Abstract: An ultrasound machine that generates a color representation of moving structure, such as cardiac wall tissue within a region of interest, and is displayed on a monitor. The color representation is generated by displaying at least one color characteristic related to a set of signal values of the structure, such as velocity or strain rate. The related feature of the set of signal values is mapped to the color characteristic by an apparatus comprising a front-end that generates received signals in response to backscattered ultrasound waves. A Doppler processor generates a set of signal values representing a spatial set of values of the moving structure. A host processor embodies a tracking function and a time integration function to generate tracked movement parameter profiles and displacement parameter values over a time period corresponding to sampled anatomical locations within the region of interest. The displacement parameter values are then mapped to color characteristic signals.

Abstract: A transmit beamformer method and system is provided for applying absolute delays between groups of channels and applying relative delays to channels within the groups of channels. For example, every fourth channel is responsive to an absolute delay from a controller. The delay for channels between every fourth channel are set as relative delays corresponding to a further delay in addition to the absolute delay.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing consistent power and reducing power consumption for an ultrasound system are provided. The ultrasound system is provided with an uninterruptable power supply. Power is provided from an outlet through the uninterruptable power supply to the ultrasound scanner. If the power from the outlet falls below a threshold is of an insufficient quality or is otherwise unavailable, the uninterruptable power supply provides power. For mobility, the uninterruptable power supply provides power, avoiding the need to plug the ultrasound system into an outlet. To reduce the drain on the uninterruptable power supply or other source of power, the ultrasound system includes power reduction systems and methods. One or more electrical components, subsystems or the entire ultrasound system is operated in a reduced power state while not in use. For example, some digital electrical components draw more power in response to clock signal triggers.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method for intravascular imaging is disclosed. The ultrasound system includes an intravascular catheter with an ultrasound transducer array, a transmit beamformer, a receive beamformer, and an image generator. The intravascular catheter has an elongated body made for insertion into a blood vessel and connected to a catheter handle. The catheter includes a catheter core located inside a steerable guide sheath, both having a proximal part and a distal part. The catheter includes an articulation region connected to a positioning device for positioning the transducer array to have a selected orientation relative to an examined tissue region. For each orientation of the transducer array, the transmit and receive beamformers acquire ultrasound data over an image plane of the examined tissue region.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of and system for imaging an object with an ultrasound transducer array that transmits ultrasound beams and detects echoes reflected from the object. A plurality of adjacent ultrasound beams are transmitted at the object, each of the beams being separated from an adjacent beam by a first predetermined distance. A plurality of groups of echoes are received from the object, with each of the groups of echoes corresponding to one of the plurality of the ultrasound beams. Each of these echoes are spaced from the corresponding ultrasound beam by a second predetermined distance which is less than the first predetermined distance. The transmitted ultrasound beams are arranged such that one of the received echoes corresponding to an ultrasound beam substantially overlaps with one of the received echoes corresponding to an adjacent ultrasound beam. At least a subset of the received echoes are then processed to obtain B-mode data from each of the processed echoes.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system having a real-time arbitrary mmode. A scan converter scan converts slices in real-time of a two-dimensional ultrasonic image which form an arbitrary user-defined curve within the two-dimensional ultrasonic image. The scan converted slices are used to display the curve as a time versus depth mmode image.

Abstract: In an intravascular ultrasonic (IVUS) imaging system ring-down artifact is reduced or eliminated by dynamically enhancing the ring-down over a plurality of scans, determining the ring-down range by keying on a ring-down-to-blood transition characterized by a rapid change from high amplitude to low amplitude echoes, and using a spectral pattern for a single or several A-scans within the ring-down range, using for example an FFT analysis, as the basis of selectively filtering current or subsequent images using the recently computed ring-down pattern.

Abstract: A system, method, and machine readable program for performing ultrasonic Fat TX, Multiline RX imaging is provided, wherein the system comprises a transmitter to launch an ultrasound beam toward a target, the beam having a predetermined spatial energy profile in at least one location in the target, the transmitter including a plurality of transducer elements, each transducer element capable of producing a selected waveform having a desired shape; a transmitter processor configured to control the shape of the waveform produced by each transducer element, wherein the spatial energy profile of the beam is controlled by controlling the shape of the waveform produced by each transducer element; a receiver to receive energy from the ultrasound beam directed toward the target from the transmitter; and a receiver processor configured to process the received energy to determine image data representative of the target.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of measuring layer thickness in an object comprising 1) transmitting at least a first and a second ultra-sonic pulse from at least a first and second position, 2) measuring at least one reflective distance from the first pulse and at least one reflective distance from the second pulse, wherein the reflective distance is from the object's external surface (or probe) to a reflective interface of at least one layer, 3) selecting the reflective distance having the shortest reflective distance to indicate the distance between the external surface (or probe surface) and the reflective interface of at least one layer, wherein the selecting of the shortest reflective distance reduces ultra-sonic transmission parallax of the first and second pulses relative to a plane in the object.

Abstract: A catheter system for use in bypassing a block in an artery comprises four components. These components are an arterial catheter, an intravenous ultrasound catheter, a guide wire system, and finally a covered stent used as graft. The bypassing of the block in the artery which extends along a vein comprises the steps of forming a first connection between said artery and said vein proximal to the block in the artery, forming a second connection between said artery and said vein distal to the block in the artery, introducing a covered stent through said artery proximal to the block therein, through said first connection into said vein, via said vein to and through said second connection, and into said artery distal to the block therein, such that a proximal end of the covered stent is positioned in the artery proximal to the block therein and a distal end of the covered stent is positioned in the artery distal to the block therein, and fixing the proximal and distal ends of the covered stent within the artery.

Abstract: An ultrasound machine is disclosed that generates a color representation of moving structure, such as a cardiac wall tissue within a region of interest, and is displayed on a monitor. The color representation is generated by displaying at least one color characteristic related to a movement parameter of the structure, such as mean velocity or mean strain rate. The related feature of the movement parameter is mapped to the color characteristic by an apparatus comprising a front-end that generates received signals in response to backscattered ultrasound waves. A Doppler processor generates a set of parameter signals representing a spatial set of values of the movement parameter within the structure. A host processor embodies a tracking function and a peak-detection function to generate a set of tracked movement parameter profiles and a set of peak values of the movement parameter over a time period corresponding to anatomical locations within the region of interest.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system carries a holder that supports a gel container in an inverted position. The gel container includes a metallic cap including a heat exchanger in good thermal contact with the gel of the container, and the holder includes a heating element in good thermal contact with the cap. When the ultrasound system is powered, power is automatically applied to the heating element of the holder, thereby heating ultrasound coupling gel in the container near the spout.

Abstract: A semi-invasive ultrasound imaging system for imaging biological tissue includes a transesophageal probe or a transnasal, transesophageal probe connected to a two-dimensional ultrasound transducer array, a transmit beamformer, a receive beamformer, and an image generator. The two-dimensional transducer array is disposed on a distal portion of the probe's elongated body. The transmit beamformer is connected to the transducer array and is constructed to transmit several ultrasound beams over a selected pattern defined by azimuthal and elevation orientations. The receive beamformer is connected to the transducer array and is constructed to acquire ultrasound data from the echoes reflected over a selected tissue volume. The tissue volume is defined by the azimuthal and elevation orientations and a selected scan range. The receive beamformer is constructed to synthesize image data from the acquired ultrasound data.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an ultrasonic probe comprising a housing, a driven shaft rotatably supported by the housing, a transducer supported by the driven shaft to be swingable on one side of the driven shaft and operative to transduce an electric signal to and from an ultrasound, a drive shaft rotatably supported by the housing spaced apart from and in parallel relationship with the driven shaft in the predetermined direction; a drive motor supported on the housing and drivably connected to the drive shaft; and a drive belt passed on the driven shaft and the drive shaft to transmit the rotation from the drive motor to the transducer. The transducer has the ultrasound emitted therefrom and reflected thereto through the housing in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A photographing cycle including a weak ultrasonic monitor image photographing step of photographing monitor images by using a weak enough ultrasonic wave not to let the contrast agent disappear, a strong ultrasonic B mode image photographing step of photographing a B mode image by using a strong enough ultrasonic wave to make the contrast agent disappear, and a weak ultrasonic CFM image photographing step for photographing CFM images by using a weak enough ultrasonic wave not to let the contrast agent disappear is iterated. The latest image resulting from the addition of the CFM image is displayed superposed over the B mode image.

Abstract: By bonding a conductive first matching layer 14 to the acoustic radiation surface side, which is the bottom side, of a belt-shape piezoelectric element on both faces with electrodes provided, and using a dicing machine to form divided grooves 16, an array of piezoelectric elements 6, 6, . . . , 6 is formed in the element array direction. By deepening the divided grooves 16, generation of cross talk can be prevented, and by filling the portions of the divided grooves 16 not in contact with the piezoelectric elements 6 with a conductive adhesive 17, a reduction in strength due to formation of the divided grooves 16 can be prevented, and a common connection between the ground electrode 13b on the bottom surface of each piezoelectric element 6 and the conductive first matching layer 14 can be reliably secured.

Abstract: An array type ultrasonic probe in which a plurality of rectangular piezoelectric elements is arranged on a backing material is provided. Each piezoelectric element has lower and upper face electrodes and an acoustic matching layer fixedly secured onto the upper face electrode. At one end portion of the piezoelectric element, a first slit is provided for electrically separating the lower face electrode, and at the other end portion of the piezoelectric element, a second slit reaching the piezoelectric element from the acoustic matching layer is provided for separating the upper face electrode. At the opposite ends of the piezoelectric element, the upper and lower face electrodes are electrically connected by conductive adhesive.

Abstract: A capacitive microelectromechanical ultrasound transducer array with improved efficiency and durability is provided. Efficiency is provided by stacking CMUTs in the range dimension (i.e. away from the face of the transducer). A plurality of chambers and associated membranes are stacked along a range dimension or parallel to the direction of acoustic radiation. Because the CMUT transducer element is stacked, ultrasound is transmitted through the plurality of chambers, amplifying the response of the transducer element. Durability is increased within the transducer by filling the chamber with a nongaseous filler. A liquid, polymer, solid or plasma fills the chamber or chambers. The nongaseous filler allows movement of the membrane for transducing between acoustic and electrical energies, but prevents collapse or bottoming out of the membrane.

Abstract: To provide an ultrasonic diagnosis device which can be simply manufactured and can detect an ultrasonic wave with excellent sensitivity and accuracy. An ultrasonic diagnosis device in which a transmitting piezoelectric element and a receiving piezoelectric element are supported on a substrate supported parallel to a radial artery by support means such that their widths a, c are respectively 0.38-1.1 mm and a gap b between them is 0.05-4.0 mm, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transmitting piezoelectric element, a reflected wave from the radial artery is received by the receiving piezoelectric element, and a pulse wave is detected on the basis of a detection result of the reflected wave.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ultrasound imaging wherein ultrasound imaging data is acquired at points in a plurality of imaging slices and the ultrasound imaging data is used to determine the relative positions of the slices.