Patent US4246792A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4246792A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Self-contained ultrasonic scanner
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1979-06-01
•
Granted: 1981-01-27
•
Expires: 1999-06-01
Abstract
Abstract Self-contained ultrasonic scanning apparatus for insonifying a specimen including a housing, an ultrasonic transducer disposed within the housing and mounted for movement therewithin. Magnetic apparatus may be provided for effecting movement of the transducer and the magnetic apparatus may include a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. Apparatus is provided for electrically energizing the electromagnet. A cathode-ray tube is disposed within the housing with the screen visible from the exterior of the housing. Signal processing apparatus is provided for receiving signals from the transducer and suitably providing corresponding signals to the cathode-ray tube. The housing is preferably of such size and the apparatus of such weight as to be readily portable by an individual using a single hand.
Inventors
- 👤 Terrance Matzuk
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:14
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/35; G10K11/352; G10K11/355; A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; A61B8/08; A61B8/0833; A61B8/44; A61B8/4444; A61B8/4461; A61B8/56; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/04; G01N29/06; G01N29/0609; G01N29/0618; G01N29/0627; G01N29/22; G01N29/24; G01N29/2412; G01N29/26; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/8934; G01S15/8947; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/52017; G01S7/52053; G01S7/52057; G01S7/5206; G01S7/52063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 63
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
Self-contained ultrasonic scanning apparatus for insonifying a specimen comprising a housing, an ultrasonic transducer disposed within said housing and mounted for movement therewithin, magnetic means for effecting movement of said transducer, energizing means for electrically energizing said magnetic means, cathode-ray tube means disposed within said housing with its screen visible from the exterior of said housing, and signal processing means for receiving signals from said transducer and delivering corresponding signals to said cathode-ray tube.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
Self-contained ultrasonic scanning apparatus for insonifying a specimen comprising a housing, an ultrasonic transducer disposed within said housing and mounted for movement therewithin, magnetic means for effecting movement of said transducer, energizing means for electrically energizing said magnetic means, cathode-ray tube means disposed within said housing with its screen visible from the exterior of said housing, and signal processing means for receiving signals from said transducer and delivering corresponding signals to said cathode-ray tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnetic means includes permanent magnet means and electromagnet means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 2 wherein said magnetic means are disposed within said housing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said energizing means includes battery means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 4 wherein said battery means are disposed within said housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing is sufficiently small and said apparatus is sufficiently light in weight as to be readily portable by an individual.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 6 wherein said housing has a maximum length of about 7 to 11 inches and a maximum weight of about 2 to 5 pounds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein an end of said housing adjacent to said transducer is composed of an acoustically transparent diaphragm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 8 wherein said transducer is disposed within a sealed liquid-containing compartment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 9 wherein said diaphragm provides a portion of said sealed compartment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 10 wherein said diaphragm is substantially rigid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 9 wherein said sealed-liquid containing compartment is mounted for relative axial movement with respect to the remaining portion of said apparatus.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 12 wherein resilient means urge said compartment in a generally axially outwardly direction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 13 wherein said resilient means includes at least one compression spring.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 13 including reservoir means disposed within said housing for receiving and dispensing a supply of acoustical gel, and passageway means in communication with said reservoir means and the exterior of said housing, whereby said apparatus will act as a source of acoustical gel which is dispensed onto said specimen.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 15 wherein an inner portion of said compartment is disposed adjacent to said reservoir, whereby movement of said compartment axially inwardly against the force of said resilient means will urge a portion of said gel outwardly through said passageway means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 15 including access means for permitting communication between said reservoir and the exterior of said housing for permitting filling of said reservoir.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 16 wherein said passageway means is disposed between said compartment and said housing, and said passageway means being of sufficiently small size as to resist discharge of said gel in the absence of axially inward pressure applied to said compartment.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 2 wherein said permanent magnet means are mounted on said transducer, and said electromagnet means having a pair of spaced poles extending into said compartment and positioned on opposite sides of said transducer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 19 wherein said poles have upper portions extending out of said compartment, electrical coil means operatively associated with said upper portions, and said energizing means energizing said coil means, whereby said electromagnetic poles will cooperate with said permanent magnet means to effect oscillation of said transducer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 19 including journal means operatively associated with said transducer for pivotally mounting said transducer, and electrically conductive leaf spring means in contact with said journal means for energizing said transducer and for delivering transducer output signals to said signal processing means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 19 wherein said spaced poles extend upwardly to a position adjacent said cathode-ray tube, whereby said upper extensions of said poles provide means for deflecting the cathode-ray tube beam.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
