Abstract: A system for monitoring blood flow in a patient, the system comprising: a single-element disc-shaped ultrasound transducer for fastening to the patient and a controller subsystem. The controller subsystem is configured to: control the ultrasound transducer to transmit a series of plane-wave pulses into the patient in a propagation direction; sample reflections of the plane-wave pulses, received at the ultrasound transducer, from a region within the patient, to generate pulse-Doppler response signals; and process the pulse-Doppler response signals to calculate a blood flow curve for waveform analysis.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood flow in a patient, the system comprising: a single-element disc-shaped ultrasound transducer for fastening to the patient and a controller subsystem. The controller subsystem is configured to: control the ultrasound transducer to transmit a series of plane-wave pulses into the patient in a propagation direction; sample reflections of the plane-wave pulses, received at the ultrasound transducer, from a region within the patient, to generate pulse-Doppler response signals; and process the pulse-Doppler response signals to calculate a blood flow curve for waveform analysis.

Abstract: A method of processing cardiac ultrasound data for determining information about a mechanical wave in the heart. The method comprises receiving data representative of a time series of three-dimensional data frames, generated from ultrasound signals from a human or animal heart, each frame comprising a set of voxels, each voxel value representing an acceleration component of a respective location in the heart at a common time. The method also comprises identifying, for each voxel, a frame of the series in which the voxel value is at a maximum. A three-dimensional time-propagation data set is generated by assigning each voxel a value representative of the time of the respective frame in the time series for which the corresponding voxel is at a maximum. The method then comprises generating data representative of a three-dimensional velocity vector field by calculating time derivatives from the three-dimensional time-propagation data set.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for monitoring or predicting the onset or progression of a disease or pathological condition and/or a response to treatment in an infant vertebrate animal subject, wherein said method uses unfocused ultrasound pulses to determine a characteristic of blood flow within the brain of the subject and said characteristic or the profile of said characteristic over time is indicative or predictive of the disease or pathological condition or response to treatment, or variation in said characteristic or the profile of said characteristic over time is indicative or predictive of the disease or pathological condition, or indicative or predictive of a change in the disease or pathological condition or response to treatment.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood flow in a patient, the system comprising: a single-element disc-shaped ultrasound transducer for fastening to the patient and a controller subsystem. The controller subsystem is configured to: control the ultrasound transducer to transmit a series of plane-wave pulses into the patient in a propagation direction; sample reflections of the plane-wave pulses, received at the ultrasound transducer, from a region within the patient, to generate pulse-Doppler response signals; and process the pulse-Doppler response signals to calculate a blood flow curve for waveform analysis.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood flow in a patient comprises a first unit having an ultrasound transducer and a fastener for fastening the unit to the patient. A controller subsystem comprises the first unit and a separate second unit. The controller subsystem is configured to: control the ultrasound transducer to transmit plane-wave pulses into the patient in a propagation direction; sample reflections of the plane-wave pulses, received at the ultrasound transducer, from a region within the patient, to generate pulse-Doppler response signals; and process the pulse-Doppler response signals to estimate a series of values, over time, of a measure proportional, but not equal, to the total blood volume flow passing through the region. A monitoring subsystem is configured to monitor the series of values over time and to generate a signal if a set of one or more of the values satisfies a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of monitoring blood flow in a vertebrate animal subject. Unfocussed plane-wave ultrasound pulses are transmitted into the subject, along a transmission axis, from a single-element ultrasound transducer (2) fastened to the subject (5). Reflections of the ultrasound pulses are received, generating a succession of pulse-Doppler response signals over time. Each pulse-Doppler response signal is processed to determine a first respective spatial-maximum velocity value for blood flowing towards the single transducer element (2), and a second respective spatial-maximum velocity value for blood flowing away. Heartbeats are identified from said spatial-maximum velocity values and a quality metric is assigned to each identified heartbeat. A subset of the spatial-maximum velocity values is identified for which the assigned quality metric exceeds a threshold level.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method in which ultrasound signals are transmitted into a living organism, reflected from fluid flowing along a path within the organism, and received by an ultrasound transceiver system with a resolution limit in a first direction. These signals are used to generate data representing a sequence of images over time; each image including a speckle pattern arising from interference within the reflected ultrasound signals. A peak-sharpening operation is applied to the image data, generating data representing a sequence of resolution-enhanced images, each having a resolution in the first direction finer than the resolution limit of the transceiver system in that direction, and including a respective peak-sharpened speckle pattern. A combining operation is applied to generate data representing an output image in which the path of the fluid is represented by a superimposition of the peak-sharpened speckle patterns from the resolution-enhanced images.

