Abstract: A wave generating device including a wave transducer adapted to generate an energy wave, and a beam shaping device defined by revolution of a curve about an axis of revolution, the curve being arranged with respect to the transducer in a plane of the curve so as to focus a wave emanating from the transducer towards the beam shaping device to a focal point lying in the plane, the curve having an axis of symmetry in the plane, wherein the axis of revolution is generally not collinear with the axis of symmetry.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include a method, system, and device for conducting ultrasound interrogation of a medium. The novel method includes transmitting a non-beamformed or beamformed ultrasound wave into the medium, receiving more than one echoed ultrasound wave from the medium, and converting the received echoed ultrasound wave into digital data. The novel method may further transmit the digital data. In some embodiments, the transmitting may be wireless. The novel device may include transducer elements, an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the transducer elements, and a transmitter in communication with the analog-to-digital converter. The transducers may operate to convert a first electrical energy into an ultrasound wave. The first electrical energy may or may not be beamformed. The transducers also may convert an echoed ultrasound wave into a second electrical energy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a beamforming method used in an ultrasonic imaging system, the method comprises: receiving the reflected echo signal from the reception my by the transducer elements of the probe; transmit the received reflected echo signal by the transducer element to a receiving and processing channel to be amplified and AD converted to obtain digital echo data; storing the digital echo data into the memory; generating apodization parameters by the apodization parameter real time calculation device based on the digital echo data; and performing beamforming by the receiving and beamforming module by involving the generated apodization parameters. Memory resources of the system can be saved by the technical solution of the present invention, and the speed of parameter loading can be increased when the probe is switched by the system.

Abstract: A system for the destruction of adipose tissue utilizing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) within a patient's body. The system comprises a controller for data storage and the operation and control of a plurality of elements. One elements is a means for mapping a human body to establish three dimensional coordinate position data for existing adipose tissue. The controller is able to identify the plurality of adipose tissue locations on said human body and establish a protocol for the destruction of the adipose tissue. A HIFU transducer assembly having one or more piezoelectric element(s) is used along with at least one sensor wherein the sensor provides feed back information to the controller for the safe operation of the piezoelectric element(s). The sensor is electronically coupled to the controller, and the controller provides essential treatment command information to one or more piezoelectric element(s) based on positioning information obtained from the three dimensional coordinate position data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is disclosed for reducing the influence of electromagnetic wave leakage to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device even when the probe is inside the MRI gantry. The ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric material, an acoustic matching layer provided on the ultrasonic radiation side of the piezoelectric material, and backing material provided on a rear side of the piezoelectric material. A transmit beam former is used to control a transmit focal point of ultrasonic waves inside the body of a subject. A receive beam former controls a receive beam focal point of electronic waves inside the body of the subject. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus also includes a switch capable of electrically disconnecting the ultrasonic probe from a transmit/receive switch.

Abstract: A fluorescence image display apparatus is provided; wherein, when a pseudo color image representing the tissue state of a target subject is obtained, based on a fluorescence image emitted from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an excitation light, the tissue state can be recognized regardless of the intensity of the fluorescent light. Based upon the statistical quantity of a wide band fluorescence image computed by a statistical quantity computing means, a gain that the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data are to be multiplied by is computed by a gain computing means. A gain multiplying means multiplies the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data by the gain, whereby a green gradation is assigned to the wide band fluorescence image and a red gradation is assigned to the narrow band fluorescence image, and a composite image data is obtained by an image composing means.

Abstract: A method of tracking the position and orientation of an ultrasound beam emitted from an ultrasound probe. The method includes the steps of storing a model of the visible object in a memory of an optical tracking system; calculating the position and orientation of the visible object; and calculating the position and orientation of the ultrasound beam by applying a known geometric relationship to the deduced position and orientation of the visible object.

Abstract: An ultrasonic receiving apparatus capable of reducing changes in detection sensitivity due to environmental changes such as temperature and the variations of detection sensitivity depending upon the positions in the ultrasonic detecting element. The ultrasonic receiving apparatus includes: a light source for generating broadband light; an ultrasonic detecting element including an ultrasonic sensing portion which is expanded and contracted by a received ultrasonic wave to change an optical reflectance thereof in accordance with expansion and contraction thereby performing intensity modulation of the light generated by the light source; a spectrum separating unit for spectrum-separating the light intensity-modulated by the ultrasonic detecting element; and photodetector having a plurality of photoelectric converting elements for detecting the light spectrum-separated by the spectrum separating unit for each of plural wavelength components.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging catheter comprises a catheter body having a distal region and proximal region. The distal region has a reduced cross-sectional area compared to that of the proximal region, and the proximal region includes at least two lumens therethrough for accommodating a movable guidewire and a rotatable working element, respectively. The catheter body may be inserted over the movable guidewire, with the guidewire passing through a lumen in the distal region and the guidewire lumen in the proximal region. After positioning the catheter body, the guidewire can be retracted from the distal region and into the proximal region, leaving the lumen in the distal region available for the rotatable working element. Such a construction allows over-the-wire imaging of the catheter while minimizing the width of the catheter in the dital region which remains available for placement of the working element.

