Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing speckle while maintaining frame rate are disclosed. Multiple sub-images associated with different receive angles are acquired for a single transmit/receive event at an observation angle. The sub-images are compounded to generate a final image with reduced speckle. In some examples, multiple sub-images from multiple transmit/receive events are compounded to generate the final image. The observation angle and/or the receive angles may vary between transmit/receive events in some examples.

Abstract: A method for tracking an interventional medical device in a patient includes interleaving, by an imaging probe external to the patient, a pulse sequence of imaging beams and tracking beams to obtain an interleaved pulse sequence. The method also includes transmitting, from the imaging probe to the interventional medical device in the patient, the interleaved pulse sequence. The method further includes determining, based on a response to the tracking beams received from a sensor on the interventional medical device, a location of the sensor in the patient.

Abstract: A controller for reducing noise in an ultrasound environment includes memory that stores instructions; and a processor that executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the controller to execute a process that includes controlling emission, by an ultrasound probe, of multiple beams each at a different combination of time of emission and angle of emission relative to the ultrasound probe. The process also includes identifying repetitive noise from a first source received with the imaging beams at a sensor on an interventional medical device, including a rate at which the repetitive noise from the first source repeats and times at which the repetitive noise from the first source is received. The process also includes interpolating signals based on the imaging beams received at the sensor to offset the repetitive noise from the first source at the times at which the repetitive noise from the first source is received.

Abstract: A controller for maintaining alignment of X-Ray imagery and ultrasound imagery includes a memory that stores instructions, and a processor that executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the controller to execute a process that includes receiving data from an X-Ray system used to perform X-Ray imaging, and receiving data from an ultrasound imaging probe used to perform ultrasound imaging. The process executed by the controller also includes registering imagery based on X-Rays to imagery from the ultrasound imaging probe based on an X-Ray image of the ultrasound imaging probe among the imagery based on X-Rays, and detecting, from the data from the ultrasound imaging probe, movement of the ultrasound imaging probe.

Abstract: A system and method for segmenting an anatomical structure in ultrasound imaging data. First ultrasound imaging data of a first region, which includes the anatomical structure, is acquired at a high resolution. Second ultrasound imaging data of a second region, which includes a region neighboring the first region, is acquired at a low resolution. The first and second ultrasound imaging data are processed to segment the anatomical structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a medical procedure is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to convert an ultrasonic signal incident thereon into an electrical signal; and a wireless transceiver configured to receive the electrical signal from the sensor, and to transmit the electrical signal to a wireless receiver remotely located from the apparatus.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for ultrasonic imaging by sparse sampling are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system comprises an array of ultrasound transducer elements, electronic circuitry in communication with the array of ultrasound transducer elements and configured to select a first receive aperture of the array comprising a plurality of contiguous ultrasound transducer elements and at least one non-contiguous ultrasound transducer element, and a beamformer in communication with the electronic circuitry. Each ultrasound transducer element of the first receive aperture is configured to receive reflected ultrasound echoes and generate an electrical signal representative of imaging data.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes acoustic elements configured to transmit ultrasound energy and receive associated echoes. The system further includes a processor circuit in communication with the acoustic elements. The processor circuit may be configured to receive data corresponding to a set of subframes based on the echoes. The set of subframes includes a first and second subframe. The processor circuit may be configured to coherently combine data corresponding to a first portion of the first subframe and data corresponding to a first portion of the second subframe, which may both include phase information. The processor circuit may be configured to generate an image based on the coherent combination of the first portion of the first subframe and the first portion of the second subframe and to output the generated image to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated body (14) and a plurality of sensors (10) conformally formed on the elongated body at a plurality of longitudinal positions along the elongated body. The plurality of sensors is configured to generate signals in accordance with detected energy for an imaging system. A single electrical trace (24) connects to each of the plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors being connected in parallel to form an array of sensors along the elongated body.

Abstract: A mechanism for performing a non-invasive estimate of left ventricular compliance. A temporal variation of left ventricular volume and a temporal variation of left ventricular pressure are determined by processing ultrasound data of a subject. These two temporal variations are then processed to estimate left ventricular compliance.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems and methods for generated clutter-reduced images are provided. For example, an ultrasound imaging system can include an array of acoustic elements in communication with a processor. The processor is configured to activate the array to perform a scan sequence to obtain a plurality of signals, identify off-axis signals from the plurality of signals by comparing the right subaperture and the left subaperture, and create a clutter-reduced image based on the comparison. Because off-axis signals are more likely to create image clutter, reducing the influence of off-axis signals on the image can therefore improve the quality of the image. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and devices for generating ultrasound images that have reduced or minimized clutter, even for images obtained using arrays that do not satisfy the Nyquist criterion.

