Patent · US Active

Compressive surfaces for ultrasonic tissue scanning

US8241219B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by

1References

12Claims

0Family size

Assignee

U-SYSTEMS, INC. · US

Inventors

Tor C. Anderson · Los Gatos, US
Jiaya Chen · Palo Alto, US
Shih-Ping Wang · Los Altos, US

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 28, 2010
Grant date	Aug 14, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 22, 2030

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61B8/4281
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Automated ultrasonic scanning of a chestwardly compressed breast of a supine patient uses a scanning assembly that moves down to compress the breast through a membrane that is secured to the assembly across a bottom opening. A motorized ultrasound transducer moves across the breast while the breast remains downwardly compressed against the patient's chest, sending and receiving ultrasound energy through the membrane. The membrane is porous with respect to an acoustic coupling liquid that impregnates it. The transducer outputs ultrasound information that is processed to form initial planar images and then reconstructed slice images of breast tissue.

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