Portable Ultrasound Tablet with Touchscreen Interface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical ultrasound imaging equipment is bulky, difficult to transport, and challenging to maintain sterility due to its keyboard and knob interfaces, which are not user-friendly and often complicated to use, especially in portable and field settings.
Innovation Solution
A portable medical ultrasound imaging system with a tablet form factor featuring a multi-touch touchscreen interface, allowing for gesture-based control and eliminating the need for traditional keyboards or knobs, along with a graphical processing unit for machine learning applications and data processing, enabling efficient operation and data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional medical ultrasound imaging equipment uses traditional keyboards and knobs for user input, then it provides comprehensive control functionality, but it becomes bulky and difficult to keep clean in hospital and field environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional keyboard and knob components from the ultrasound system, extracting the physical input interface entirely. This is replaced with a touchscreen display that integrates all control functions into a flat, cleanable surface, directly resolving the contradiction between comprehensive control and ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical input devices (keyboards and knobs) with a touchscreen interface that uses capacitive sensing technology. This replacement eliminates moving parts and uneven surfaces while maintaining full control functionality, addressing both the cleanliness and complexity issues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional medical ultrasound imaging equipment uses keyboards and knobs, then it provides detailed control options, but it becomes complicated to use and difficult to maintain sterility
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen display serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays ultrasound images, provides control interfaces for all imaging parameters, and enables user input through touch gestures. This multi-functional integration maintains comprehensive control versatility while simplifying the user interface to a single, easy-to-clean surface.
3Weight of moving object
If medical ultrasound equipment is made portable with tablet form factor, then it becomes easy to transport, but it requires advanced processing capabilities for machine learning applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ultrasound processing engine, machine learning algorithms, and display interface into a single integrated tablet device. This merging of previously separate components (ultrasound system, computer, and display) into one portable unit achieves both portability and advanced processing capabilities through component integration and shared resources.
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 system provides a user-friendly, portable, and sterile interface for medical personnel to perform ultrasound imaging and monitoring, allowing for remote access and real-time data acquisition, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the ultrasound probe/transducer generates ultrasound waves that can penetrate tissue to different depths based on frequency level, and receives ultrasound waves reflected back from the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Preferred embodiments utilize a hand portable, battery powered system having a display and a user interface operative to control imaging and display operations. A keyboard control panel can be used alone or in combination with touchscreen controls to actuate a graphical user interface. The system includes a transducer assembly to image, measure and monitor a condition of a patient