method claim and its dependents, the core coverage is end-to-end transmission of unfocused 3D ping-derived digital sample sets from local acquisition to a network-based image generation system, enabling local beamforming to produce and display a first image, then remote beamforming with different parameters to produce and display a second image, with parameter-difference mechanisms including pan window, weighting factors, image layer combining algorithms, and speed-of-sound values, while also maintaining that remote beamforming does not change the first image shown to the first operator.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications