Patent · US Expired

Performance evaluation of ultrasonic examination equipment

US5230339A · kind A · utility

71Cited by
12References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 1991
Grant dateJul 27, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 13, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B8/587
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A test system is disclosed for facilitating analysis and evaluation of medical performance of ultrasonic examination equipment, including ultrasonic imaging systems, Doppler ultrasonic systems and ultrasonic color flow mapping systems. The test system is employed while the ultrasonic examination system is operating. A test transducer apparatus is positioned at a location at which it receives incident ultrasonic energy from the examination system. Receiver and analyzer circuitry senses and identifies characteristics of the incident ultrasonic energy being produced by the examination system, and electronically produces signals representing these sensed characteristics. A storage device is provided to preserve representations of these characteristics. Synthesizer apparatus and circuitry utilizes the stored characteristic information to actuate the test transducer apparatus to propagate back to the transducer of the examination system apparent return echoes resembling ultrasonic echoes which would have been produced by the incidence of incident ultrasonic energy upon an acoustic image, had such an acoustic image been located within the examination system's field of view. The monitored …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.