Systems and methods for associating and verifying an association of a transducer with an imaging device

Abstract

The present disclosure describes system, application, and/or methods for enabling operation of a transducer probe with a medical imaging device. An example method includes the steps of retrieving a user identification code assigned to a user associated with an imaging device, retrieving a transducer identification code of a transducer probe from a memory of the transducer probe responsive to connecting the transducer probe to the imaging device, generating a temporary digital key based on the user identification code and the transducer identification code, retrieving a stored digital key from the memory of the transducer probe, verifying an association of the transducer probe including comparing the stored digital key with the temporary digital key, enabling operation of the transducer probe with the imaging device if the stored digital key matches the temporary digital key.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 retrieving a user identification code from a memory of a computing device, wherein the user identification code is assigned to a user associated with the computing device;   retrieving a transducer identification code of a transducer probe in communication with the computing device, wherein the transducer identification code is retrieved from a memory of the transducer probe;   generating a temporary digital key based on the user identification code and the transducer identification code;   retrieving a stored digital key from the memory of the transducer probe;   directly comparing the stored digital key with the temporary digital key; and   enabling operation of the transducer probe with the computing device if, based on the direct comparison, the stored digital key matches the temporary digital key.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deleting the temporary digital key from the computing device following the directly comparing.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deleting the temporary digital key from the computing device when the transducer probe is disconnected from the computing device, when the computing device is powered down, or when execution of an imaging application on the computing device is terminated.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an alert if the temporary digital key does not match the stored digital key.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the directly comparing comprises:
 verifying an association of the transducer probe with the computing device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 generating the association of the transducer probe with the computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the generating the association comprises:
 retrieving the user identification code from a server in communication with the computing device;   storing the user identification code in the memory of the computing device;   retrieving the transducer identification code of the transducer probe;   generating a digital key based, at least in part, on the user identification code and the transducer identification code; and   transmitting the digital key to the transducer probe to be stored in the memory of the transducer probe as the stored digital key.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the generating the association comprises:
 transmitting a request for the transducer identification code to the server;   receiving the transducer identification code from the server; and   transmitting the transducer identification code to the transducer probe to be stored in the memory of the transducer probe.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the generating the association comprises:
 transmitting a request for the user identification code to the server;   receiving the user identification code from the server; and   storing the user identification code in a memory of the computing device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the transmitting the request for the user identification code comprises:
 transmitting a device identification code to the server.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the generating the association comprises:
 retrieving a device identification code associated of the computing device from the memory of the computing device; and   generating the digital key based further on the device identification code.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 storing the digital key, the temporary digital key, or both, only in volatile memory of the computing device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the stored digital key retrieved from the memory of the transducer probe in the memory of the computing device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the directly comparing is performed at the computing device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a digital key; and   causing the digital key to be stored on the transducer probe as the stored digital key.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 directly comparing the temporary digital key with a further stored digital key if the temporary digital key does not match the stored digital key; and   enabling operation of the transducer probe with the computing device if the further stored digital key matches the temporary digital key,   wherein the stored digital key is based on the user identification code, the transducer identification code, and a first computing device identification code, and   wherein the further stored digital key is based on the user identification code, the transducer identification code, and a second computing device identification code.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing universal serial bus (USB) communication of the transducer probe with the computing device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing wireless communication of the transducer probe with the computing device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing wireless communication of the computing device with a server remote from the computing device and the transducer probe.