Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods configured to identify lung abnormalities by determining a uniformity characteristic of a region of interest within ultrasound image frames. Systems can include an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward a pulmonary target region. A processor coupled with the transducer may be configured to generate an image frame from the acquired echoes and determine a uniformity characteristic of the region of interest below a pleural line in the image frame. The processor may also be configured to determine a presence or absence of a lung abnormality, e.g., lung consolidation, within the region of interest based on a value of the uniformity characteristic. If a lung abnormality has been determined to be present, the processor can generate an indicator of the same, which may be displayed on a user interface in communication with the processor.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that address and improve upon certain technical challenges arising from the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging analysis. More specifically, the systems and methods described herein provide personalized, semi-automatic feature analysis that streamlines decision-making and workflow, simplifies the selection and use of available AI tools, and improves the functionality of these AI tools by enabling user input as key stages of the analysis.

Abstract: An interface unit or connecting between an ultrasound sensing apparatus and a patient monitor for providing ultrasound monitoring functionality of one or more physiological or anatomical parameters based on processing of ultrasound data. The interface unit includes means for processing acquired ultrasound data to derive measurements of one or more physiological or anatomical parameters and is configured for outputting said derived measurements to a coupled patient monitor unit, e.g. for display and/or trending by the patient monitor.

Abstract: A processor (28) in communication with ultrasound probe (10) is configured to: generate an initial ultrasound image including an anatomical feature of a patient, an image artifact, and a region of interest obscured by the image artifact; and determine depths of the anatomical feature and region of interest. The processor generates a first ultrasound image with focal depth of the transmit and receive beams set to the depth of the anatomical feature, so the anatomical feature and the image artifact are enhanced and the appearance of the region of interest is decreased. The processor generates a second ultrasound image with the focal depth of the transmit and receive beams set to the depth of the region of interest, so that the appearance of the anatomical feature and the image artifact is decreased, and the region of interest is enhanced, and generates an output based on the first and second images.

Abstract: The present invention proposes an apparatus (120) and method for detecting bone fracture of a subject on basis of ultrasound images. The apparatus (120) comprises a first fracture detector (122) and a second fracture detector (124). The first fracture detector (122) is configured to receive a first ultrasound image of a region of the subject, to identify a bone in the first ultrasound image, to identify at least one focus area within the region on basis of the identified bone, to generate focus area information indicating position of the at least one focus area, and to instruct an acquisition of a second ultrasound image of the region acquired based on the generated focus area information. The second fracture detector (124) is configured to receive the second ultrasound image, and to detect bone fracture on the basis of the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: An interface unit (12) for connecting between an ultrasound sensing apparatus (14) and a patient monitor (18) for providing ultrasound monitoring functionality of one or more physiological or anatomical parameters based on processing of ultrasound data. The interface unit includes means for processing acquired ultrasound data to derive measurements of one or more physiological or anatomical parameters and is configured for outputting said derived measurements to a coupled patient monitor unit, e.g. for display and/or trending by the patient monitor.

Abstract: A lung injury monitoring system (200) configured to monitor a patient's lungs during ventilation. comprising: an ultrasound device (280) configured to obtain an ultrasound image of the patient's lungs during ventilation of the patient: a processor (220) configured to: (i) receive the obtained ultrasound image: (ii) determine a ventilation phase of the ventilator: (iii) analyze the received ultrasound image: and (iv) determine a risk score for a potential ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI): and a user interface (240) configured to display the determined risk score for the potential VALI.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided to provide serial monitoring for a patient. An ultrasound system is provided which may include subdividing a portion of the anatomy of a patient into a number of zones. Imaging data may be received by an imaging device. This imaging data may be used to generate a severity score for each zone based on imaging parameters within the imaging data. Changes in the severity score for each zone may be displayed over time, such that a medical professional may monitor each zone in a serial manner.

Abstract: A method (20) and device for deriving an estimate of intracranial blood pressure based on motion data for a wall of an intracranial blood vessel, intracranial blood flow velocity, and a blood pressure signal measured at a location outside the brain. The method is based on identifying (28) a time offset between the two intracranial signals (vessel wall movement and vessel blood flow), and then applying (30) this offset to the blood pressure signal acquired from outside the brain to obtain a fourth signal, indicative of estimated intracranial blood pressure.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for automated, fast lung pulse detection are provided. In an embodiment, a system for detecting pneumothorax (PTX) includes an ultrasound probe in communication with a processor. The processor is configured to generate, using the ultrasound imaging data received from the ultrasound probe, an M-mode image including a pleural line of the lung. Using the M-mode image, the processor generates a difference image comprising a plurality of difference lines generated by subtracting adjacent samples of the M-mode image. The processor analyzes the difference image to determine whether the difference image includes a periodic signal corresponding to the heartbeat of the patient and outputs a graphical representation of detecting the lung pulse based on determining that the difference image includes the periodic signal corresponding to the heartbeat.

Abstract: An imaging device positioning system for monitoring an anatomical region (10). The imaging device positioning system employs an imaging device (20) for generating an image (21) of an anatomical region (10). The imaging device positioning system further employs an imaging device controller (30) for controlling a positioning of the imaging device (20) relative to the anatomical region (10). During a generation by the imaging device (20) of the image (21) of the anatomical region (10), the imaging device controller (30) adapts the positioning of the imaging device (20) relative to the anatomical region (10) to a physiological condition of the anatomical region (10) extracted from the image (21) of the anatomical region (10).

