Abstract: An ultrasound probe includes a probe housing, a heat generating electronic component disposed within the housing, and a heat exchanger disposed within the housing and thermally coupled with the heat generating electronic component, wherein the heat exchanger is a monolithic structure without seams. The heat exchanger includes a flow path defined by a plurality of baffles, a fluid inlet connected to one end of the flow path, a fluid outlet connected to the opposite end of the flow path, and one or more turbulating elements disposed within the flow path, the flow path configured for passing a cooling fluid therethrough. The heat exchanger is additively manufactured of a suitable material, such as to form part of a probe central support member.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging probe includes a housing, a circuit board assembly disposed within the housing including a microcontroller, and a motion sensor operably connected to the microcontroller and capable of sensing motion of the housing based on at least one operator interaction with the housing to generate sensor data, a memory chip disposed within the housing and storing information regarding particular operational configurations for the ultrasound imaging probe associated with stored sensor data representing types of stored operator interactions, and a power source disposed at least partially within the housing and operably connected to the assembly. The microcontroller is configured to receive sensor data from the motion sensor in response to the operator interaction with the housing, to compare the received sensor data with the stored sensor data, and to change an operational configuration of the ultrasound probe in response to matching the received sensor data with stored sensor data.

Abstract: Systems are provided for the arrangement of decoupled electric and acoustic modules for a transducer array of an ultrasound probe. In one embodiment, the decoupled modules are independently coupled to a flex interconnect, apart from one another, allowing for electric communication between all modules through the flex interconnect. As one example, an ultrasound transducer array for an ultrasound probe comprises an acoustic backing, a flex interconnect coupled to the backing at a first surface of the flex interconnect, a matrix acoustic array coupled to a second surface of the flex interconnect, the second surface opposite the first surface, and an electric module coupled to the second surface of the flex interconnect at a location spaced away from where the matrix acoustic array is coupled to the flex interconnect.

Abstract: Systems are provided for the arrangement of decoupled electric and acoustic modules for a transducer array of an ultrasound probe. In one embodiment, the decoupled modules are independently coupled to a flex interconnect, apart from one another, allowing for electric communication between all modules through the flex interconnect. As one example, an ultrasound transducer array for an ultrasound probe comprises an acoustic backing, a flex interconnect coupled to the backing at a first surface of the flex interconnect, a matrix acoustic array coupled to a second surface of the flex interconnect, the second surface opposite the first surface, and an electric module coupled to the second surface of the flex interconnect at a location spaced away from where the matrix acoustic array is coupled to the flex interconnect.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and method of forming an ultrasound probe are provided. The ultrasound probe comprises a two-dimensional (2D) transducer assembly having transducer elements arranged in rows and columns. The transducer elements have front and rear surfaces. The front surface is configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from an object of interest. A thin film flex circuit extends along the rear surface of the transducer assembly. The flex circuit has conductive traces arranged in layers and enclosed within a common dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a homogeneous composition surrounding the layers of the conductive traces. The conductive traces are electrically interconnected to the corresponding transducer elements.

Abstract: A medical imaging system and a method of ultrasound imaging with a tracking system includes identifying a volume-of-interest from a first ultrasound image acquired from a first position and orientation, tracking the probe using the tracking system as the probe is moved to a second position and orientation, calculating an orientation adjustment that should be applied to the probe from the second position and orientation to bring the volume-of-interest within a field-of-view of the probe, and displaying both a tilt graphical indicator and a rotation graphical indicator on a display device to illustrate the orientation adjustment.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and method of forming an ultrasound probe are provided. The ultrasound probe comprises a two-dimensional (2D) transducer assembly having transducer elements arranged in rows and columns. The transducer elements have front and rear surfaces. The front surface is configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from an object of interest. A thin film flex circuit extends along the rear surface of the transducer assembly. The flex circuit has conductive traces arranged in layers and enclosed within a common dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a homogeneous composition surrounding the layers of the conductive traces. The conductive traces are electrically interconnected to the corresponding transducer elements.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an ultrasound probe including a small-angle adjustment element. In one embodiment, the small-angle adjustment element includes a piezoelectric actuator configured to rotate a transducer array of the ultrasound probe in response to electrical signals transmitted to the piezoelectric actuator. In this way, an amount of angle spanned by the transducer array during a scan of a region of interest may be reduced, thereby increasing a precision of the ultrasound probe.

Abstract: Various embodiments include a system and method that enhance performance of an ultrasound system by dynamically changing an impedance of a transmit/receive switch. The system can include a transmit/receive switch and a low noise amplifier. The transmit/receive switch may be configured to switch between a transmit phase and a receive phase of an ultrasound scan. The transmit/receive switch may provide a receive signal communicated from an ultrasound transducer to a low noise amplifier when in the receive phase. An impedance of the transmit/receive switch may be dynamically adjusted by changing a resistance of the transmit/receive switch while the transmit/receive switch is in the receive phase. The low noise amplifier may be configured to amplify the receive signal. In various embodiments, a gain of the low noise amplifier is independent of the resistance of the transmit/receive switch.

Abstract: Systems are provided for the arrangement of decoupled electric and acoustic modules for a transducer array of an ultrasound probe. In one embodiment, the decoupled modules are independently coupled to a flex interconnect, apart from one another, allowing for electric communication between all modules through the flex interconnect. As one example, an ultrasound transducer array for an ultrasound probe comprises an acoustic backing, a flex interconnect coupled to the backing at a first surface of the flex interconnect, a matrix acoustic array coupled to a second surface of the flex interconnect, the second surface opposite the first surface, and an electric module coupled to the second surface of the flex interconnect at a location spaced away from where the matrix acoustic array is coupled to the flex interconnect.

Abstract: Various embodiments include a system and method that enhance performance of an ultrasound system by dynamically changing an impedance of a transmit/receive switch. The system can include a transmit/receive switch and a low noise amplifier. The transmit/receive switch may be configured to switch between a transmit phase and a receive phase of an ultrasound scan. The transmit/receive switch may provide a receive signal communicated from an ultrasound transducer to a low noise amplifier when in the receive phase. An impedance of the transmit/receive switch may be dynamically adjusted by changing a resistance of the transmit/receive switch while the transmit/receive switch is in the receive phase. The low noise amplifier may be configured to amplify the receive signal. In various embodiments, a gain of the low noise amplifier is independent of the resistance of the transmit/receive switch.

Abstract: A power supply supplies power to an ultrasound probe across a cable by determining an output current at a power supply source supplying power to the ultrasound probe across the cable, determining a voltage drop across the cable based upon the determined output current and regulating an output voltage of the power supply source based on the determined voltage drop.

Abstract: In a method and device for digital wireless transmission of multi-channel audio signals from a player having a sender to at least one loudspeaker having a receiver, a signal picked up by the player is scanned based on clock pulses supplied by a quartz-controlled clock generator by a scanning rate converter provided in the sender. Clock recovery is employed in the receiver. The clock pulses of the clock generator are adjusted so as to coincide at least substantially precisely with a center frequency of the clock recovery of the receiver. In an alternative configuration, the scanning rate converter is replaced by a combination of a digital-to-analog converter and an analog-to-digital converter.