Abstract: A device images time-wise in parallel using transducer elements of a group. The elements are of a current group and imaging is time-wise sequential by group. The groups may be spatially disposed with respect to each other so as to mutually intermesh element-wise. The imaging may include volumetric imaging. The device may be configured for not collectively using any of the elements to focus, nor to steer, a beam used in the imaging. The device may further be operable to transition between spacing states at least one of which is characterized by a respective minimum, nonzero, degree of intra-group, element-to-element non-adjacency, or may be fixed at a selected spacing state. The transitioning may be automatic, in response to input indicative of blood vessel size and/or depth.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a video file may be obtained based on one or more predetermined criteria. Information associated with a user (to which dynamic content derived from at least a video portion of the video file is to be presented) may be obtained. The video file may be processed based on the information associated with the user to determine reference points within the video file. The dynamic content may be generated based on the reference points such that the dynamic content comprises a first video portion of the video file (that corresponds to at least one of the reference points) and additional content related to the first video portion. The dynamic content may be provided for presentation to the user.

Abstract: A non-imaging diagnostic ultrasound system for carotid artery diagnosis has a two dimensional array probe (10) with a low element count and relatively large element size which can cover an area of the carotid artery at its bifurcation. The elements are operated independently with no phasing, and detect Doppler flow spatially beneath each element. The system produces maps of carotid blood flow in two or three dimensions and can assemble an extended view of the flow by matching segments of the carotid flow as the probe is moved over the vessel. Once the carotid artery has been localized, the degree of stenosis is assessed by automated measurements of peak systolic velocity and blood flow turbulence.

Abstract: A non-imaging diagnostic ultrasound system for carotid artery diagnosis has a two dimensional array probe with a low element count and relatively large element size which can cover an area of the carotid artery at its bifurcation. The elements are operated independently with no phasing, and detect Doppler flow spatially beneath each element. The system produces maps of carotid blood flow in two or three dimensions and can assemble an extended view of the flow by matching segments of the carotid flow as the probe is moved over the vessel. Once the carotid artery has been localized, the degree of stenosis is assessed by automated measurements of peak systolic velocity and blood flow turbulence.

Abstract: A method for aligning spatially different subvolumes of ultrasonic data of a blood vessel comprising: acquiring temporally discrete signals of a blood vessel with elements of a two dimensional array of ultrasonic transducer elements from spatially different depths of scanning opposed by each transducer element, said array being located in a first position with respect to the blood vessel during the acquiring; Doppler processing the temporally discrete signals received from each transducer element to produce spectral Doppler data of the scanning depth opposed by each transducer element; producing a first three dimensional map of the spectral Doppler data in spatial relationship to the position of the array with respect to the blood vessel; acquiring temporally discrete signals of the blood vessel with elements of the two dimensional array of ultrasonic transducer elements from spatially different depths of scanning opposed by each transducer element, said array being located in a second position with respect t

Abstract: An automatic, stand-alone, hand-held ultrasound blood-vessel examination device includes a reduced number of transducer elements and presents a simplified user interface, without the need for displaying an image of any of the vessels. The probe, in one embodiment, acquires and examines a volume of interest, searches for a target vessel, tests the vessel for normality of blood flow, and reports the diagnosis, all automatically and without need for user intervention. In another embodiment, the probe finds a body vessel in a volume, and extracts a clinical Doppler parameter, all automatically and without need for user intervention.

Abstract: A device (308) is configured for examining pulsatile flow, for deriving, based on the examined flow, spectral characteristics and for, based on the derived characteristics, determining which one or more pulse cycles are to be selected as representative of the flow. The cycles selected can be consecutive and amount to a predetermined number of cycles, such as five. The cycles (200) subject to selection may initially be filtered out based on waveform anomalies, with the surviving cycles in a consecutive group of sufficient number being judged based on parameters such as waveform caliper measurements and other types of the characteristics. Good cycles are detected (202) by their lack of variation, with respect to the measured parameters, from each respective, parameter median over the spectrogram cycles not initially filtered. The technique may, according to user selection, take into account additional parameters suited to particular medical application. Uses include correctly identifying an artery by name.

Abstract: Method, system and software product for identifying high risk pregnancies comprising the step of generating a spectrogram from ultrasound Doppler signals reflected from the uterine artery and determining the maximum frequency envelope of said spectrogram, and of defining a systolic part and a diastolic part of the maximum frequency envelope and calculating an area ratio under said systolic and diastolic part (AR). This area ratio relates to the blood volume in the uterine artery.

Abstract: A device is configured for interrogating a blood vessel to derive flow characteristics (S628) and for, responsive to the deriving and based on the derived characteristics, anatomically identifying the vessel. A spatial map of the vessels may be generated based on the interrogating, and specifically the Doppler power computed from data acquired in the interrogating. Subsequent interrogating (S668) may occur, based on the map and on a user-selected set of vessels and/or vessel categories, to derive clinical Doppler indices. The device can be designed to automatically set a sample volume (509) for the subsequent interrogating, and to operate automatically from the user selection to display of the indices. The display may further include an image (524) of the vessels summoned by the set, annotated by their individual anatomical names, and optionally a diagnosis relating to blood flow. The displayed image may be enlarged to zoom in on the user's onscreen selection.

Abstract: A device images time-wise in parallel using transducer elements of a group (428, 432, 436, 440). In some embodiments, the elements are of a current group and imaging is time-wise sequential by group. The groups may be spatially disposed (408, 412) with respect to each other so as to mutually intermesh element-wise. The imaging may include volumetric imaging. The device can be configured for not collectively using any of the elements to focus, nor to steer, a beam used in the imaging. The device might be operable to transition between spacing states (404, 408, 412) at least one of which is characterized by a respective minimum, nonzero, degree of intra-group, element-to-element non-adjacency (470), or may be fixed at one spacing state. The transitioning may be automatic, in response to input indicative of blood vessel size and/or depth.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound device for measuring blood flow velocity in a blood vessel of a subject without imaging functionality in the device. The measurement depends upon reflections of a collimated beam of ultrasound from a subject's body part. Received electrical signals representative of the reflected ultrasound energy is used for generating a representation of blood flow at a plurality of predetermined locations in the volume and calculating a first blood flow velocity at each of the locations. The representation of flow is used for delineating the blood flow in the blood vessel in the volume. An angle calculating unit calculates the Doppler angle between the direction of the radiated collimated beam in the delineated blood flow at each point. A velocity calculator calculates a second blood flow velocity at the plurality of points based on the calculated first velocities and the calculated angle at the point.

Abstract: An automatic, stand-alone, hand-held ultrasound blood-vessel examination device (100) requires a reduced number of transducer elements (126) and presents a simplified user interface (136-140), without the need for displaying an image of any of the vessels. The probe, in one embodiment, acquires and examines a volume of interest (106), searches for a target vessel, tests the vessel for normality of blood flow, and reports the diagnosis, all automatically and without need for user intervention. In another embodiment, the probe finds a body vessel (108-112) in a volume, and extracts a clinical Doppler parameter, all automatically and without need for user intervention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of presenting a topology comprising a reference with at least one sub-reference, and an apparatus for presenting the topology. The method comprises the steps of: (110) obtaining topology data representing the topology, —(120) processing the topology data so as to represent the topology by means of a visual object (250) associated with the reference, said object being configured to be visualized in any of a plurality of visual modes, wherein a specific one of the one or more sub-references is associated with a specific one of the plurality of visual modes. A user may browse hierarchical information (the topology data), using the visual object, e.g. by rotating the visual object to a desired visual mode in order to find a desired element of the topology.