Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array (202) with a plurality of transducer elements (206) configured to transmit a pulsed field beam into a scan field of view, receive echo signals produced in response to the pulsed field interacting with particles/structure flowing/moving in the scan field of view, and generate electrical signals indicative of the echo signals. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a beamformer (212) including multiple synthetic transmit aperture beamformers configured to process the electrical signals over a plurality of processing channels (312) into corresponding receive-beams of RF-data with a beam-level delay, channel-level delays, a beam-level gain and channel-level gains. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a velocity processor (216) configured to estimate a flow velocity of the structure flowing in the scan field of view from the RF-data.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes a beamformer configured to generate 2-D images offset from each other based on sweeping motion of a transducer array during a 3-D ultrasound imaging procedure producing volumetric data. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a 2-D mask processor configured to generate a 2-D mask image for each of the 2-D images. Each of the 2-D mask images includes a contour of a predetermined structure of interest in the volumetric data. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a 3-D mask processor configured to segment the structure from the 3-D image with the 2-D mask images, generating a 3-D segmentation.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (100) includes a 2-D transducer array (102) with a first 1-D array (104, 204) of one or more rows of transducing elements (106, 2041, . . . 2046) configured to produce first ultrasound data and a second 1-D array (104, 206) of one or more columns of transducing elements (106, 2061, . . . 2066) configured to produce second ultrasound data. The first and second 1-D arrays are configured for row-column addressing. The ultrasound imaging system further includes a controller (112) configured to control transmission and reception of the first and second 1-D arrays, and a beamformer (114) configured to beamform the received first and second echoes to produce ultrasound data, and an image processor (116) configured to process the ultrasound data to generate an image, which is displayed via a display (224).

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging scanner includes an ultrasound input device (104), of a plurality of ultrasound input devices, that includes an array of transducer elements, which transmits an ultrasound signal and receives an echo signal produced in response thereto; and a multi-client ultrasound imaging data processing system (106) that includes processing resources which are shared by the plurality of ultrasound input devices, wherein the processing resources include a plurality of ultrasound signal processing units, each including a plurality of ultrasound signal processing blocks configured to processes echo signals, and wherein the multi-client ultrasound imaging data system temporarily allocates at least one ultrasound signal processing block to process the received echo signal of the ultrasound input device, generating an image indicative thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a transducer array with a plurality of CMUT elements. Each of the plurality of CMUT elements includes a first end and a second end. The transducer array further includes a bias network that is electrically connected with the first and second ends of the plurality of CMUT elements. The bias network applies a first bias voltage to the first end of the plurality of CMUT elements and a second bias voltage to the second end of the plurality of CMUT elements. The first and second bias voltages bias the plurality of CMUT elements. A method includes biasing, with bias network, a CMUT element of an transducer array using a bipolar signal that includes a first bias voltage and a second bias voltage, transmitting, by a transmit circuit, a transmit signal to the CMUT element, receiving, by a receive circuit, a receive signal from the CMUT element.

Abstract: A method includes receiving ultrasound echo signals produced in response to a pulsed ultrasound field interacting with anatomical tissue and flow of structure therein. The method further includes generating electrical signals indicative thereof. The method further includes beamforming the electrical signals producing beamformed data. The method further includes constructing a real-time image of the anatomical tissue with the beamformed data. The method further includes constructing a de-aliased color images of the flow with the beamformed data. The method further includes visually presenting the real-time image of the anatomical tissue with the de-aliased color images of the flow superimposed thereover.

Abstract: A system includes an image guidance system with a memory with computer executable instruction, a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions, and a display. The computer executable instructions cause the processor to: receive a three-dimensional model of vasculature from an ultrasound imaging system, receive a real-time optical feed of an interior of a cavity from an optical camera-based guidance system, receive a first tracking signal indicative of a first spatial location of a probe of the ultrasound imaging system, receive a second spatial location of the optical camera-based guidance system, and overlay the optical feed with the three-dimensional model based on the first and second tracking signals. The display is configured to visually present the optical feed with the three-dimensional model overlaid thereover.

Abstract: A system includes a transducer array configured to produce a signal indicative of a received echo wave, receive circuitry configured to amplify and digitize the signal, sub-systems configured to process the digitized signal to generate an image including electronic noise from the system, and a system controller. The system controller is configured to retrieve a pre-determined noise level of an analog front end of the receive circuitry, configure the sub-systems, wherein each of sub-systems includes multiple processing blocks, and the configuring determines which of the processing blocks are employed and which of the processing blocks are bypassed for a scan, and determine a noise level for each of the employed sub-systems based on a corresponding noise model. The sub-systems include a processor configured to adaptively vary at least one of a gain and a dynamic range of the image as a function of depth based on the noise levels.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes an image processor and a velocity processor configured to process beamformed ultrasound data representing structure flowing through a tubular object and generate, respectively, an image indicative of the tubular object and vector flow imaging data indicative of the structure flowing through the tubular object. The system further includes a segmentation processor configured to segment the tubular object from the image based on a combination of both the vector flow imaging data and the image, wherein a resulting segmentation extends from wall-to-wall of the tubular object. The system further includes a display configured to display the image with the segmentation and the vector flow imaging data superimposed thereover, with the vector flow imaging data extending from wall-to-wall within the tubular object.

