Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving ultrasound image quality. In some embodiments, data sets can be formed from received echoes at each of a plurality of receive elements. The data between the data sets can be masked to include or exclude data. The masked data sets can then be beamformed to form ultrasound images.

Abstract: Changes in tissue stiffness have long been associated with disease. Systems and methods for determining the stiffness of tissues using ultrasonography may include a device for inducing a propagating shear wave in tissue and tracking the speed of propagation, which is directly related to tissue stiffness and density. The speed of a propagating shear wave may be detected by imaging a tissue at a high frame rate and detecting the propagating wave as a perturbance in successive image frames relative to a baseline image of the tissue in an undisturbed state. In some embodiments, sufficiently high frame rates may be achieved by using a ping-based ultrasound imaging technique in which unfocused omni-directional pings are transmitted (in an imaging plane or in a hemisphere) into a region of interest. Receiving echoes of the omnidirectional pings with multiple receive apertures allows for substantially improved lateral resolution.

Abstract: Systems and methods of ultrasound imaging are provided. In some embodiments, unfocused and diverging ultrasound signals can be transmitted into a target medium from an apparent point source located aft of a concave probe surface. The echoes can be received, and a location of a reflector within the target medium can be determined. The location can be determined by obtaining element position data describing a position of the spherical center point of the apparent point source r and a position of the receive element, calculating a total path distance as a sum of a first distance between the spherical center point and the reflector and a second distance between the reflector and the receive element, and determining a locus of possible points at which the reflector may lie. A data set can then be produced for the entire target medium.

Abstract: A packet generator that increases the output speed of column and row addresses and data provided by a semiconductor device test system. The packet generator receives column and row addresses and data from a conventional algorithmic pattern generator (APG) and generates column and row addresses and data in packet form, thereby allowing communications with a packet-based device under test, such as a memory. The packet generator further provides variable time spacing between column and row addresses and data packets. Thereby, the packet generator advantageously allows testing of memory devices that require signal inputs at a higher rate than a conventional APG can provide.