Patents by Inventor Alice M. Chiang

Alice M. Chiang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20160228091
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Preferred embodiments utilize a tablet touchscreen display operative to control imaging and display operations without the need for using traditional keyboards or controls. Certain embodiments provide ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field sub array beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. Exemplary embodiments also provide an ultrasound engine circuit board including one or more multi-chip modules, and a portable medical ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound engine circuit board with one or more multi-chip modules. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for using a hierarchical two-stage or three-stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images which can be generated in real-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, William M. Wong, Noah Berger
  • Patent number: 9402601
    Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: TERATECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noah Berger, Michael Brodsky, Alice M. Chiang, Mark LaForest
  • Publication number: 20150065879
    Abstract: A system and method for real-time quantitative analysis of heart wall motion is provided. A Doppler imaging system is used to monitor the movement of a heart, or other organ. A B-mode reference image of the target organ is made and then a region-of-interest is defined through the use of a gate. Then pulsed wave spectral tissue Doppler data of the region-of-interest is formed and used to determine the velocity of a region of the target organ. The system may be used for determining appropriate biventricular pacemaker settings for patients suffering from heart disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Xingbai He, Alice M. Chiang
  • Patent number: 8900149
    Abstract: A system and method for real-time quantitative analysis of heart wall motion is provided. A Doppler imaging system is used to monitor the movement of a heart, or other organ. A B-mode reference image of the target organ is made and then a region-of-interest is defined through the use of a gate. Then pulsed wave spectral tissue Doppler data of the region-of-interest is formed and used to determine the velocity of a region of the target organ. The system may be used for determining appropriate biventricular pacemaker settings for patients suffering from heart disease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Xingbai He, Alice M. Chiang
  • Publication number: 20140121524
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Preferred embodiments utilize a tablet touchscreen display operative to control imaging and display operations without the need for using traditional keyboards or controls. Certain embodiments provide ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field sub array beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. Exemplary embodiments also provide an ultrasound engine circuit board including one or more multi-chip modules, and a portable medical ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound engine circuit board with one or more multi-chip modules. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for using a hierarchical two-stage or three-stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images which can be generated in real-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, William M. Wong
  • Publication number: 20140114190
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Certain embodiments provide a multi-chip module for an ultrasound engine of a portable medical ultrasound imaging system, in which a transmit/receive chip, an amplifier chip and a beamformer chip are assembled in a vertically stacked configuration. Exemplary embodiments also provide an ultrasound engine circuit board including one or more multi-chip modules, and a portable medical ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound engine circuit board with one or more multi-chip modules. Exemplary embodiments also provide methods for fabricating and assembling multi-chip modules as taught herein. A single circuit board of an ultrasound engine with one or more multi-chip modules may include 16 to 128 channels in some embodiments. Due to the vertical stacking arrangement of the multi-chip modules, a 128-channel ultrasound engine circuit board can be assembled within exemplary planar dimensions of about 10 cm×about 10 cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, William M. Wong
  • Publication number: 20140071789
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lightweight, high resolution portable ultrasound system using components and methods to improve connectivity and ease of use. A preferred embodiment includes an integrated system in which the beamformer control circuitry can be inserted into the host computer as a peripheral or within the processor housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Brodsky, Alice M. Chiang, David Maurer, William M. Wong
  • Publication number: 20140051984
    Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: Noah Berger, Michael Brodsky, Mark Laforest, Alice M. Chiang, William M. Wong, Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang
  • Patent number: 8628474
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20130261463
    Abstract: The present invention related to an ultrasound imaging system win which the scan head includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When using a hierarchical two-stage or three-stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated in real-time. The invention further relates to flexible printed circuit boards in the probe head. The invention furthermore related to the use. of coded or spread spectrum signaling in ultrasound imagining systems. Matched filters based on pulse compression using Golay code pairs improve the signal-to-noise ratio thus enabling third harmonic imaging with suppressed sidelobes. The system is suitable for 3D full volume cardiac imaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: TERATECH CORP.
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, William M. Wong, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Patent number: 8348849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head either includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When used with second stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: TeraTech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael Brodsky, Xingbai He, William M. Wong
  • Patent number: 8241217
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20120029357
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head either includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When used with second stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael Brodsky, Xingbai He, William M. Wong
  • Patent number: 7874991
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head either includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When used with second stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael Brodsky, Xingbai He, William M. Wong
  • Publication number: 20100228130
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: TERATECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20100174194
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head either includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When used with second stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: TERATECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, William Wong, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20090112091
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Patent number: 7500952
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Teratech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20080300490
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: TeraTech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
  • Publication number: 20080294046
    Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: TeraTech Corporation
    Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone