Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2001-06-05
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C128S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241673
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Many diagnostic medical ultrasound imaging systems are carried on a cart that has room for several on-cart peripherals. For example, an ultrasound cart often carries a printer or video-tape recorder for generating a hard copy of an ultrasound image. The convenience of having on-cart access to peripherals comes at the price of adding weight to the ultrasound cart, thereby making the ultrasound system less portable. To increase portability, some or all of the peripherals can be moved off the ultrasound cart and placed into a host network, which can also provide the ultrasound system with access to equipment not commonly found on the cart. To provide access to network-based peripherals, an ultrasound system typically has a wire connection, such as an RS-232 or 10baseT Ethernet connection, to a network or modem wall jack. In operation, if a user wishes to move the ultrasound system to another location, he unplugs the wire connection from the network jack, wheels the ultrasound system cart to the new location, and plugs the wire connection into the network jack of the new location.
There are several disadvantages associated with this implementation. First, in order to support the network connection, the network wall outlet must be near the ultrasound work area. This limits the portability of the ultrasound system. Second, users sometimes begin an ultrasound examination before remembering to plug the wire connection into the network jack of the new location. These users may need to interrupt an examination in progress to make the network connection. Third, this implementation presents several safety concerns. For example, if there is an electrical short from a network line to a high-voltage source (power lines, power transformers, lightening, etc.), the patient can be injured, especially during an intra-cavity ultrasound examination.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved diagnostic medical ultrasound system to overcome the problems described above.
SUMMARY
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.
By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below include a diagnostic medical ultrasound system with a wireless communication device. With these preferred embodiments, an ultrasound system can be made more portable by offloading ultrasound peripherals into a host network without the disadvantages concomitant with a wire connection to a network or modem jack. By using a wireless connection, the location of the ultrasound system is not limited to areas near a network jack, thereby increasing portability. The wireless connection also avoids the inconvenience of interrupting an ultrasound examination to plug the ultrasound system into the network jack. Further, by eliminating wire connections to a network jack, injury caused by an electrical short from a network line is also eliminated. Lastly, wireless communication between the ultrasound imaging system and the host network eliminates the need to retrofit old or existing buildings with cabling to connect the ultrasound imaging system with the host network.
The preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3972320 (1976-08-01), Kalman
patent: 4100916 (1978-07-01), King
patent: 4413629 (1983-11-01), Durley, III
patent: 4522213 (1985-06-01), Wallroth et al.
patent: 4974607 (1990-12-01), Miwa
patent: 5291399 (1994-03-01), Chaco
patent: 5603323 (1997-02-01), Pflugrath et al.
patent: 5640960 (1997-06-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5715823 (1998-02-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5778177 (1998-07-01), Azar
patent: 5851186 (1998-12-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5867821 (1999-02-01), Ballantyne et al.
patent: 5891035 (1999-04-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5944659 (1999-08-01), Flach et al.
patent: 5964709 (1999-10-01), Chiang et al.
Acuson Corporation
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Imam Ali M.
Lateef Marvin M.
LandOfFree
Diagnostic medical ultrasound system with wireless... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Diagnostic medical ultrasound system with wireless..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Diagnostic medical ultrasound system with wireless... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2501044