US 11,918,413 B2
Ultrasound probe, system and method for measuring arterial parameters using non-imaging ultrasound
Krishnamoorthy Palanisamy, Bangalore (IN); Rajendra Singh Sisodia, Bhopal (IN); Shriram Sethuraman, Lexington, MA (US); Ravindra Balasaheb Patil, Bangalore (IN); and Vikram Basawaraj Patil Okaly, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 15/772,121
Filed by KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Nov. 2, 2016, PCT No. PCT/EP2016/076456
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 30, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/076918, PCT Pub. Date May 11, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/249,989, filed on Nov. 3, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2019/0076113 A1, Mar. 14, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 8/08 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); A61B 8/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 8/0891 (2013.01) [A61B 8/06 (2013.01); A61B 8/4411 (2013.01); A61B 8/4477 (2013.01); A61B 8/4494 (2013.01); A61B 8/488 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for measuring arterial parameters using non-imaging ultrasound, the system comprising:
an acquisition unit for acquiring Doppler ultrasound signals from at least one blood vessel, wherein the acquisition unit comprises an ultrasound probe having a plurality of transducer elements arranged in a grid configuration, the ultrasound probe having a first non-imaging ultrasound probe and a second non-imaging ultrasound probe detachably connected to each other, wherein the ultrasound probe is configured to provide a single non-imaging ultrasound probe in an integrated configuration of the ultrasound probe, and the ultrasound probe is configured to provide two non-imaging ultrasound probes in a split configuration of the ultrasound probe, wherein the first non-imaging ultrasound probe in the split configuration is positioned to acquire a first Doppler signal and the second non-imaging ultrasound probe in the split configuration is positioned to acquire a second Doppler signal originating from a different location in a body than the first Doppler signal; and
a processing unit for processing the acquired Doppler ultrasound signals to determine a Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) for the at least one blood vessel;
wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate a global PWV for the at least one blood vessel when the ultrasound probe is in the split configuration, and a local PWV when the ultrasound is in the integrated configuration;
wherein, when the ultrasound probe is in the split configuration, the processing unit is configured to calculate the global PWV for the at least one blood vessel based on a time delay between the first Doppler signal and the second Doppler signal; and
wherein, when the ultrasound probe is in the integrated configuration, the processing unit is configured to: determine a distension waveform indicative of (i) differences between the movements of a near wall and a far wall of the at least one blood vessel, and (ii) changes in the cross section of the at least one blood vessel, and is further configured to determine a pressure wave form based, at least partially, on the distension waveform, and determine a local PWV based using the pressure wave form.