Abstract: A diagnostic ultrasound system has a 2D array transducer which is operated with 1×N patches, patches which are only a single element wide. The “N” length of the patches extends in the elevation direction of a scanned 2D image plane, with the single element width extending in the lateral (azimuth) direction. Focusing is done along each patch in the elevation direction by a microbeamformer, and focusing in the lateral (azimuth) direction is done by the system beamformer. The minimal width of each patch in the azimuth direction enables the production of images highly resolved in the azimuthal plane of a 2D image, including the reception of highly resolved multilines for high frame rate imaging.

Abstract: A method for using an interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining may be based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a sensor which guides a decision that acoustic coupling quality is insufficient, the apparatus issuing a user alert upon the decision.

Abstract: An imaging steering apparatus includes sensors and an imaging processor configured for: acquiring, via multiple ones of the sensors and from a current position (322), and current orientation (324), an image of an object of interest; based on a model, segmenting the acquired image; and determining, based on a result of the segmenting, a target position (318), and target orientation (320), with the target position and/or target orientation differing correspondingly from the current position and/or current orientation. An electronic steering parameter effective toward improving the current field of view may be computed, and a user may be provided instructional feedback (144) in navigating an imaging probe toward the improving. A robot can be configured for, automatically and without need for user intervention, imparting force (142) to the probe to move it responsive to the determination.

Abstract: In some embodiments, ultrasound receive beamforming yields beamformed samples, based upon which spatially intermediate pixels (232, 242, 244) are dynamically reconstructed. The samples have been correspondingly derived from acquisition through respectively different acoustic windows (218, 220). The reconstructing is further based on temporal weighting of the samples. In some embodiments, the sampling is via synchronized ultrasound phased-array data acquisition from a pair of side-by-side, spaced apart (211) acoustic windows respectively facing opposite sides of a central region (244) to be imaged. In particular, the pair is used interleavingly to dynamically scan jointly in a single lateral direction in imaging the region. The acquisition in the scan is, along a synchronization line (222) extending laterally across the region, monotonically progressive in that direction. Rotational scans respectively from the window pair are synchronizable into a composite scan of a moving object.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method translates an aperture across an array transducer which is less that the size of the array. At each aperture location a transmit beam is focused above, or alternatively below, the array and a region of interest being scanned from the aperture location, resulting in broad insonification of the region of interest. At the lateral ends of the array the aperture is no longer translated but the focal point of the transmit beam is translated from the same aperture position, preferably with tilting of the beam direction. Multiple receive beams are processed in response to each transmit event and the overlapping receive beams and echo locations are spatially combined to produce synthetic transmit focusing over the center of the image field and noise reduction by spatial compounding at the lateral ends of the image field.

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 provides a method for generating a compound ultrasound image. The method includes acquiring and beamforming channel data. Using the beamformed channel data a plurality of images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels, of a region of interest are obtained and an image information metric, wherein the image metric is associated with a pixel of the plurality of pixels, is assessed. The acquiring of the plurality of images and the assessment of the image metric are performed in parallel. For each image of the plurality of images: a per-pixel weighting for each pixel of the plurality of pixels based on the assessment of the image information metric is determined and applied to each pixel of the plurality of pixels. Finally a compound ultrasound image is generated based on the plurality of weighted pixels of the plurality of images.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a sensor which guides a decision that acoustic coupling quality is insufficient, the apparatus issuing a user alert upon the decision.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the feedback does not include a grayscale depiction of the image data. Coordinate system transformations corresponding to respective comparisons may be computed. The selecting may be based upon and dynamically responsive to content of imaging being dynamically acquired via the probe.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of imaging an imaging region (7) employ an acoustic transducer array (10?) to produce image data for the imaging region (7), wherein there are one or more obstructions (15-1, 15-2, 15-3) between the acoustic transducer array (10?) and at least a portion (5) of the imaging region (7). One or more processors exploit redundancy in transmit/receive pair paths among the acoustic transducers in the acoustic transducer array (10?) to compensate for missing image data of the imaging region (7) due to the one or more obstructions (15-1, 15-2, 15-3), and produce an image of the imaging region (7) from the compensated image data.

