Abstract: Ultrasound systems and methods for automatically determining heart chamber characteristics are provided. The systems and methods of the present invention, for example, can automatically determine chamber pressures and volumes of a patient's heart using a transthoracic or transesophageal ultrasound probe imaging the heart in 2D and/or 3D. Chamber pressures determined include the static pressure of the left ventricular end diastolic pressure, which can be used to diagnose whether a patient is suffering from congestive heart failure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging system for harmonic imaging of an object in a medium. The system comprises a transducer formed of a single crystal of a piezoelectric material, a transmitter for transmitting waves into the medium, a receiver for receiving echoed waves from the medium, and a control system electrically connected to the transmitter and the receiver which is used control the operation of the transmitter and interpret signals received by the receiver. In a preferred embodiment, the single crystal of piezoelectric material comprises a PMN-PT material or a PZN-PT material. Through use of this material, −6 dB bandwidths of at least approximately 95% are obtainable.