Abstract: A handheld ultrasound device is provided, having a transducer assembly for emitting and receiving sonic signals, a configurable signal processing unit, and a data processor configured to provide configuration data to the signal processing unit. The configuration data defines a beamforming configuration, filtering configuration and envelope detection configuration for an operational mode. The operational mode may be selected by the user or may be determined based on a detected type of the transducer assembly.

Abstract: A sterile enclosure is provided for enclosing a hand-held ultrasound device to prevent any material on the ultrasound device from contaminating a sterile environment in which the ultrasound device is used. The enclosure has an opening for insertion of the ultrasound device into the enclosure, a closure for closing the opening, an acoustically-transparent transducer portion for covering an active face of a transducer of the ultrasound device, and a transparent display portion overlaying a display of the ultrasound device. In some embodiments a detachable or integrally formed needle guide is provided with the enclosure, for holding and guiding a needle so that the needle is projected into a field of view of the transducer of the ultrasound device.

Abstract: A hand-held ultrasonic imaging device is provided with a removable transducer array. The imaging device has a housing, a display on the housing, and a transducer assembly including a transducer array detachably coupled to the housing. The imaging device may detect the type of transducer array that is coupled to the housing and select a corresponding functional mode for the transducer array. The transducer array may be coupled at different angles to the housing. The transducer array may be coupled to the housing by a pivotable swivel connector.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring and analyzing blood flow in vessels in the bodies of living subjects are provided. The true velocity vector, or a projection thereof onto a scan plane, for blood flowing at a location in a vessel is determined from multiple Doppler velocity components. The true velocity vector is displayed as a directional marker on an image comprising the vessel. The true velocity magnitude and angle, and scalar blood flow characteristics derived therefrom, are plotted as a functions of time and/or position across the depiction of the blood vessel in the image. Time intervals for which blood flow characteristic data is displayed and/or determined may be user configurable.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. Displays indicating a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and displays indicating a projection of a reference position onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer are provided. Displays indicating in real-time whether the needle is substantially within the plane of the ultrasound image are provided.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe is equipped with a transducer element array and an internally located position marker trackable by a position sensing system or the like. The position marker is supported by a movement and rotation constraining fixture. The fixture is rigidly connected to the transducer element array of the probe. The fixture constrains the position and orientation of the position marker to match a spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array in the position marker's constrained degrees of freedom. The position marker may moved along and rotated in its unconstrained degrees of freedom to match the spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. A display depicts an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and a graphical element representative of a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of the ultrasound image. The quality of the position and orientation information from the position markers is monitored, and when quality is below a quality threshold the display indicates this fact.

Abstract: A hand-holdable ultrasound machine has a number of user controls. The machine can be switched between at least a first mode wherein controls providing certain functions are in first locations and a second mode wherein the controls are in second locations. The machine may switch between modes in which the controls are positioned for convenient left- or right-handed operation and/or modes in which the controls are positioned for convenient one- or two-handed operation. The controls may be provided on a touch-sensitive display. A hand-holdable ultrasound machine displays images on a display. The images are rotatable. In some embodiments the machine senses a direction of motion and auto-rotates the images in response to the sensed direction.

Abstract: A handheld ultrasound device is provided, having a transducer assembly for emitting and receiving sonic signals, a configurable signal processing unit, and a data processor configured to provide configuration data to the signal processing unit. The configuration data defines a beamforming configuration, filtering configuration and envelope detection configuration for an operational mode. The operational mode may be selected by the user or may be determined based on a detected type of the transducer assembly.

Abstract: A method for operating an ultrasound device comprises automatically switching among power modes in responses to changes in the power remaining available for operation of the ultrasound device. Two or more power modes may be available for each of a number of operational modes. The power modes may trade off performance against operating time. In some embodiments the ultrasound device can operate in a reduced-power idle mode in which the ultrasound device checks for ultrasound echoes indicating that a transducer is against a subject. In some embodiments, switching among power modes involves changes such as: changing a line density of ultrasound images; changing numbers of transducer elements being used for ultrasound transmission and/or reception; reconfiguring data processing circuitry; and changing pulse characteristics of transmitted ultrasound.

Abstract: A sterile enclosure is provided for enclosing a hand-held ultrasound device to prevent any material on the ultrasound device from contaminating a sterile environment in which the ultrasound device is used. The enclosure has an opening for insertion of the ultrasound device into the enclosure, a closure for closing the opening, an acoustically-transparent transducer portion for covering an active face of a transducer of the ultrasound device, and a transparent display portion overlaying a display of the ultrasound device. In some embodiments a detachable or integrally formed needle guide is provided with the enclosure, for holding and guiding a needle so that the needle is projected into a field of view of the transducer of the ultrasound device.

Abstract: A patient monitoring system has one or more ultrasound devices that monitor patients. The ultrasound devices can communicate to a central station by way of a wireless data communication network. Ultrasound images acquired by the ultrasound devices may be displayed at the central station. Alarms may be generated based upon conditions detected by the ultrasound devices. An ultrasound device may have a strap that permits it to be held in place with a transducer against the skin of a subject to permit ultrasound observation of the subject either continuously or intermittently over an extended period.

Abstract: A hand-held ultrasonic imaging device is provided with a removable transducer array. The imaging device has a housing, a display on the housing, and a transducer assembly including a transducer array detachably coupled to the housing. The imaging device may detect the type of transducer array that is coupled to the housing and select a corresponding functional mode for the transducer array. The transducer array may be coupled at different angles to the housing. The transducer array may be coupled to the housing by a pivotable swivel connector.

Abstract: An ultrasound machine is configured for developing new modes for obtaining images or other useful information from ultrasound signals. The machine has a data processor configured to control a transmit circuit to generate ultrasound signals. Echo signals are received and digitized to yield RF data that is stored in a memory accessible to the data processor. A user can operate design mode application software to change the manner in which the RF data is processed to yield images or other useful information. New modes can be developed rapidly. The data processor may comprise a conventional personal computer equipped with suitable interfaces. An ultrasound machine may include and use a floating point processor for processing ultrasound signals.

Abstract: A method of spatial transformation, such as scan conversion, uses a packed data table. The raw data and the data table are read sequentially, and the resulting image is computed.

Abstract: A compound ultrasound imaging method includes the steps of acquiring component frames with different scanline properties, such as different angles, scanline durations, control voltages, etc., and compounding them in real-time.

Abstract: A compound ultrasound imaging method includes the steps of acquiring component frames with different scanline properties, such as different angles, scanline durations, control voltages, etc., and compounding them in real-time.

Abstract: A method of spatial transformation, such as scan conversion, uses a packed data table. The raw data and the data table are read sequentially, and the resulting image is computed.