Abstract: An instrument for internal mapping includes a flexible elongated portion (702) and an expandable portion (710) coupled distally to the elongated portion, the expandable portion having one or more expandable loops. An array of sensors (706) and electrodes (708) is distributed on the expandable portion and is configured to concurrently register the instrument to real-time images of an anatomy using the sensors and measure electrical characteristics of the anatomy with the electrodes to generate an electro-physiology (EP) map having the anatomy and intensities of the electrical characteristics mapped together in the real-time images.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system may include an array of acoustic elements and a processor circuit. The array may be configured to transmit ultrasound energy and receive echoes. The processor circuit may be configured to generate first image data based on a first filtering and apodization of ultrasound signals associated with the received echoes and to generate second image data based on a second filtering and apodization of the ultrasound signals. The first image data is associated with a first resolution, and the second image data is associated with a second resolution. The processor circuit may be configured to generate an ultrasound image based on the first and second image data such that the ultrasound image includes a different, third resolution, where each of the first. second, and third resolution includes a respective axial and a respective lateral resolution, and to output the ultrasound image to a display.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for generating an ultrasound image. In a method, the generation of an ultrasound image comprises: obtaining channel data, the channel data defining a set of imaged points; for each imaged point: isolating the channel data; performing a spectral estimation on the isolated channel data; and selectively attenuating the spectral estimation channel data, thereby generating filtered channel data; and summing the filtered channel data, thereby forming a filtered ultrasound image. In some examples, the method comprises aperture extrapolation. The aperture extrapolation improves the lateral resolution of the ultrasound image. In other examples, the method comprises transmit extrapolation. The transmit extrapolation improves the contrast of the image. In addition, the transmit extrapolation improves the frame rate and reduces the motion artifacts in the ultrasound image. In further examples, the aperture and transmit extrapolations may be combined.

Abstract: A system for visualization and quantification of ultrasound imaging data according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a display unit, and a processor communicatively coupled to the display unit and to an ultrasound imaging apparatus for generating an image from ultrasound data representative of a bodily structure and fluid flowing within the bodily structure. The processor may be configured to estimate axial and lateral velocity components of the fluid flowing within the bodily structure, determine a plurality of flow directions within the image based on the axial and lateral velocity components, differentially encode the flow directions based on flow direction angle to generate a flow direction map, and cause the display unit to concurrently display the image including the bodily structure overlaid with the flow direction map.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system produces images with enhanced resolution or contrast by extrapolation of two ultrasound images of different imaging characteristics, such as aperture size, imaging frequency, or degree of image compounding. In order to prevent the display of image artifacts, extrapolation is accompanied by artifact removal and image smoothing.

Abstract: Ultrasound image devices, systems, and methods are provided. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising an array of acoustic elements configured to transmit ultrasound energy into an anatomy and to receive ultrasound echoes associated with the anatomy; and a processor circuit in communication with the array of acoustic elements and configured to receive, from the array, ultrasound channel data corresponding to the received ultrasound echoes; normalize the ultrasound channel data by applying a first scaling function to the ultrasound channel data; generate beamformed data by applying a predictive network to the normalized ultrasound channel data; de-normalize the beamformed data by applying a second scaling function to the beamformed data; generate an image of the anatomy from the beamformed data; and output, to a display in communication with the processor circuit, the image of the anatomy.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems and methods for generated clutter-reduced images are provided. For example, an ultrasound imaging system can include an array of acoustic elements in communication with a processor. The processor is configured to activate the array to perform a scan sequence to obtain a plurality of signals, identify off-axis signals from the plurality of signals by comparing the right subaperture and the left subaperture, and create a clutter-reduced image based on the comparison. Because off-axis signals are more likely to create image clutter, reducing the influence of off-axis signals on the image can therefore improve the quality of the image. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, and devices for generating ultrasound images that have reduced or minimized clutter, even for images obtained using arrays that do not satisfy the Nyquist criterion.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system has an improved dynamic range control which enables a user to reduce image haze with substantially no effect on bright tissue in the image and without increasing speckle variance. A dynamic range processor processes an input image to produce an approximation image which is a spatially low pass filtered version of the input image. The dynamic range of the approximation image is compressed, and image detail, unaffected by the compression, is added back to produce a dynamically compressed image for display.

Abstract: A system performs a medical procedure in a region of interest of a patient. The system includes an interventional medical device insertable into the region of interest, and a sensor attached to a portion of the interventional device, the sensor being configured to convert an ultrasonic wave from an ultrasound imaging probe to a corresponding electrical radio frequency (RF) signal. The corresponding RF signal is received by a wireless receiver outside the region of interest, enabling determination of a location of the sensor within the region of interest.