Abstract: A method for producing planar gradient coils for MRI systems includes defining a planar surface along which one continuous current wire extends along a path for generating a gradient field along a spatial direction; defining the path of the continuous current wire as a spiral path of a single continuous wire filament; describing the spiral path of the continuous current wire by a parametric curve according to a modified version of the Pascal Limaçons curve combined with the Archimede's spiral; applying the Biot-Savart law to evaluate the magnetic field generated by the continuous current wire extending along the spiral path; optimizing the parameters of the parametric curve for shaping the spiral path of the continuous current wire to generate a linear magnetic gradient field along the spatial direction and which gradient magnetic field is linear inside a predetermined volume of space permeated by the linear magnetic gradient field.

Abstract: A system for acquiring ultrasound diagnostic images is provided that has an ultrasound imaging device and a probe tracking system. The ultrasound imaging device has: a probe provided with one or more electroacoustic transducers; a unit transmitting an ultrasonic beam through the transducers within a body under examination; and a unit receiving and processing ultrasound signals received from the transducers for generating real-time images.

Abstract: A control panel coupled to imaging electronics in the main body housing of an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system has a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics, an articulating arm assembly to adjust viewing position of the flat panel display, and a locking mechanism to restrict articulating arm assembly motion. Articulating arm assembly has a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or control panel, a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display. At least one arm includes a 4-bar linkage. Locking mechanism has a protrusion and a lever with corresponding seat to engage the protrusion. The lever can pivot from a rest position in a recess, to a lock position, with the protrusion being correspondingly located to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus with an enhanced thermal control system, the apparatus including: a static magnetic field generation unit with at least two magnetic poles at a predetermined distance and forming a gantry for housing an object to be imaged; one heater for heating the magnetic poles and/or the magnetic yoke; one or more temperature sensors measuring the temperature of the at least one pole and/or of the yoke; a thermal control unit, including: a processing unit, with control software; the processing unit having input ports for receiving temperature measurement signals from the one or more temperature sensors; the processing unit having output ports for feeding driving signals to the one heater; the control software including instructions to generate the driving signals of the one heater.

Abstract: A method for automatically detecting of the probe which is selected for the use by the user without manual commands by the user and comprising monitoring the operational status of the probe by discriminating between probe not in use and probe in use by sensing at least the motion of the probe and by setting automatically a probe in an active status if a motion of the probe is sensed and setting the probe in an inactive status if the probe is stationary.

Abstract: A method and system for two-dimensional shear wave elastography imaging (SWEI) that acquires B-mode ultrasound image of a region, selects an area of the B-mode image, automatically acquires two-dimensional shear wave elastography imaging data related to the selected area, and displays elasticity/velocity map on the selected area and optionally a reliability map. An algorithm takes as input one or combination of data sets selected from B-mode raw data or B-mode image data or elasticity/velocity map or reliability map or—raw two-dimensional shear wave elastography imaging data inside selected area, or two-dimensional shear wave elastography imaging data at an intermediate stage of processing like displacement curves over time or their peak features, and outputs the 2D coordinate of measure ROI center. Measure ROI overlapped on the B-mode image and/or on the elasticity map and/or on the reliability map is displayed. An elasticity parameter inside the measure ROI is computed, optionally weighted, and displayed.

Abstract: Shimming a magnetic field includes measuring the magnetic field and sampling it in a plurality of locations; defining a grid for positioning correction elements; calculating the position and magnitude parameters of one or more correction elements to obtain predetermined target values of the field characteristics, wherein an algorithm has been trained by a database of known cases in which each record links a certain initial magnetic field of a magnetic structure to the pattern of correction elements on a positioning grid for these correction elements in the magnet structure, thereby delivering as an output a pattern of correction elements on the positioning grid, which contributions to the magnetic field of the magnet structure generate a magnetic field which at least best approximates or meets the predetermined target values of the field characteristics.

Abstract: A multi-user system for acquiring, generating and processing ultrasound images comprises: a plurality of ultrasound probes with a communication unit for transmitting corresponding data to one or more processing units also with a communication unit; display and/or user interface terminals with a communication unit for transmitting to and receiving data from said processing units and/or said probes; a communication network connecting together the communication units of said probes, display and/or user interface terminals and said processing units. Processing units are configured to receive scanning signals detected by said probes and process said signals to generate ultrasound images and optionally process said ultrasound images and to transmit said images and/or outputs of said processing to said display and/or user interface terminals.

Abstract: Shimming a magnetic field includes measuring the magnetic field and sampling it in a plurality of locations; defining a grid for positioning correction elements; calculating the position and magnitude parameters of one or more correction elements to obtain predetermined target values of the field characteristics, wherein an algorithm has been trained by a database of known cases in which each record links a certain initial magnetic field of a magnetic structure to the pattern of correction elements on a positioning grid for these correction elements in the magnet structure, thereby delivering as an output a pattern of correction elements on the positioning grid, which contributions to the magnetic field of the magnet structure generate a magnetic field which at least best approximates or meets the predetermined target values of the field characteristics.

Abstract: A method for producing planar gradient coils for MRI systems includes defining a planar surface along which one continuous current wire extends along a path for generating a gradient field along a spatial direction; defining the path of the continuous current wire as a spiral path of a single continuous wire filament; describing the spiral path of the continuous current wire by a parametric curve according to a modified version of the Pascal Limançons curve combined with the Archimede's spiral; applying the Biot-Savard law to evaluate the magnetic field generated by the continuous current wire extending along the spiral path; optimizing the parameters of the parametric curve for shaping the spiral path of the continuous current wire to generate a linear magnetic gradient field along the spatial direction and which gradient magnetic field is linear inside a predetermined volume of space permeated by the linear magnetic gradient field.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus with an enhanced thermal control system, the apparatus including: a static magnetic field generation unit with at least two magnetic poles at a predetermined distance and forming a gantry for housing an object to be imaged; one heater for heating the magnetic poles and/or the magnetic yoke; one or more temperature sensors measuring the temperature of the at least one pole and/or of the yoke; a thermal control unit, including: a processing unit, with control software; the processing unit having input ports for receiving temperature measurement signals from the one or more temperature sensors; the processing unit having output ports for feeding driving signals to the one heater; the control software including instructions to generate the driving signals of the one heater.