Abstract: A method of processing cardiac ultrasound data for determining information about a mechanical wave in the heart. The method comprises receiving data representative of a time series of three-dimensional data frames, generated from ultrasound signals from a human or animal heart, each frame comprising a set of voxels, each voxel value representing an acceleration component of a respective location in the heart at a common time. The method also comprises identifying, for each voxel, a frame of the series in which the voxel value is at a maximum. A three-dimensional time-propagation data set is generated by assigning each voxel a value representative of the time of the respective frame in the time series for which the corresponding voxel is at a maximum. The method then comprises generating data representative of a three-dimensional velocity vector field by calculating time derivatives from the three-dimensional time-propagation data set.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging method in which ultrasound signals are transmitted into a living organism, reflected from fluid flowing along a path within the organism, and received by an ultrasound transceiver system with a resolution limit in a first direction. These signals are used to generate data representing a sequence of images over time; each image including a speckle pattern arising from interference within the reflected ultrasound signals. A peak-sharpening operation is applied to the image data, generating data representing a sequence of resolution-enhanced images, each having a resolution in the first direction finer than the resolution limit of the transceiver system in that direction, and including a respective peak-sharpened speckle pattern. A combining operation is applied to generate data representing an output image in which the path of the fluid is represented by a superimposition of the peak-sharpened speckle patterns from the resolution-enhanced images.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood flow in a patient comprises a first unit having an ultrasound transducer and a fastener for fastening the unit to the patient. A controller subsystem comprises the first unit and a separate second unit. The controller subsystem is configured to: control the ultrasound transducer to transmit plane-wave pulses into the patient in a propagation direction; sample reflections of the plane-wave pulses, received at the ultrasound transducer, from a region within the patient, to generate pulse-Doppler response signals; and process the pulse-Doppler response signals to estimate a series of values, over time, of a measure proportional, but not equal, to the total blood volume flow passing through the region. A monitoring subsystem is configured to monitor the series of values over time and to generate a signal if a set of one or more of the values satisfies a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: Ultrasound acquisition Information about a structure (701) within a body is acquired by providing data defining a non-straight line (42b), at least a part of which corresponds to the structure (701); transmitting an ultrasound transmit signal (44b) into the body; receiving reflections (400-402) of the transmit signal (44b); processing the received reflections (400-402) so as to trace the focal point (403-405) of a receive beam along the path of the non-straight line (42b); using reflections (400-402) of the transmit signal (44b) from along the non-straight line (42a) to acquire information about the structure (701).

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide systems and methods that provide reduction of multiline artifacts in Doppler imaging. Certain embodiments provide for various ensembles of transmit beams at different spatial locations and overlapping receive beams between the locations. Certain embodiments provide for calculating various auto-correlation estimates based on the received beams and then combining the auto-correlation estimates to create an image. In certain embodiments, combining the auto-correlation estimates comprises applying a linear interpolation filter that decreases the weight applied for receive beams that are spatially located further away from the transmit beam.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically identifying image views in a three-dimensional dataset comprises accessing with a processor a three-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of image frames and fitting with the processor at least one deformable model to at least one structure within each of the image frames. The method further comprises identifying with the processor at least one feature point within each of the image frames based on the at least one deformable model and displaying on a display at least one image view based on the at least one feature point.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method include generating an image from ultrasound data of an anatomical structure and fitting a model to the image, the model including a standard view of the anatomical structure. The system and method include calculating a quality-of-fit of the image to the model. The system and method include displaying an indicator based on the quality-of-fit of the image to the model.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide systems and methods that provide reduction of multiline artifacts in Doppler imaging. Certain embodiments provide for various ensembles of transmit beams at different spatial locations and overlapping receive beams between the locations. Certain embodiments provide for calculating various auto-correlation estimates based on the received beams and then combining the auto-correlation estimates to create an image. In certain embodiments, combining the auto-correlation estimates comprises applying a linear interpolation filter that decreases the weight applied for receive beams that are spatially located further away from the transmit beam.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method for calculation and display of tissue deformation parameters are disclosed. The tissue deformation parameter strain is also determined by an accumulation of strain rate estimates for consecutive frames over an interval. The interval may be a triggered interval generated by, for example, an R-wave in an ECG trace. The strain calculation may be improved by moving the sample volume from which the strain rate is accumulated from frame-to-frame according to the relative displacement of the tissue within the original sample volume. The relative displacement of the tissue is determined by the instantaneous tissue velocity of the sample volume.

Abstract: A method is provided for automatically identifying image views in a three-dimensional dataset comprises accessing with a processor a three-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of image frames and fitting with the processor at least one deformable model to at least one structure within each of the image frames. The method further comprises identifying with the processor at least one feature point within each of the image frames based on the at least one deformable model and displaying on a display at least one image view based on the at least one feature point.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method for calculation and display of tissue deformation parameters are disclosed. The tissue deformation parameter strain is determined by an accumulation of strain rate estimates for consecutive frames over an interval. The interval may be a triggered interval generated by, for example, an R-wave in an ECG trace. Three quantitative tissue deformation parameters, such as tissue velocity, tissue velocity integrals, strain rate and/or strain, may be presented as functions of time and/or spatial position for applications such as stress echo. For example, strain rate or strain values for three different stress levels may be plotted together with respect to time over a cardiac cycle. Parameters which are derived from strain rate or strain velocity, such as peak systolic wall thickening percentage, may be plotted with respect to various stress levels.

Abstract: A method and system for determining contact along a surface of an ultrasound probe are provided. The method includes frequency analyzing ultrasound signals received by the ultrasound probe and displaying indicators of acoustic contact of the ultrasound probe with an object based on the frequency analysis.