Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system for needle insertion guidance uses a curved array transducer to scan an image field with unsteered beams as a needle is inserted into the image field. Due to differences in the angle of incidence between the radially directed beams and the needle, echoes will return most strongly from only a section of the needle. This section is identified in an image, and the angle of incidence producing the strongest returns is identified. Beams with this optimal angle of incidence are then steered in parallel from the curved array transducer to produce the best needle image. The steep steering angles of some of the steered beams can give rise to side lobe clutter artifacts, which can be identified and removed from the image data using dual apodization processing of the image data.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system for needle insertion guidance uses a curved array transducer to scan an image field with unsteered beams as a needle is inserted into the image field. Due to differences in the angle of incidence between the radially directed beams and the needle, echoes will return most strongly from only a section of the needle. This section is identified in an image, and the angle of incidence producing the strongest returns is identified. Beams with this optimal angle of incidence are then steered in parallel from the curved array transducer to produce the best needle image. The steep steering angles of some of the steered beams can give rise to side lobe clutter artifacts, which can be identified and removed from the image data using dual apodization processing of the image data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces 3D images by scanning a target volume with a mechanical probe, which scans the target volume by sweeping the scan plane of an array transducer through the target volume in an elevation direction. The array transducer has two selectable focal depths, and a plurality of scan planes of image data are acquired with a far field focus, and a plurality of scan planes of image data are acquired with a near field focus. The scan planes acquired with the far field focus are separated in the elevation direction by a distance which satisfies a spatial sampling criterion in the far field, and the scan planes acquired with the near field focus are separated in the elevation direction by a distance which satisfies the spatial sampling criterion in the near field, resulting in fewer scan plane acquisitions with the near field focus that the number of scan plane acquisitions with far field focus and hence an improved volume rate of display.

Abstract: An ultrasound system is configured to perform periodic self-testing of the system's hardware components. Results of the self-testing are stored on the ultrasound system in a data log, and periodically uploaded to a self-test database. The self-test database is sorted, then analyzed by engineers of the ultrasound system manufacturer to discern variances or trends in ultrasound system hardware performance or operation. As a result of the analysis, updated or improved self-test programs are developed by the system manufacturer and uploaded to and installed on ultrasound systems of the installed base of systems.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes an array of acoustic elements configured to transmit ultrasound energy at a first transmit speed and receive echoes associated with the ultrasound energy transmitted at the first transmit speed. The system further includes a processor circuit in communication with the array of acoustic elements. The processor is configured to generate a plurality of multilines based on the received echoes, determine a second transmit speed, determine a set of transmit focus delays based on the second transmit speed, adjust the plurality of multilines using the set of transmit focus delays, generate an image based on the adjusted plurality of multilines, and output the generated image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

Abstract: A communications system which includes a first data center and a second data center, where the first data center includes a first message proxy, a first routing proxy, a service server, and a storage server and configured to receive a first message from an application running on the service server, add routing information to the first message to generate a second message when the first message is processed by the second data center, and store the second message in a public area of the storage server, where the public area is configured to store a message processed by the second data center. The first routing proxy is configured to obtain the second message from the public area, and send the second message to the second data center based on the routing information.

Abstract: An ultrasound system includes a transducer array having three or more rows of transducer elements extending in the azimuth dimension and located adjacent to each other in the elevation dimension. The rows have different mechanical foci in the elevation dimension, with an inner row elevationally focused in the near field and outer rows elevationally focused in the far field. When the user is imaging a subject in the near field, the system beamformer transmits with the inner row with a near field elevation focus. When imaging in the far field a plurality of rows elevationally focused in the far field are used for transmission. When the user is imaging in the mid-range, the beamformer uses both the inner row and the plurality of outer rows to provide an extended mid-range elevation focus.

Abstract: A digital transmit beamformer for an ultrasound system has a waveform sample memory which stores sequences of samples of different pulse transmit waveforms of differing pulse widths. The memory is shared by a plurality of transmit channels, each of which can access its own selected sample sequence, independent of the selections by other channels. Waveform sample readout by the channels occurs substantially simultaneously during a transmit event, producing a transmit beam from a transmit aperture with different pulse waveforms applied to different elements of the transmit aperture. Higher energy waveforms with wider pulse widths are applied to central elements of the aperture and lower energy waveforms with narrower pulse widths are applied to lateral elements of the aperture to produce an apodized transmit beam.

