Importance

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Abstract

An ultrasound diagnostic device includes a console portion and a display portion. The console portion includes a control panel, which includes a plurality of input keys. A user may input commands on the control panel by actuating one or more keys on the control panel. The console portion comprises control circuitry, which controls the operations of the ultrasound diagnostic device. The control circuitry receives input signals from the control panel. The input signals correspond to commands entered by the user on the control panel. The control circuitry processes the electrical signals and performs operations on an ultrasound image being displayed on a display monitor. The ultrasound images being displayed on the display may be modified by the control circuitry in response to one or more keys of the control panel being actuated by the user. A transducer assembly connected to the console portion is used by the user to acquire ultrasound image information from a subject. Each of the keys on the console portion represent a particular function to be performed by the control circuitry on image information acquired by the transducer assembly. This 'one button per function' feature of the invention utilizes icons, which inform the user of the function of each key. This feature of the invention renders the control panel suitable for use all over the world since the icons are capable of being understood by people of different nationalities. The overall size and weight of the ultrasound diagnostic device is reduced because the number of keys needed to operate the ultrasound diagnostic device is minimized. In another aspect of the invention, the ultrasound diagnostic device includes logic configured to allow the device to be localized by the user based on a number of different parameters, including, but not limited to, language, date appearance convention and decimal point convention.

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First Claim