Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses an ultrasonic imaging apparatus including a main body, a probe, a display unit, and a moving unit configured to connect the display unit to the main body and to enable the display unit to move with respect to the main body. The moving unit includes a rotating arm rotatably coupled with a part of the main body, and a moving member installed in the rotating arm and configured to move along the rotating arm. One end of the moving member is coupled with the display unit. In one embodiment, a rack gear is formed at one lateral side of the moving member, and a pinion gear is installed in the rotating arm and interlocked with the rack gear.

Medical imaging systems typically include a user interface, which operates in conjunction with a display to provide medical images e.g. from signals transmitted and received via a transducer array, typically provided in a probe. Often the user interface includes one or more manual controls. In addition, modern imaging systems frequently include a touch-sensitive display as a way of displaying secondary menus and controls to the user or clinician during a patient exam. The user interface (e.g., soft user controls) on the touch-sensitive display may be automatically re-configurable by the imaging system depending on the specific application or imaging protocol active at a given time. However, touch control panels in commercially available systems may have shortcomings, in particular, relating to ergonomics and usability. Therefore, improvements of touch control panels of imaging systems may be desirable.

An imaging system includes, among other things, a control panel and a display panel pivotally coupled to the control panel. The display panel includes a touch-sensitive display on its user-facing side and may thus provide a graphical user interface that can be easily (e.g., automatically by the system) and frequently (e.g., when switching between types or exams or imaging protocols or function) re-configurable for a particular application. The display panel may be one of a plurality of display panels, such as a secondary display panel which is in addition to a main display panel typically present in existing ultrasound systems and which typically serves as the main display for images. The display panel may be pivotally coupled to the control panel and configured to be firmly held at any inclined position using a tilt-adjustment mechanism. In accordance with the invention, the system is provided with a first arm pivotally coupled to the display panel such that the first arm is pivotable about the touch screen. The first arm may be arranged on the opposite side of the user-facing side, i.e., the rear side, of the display panel and includes a plurality of teeth that face away from the user-facing side of the display panel. The system also includes a second arm, which is pivotally coupled to the control panel and configured to selectively engage the plurality of teeth to support the display panel in any one of a plurality of inclined positions.

In various embodiments of the imaging system, the display panel and the first arm may be pivotable about a common axis. In some embodiments, the display panel may be pivotally coupled to the control panel using a friction hinge. In some embodiments, the display panel may be biased toward the control panel and more specifically toward the stowed position of the display panel. In some embodiments, the second arm may include a pawl at its end opposite the arm pivot, which is configured to mesh between the teeth of the first arm to selectively engage the first arm. In yet further examples, the first arm may be biased towards the second arm. In some embodiments the first arm may be pivotally coupled to the display panel at one end and a second opposite end of the first arm may be wrapped over at least a portion of an edge of the display panel to position the second end relatively closer to the user-facing side than the first end. In some such embodiments, the second end of the first arm may include a traction feature to facilitate manipulation of the first arm by the user for pivoting of the first arm and disengage the pawl from the teeth. In some embodiments, the second end may wrap over an edge (e.g., the upper edge) of the display panel and the traction feature may include a ledge extending away from the upper edge of the display panel. The ledge may be implemented using any structure suitable shaped and located for the application of user force for pivoting the first arm. In some embodiments, the plurality of teeth of the first arm may each have a leading side that faces the first end of the first arm and a trailing side that faces the second end of the first arm, wherein the trailing sides of the teeth are arranged at a shallower incline than the leading sides to permit the pawl of the second arm to move or advance along the first arm toward the first end of the first arm without manually pivoting the first arm to disengage the pawl. In other words, in such examples, the first and second arms may be configured such that adjustments to the tilt angle may be made in one direction (e.g., to increase the tilt angle toward the upright or <NUM> degree position) without manually pivoting the first arm. Adjustments to the tilt angle in the opposite direction (e.g., towards the stowed position) without manually pivoting the first arm (e.g., to unlock the tilt-adjustment mechanism by disengaging the second arm from the first arm) may be resisted or essentially prevented by the configuration of the first and second arms, e.g., by the relatively more steeply oriented leading sides of the teeth).

In some embodiments, the tilt-adjustment mechanism may include a guide. The guide may provide part of a slidable joint between the upper (e.g., pawl) end of the second arm and the rear side of the display panel such that the second arm remains attached, albeit movably, at all times, e.g., during tilt adjustments to the display panel and even when the display panel is in the stowed position. The guide may include one or more structures fixed to the display panel, and the second arm may be movably (e.g., slidably) coupled to the guide such that the second arm remains coupled to the display panel while the inclined position of the display panel is changed. In some specific examples, the guide may include one or a pair of slots, which may be oriented along the length of the first arm. That is, the length of the slots may be generally aligned (e.g., parallel) to the length of the first arm. In some specific examples, a pair of slots may be used, which may be disposed along opposite longitudinal sides of the toothed portion of the first arm. In some embodiments, the second arm may be provided, e.g., at its upper end near the pawl, with one or more pins extending transversely (i.e., transverse to the length-wise direction) from opposite sides of the second arm. The pins of the second arm may be slidably received within a respective one of the pair of slots of the guide so as to slidably couple the second arm to the display panel, e.g., to the rear side of the display panel.

