Abstract: A method of imaging may include receiving a first signal from one or more array elements of a first type in a mixed transducer array, receiving a second signal from one or more array elements of a second type in the mixed transducer array where at least one of the first type and the second type is an optical sensor, generating a first image from the first signal and a second image from the second signal, and combining the first image and the second image to generate a compound image.

Abstract: A method of acousto-optic imaging may include receiving a first signal from a first sub-aperture of a sensor array. The first sub-aperture may comprise one or more array elements of a first type. The method may further include receiving a second signal from a second sub-aperture of the sensor array. The second sub-aperture may comprise one or more array elements of a second type different from the first type. In some variations, the first type of array element may be an acoustic transducer (e.g., piezoelectric transducer) and/or the second type of array element may be an optical sensor (e.g., optical resonator such as a whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator). The method may further include combining the first signal and the second signal to form a synthesized aperture for the sensor array.

Abstract: An acousto-optic imaging system may include at least one transducer that transmits an ultrasound signal having a fundamental frequency ƒ. The acousto-optic imaging system includes at least one optical sensor that may produce one or more optical responses upon receiving harmonic-related ultrasound echoes corresponding to the transmitted ultrasound signal. For example, the one or more optical sensors may have a bandwidth ranging from at least ƒ/M to Nƒ, where M and N are integers greater than 1.

Abstract: An ultrasound device may include ultrasound transducer array that include one or more array elements of a first type and one or more array elements of a second type different from the first type. The first type may include a transducer configured to transmit acoustic waves. The second type may include an optical sensor. The array elements of the first and second types are configured to detect acoustic echoes corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waves.

Abstract: Sensing apparatuses and method of making the sensing apparatuses are disclosed herein. In some variations, a sensing apparatus can comprise at least one optical waveguide, and at least one whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator configured to propagate a set of WGMs, where the WGM resonator communicates to the at least one optical waveguide a set of signals corresponding to the set of WGMs. In some variations, a polymer structure may encapsulate the at least one WGM resonator and/or the at least one optical waveguide. Furthermore, in some variations, the WGM resonator(s) may have one or more selectable modes with different bandwidth and sensitivity for sensing, which may, for example, enable tailoring the sensing apparatus to specific applications having certain bandwidth and/or sensitivity requirements.

Abstract: Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing a modularized acoustic probe that includes multiple acoustic transducers that have discrete substrates. A first acoustic transducer is configured to generate an acoustic signal and to transmit the acoustic signal toward an object. The second acoustic transducer is configured to detect a reflected acoustic signal, which results from the acoustic signal reflecting from the object, and to convert the reflected acoustic signal to an electrical signal. The first and second acoustic transducers have respective discrete substrates. In an example, the second acoustic transducer may not be configured to generate acoustic signals. In another example, the first and second acoustic transducers may be in respective first and second rows of a two-row transducer array. In accordance with this example, the first and second acoustic transducers may be designed to have an acoustic parameter having respective first and second parameter values.

Abstract: In some examples, a CMUT may include a plurality of electrodes, and each electrode may include a plurality of sub-electrodes. For instance, a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode may be disposed on opposite sides of a third sub-electrode. In some cases, a first bias voltage may be applied to the third sub-electrode and a second bias voltage may be applied to the first and second sub-electrodes while causing at least one of the first sub-electrode, the second sub-electrode, or the third sub-electrode to transmit and/or receive ultrasonic energy. For example, the second bias voltage may be applied at a different voltage amount than the first bias voltage, and/or may be applied at a different timing than the first bias voltage.

Abstract: In some examples, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array may include a plurality of CMUT elements arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including multiple CMUT elements. A bias voltage supply may be connected for supplying bias voltages to a first row, a second row, and a third row of the plurality of rows. In addition, a processor may be configured by executable instructions to control the bias voltages by applying a first bias voltage to the second row, and a second, different bias voltage to the first and third rows to configure the CMUT elements of the second row to at least one of transmit or receive ultrasonic energy with different efficiency than the CMUT elements of the first row and the third row. In some examples, individual contributions from different rows can be computed from different firing sequences for synthetic aperture beamformation in an elevation dimension.

Abstract: In some examples, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) includes a first electrode and a second electrode, with the second electrode being opposed to the first electrode. A bias voltage may supply a bias voltage to the second electrode. In addition, a first capacitor may include a first electrode electrically connected to the first electrode of the CMUT, and the first capacitor may have a second electrode electrically connected to a transmit/receive circuit. Furthermore, a first resistor may have a first electrode electrically connected to the first electrode of the first capacitor and the first electrode of the CMUT. The first resistor may include a second electrode electrically connected to a common return path.

Abstract: In some examples, a CMUT array may include a plurality of elements, and each element may include a plurality of sub-elements. For instance, a first sub-element and a second sub-element may be disposed on opposite sides of a third sub-element. In some cases, the third sub-element may be configured to transmit ultrasonic energy at a higher center frequency than at least one of the first sub-element or the second sub-element. Further, in some instances, the sub-elements may have a plurality of regions in which different regions are configured to transmit ultrasonic energy at different resonant frequencies. For instance, the resonant frequencies of a plurality of CMUT cells in each sub-element may decrease in an elevation direction from a center of each element toward the edges of the CMUT array.

