Abstract: A medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system aligns substantially co-planar two-dimensional images to form an extended field of view using improved compounding methods. Compounding with a finite impulse response is used for more versatile compositing. The compounding is adaptive, such as through adapting the image regions, weighting, or type of compounding as a function of correlation, location within the image, estimated motion or combinations thereof. A user warning is provided as a function of the correlation between images.

Abstract: Improvements to a method for imaging a target, which method including the steps of (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency, (b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and (c) generating an image responsive to reflected energy at the harmonic, are provided. The transmitting step includes transmitting a waveform with a positive pulse spatially defined by first and second zero values. A positive peak amplitude of the positive pulse is a first distance from the first zero value that is less than half a second distance between said first and second zero values. Thus, the waveform includes a fundamental spectral component and a harmonic spectral component at the transducer. An attenuation normalized peak of the harmonic spectral component is reduced at a region spaced from the transducer as compared to the peak at a region adjacent to the transducer. A negative peak is also shifted or pre-distorted.

Abstract: Improvements to a method for imaging a target, which method including the steps of (a) transmitting ultrasonic energy at a fundamental frequency, (b) receiving reflected ultrasonic energy at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency and (c) generating an image responsive to reflected energy at the harmonic, are provided. The transmitting step includes transmitting a waveform with a positive pulse spatially defined by first and second zero values. A positive peak amplitude of the positive pulse is a first distance from the first zero value that is less than half a second distance between said first and second zero values. Thus, the waveform includes a fundamental spectral component and a harmonic spectral component at the transducer. An attenuation normalized peak of the harmonic spectral component is reduced at a region spaced from the transducer as compared to the peak at a region adjacent to the transducer. A negative peak is also shifted or pre-distorted.

Abstract: A pulse echo beamforming system generates high spatial bandwidth ultrasound images using only a few transmit/receive events per frame. Each transmit/receive event consists of firing an unfocused or weakly focused wave and receiving and storing the echo on every receive channel. Each set of stored echoes is delayed and apodized to form component beams for each desired image point in the region insonified by that particular wave. The final images are synthesized by adding two or more of the component beams for each image point.

Abstract: A diagnostic medical ultrasonic imaging method and system form first and second signals as a function of the Nth power of the absolute value of first and second ultrasound receive signals. These receive signals are associated with respective first and second transmit pulses that differ in phase and are both associated with overlapping or nearby regions of a subject. A combined signal is formed as a function of the difference between the first and second signals. The low pass component of the absolute value of this combined signal is then applied to an image processor. This low pass component, depending upon the value of N, can correspond to the second harmonic component of the combined receive signals, to the product of the fundamental and second harmonic components of the combined receive signals, and other combinations of fundamental and harmonic components.

Abstract: Medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging systems and methods image at a fractional harmonic such as f.sub.0 /2 or 3f.sub.0 /2, where f.sub.0 is the fundamental frequency of the associated transmit beam. In order to improve fractional harmonic imaging, the transmit beam includes a fractional harmonic seed component, which may also have a center frequency of f.sub.0 /2 or 3f.sub.0 /2. Multiple pulse imaging methods using transmit beams having such fractional harmonic seed components further enhance fractional harmonic imaging.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system includes an ultrasonic transducer array having a thinner portion, an intermediate portion, and a thicker portion that extend along an azimuthal direction. This transducer array is used to acquire first and second images of an imaged region. The first and second images differ in ultrasonic imaging bandwidth and/or ultrasonic center frequency such that the intermediate transducer portion is active in both the images while at least one of the thinner and the thicker transducer portions is active in only one of the images. The first and second images are then combined to form a composite display image.