Abstract: A contact originator is given a choice to enqueue the contact in multiple contact queues, to serve multiple needs or interests of the originator. If the contact reaches the head of the queue for the primary need while the contact is being serviced from a queue for a secondary need, the contact either remains at the head of the primary-need queue until the servicing at the secondary-need queue is completed, or a resource of the primary-need queue is conferenced in with the contact and the resource of the secondary-need queue so that the resources can serve both needs simultaneously.

Abstract: A current source density mapping system includes an ultrasound transducer emitting an ultrasound wave traveling along an ultrasound beam directed at a mapping field in a region of living tissue and an ultrasound pulser delivering a transmit pulse to said ultrasound transducer. The system includes a timing device producing controlled excitation of the transmit pulse; a plurality of recording electrodes positioned in contact with the living tissue detecting an acoustoelectric voltage signal generated at a bioelectric current source and within a focal zone of said ultrasound beam.

Abstract: The present invention relates to bioactive glass coatings. In particular, the present invention relates to bioactive glass coatings for Ti6Al4V alloys and chrome cobalt alloys, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass coating is matched to that of the alloy. Such coatings have a particular application in the field of medical prosthetics. The bioactive glass comprises (in mol %) 35-53 SiO2; 2-11 Na20; at least 2% of each of CaO, MgO and K20; 0-15 ZnO; 0-2 B202 and 0-9 P205.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer array (408) includes at least one transducer element (412) having a first (604) and second (606) portions separated by an acoustical discontinuity (520). The first portion (604) has the desired length to form a half-wave k31 resonance, while the second portion (606) has a resonant length for an undesired very low frequency out-of-band k31 resonance. The thickness of the transducer element (412) is designed for k33 half-resonance. Given the design, the transducer element (412) can operate and provide for both forward-looking (514) and side looking (512) elevation apertures. A method is also disclosed for using the disclosed ultrasound transducer (412) in ultrasound imaging.

Abstract: An ultrasound system that detects a characteristic of an ultrasound wave. The system includes a circuit member defining a sensing portion operable to be exposed to the ultrasound wave. The system also includes a current generating device that generates a current in the sensing portion of the circuit member. Furthermore, the system includes a voltage sensor that detects a voltage across the sensing portion due to the exposure to the ultrasound wave to thereby detect the characteristic of the ultrasound wave.

Abstract: A polymer waveguide resonator device for high-frequency ultrasound detection having a optical resonator coupled to a straight optical waveguide which serves as input and output ports. Acoustic waves irradiating the waveguide induce strain modifying the waveguide cross-section or other design property. As a consequence, the effective refractive index of optical waves propagating along the ring is modified. The sharp wavelength dependence of the high Q-factor resonator enhances the optical response to acoustic strain. High sensitivity is demonstrated experimentally in detecting broadband ultrasound pulses from a 10 MHz transducer.

Abstract: A method and system to create and acoustically manipulate without destroying a microbubble which, in biological applications, can manipulate structures such as cells and subcellular structures at a nanoscopic scale.

Abstract: A contact originator is given a choice to enqueue the contact in multiple contact queues, to serve multiple needs or interests of the originator. If the contact reaches the head of the queue for the primary need while the contact is being serviced from a queue for a secondary need, the contact either remains at the head of the primary-need queue until the servicing at the secondary-need queue is completed, or a resource of the primary-need queue is conferenced in with the contact and the resource of the secondary-need queue so that the resources can serve both needs simultaneously.

Abstract: A current source density mapping system includes an ultrasound transducer emitting an ultrasound wave traveling along an ultrasound beam directed at a mapping field in a region of living tissue and an ultrasound pulser delivering a transmit pulse to said ultrasound transducer. The system includes a timing device producing controlled excitation of the transmit pulse; a plurality of recording electrodes positioned in contact with the living tissue detecting an acoustoelectric voltage signal generated at a bioelectric current source and within a focal zone of said ultrasound beam.

Abstract: An acoustic monitoring method and system in laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) provides information which characterize material which is broken down, microbubbles in the material, and/or the microenvironment of the microbubbles. In one embodiment of the invention, femtosecond laser pulses are focused just inside the surface of a volume of aqueous solution which may include dendrimer nanocomposite (DNC) particles. A tightly focused, high frequency, single-element ultrasonic transducer is positioned such that its focus coincides axially and laterally with this laser focus. When optical breakdown occurs, a microbubble forms and a shock or pressure wave is emitted (i.e., acoustic emission). In addition to this acoustic signal, the microbubble may be actively probed with pulse-echo measurements from the same transducer. After the microbubble forms, received pulse-echo signals have an extra pulse, describing the microbubble location and providing a measure of axial microbubble size.