Abstract: A means of assessing the internal structure of teeth based upon use of high frequency, highly localized ultrasound (acoustic waves) generated by a short laser pulse is presented. In contrast to traditional contact transducer methods, laser-generated ultrasound is non-contact and non-destructive in nature and requires no special tooth surface preparation. Optical interferometric detection of ultrasound provides a complementary non-destructive, non-contact means for obtaining data with a very small detection footprint. The combination of laser-generated ultrasound and optical interferometric detection allows for in-vivo diagnostics of tooth health that is sensitive to the enamel/dentin, dentin/pulp, and dentin/cementum interfaces as well as a region of dead tracts in the dentin within a tooth.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus sets transmission conditions that are different depending on a scanning direction so that a transmission sound field in a scanning region is uniform in a scanning of ultrasonic beams in one frame; transmits ultrasonic beams to a subject under the thus set transmission conditions; and samples a harmonics component from a ultrasonic echo signal reflected from a subject of the thus transmitted ultrasonic beams, thereby obtaining a harmonics ultrasonic image of the subject. According to this ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, in the case of harmonics imaging as well, an entirely uniform image quality with less non-uniformity is achieved, and information useful for diagnosis can be provided on a clinical application site.

Abstract: Line synthesis avoids artifacts from differences in collateral destruction of contrast agent. Data representing a plurality of scan lines is received in response to each transmit event. Transmission and reception along the same scan lines are repeated a plurality of times for loss correlation imaging. Coherent data or data prior to detection along two or more scan lines is combined, removing differences. The combined data represents a synthesized line of data for detection. Line data representing contrast agents or not representing contrast agents may be synthesized from detected data. Detected data or data in the magnitude and phase domain representing two or more scan lines is combined. By altering the data provided to a flow processor or Doppler data detector, the relative phase of the data representing the two scan lines is determined. A magnitude for a synthetic line is calculated as a function of the magnitude of data representing two separate scan lines and the relative phase.

Abstract: A method/apparatus for non-invasively measuring a neurological activity state in the brain of a subject to ascertain, for example, the state of the hypnotic component of the subject's anesthesia. The method/apparatus comprises means for, or the step of, passing light through a portion of the brain of the subject, the light having a characteristic that subjects it to scattering during passage by tissues of the brain, the light scattering capabilities of the brain tissues varying responsive to their neurological activity. The light exiting the brain tissue portion is measured to determine the amount of scattering it has undergone as a measurement of the state of the hypnotic component of the subject's anesthesia. Light having a wavelength in a range of 650-1000 nm, preferably around 800 nm may be used.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer array (408) includes at least one transducer element (412) having a first (604) and second (606) portions separated by an acoustical discontinuity (520). The first portion (604) has the desired length to form a half-wave k31 resonance, while the second portion (606) has a resonant length for an undesired very low frequency out-of-band k31 resonance. The thickness of the transducer element (412) is designed for k33 half-resonance. Given the design, the transducer element (412) can operate and provide for both forward-looking (514) and side looking (512) elevation apertures. A method is also disclosed for using the disclosed ultrasound transducer (412) in ultrasound imaging.

Abstract: In an imaging method and a system for determining a physical or chemical condition of tissue in a human or animal body using ultrasound at least one ultrasonic pulse in the diagnostic frequency and power range is injected into the tissue. The ultrasonic echo pulse reflected by the tissue is received and processed in ultrasonographic trace processing means. Further, at least one light beam is generated and split up into at least one measuring light beam and at least one reference light beam. The measuring light beam is injected along the same beam axis along which the ultrasonic pulse is injected into the tissue. The measuring light beam scattered back by the tissue is brought into an interference relationship with the reference light beam and is processed in optical image processing means.

