WO2015185976A1

WO2015185976A1 - Portable medical ultrasonic scanning device

Info

Publication number: WO2015185976A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/000820
Authority: WO
Inventors: Evgenii OSMINKIN; Oleg PLUTALOV
Original assignee: OOO "Rehj Sistems"
Priority date: 2014-06-04
Filing date: 2015-06-03
Publication date: 2015-12-10
Also published as: DE212015000149U1; RU2547959C1

Abstract

A portable medical ultrasonic scanning device comprises an ultrasonic head connected by a connection terminal and by a receiving and transmitting unit to a central computer with a bus line connected to two control elements in the form of an LCD display and of a multifunctional input appliance, to terminals for connection to external input and output devices, and to a solid state data store. The connection terminal of the ultrasonic head, the receiving and transmitting unit, the central computer, the two control elements, the connection terminals and the solid state data store are incorporated in a housing. The housing is provided with a put-down handle and a holder. The LCD display is vertically arranged on the front wall of the housing, and the second control unit, which includes an encoder with a setting ring, is mounted on an inclined, unsupported projection. The encoder is designed to be congruent with a round sensor surface. The control signals on the LCD display and the second control unit are processed in parallel by the central computer.

Description

Portable medical ultrasound scanner

The invention relates to a portable medical ultrasonic scanning device according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is applicable in medical diagnostic sonography equipment, and more particularly in lightweight ultrasound scanners with organ and tissue visualization without invasive surgery.

Ultrasound imaging is widely used in modern medicine, particularly for the non-invasive monitoring of minimally invasive manipulations under surgical conditions. Such minimally invasive procedures include vascular catheterization, therapeutic-diagnostic puncture, biopsy, drainage, and other procedures. Even in the event of a successful

CONFIRMATION COPY It is very important to check the result according to the type of procedure, eg. For example, it is important to determine the correct catheter system, to check that there is no puncture of the second vessel wall, etc. Thus, the ultrasound examination is an optimal method for the control of minimally invasive procedures. It reduces the risk of developing complications, even if there are malformations in the patient's body. It also shortens the duration of the test procedure. In this application view, an ultrasound device must have some important features. A portable ultrasound device is particularly convenient to use under surgical conditions, especially if it can be attached to a medical stand. The medical ultrasound technology offers application-specific devices to specifically the ultrasound control of minimally invasive procedures, such. As regional anesthesia, puncture and catheter examination of central and peripheral vessels, biopsy and routine diagnostics of the critical conditions to perform directly at the site of the diagnostic procedure.

The prior art discloses a portable diagnostic ultrasound device with a detachable probe and an HMD display unit with a control computer (US 2005228281, 13.10.2005). The control computer is connected to a remote PC wirelessly or via a USB interface. The portable diagnostic ultrasound machine has a dual-core processor and is equipped with a touch-sensitive screen. This screen has a previously unattainable level of integration between a handheld PC and a diagnostic ultrasound device. The device has a display and a keypad. However, that is Aseptic and sterility under surgical conditions are very important, and this requires that the operating devices have as few control buttons as possible in order to avoid the accumulation of germs and to allow a problem-free sterilization of the controls located in the sterile area. An ultrasound head is in direct contact with the body of the patient and is therefore usually in the sterile field. To meet the aseptic requirements, the ultrasound head can be coated with a special film or placed in a sterile tube. Sterilizing the ultrasound device is a complicated task. To solve them, sterile disposable films must be used. However, it must be avoided that the ventilation holes of the ultrasonic device are covered, so as not to disturb the required air exchange.

The application US 2014031694, 30.01.2014, discloses an ultrasonic scanning device, which is designed in the form of a portable computer. Thus, the task of freedom of movement is solved. However, the problem of redundant functionalities and controls on the console of the ultrasound scanner, which are designed to carry out a general diagnostic examination and not for the specific procedures, remains. Also, the problem of positioning the device in the work area of doctors - anaesthesiologists, emergency physicians or vascular surgeons - unresolved, because such facilities require that they necessarily be operated directly on the table or on a special car. They can not be conveniently placed next to the operating table. The RU 83179, 27.05.2009 a portable ultrasonic diagnostic and monitoring device is known. This device is used in the preoperative, operative and postoperative stages to obtain information about the condition of cerebral blood flow. The facility consists of a number of interchangeable Such ultrasonic receiving and beam probes, which are connected via a connection for an ultrasonic probe and a receiving and transmitting unit to a central computer, which is provided with an LCD screen. The control means used in this device are a touch screen and an additional control assembly in the form of an axle ball trackball, each of which only fulfills the functions assigned to it. The device also has a solid state memory and some plug-in connections to connect external transmission devices and input and output devices to the computer. The device is one of the specialized devices and does not offer the possibility of being attached to the multipurpose support systems commonly used in operating theaters and departments of anaesthesiology and intensive care. B. on standing or lying rods in ceiling brackets for anesthetists or surgeons next to the operating table or on portable infusion stands and tripods. The user interface of the device is used to control the operating manipulated variables. Only the touch-sensitive screen technology is used.

