Ultrasonic Probe Frame Adjustment for Wireless Display Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless ultrasound systems, fluctuations in communication bands lead to incomplete transmission of ultrasound images in real-time, resulting in omitted frames during live mode, which cannot be correctly displayed in freeze mode, causing discontinuities in the time-axis display.

Innovation Solution

The ultrasound system includes a probe with a transducer array, a transmission and reception circuit, and a frame adjustment unit that omits or adjusts image data transmission based on wireless band fluctuations, storing image information data in a probe-side cine-memory and transmitting it to an information terminal for display, ensuring continuous and correct time-axis display in freeze mode.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If ultrasound images are transmitted in real-time during live mode, then mobility and operability are improved, but frame omission occurs due to wireless communication fluctuations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility and operabilityVSAvoidframe transmission completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The probe-side cine-memory stores ultrasound image data in advance before wireless transmission to the information terminal. This preliminary storage ensures that even if wireless communication fluctuates during live mode, the complete frame data is preserved and can be transmitted without omission, resolving the contradiction between real-time transmission and frame completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If all ultrasound image frames are stored in probe-side cine-memory, then complete freeze mode display is achieved, but memory capacity requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefreeze mode display completenessVSAvoidmemory capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and transmits only the necessary frame data from the probe-side cine-memory to the information terminal during freeze mode. By selectively transmitting only the required frames rather than storing and managing all frames locally, the probe-side memory capacity requirements are reduced while still achieving complete freeze mode display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If wireless transmission bandwidth is increased to prevent frame omission, then transmission reliability improves, but system complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage data transmission reliabilityVSAvoidwireless communication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By storing image data in probe-side cine-memory before transmission, the system prepares data in advance for efficient batch transmission. This approach allows using standard wireless bandwidth without requiring high-speed transmission infrastructure, thereby avoiding increased system complexity and energy consumption while maintaining transmission reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

This solution allows for the continuous and correct display of ultrasound images along the time-axis in freeze mode by adjusting and transmitting image data, improving operability and reducing memory requirements in the probe-side cine-memory.

Implementation Method 1

an ultrasound probe with a built-in transducer array... causes the ultrasound probe to transmit an ultrasound beam toward a subject, receives an ultrasound echo from the subject by the ultrasound probe

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Implementation Method 2

a transmission and reception circuit that causes the transducer array to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and performs reception focusing processing on a reception signal output from the transducer array that has received an ultrasound echo to generate a sound ray signal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic reception and signal processing: Ultrasound

Data Source

PatentEP4029454B1Ultrasonic system and method for controlling ultrasonic system
Publication Date: 2024.10.30 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP4029454B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4029454B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4029454B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An image information data generation unit generates image information data on the basis of a sound ray signal generated by a transmission and reception circuit of an ultrasound probe, and the image information data generated by the image information data generation unit is stored in a probe-side cine-memory. In a case where a freeze mode is designated, the past image information data stored in the probe-side cine-memory is wirelessly transmitted from the probe-side wireless communication circuit, and a display control unit displays an ultrasound image on a monitor on the basis of the past image information data received by a terminal-side wireless communication circuit.