Diagnostic system using an attachable patch-type ultrasound transducer

Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic system according to one embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of ultrasound output patches that can be attached to different body parts; a data receiving unit that receives each of data transmitted from the plurality of ultrasound output patches; a processing unit that processes the data to obtain an imaging result for the body part; and an output unit that outputs the imaging result for the body part, wherein the ultrasound output patch includes a multi-channel ultrasound transducer array configured to output imaging ultrasound toward the body part and receive the imaging ultrasound reflected therefrom; a signal processing module for processing signals transmitted and received by the multi-channel ultrasound transducer array; and a communication module for transmitting the signal processing result obtained by the signal processing module to the data receiving unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a diagnostic system utilizing an attachable patch-type ultrasound transducer, and more particularly, to a system that uses patch-type ultrasound transducers attached to different body parts to obtain imaging results for each body part and diagnoses the presence or absence of a disease based on the imaging results.

[0002] [State-sponsored research and development] This research was conducted under the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Project name: Development of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers for MR compatible multimodal imaging and therapy, Project number: 1711138070). [Background technology]

[0003] Cerebral infarction refers to a condition in which a blockage occurs in the cerebral blood vessels (when a tube that makes up a blood vessel becomes blocked), reducing the amount of blood supplied to the brain, causing brain tissue to stop functioning normally or to die.

[0004] Cerebral infarction is directly related to a decrease in blood flow in the cerebral blood vessels, but research has shown that cerebral infarction patients often have vascular diseases in other organs as well as cerebral blood vessels. For example, research results have been published showing that if a stroke patient's cardiac ultrasound diagnosis reveals left ventricular wall motion abnormality (LVWMA), the stroke recurrence rate is 1.7 times higher. Even if a stroke patient develops a cerebral infarction of unknown cause, by discovering LVWMA in advance, it is possible to predict the high possibility of the patient developing arteriosclerosis.

[0005] As the incidence rates of cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and arteriosclerotic diseases are highly correlated, it is possible to improve the possibility of diagnosing and preventing cerebral infarction by taking not only CT / MRI scans of the patient's cerebral blood vessels but also vascular images of other organs. However, CT / MRI techniques that scan multiple body parts at once are not easy to use on a regular basis due to high costs and side effects from radiation exposure. Therefore, for patients who are at a high risk of developing vascular diseases, it is more preferable to constantly monitor the condition of their blood vessels using an ultrasound diagnostic system that has few side effects and can obtain vascular images in real time.

[0006] Conventional ultrasound-based diagnostic systems observe lesions by contacting an ultrasound probe (a device that obtains images by the time difference between transmitting and receiving ultrasound) with the area to be diagnosed, and it is difficult to observe lesions for a long time because the doctor has to directly hold and move the probe. Also, when trying to comprehensively examine multiple body parts, it is inconvenient and the examination results may be inaccurate because multiple parts must be examined separately with different machines.

[0007] Therefore, there is a demand for a technology that enables comprehensive diagnosis of vascular diseases by simultaneously applying an ultrasound diagnostic system that has almost no side effects and enables real-time monitoring to multiple body parts. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, the present application aims to provide a diagnostic system that can obtain images of each body part (transcranial, carotid artery, heart, peripheral artery, etc.) using an ultrasound output patch that can be attached to a body part, and determine the presence or absence of a disease based on the imaging results of the body part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch according to one embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasound output patches attachable to different body parts; a data receiving unit that receives each data transmitted from the plurality of ultrasound output patches; a processing unit that processes the data to obtain an imaging result for the body part; and an output unit that outputs the imaging result for the body part, wherein the ultrasound output patch includes a multi-channel ultrasound transducer array configured to output imaging ultrasound toward the body part and receive the imaging ultrasound reflected therefrom; a signal processing module for processing signals transmitted and received by the multi-channel ultrasound transducer array; and a communication module for transmitting the signal processing result obtained by the signal processing module to the data receiving unit.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the multi-channel ultrasound transducer array may be integrated on a substrate made of a flexible material that can bend to accommodate bending of the body part.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the processor may use a machine learning algorithm to obtain intravascular imaging results of the body part.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the processor may determine the presence or absence of a disease based on intravascular imaging of the body part.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the processing unit may determine the presence or absence of a disease based on at least one of blood flow, blood pressure, vascular aging, and heart rate variability measured using intravascular imaging results of the body part.