Abstract: A polymer waveguide resonator device for high-frequency ultrasound detection having a optical resonator coupled to a straight optical waveguide which serves as input and output ports. Acoustic waves irradiating the waveguide induce strain modifying the waveguide cross-section or other design property. As a consequence, the effective refractive index of optical waves propagating along the ring is modified. The sharp wavelength dependence of the high Q-factor resonator enhances the optical response to acoustic strain. High sensitivity is demonstrated experimentally in detecting broadband ultrasound pulses from a 10 MHz transducer.

Abstract: An optimized elastic modulus reconstruction procedure can estimate the nonlinear elastic properties of vascular wall from intramural strain and pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements. A noninvasive free-hand ultrasound scanning procedure is used to apply external force, comparable to the force in measuring a subject's blood pressure, to achieve higher strains by equalizing the internal arterial baseline pressure. PWV is estimated at the same location where intramural strain is measured. The reconstructed elastic modulus is optimized and the arterial elastic modulus can be determined and monitored using a simple dual elastic modulus reconstruction procedure.

Abstract: Thermal strain imaging can be used to identify vascular plaques. Methods include heating and imaging with ultrasound to identify vulnerable plaques, which typically consist of a large lipid-rich core, in peripheral arteries of a patient. Lipid-bearing tissue has a negative temperature dependence of sound speed, whereas water-based tissue has a positive one, allowing thermal strain imaging to differentiate the two different types of tissues with high contrast to characterize plaque composition. Apparatus and methods of the present teachings allow noninvasive and reliable plaque identification.

Abstract: In a first preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of tracking displacements between ultrasound images by calculating a coarse displacement estimate, and calculating a fine displacement estimate using images and coarse displacement estimate. In a second preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of calculating a coarse displacement estimate from images by reducing the resolution of the images, correlating the reduced resolution images, and calculating the location of the peak of the correlation function. In a third preferred embodiment, the invention includes a method of calculating a finer displacement estimate from images by using a coarse displacement estimate with correlation processing of the images and calculating the location of the peak value of the correlation function.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention includes a method of formulating a parametric model from spatial-temporal data including fitting model parameters calculated from spatial-temporal data to at least one displacement model and calculating new spatial temporal data based on the model. In another embodiment, the invention includes a method of processing spatial-temporal data including filtering the spatial temporal data and assessing data quality based on data quality metrics.

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring mechanical property of a vascular wall and a method and system for determining health of a vascular structure are provided wherein local deformation of a vessel wall resulting from physiologic pressures with altered transmural forces is measured. A non-invasive free-hand ultrasound scanning-procedure was performed to apply external force, comparable to the force generated in measuring a subject's blood pressure, to achieve higher strains by equalizing the internal arterial baseline pressure. When the applied pressure matched the internal baseline diastolic pressure, strain and strain rate increased by a factor of 10 over a cardiac cycle. Radial arterial strain was assessed in the vessel wall over the entire deformation procedure using a phase-sensitive, two-dimensional speckle-tracking algorithm. An elastic modulus reconstruction procedure was developed to estimate the non-linear elastic properties of the vascular wall.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing distortion in a dynamically delayed digital sample stream of an imaging system. The method includes the steps of delta-sigma modulating an input analog signal of the imaging system at a frequency above the Nyquist frequency of the input analog signal to generate a digital sample stream and changing a length of the sample stream to delay a portion of the sample stream while maintaining synchronism between a delta-sigma modulator and a demodulator of the system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing distortion in a dynamically delayed digital sample stream of an imaging system. The method includes the steps of delta-sigma modulating an input analog signal of the imaging system at a frequency above the Nyquist frequency of the input analog signal to generate a digital sample stream and changing a length of the sample stream to delay a portion of the sample stream while maintaining synchronism between a delta-sigma modulator and a demodulator of the system.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for performing non-invasive vasectomies are provided. In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus according to the present invention comprises a main body defining a recess and an ultrasonic transducer disposed adjacent said recess and adapted to emit ultrasonic energy into said recess. A tissue clamp is removeably disposed in the recess and is adapted to receive parallel sections of a scrotum that include a portion of the vas deferens. The clamp is further adapted to position the vas deferens within an effective distance of the ultrasonic transducer. Also, the apparatus includes means for retaining the parallel sections and the vas deferens within the clamp during a procedure.

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring mechanical property of a vascular wall and a method and system for determining health of a vascular structure are provided wherein local deformation of a vessel wall resulting from physiologic pressures with altered transmural forces is measured. A non-invasive free-hand ultrasound scanning-procedure was performed to apply external force, comparable to the force generated in measuring a subject's blood pressure, to achieve higher strains by equalizing the internal arterial baseline pressure. When the applied pressure matched the internal baseline diastolic pressure, strain and strain rate increased by a factor of 10 over a cardiac cycle. Radial arterial strain was assessed in the vessel wall over the entire deformation procedure using a phase-sensitive, two-dimensional speckle-tracking algorithm. An elastic modulus reconstruction procedure was developed to estimate the non-linear elastic properties of the vascular wall.