39 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 22 including shoe means cooperating with said pole extensions to couple said electromagnetic means with said pole extensions, and upper coil means cooperating with said pole extensions for deflecting said cathode-ray tube beam.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said axially outermost portion of said compartment being spaced about 2 cm to 4 cm from the center of said transducer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 23 wherein said upper coil means are positioned so as to provide a substantially trapezoidal raster.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 23 wherein said upper coil means have two coil sections positioned around the cathode-ray tube circumference adjacent points on the cathode-ray tube circumference forming a smaller included angle of about 120 ° to 150° degrees.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 26 wherein the upper extension of said poles are deformed so as to provide portions disposed generally in a plane perpendicular to the lower portion of said poles.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
39 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 27 wherein said upper extensions are bent generally inwardly, whereby spaced pole portions in the upper extensions will be closer to each other than the corresponding spacing between lower portions of said poles.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 27 wherein said upper pole extensions have means for concentrating the magnetic field to reduce the tendency of the cathode-ray tube beam to defocus.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 29 wherein said concentrating means include dissimilar arcuate pole piece extensions disposed in close proximity to the neck of said cathode-ray tube.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 30 wherein a pair of said arcuate pole piece extensions are disposed on opposite sides of said neck.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
34 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 31 wherein one said arcuate pole piece extension has a circumferential extent of about three to four times the circumferential extent of the other said arcuate pole piece.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 28 wherein eddy-current rings are disposed around each said upper extension for short circuiting the magnetic fields from said upper extensions during rapid flux changes.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
102 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said permanent magnet means includes a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet, the first said permanent magnet being operatively associated with said transducer to establish oscillation thereof, shaft means connecting said first and said second permanent magnet means, said second permanent magnet means being disposed closer to said cathode-ray tube than said first permanent magnet means, whereby oscillation of said transducer by said first permanent magnet means will cause responsive movement of said second permanent magnet means and alter the position of the magnetic field generated by said second permanent magnet means.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
55 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 22 wherein said permanent magnet means includes a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet, the first said permanent magnet being operatively associated with said transducer to establish oscillation thereof, and said second permanent magnet means being interposed between said first permanent magnet means and said electromagnet means.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
57 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 13 including switch means operatively associated with said energizing means for turning said scanner on and off, and said switch means being in an off position when said resilient means are in a substantially uncompressed state and being in an on position when said resilient means are at least partially compressed.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
34 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein a portion of the lower surface of said housing underlying said transducer being spaced about 2 cm to 4 cm from the center of said transducer.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
15 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 7 wherein said housing has a generally cylindrical shape.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
32 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 38 wherein the portion of said housing adjacent to said cathode-ray tube screen having a larger diameter than the portion of said housing adjacent said transducer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processing means includes receiver means for converting echo signals from said transducer into video signals.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 40 wherein said magnetic means includes permanent magnet means and electromagnet means, and said energizing means including frame rate oscillator means for energizing said electromagnet.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
36 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 41 including deflection circuit and high voltage power supply means for energizing deflecting coils of said cathode-ray tube, and the high voltage portion of the cathode-ray tube and said transducer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 42 wherein said energizing means energize said deflection circuit and high voltage power supply means, and said energizing means energize said frame rate oscillator means.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
14 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 43 wherein said energizing means include battery means.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
