Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system for imaging an object. The system includes a mechanism for designating an ultrasonic probe swiveling angle threshold beyond which the ultrasonic probe does not adequately image the scanned object, and an echo amplitude correction apparatus for correcting the amplitude of a received echo by normalizing such amplitude to the value of a previously recorded echo of higher amplitude. Furthermore, the system includes a mechanism for monitoring acoustic coupling, which includes a low frequency noise level selection apparatus for manually selecting the power at which a low frequency reference noise is generated by a vibrator, and a low frequency noise receiving crystal located in the probe holder of the ultrasonic probe, for receiving the low frequency reference noise signal.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system for imaging an object. The system includes an ultrasonic probe for scanning the object, probe location monitoring apparatus for monitoring the actual trajectory of the ultrasonic probe with respect to the object, memory apparatus for storing scanning trajectories by which the object can be scanned by the ultrasonic probe and a display for displaying the actual trajectory of the ultrasonic probe superimposed on a background of one of the scanning trajectories. Furthermore, the system includes acoustic coupling monitoring apparatus for monitoring the degree of acoustic coupling between the ultrasonic probe and the object for each location of the ultrasonic probe, image correction apparatus for correcting images of the object by normalizing the images for each location of the probe according to an acoustic coupling reference value and an image display for displaying the image of the object.