Variable Resolution Medical Imaging for Handheld Ultrasound
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld and hand-carried ultrasound systems lack the image resolution to support higher display resolutions of external medical devices, limiting the ability to view and store medical images effectively.
Innovation Solution
A hand-carried medical imaging device with a probe for acquiring raw data, an integrated display, data memory, and a back-end processor that allows users to select and send medical images at various resolutions, either displaying them on the integrated display or transferring them to external devices for higher resolution processing and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the handheld ultrasound system uses its internal display for image viewing, then the system maintains portability and ease of operation, but the image resolution is insufficient to support higher display resolutions of external systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts image resolution based on the display device being used. The processor detects whether an external display is connected and automatically adjusts the output resolution - using lower resolution for the internal display to maintain performance and higher resolution for external displays to enable detailed viewing and printing, thus resolving the contradiction between resolution and adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the resolution parameter of medical images based on the target display device. By implementing multiple resolution levels (e.g., 320x240 for internal display, 1024x768 or higher for external displays), the system optimizes image quality for each specific use case while maintaining compatibility across different display systems
2Measurement precision
If the system stores and processes high-resolution medical images, then image quality improves, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments image processing into multiple resolution levels. Instead of processing all images at maximum resolution, the processor divides images into different resolution tiers based on their intended use - lower resolution for real-time viewing on the handheld device and higher resolution only when needed for external display or printing, thereby reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining image quality where required
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial processing - not all images require maximum resolution processing. By processing images at the minimum necessary resolution for their intended purpose and only applying high-resolution processing when external display is detected or requested, the system avoids unnecessary processing overhead while ensuring adequate image quality for each use case
Data Source
AI summary
A hand carried medical imaging device includes a probe configured to acquire raw medical image data, an integrated display, a data memory configured to store the acquired raw medical image data, a back end processor, and a user interface operably coupled to the back end processor configured to receive commands from a user and to instruct the back end processor to display the produced medical image on the integrated display at a first resolution, and to either produce and send either the medical image at the second, higher resolution, to send the acquired raw image data, or both, to the external device, in accordance with the commands from the user.