Abstract: An acoustic therapy apparatus has a source of therapeutic acoustic waves and an ultrasound locating means with an ultrasound transducer, wherein the source and the ultrasound transducer are combined to form an oblong applicator with a longitudinal axis provided for introduction into the body interior of a patient, the ultrasound locating system generating ultrasound images with respect to a plane that contains the longitudinal axis of the applicator. The source and the ultrasound transducer are disposed relative to each other in the applicator so that the source and the ultrasound transducer are successively arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis, with the ultrasound transducer being arranged preceding the source the in introduction direction, and the center axis of the plane describing an angle of less than 90° with that section of the longitudinal axis of the applicator located in the region of the source so that the center axis is inclined toward the source.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging catheter comprises a catheter body having a distal region and proximal region. The distal region has a reduced cross-sectional area compared to that of the proximal region, and the proximal region includes at least two lumens therethrough for accommodating a movable guidewire and a rotatable working element, respectively. The catheter body may be inserted over the moveable guidewire, with the guidewire passing through a lumen in the distal region and the guidewire lumen in the proximal region. After positioning the catheter body, the guidewire can be retracted from the distal region and into the proximal region, leaving the lumen in the distal region available for the rotatable working element. Such a construction allows over-the-wire imaging of the catheter while minimizing the width of the catheter in the distal region which remains available for placement of the working element.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system incorporates an imaging device utilizing confocal acoustic focusing of ultrasonic transducers together with apparatus for moving points of focus of the transducers to scan a volume to be imaged and gather data as to the acoustic reflectivity of matter within the volume, the gathered data being used to construct an image of the volume. In a preferred arrangement the point of focus of each transducer is moved in three dimensions. Use of confocal techniques can permit enhanced resolution to be obtained compared with conventional ultrasonic imaging techniques. In a preferred arrangement, the confocal focusing system associated with each transducer includes a pinhole which is bridged by an acoustically transparent but optically reflective diaphragm, and acoustic reflectivity data is recovered by interrogating each diaphragm by means of an optical interferometer.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments include a method for manufacturing an end portion surrounding a catheter-mounted phased-array ultrasound transducer. The material used for the end portion can be altered to give the end portion focusing, defocusing, or non-focusing characteristics. In one preferred embodiment, a thermoplastic material is injection molded or insert molded around a phased-array ultrasound transducer carried at a distal end of a catheter. In another preferred embodiment, a thermoset material is used to form the end portion using a casting or transfer molding technique. In yet another preferred embodiment, the phased-array ultrasound transducer is placed into a pre-formed end portion. The pre-formed end portion can be adhesively-attached to the phased-array transducer and catheter. If the pre-formed end portion is made from a thermoplastic material, the end portion can be thermally melted to attach the end portion to the phased-array transducer and catheter.

Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for pain therapy and/or for influencing the autonomic nervous system, at least one pulse-like wave is conducted onto a neurally sensitive region with an apparatus, namely a source of pulse-like waves the region participating in the conduction with respect to the pain or with respect to the region of the autonomic nervous system to be influenced.

Abstract: Catheter for echographic imaging within a cavity, comprising a proximal end situated to the outside of the patient, a distal end situated close to the tissues which are to be investigated, and a body connecting these two ends, the distal end comprising a guide wire and a capsule which is transparent to ultrasound and in which are accommodated a fixed piezoelectric transducer and a mirror for deflecting the ultrasonic wave and driven by means of rotation accommodated in the said capsule, this catheter being characterized in that the said mirror (30) is placed directly, without torque transmission shaft, on the surface of the rotor (34) of a microactuator constituting the said means of rotation.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer having an extended focus for enabling an ultrasound imaging catheter to image features at a distance from the transducer with a high resolution and a high penetration depth. The ultrasound transducer is configured such that the acoustic path-length from the periphery of the transducer is increased relative to the acoustic path-length from the center of the transducer thereby increasing the transition length and focal length of the transducer. The ultrasound transducer may include an acoustic element having a convex surface on a side which transmits and receives ultrasound waves. An acoustic backing material may be attached to the acoustic element opposite the side where ultrasound waves are transmitted and received, and an acoustic matching layer may be provided on the convex surface of the acoustic element. The acoustic matching layer may have a substantially uniform thickness such that it also has a convex outer surface.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging catheter comprises a catheter body having a distal region and proximal region. The distal region has a reduced cross-sectional area compared to that of the proximal region, and the proximal region includes at least two lumens therethrough for accommodating a movable guidewire and a rotatable working element, respectively. The catheter body may be inserted over the moveable guidewire, with the guidewire passing through a lumen in the distal region and the guidewire lumen in the proximal region. After positioning the catheter body, the guidewire can be retracted from the distal region and into the proximal region, leaving the lumen in the distal region available for the rotatable working element. Such a construction allows over-the-wire imaging of the catheter while minimizing the width of the catheter in the distal region which remains available for placement of the working element.

Abstract: A phased-array ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a catheter. An end portion is mounted to the catheter around a transducer array, and the end portion defines an acoustic window which is essentially non-focusing to ultrasonic energy passing therethrough. Because the acoustic window is non-focusing, a relatively small radius of curvature can be used on the radially outer surface of this window.

Abstract: Controlling and data accumulating device (1) attachable to a measuring basic apparatus (100) for measuring human biological parameters, preferably blood pressure and/or pulse rate, comprising a measuring unit, sensor (102) data processing microprocessor or microcontroller (101), display (107) and other units.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus is suitably configured such that certain ultrasound beams from a probe are diffused perpendicular to the scanning direction to thereby enable an ultrasonic image to be produced which approximates a surface image while certain other ultrasound beams are focused to thereby enable a two-dimensional ultrasonic image to be produced. A conventional ultrasonic imaging apparatus and process can be used.

Abstract: A differential property sensitive acoustic lens for non-destructive materials evaluation is described which in a preferred embodiment comprises first and second substantially semicylindrical shaped portions of fused silica disposed in closely spaced relationship along an axial plane, a substantially spherical depression defined in one end of each semicylindrical portion and a flat defined on each semicylindrical portion at the other end, a piezoelectric transducer attached to the flat of each semicylindrical portion, and a paraffin coated aluminum film of preselected thickness disposed between and in laminar contact with the semicylindrical portions for preventing acoustic and electrical cross talk between the transducers and between the semicylindrical portions.