All settings and controls are only associated with respective buttons and virtual sliders and scroll boxes. The practical experience of the doctors in the operation of such systems showed that the biggest problem or a petty problem was that it was imperative to pay attention to the fact that the finger of the operator just touched the controls of the user interface or just touched and that it is very likely that some commands or functions are accidentally selected incorrectly. One of the most unusual sensations of the physician who works with purely touch-sensitive screens is that there is no feedback in the regulation of individual settings. Human perception remains analog and not digital. Therefore, it would be physiologically fairer and also understandable. rather, when certain parameters are changed by rotating a knob and not touching an incremental / incremental parameter button or pressing a virtual slider on the touch screen. The unnecessary focus on proper button operation, rather than working with the patient, can compromise the quality of minimally invasive procedures or anesthesia.

It is an object of the invention to achieve an increased ergonomics of the ultrasound scanner in order to reduce the likelihood of a medical error and to increase the ease of use by the scanner is carried out portable and mobile. In addition, an attachment of the device to any commercially available holding devices should be made possible, the user interface simplified, and the disinfection and sterilization of the surfaces contacting the user's hands facilitated by means of their processing with special preparations.

The stated object is solved by the features of claim 1. The technical effect of the invention is achieved as follows:

The portable medical ultrasound scanner (US scanner) has at least one receiving and transmitting ultrasound head (receiving and radiation probe). The receiving and transmitting ultrasound head is connected to a central computer via a connection for the ultrasound head and a receiving and transmitting unit. The central computer has a bus line. The bus line is connected to control elements in the form of a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display (LCD display) and a control unit to connections for external input and output devices and to a solid state data memory. The connection of the ultra- The sound head, the receiving and transmitting unit, the central computer, the touch-sensitive LCD display, the operating unit, the connections and the solid state data memory are all installed in a common housing. At its rear wall a Abstellgriff and a bracket are arranged. The design of the Abstellgriffs makes it possible to carry the scanner on the handle and put on a table. The bracket is for attachment to a vertical stand. On the front wall of the housing, the LCD touch-sensitive display is arranged vertically, and the operating unit is mounted on a tilted cantilevered projection. The operating unit is designed in the form of a multifunction input device. The multifunction input device includes an encoder with a setting ring. The encoder is designed with a round sensor surface congruent (overlapping). In this case, the central computer is designed so that the operating signals on the touch-sensitive LCD display and the operating unit run parallel (overlap).

Advantageous developments of the ultrasonic scanning device can be found in the dependent claims.

On the side wall of the housing, a holder for the ultrasound head, connections for external input and output devices and a power button with a power indicator can be arranged.

The power supply is preferably designed as a mains-powered power supply for an AC network with a mains voltage of 110 - 240 V or as a connectable to an electrical system of an ambulance 12 V power supply. The multifunction input device may be implemented with functionality of a "freeze-frame" (still image) image on the touch-sensitive LCD display. The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the invention. 1a and 1b show the overall view of the scanning device and

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the scanning device.

The portable medical ultrasound scanner (Figs. 1a, 1b) includes a receive and transmit ultrasound probe (not shown) which is connected by a cable to a dedicated port 6 of the ultrasound probe. The scanner can be equipped with different probes: convex probes, linear probes, intracavitary probes, microconvex probes. For the vascular access, a linear probe with a high piezo cell density has been developed. Depending on the type of surgical procedure, z. As in vascular access, the application of a linear probe with a short (maximum 25 mm) aperture and a frequency of min. 7 - 10 MHz optimal. The short aperture makes it possible, even in a very limited field of work, e.g. As in children, to work. The presence of different types of probes extends the applicability of the sonographic scanner as an auxiliary tool.

