Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for detecting and sizing mineralized tissue. An exemplary method, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, can provide for imaging a region of interest containing the mineralized tissue with unfocused ultrasound beams via a primary imaging method. The method can then provide for computing a wavefront coherence at the imaged region of interest. The method can then provide for segmenting pixels of the imaged region of interest based on their intensities and intensities of surrounding pixels. The method can then provide for identifying a border and a shadow of the mineralized tissue based on the segmenting. Then, the method can provide for calculating a size of the mineralized tissue based on the border and the shadow.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to method and system for increasing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and suppressing range lobe artifacts in ultrasound imaging or sensing, active sonar, LIDAR, and/or radar. The method includes forming a coded excitation waveform with a chip waveform and a binary sequence; transmitting the coded excitation waveform into a medium of interest, and receiving signals generated from the medium of interest responsive to excitation of the coded excitation waveform; and performing pulse compression on the received signals using a decoding filter to increase the SNR and suppress the range lobe artifacts.

Abstract: Visibility of a surface in turbid water can be provided using a sonar array, a plurality of acoustic mirrors, and a computing device. The sonar array can be configured to form an ultrasonic beam with a lateral dimension of a point spread function and an elevational dimension of the point spread function. The plurality of acoustic mirrors can be configured to shape and steer the point spread function. The computing device can include a non-transitory memory storing instructions and a processor configured to access the non-transitory memory and execute the instructions to sweep the ultrasound beam in the lateral dimension and the elevational dimension by moving at least one of the plurality of acoustic mirrors. Sweeping the ultrasound beam allows the processor to acquire a three dimensional data set that is used to create a projection-style reconstruction of a location in the water.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for detecting and sizing mineralized tissue. An exemplary method, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, can provide for imaging a region of interest containing the mineralized tissue with unfocused ultrasound beams via a primary imaging method. The method can then provide for computing a wavefront coherence at the imaged region of interest. The method can then provide for segmenting pixels of the imaged region of interest based on their intensities and intensities of surrounding pixels. The method can then provide for identifying a border and a shadow of the mineralized tissue based on the segmenting. Then, the method can provide for calculating a size of the mineralized tissue based on the border and the shadow.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for determining a mechanical parameter for a sample having a target region, include determining a prior probability density function that characterizes at least one physical property of the target region; generating a displacement of the sample in the target region to form a shear wave that propagates orthogonal to a direction of the displacement; transmitting tracking pulses in the target region; receiving corresponding echo signals for the tracking pulses in the target region at a plurality of lateral positions; estimating a propagation parameter of the shear wave in response to the echo signals and the prior probability density function using statistical inference; and determining at least one mechanical parameter of the target region based on the estimated propagation parameter.

Abstract: An ultrasound device and method for calculating an estimated tissue stiffness based on peak on-axis tissue displacement propagating along the axis of an acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation region are disclosed. Embodiments estimate stiffness by measuring time-to-peak tissue displacement directly along the acoustic radiation force axis. Embodiments achieve a highly accurate tissue stiffness estimate with minimal stiffness estimation error via use of an ultrasound device having less hardware complexity and which results in reduced sequencing complexity.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for determining a mechanical parameter for a sample having a target region, include determining a prior probability density function that characterizes at least one physical property of the target region; generating a displacement of the sample in the target region to form a shear wave that propagates orthogonal to a direction of the displacement; transmitting tracking pulses in the target region; receiving corresponding echo signals for the tracking pulses in the target region at a plurality of lateral positions; estimating a propagation parameter of the shear wave in response to the echo signals and the prior probability density function using statistical inference; and determining at least one mechanical parameter of the target region based on the estimated propagation parameter.