[0014] According to one embodiment, when the processing unit determines that there is a disease, the output unit may also output a warning message regarding the disease.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the processing unit may determine the presence or absence of a disease by comprehensively taking into account the intravascular imaging result of the body part and the intravascular imaging result of a body part different from the body part.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the different body sites may be a transcranial site, a carotid site, a cardiac site, or a peripheral arterial site, respectively. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present application, images of multiple body parts (transcranial, carotid, cardiac, peripheral arteries, etc.) can be simultaneously acquired and output to a terminal via a wearable ultrasound output patch, and the imaging results of each body part can be considered individually or collectively to determine the presence or absence of vascular-related diseases such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, arteriosclerosis, etc., and to predict the possibility of developing such diseases. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings are for describing the embodiments of the present specification and are not for the purpose of limitation. In addition, for the sake of clarity, the expressions of some components in the drawings may be exaggerated or omitted. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an ultrasound output patch applied to multiple body parts of a patient. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an attachable ultrasound output patch according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a process for extracting a vessel segmentation image from an ultrasound Doppler image using a machine learning based processing system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5]1 is a diagram illustrating a process of acquiring blood flow velocity information by processing a spectral Doppler signal using a signal processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a multi-channel ultrasound transducer array that constitutes an attachable ultrasound output patch according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array of FIG. 6 contacts a body part and outputs imaging ultrasonic waves toward a target position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The detailed description of the present application below refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present application may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail for those skilled in the art to practice the present application. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present application, although different from one another, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, a specific shape, structure, and characteristic described herein may be embodied in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. It should also be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the detailed description below is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims, together with the full scope of equivalents that are set forth in the claims, if properly described. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar features across multiple aspects.

[0020] The terms used in this specification are selected as general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions, but these may change depending on the intentions and practices of engineers in this field, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings of these terms will be described in the relevant description of the specification. Therefore, it should be made clear that the terms used in this specification should be interpreted based on the substantial meanings of the terms and the overall content of this specification, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0021] Additionally, the embodiments described herein may have aspects that are entirely hardware, partially hardware and partially software, or entirely software. As used herein, a "unit," "module," "device," "server," or "system" refers to a computer-related entity such as hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or software. For example, a unit, module, device, server, or system may refer to hardware that constitutes part or all of a platform and / or software such as an application for driving the hardware.

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of an ultrasound output patch attached to a plurality of body parts. Referring to Fig. 1, in order to obtain ultrasound images of different body parts (transcranial part, carotid artery part, cardiac part, peripheral artery part, etc.), ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, and 14 are attached to each part, and signal data obtained from the ultrasound output patches is transmitted to a terminal 20 via wireless communication. The terminal 20 obtains and outputs ultrasound imaging results of each body part based on the signal data.

[0024] 2 shows a configuration of a diagnostic system using an attachable ultrasound output patch according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the diagnostic system according to the embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n and a terminal 20 capable of wireless communication with the ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n, and the terminal 20 includes a data receiving unit 210 for receiving data transmitted from the plurality of ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n, a processing unit 220 for processing the data to obtain imaging results for the body part, and an output unit 230 for outputting the imaging results for the body part.

[0025] The multiple ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., ..., 1n may be configured in the form of a thin patch that can be attached to different body parts, but are not limited to a specific form and may also be configured in the form of a wearable device such as a belt or ring that can be worn on a body part.

[0026] 3 shows the configuration of an attachable ultrasound output patch according to an embodiment. Looking at the configuration of a single ultrasound output patch 11, it includes a multi-channel ultrasound transducer array 111 that outputs imaging ultrasound toward a body part and receives the reflected imaging ultrasound, a signal processing module 112 for processing signals transmitted and received by the multi-channel ultrasound transducer array 111, a communication module 113 for transmitting the signal processing results acquired by the signal processing module 112 to the data receiving unit 210 of the terminal 20, a power supply unit 114 for supplying power to components of the ultrasound output patch 11, and a memory unit 115 for storing and reading data required for the operation of the ultrasound output patch 11.

[0027] The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array 111 has a structure in which a plurality of ultrasonic output elements are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array form, and the output intensity and phase of each ultrasonic output element may be controlled through an individual channel. Each ultrasonic output element may be a micro-miniature ultrasonic transducer such as a CMUT (capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer) or a PMUT (piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer), but is not limited thereto, and various ultrasonic output elements such as an ultrasonic transducer using electromagnetic force or photoacoustic effect may be used.

[0028] Each ultrasonic output element outputs high-frequency ultrasonic waves for imaging toward a body part (specifically, toward an area to be monitored, such as a lesion, blood vessel, or tissue inside the body), receives the ultrasonic waves reflected back from the body part, and passes them to the signal processing module 112.

[0029] The signal processing module 112 processes the transmitted and received ultrasonic signals to obtain electronic data. In addition, the signal processing module 112 can perform functions such as controlling the operation of the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array 111 and controlling the operation of the communication module 113. The processed data of the ultrasonic signals may be stored in the memory unit 115.