Abstract: An elongate ultrasound probe including a probe head with a transducer array, a handle, a flexor located between and affixed to the probe head and the handle, a flexor actuator configured to flex the flexor, and a probe head motion actuator configured to oscillate the flexor actuator and thereby oscillate the probe head. A method includes electronically vibrating a probe head, which includes a transducer array, of an ultrasound probe in connection with ultrasound elasticity imaging.

Abstract: Continuously transmitting, with a transducer array, an ultrasound signal in one direction beamforming, with a beamformer, an echo signal received by the transducer array using on a predetermined apodization function, wherein the echo signal is generated in response to an interaction of the ultrasound signal with flowing structure estimating, with a velocity processor, a vector velocity of the flow, including velocity components, as a function of depth and time from the beamformed echo signals using transverse oscillation vector velocity estimation, generating, with a measurement processor, a quantitative measurement from the velocity components, and visually displaying, with a display monitor, the quantitative measurement.

Abstract: An apparatus (402) includes an analog beamformer (414) that receives a set of analog RF signals. The set of analog RF signals are generated by a corresponding set of transducer elements (406) receiving ultrasound echo signals. The analog beamformer includes a delay network (416) with a set of phase shifting networks (506). Each phase shifting network of the set of phase shifting networks processes a different one of the analog RF signals of the set of analog RF signals. Each phase shifting network of the set of phase shifting networks adds a delay to the corresponding analog RF signal, producing a set of delayed analog RF signals that are aligned in time. The set of phase shifting networks does not use an inductive element to determine or add the delays. The analog beamformer further includes a summer (504) that sums the delayed analog RF signals, producing an analog beam sum.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an ultrasound imaging probe, a display and a console. The console is electrically interfaced with the ultrasound imaging probe and the display. The console includes a rendering engine configured to visually present an ultrasound imaging image generated with data acquired by the ultrasound probe and a three-dimensional graphical representation of a portion of the probed superimposed over a predetermined region of the ultrasound image. The rendering engine is further configured to visually present the three-dimensional graphical representation in a spatial orientation of the probe with respect to a user.

Abstract: A probe cable support (146) includes a leg (202) with a top side (208) and a bottom side (210). The leg further includes a plurality of supports (2161, 2162, . . . , 216N) protruding from the bottom side and intermittently arranged with non-zero gaps there between. The leg further includes an arm (226) protruding from the top side. A system (101) includes an ultrasound imaging system (100) configured with at least one probe (102) and a console (104), a cable (116) configured to electrically connect the probe and the console, a cart (106) configured to support the ultrasound imaging system, and a probe cable support (146) configured to support the cable.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes an imaging probe including an array with a plurality of elements and a drive system configured to move the transducer array with a first pitch during data acquisition. A console includes a transmit circuit configured to excite the elements to transmit a first sequence of different sub-sets of the elements and then a second sequence, wherein the plurality of elements is offset from each other by a predetermined shift for the sequences. The console further includes a receive circuit configured to receive echo signals from the elements for the sequences. The console further includes a processor configured to beamform the received signals for the sequences and generate scanlines for the sequences and configured to combine pairs of scanlines across the sequences to produce a single sequence with a second pitch that is less than the first pitch.

Abstract: A transducer array (802) includes at least one 1D array of transducing elements (804). The at least one 1D array of transducing elements includes a plurality of transducing elements (904). A first of the plurality of transducing elements has a first apodization and a second of the plurality of transducing elements has a second apodization. The first apodization and the second apodization are different. The transducer array further includes at least one electrically conductive element (910) in electrical communication with each of the plurality of transducing elements. The transducer array further includes at least one electrical contact (906) in electrical communication with the at least one electrically conductive element. The at least one electrical contact concurrently addresses the plurality of transducing elements through the at least one electrically conductive element.

Abstract: An elongate ultrasound probe (204) including a probe head (214) with a transducer array (216), a handle (208), a flexor (222) located between and affixed to the probe head and the handle, a flexor actuator (224) configured to flex the flexor, and a probe head motion actuator (226) configured to oscillate the flexor actuator and thereby oscillate the probe head. A method includes electronically vibrating a probe head, which includes a transducer array, of an ultrasound probe in connection with ultrasound elasticity imaging.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (100) includes a transducer array (102) that emits an ultrasound beam and produces at least one transverse pulse-echo field that oscillates in a direction transverse to the emitted ultrasound beam and that receive echoes produced in response thereto and a spectral velocity estimator (110) that determines a velocity spectrum for flowing structure, which flows at an angle of 90 degrees and flows at angles less than 90 degrees with respect to the emitted ultrasound beam, based on the received echoes.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (102) includes an ultrasound sub-system (104) with at least a transducer array (112), and an ultrasound resource pool (106). The ultrasound sub-system and the ultrasound resource pool are separate entities. The ultrasound resource pool provides temporary access to ultrasound processing resources of the ultrasound resource pool on an on-demand basis, based on an identified performance mode of the ultrasound sub-system for a scan.

Abstract: A transducer array (802) includes at least one 1D array of transducing elements (804). The at least one 1D array of transducing elements includes a plurality of transducing elements (904). A first of the plurality of transducing elements has a first apodization and a second of the plurality of transducing elements has a second apodization. The first apodization and the second apodization are different. The transducer array further includes at least one electrically conductive element (910) in electrical communication with each of the plurality of transducing elements. The transducer array further includes at least one electrical contact (906) in electrical communication with the at least one electrically conductive element. The at least one electrical contact concurrently addresses the plurality of transducing elements through the at least one electrically conductive element.