The terminal 6 is located on the side wall of the solid plastic housing 1 (Fig. 1a). Here are also a power button 2 and a power indicator 3. The connected probe is subsequently attached by means of a lock 7. On the front wall of the housing is a touch-sensitive LCD display 4 (sensor surface) and a multi-functional input device 5, which includes an encoder with a setting ring. The encoder is congruently (overlapping) created with a round touch-sensitive sensor surface, so that these two can be operated as a single control element. The multi-functional tion input device 5 is mounted on an inclined cantilevered projection of the front wall of the housing.

The 9.7-inch sensor surface 4 is aligned vertically. Such an arrangement makes it possible to use over 80% of the display area directly for the sonographic display. Image dimensions are identical to those on a 19-inch screen with horizontal orientation. The touch screen is required to perform certain functions, such as For example, a distance measurement directly on the image, a focus range adjustment by touching an area of interest, and a TGC control (slicewise adjustment of the gain depending on the depth).

The multifunction input device 5 is the operation unit. All operations are performed on a single ActivTwist device (Multi-Touch Ring En- coder Software Development Kit User's Guide, v2.0, Bulletin # 1 198, 2012). This device combines a conventional encoder - the adjusting ring - which can change a manipulated variable by means of rotation, with a round sensor surface, which is integrated in this rotatable adjusting ring. All main parameters and functions are activated by touching the sensor surface with fingers. The lower part of the multi-function input device 5 has a plurality of buttons or elements of the graphical user interface. This is a toolbar with main scanning parameters. The rotation of the adjustment ring changes the respective current control value (eg the gain or the frequency). All other parameters are displayed on neighbor buttons. In order to change to the setting of another manipulated variable, you only need to stroke the adjusting ring with your finger. The current manipulated variable is changed. The sensor surface 4 and a support arm with the multi-functional input device 5 allow the disinfection and sterilization of To perform the operator hands contacting surfaces in their processing with special preparations.

The left side wall of the housing 1 of the scanner has a holder 10 for the ultrasound head and ports for external input and output devices:

1 1 - Audio output, connection for connecting an external loudspeaker box,

12 - LAN port (10 / 100Base-TX Ethernet), 13 - Dual port USB 2.0, 14 - HDMI port, 15 - SVGA port. The rear wall of the housing 1 is provided with a universal Abstellgriff 8. The Abstellgriff 8 is formed so that the scanning device on the Abstellgriff 8 is portable and can be set up on a table. To attach the scanner to a vertical stand, there is a bracket 9, which is also mounted on the rear wall.

The housing 1 accommodates a receiving and transmitting unit 16 of the US signal (FIG. 2). The signal is transmitted from the terminal 6 of the ultrasonic head to the central computer 21. The bus line (not shown) of the central computer 21 is connected to the touch-sensitive liquid crystal display 4 and the control unit 5 and to the terminals 6 for the external input and output devices (1 1 - 15), a speaker 17 and a solid state data memory 18. The solid-state data memory 18 is used to store the operating system, the management software for the scanner and for storing the data directly received by the scanner. These data are various images, cine-loops, reports, and measurement and patient examination protocols.

The scanner is powered by a power supply 20 either from an AC mains with a mains voltage of 1 10 - 240 V, or it can be connected to a On-board network of emergency vehicles with the on-board voltage of 12 V to be connected. The possibility of battery operation with batteries 19 is also provided.

The central computer 21 ensures the interaction of the operating elements of the scanning device. Its design allows parallel operation (overlapping) of the operating signals on the LCD touch-sensitive display 4 and the additional control unit 5. The scanner supports all the modes and procedures required for sonography, including gray level display, color Doppler ultrasound examination, power Doppler and Pulsed Wave Doppler. The administrative structure of the computer makes it possible to perform typical examination procedures, eg. As catheter examination or puncture perform, the main parameters are slightly changed or varied.

How the device works:

The ultrasound probe is connected to port 6 for the ultrasound probe using a special connector. To ensure the connection to the central computer 21, a receiving and transmitting unit 16 is used for the ultrasonic signal. The receiving and transmitting unit 16 generates an electrical signal which is radiated in the form of an acoustic ultrasonic signal by means of piezo cells in the sound head (acoustic head) of the probe head. After patient tissue reflection, the ultrasound signal is received by piezo cells. They convert it into an electrical impulse. This pulse is perceived by the receiving and transmitting unit 16 of the ultrasonic signal, evaluated software-supported and transmitted to the central computer 21. After evaluating / processing a signal sequence, the central computer 21 prepares a representation (visualization) on the LCD display of the sensor surface 4. The device is operated by means of two operating elements - an LCD sensor surface 4 and a multifunction input device 5. The sensor surface 4 makes it possible to call certain functions by pressing respective buttons and menu items directly on the screen. The multifunction device 5 is used for easy intuitive operation of the device. In this case, respective manipulated variables are selected by means of gestures on a round sensor surface and changed by means of rotation of the setting ring of the encoder. In addition, the operation of the multi-function device 5 results in the so-called "freezing" of the image (still image mode) or the cancellation of this mode.