Abstract: A system and method for determining position information for a device within a body of a subject. The device outputs and/or routes an acoustic signal with a frequency of no more than 20 kHz, which is received by at least a first sensor, positioned externally to the body of the subject. A processing system receives the received signal from the sensor, obtains a value for one or more parameters of the received signal and processes the value(s) to determine position information for the device.

Abstract: Ultrasound image devices, systems, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system includes an interface coupled to an ultrasound imaging component and configured to receive a plurality of image data frames representative of a subject's body including at least a portion of a lung; a processing component in communication with the interface and configured to determine a metric for each image data frame of the plurality of image data frames based on a threshold comparison; and determine a dynamic air bronchogram (AB) condition of the subject's body based on a variation across the metrics of the plurality of image data frames. In one embodiment, the processing component is configured to determine differential data frames based on differences across consecutive image data frames of the plurality of image data frames; and determine a dynamic AB condition of the subject's body based on the differential data frames.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an ultrasound imaging system configured to identify and display B-lines that may appear during ultrasound scanning of a chest region of a subject. In some examples, the system may include an ultrasound probe and at least two processors configured to generate a plurality of image frames from ultrasound echoes received at the probe. The processors may be further configured to identify a pleural line in each of the plurality of image frames, define a region of interest below each pleural line, identify one or more candidate B-lines within the region of interest, identify one or more B-lines by evaluating one or more parameters of each candidate B-line, and select a target image frame from the plurality of image frames by identifying an image frame that maximizes at least a number or an intensity of B-lines.

Abstract: An ultrasound control unit (10) is for coupling with an ultrasound transducer unit (12). The control unit is adapted to control a drive configuration or setting of the transducers of the transducer unit, each drive setting having a known power consumption level associated with it. The control unit includes a control module (20) adapted to adjust the drive setting from a first setting to a second setting, the second having a lower associated power consumption that the first. The second setting is tested by an analysis module (16), the analysis module adapted to determine a measure of reliability of ultrasound data acquired by the transducer unit, for the purpose of deriving at least one physiological parameter, when configured in the second setting. The second setting is only used if its determined reliability passes a pre-defined reliability condition.

Abstract: Ultrasound image devices, systems, and methods are provided. A clinical condition detection system, comprising a communication device in communication with an ultrasound imaging device and configured to receive a sequence of ultrasound image frames representative of a subject body across a time period; and a processor in communication with the communication device and configured to classify the sequence of ultrasound image frames into a first set of clinical characteristics by applying a first predictive network to the sequence of ultrasound image frames to produce a set of classification vectors representing the first set of clinical characteristics; and identify a clinical condition of the subject body by applying a second predictive network to the set of classification vectors.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system that determines hemodynamic parameters of a patient. The system may include a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe including an ultrasound transducer comprising a matrix array of piezoelectric elements, the transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe configured to obtain a plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart from a single position. The system may include one or more processors, operatively connected to the TEE probe. The one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to control the TEE probe by electronically steering an ultrasound beam provided by the ultrasound transducer to obtain the plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart; receive the plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart provided by the TEE probe; and determine one or more physiological parameters of the patient's heart based on the received plurality of clinically relevant views of the patient's heart.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an ultrasound imaging system configured to identify a target placement of an ultrasound probe for viewing a lung pleural line. In some examples, the system may include an ultrasound probe configured to receive ultrasound echoes from a subject to image a region of the subject and a data processor in communication with the ultrasound probe. The data processor may be configured to identify one or more candidate pleural lines and one or more A-lines corresponding to the candidate pleural lines, compute an A-line intensity of at least one of the A-lines, and apply the computed A-line intensity to indicate a target placement of the ultrasound probe for imaging the region for pleural line identification. The system may also include a user interface in communication with the data processor. The user interface may be configured to alert the user of the target placement of the ultrasound probe.

Abstract: An ultrasound system includes a processor and an ultrasound transducer array. The processor receives a first ultrasound image and a second ultrasound (1320) image from the transducer array. The first and second ultrasound images may be perpendicular to one another. The processor generates a score associated with the first ultrasound image and compares the score to a threshold score. Based on the score not satisfying the threshold score, the processor then determines a new imaging plane and directs the transducer array to obtain a third ultrasound image (1410) according to the new imaging plane. The third ultrasound image may also be perpendicular to the second ultrasound image. The processor circuit then displays the third ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image. The processor circuit also identifies an angle corresponding to the new imaging plane and displays an indicator (1342) overlaid over the second ultrasound image identifying the new imaging plane of the third ultrasound image.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for free fluid estimation including identifying a region of free fluid in an diagnostic image, calculating a free fluid measure based on the region of free fluid identified in the diagnostic image, and generating a volume class for the region of free fluid in the diagnostic image, wherein the volume class is generated by comparison of the free fluid measure to a data set of previously stored free fluid measures. The present disclosure may be implemented as a method, in a device, a computer readable medium, and a system, among other form factors.