In some embodiments, the control panel may be configured to accommodate the secondary display panel such that it is substantially flush with the control panel when stowed. For example, the control panel may include or define a cavity that can receive the display panel, in some cases substantially fully, therein. In some embodiments, the second arm may be positioned between the first arm and a base of the cavity when the display panel is provided in a stowed position in which the display panel lies substantially flat within the cavity. As noted above, the ultrasound imaging system may, in some examples include a primary or main display which is separate from the touch-sensitive display. The main display, which may be a passive (i.e. non touch-sensitive) display, may be movably coupled to the control panel, for example using an articulating arm. In other examples, the ultrasound system may be a portable system, which includes first and second housing portions each housing the components of the main display and control panel, respectively, and which are hinged together in a note-book type form factor. In some such examples, the secondary display panel, when in stowed, may be positioned within a cavity of the second or control panel portion such that it does not inhibit or interfere with the closing of the first portion over the second portion.

Certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without various of these particular details. Moreover, one or more aspects of the embodiments herein may not be shown to scale in the figures but may be exaggerated for purposes of illustration of the principles of the present invention.

Various embodiments will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In explanations of the various embodiments, the same or corresponding elements may be denoted by the same reference designators. For the sake of brevity and to avoid duplicate explanation, descriptions to the same elements as set forth in one embodiment may be omitted or only briefly mentioned in each succeeding embodiment.

<FIG> illustrates an example of an ultrasound imaging system <NUM>, which may include a tilt-adjustable display in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may be used to generate ultrasound images from ultrasound echoes acquired by a transducer array. The ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include suitable signal and image processing components (e.g., as described further with reference to <FIG>) for the generation and display of ultrasound images. The signal and image processing components may be incorporated into a cart-based system (e.g., as shown in <FIG>) or into a portable ultrasound system such as a tablet ultrasound system or a notebook-type ultrasound system, e.g., as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The ultrasound imaging system may include a touch-sensitive display which may provide a touch screen interface in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

<FIG> shows an example of a cart-based ultrasound imaging system, which may include a tilt-adjustable display according to the present disclosure. The ultrasound imaging system <NUM> in <FIG> includes a base <NUM> (e.g., a cart). The base <NUM> may include casters or wheels <NUM> that facilitate movement of the ultrasound imaging system from one location to another, such as between patient and exam rooms, labs, or surgical rooms. One or more of the electronic components of the ultrasound imaging system <NUM>, such as one or more processors, controllers, signal generators/receivers, and/or input and output (I/O) devices <NUM> may be provided in the base <NUM>. One or more ultrasound transducer probes (not shown) may be coupled to the base <NUM>, typically removably, for example via an I/O device <NUM> or wirelessly.

The ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include a control platform <NUM>, which supports a control panel <NUM>. The control platform <NUM> may be adjustably connected to the base <NUM>, e.g., via a first articulating arm <NUM>, which enables the position of the control platform <NUM> relative to the base <NUM> to be changed. The control panel <NUM> may include a first control panel <NUM>, which may include a plurality of manual controls <NUM> implemented as any of a variety of physical or mechanical input devices, such as one or more dials, buttons, knobs, switches, keyboards, trackballs, or the like. The control panel <NUM> may also include a touch control panel <NUM> which may provide additional controls, and which may thus be referred to as a secondary control panel <NUM>. Touch control panel <NUM> which may be implemented by a touch-sensitive display <NUM> built using any currently known or later developed touch sensitive display technologies (e.g., resistive, capacitive, pressure-sensitive capacity, infrared, etc.). In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the touch control panel <NUM> may be movably coupled relative to the first control panel <NUM>, for example pivotally coupled to the first control panel <NUM>, such as to enable adjusting a tilt angle of the secondary control panel <NUM>. The user interface (e.g., the set of graphical user interface control elements provided on the secondary control panel <NUM>), may be reconfigurable, typically automatically by the imaging system <NUM>, based on the specific imaging mode or application that is active at any given time on the system. As such, the main physical controls of the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may be easily supplemented with a large number of additional user control functions, tailored for a particular application. Despite the versatility of touch-sensitive controls, manual controls may still be desirable, for example because of operator familiarity with such controls and also because manual controls provide tactile feedback (e.g., a physical change in position), which may enable the operator to perform certain functions without having to look at the controls. However, embodiments that include only a touch-sensitive controls (e.g., as one or a plurality of control panels of a control panel assembly) are envisioned and are within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more of the controls (e.g., manual controls) may, alternatively or additionally, be provided on the transducer probe. In some embodiments, only touch screen interface(s) may be used for controlling the operation of the ultrasound imaging system <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the control panel <NUM>, or a portion thereof, may be irremovably attached to (i.e. integrated into) the control platform <NUM>. For example, some or all of the control panel <NUM> may be integrated into the control platform <NUM>. In other embodiments, the control panel <NUM>, or a portion thereof, as well as certain functionality of the ultrasound system may be incorporated into a portable unit, which may be separable from the base <NUM>. In such embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include a docking structure, provided on or proximate the control platform <NUM> to allow the portable unit to be removably attached and operatively (e.g., electrically) coupled to the base <NUM>. In some embodiments, the system <NUM> may include an additional monitor <NUM> separate from the touch-sensitive display <NUM>. In some examples, the monitor <NUM> may be referred to as a main display panel or simply main display. The monitor <NUM> may be adjustably connected to the base <NUM> and/or control platform <NUM>, for example, via a second articulating arm <NUM>. In some embodiments, the monitor <NUM> may be a passive display (e.g., may not include touch-sensitive portions) and may be used to display images acquired with the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> or another imaging system. In some embodiments, images, graphic overlays including patient information or relevant clinical measurements or other data. In some embodiments monitor <NUM> may display replicas or variations of data displayed on any of the touch touch-sensitive display <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate an example of a portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> which may be provided with a tilt-adjustable display in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In <FIG>, the portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> is shown supported on a movable base <NUM>, which may position and support the controls and display(s) of the system <NUM> at a more suitable (e.g., ergonomic) position for the user. <FIG> shows the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> in isolation (i.e., without the base <NUM>). The portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include some or all of the components of ultrasound imaging system <NUM> described further below with reference to <FIG>. For example, the portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include all of the electronic components necessary for acquiring and displaying ultrasound images.

In this embodiment, the portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> includes a first portion <NUM>, which includes the main display <NUM> and thus also referred to as display portion <NUM>, and a second portion <NUM>, which includes at least one control panel (e.g., the primary control panel <NUM>) and is thus also referred to as control panel portion <NUM>. The display portion <NUM> and the control panel portion <NUM> are foldably (e.g., hingedly) coupled to one another such that the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> can be provided in a more compact (e.g., a folded) configuration in which the main display <NUM> is folded toward and faces the control panel <NUM>.

The ultrasound imaging system <NUM> can be configured to mechanically and/or electronically connect to the movable base <NUM>, and in some such embodiments, certain functionality such as additional storage and/or additional input/output device may be provided by base <NUM>. The portable ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may be mechanically coupled to or supported by the base such as by simply resting the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> on the support platform <NUM>, and in some cases optionally against one or more arresting ledges, while in other examples, the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may be coupled by being additionally mechanically locked or otherwise secured to the movable base <NUM>. When ultrasound imaging system <NUM> is secured to the movable base <NUM>, system <NUM> is essentially reconfigured into a cart-based system. The movable base <NUM> may include casters or wheels, such as wheels <NUM>, which facilitate movement of the ultrasound imaging system from one location to another, as between patient and exam rooms, labs, or surgical rooms. In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may additionally or alternatively be electronically coupled (via wired or wireless connection) to the movable base <NUM>. In some such embodiments, one or more of the electronic components of the ultrasound imaging system, such as one or more processors, controllers, signal generators/receivers, and/or input and output (I/O) devices <NUM> may be provided in the base <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) or in the control panel portion <NUM>. Movable base <NUM> may be rendered a stationary base by removal of the wheels <NUM>.

All of the signal and image processing components essential to ultrasound data acquisition and image generation may be located in the portable system (e.g., the ultrasound imaging system <NUM>) while any electronic components in the movable base <NUM> may provide auxiliary functionality (e.g., additional storage, additional and/or processing, additional peripherals and/or input and output devices, etc.) In some embodiments, the movable base <NUM> may include a docking structure provided on or proximate the support platform <NUM> to allow the portable system <NUM> to be removably attached and operatively (e.g., electrically) coupled to the movable base <NUM>. The movable base <NUM> may also include one or more support structures for supporting or securing one or more ultrasound transducer probes, e.g., while not in use for imaging. In some embodiments, the ultrasound probes may be removably coupled to the ultrasound imaging system <NUM>, the base <NUM>, or both.

