Ultrasound System Typologies, User Interfaces and Probes Design: A Review

he present review paper aims to give insights regarding what is available now, and will be in the next future, on the Market in terms of Ultrasound (US) system User Interfaces characteristics and peculiarities; US system typologies and probe typologies. Moreover, insights regarding ergonomics evaluation technologies and techniques for US systems, User Interface and transducers design evaluation, will be provided as well. The User interface ergonomics of US systems and probes is of primary importance due to the increased use in the everyday clinical practice even by non-sonographers, and the higher attention to the Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD). A large overview and review of market data, side by side tests, websites, interviews to US users, marketing and sales professionals, scientific and educational publications was carried out in order to collect all available data as well as to show and describe them to the reader. Nowadays US market offers many different typologies of systems and probes, with different prices, features, quality level and targets of use. Users have to be aware to increase their level of knowledge in order to perform the best choice in terms of price/performance ratio and in terms of ergonomics and workflow requirements. The same level of knowledge is necessary also for other stakeholders of the US imaging Lab and purchasing/test decision phases such as Clinical and Biomedical Engineers involved in technical decision related to capital equipment and their maintenance. Final users expect technical innovations every 6-12 months in order to ensure technical-clinical improvements and company commitment to research and customer focus. Such characteristics are important clues showing a fast moving of the US market from a capital equipment basis to a more mass-consumer approach characterized by fast innovations, quick obsolescence and consumer prone attitude to system rotation in order to have always the more up-to-date technology, product, probe available on the Market

Design Culture Within the B2B Needs Roadmap

The aim of the present paper is to support the reshaping and spreading of the role of the design culture within the B2B environment. The main target of the work is related to companies characterized by operating in fast-changing markets (in terms of needs, trends and tendencies change) while having to develop complex and long-time for completion products. Such characteristics force companies to a structured long-term forecasting approach where design culture adoption can fit mainly considering the purchase process multiple actors (user, customer, procurement office, technical-engineering department) involved within the product design activity since the early beginning. Design culture would, therefore, influence and surround several departments involved in product design and production, as well as concerning after sales product activities, becoming an innovative approach which can pass from being “at the end” of the process, to one of the major core company backbones

Transcranial Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Image Fusion With Virtual Navigator

The Virtual Navigator (VN) technology was used for the fusion of transcranial Ultrasound (US) and brain Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI), with a repeatability error under 0.1 cm. The superimposition of US to the previously acquired MRI volume consisted of external point-based registration, that was subsequently refined with image-based registration of internal brain structures. The common registration procedure with the usage of external fiducial markers acquired with the two modalities was improved using facial anatomical landmarks, with a reduction of the internal targeted structure residual shift (maximum 0.7 cm in the cranio-caudal direction). This allowed the investigation of Deep Cerebral Veins and dural sinuses insonated from the condyloid process of the mandible, a recently introduced US window. The fusion of these vessels to the MRI volume provided their anatomical position and helped excluding false Doppler signal sources

Case study of integrated ergonomic assessment of a portable ultrasound system.

In recent years, the portable ultrasound (PU) systems have worldwide increased their importance both economically (number of systems sold) and clinically. The major task for user interface (UI) designers is represented by the concentration of the necessary controls for advanced technical and clinical features within reduced dimensions. The MyLab30CV (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy) PU, was evaluated during clinical examination sessions by expert sonographers in different clinical applications. This PU has a typical portable systems graphical user interface (GUI) menu by means of soft keys in the lower part of the monitor with direct controls right under the screen. The outputs of this analysis were the design inputs for the UI of a new PU system, the MyLabAlpha (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy), characterized by the integration of a high definition touch screen (TS) within the control panel, a reduced number of physical controls, compact dimensions and decreased weight. A detailed description and an evaluation of the new UI and its features are provided

Motion analysis and eye tracking technologies applied to portable ultrasound systems user interfaces evaluation

The present work describes the ergonomics and usability preliminary tests regarding the human upper limb kinematics and cognitive evaluation of two diagnostic portable ultrasound scanners. The tests were performed by two sonographers (an expert one and a novice one) on one subject in abdominal and vascular clinical applications. The two portable systems had different user interfaces: one system had a classic Software keys interactive Menu, placed in the lower part of the screen, with toggles and buttons for the activation and adjustment of the functions, then physical qwerty keyboard and control panel. The other system had a touch screen integrated in the control panel with an interactive user interface and reduced number of physical buttons. Comparisons between the two systems considering the two sonographer's use are provided. Motion control and eye tracking scan path results will be presented and discussed for both users on both systems

Chapter 2: Case Study of integrated ergonomic assessment of a Portable Ultrasound System

In recent years, the portable ultrasound (PU) systems have worldwide increased their importance both economically (number of systems sold) and clinically. The major task for user interface (UI) designers is represented by the concentration of the necessary controls for advanced technical and clinical features within reduced dimensions. The MyLab30CV (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy) PU, was evaluated during clinical examination sessions by expert sonographers in different clinical applications. This PU has a typical portable systems graphical user interface (GUI) menu by means of soft keys in the lower part of the monitor with direct controls right under the screen. The outputs of this analysis were the design inputs for the UI of a new PU system, the MyLabAlpha (Esaote S.p.A., Firenze, Italy), characterized by the integration of a high definition touch screen (TS) within the control panel, a reduced number of physical controls, compact dimensions and decreased weight. A detailed description and an evaluation of the new UI and its features are provided