Balance body ultrasound system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hand held ultrasound system having a balance body, a transducer assembly connected to said balance body via a communication means and a plurality of control elements arranged in an ergonomic fashion on said balance body, such that a user may hold said system and operate at least one of said control elements with the same hand. In particular a medical ultrasound system comprising a balance body incorporating system electronics, a power supply and a user interface wherein the user interface comprises a D-controller and a touch screen and a transducer assembly attached to the balanced body by a cable. The present invention relates to a hand held ultrasound system having a balance body, a transducer assembly connected to said balance body via a communication means and a plurality of control elements arranged in an ergonomic fashion on said balance body, such that a user may hold said system and operate at least one of said control elements with the same hand. In particular a medical ultrasound system comprising a balance body incorporating system electronics, a power supply and a user interface wherein the user interface comprises a D-controller and a touch screen and a transducer assembly attached to the balanced body by a cable.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An ultrasound system comprising:
 a first body having system electronics, a first transmit/receive element and a first power supply;   a second body having a digital beamformer, an analog-to-digital converter circuit, a transducer array, a second power supply, a second transmit/receive element and at least one control element; and   a touch screen comprising a visual display, a receive element and a third power supply such that the first body, second body and touch screen are in communication with each other through the first and second transmit/receive elements and the receive element of the touch screen so that a user may control the system through the at least one control element of the second body, while the first body performs the diagnostic operations through the system electronics, and the user may see the operations through the visual display of the touch screen.   
     
     
         27 . The ultrasound system of  claim 26  wherein the first and second transmit/receive elements are wireless. 
     
     
         28 . The ultrasound system of  claim 26  wherein the receive element of the touch screen is wireless. 
     
     
         29 . The ultrasound system of  claim 26  wherein the first and second transmit/receive elements and the receive element of the touch screen are wired. 
     
     
         30 . The ultrasound system of  claim 29  wherein a first power supply in the first body also provides power to the second body and to the touch screen, the second power supply and the third power supply being omitted. 
     
     
         31 . The ultrasound system of  claim 26  wherein the first body and the second body are incorporated into a single transducer assembly weighing less than two pounds and having a single transmit/receive element, wherein the first body and the second body are configured to share a single power supply. 
     
     
         32 . The medical ultrasound system of  claim 26  wherein the system electronics comprises a digital beamformer, an image processor, and a first digital signal processor capable of processing B mode, M mode and flow (2D Doppler) scans. 
     
     
         33 . The medical ultrasound system of  claim 32 , further comprising a second digital signal processor including—
 a digital Doppler QBP filter for filtering PW Doppler signals; and 
 a digital signal processor core for PW Doppler signal processing. 
 
     
     
         34 . The medical ultrasound system of  claim 33  wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor are integrated into a single application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).