Abstract: A method for using an interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display system and configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining may be based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked. Included, for deriving the image, in some embodiments are imaging channels for receiving image data for which a metric of coherence, i.e., similarity among channel data, is computed. The determination for a direction is based on the metric for locations in that direction.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating a compound ultrasound image. The method includes acquiring and beamforming channel data. Using the beamformed channel data a plurality of images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels, of a region of interest are obtained and an image information metric, wherein the image metric is associated with a pixel of the plurality of pixels, is assessed. The acquiring of the plurality of images and the assessment of the image metric are performed in parallel. For each image of the plurality of images: a per-pixel weighting for each pixel of the plurality of pixels based on the assessment of the image information metric is determined and applied to each pixel of the plurality of pixels. Finally a compound ultrasound image is generated based on the plurality of weighted pixels of the plurality of images.

Abstract: An interactive visual guidance tool for an imaging acquisition and display system and configured for user navigation with respect to a blockage of a field of view (216) detects, and spatially defines, the blockage. It also integrates, with the image for joint visualization, an indicium (244) that visually represents the definition. The indicium is moved dynamically according to movement, relative to the blockage, of the field of view. The indicium can be shaped like a line segment, or two indicia (244, 248) can be joined in a “V” shape to frame a region of non-blockage. The defining maybe based on determining whether ultrasound beams in respective directions are blocked. Included, for deriving the image, in some embodiments are imaging channels for receiving image data for which a metric of coherence, i.e., similarity among channel data, is computed. The determination for a direction is based on the metric for locations in that direction.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the feedback does not include a grayscale depiction of the image data. Coordinate system transformations corresponding to respective comparisons may be computed. The selecting may be based upon and dynamically responsive to content of imaging being dynamically acquired via the probe.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound array comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements (20) on a carrier (10), said carrier further carrying an actuator arrangement (30, 30?) of a material having an adjustable shape in response to an electromagnetic stimulus, e.g. an electro active polymer or optically responsive polymer, wherein the material is arranged to change the orientation of said ultrasound transducer elements in response to said stimulus. This facilitates configurable beam shaping and/or body contour matching with the ultrasound array. An ultrasound system (100) comprising such an ultrasound array is also disclosed.

Abstract: Depiction, within a single imaging modality, of an intervention device and body tissue surrounding the device, is improved by interrogating a subject that includes the intervention device and the tissue. An image is created using, for a parameter, a value, of the parameter (160), better suited to one or the other of a device region depicting the intervention device and a tissue region depicting the tissue. The value is used to yield respectively either a first image (152) or a second image (154). Respective presets may correspondingly have different values for the parameter. From jointly the first image and the second image which are both of the single modality, a combination is formed that is an image of the intervention device depicted as surrounded by the tissue. The combinations may be formed dynamically and ongoingly.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback (144) for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons (321) between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the feedback does not include (175) a grayscale depiction of the image data. Coordinate system trans formations corresponding to respective comparisons may be computed. The selecting may be based upon and dynamically responsive to content of imaging being dynamically acquired via the probe.

Abstract: Issuance of ultrasound pulses to a volume and receiving echo data is followed by estimating, based on the received data, center frequency subvolume-by-subvolume. Distinguishing between heart and lung tissue occurs based on a result of the estimating, and may include automatically identifying a spatial boundary (332) between the heart and lung tissue (324, 328), or a user display of center frequencies that allows for visual distinguishing. The issuance can include issuing, ray line by ray line, pair-wise identical, and/or pair-wise mutually inverted, ultrasound pulses. Center frequency calculations may be made for incremental sampling locations of respective imaging depth along each of the A-lines generated from echo data of the rays. The distinguishing might entail averaging center frequencies for locations along an A-line, and applying a central frequency threshold to the average. The leftmost of the qualifying A-lines, i.e.

Abstract: A medical ultrasound acquisition-data analysis device acquires channel data (144) via ultrasound received on the channels, uses the acquired channel data to estimate data coherence and derive dominance of an eigen-value of a channel covariance matrix and, based on the estimate and dominance, distinguishes microcalcifications (142) from background. Microcalcifications may then be made distinguishable visually on screen via highlighting, coloring, annotation, etc. The channel data operable upon by the estimating may have been subject to beamforming delays and may be summed in a beamforming procedure executed in the estimating. In the estimating and deriving, both field point-by-field point, multiple serial transmits (116, 118) may be used for each field point. In one embodiment results of the estimating and deriving are multiplied point-by-point and submitted to thresholding.