Abstract: Technology for guiding a user to collect clinically usable ultrasound images is described. In some embodiments, an ultrasound device may automatically change the elevational steering angle of its ultrasound beam (e.g., using beamforming) in order to collect ultrasound data from different imaging planes within the subject. A processing device in operative communication with the ultrasound device may select one of the collected ultrasound images based on its quality (e.g., select the ultrasound image having the highest quality), and then continue to collect ultrasound images using the elevational steering angle at which the selected ultrasound image was collected.

Abstract: To implement a single-chip ultrasonic imaging solution, on-chip signal processing may be employed in the receive signal path to reduce data bandwidth and an output data module may be used to move data for all received channels off-chip as a digital data stream. The digitization of received signals on-chip allows advanced digital signal processing to be performed on-chip, and thus permits the full integration of an entire ultrasonic imaging system on a single semiconductor substrate. The on-chip digitization of received signals also enables the on-chip integration of ultrasound processing and/or pre-processing to reduce the burden on off-chip computing. Data compression architectures are disclosed to facilitate the transfer of data off-chip as a digital data stream in accordance with the bandwidth requirements of standard commercially-available output interfaces.

Abstract: A system comprising a multi-modal ultrasound probe configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes associated with a respective plurality of configuration profiles; and a computing device coupled to the handheld multi-modal ultrasound probe and configured to, in response to receiving input indicating an operating mode selected by a user, cause the multi-modal ultrasound probe to operate in the selected operating mode.

Abstract: An ultrasound circuit comprising a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) with built-in time gain compensation functionality is described. The TIA is coupled to an ultrasonic transducer to amplify an electrical signal generated by the ultrasonic transducer in response to receiving an ultrasound signal. The TIA is, in some cases, followed by further analog and digital processing circuitry.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to techniques for guiding an operator to use an ultrasound device. Thereby, operators with little or no experience operating ultrasound devices may capture medically relevant ultrasound images and/or interpret the contents of the obtained ultrasound images. For example, some of the techniques disclosed herein may be used to identify a particular anatomical view of a subject to image with an ultrasound device, guide an operator of the ultrasound device to capture an ultrasound image of the subject that contains the particular anatomical view, and/or analyze the captured ultrasound image to identify medical information about the subject.

Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus includes an ultrasound transducer array configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals and an acoustic lens that includes signal-attenuating particles in a polymer matrix configured to provide signal attenuation and impedance matching for the ultrasound signals. The acoustic lens is disposed over a first surface of the ultrasound transducer array. The signal-attenuating particles include PEBAX.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein related to monitoring fetal heartbeat and uterine contraction signals. An ultrasound system may be configured to sweep a volume to collect ultrasound data, detect a fetal heartbeat and/or uterine contraction signal in the ultrasound data, and automatically steer an ultrasound beam to monitor the fetal heartbeat and/or uterine contraction signal. The ultrasound system may be further configured to determine a location where the fetal heartbeat and/or uterine contraction signal is detectable or detectable at a highest quality. The ultrasound system may include a wearable ultrasound device, such as an ultrasound patch coupled to a subject. The wearable ultrasound device may have a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers capable of steering ultrasound beams in three dimensions.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein related to an ultrasound processing unit (UPU) including gray-coding circuitry configured to convert standard binary-coded digital ultrasound signals to gray-coded digital ultrasound signals and gray-decoding circuitry coupled to the gray-coding circuitry and configured to convert the gray-coded digital ultrasound signals to standard binary-coded digital ultrasound signals. The UPU may include an analog portion, a digital portion, and a data bus configured to route the gray-coded digital ultrasound signals from the analog portion to the digital portion subsequent to converting the standard binary-coded digital ultrasound signals to the gray-coded digital ultrasound signals. The analog portion may include multiple analog front-ends (AFEs), the gray-coding circuitry, and an analog-to-digital converter. The digital portion may include the gray-decoding circuitry. A data bus from one AFE may pass over another AFE.

Abstract: Ultrasound apparatus and methods of processing signals are described. The ultrasound apparatus may include multiple channels. In some embodiments, signal processing techniques are described, which in some embodiments are performed on a per-channel basis. The signal processing techniques may involve using down-conversion and filtering of signals on multiple channels. The down-conversion and filtering may be done prior to beamforming.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure described herein related to packaging an ultrasound-on-a-chip. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an ultrasound-on-a-chip that has through-silicon vias (TSVs) and an interposer coupled to the ultrasound-on-a-chip and including vias, where the ultrasound-on-a-chip is coupled to the interposer such that the TSVs in the ultrasound-on-a-chip are electrically connected to the vias in the interposer. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an ultrasound-on-a-chip having bond pads, an interposer that has bond pads and that is coupled to the ultrasound-on-a-chip, and wirebonds extending from the bond pads on the ultrasound-on-a-chip to the bond pads on the interposer.

