Abstract: An ultrasonic therapy system delivers ultrasonic therapy energy to a therapy site in the body which is infused with microbubbles. A system without an image guidance capability has an array transducer which delivers therapy energy, a therapy transducer driver which causes the array transducer to deliver therapeutic energy, a control for controlling the intensity of the therapeutic energy, and a display of the sonotherapy signal strength of the energy and the concentration of microbubbles at the therapy site. A system with ultrasonic imaging capability will display an ultrasound image for therapeutic guidance and a measure of the microbubble concentration. The method of the present invention is performed as an adjunct to a standard drug therapy or other treatment regimen, following such treatment with an infusion of ultrasound and delivery of ultrasound therapy energy.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method are described for acquiring a sequence of ultrasound images of the carotid artery during the delivery of a contrast agent. Plaque in the images is identified and a time-intensity curve is calculated for pixels in the images. The intensity values before and after the arrival of contrast are compared to identify pixels or groups of pixels having perfusion. An anatomical image may be formed showing areas in an image of the plaque of the intensity and presence of perfusion, or the perfusion may be quantified by determining the percentage of pixels in the plaque image which exhibit perfusion. The extent and degree of perfusion is an indicator of the risk of plaque particulates in the blood stream which may lead to stroke-related symptoms.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method are described for acquiring a sequence of ultrasound images of the carotid artery during the delivery of a contrast agent. Plaque in the images is identified and a time-intensity curve is calculated for pixels in the images. The intensity values before and after the arrival of contrast are compared to identify pixels or groups of pixels having perfusion. An anatomical image may be formed showing areas in an image of the plaque of the intensity and presence of perfusion, or the perfusion may be quantified by determining the percentage of pixels in the plaque image which exhibit perfusion. The extent and degree of perfusion is an indicator of the risk of plaque particulates in the blood stream which may lead to stroke-related symptoms.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method are described for acquiring a sequence of ultrasound images of the carotid artery during the delivery of a contrast agent. Plaque in the images is identified and a time-intensity curve is calculated for pixels in the images. The intensity values before and after the arrival of contrast are compared to identify pixels or groups of pixels having perfusion. An anatomical image may be formed showing areas in an image of the plaque of the intensity and presence of perfusion, or the perfusion may be quantified by determining the percentage of pixels in the plaque image which exhibit perfusion. The extent and degree of perfusion is an indicator of the risk of plaque particulates in the blood stream which may lead to stroke-related symptoms.

Abstract: An ultrasonic therapy system delivers ultrasonic therapy energy to a therapy site in the body which is infused with microbubbles. A system without an image guidance capability has an array transducer which delivers therapy energy, a therapy transducer driver which causes the array transducer to deliver therapeutic energy, a control for controlling the intensity of the therapeutic energy, and a display of the sonotherapy signal strength of the energy and the concentration of microbubbles at the therapy site. A system with ultrasonic imaging capability will display an ultrasound image for therapeutic guidance and a measure of the microbubble concentration. The method of the present invention is performed as an adjunct to a standard drug therapy or other treatment regimen, following such treatment with an infusion of ultrasound and delivery of ultrasound therapy energy.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

Abstract: An ultrasound system and method are described for acquiring a sequence of ultrasound images of the carotid artery during the delivery of a contrast agent. Plaque in the images is identified and a time-intensity curve is calculated for pixels in the images. The intensity values before and after the arrival of contrast are compared to identify pixels or groups of pixels having perfusion. An anatomical image may be formed showing areas in an image of the plaque of the intensity and presence of perfusion, or the perfusion may be quantified by determining the percentage of pixels in the plaque image which exhibit perfusion. The extent and degree of perfusion is an indicator of the risk of plaque particulates in the blood stream which may lead to stroke-related symptoms.

