Abstract: A method of providing a regional motion display includes receiving a set of temporal images of a target area, generating a set of temporal difference images from the set of temporal images and generating a regional motion display from the set of temporal difference images. The regional motion display includes a representative line through the target area along a y-axis and an x-axis representing time. The method further includes displaying the regional motion display. In some cases, generating the regional motion display includes calculating, for each y-axis pixel, an integral of all pixels along a perpendicular or non-perpendicular line to the target area, a contour along the target area, or a surface of the target area in a temporally corresponding difference image of the set of temporal difference images in a difference image and assigning, for each y-axis pixel, the integral of all pixels as a pixel value.

Abstract: Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer (pMUT) arrays for ultrasonic imaging, and related apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic imaging assembly comprises a substrate and a plurality of array elements arranged on the substrate in an array. Each array element comprises at least one pMUT disposed on the substrate each having a geometry configured to accept a predetermined fundamental mode vibration. The plurality of array elements are configured to transmit and receive at least one ultrasound beam based on the predetermined fundamental mode vibration. By sizing the pMUTs to correspond to a desired fundamental mode vibration, the pMUT array has improved sensitivity, and can be produced relatively cheaply compared to conventional dicing methods.

Abstract: A method of generating an image of a scanned subject includes: emitting, by multiple ultrasonic elements of an array, multiple respective ultrasonic signals into a subject, the multiple respective ultrasonic signals defining at least two beam portions traveling in different directions; receiving, by the multiple ultrasonic elements, multiple respective ultrasonic echo signals; and generating at least one image of a portion of the subject from the received multiple ultrasonic echo signals. A negatively focused wavefront including the at least two beam portions traveling in the different directions may be emitted. Multiple negatively focused wavefronts may be generated and emitted.

Abstract: A method of generating an image of a scanned subject includes: emitting, by multiple ultrasonic elements of an array, multiple respective ultrasonic signals into a subject, the multiple respective ultrasonic signals defining at least two beam portions traveling in different directions; receiving, by the multiple ultrasonic elements, multiple respective ultrasonic echo signals; and generating at least one image of a portion of the subject from the received multiple ultrasonic echo signals. A negatively focused wavefront including the at least two beam portions traveling in the different directions may be emitted. Multiple negatively focused wavefronts may be generated and emitted.

Abstract: Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer (pMUT) arrays for ultrasonic imaging, and related apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic imaging assembly comprises a substrate and a plurality of array elements arranged on the substrate in an array. Each array element comprises at least one pMUT disposed on the substrate each having a geometry configured to accept a predetermined fundamental mode vibration. The plurality of array elements are configured to transmit and receive at least one ultrasound beam based on the predetermined fundamental mode vibration. By sizing the pMUTs to correspond to a desired fundamental mode vibration, the pMUT array has improved sensitivity, and can be produced relatively cheaply compared to conventional dicing methods.

Abstract: A volumetric ultrasound system is used to determine the velocity of tissue using 3D echo data. In particular, the velocity of tissue in a 3D volume is determined by steering ultrasound beams to the tissue in the 3D volume and forming 3D echo data from receive ultrasound beams formed from reflections of the steered ultrasound beams from the tissue in the 3D volume. The velocity of the tissue associated with the 3D echo data can be determined using velocity determination techniques. The velocity of the tissue can be displayed in real-time. For example, in one embodiment, a sub-volume of the 3D volume can be scanned and the determined velocity of the tissue displayed in about 50 milliseconds (ms).

Abstract: Multiple transmit ultrasound beams are generated by an ultrasound transducer at different frequencies in different directions in a region of a body during a maximum scan range interval. Transmitting multiple transmit ultrasound beams during the maximum scan range interval may provide an increase in the data acquisition rate compared to conventional ultrasound imaging systems. The transmit ultrasound beams are tracked using parallel receive processing and filtered to provide ultrasound scan lines for display. The respective directions of the transmit ultrasound beams are selected to define a separation angle therebetween which may reduce interference between the transmit ultrasound beams.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for injecting a drug into a precisely selected location in a patient's body which is a combination scanner and drug injector. The scanner is a planar array of ultrasonic transducers which transmits a focused ultrasonic beam over the entire region of interest. The injector is preferably a hypodermic syringe mounted with the array on a base. The syringe is mounted to slide between one position where the injector conduit is retracted from the patient and another position where the adjustably positioned exit end of the conduit is in the desired location for injection of the drug. As the operator holds the scanner-injector against the patient's body with injector conduit retracted, he views on a monitor screen a virtual image of the conduit which is the image of the conduit after the conduit is injected into the body.