Abstract: A method includes: determining, by a host device, a predetermined path including a first tilt from which a target anatomical view is available and a second tilt from which the target anatomical view is not available, where the predetermined path has a pivot of fewer than 180 degrees about an anatomical area; instructing, by the host device, an operator to pivot an ultrasound device along the predetermined path by displaying a display on the host device; receiving a first ultrasound image depicting the target anatomical view and a second ultrasound image not depicting the target anatomical view based on ultrasound data collected by the ultrasound device while pivoting along the predetermined path; and identifying that the first ultrasound image depicts the target anatomical view. The predetermined path is determined prior to collecting the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to techniques for calculating, during imaging, a quality of a sequence of images collected during the imaging. Calculating the quality of the sequence of images may include calculating a probability that a medical professional would use a given image for clinical evaluation and a confidence that an automated analysis segmentation performed on the given image is correct. Techniques described herein also include receiving a trigger to perform an automatic measurement on a sequence of images, calculating a quality of the sequence of images, determining whether the quality of the sequence of images exceeds a threshold quality, and performing the automatic measurement on the sequence of images based on determining that the quality of the sequence of images exceeds the threshold quality.

Abstract: An electronic face-identification device, which performs face scanning with ultrasonic waves, includes a housing and an ultrasound device disposed within the housing. The ultrasound device may be configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through air to a face and scan the face with the ultrasonic waves, to receive reflected waves through the air corresponding to reflections of the ultrasonic waves from the face, and to perform a recognition process for the face based on reflections of the ultrasonic waves from the face. The ultrasound device may include a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and electronic circuitry configured to transmit signals to the ultrasound transducers and receive signals from the ultrasound transducers. The face-identification device may be incorporated into various electronic equipment, such as hand-held equipment in the form of smartphones and tablet computers, as well as in larger scale installations at airports, workplace entryways, and the like.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to configuring an ultrasound system with imaging parameter values. In particular, certain aspects relate to configuring an ultrasound system to produce a plurality of sets of ultrasound images, each respective set of the plurality of sets of ultrasound images being produced with a different respective set of a plurality of sets of imaging parameter values; obtaining, from the ultrasound system, the plurality of sets of ultrasound images; determining a set of ultrasound images from among the plurality of sets of ultrasound images that has a highest quality; and based on determining the set of ultrasound images from among the plurality of sets of ultrasound images that has the highest quality, automatically configuring the ultrasound system to produce ultrasound images using a set of imaging parameter values with which the set of ultrasound images that has the highest quality was produced.

Abstract: A system comprising a multi-modal ultrasound probe configured to operate in a plurality of operating modes associated with a respective plurality of configuration profiles; and a computing device coupled to the handheld multi-modal ultrasound probe and configured to, in response to receiving input indicating an operating mode selected by a user, cause the multi-modal ultrasound probe to operate in the selected operating mode.

Abstract: A ultrasonic transducer device includes a transducer bottom electrode layer disposed over a substrate, and a plurality of vias that electrically connect the bottom electrode layer with the substrate, wherein substantially an entirety of the plurality of vias are disposed directly below a footprint of a transducer cavity. Alternatively, the transducer bottom electrode layer includes a first metal layer in contact with the plurality of vias and a second metal layer formed on the first metal layer, the first metal layer including a same material as the plurality of vias.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for providing indications of missing landmarks in ultrasound images are described. Some embodiments are directed to apparatuses comprising a processing device configured to obtain data representing an ultrasound image, and determine whether the ultrasound image is clinically usable, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the ultrasound image lacks one or more landmarks. Determining whether the ultrasound image is clinically usable may further comprise determining a quality value representative of a quality of the ultrasound image and comparing the quality value to a threshold quality value. In some embodiments, landmarks comprise one or more anatomical features, such as a rib, a pleural line and an A line, a liver, and a kidney.

Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to instructing an operator to move an ultrasound device along a predetermined path relative to an anatomical area in order to collect first ultrasound data and second ultrasound data, the first ultrasound data capable of being transformed into an ultrasound image of a target anatomical view, and the second ultrasound data not capable of being transformed into the ultrasound image of the target anatomical view.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a portable ultrasound device. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to an acoustic lens positioned at an ultrasound probe. The acoustic lens may be configured for impedance matching and signal attenuation. In one embodiment, ultrasound signal attenuation is provided by forming an acoustic lens as a solid admixture of signal attenuating particles in a polymer matrix.

Abstract: Ultrasound devices are described. The ultrasound devices may be flexibly configured to output a certain number of multilines per channel of ultrasound data and to process certain channels of ultrasound data per processing cycle. The ultrasound device may then be configured to either output more multilines per channel and process fewer channels per processing cycle, or output fewer multilines per channel and process more channels per processing cycle. In other words, the circuitry may be configured to change to a configuration with increased resolution and increased processing time or to a configuration with decreased resolution and decreased processing time.