Abstract: A digital transmit beamformer for an ultrasound system has a waveform sample memory which stores sequences of samples of different pulse transmit waveforms of differing pulse widths. The memory is shared by a plurality of transmit channels, each of which can access its own selected sample sequence, independent of the selections by other channels. Waveform sample readout by the channels occurs substantially simultaneously during a transmit event, producing a transmit beam from a transmit aperture with different pulse waveforms applied to different elements of the transmit aperture. Higher energy waveforms with wider pulse widths are applied to central elements of the aperture and lower energy waveforms with narrower pulse widths are applied to lateral elements of the aperture to produce an apodized transmit beam.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing speckle while maintaining frame rate are disclosed. Multiple sub-images associated with different receive angles are acquired for a single transmit/receive event at an observation angle. The sub-images are compounded to generate a final image with reduced speckle. In some examples, multiple sub-images from multiple transmit/receive events are compounded to generate the final image. The observation angle and/or the receive angles may vary between transmit/receive events in some examples.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for ultrasonic imaging by sparse sampling are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system comprises an array of ultrasound transducer elements, electronic circuitry in communication with the array of ultrasound transducer elements and configured to select a first receive aperture of the array comprising a plurality of contiguous ultrasound transducer elements and at least one non-contiguous ultrasound transducer element, and a beamformer in communication with the electronic circuitry. Each ultrasound transducer element of the first receive aperture is configured to receive reflected ultrasound echoes and generate an electrical signal representative of imaging data.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system for needle insertion guidance uses a curved array transducer to scan an image field with unsteered beams as a needle is inserted into the image field. Due to differences in the angle of incidence between the radially directed beams and the needle, echoes will return most strongly from only a section of the needle. This section is identified in an image, and the angle of incidence producing the strongest returns is identified. Beams with this optimal angle of incidence are then steered in parallel from the curved array transducer to produce the best needle image. The steep steering angles of some of the steered beams can give rise to side lobe clutter artifacts, which can be identified and removed from the image data using dual apodization processing of the image data.

Abstract: A communications system which includes a first data center and a second data center, where the first data center includes a first message proxy, a first routing proxy, a service server, and a storage server and configured to receive a first message from an application running on the service server, add routing information to the first message to generate a second message when the first message is processed by the second data center, and store the second message in a public area of the storage server, where the public area is configured to store a message processed by the second data center. The first routing proxy is configured to obtain the second message from the public area, and send the second message to the second data center based on the routing information.

Abstract: A digital transmit beamformer for an ultrasound system has a waveform sample memory which stores sequences of samples of different pulse transmit waveforms of differing pulse widths. The memory is shared by a plurality of transmit channels, each of which can access its own selected sample sequence, independent of the selections by other channels. Waveform sample readout by the channels occurs substantially simultaneously during a transmit event, producing a transmit beam from a transmit aperture with different pulse waveforms applied to different elements of the transmit aperture. Higher energy waveforms with wider pulse widths are applied to central elements of the aperture and lower energy waveforms with narrower pulse widths are applied to lateral elements of the aperture to produce an apodized transmit beam.

Abstract: An ultrasound system includes a transducer array having three or more rows of transducer elements extending in the azimuth dimension and located adjacent to each other in the elevation dimension. The rows have different mechanical foci in the elevation dimension, with an inner row elevationally focused in the near field and outer rows elevationally focused in the far field. When the user is imaging a subject in the near field, the system beamformer transmits with the inner row with a near field elevation focus. When imaging in the far field a plurality of rows elevationally focused in the far field are used for transmission. When the user is imaging in the mid-range, the beamformer uses both the inner row and the plurality of outer rows to provide an extended mid-range elevation focus.

Abstract: An imaging probe for a biological sample includes an OCT probe and an ultrasound probe combined with the OCT probe in an integral probe package capable of providing by a single scanning operation images from the OCT probe and ultrasound probe to simultaneously provide integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ultrasound imaging of the same biological sample. A method to provide high resolution imaging of biomedical tissue includes the steps of finding an area of interest using the guidance of ultrasound imaging, and obtaining an OCT image and once the area of interest is identified where the combination of the two imaging modalities yields high resolution OCT and deep penetration depth ultrasound imaging.

Abstract: An imaging probe for a biological sample includes an OCT probe and an ultrasound probe combined with the OCT probe in an integral probe package capable of providing by a single scanning operation images from the OCT probe and ultrasound probe to simultaneously provide integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ultrasound imaging of the same biological sample. A method to provide high resolution imaging of biomedical tissue includes the steps of finding an area of interest using the guidance of ultrasound imaging, and obtaining an OCT image and once the area of interest is identified where the combination of the two imaging modalities yields high resolution OCT and deep penetration depth ultrasound imaging.