As shown in <FIG>, the display portion <NUM> and the control panel portion <NUM> may both be provided in an integrated housing having a portable (e.g., capable of being easily carried by a single person) form factor. For example, the display portion <NUM> and the control panel portion <NUM> may be provided in first and second housing portions <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, which are pivotally connected to one another by a pivot or hinge joint, to form a portable notebook-style imaging system. In other embodiments, components of the control panel portion (e.g., the control panel <NUM> or components thereof) may be provided alongside the main display <NUM>. In some embodiments, the main display <NUM> may be a passive display (e.g., may not include any touch-sensitive portions) and may be used primarily for the display of information (e.g., images or measurements) acquired with the ultrasound system <NUM> or another imaging system. In other embodiments, the main display may include at least one touch sensitive portion, which may be provided alternative to or in addition to any other touch-sensitive control interfaces (e.g., a secondary control panel) of the imaging system <NUM>.

In accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, the control panel portion <NUM> of an existing portable ultrasound system such as the CX50 ultrasound system sold by PHILIPS, may be modified to include a touch control panel <NUM> (e.g., a touch screen) alongside a manual control panel <NUM>, which may include the manual controls <NUM> of the system, such as one or more dials, buttons, knobs, switches, keyboards, trackballs, or the like. The touch control panel <NUM> may be located on a same side of the hinge joint and may itself be pivotally connected to the underlying structure in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. In this manner, the touch control panel <NUM> may be adjustable from the stowed position, in which the touch control panel <NUM> is substantially flush with the main control panel, to various tilt angles, as will be described further below. The touch control panel <NUM> may provide a secondary display and/or a second reconfigurable (e.g., by the system) portion of the control panel of the system, and may thus also be referred to as secondary control panel or secondary display. The tilt-adjustable touch control panel <NUM> (also referred to as a secondary control panel <NUM>) may be located at any suitable location on the control panel portion <NUM>, such as below, above, or to one side of the keyboard. In some embodiment, secondary control panel <NUM> may replace some, a subset, or all of the manual controls (e.g., the keyboard, touch pad, trackball, the time gain compensation (TGC) sliders, the gain knob or any other one or combination of knobs or sliders of a conventional control panel) and any remaining manual controls of the primary control panel <NUM> may be rearranged on the control panel portion <NUM> to accommodate the secondary control panel <NUM>. In some embodiments, images, graphic overlays including patient information or relevant clinical measurements, or other data may be displayed on any of the main display <NUM>, the touch-sensitive display of the touch control panel <NUM> or both.

Touch displays are becoming prevalent in ultrasound imaging systems partly due to their re-configurability for different use cases/imaging modes. However, in existing ultrasound systems, any such touch displays are typically in a fixed orientation with respect to the control panel, with the typical orientations being either flat in tablet-style ultrasound systems or raised/inclined at a fixed angle in cart-based systems. Neither of these two configurations may be ideal from an ergonomic standpoint, the inventors having envisioned and herein described a solution that may address one or more of the challenges associated with providing a tilt-adjustable control panel on a medical imaging system such as an ultrasound system. A tilt-adjustable touch display according to the present disclosure may reduce or prevent glare associated with conventional touch displays and thus improve the readability/visibility of such a display, enable ergonomic adjustments to the display by enabling the angle of the display to be varied to accommodate different user sizes or positions (e.g., seated or standing) thereby potentially reducing repetitive use injuries and generally improving the user experience.

<FIG> illustrate an example of a tilt-adjustable display assembly <NUM>, which can be used to implement a secondary display/control panel (e.g., panels <NUM> or <NUM>) of an ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure. <FIG> shows an isometric view of an example display assembly <NUM>, and <FIG> show cross-sectional views of the display assembly <NUM> in which the display panel <NUM> is shown in different positions (e.g., at different tilt angles) to illustrate principles of the present invention.

The tilt-adjustable display assembly <NUM> includes a display panel <NUM> pivotally coupled to supporting structure, shown here as a portion of a control panel <NUM>. The display panel <NUM> includes a touch-sensitive display unit or touch screen <NUM> that may provide a re-configurable user interface to the ultrasound imaging system. As described, the touch screen <NUM> may be reconfigured by the system to display different user interface elements at different times during use, such as for different imaging modes or clinical applications. The touch screen <NUM> is located on a user-facing side <NUM> of the display panel <NUM>. The display panel <NUM>, and thus the touch screen <NUM>, are pivotally coupled to a control panel <NUM> of the ultrasound machine such that the display panel <NUM>, and thus the touch screen <NUM>, can be pivoted between a stowed position, as shown in <FIG>, in which the touch screen <NUM> lies substantially parallel to and faces upward or away from the control panel <NUM>, and a plurality of inclined positions, including the inclined position shown in <FIG>, in which the touch screen <NUM> is at an angle to the control panel <NUM>.