Abstract: In some examples, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The CMUT may be connectable to a bias voltage supply for supplying a bias voltage, and a transmit and/or receive (TX/RX) circuit. In some cases, a first capacitor having a first electrode may be electrically connected to the first electrode of the CMUT, the first capacitor having a second electrode that may be electrically connected to the TX/RX circuit. Furthermore, a first resistor may include a first electrode electrically connected to the first electrode of the first capacitor and the first electrode of the CMUT. A second electrode of the first resistor may be electrically connected to at least one of: a ground or common return path, or the second electrode of the first capacitor.

Abstract: In some examples, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array may include a plurality of CMUT elements arranged in a plurality of rows, each row including multiple CMUT elements. A bias voltage supply may be connected for supplying bias voltages to a first row, a second row, and a third row of the plurality of rows. In addition, a processor may be configured by executable instructions to control the bias voltages by applying a first bias voltage to the second row, and a second, different bias voltage to the first and third rows to configure the CMUT elements of the second row to at least one of transmit or receive ultrasonic energy with different efficiency than the CMUT elements of the first row and the third row. In some examples, individual contributions from different rows can be computed from different firing sequences for synthetic aperture beamformation in an elevation dimension.

Abstract: In some examples, a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The CMUT may be connectable to a bias voltage supply for supplying a bias voltage, and a transmit and/or receive (TX/RX) circuit. In some cases, a first capacitor having a first electrode may be electrically connected to the first electrode of the CMUT, the first capacitor having a second electrode that may be electrically connected to the TX/RX circuit. Furthermore, a first resistor may include a first electrode electrically connected to the first electrode of the first capacitor and the first electrode of the CMUT. A second electrode of the first resistor may be electrically connected to at least one of: a ground or common return path, or the second electrode of the first capacitor.

Abstract: In some examples, a CMUT may include a plurality of electrodes, and each electrode may include a plurality of sub-electrodes. For instance, a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode may be disposed on opposite sides of a third sub-electrode. In some cases, a first bias voltage may be applied to the third sub-electrode and a second bias voltage may be applied to the first and second sub-electrodes while causing at least one of the first sub-electrode, the second sub-electrode, or the third sub-electrode to transmit and/or receive ultrasonic energy. For example, the second bias voltage may be applied at a different voltage amount than the first bias voltage, and/or may be applied at a different timing than the first bias voltage.

Abstract: In some examples, a CMUT array may include a plurality of elements, and each element may include a plurality of sub-elements. For instance, a first sub-element and a second sub-element may be disposed on opposite sides of a third sub-element. In some cases, the third sub-element may be configured to transmit ultrasonic energy at a higher center frequency than at least one of the first sub-element or the second sub-element. Further, in some instances, the sub-elements may have a plurality of regions in which different regions are configured to transmit ultrasonic energy at different resonant frequencies. For instance, the resonant frequencies of a plurality of CMUT cells in each sub-element may decrease in an elevation direction from a center of each element toward the edges of the CMUT array.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes: a harmonic filter coupled to an ultrasound transmitter to reduce transmitted harmonic components; a fundamental filter coupled with an ultrasound receiver to reduce received fundamental components; and a fusion processor configured to generate multiple frames of fusion images for two subsequent frames of ultrasound transmissions to improve frame rate. The ultrasound receiver may optionally perform signal alignment and matching to improve image quality. To improve image quality, the ultrasound system may optionally use multiple amplitude-modulated transmit pulses with different delays, or multiple transmit pulses with different amplitudes to extract harmonic signals.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus configured with a touch screen display and computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis capability. In response to a touch input, image parameters for the computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis are determined from an analysis of the ultrasound image. A touch screen user interface allows the user to further adjust the parameters and/or other system parameters for the computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis in an interactive way. The computer aided measurement can be used directly for the computer aided diagnosis for improved accuracy and user experience.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes: a harmonic filter coupled to an ultrasound transmitter to reduce transmitted harmonic components; a fundamental filter coupled with an ultrasound receiver to reduce received fundamental components; and a fusion processor configured to generate multiple frames of fusion images for two subsequent frames of ultrasound transmissions to improve frame rate. The ultrasound receiver may optionally perform signal alignment and matching to improve image quality. To improve image quality, the ultrasound system may optionally use multiple amplitude-modulated transmit pulses with different delays, or multiple transmit pulses with different amplitudes to extract harmonic signals.

Abstract: A modular, flexible architecture for offering full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) functionality and general-purpose ultrasound functionality in a single system is described. A conventional, general-purpose ultrasound system is modified with an FFBU toolkit to create a dual-capability ultrasound system, the dual-capability ultrasound system being able to accommodate both general-purpose ultrasound functionality and FFBU functionality, using a single ultrasound engine. Among other advantages, real-world clinical environments may enjoy cost savings for initial system procurement, space savings on clinic floors, easier and less expensive system upgrades, and the ability to use a single system and user interface for both FFBU screening and for follow-up diagnosis, biopsy, etc.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus configured with a touch screen display and computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis capability. In response to a touch input, image parameters for the computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis are determined from an analysis of the ultrasound image. A touch screen user interface allows the user to further adjust the parameters and/or other system parameters for the computer aided measurement and/or diagnosis in an interactive way. The computer aided measurement can be used directly for the computer aided diagnosis for improved accuracy and user experience.