Abstract: A method for separately acquiring and outputting diagnostic nuclear magnetic resonance images based on water and fat derived signals, which method provides that the separation of the signal components corresponding to the intensity of the resulting pixels or voxels derived from the water of tissues in the body under examination from those signal components derived from the fat tissues in said body under examination of the step is performed by means of a machine learning algorithm, or with automatic learning and which algorithms are configured to classify the signal component as derived from water or fat tissues in the body under examination.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe comprising a housing, a transducer assembly operable to transmit ultrasonic energy towards a zone of the probe adapted to be acoustically coupled to an object or area of interest, a cooling system comprising a heat transfer device arranged to transfer heat generated by the transducer assembly to one or more regions or areas located outside such transducer assembly. The heat transfer device comprises graphene.

Abstract: Transducer assembly transmits ultrasonic energy towards a zone acoustically coupled to an object or area of interest, and comprises a piezoelectric subassembly matching a curved support layer disposed behind said subassembly. Piezoelectric subassembly comprises piezoelectric elements and metal connections. Piezoelectric elements are disposed along a first azimuth direction to form parallel curved segments of piezoelectric elements extending in a second elevation direction, each being in contact with a corresponding metal connection extending in the elevation direction for transmitting/receiving electric signals to/from each piezoelectric segment.

Abstract: A patient support device includes a patient support surface having a size to accommodate at least a part of the patient body, the device including at least one receptacle for housing a coil, which at least one receptacle is arranged in an area of the patient supporting surface corresponding to the position of the anatomic region to be imaged, the patient support surface being covered at least partially by one or more cushions covering in combination the entire patient supporting surface or at least a part of it. At least one of the receptacles for coupling to a receiving coil being provided on at least each of one or more than one of the said cushions, the coil once coupled to a corresponding receptacle is connected to a control and processing unit of the MRI apparatus by means of a cable which is external to the said patient support device.

Abstract: A transducer assembly operable to transmit ultrasonic energy in a desired direction towards a zone adapted to be acoustically coupled to an object or area of interest is disclosed which has a transducer layer, a backing material disposed behind the transducer layer with respect to the desired direction, and a back-matching layer disposed between the transducer layer and the backing material to reflect towards the transducer layer part of the ultrasonic energy directed from the transducer layer to the backing material. The backing layer has an acoustic impedance higher than the acoustic impedance of the back-matching layer. The back-matching material has an impedance less than the impedance of the transducer layer and the transducer layer has a thickness greater than a ¼ of the wavelength of the ultrasound waves the assembly is configured to generate. A process for manufacturing a transducer assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and a system for generating medical reports based on medical images are provided. The method and system are characterized by carrying out an imaging examination on a target object; visualizing the image or the sequence of images acquired during the execution of the imaging examination; carrying out a report text generation step in parallel with the visualized image or sequence of images by using a speech recognition process; and saving the report text by associating univocally the report text to the visualized image or to the sequence of images.

Abstract: A method for two-dimensional sheare wave elastography imaging comprises: a) acquiring B-mode ultrasound images of a target region in a body; b) selecting a region of interest inside the B-mode image; c) transmitting a shear wave excitation pulse focalized on an excitation region; d) measuring displacements of tracking focal points at different depths positions along laterally staggered tracking lines within the region of interest; e) determining elasticity parameters of the regions between two of the tracking focal points at the same depth and on at least two adjacent tracking lines as a function of the displacements caused by the shear wave at the tracking focal points; f) modifying the appearance of pixel(s) of the B-mode image inside the regions relatively to the grey-scale B-mode image as a function of elasticity parameters determined for the regions; and g) displaying the pixel(s) having a modified appearance at the corresponding pixel of the B-mode image.

Abstract: Performing retrospective dynamic transmit focusing beamforming for ultrasound signals by a) transmitting plural transmit beams, each transmit beam centered at a different position along array, having width or aperture encompassing plural laterally spaced line positions, each transmit beam width or aperture overlapping width or aperture of adjacent transmit beam or more laterally spaced transmit beams; b) receiving echo signals; c) processing echo signals to produce plural receive lines of echo signals at laterally spaced line positions within width or aperture of transmit beam; d) repeating steps b), (c) for additional transmit beams of plural transmitted transmit beams; e) equalizing phase shift variance among receive lines at common line position resulting from transmit beams of different transmit beam positions concurrently with steps c), d); f) combining echo signals of receive lines from different transmit beams spatially related to common line position to produce image data; g) produces an image using i

Abstract: A method for tissue characterization by ultrasound wave attenuation measurements is provided that comprises: a) transmitting at least an ultrasound pulse in a target body; b) receiving ultrasound pulses reflected by the target body and transforming the reflected ultrasound pulses into RF reception signals; c) extracting an envelope of the received RF signals; d) carrying out a logarithmic compression of the extracted envelope and e) computing a propagation depth dependent attenuation coefficient of the tissues crossed by the ultrasound pulse in the target body as the slope of the line fitting the logarithmic compressed envelope data along the penetration depth of the ultrasound pulse in the target body. The disclosure relates also to an ultrasound system for carrying out the method.