Abstract: A combined ultrasound imaging and therapy transducer (10) includes a linear array of imaging transducer elements (14). First and second linear arrays of therapy transducer elements (18, 20) extend longitudinally along respective first and second sides of the imaging transducer elements and are canted inwardly toward each other. The imaging and therapy transducer is used with an ultrasound imaging system to locate clots in a region of interest. After the region of interest has been perfused with a microbubble contrast agent, the therapy transducer elements are driven by an amplifier located in the transducer to dissolve the clot. The use of the imaging transducer elements and the therapy transducer elements can be interleaved so that the therapy can be conditioned on an ultrasound image showing substantial destruction of the contrast agent microbubbles, re-perfusion of microbubbles in the region of interest, or the continued presence of the clot.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method are described for monitoring the progress of therapy for pathology such as lesions, tumors, and metastases by means of contrast agent imaging. A sequence of images are acquired as a bolus of contrast agent infuses the tissue containing the pathology. Time-intensity curves of pathology and normal tissue are produced and used to measure perfusion in the pathology as affected by therapy. The motional effects of respiration can be taken into account during image acquisition by detecting the position of a landmark such as the diaphragm in each of the images of the sequence and discarding from processing those images which exhibit a change in the position of the landmark relative to the probe.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method are described for monitoring the progress of therapy for pathology such as lesions, tumors, and metastases by means of contrast agent imaging. A sequence of images are acquired as a bolus of contrast agent infuses the tissue containing the pathology. A contrast wash-in time parameter is calculated for both the tumor and normal tissue, and a ratio is calculated of the two wash-in time parameters (called WITR) which removes the effects of variations in the procedure from one therapy monitoring session to another. A difference curve of the time-intensity curves of the pathology and normal tissue is also produced, which is similarly immune to procedural variations.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are described which produce tissue harmonic images containing both fundamental and harmonic frequency components. Such a blended image takes advantage of the performance possible with the two types of ultrasonic echo information and can advantageously reduce near field clutter while improving signal to noise performance in the far field of the image.

Abstract: A combined ultrasound imaging and therapy transducer includes a linear array of imaging transducer elements. First and second linear arrays of therapy transducer elements extend longitudinally along respective first and second sides of the imaging transducer elements and are canted inwardly toward each other. The imaging and therapy transducer is used with an ultrasound imaging system to locate clots in a region of interest. After the region of interest has been perfused with a microbubble contrast agent, the therapy transducer elements are driven by an amplifier located in the transducer to dissolve the clot. The use of the imaging transducer elements and the therapy transducer elements can be interleaved so that the therapy can be conditioned on an ultrasound image showing substantial destruction of the contrast agent microbubbles, re-perfusion of microbubbles in the region of interest, or the continued presence of the clot.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method are described for monitoring the progress of therapy for pathology such as lesions, tumors, and metastases by means of contrast agent imaging. A sequence of images are acquired as a bolus of contrast agent infuses the tissue containing the pathology. A contrast wash-in time parameter is calculated for both the tumor and normal tissue, and a ratio is calculated of the two wash-in time parameters (called WITR) which removes the effects of variations in the procedure from one therapy monitoring session to another. A difference curve of the time-intensity curves of the pathology and normal tissue is also produced, which is similarly immune to procedural variations. The motional effects of respiration can be taken into account by detecting the position of a landmark such as the diaphragm in each of the images of the sequence and discarding from processing those which exhibit a change in the position of the landmark relative to the probe.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus and method are described for monitoring the progress of therapy for pathology such as lesions, tumors, and metastases by means of contrast agent imaging. A sequence of images are acquired as a bolus of contrast agent infuses the tissue containing the pathology. A contrast wash-in time parameter is calculated for both the tumor and normal tissue, and a ratio is calculated of the two wash-in time parameters (called WITR) which removes the effects of variations in the procedure from one therapy monitoring session to another. A difference curve of the time-intensity curves of the pathology and normal tissue is also produced, which is similarly immune to procedural variations. The motional effects of respiration can be taken into account by detecting the position of a landmark such as the diaphragm in each of the images of the sequence and discarding from processing those which exhibit a change in the position of the landmark relative to the probe.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system transmits a broad beam of ultrasound into tissues that are perfused with blood containing microbubbles. The ultrasound has an intensity that is sufficient to destroy the microbubbles in the tissues. A plurality of ultrasound imaging beams are then transmitted into the tissues over a sufficient period to allow the tissues to re-perfuse, and reflections from the transmitted imaging beams are processed to provide a perfusion image. The transmitted microbubble-destroying ultrasound may be in the form of a single beam or a plurality of beams that insonify a substantially larger area than the area insonified by the transmitted imaging beams. As a result, the microbubbles are all destroyed at substantially the same time, and the imaging ultrasound is transmitted only into regions of the tissues from which ultrasound reflections will be received.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

Abstract: A method and a device for conducting perfusion studies on myocardial tissues with contrast agents is provided. In accordance with the method, ultrasound pulses are transmitted (111) into a patient, and ultrasound echoes of the pulses are received (113) which correspond to both myocardial tissue blood and chamber blood within said patient. The received ultrasound echoes are converted (115) into image data which corresponds to essentially only the myocardium perfusion.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are described which produce tissue harmonic images containing both fundamental and harmonic frequency components. Such a blended image takes advantage of the performance possible with the two types of ultrasonic echo information and can advantageously reduce near field clutter while improving signal to noise performance in the far field of the image.