Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices that perform flow scan sequences are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system includes an intraluminal catheter or guidewire, an annular array of acoustic elements positioned around a circumference of the catheter or guidewire, and a processor in communication with the annular array. The processor is configured to activate a first subaperture of the annular array at a first time, thereafter, activate a second interleaving subaperture, and activate the first subaperture again at a different, second time such that the scan sequence moves around the circumference of the catheter or guidewire. Temporal differences between the received ultrasound signals obtained by the first subaperture at the first and second times are determined to detect motion around the annular array. By interleaving subaperture firings, the total number of firings to form an image frame can be reduced.

Abstract: A method is provided for filtering ultrasound image clutter. In the first stage of the method a data matrix is captured, wherein the data matrix contains information relating to the image, and singular value decomposition (SVD) is performed on the data matrix or a matrix derived from the data matrix. A spatial singular vector is then obtained from the SVD of the data matrix and a mean spatial frequency is estimated from them. A filtered data matrix is constructed based on the estimated mean spatial frequency and the SVD of the data matrix and a filtered image is constructed based on the filtered data matrix.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system acquires volume image flow data sets of subvolumes of a blood vessel over at least a cardiac cycle. Image data of the subvolumes is then aligned both spatially and temporally to produce 3D images of the volume flow of the blood vessel over a heart cycle. A volume flow profile curve is produced from the acquired volume image flow data sets. The subvolumes are scanned starting with the center of the blood vessel and proceeding outward therefrom. The blood vessel center may be designated manually by a user or automatically by the ultrasound system by Doppler or other methods. Each subvolume is scanned over a heart cycle, with the systolic phase in the temporal center of the acquisition interval. The subvolumes are scanned in synchronism with the heart cycle and the estimation of a heart cycle is updated during each subvolume data acquisition interval.

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasound data processing method for pre-processing signal data in advance of generating ultrasound images. The method seeks to reduce noise through application of coherent persistence to a series of raw ultrasound signal representations representative of the same path or section through a body but at different successive times. A motion compensation procedure including amplitude peak registration and phase alignment is applied to raw echo signal data in advance of application of persistence in order to cohere the signals and thereby limit the introduction of motion induced artifacts.

Abstract: A system includes an acoustic probe and an acoustic imaging machine. The acoustic probe includes a substrate with first and second principal surfaces, a device insertion port with an opening passing through the substrate from the first principal surface to the second principal surface, and an array of acoustic transducer elements supported by the substrate and disposed around the device insertion port. The acoustic imaging machine may systematically vary the size and/or position of the active acoustic aperture of the probe by providing transmit signals to selected acoustic transducer elements to cause the array to transmit an acoustic probe signal to an area of interest and may record a feedback signal of the transmit signals from an acoustic receiver provided at a distal end of an interventional device passed through the device insertion port into the area of interest to find an active acoustic aperture having optimal acoustic performance.

Abstract: Ultrasound image devices, systems, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system includes an interface coupled to an ultrasound imaging component and configured to receive a plurality of image data frames representative of a target tissue; and a processing component in communication with the interface and configured to determine a delay profile for the ultrasound imaging component in relation to the target tissue based on the plurality of image data frames; and determine a phase aberration correction configuration for a sequence of one or more shear wave pulses based on the delay profile, the sequence of one or more shear wave pulses associated with the ultrasound imaging component and a stiffness measure of the target tissue.

Abstract: The invention relates to a temperature distribution determination apparatus for determining a temperature distribution within an object (20), while an energy application element (2) applies energy to the object, especially while an ablation procedure for ablating a tumor within an organ is performed. A time-dependent first ultrasound signal is generated for an ultrasound measurement region within the object and a temperature distribution within the object is determined based on the generated time-dependent first ultrasound signal and based on a position of the energy application element (2) relative to the ultrasound measurement region tracked over time. This can ensure that always the correct position of the energy application element, which may be regarded as being a heat source, is considered, even if the energy application element moves, for instance, due to a movement of the object. This can lead to a more accurate determination of the temperature distribution.

Abstract: Ultrasound image devices, systems, and methods are provided. An ultrasound imaging system, comprising an array of acoustic elements configured to transmit ultrasound energy into an anatomy and to receive ultrasound echoes associated with the anatomy; and a processor circuit in communication with the array of acoustic elements and configured to receive, from the array, ultrasound channel data corresponding to the received ultrasound echoes; normalize the ultrasound channel data by applying a first scaling function to the ultrasound channel data; generate beamformed data by applying a predictive network to the normalized ultrasound channel data; de-normalize the beamformed data by applying a second scaling function to the beamformed data; generate an image of the anatomy from the beamformed data; and output, to a display in communication with the processor circuit, the image of the anatomy.

Abstract: An ultrasound system produces maps of acoustic attenuation coefficients from pulse echo signals. Maps are produced using different attenuation coefficient or slope estimation methods, and a plurality of maps from different estimation methods are compounded to produce a final attenuation coefficient map. Confidence maps may also be produced for one or more attenuation coefficient maps, and the confidence map displayed or its measures used to determine weighting for the compounding process.

