Ultrasonic Imaging Device with Pressure Reducing Unit for Breast Shape Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses for breast cancer screening face challenges in maintaining a consistent breast shape during imaging, leading to variations in tomogram quality and diagnostic accuracy due to operator-dependent probe contact strength and angle, and the difficulty in distinguishing between malignant and benign tumors.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic imaging device with a container that uses a pressure reducing unit to maintain the breast shape close to a predetermined shape by creating a negative pressure environment, allowing for consistent imaging and improved diagnostic accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a breast is immersed in a water tank for ultrasonic imaging, then imaging time is reduced and operator dependency is eliminated, but the breast shape becomes unstable and varies between measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterpressure from the water tank to counterbalance the deformation forces acting on the breast. By controlling the water pressure, the system maintains the breast in a stable, predetermined shape during imaging, preventing the shape instability that occurs with free immersion while still enabling rapid automated imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the imaging environment by controlling water temperature and pressure in the tank. These parameter changes affect the mechanical properties of breast tissue, helping to maintain a stable, reproducible shape during imaging while allowing automated scanning to proceed efficiently.
2Measurement precision
If a probe is used for breast imaging, then detailed tomograms can be acquired, but the contact strength and angle vary between operators leading to inconsistent results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the operator from the imaging process by replacing manual probe operation with automated ultrasonic scanning. The water tank environment allows automated transducers to scan the breast from multiple angles without requiring operator skill, eliminating the variability in contact strength and angle while maintaining high imaging quality through systematic automated acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-imaging by using automated ultrasonic transducers that scan the breast independently without human intervention. The water tank provides a stable medium for automated scanning, allowing the system to acquire high-quality tomograms consistently without relying on operator skill or manual probe manipulation.
3Strength
If the breast is deformed during imaging, then contact with the probe is improved, but the measured shape does not represent the natural state and reproducibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an equipotential environment by immersing the breast in water, which provides uniform support and eliminates the need for asymmetric probe pressure to achieve contact. The water medium ensures consistent contact across the entire breast surface during automated scanning, maintaining natural shape while enabling reliable imaging without localized deformation from probe pressure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device ensures high accuracy in measuring breast shape and detecting minute differences in tumor masses over time, enhancing diagnostic reliability and reproducibility of tomograms.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure reducing unit that holds the target region in the container by reducing a pressure in the container
Implementation Method 2
a transmission/reception unit that transmits ultrasound to the target region inserted into the container and receives the ultrasound (a penetrated wave, a reflected wave, and the like) that is scattered from the target region
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic imaging device according to the present invention includes: a container provided with an opening for inserting a target region of a subject; and a transmission/reception unit that transmits ultrasound to the target region inserted into the container filled with a liquid and receives the ultrasound that penetrates the target region or is reflected from the target region. The container has a pressure reducing unit that holds the target region in the container by reducing a pressure in the container of which the opening is covered with the target region. According to the present invention, since it is possible to maintain a shape close to a predetermined shape when the target region of a breast or the like is inserted into a container filled with the liquid, it is possible to measure the target region with high accuracy by transmitting and receiving ultrasound.