HDI 1500 Ultrasound Technology: Exceptional Performance for Advanced Medical Imaging
The HDI 1500 system represents a significant advancement in ultrasound technology, delivering exceptional performance for a wide range of clinical applications. Equipped with linear, convex, and phased array scanheads, as well as static probes, this versatile system is designed to meet the requirements of healthcare professionals in various medical fields.
The use of digital broadband technology enables the HDI 1500 to ensure remarkable image quality in standard operating modes such as 2D/gray-scale, M-mode, color M-mode, color Doppler, Color Power Angio® (CPA) imaging, pulsed-wave (PW), and continuous-wave (CW) Doppler, and triple mode simultaneity. This versatility ensures comprehensive coverage of diagnostic needs in areas such as adult cardiology, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, general radiology, and many more.
The HDI 1500 stands out with its optional 3D imaging mode, providing enhanced visualization in both gray scale and color CPA. This extended feature enriches the diagnostic experience by providing detailed three-dimensional information for a more in-depth assessment of anatomical structures.
With built-in image compression, all versions of the system can store up to 4,000 images, depending on the image file size, and easily recall them. The ability to transfer data to a floppy disk and export it to a PC environment in formats such as JPEG or BMP offers additional flexibility for medical information management.
The HDI 1500 features comprehensive DICOM connectivity, facilitating seamless integration into modern hospital environments. Furthermore, its capability to support compatible ink-jet printers ensures fast and high-quality output of diagnostic images.
In terms of technical specifications, the HDI 1500 system is based on a Pentium computer platform, providing a real-time operating system with hardware and software interfaces to disks, the control panel, and peripherals. The system architecture combines this platform with ultrasound electronics, including a digital beamformer and ultrasound software.
The ultrasound unit comprises the Scanhead Select Module (Probe Selector Assembly and Beamformer Adapter), Beamformer Module (four Beamformer PCBs), Echo Processor, Color Doppler processor, System Controller, Continuous-Wave (CW) processor, Digital Scan Converter, and Backplane.
Most ultrasound signal processing, image processing, analysis, and display functions are performed by software, leveraging the native processing power of the computer. A full-service real-time operating system provides an integrated range of resources, including drivers and handlers for storage, video, serial and parallel ports, as well as support for file system services and graphical user interfaces. The operating system, based on Microsoft Windows NT, resides on the hard drive.
The system software performs various tasks, including processing requests from the control panel, setting up beamforming parameters, processing acquired ultrasound echoes into digital visual representations for conversion into analog signals, performing measurements and calculations on acquired data, storing acquired data (such as images and user-entered data) for subsequent retrieval, and executing all necessary functions to coordinate software tasks.
The ultrasound engine of the HDI 1500 produces color and gray-scale 2D, M-mode, and Doppler ultrasound images using electronic scanheads, digital beamforming, and Doppler processing. The central processing unit of the system is the Industrial PC card, a Pentium PC CPU similar to the motherboard used in a personal computer (PC).
Upon power-up, the Industrial PC card determines system functionality and coordinates overall communication between the user and the system, including storing and saving images. The memory size on the Industrial PC card is not sufficient to hold the entire operating software of the system, so it communicates continually with the hard drive for additional operating parameters.
The HDI 1500 system stores ultrasound images and patient data on the hard drive and can copy that data to removable media for offline review. The system can send images to a black and white printer, color printer, or to a VCR, and it generates reports for printing.
After power is applied, the major functional elements combine to produce ultrasound images. The user interface allows system control and viewing of the results. Figure 4-1 is a simplified block diagram of the HDI 1500 system, showing the relationship between those major functional elements and indicating the primary functional tasks performed by each element. The overall system functional flow includes power development and distribution, analog signal processing, beamforming, echo signal processing, continuous-wave and color Doppler processing, scan conversion, and digital signal processing.
