Abstract: An ultrasound system is disclosed. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include a transducer configured to acquire pulse-echo data at each transmit frequency bandwidth of interest. In addition, a bandpass filter is configured to receive a signal of the pulse-echo data, wherein the signal is bandpass-filtered over a plurality of frequencies. Further, a processor is configured to calculate a spatial coherence of the bandpass-filtered signal. The spatial coherence of the signal is calculated in a spatial domain or a frequency domain. The spatial coherence is used to predict target conspicuity. The processor selects a preferred frequency based on and, preferably, to realize, the target conspicuity.

Abstract: A method for ultrasound imaging a target region including: (a) transmitting a tracking beam from at least a subset of the elements of the array to the region, each of the subset of the elements emitting a signal of the tracking beam with a respective transmission time shift; (b) receiving echo signals at at least some of the subset of the elements of the array, each echo signal being responsive to the tracking beam; (c) applying the time shift to at least some of the subset of the respective elements to the echo signals received at corresponding elements; (d) modifying the time shift and repeating (a)-(c) to provide an ultrasound dataset representing a recovered source element domain; (e) focusing and beamforming the dataset to map time signals of the dataset and combine channel signals to provide spatial pixel data; and (f) forming an ultrasound image from the spatial pixel data.

Abstract: A method for ultrasound imaging a target region with an ultrasound system having an ultrasound transducer array with a plurality of ultrasound elements thereon includes: (a) transmitting an ultrasound tracking beam from at least a subset of the plurality of elements of the array to the target region, each of the subset of the plurality of elements emitting a signal of the tracking beam with a respective transmission time shift; (b) receiving a plurality of echo signals at at least of the subset of the plurality of elements of the array, each echo signal being responsive to the tracking pulse; (c) applying the transmission time shift to at at least some of the subset of the respective plurality of elements to the plurality of echo signals received at corresponding ones of the plurality of elements; (d) modifying the transmission time shift and repeating steps (a)-(c) to provide an ultrasound dataset representing a recovered source element domain of the ultrasound dataset; (e) focusing and beamforming the ultra

Abstract: An ultrasound system is disclosed. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention include a transducer configured to acquire pulse-echo data at each transmit frequency bandwidth of interest. In addition, a bandpass filter is configured to receive a signal of the pulse-echo data, wherein the signal is bandpass-filtered over a plurality of frequencies. Further, a processor is configured to calculate a spatial coherence of the bandpass-filtered signal. The spatial coherence of the signal is calculated in a spatial domain or a frequency domain. The spatial coherence is used to predict target conspicuity. The processor selects a preferred frequency based on and, preferably, to realize, the target conspicuity.

Abstract: Methods of triggering an imaging acquisition of a target region in an ultrasound transducer include: acquiring a first type of ultrasound data with the ultrasound transducer using a first type of ultrasound acquisition; analyzing the first type of ultrasound data to identify an acquisition time and/or position having characteristics that increase an estimated amount of image quality metrics in the target region for a second type of ultrasound acquisition; and generating a signal to initiate acquiring a second type of ultrasound data by the ultrasound transducer at the identified acquisition time and/or position using a second type of ultrasound acquisition in response to the identified acquisition time and/or position identified from the first type of ultrasound data.

Abstract: Methods of triggering an imaging acquisition of a target region in an ultrasound transducer include: acquiring a first type of ultrasound data with the ultrasound transducer using a first type of ultrasound acquisition; analyzing the first type of ultrasound data to identify an acquisition time and/or position having characteristics that increase an estimated amount of image quality metrics in the target region for a second type of ultrasound acquisition; and generating a signal to initiate acquiring a second type of ultrasound data by the ultrasound transducer at the identified acquisition time and/or position using a second type of ultrasound acquisition in response to the identified acquisition time and/or position identified from the first type of ultrasound data.

Abstract: Acoustic reciprocity between transmit and receive is used for coherence ultrasound imaging. Rather than finding coherence across the receive channels, coherence is found across transmit channels. Broad transmit beams are used for different transmit elements or apertures to create beamformed frames of data. The coherence between these transmit channel frames of beamformed data is calculated and used for imaging.

Abstract: Acoustic reciprocity between transmit and receive is used for coherence ultrasound imaging. Rather than finding coherence across the receive channels, coherence is found across transmit channels. Broad transmit beams are used for different transmit elements or apertures to create beamformed frames of data. The coherence between these transmit channel frames of beamformed data is calculated and used for imaging.