| CPC A61B 8/546 (2013.01) [A61B 8/4427 (2013.01); A61B 8/4455 (2013.01); A61B 8/4483 (2013.01); A61B 8/462 (2013.01); A61B 8/467 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
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1. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising:
a first housing having a first side; a second side that is opposite to the first side; a distal end portion; and a proximal end portion that is opposite to the distal end portion; a display on the second side between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, wherein the proximal end portion includes a handle that is configured to receive at least a portion of an operator's hand for an operator to hold the first housing, wherein the first side is between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion;
a second housing coupled to the first housing configured to carry a transducer assembly;
electronics in the first housing coupled to the display, the electronics configured to:
receive electronic signals from the transducer assembly,
generate one or more ultrasound images based on the electronic signals; and
output the one or more ultrasound images to the display, wherein
the first housing includes a frame between the first side and the second side, the frame including a first portion extending between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion along a first part of a perimeter of the first housing and a second portion extending between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion along a second part of the perimeter of the first housing that is opposite to the first portion and a third portion extending between the first portion and the second portion along a third part of the perimeter of the first housing, wherein the distal end portion includes a vent on the first side of the first housing; and
a heat sink disposed in the third portion of the frame adjacent to the vent at the distal end portion, the heat sink forming the third portion of the frame that is between the vent on the first side and the display on the second side of the first housing to passively dissipate heat from the display through the vent in the distal end portion to an outer edge of the first housing and away from the handle in the proximal end portion, wherein the heat sink is attached to the frame via a thermally insulating pad to form the portion of the frame and reduce the heat conducted from the heat sink to the frame; and
one or more heat transfer pipes comprising a first heat transfer pipe configured to transmit heat from the electronics toward the heat sink and away from the first side of the first housing, wherein at least a portion of the first heat transfer pipe is thermally insulated from the first housing by a pair of a plurality of thermal insulators to reduce an amount of heat that reaches the first housing;
a first temperature sensor at a first location that is at the handle in the proximate end portion of the first housing; and
a second temperature sensor at a second location in the first housing that is at the heat sink in the distal end portion of the first housing, wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are configured to produce a first signal indicating a first temperature at the handle and a second signal indicating a second temperature at the heat sink,
wherein the electronics are configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and to cease operating if a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is greater than a threshold temperature.
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