The display panel <NUM> is pivotally coupled to supporting structure (e.g., control panel <NUM>) via a tilt-adjustment mechanism <NUM> configured to position and firmly support the display panel <NUM> at any one of a plurality of inclined positions. The tilt-adjustment mechanism <NUM> includes a first arm <NUM> provided on the rear side <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> opposite the user-facing side <NUM>. The tilt-adjustment mechanism <NUM> also includes a second arm <NUM> pivotally coupled to the supporting structure (e.g., control panel <NUM>). The second arm <NUM> is configured to engage the first arm <NUM> to firmly support the display panel <NUM> in an inclined position as described further below.

As shown in <FIG>, the display panel <NUM> may be configured to pivot about tilt axis A whereby the angle of inclination <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> with respect to the control panel <NUM>, also referred to as tilt angle, may be varied. The first arm <NUM> may be carried on the pivoting display panel <NUM> such that the first arm <NUM> moves with the display panel <NUM> when the display panel <NUM> is adjusted (i.e., pivoted) to different position (i.e., a different tilt angle). Additionally and independently, for engaging and disengaging with the second arm <NUM>, the first arm <NUM> may be pivotable in relation to the touch screen <NUM> about a first arm axis <NUM> (as shown by motion arrow <NUM>). In some examples, the first arm axis <NUM> may coincide with the tilt axis A, as illustrated in <FIG>. In other words, the display panel <NUM> and the first arm <NUM> may have a common hinge line. In other examples, the display panel <NUM> and the first arm <NUM> may pivot about different axes, for example the first arm <NUM> may pivot about an axis passing through the display panel <NUM> (e.g., near the lower end of the display panel) but spaced apart from the axis A. The first arm <NUM> includes a plurality of teeth <NUM>, which in the present example are arranged to face away from the rear side <NUM> of the display panel <NUM>.

The second arm <NUM> is pivotally supported on the control panel <NUM> and includes a free end (upper end <NUM>) configured to operatively engage the teeth <NUM>. The first and second arms <NUM>, <NUM>, and more specifically the teeth <NUM> and upper end <NUM> may be configured to allow relatively unimpeded pivotal movement of the display panel <NUM> in one direction (i.e. the direction of increasing the tilt angle <NUM>) while resisting pivotal movement of the display panel <NUM> in the opposite direction (i.e. the direction of decreasing tilt angle <NUM>). In some embodiments, a friction hinge may additionally and optionally be provided, as part of the tilt-adjustment mechanism <NUM> at the pivotal joint between the display panel <NUM> and the control panel <NUM>, which may increase the pivotal stiffness and thus improve the stability of the pivotal joint (e.g., by the added resistance of the friction hinge further reducing or eliminating spring-back, free-play or any other undesirable movement at the pivotal joint).

As further shown in <FIG>, the second arm <NUM> is pivotally coupled, at its lower end <NUM>, to the control panel <NUM> such that, in use, the second arm <NUM> pivots about a second arm axis <NUM>, which is spaced apart from the first arm axis <NUM>. The second arm axis <NUM> in this example does not pass through the display panel <NUM>. The second arm axis <NUM> is spaced apart from the first axis <NUM> by a distance selected to effect the desired range of motion (e.g., a tilt angle range) of the display panel <NUM>.

The tilt adjustment mechanism <NUM> may be configured such that the first and second arms <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, remain coupled, although not necessarily engaged, at all times. For example, the upper end <NUM> of the second arm <NUM> may be movably (e.g., slidably) coupled to the rear side <NUM> of the display panel <NUM>. A guide <NUM>, shown here as a pair of slots <NUM>, may be provided on the rear side <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> and configured to slidably receive or capture a cooperating structure of the second arm <NUM>. The slots <NUM> may be fixed to the rear side <NUM> for example by being formed in an elongate structure projecting (e.g., perpendicularly) from the rear side <NUM> of the display panel. The slots <NUM>, which may be through slots or blind slots, may be arranged to face one another. That is the apertures of the slots that receive the cooperating structures are arranged on the respective sides of the projects that face one another. In this example, the cooperating structures are provided by a pair of pins <NUM> each extending transversely to the length-wise direction of the second arm <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> for example, the slots <NUM> extend in opposite directions from the upper end <NUM> of the second arm <NUM> such that each of the pins <NUM> is received in a respectively one of the slots <NUM>. In use, as the tilt angle of the display panel <NUM> is adjusted, the pins <NUM> remain within their respective slot <NUM> as the upper end <NUM> moves in relation to the toothed portion of the first arm <NUM>. Other suitable arrangements may be used for movably (e.g., slidably) coupling the upper end <NUM> to the display panel. For example, the slots <NUM> of the guide <NUM> may be formed in a surface of the rear side and the cooperating structure may be arranged to extend toward the rear side (e.g., substantially perpendicularly to the rear side). In other examples, one or more rails or tracks and rollers or other suitable sliding structures may be used rather than the pin in slot arrangement of the present example. Also, while the pin and slot arrangement here is shown to include a pair of slots and corresponding pints, in other examples, a different number of cooperating structures (e.g., a single slot and pin arrangement or more than two slot and pin couplings) may be used. In further examples, the location of the slot(s) and pin(s) may be reversed, e.g., with the receiving structure (e.g., slot) provided on the arm <NUM> and the sliding structure (e.g., pin) provided on the display panel <NUM>. The length of the guide slots <NUM>, the length of the arm <NUM>, and/or the spacing between the arm axes <NUM> and <NUM> may be tailored to achieve a desired range of motion, e.g., to limit the forward pivotal movement, and thus the tilt angle, of the display panel <NUM> up to about <NUM> degrees and in some cases to less than <NUM> degrees, for example to <NUM> degrees, or <NUM> degrees, or other suitable maximum inclined angle. The second arm <NUM> may be sized and formed of any suitable rigid material (e.g., metal, plastic, composite, or combinations thereof) capable of supporting the weight of the display panel <NUM> in a tilted position. The arm <NUM> may be designed to be sufficiently stiff to prevent any significant (e.g., perceivable by the user) movement of the display when the display is used, e.g., tapped or otherwise touched such as for selecting or operating GUIs on the display.

