Method and apparatus for three-dimensional translumenal ultrasonic imaging
US5398691A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 3, 1993 |
| Grant date | Mar 21, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 3, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B7/00
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed is an arrangement for use in transesophageal ultrasonic imaging of the heart (and other translumenal applications) in which both the position and orientation of an ultrasonic probe that generates an ultrasonic scanning pattern is determined in terms of a three-dimensional coordinate system that lies outside the patient's body and is produced by a magnetic field generator. The arrangement provides two-dimensional multi-planar scanning in which the ultrasonic scanning pattern is selectively positionable relative to rotation about two orthogonal coordinate axes that are mutually orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic scanning probe. Provision is made for generating electrical signals indicative of rotational position of the scanning pattern relative to each of the two axes of rotation. The signals representative of the rotational position of the scanning pattern allow registration between the two-dimensional multi-plane ultrasonic images for purposes such as a computer generation of three-dimensional cardiac images. The ultrasonic probe also includes a flexure region for selectively positioning the probe in the esophagus or other lumen and a heart sound microp…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.