Abstract: A method for correcting beamforming time delay in an ultrasound system is provided. The method comprises transmitting a beam of ultrasound energy into an object with a transmit beamforming time delay. The method further comprises receiving a plurality of echo signals with a receive beamforming time delay and estimating beamforming time delay errors for each echo signal and each imaging direction. The method further comprises correcting the transmit and receive beamforming time delays and generating an ultrasound image of the object using the corrected transmission and reception beamforming time delays.

Abstract: A method for Fresnel zone imaging is provided. The method comprises identifying a plurality of constructive regions and a plurality of destructive regions in an energy transmitting device and converting the destructive regions to the constructive regions by using an apodization profile. The apodization profile comprises apodization values for each constructive region and destructive region and the apodization values comprise real numbers.

Abstract: An imaging catheter assembly and method for use in volumetric ultrasound imaging and catheter-guided procedures are provided. The imaging catheter assembly comprises a transducer array for acquiring image data at a given image plane and a motion controller coupled to the transducer array for translating the transducer array along a direction perpendicular to a direction of the image plane in order to image a three-dimensional (3D) volume.

Abstract: A device comprising an array of sensors and a multiplicity of bus lines, each sensor being electrically connected to a respective bus line and comprising a respective multiplicity of groups of micromachined sensor cells, the sensor cell groups of a particular sensor being electrically coupled to each other via the bus line to which that sensor is connected, each sensor cell group comprising a respective multiplicity of micromachined sensor cells that are electrically interconnected to each other and not switchably disconnectable from each other, the device further comprising means for isolating any one of the sensor cell groups from its associated bus line and in response to any one of the micromachined sensor cells of that sensor cell group being short-circuited to ground. In one implementation, the isolating means comprise a multiplicity of fuses.

Abstract: A method for correcting a time delay between at least two signals in ultrasound systems is provided. The ultrasound system comprises a beamformer processor comprising a summer coupled to the transducer array and configured for performing a complex operation on a first plurality of receive signals to generate a beamsum signal; wherein each of the receive signals comprise a corresponding beamforming delay and a complex filter coupled to the summer and configured to transform the beamsum signal to an analytical signal. The beamformer processor further comprises a plurality of correlator processors coupled to at least one respective transducer element and the complex filter, each correlator processor configured to calculate a correlation sum for at least one receive signal and at least one time delay estimator adapted to receive the correlation sum of at least one receive signal and configured to estimate the corresponding time delay using the correlation sum.

Abstract: A method and system for operating an ultrasound system is provided. The method comprising estimating a relative motion between a transducer and an imaging subject and controlling an adaptive beamformer system in response to to an estimation of the relative motion.

Abstract: A reconfigurable linear array of sensors (e.g., optical, thermal, pressure, ultrasonic). The reconfigurability allows the size and spacing of the sensor elements to be a function of the distance from the beam center. This feature improves performance for imaging systems having a limited channel count. The improved performance, for applications in which multiple transmit focal zones are employed, arises from the ability to adjust the aperture for a particular depth.