The first arm <NUM> may be biased (e.g., via any suitable spring such as a coil spring, a leaf spring, or another suitable biasing member) toward the second arm <NUM> whereby the teeth <NUM> are biased toward engagement with the upper end <NUM> of the second arm <NUM>. As illustrated, the upper end <NUM> may be configured to operatively engage the teeth <NUM>. For example, the upper end <NUM> may be shaped or include any suitable structure (e.g., one or more hooks or pawls <NUM>) that extends toward the rear side <NUM> and thus toward the teeth <NUM> so as to engage (e.g., be received between adjacent) teeth <NUM>. The shaped upper end <NUM> of the present example includes a single hook or pawl <NUM>, which is sized to engage (e.g., be received between or mesh between) the teeth <NUM> to mechanically resist movement of the second arm <NUM> relative to the first arm <NUM>. Each of the teeth <NUM> may have a leading side that faces toward the lower end <NUM> of the arm <NUM>, and a trailing side that faces toward the upper end <NUM> of the arm <NUM>, with the trailing sides being more shallowly inclined to the length-wise direction of the arm <NUM> than the leading side, whereby the teeth <NUM> and pawl <NUM> operate, in effect, as a ratchet. In other words, advancement of the pawl <NUM> toward the lower end <NUM> (that is, up the leading sides of the teeth <NUM>) is resisted to a lesser degree than advancement in the opposite direction, that is up the trailing sides of the teeth <NUM> toward the upper end <NUM> of the arm <NUM>. In preferred embodiments, the incline of the trailing sides may be sufficiently steep (e.g., substantially perpendicular to the length-wise direction of the arm <NUM>) such that the latter is essentially prevented without disengagement of the pawl <NUM> from the teeth <NUM>. In contrast the incline of the leading sides may be sufficiently shallow (e.g., less than <NUM> degrees, in some cases around <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> degrees, to the length-wise direction of the arm <NUM>) to allow the pawl to advance toward the lower end <NUM> without pivoting the arm <NUM>. As such, the tilt angle of the display panel <NUM> may be increased without pivoting the arm <NUM> but reducing the tilt angle (such as to lower the display panel) may require actuating the first arm <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the first arm <NUM> may be provided with an actuation member, which may be coupled to or integrally formed with the upper end <NUM> of the arm <NUM>. For example, the upper end <NUM> may be wrapped around so that it extends over a peripheral edge <NUM> of the display <NUM> to position the upper end <NUM>, referred here also as actuation end, at a location easily accessible to the user for manipulating the tilt-adjustable mechanism (e.g., for temporarily disengaging the second arm from the teeth <NUM> when adjusting the tilt angle of the display <NUM>). Alternatively or Additionally, the upper end <NUM> may be provided with one or more traction features to make it easier for the user to manipulate (e.g., pivot) the first arm <NUM>. For example, a ledge extending from the upper end <NUM> of the arm may act as the traction features. Additionally or alternatively, the upper end of the arm may be provided with (e.g., coated on or bonded to the upper end) one or more materials that have higher coefficient of static friction than other portions of the first arm. For example, the first arm may be substantially made from a suitable plastic component such as nylon, polyvinyl chloride or other rigid plastic material, while a higher friction material, such as rubber, may be applied to at least a portion of the upper end to provide the traction feature. In some cases, the traction feature may be a combination such as a structural enhancement such as a protrusion and a frictional enhancement such as a rubber coating.