[0030] The communication module 113 transmits the data acquired by the signal processing module 112 or the data stored in the memory unit 115 to a data receiving unit 210 incorporated in the external terminal 20 via wireless communication. In addition, it can also wirelessly receive external data such as a control signal for the ultrasonic output patch 11 from the terminal 20. As a wireless communication method, any technology such as short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, long-range wireless communication using electromagnetic waves, and optical communication may be used.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the communication module 113 is not incorporated within the ultrasound output patch 11, but may be configured to receive and transmit data via wires from multiple ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n that are wired together, and to communicate wirelessly with the external terminal 20.

[0032] 2 again, the terminal 20 is a device capable of wireless communication with an external device, capable of computing and processing data by a processor, and equipped with an input / output device that provides an interface for interaction with a user. This may include a smartphone, a PC, a tablet, a wearable smart device, etc., but is not limited to a specific device, and each of the components described below may be included in a single device or may be included in other devices connected to each other.

[0033] The data receiving unit 210 receives data transmitted via wireless communication from the multiple ultrasound output patches 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n. As a wireless communication method, any technology such as short-distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, long-distance wireless communication using electromagnetic waves, and optical communication can be used.

[0034] The processing unit 220 processes the ultrasound transmission / reception data to obtain imaging results for each body part (specifically, a part to be monitored, such as a lesion, blood vessel, tissue, etc. in the body). According to one embodiment, the processing unit 220 can obtain intravascular imaging results for each body part using a machine learning algorithm 221.

[0035] 4 illustrates a process of extracting a vascular segmentation image from an ultrasound Doppler image by a machine learning-based processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, a vascular segmentation image (right side) may be obtained by extracting feature points from an ultrasound Doppler image (left side) and separating the background from the foreground. By referring to the size of blood vessels shown in the vascular segmentation image, symptoms that are the basis for diagnosing diseases, such as the degree of aging and blockage of blood vessels in each part, can be found.

[0036] 5 shows a process of acquiring blood flow velocity information by processing a spectral Doppler signal using a signal processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in the figure, blood flow velocity information (right side) over time can be acquired based on the spectral Doppler signal (left side), and secondary information such as blood flow rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability (HRV) can be acquired based on the acquired blood flow velocity information (right side).

[0037] According to an embodiment, the processing unit 220 can determine the presence or absence of a blood vessel-related disease such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, or arteriosclerosis based on the intravascular imaging result of the body part or information such as blood flow rate, blood pressure, vascular aging degree, and heart rate variability measured using the imaging result. For example, if the thickness of the blood vessel is measured to be less than a threshold in a blood vessel segmentation image based on the ultrasound imaging result, or if the measurement results of the blood flow rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability are less than a minimum threshold or more than a maximum threshold, it can be determined that a disease exists or that the possibility of developing a disease is high. Such a determination criterion may be set differently depending on the patient's personal information (age, sex, past medical history, etc.).

[0038] According to an embodiment, the processing unit 220 may determine the presence or absence of a disease by comprehensively considering the intravascular imaging results of a plurality of different body parts. A patient who has a vascular disease in a specific part is likely to have abnormal symptoms in blood vessels in other parts distant from the specific part. For example, cerebral infarction patients often have vascular diseases in not only the brain blood vessels but also other organs, and there are statistics that show that the recurrence rate of stroke is high when abnormalities are found in the results of cardiac ultrasound diagnosis (narrow area of ​​cardiac blood vessels, reduced blood flow, increased blood pressure, etc.). Therefore, for accurate diagnosis, imaging results of not only the specific body part but also other body parts may be comprehensively considered. For example, when diagnosing the presence or absence of cerebral infarction, not only cerebrovascular imaging results but also cardiovascular imaging results may be considered. At this time, different weights may be assigned to the imaging results of each body part depending on the type of disease to be determined. The weights may be set differently depending on the distance between each body part, the patient's age, sex, past medical history, and the degree of influence on a specific disease.

[0039] The output unit 230 can output the imaging results for each body part acquired by the processing unit 220, and may be configured to output a warning message for a disease when the processing unit 220 determines that there is a disease. The output result may be output via a display device such as a display provided in the terminal 20.

[0040] Hereinafter, the structure of a patch-type ultrasonic transducer that can be brought into close contact with a body part will be described with reference to Figs.

[0041] 6 shows a cross section of a multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array constituting an attachable ultrasonic output patch according to an embodiment. The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array 111 according to the embodiment may be integrated on a substrate 1110 made of a flexible material that can bend according to the bending of a body part.