Abstract: An acoustic probe connectable to an imaging system. The acoustic probe has a substrate with first and second principal surfaces, at least one device insertion port comprising an opening passing through the substrate from the first principal surface to the second principal surface, and an array of acoustic transducer elements supported by the substrate and disposed around the at least one device insertion port. The acoustic probe comprising an instrument guide disposed within the device insertion port, the instrument guide being configured to selectively allow the interventional device to move freely within the device insertion port and to selectively lock the interventional device within the device insertion port in response to a user input via a user interface connected to the acoustic probe.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for generating an ultrasound image. The method includes obtaining ultrasound data from an ultrasonic transducer array, the ultrasonic transducer array having M transducer elements. The method further includes generating N sets of image data from the ultrasound data using N random apodization functions. A minimizing function is then applied to a collection of image data, wherein the collection of image data comprises the N sets of image data. An ultrasound image is then generated based on the minimized image data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method translates an aperture across an array transducer which is less that the size of the array. At each aperture location a transmit beam is focused above, or alternatively below, the array and a region of interest being scanned from the aperture location, resulting in broad insonification of the region of interest. At the lateral ends of the array the aperture is no longer translated but the focal point of the transmit beam is translated from the same aperture position, preferably with tilting of the beam direction. Multiple receive beams are processed in response to each transmit event and the overlapping receive beams and echo locations are spatially combined to produce synthetic transmit focusing over the center of the image field and noise reduction by spatial compounding at the lateral ends of the image field.

Abstract: An ultrasound exposure safety processor is configured for spatially relating respective definitions of an imaging zone, and an extended dead-tissue zone that includes both a dead-tissue zone and a surrounding margin. Based on whether a push pulse focus is to be within the extended dead-tissue zone, the processor automatically decides a level of acoustic power with which the pulse is to be produced. If the pulse focus is to be within the extended dead-tissue zone, the pulse may be produced with a mechanical index (MI), a thermal index (TI), and/or a spatial-peak-temporal-average intensity (IspTA) that exceeds respectively 1.9, 6.0 and 720 milliwatts per square centimeter. The imaging zone may be definable interactively to dynamically trigger the deciding and the producing, with push pulse settings being dynamically derived automatically. A display of multiple push pulse sites allows user manipulation of spatial definition indicia to dynamically control displacement tracking.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound systems configured to enhance flow imaging and analysis by adaptively adjusting one or more imaging parameters in response to acquired flow measurements. Example systems can include an ultrasound transducer and one or more processors. Using the system components, mean flow velocity magnitude and acceleration can be determined within a target region during an acquisition phase, which may include a cardiac cycle. One or more adjusted flow imaging parameters, such as adjusted ensemble length, temporal smoothing filter length and/or step size, can be determined based on the acquired flow measurements to increase the signal quality of newly acquired ultrasound echo signals. The adjusted flow imaging parameters can then be applied by the ultrasound transducer during a second acquisition phase.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound systems and methods configured to determine stiffness levels of anisotropic tissue. Systems can include an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward anisotropic tissue having an angular orientation with respect to a nominal axial direction of the transducer. Systems can also include a beamformer configured to control the transducer to transmit a push pulse along a steering angle for generating a shear wave in the anisotropic tissue. The steering angle can be based on the angular orientation of the tissue. The transducer can also be controlled to transmit tracking pulses. Systems can also include a processor configured to store tracking line echo data generated from echo signals received at the transducer. In response to the echo data, the processor can detect motion within the tissue caused by propagation of the shear wave and measure the velocity of the shear wave.

Abstract: A method includes providing a first design layout including cells; updating a first cell in the plurality of cells using optical proximity correction to provide a first updated cell and a data set; training a model based on a layout-dependent parameter of a second design layout; and updating a second cell based on the data set and the model to provide a second updated cell. The model includes an input layer, a hidden layer and an output layer. Training the model includes obtaining converged values of nodes of the hidden layer. Obtaining converged values of nodes of the hidden layer includes providing information on edge segments before and after lithography enhancement to the input layer and the output layer, respectively, until values of nodes of the hidden layer attains convergence in terms of a cost function.

Abstract: Beamforming circuitry for an ultrasound device is disclosed, that may directly calculate the position in receive line space for an incoming ultrasound data sample given the time of flight (ToF) of that ultrasound data sample. In some embodiments, this may be done without initially buffering the ultrasound data sample received from the particular receive datapath multiplexed to the beamforming circuitry. The beamforming circuitry may then associate the ultrasound data sample with that position in receive line space, and in particular, with a memory address corresponding to that location. Thus, when the beamforming circuitry multiplexes between different receive datapaths, it may not need to buffer ultrasound data samples from different receive datapaths prior to saving the data to memory.

Abstract: A medium of interest is interrogated according to ultrasound elastography imaging. A preliminary elasticity-spatial-map is formed. This map is calibrated against a reference elasticity-spatial-map that comprises an array (232) of different (240) elasticity values. The reference map is formed to be reflective of ultrasonic shear wave imaging of a reference medium. The reference medium is not, nor located at, the medium of interest, and may be homogeneous. Shear waves that are propagating in a medium are tracked by interrogating the medium. From tracking locations on opposite sides of an ablated-tissue border, propagation delay of a shear wave in the medium and of another shear wave are measured. The two shear waves result from respectively different pushes (128) that are separately issued. A processor decides, based on a function of the two delays, that the border crosses between the two locations.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for performing ultrasound imaging are provided to advantageously determine the viscosity of an anatomy. According to one embodiment, a system for determining a viscosity of an anatomy includes an ultrasound transducer, a vibration source, and a processing system in communication with the ultrasound transducer and the vibration source. The processing system is configured to activate the vibration source to induce in the anatomy a first shear wave at a first frequency and a second shear wave at a second frequency, activate the ultrasound transducer to obtain ultrasound data representative of the anatomy that exhibits the first shear wave and the second shear wave, determine a first wave speed of the first shear wave and a second wave speed of the second shear wave, and determine the viscosity of the anatomy by comparing the first wave speed and the second wave speed.

Abstract: A method and a system of performing layout enhancement include: providing a first design layout comprising a plurality of cells; updating a first cell in the plurality of cells using optical proximity correction to provide a first updated cell and a data set; updating a second cell from remaining cells in the first design layout based on the data set to provide a second updated cell; and manufacturing a mask based on the first updated cell and the second updated cell in the first design layout.