The actuation member <NUM> may be provided by any suitable structure configured to be gripped by the user for applying a levering force for pivoting the upper end <NUM> of the toothed arm <NUM>. For example, the actuation member <NUM> may include a ledge <NUM> extending beyond a top surface <NUM> at an upper end <NUM> of the display panel <NUM> to provide a convenient place for the user to grip and actuate the toothed arm <NUM>. In some embodiments, the cavity <NUM> of the control panel <NUM> may be sized such that there is a gap between the display panel <NUM> and the end of the cavity <NUM> such that the user can reach below the ledge <NUM> to grip and actuate the toothed arm <NUM>. In some embodiments, the display panel <NUM> may be flush with or below the top surface <NUM> of the control panel <NUM> while the ledge <NUM> is above the top surface <NUM> to provide the user with a convenient place to grip and actuate the toothed arm <NUM>. In some embodiments, the actuation member <NUM> may include a texture (e.g., bumps, ridges) to resist slipping of the user's grip. In some embodiments, the actuation member <NUM> may include a non-slip coating to facilitate the user's grip.

When the pawl <NUM> is operatively engaged with teeth <NUM> (e.g., seated between two adjacent teeth <NUM>), downward rotation (i.e., toward the stowed position) of the display panel <NUM> is resisted or prevented thereby firmly securing the display panel <NUM> at an inclined position. The first arm <NUM> may be provided with a sufficient number of teeth <NUM>, suitably arranged along a portion of the length of the arm <NUM> to effect any desired number of incremental tilt adjustments, for example <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> increments, or greater number of increments of adjustment (e.g., up to <NUM>, up to <NUM>, or up to <NUM> different adjustments). In some embodiments, a plurality of different tilt angles may be enabled from zero degrees (i.e., at the stowed position) up to about <NUM> degrees of incline. In some examples, a tilt angle increment of about <NUM> degrees, or of about <NUM> degrees, or other suitable increment, may be used. The number of adjustment increments provided on an imaging system may vary based on the size of the secondary control panel. For example, a larger secondary control panel such as on a cart-based system may have a greater number of incrementally-adjustable tilt angles (e.g., up to <NUM> available tilt angles), while a smaller secondary control panel such as on a portable (e.g., notebook or other hand-held imaging system) may have a smaller number of available tilt angle, e.g., up to <NUM> or <NUM> tilt angles. As will be appreciated in view of the present disclosure, the ability to adjust the tilt angle <NUM> of the secondary, touch-sensitive control panel, may improve readability of information shown on the secondary display (e.g., by reducing glare from overhead lighting and/or adjusting the angle for a more optimal orientation to the user) and improve ergonomics for a larger demographic of users, such as by enabling users of different sizes to comfortably and conveniently operate the secondary control panel both when seated, when standing and at any of the different positions in which the main control panel may be moved to with respect to the operator.

In some embodiments, the supporting structure (e.g., control panel <NUM>) may define a cavity <NUM> configured to receive the display panel <NUM> at least partially, and in some cases substantially fully, therein such as to enable the touch screen <NUM> to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the control panel <NUM> when the display panel <NUM> is in the stowed position. This may be particularly advantageous for storage of the imaging system, for example when placing the main display over the control panel (e.g., when folding closed a note-book style imaging system). When provided in the stowed position, the first and second arms <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, may be located substantially between the display panel <NUM> and the bottom of the cavity <NUM> and thus be substantially fully enclosed within in the cavity <NUM>, e.g., as shown in <FIG>.

As previously described, in use, the first arm <NUM> pivots relative to the touch screen <NUM> for engaging and disengaging with the second arm <NUM>. In the example in <FIG>, when actuated for disengaging the second arm <NUM>, the first arm <NUM> pivots relative to the touch screen <NUM> about the same axis A whereby an upper end <NUM> of the arm <NUM> is brought closer to the touch screen <NUM>. In some embodiments, the upper end <NUM> of the arm <NUM> may be configured for manipulation by the user. For example, the upper end <NUM> may be provided with a ledge <NUM> or other suitable structure. The ledge <NUM> may enable the user to more easily grasp and manipulate (e.g., apply a moment to) the arm <NUM> to cause it to pivot about the axis A toward the user-facing side <NUM>, which action disengages the first arm <NUM> from the second arm <NUM> by pulling the toothed portion of the arm <NUM> away from the pawl <NUM> of arm <NUM> allowing the tilt of the display panel <NUM> to be adjusted. While holding the arm <NUM> in this pivoted position the user may manipulate the display panel toward a different (e.g., lower angle of inclination) position, and subsequently release the arm <NUM> to allow it to re-engage the arm <NUM>. Once re-engaged, the interlocking between the pawl end of arm <NUM> and teeth <NUM> of arm <NUM>, which are urged towards the pawl end by the biasing element, may substantially reduce or prevent pivotal movement of the display panel until the tilt-adjustment mechanism is once again manipulated by the user (e.g., arm <NUM> pivoted forward to disengage from the arm <NUM>).

An ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure, which may include a tilt-adjustable secondary display, such as the display assembly <NUM> described above, may include various electronic components for acquiring and displaying ultrasound image data, e.g., as shown in <FIG>. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the ultrasound imaging system <NUM> may include or be configured to be removably coupled to an ultrasound probe <NUM> that houses a transducer array <NUM> for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving echo information. A variety of transducer arrays are well known in the art, e.g., linear arrays, convex arrays or phased arrays. The transducer array <NUM>, for example, can include a two-dimensional array (as shown) of transducer elements capable of scanning in both elevation and azimuth dimensions for 2D and/or 3D imaging. The transducer array <NUM> is coupled to a micro-beamformer <NUM> in the probe <NUM> which controls transmission and reception of signals by the transducer elements in the array. In this example, the micro-beamformer is coupled by the probe cable to a transmit/receive (T/R) switch <NUM>, which switches between transmission and reception and protects the main beamformer <NUM> from high energy transmit signals. In some embodiments, the T/R switch <NUM> and other elements in the system can be included in the transducer probe rather than in a separate ultrasound system base. The transmission of ultrasonic beams from the transducer array <NUM> under control of the micro-beamformer <NUM> is directed by the transmit controller <NUM> coupled to the T/R switch <NUM> and the beamformer <NUM>, which receives input from the user's operation of the user interface or control panel <NUM>. One of the functions controlled by the transmit controller <NUM> is the direction in which beams are steered. The partially beamformed signals produced by the micro-beamformer <NUM> are coupled to a main beamformer <NUM> where partially beamformed signals from individual patches of transducer elements are combined into a fully beamformed signal.

The beamformed signals are coupled to a signal processor <NUM>. The signal processor <NUM> can process the received echo signals in various ways, such as bandpass filtering, decimation, I and Q component separation, and harmonic signal separation. The signal processor <NUM> may also perform additional signal enhancement such as speckle reduction, signal compounding, and noise elimination. The processed signals are coupled to a B mode processor <NUM>, which can employ amplitude detection for the imaging of structures in the body. The signals produced by the B mode processor are coupled to a scan converter <NUM> and a multiplanar reformatter <NUM>. The scan converter <NUM> arranges the echo signals in the spatial relationship from which they were received in a desired image format. For instance, the scan converter <NUM> may arrange the echo signal into a two-dimensional (2D) sector-shaped format, or a pyramidal three dimensional (3D) image. The multiplanar reformatter <NUM> can convert echoes which are received from points in a common plane in a volumetric region of the body into an ultrasonic image of that plane, as described in <CIT>). A volume renderer <NUM> converts the echo signals of a 3D data set into a projected 3D image as viewed from a given reference point, e.g., as described in <CIT>) The 2D or 3D images are coupled from the scan converter <NUM>, multiplanar reformatter <NUM>, and volume renderer <NUM> to an image processor <NUM> for further enhancement, buffering and temporary storage for display on an image display <NUM>. In some embodiments, one or more of the images generated by image processor may additionally alternatively be displayed on a secondary display panel pivotally coupled to a control panel <NUM>. Such secondary display panel may be implemented and coupled to the control panel <NUM> in accordance with any of the examples herein. A graphics processor <NUM> may generate graphic overlays for display with the ultrasound images. These graphic overlays can contain, e.g., standard identifying information such as patient name, date and time of the image, imaging parameters, and the like. The graphics processor, and other functions of the ultrasound system, may receive input from a user interface, which may be implemented using manual (e.g., mechanical) controls and soft (e.g., GUI) controls. As noted above, the user interface may also be operatively coupled to control various other functions of the system, such as the selection of image planes generated by the multiplanar reformatter <NUM>, the selection or setting of various acoustic parameters, etc..

The inventor has thus recognized that a tilt adjustable display for an ultrasound system according to the present disclosure may address one or more of the problems of the current state of the art. For example, the inventor has recognized that a rigid-arm based tilt-adjustment assembly of the kind described herein, in some cases in combination with a friction hinge at the display pivot joint, may provide an improved solution for tilt-adjustable displays by reducing spring-back and free play of the pivot joint, both of which can degrade the user's experience, and may generally ruggedize a tilt-adjustable display assembly, which can increase the useful life of the system.

Claim 1:
A medical imaging system comprising:
a control panel (<NUM>); and
a display panel (<NUM>) pivotally coupled to the control panel, wherein the display panel comprises a touch-sensitive display on a user-facing side of the display panel;
characterized by:
a first arm (<NUM>) pivotally coupled to the display panel such that the first arm is pivotable about the touch screen, the first arm comprising a plurality of teeth facing away from the user-facing side; and
a second arm (<NUM>) pivotally coupled to the control panel and configured to selectively engage the plurality of teeth to support the display panel in any one of a plurality of inclined positions.