[0042] A process for manufacturing the ultrasonic transducer array 111 according to an embodiment will be briefly described as follows.

[0043] First, a flexible material layer 1111 is formed on a substrate 1110 made of a flexible material. The flexible substrate 1110 and the material layer 1111 may be made of an elastic polymer such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane, polyester, or a mixture thereof. According to an embodiment, the substrate 1110 is made of a material having a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the material layer 1111, and an ultrasound output patch having a curvature can be manufactured by bending when heated during the manufacturing process.

[0044] Next, an ultrasonic output element 1212 is disposed on the flexible material layer 1111. As described above, the ultrasonic output element 1212 may be a micro-miniature ultrasonic transducer such as a CMUT or PMUT, but is not limited thereto.

[0045] Next, to protect the ultrasonic output elements 1112, a masking process is performed using a material such as photoresist, and then the flexible material layer 1111 is etched to form a plurality of trench structures. After removing the mask, the flexible material layer 1111 and the ultrasonic output elements 1112 are covered with a material 1113 made of another elastic polymer, and heated to fabricate the ultrasonic transducer array 111 having a flexible structure. The thickness T of the ultrasonic transducer array 111 is on the order of several mm, and has a very thin patch shape.

[0046] Figure 7 shows how the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array of Figure 6 contacts a body part and outputs imaging ultrasonic waves toward a target position. As shown in the figure, the ultrasonic transducer array 111 is made of a flexible material and can be attached to the skin, and the ultrasonic output element 1112 outputs imaging ultrasonic waves toward a target position O such as a lesion, blood vessel, or tissue inside the body. By using such a flexible patch-type ultrasonic transducer, long-term ultrasonic monitoring is possible without the patient feeling a foreign body sensation, making it possible to grasp the internal condition and the presence or absence of disease in real time.

[0047] According to the above-mentioned ultrasound diagnostic system, images of multiple body parts (transcranial, carotid, cardiac, peripheral arteries, etc.) can be simultaneously acquired via a wearable ultrasound output patch and output to a terminal. The imaging results of each body part can be considered individually or collectively to determine the presence or absence of vascular-related diseases such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and arteriosclerosis, and to predict the possibility of developing such diseases.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described with reference to examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] The present application provides a diagnostic system that utilizes an ultrasound output patch that can be attached to a body part to obtain images of each body part (transcranial, carotid, cardiac, peripheral arteries, etc.) and can determine the presence or absence of disease based on the imaging results of the body part.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present application, images of multiple body parts (transcranial, carotid, cardiac, peripheral arteries, etc.) can be simultaneously acquired and output to a terminal via a wearable ultrasound output patch, and the imaging results of each body part can be considered individually or collectively to determine the presence or absence of vascular-related diseases such as cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, arteriosclerosis, etc., and to predict the possibility of developing such diseases.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch, A plurality of ultrasound-emitting patches that can be applied to different body locations; a data receiving unit for receiving each of the data transmitted from the plurality of ultrasonic output patches; a processor for processing the data to obtain imaging results for the body part; and an output unit that outputs an imaging result for the body part; The ultrasound output patch is a multi-channel ultrasound transducer array configured to transmit imaging ultrasound waves toward the body part and receive reflected imaging ultrasound waves; a signal processing module for processing signals transmitted and received by the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array; and A diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch, comprising: a communication module for transmitting signal processing results acquired by the signal processing module to the data receiving unit.

2. The diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch as described in claim 1, characterized in that the multi-channel ultrasound transducer array is integrated on a substrate made of a flexible material that can bend in accordance with the bending of the body part.

3. The diagnostic system using an attachable ultrasound output patch according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit obtains intravascular imaging results of the body part using a machine learning algorithm.

4. The diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch according to claim 3 , wherein the processing unit determines the presence or absence of a disease based on a result of intravascular imaging of the body part.

5. The diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch according to claim 4, characterized in that the processing unit determines the presence or absence of a disease based on at least one of blood flow, blood pressure, degree of vascular aging, and heart rate variability measured using intravascular imaging results of the body part.

6. 6. The diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch according to claim 5, wherein the output unit also outputs a warning message regarding a disease when the processing unit determines that a disease is present.

7. The diagnostic system utilizing an attachable ultrasound output patch as described in claim 4, characterized in that the processing unit determines the presence or absence of a disease by comprehensively taking into consideration the intravascular imaging results of the body part and the intravascular imaging results of a body part other than the body part.

8. The diagnostic system using an attachable ultrasound output patch according to claim 1 , wherein the different body parts are a transcranial part, a carotid artery part, a cardiac part, or a peripheral artery part, respectively.

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