Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams is transmitted in different directions towards the bladder. Returning echoes are converted to digital form and stored in memory. A volume display on the apparatus allows to define the optimal apposition of the transducer assembly. Signal processing software automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine. In a second version, a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmits ultrasounds signals at a fundamental frequency to quantify the urine volume. Return signals originating from a depth beyond the usual position of the posterior wall depth of a filled bladder are analyzed for presence of higher harmonic signals, which in turn are related to the presence or absence of urine.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version the apparatus is composed of a transducers assembly that transmits a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams in different directions towards the bladder and receives the returning ultrasound signals; a receiver detector for processing the returned signals; an analog-to-digital converter; a memory to store the digitized data and a volume display allowing to define the optimal position of the transducer assembly. The apparatus also includes a signal processing software that automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine using an empirical formula corrected by specific, empirically measured, filling dependant correction factors. In a second version a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmitting ultrasound signals at fundamental frequency is used to quantify the urine volume.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonography method includes creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body, and transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient. Echoes are received from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes, compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest is compiled. The pattern is processed by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the pattern information stored in the database. A composition within the region-of-interest of the patient is then determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams is transmitted in different directions towards the bladder. Returning echoes are converted to digital form and stored in memory. A volume display on the apparatus allows to define the optimal apposition of the transducer assembly. Signal processing software automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine. In a second version, a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmits ultrasounds signals at a fundamental frequency to quantify the urine volume. Return signals originating from a depth beyond the usual position of the posterior wall depth of a filled bladder are analyzed for presence of higher harmonic signals, which in turn are related to the presence or absence of urine.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams is transmitted in different directions towards the bladder. Returning echoes are converted to digital form and stored in memory. A volume display on the apparatus allows to define the optimal apposition of the transducer assembly. Signal processing software automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine. In a second version, a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmits ultrasounds signals at a fundamental frequency to quantify the urine volume. Return signals originating from a depth beyond the usual position of the posterior wall depth of a filled bladder are analyzed for presence of higher harmonic signals, which in turn are related to the presence or absence of urine.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonography method includes creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body, and transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient. Echoes are received from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes, compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest is compiled. The pattern is processed by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the pattern information stored in the database. A composition within the region-of-interest of the patient is then determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version the apparatus is composed of a transducers assembly that transmits a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams in different directions towards the bladder and receives the returning ultrasound signals; a receiver detector for processing the returned signals; an analog-to-digital converter; a memory to store the digitized data and a volume display allowing to define the optimal position of the transducer assembly. The apparatus also includes a signal processing software that automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine using an empirical formula corrected by specific, empirically measured, filling dependant correction factors. In a second version a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmitting ultrasound signals at fundamental frequency is used to quantify the urine volume.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasongraphy method includes creating a database that is representative of a tissue, a fluid, or a cavity of a body, and transmitting ultrasound pulses into a region-of-interest in a patient. Echoes are received from the region of interest, and based upon the received echoes, compiling an ultrasonic pattern of the region-of-interest is compiled. The pattern is processed by comparing the region-of-interest patterns to the pattern information stored in the database. A composition within the region-of-interest of the patient is then determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods to quantify the volume of urine in a human bladder with a limited number of acoustic beams is disclosed. In a first version a plurality of narrow ultrasound beams is transmitted in different directions towards the bladder. Returning echoes are converted to digital form and stored in memory. A volume display on the apparatus allows to define the optimal apposition of the transducer assembly. Signal processing software automatically determines the bladder Depth D and Height H and computes the volume of urine. In a second version, a single wide angle ultrasound beam transducer transmits ultrasounds signals at a fundamental frequency to quantify the urine volume. Return signals originating from a depth beyond the usual position of the posterior wall depth of a filled bladder are analyzed for presence of higher harmonic signals, which in turn are related to the presence or absence of urine.

Abstract: A method to measure spatial fluid flow components and their velocity profiles in a number of locations in a cross-sectional area of a lumen or other body cavity by using ultrasound in which the cross-sectional area is interrogated by a plurality of ultrasonic beams; the estimation of the spatial flow components is obtained from a combination of estimations of axial, lateral and total flow; the estimation of one or more flow components is obtained through any combination of time-shift and decorrelation analysis of two or more beam-signals of the interrogating ultrasound transducer; and the estimation accuracy is further improved by the use of a reference decorrelation curve obtained from experiments or beam-theory or both.

Abstract: A method to measure spatial fluid flow components and their velocity profiles in a number of locations in a cross-sectional area of a lumen or other body cavity by using ultrasound in which the cross-sectional area is interrogated by a plurality of ultrasonic beams; the estimation of the spatial flow components is obtained from a combination of estimations of axial, lateral and total flow; the estimation of one or more flow components is obtained through any combination of time-shift and decorrelation analysis of two or more beam-signals of the interrogating ultrasound transducer; and the estimation accuracy is further improved by the use of a reference decorrelation curve obtained from experiments or beam-theory or both.

Abstract: A method to measure spatial fluid flow components and their velocity profiles in a number of locations in a cross-sectional area of a lumen or other body cavity by using ultrasound in which the cross-sectional area is interrogated by a plurality of ultrasonic beams; the estimation of the spatial flow components is obtained from a combination of estimations of axial, lateral and total flow; the estimation of one or more flow components is obtained through any combination of time-shift and decorrelation analysis of two or more beam-signals of the interrogating ultrasound transducer, and the estimation accuracy is further improved by the use of a reference decorrelation curve.

Abstract: The disposable intra-luminal ultrasonic instrument comprises: a catheter having an elongate axis and a hollow distal end portion; an acoustical mirror face; structure for mounting the acoustical mirror face for rotation in the distal end portion of the catheter with the acoustical mirror face arranged at an angle to the elongate axis of the catheter; a transducer; structure for mounting the transducer in the distal end portion of the catheter in a position to propagate acoustic waves toward the acoustical mirror face; a micromotor having a length no greater than approximately 6 millimeters and a diameter no greater than approximately 2.

Abstract: The disposable intra-luminal ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels and similar lumina has a small transverse cross-section. The instrument includes a catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen and a proximal portion. The catheter has a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, a rotatable member in the tip, a micro motor in the tip and coupled to the rotatable member for rotating the rotatable member at a selected rpm, the motor having flat stator coils mounted on a flexible circuit board, and means for generating and supplying sound waves to the rotatable member.

Abstract: The disposable intra-luminal ultrasonic instrument for the examination and/or treatment of blood vessels and similar lumina has a small transverse cross-section. The instrument includes a catheter comprising a body and a tip having a distal end and a distal portion adapted to be introduced into a lumen and a proximal portion. The catheter has a diameter no greater than 3 millimeters, a rotatable member in the tip, a small motor in the tip and coupled to the rotatable member for rotating the rotatable member at a selected rpm, and means for generating and supplying sound waves to, the rotatable member at a frequency no greater than 60 megahertz.

Abstract: A device for examining the heart is provided with a catheter adapted to be placed within the heart and including at one end thereof, circumferentially arranged, equidistantly distributed elements, serving for the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves. The catheter has an axis and the elements have no directivity in a plane perpendicular to this axis. The elements are so dimensioned in axial direction that in a plane through the axis they do show directivity. An excitation device is provided which successively excites groups of adjacently arranged elements and time delays are provided for delaying the transmitted and received pulses for the elements of a group that the differences in travel times are compensated. An adder is provided for the summation of echo pulses and a device is provided for visually displaying the part of the examined heart surrounding the catheter.

Abstract: An examination of the human heart is carried out by means of ultrasound waves emitted by piezo-electric crystals. The crystals are inserted in a holder adapted to be placed on the body of a patient; they are arranged in a row and have parallel axes of radiation. The crystals are cyclically excited at a high scanning frequency, and the echo signals reflected by the heart walls and received by the crystals are displayed on the screen of a cathode ray tube to obtain a cross-sectional picture of the heart. In a modification of the invention, the holder comprises two or more rows of crystals radiating at different angles; in this case the echo signals related to a common point of the heart wall are superposed on the screen of the cathode ray tube by means of a coordinate transformation.