Abstract: A first set of ultrasound data values is obtained that correspond to the position of a biological tissue at a first time. A second set of ultrasound data values is obtained corresponding to positions of the biological tissue at a second time. A feature pattern is located in the first set of ultrasound data values so as to provide a reference feature pattern. A search region is determined in the second set of ultrasound data values that corresponds to the located reference feature pattern in the first set of ultrasound data values. A feature pattern is located in the search region of the second set of ultrasound data values so as to provide a candidate feature pattern corresponding to the reference feature pattern. A correlation is determined between the reference feature pattern in the first set of ultrasound data values and the candidate feature pattern in the search region in the second set of ultrasound data values.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and method for real-time multi-dimensional blood flow imaging with enhanced sensitivity to lateral blood flow. The apparatus constitutes an improvement on the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the type wherein an ultrasonic pulse beam is repeatedly transmitted into the subject under examination at a fixed pulse rate and the reflected echoes are picked up, amplified and displayed. The improvement comprises an ultrasonic transducer means comprising a phased array transducer which is electronically and/or mechanically divided into two or more independently controlled sub-apertures and adapted for transmitting ultrasonic pulse beams from one of the two or more sub-apertures and for receiving the reflected echoes with at least two of the two or more sub-apertures.

Abstract: Disclosed is a ultrasonic transducer array comprising a ceramic connector having an array of connector pads, a mismatching layer of electrically conducting material connected to the upper surface of the ceramic connector, a piezoelectric transducer chip connected to the mismatching layer, separation means for dividing the piezoelectric chip into a plurality of transducer elements positioned in a two-dimensional array, wherein each one of the plurality of transducer elements is selectively connected to a corresponding one of the connector pads. Also disclosed in a two-dimensional ultrasound transducer array and transducer array for ultrasound imaging.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic method of measuring the movement of a particle in a test region. The method comprises processing a modulated signal returned from the test region to detect a first range of feature data and then processing a modulated signal returned from the test region to detect a second range of feature data. The second range of feature data is then compared to the first range of feature data to determine the positional displacement between at least one feature in the second range of feature data and the closest adjacent feature in the first range of feature data. The positional displacement indicates the movement of a particle in the test region. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method.

Abstract: An electronic signal processing device which forms a compound image for any pulse-echo ultrasound imaging system using a two-dimensional array transducer. The processing device obtains the detected sum of a series of cross-shaped apertures within the transducer in order to form a spatial compound image with the output of each cross-shaped aperture consisting of the product of the output signals from the orthogonal arms of the cross.

Abstract: An acoustic pulse echo imaging system capable of producing an image of a three-dimensional object utilizing a two-dimensional display having perspective capabilities is described. In the system angular relationships of targets at all ranges are maintained for display. The system uses a two-dimensional transducer array of piezoelectric elements; the array is steered to assume transmit and receive orientations in both azimuth and elevation by producing (1) a directed transmit pulse and many similarly directed receive orientations or (2) a non-directed transmit pulse and many directed receive orientations. For each transmit pulse a parallel processing system produces several unique image points whose locations in the image correspond to the tangents of the angles of the receive orientations in the azimuth and elevation planes. The brightness of each image point is the weighted integral of the echo data received along each receive path.

Abstract: An acoustic imaging system capable of producing C-mode images or orthoscopic projection images of a three-dimensional volume at significantly increased speeds of operation is described. For each acoustic pulse transmitted by a piezoelectric transducer array an electronic parallel processing system produces several unique image points whose locations in the image correspond to the Cartesian coordinates of the positions of receiving transducers. While range information is not directly displayed, range discrimination can be realized by means of an optional range dependent gain control or an optional color display in which range discrimination occurs through visual discrimination of differing hues.