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US5553620A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Interactive goal-directed ultrasound measurement system

Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc
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Filing: 1995-05-02
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Granted: 1996-09-10
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Expires: 2015-05-02
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Abstract

Abstract The use of menu branches associated with a patient's potential condition aids in the accuracy and efficiency of an ultrasound measurement system. The menu branches use a set of suggested measurements to produce results that allow for the evaluation of the potential condition of the patient. The set of suggested measurements can be less than all of the possible measurements for the calculation package. The user no longer has to skip through a large menu full of irrelevant measurement selections. For this reason, the user is less likely to skip pertinent measurements or do time consuming measurements which are irrelevant to evaluate the potential condition. The time savings is important since the user of the ultrasound measurement system may be under severe time pressure.

Inventors

  • 👤 A. Rebecca Snider
  • 👤 Richard M. Bennett
  • 👤 Laurence J. McCabe
  • 👤 Peter J. Magsig
  • 👤 Kane L. Ng
  • 👤 Lynn M. Purdy
  • 👤 Joseph W. Ruffles

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 23:18
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/52017; G01S7/52098; G01S7/52023; G01S7/52036; G01S7/52053; G01S7/52057; G01S7/52073; G06; G06T; G06T7/00; G06T7/60; A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; G01S7/5206; G01S7/523; G01S7/526; G01S7/53

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim 101 words
An ultrasound measurement system for performing a plurality of ultrasound measurements, the system comprising: a display screen; and an input device, wherein the input device uses a plurality of measurement menus allowing for the selection of ultrasound measurements off of the display screen, some of the measurement menus being associated with potential conditions, at least one of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition enabling the selection of at least some of a set of suggested ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the set of suggested measurements being appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 101 words
An ultrasound measurement system for performing a plurality of ultrasound measurements, the system comprising: a display screen; and an input device, wherein the input device uses a plurality of measurement menus allowing for the selection of ultrasound measurements off of the display screen, some of the measurement menus being associated with potential conditions, at least one of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition enabling the selection of at least some of a set of suggested ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the set of suggested measurements being appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the input device is such that all of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition do not enable the selection of other ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasound measurements are ultrasound cardiac measurements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each measurement menu associated with any potential condition enables the selection of ultrasound measurements appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
The system of claim 4, further comprising output display screen formats for displaying results of ultrasound measurements on the display screen, the display screen formats being presented differently for different potential conditions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the measurements enabled by the at least one of the measurement menus use more than one ultrasound system operation mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
The system of claim 1, wherein all of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition are part of a menu branch.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
The system of claim 7, wherein each measurement in the set of suggested ultrasound measurements is selectable from menus in the menu branch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
The system of claim 7, wherein the menu branch comprises a group of menus including a submenu from which a measurement menu is selectable.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the potential condition is selectable from a main menu.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the potential condition is selectable from a sub-menu.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 119 words
A method for providing an interactive ultrasound measurement system in which one of a plurality of ultrasound measurements can be selected, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of menu headings, at least some of the menu headings describing potential conditions; and providing a plurality of measurement menus associated with the menu headings such that some of the plurality of measurement menus are associated with potential conditions, wherein at least one of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition enables the selection of at least some of a set of suggested ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the set of suggested ultrasound measurements being appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 119 words
A method for providing an interactive ultrasound measurement system in which one of a plurality of ultrasound measurements can be selected, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of menu headings, at least some of the menu headings describing potential conditions; and providing a plurality of measurement menus associated with the menu headings such that some of the plurality of measurement menus are associated with potential conditions, wherein at least one of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition enables the selection of at least some of a set of suggested ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the set of suggested ultrasound measurements being appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu providing step is such that all of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition do not enable the selection of other ultrasound measurements of the plurality of ultrasound measurements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of ultrasound measurements are ultrasound cardiac measurements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu providing step is such that each measurement menu associated with any potential condition enables the selection of ultrasound measurements appropriate for the potential condition associated with that measurement menu.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu providing step is such that the measurements enabled by the at least one of the measurement menus uses more than one ultrasound system operation mode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu providing step is such that all of the measurement menus associated with a potential condition are part of a menu branch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 30 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the menu providing step is such that each measurement in the set of suggested ultrasound measurements is selectable from menus in the menu branch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the menu providing step is such that the menu branch comprises a group of menus including a submenu from which a measurement menu is selectable.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu heading and menu providing steps are such that the potential condition is selectable from a main menu.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the menu heading and menu providing steps are such that the potential condition is selectable from a sub-menu.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of providing output display screen formats for displaying results of ultrasound measurements on the display screen, the display screen formats being presented differently for different potential conditions.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 88 words
A method for selecting ultrasound measurements using a system in which a plurality of ultrasound measurements can be selected off of a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a measurement menu to display on the display screen, the measurement menu being associated with a potential condition and enabling the selection of suggested ultrasound measurements from the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the suggested ultrasound measurements being appropriate for the potential condition; and selecting at least one of the suggested ultrasound measurements appropriate for the potential condition.
Claim 26
Independent Claim 88 words
A method for selecting ultrasound measurements using a system in which a plurality of ultrasound measurements can be selected off of a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a measurement menu to display on the display screen, the measurement menu being associated with a potential condition and enabling the selection of suggested ultrasound measurements from the plurality of ultrasound measurements, the suggested ultrasound measurements being appropriate for the potential condition; and selecting at least one of the suggested ultrasound measurements appropriate for the potential condition.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 23, further comprising making the at least one of the suggested ultrasound measurements appropriate for the potential condition.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the measurement menu selecting step comprises selecting a sub-menu off of a main menu.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 25, wherein the measurement menu selecting step comprises selecting the measurement menu off of the sub-menu.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the measurement menu selecting step comprises selecting the measurement menu off of a main menu.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the measurement menu selecting step is such that the measurement menu allows for the selection of less than all of the measurements appropriate for the potential condition.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4612937A Cited
US5482050A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-09-10 2000-03-11 2000-09-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-09-10 2004-03-11 2004-09-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-09-10 2008-03-11 2008-09-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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