35 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 44 wherein first electrical lead means connect said battery means with said receiver means, said frame rate oscillator means and said deflection circuit and high voltage power supply means.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 45 wherein second electrical lead means connect said frame rate oscillator means with said electromagnet means.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
56 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 46 wherein third electrical lead means connect said deflection current and high voltage power means with the deflection coils of said cathode-ray tube, fourth electrical lead means connect said deflection current and high voltage power means with said high voltage input of said cathode-ray tube for illuminating said cathode-ray tube.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
19 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 47 wherein fifth electrical lead means connect said receiver means with said transducer.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
32 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 48 wherein sixth electrical lead means connect said deflection current and high voltage power supply means directly or indirectly with said transducer for energizing said transducer.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
102 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 including circuit means for energizing the high voltage portion of said cathode-ray tube, the line deflection circuitry and the transducer pulser circuitry, said circuit means including multivibrator means and transistor means operating responsively to receipt of output from said multivibrator, said circuit means having transformer means operatively associated with said transistor for delivering current to the deflection coils of said cathode-ray tube when said transistor means is on and permitting discharge of said coils through said transformer means to the cathode-ray tube high voltage input, and said transformer means providing voltage pulses to said transducer.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
48 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 50 wherein first and second electrical conductor means connect said coils with said transformer means, third electrical conductor means connect said cathode-ray tube high voltage input with said transformer means, and fourth electrical conductor means connect said transducer with said transformer means.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
33 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 51 wherein first rectifier means are operatively associated with said third electrical conductor means, and second rectifier means are operatively associated with said fourth electrical conductor means.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
29 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 52 wherein transmit receive circuit means are operatively associated with said fourth electrical conductor means for resisting entry of interference into said transducer.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
91 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 including circuit means for energizing the high voltage portion of said cathode-ray tube, the line deflection circuitry and the transducer pulser circuitry, said circuit means including transistor means operatively associated with a pair of cathode-ray tube deflection coils, a high voltage coil and a transducer pulser coil, said coils being so positioned relative to each other and so connected to said transistor that said high voltage coil and said transducer pulser coil undergo transformer action resulting from the magnetic fields from said deflection coils.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 54 including first electrically conductive means connecting said transducer pulser coil with said transducer, and rectifier means operatively associated with said first electrically conductive means.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
19 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 55 including transmit-receive circuit means operatively associated with said first electrically conductive means.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
37 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 56 including second electrically conductive means connecting said high voltage coil and said high voltage input of said cathode-ray tube, and rectifier means operatively associated with said second electrically conductive means.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
31 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said energizing means include rechargeable battery means, and electrically conductive means permitting electrical conduction between said batteries and the exterior of said housing.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
35 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 58 wherein said electrically conductive means include a pair of electrically conductive members secured to the exterior of said housing and means electrically connecting said members to said batteries.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
58 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 58 including scanner recharging means operatively associated with said scanner, said recharging means having a recess within which at least a portion of said scanner is received, electrical contacts within said recess for contacting said scanner electrically conductive means, and said recharging means having power supply means for energizing said recharging means.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
20 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 60 wherein said power supply means include transformer means, rectifier means and resistor means.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
32 words
The ultrasonic scanning apparatus of claim 61 wherein at least one of said resistor means and said transformer means disposed in generally underlying relationship with respect to the base of said recess.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US870938A
Cited
US3406564A
Cited
US3678736A
Cited
US3789833A
Cited
US3690311A
Cited
US3721227A
Cited
US3765229A
Cited
US3784805A
Cited
SU461349A1
Cited
US3927661A
Cited
US3990300A
Cited
US3955561A
Cited
US3974826A
Cited
US4092867A
Cited
US4200885A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-01-27 | 1984-07-28 | 1985-01-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-01-27 | 1988-07-28 | 1989-01-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-01-27 | 1992-07-28 | 1993-01-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |