Abstract: A patient monitoring device includes at least one physiological sensor (32) configured to acquire at least one measured value for a patient of at least one monitored physiological variable. A cardiovascular (CV), pulmonary, or cardiopulmonary (CP) modeling component (42) includes a microprocessor pro-programmed to: receive the measured values of the at least one monitored physiological variable; receive a value for at least one patient-specific medical image parameter generated from at least one medical image of the patient; compute values for the patient of unmonitored physiological variables based on the measured values for the patient of the monitored physiological variables and the patient-specific medical image parameter; and at least one of (1) display the computed values and (2) control a therapy device delivering therapy to the patient based on the computed values.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound system (100) for sequentially performing a predetermined procedure for each of at least one region of interest. The ultrasound system (100) comprises an ultrasound probe (101) configured to transmit a first ultrasound signal (SG1) towards a region of interest and receive echo signals from the region of interest. The ultrasound system (100) also comprises a motion sensor (102) configured to detect a motion of the ultrasound probe (101) and generate a motion signal (MS) for indicating the motion of the ultrasound probe (101). The ultrasound system (100) also comprises a processor (103) configured to perform a predetermined procedure for a region of interest on the basis of the echo signals received from the region of interest if the motion signal (MS) indicates that the ultrasound probe (101) is stationary. The invention also relates to a corresponding ultrasound method.

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: Systems, devices, and methods for performing photoacoustic measurements using ultrasound-based guidance are provided. In one embodiment, an imaging system includes: an ultrasound imaging probe comprising an ultrasound transducer array, a processor circuit in communication with the ultrasound imaging probe, and a light source configured to emit light. The processor circuit receives first ultrasound data representative of an anatomical feature within a field of view, identifies a location of the anatomical feature within the field of view, and performs a photoacoustic measurement using the identified location of the anatomical feature. Performing the photoacoustic measurement includes: controlling the light source to emit light into the field of view and processing second ultrasound data representative of photoacoustic energy generated in the anatomical feature by the light source. The processor circuit then outputs a graphical representation of the photoacoustic measurement to a display.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is for determining stroke volume and/or cardiac output. The imaging system may include a transducer unit for acquiring ultrasound data of a heart of a subject (or an input for receiving the acquired ultrasound data), and a controller. The controller is adapted to implement a two-step procedure, the first step being an initial assessment step, and the second being an imaging step having two possible modes depending upon the outcome of the assessment. In the initial assessment procedure, it is determined whether regurgitant ventricular flow is present. This is performed using Doppler processing techniques applied to an initial ultrasound data set. If regurgitant flow does not exist, stroke volume is determined using segmentation of 3D ultrasound image data to identify and measure the volume of the left or right ventricle at each of end systole and end-diastole, the difference between them giving a measure of stroke volume.

Abstract: A Doppler ultrasound instrument (10) includes ultrasound pulse control and data acquisition electronics (12, 24, 26) for acquiring Doppler ultrasound data, an N-channel connector port (14) for simultaneously operatively connecting up to N ultrasound transducer patches (16) where N is an integer equal to or greater than two, and an electronic processor (30) programmed to concurrently determine up to N blood flow velocities corresponding to up to N patches operatively connected to the N channel connector port. The blood flow velocity for each patch may be determined by: determining transducer blood flow velocities for ultrasound transducers (60) of a transducer array of the patch; and determining the blood flow velocity for the patch as a highest determined transducer blood flow velocity or as an aggregation of highest determined transducer blood flow velocities.

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasound processing unit. A controller (18) of the unit is adapted to receive ultrasound data of an anatomical region, for example of the heart. The controller processes the ultrasound data over a period of time to monitor and detect whether alignment of a particular anatomical feature (34) represented in the data relative to a field of view (36) of the transducer unit is changing over time. In the event that the alignment is changing, the controller generates an output signal for communicating this to a user, allowing a user to be alerted at an early stage to likelihood of misalignment and loss of imaging or measurement capability.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes an ultrasound imaging system configured to identify a scan line pattern for imaging an object or feature thereof. The system may include a controller that controls a probe for imaging a volume of a subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals in accordance with a plurality of scan line patterns. One or more processors communicating with the probe may generate a plurality of image data sets based on the signals received at the probe, each data set corresponding to a discrete scan line pattern. These data sets are assessed for a target characteristic specific to the object targeted for imaging. One the data set that includes the target characteristic is identified, the one or more processors select the scan line pattern that corresponds the identified image data set. This scan line pattern may then be used for subsequent imaging of the volume to view the object.

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: An ultrasound imaging apparatus (200, 600) may include at least one controller (210, 610) which may be configured to: acquire ultrasound data of an anatomical region-of-interest (ROI), the ultrasound data including at least two frames acquired at different times over an interval of time as a push force is applied to induce movement in the anatomical ROI; determine a correlation between at least two of the acquired frames and form corresponding correlation coefficients; generate a correlation coefficient (CC) map based upon the determined correlation information between the at least two frames; and distinguish fluid from tissue within the CC map based upon a comparison of the correlation coefficients with at least one threshold value.

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: Ultrasound-based acoustic streaming for deciding whether material is fluid is dependent upon any one or more of a variety of criteria. Examples are displacement, speed, temporal or spatial flow variance, progressive decorrelation, slope or straightness of accumulated signal to background comparisons over time, and relative displacement to adjacent soft tissue. Echogenicity-based area identification is combinable with the above movement characteristic detection in the deciding. Fluid pool identification is performable from the area-limited acoustic streaming testing and ultrasound attenuation readings. Candidates from among the areas are screenable based on specific shapes or bodily organs detected. Natural flow can be excluded from streaming detection by identification of blood vessels. Processing for each FAST ultrasound view, or for the entire procedure, is performable automatically, without need for user intervention or with user intervention to identify suspected areas.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided to provide workflow assistance to an operator during a medical imaging procedure, such as a Doppler ultrasound evaluation of a body vessel of a subject. A sensor such as a gyroscope (128) may be integrated in an external ultrasound probe (102). Workflow assistance may be provided to position the ultrasound probe (102) to make accurate flow measurements of fluid within the vessel, such as by coupling system color flow information with gyroscope angles. The workflow assistance may also assist a user in identifying a perpendicular orientation of the ultrasound to be used as a reference in making Doppler measurements. The system may also be used to create a vessel map.

Abstract: Dynamically identifying a stationary body of fluid (102) within a test volume by scanning within the volume can entail using a first part of a pulse sequence to acoustically interrogate a region within the volume to detect pre-existing movement (124) and, via a separate acoustic interrogation constituting the second part of the pulse sequence, acoustically interrogating the region to distinguish solid from fluid. The scanning is with both interrogations as a unit, so as to span the volume with the interrogations. The body is identified, dynamically based on an outcome of the interrogations. The scanning may span, for the identifying, a current field of view (116), including normal tissue, within an imaging subject. The procedure, from scanning to identifying, may be performed automatically and without need for user intervention, although the user can optionally change the field of view to further search for stationary fluid.

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 describes an ultrasound system configured to identify and evaluate B-lines that may appear during an ultrasound scan of a chest region of a subject. In some examples, the system may include an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echo signals responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward a target region comprising one or both lungs. The system can also include one or more processors communicatively coupled with the ultrasound transducer and configured to identify one or more B-lines within the target region during a scan thereof. Based on the identified B-lines, the processors can determine a severity value of the B-lines and a pulmonary diagnosis based on the severity value in substantially real time during the ultrasound scan. The diagnosis may embody a distinction between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus (200, 600) may include at least one controller (210, 610) which may be configured to: acquire ultrasound data of an anatomical region-of-interest (ROI), the ultrasound data including at least two frames acquired at different times over an interval of time as a push force is applied to induce movement in the anatomical ROI; determine a correlation between at least two of the acquired frames and form corresponding correlation coefficients; generate a correlation coefficient (CC) map based upon the determined correlation information between the at least two frames; and distinguish fluid from tissue within the CC map based upon a comparison of the correlation coefficients with at least one threshold value.

Abstract: A Doppler ultrasound instrument (10) includes ultrasound pulse control and data acquisition electronics (12, 24, 26) for acquiring Doppler ultrasound data, an N-channel connector port (14) for simultaneously operatively connecting up to N ultrasound transducer patches (16) where N is an integer equal to or greater than two, and an electronic processor (30) programmed to concurrently determine up to N blood flow velocities corresponding to up to N patches operatively connected to the N channel connector port. The blood flow velocity for each patch may be determined by: determining transducer blood flow velocities for ultrasound transducers (60) of a transducer array of the patch; and determining the blood flow velocity for the patch as a highest determined transducer blood flow velocity or as an aggregation of highest determined transducer blood flow velocities.

Abstract: An ultrasound system for identifying a vessel of a subject comprises: an ultrasound probe configured to simultaneously acquire a sequence of ultrasound blood flow data frames (such as a sequence of ultrasound Doppler data frames) and a sequence of ultrasound B-mode data frames of a region of interest including the vessel over a predetermined time period; a blood flow region selecting unit configured to select a blood flow region in the sequence of blood flow data frames; and a vessel segmenting unit configured to segment the vessel in at least one frame of the sequence of ultrasound B-mode data frames based on the selected blood flow region. Since there is no need to manually place any seed point for vessel segmentation any more, the user dependency is reduced and a fast measurement is made possible.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method enable ultrasonic imaging by inexperienced personnel at the home of a patient under the guidance of a remotely located diagnostic imaging expert. Improper use of the scanning device is prevented by allowing the remotely located imaging expert to enable or disable the transmission of ultrasound energy by the ultrasound system. Other functions of the ultrasound system may also be controlled by the remotely located expert, such as determining whether acquired ultrasound images can be viewed locally on the ultrasound system.