The LCD sensor surface 4 serves both to visualize the ultrasound image and to operate the device. The actual ultrasound image occupies most of the display. At the bottom of the screen is a series of five pictogram buttons whose function and appearance vary according to the mode of the scanner. The active button, whose parameter value can be adjusted by turning the adjusting ring, is always centered on the screen. At the top of the screen are the buttons that allow a drop-down menu to be used to set the presets by directly setting a selected value with the button. The upper display area also contains an input field for the patient data. Here is z. For example, the patient name is displayed (if entered).

The scanning device is switched on with a single actuation of the switch-on button 2. After loading the operating system and scanner scanning software, an ultrasonic display and graphical user interface (toolbar) are displayed on the screen. The parameter of the active button can be changed by turning the adjusting ring or by touching the upper and lower edge of the button on the touch screen. To change from running to another active parameter, use the horizontal swipe on the collar. The one-time swipe is an uninterrupted motion by placing a finger down, quickly moving it aside, and taking it away from the surface. The one-time horizontal swipe causes switching from one active active command value to another adjacent command value right or left depending on the strike direction. The toolbar is scrolled one more position, and the now active control value moves into the middle.

The desired manipulated variable can thus be selected by several deletions. Then the active manipulated variable can be adjusted with the adjusting ring. To speed up the left or right scrolling of the manipulated variables on the toolbar, a corresponding arrow can be pressed directly on the screen. The desired parameter can also be activated by touching it directly on the screen. To change the mode of operation of the scanner, the vertical swipe gesture must be used up or down. The toolbar switches to the view for selecting the operating modes.

The proposed device according to the invention is portable and can be transported both in the operating room as well as to another treatment location and used in an ambulance. The scanner can either be placed on a table or mounted on commercially available universal fixtures or attached to any mobile stands, including infusion stands. The user interface of the scanner is maximally simplified and intuitive. It is overloaded with no unnecessary functions, as it is not intended for ultrasound personnel but for anesthesiologists, emergency physicians, surgeons and general practitioners. The user interface is based on analog feedback parameter change and offers the possibility to change adjustable parameter values by means of intuitive gestures and touches of the touch-sensitive multifunction control element 5.

Claims

1. Portable medical ultrasound scanning device with at least one receiving and transmitting ultrasound head, which is connected via a connection (6) for the ultrasound head and a receiving and transmitting unit (16) to a central computer (21) whose bus line to controls in Form of a touch-sensitive liquid crystal display and a control unit (5) and to terminals for external input and output devices (11 .... 15) and to a solid state data memory (18) is connected,

characterized,

in that the connection (6) for the ultrasound head, the receiving and transmitting unit (16), the central computer (21), the touch-sensitive LCD display (4), the operating unit (5), the terminals (6) and the solid state data memory (18) are mounted in a common housing (1), that on the rear wall of the housing (1) a Abstellgriff (8) and a holder (9) are fixed, wherein the Abstellgriff (8) is formed so that the scanning device on the handle (8) is portable and can be set up on a table, and the holder (9) for attachment to a vertical stand that on the front wall of the housing (1) the touch-sensitive LCD display (4) arranged vertically and the control unit in Form of a multi-function input device (5) is mounted on a tilted cantilevered projection,

that the multifunction input device (5) includes an encoder with a setting ring, wherein the encoder is designed congruent with a round sensor surface and

in that the central computer (21) is designed such that the operating signals on the touch-sensitive LCD display and the operating unit run in parallel. Scanning device according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that on the side wall of the housing (1) a holder (10) for the ultrasound head, a connection (6) for the ultrasound head and external connections for the connection of external transmission and data input and output devices (11 .... 15) are arranged.

Scanning device according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that the power supply (20) is designed as a mains-operated mains power supply for an AC network with a mains voltage of 110-240 V or as a 12 V power supply which can be connected to an emergency power supply of an ambulance.