IP Verse

Modular Portable Ultrasound Systems

Patent No. US11675073 (titled "Modular Portable Ultrasound Systems") was filed by Plf 2025-A Lp on Nov 21, 2018.

What is this patent about?

’073 is related to the field of portable ultrasound imaging systems. Traditional ultrasound systems are bulky, consisting of a handheld probe connected via cables to a large console. This makes them difficult to transport and use in various settings. The patent addresses the need for a lightweight, high-resolution, and easily connectable portable ultrasound system.

The underlying idea behind ’073 is to integrate the core ultrasound processing components into a compact, portable unit that can be easily connected to a handheld transducer. This involves miniaturizing the beamforming circuitry and integrating it with a display and user interface in a single housing. The system also incorporates a method for automatically identifying the connected transducer and adjusting system parameters accordingly.

The claims of ’073 focus on a portable ultrasound imaging system featuring a handheld display and image processor housing. This housing contains a computer running an ultrasound application, a touch screen graphical user interface , a beamformer, memory, and a battery. The system includes a base assembly for detachable mounting and a cart with a wheel assembly. A key aspect is the automatic identification of the connected transducer and adjustment of system parameters based on the selected transducer and anatomical structure.

In practice, the user connects a transducer to the portable processing unit. The system automatically identifies the transducer type using an identification chip and retrieves pre-programmed settings. The user can then select an anatomical structure to be imaged, further refining the automatically set imaging parameters. The touch screen interface allows for intuitive control of the imaging process, and the integrated display provides immediate feedback.

’073 differentiates itself from prior approaches by integrating the display, processing unit, and beamformer into a single portable device. This contrasts with traditional systems that rely on a separate, large console. The automatic transducer identification and parameter adjustment feature also simplifies operation and ensures consistent image quality, reducing the need for extensive user training. The lever-actuated connector provides a robust and user-friendly connection mechanism, minimizing strain on the electrical contacts.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2000s when ’073 was filed, ultrasound systems typically included a hand-held probe connected via cables to a large, rack-mounted console. At a time when signal processing was typically implemented using dedicated hardware within the console, constraints made miniaturization and portability non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner allowed the claims because, while a prior art reference (Brock-Fisher) disclosed a computer configured to operate a transducer identification program, it did not disclose adjusting system operation based on automatically set transducer parameters when a user selects an anatomical structure for imaging. The examiner found no reason to combine the cited references to incorporate this feature before the filing date.

Claims

This patent includes 55 claims, with independent claims 1, 26, and 41. The independent claims are generally directed to handheld ultrasound imaging systems and devices that incorporate a portable processing unit with an integrated touch screen display and transducer identification capabilities. The dependent claims generally add further details, features, or limitations to the independent claims, such as specific components, functionalities, or configurations of the ultrasound system and its elements.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Automatically set transducer parameters
(Claim 1)		“A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a circuit that identifies the type of transducer array that has been connected to the housing. The circuit can be a single integrated circuit contained in the housing connector module that communicates with the processor and can include a memory storing calibration data for each probe.”Imaging parameters that are automatically configured based on the identified transducer.
Handheld display and image processor housing
(Claim 1)		“The system and method of the present invention includes a hand held transducer probe that is connected by wire or wireless connection to a lightweight processing unit including a housing and internal circuitry for processing signals received from the probe. In a preferred embodiment the processing unit housing includes a display and manual and/or virtual controls that can control the display and processor operation, and a battery providing power to the processor housing and the transducer array.”A portable enclosure that contains both a display and image processing capabilities for ultrasound imaging.
Integrated touch screen display
(Claim 26, Claim 41)		“In a preferred embodiment the processing unit housing includes a display and manual and/or virtual controls that can control the display and processor operation, and a battery providing power to the processor housing and the transducer array.”A display screen that is part of the handheld portable processing unit and allows user interaction through touch.
Transducer identification program segment
(Claim 1, Claim 26, Claim 41)		“A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a circuit that identifies the type of transducer array that has been connected to the housing. The circuit can be a single integrated circuit contained in the housing connector module that communicates with the processor and can include a memory storing calibration data for each probe. The display screen will display probe type information for the user.”A software component that automatically detects which transducer assembly is connected to the system.
Ultrasound beamformer processing circuit
(Claim 26, Claim 41)		“In the receive mode, beamforming circuits of the processing circuitry introduce the appropriate delay into each low-level electrical signal from the transducers to dynamically focus the signals such that an accurate image can subsequently be generated.”A circuit that performs beamforming on ultrasound signals to generate an image.

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US11675073

PLF 2025-A LP
Application Number
US16197754
Filing Date
Nov 21, 2018
Status
Expired
Expiry Date
Feb 14, 2028
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents