Abstract: A bottom garment including a front panel, a back panel, and a garment lining. The front panel formed of a first fabric and the garment lining formed of a second fabric. The garment lining attached to an inside surface of the front panel and an inside surface of the back panel. The garment lining attached above a crotch point of the garment such that the garment lining is less restrictive than the front panel.

Abstract: A bottom garment including a front panel, a back panel, and a garment lining. The front panel formed of a first fabric and the garment lining formed of a second fabric. The garment lining attached to an inside surface of the front panel and an inside surface of the back panel. The garment lining attached above a crotch point of the garment such that the garment lining is less restrictive than the front panel.

Abstract: A bottom garment for providing comfort to the wearer. The bottom garment may include a front panel and a back panel, both the front panel and the back panel formed of a high weft-stretch fabric. The bottom garment may also include a garment lining formed of a higher weft-stretch fabric, low weight fabric attached on the inside of the panels inside of the garment, above a crotch point of the bottom garment. The stretch in the weft direction of the garment lining is greater than a stretch in the weft direction of the front panel and the back panel. The stretch in the warp direction of the garment lining is less than the stretch in the weft direction of the garment lining. The bottom garment may further include an elastic support band for maintaining the position of the garment when the garment is worn.

Abstract: A bottom garment for providing comfort to the wearer. The bottom garment may include a front panel and a back panel, both the front panel and the back panel formed of a high weft-stretch fabric. The bottom garment may also include a garment lining formed of a higher weft-stretch fabric, low weight fabric attached on the inside of the panels inside of the garment, above a crotch point of the bottom garment. The stretch in the weft direction of the garment lining is greater than a stretch in the weft direction of the front panel and the back panel. The stretch in the warp direction of the garment lining is less than the stretch in the weft direction of the garment lining. The bottom garment may further include an elastic support band for maintaining the position of the garment when the garment is worn.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array. The plurality of transducer elements are organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of summing nodes. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a set of receive switches associated with each of the transducer elements in the receive aperture. Each set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide systems and methods for focusing a two dimensional phased array to perform four dimensional ultrasonic imaging. For example, certain embodiments of the present technology provide an ultrasonic imaging system comprising: a transducer configured to emit ultrasonic beams and detect reflected ultrasonic beams; a transmitter configured to transmit a first ultrasonic beam using a first focusing function and transmit a second ultrasonic beam that has a quadrature relationship to the first ultrasonic beam using a second focusing function; a receiver configured to acquire a first acoustic line based on a reflected first ultrasonic beam using a first focusing function and acquire a second acoustic line based on a reflected second ultrasonic beam using a second focusing function; and a beamformer configured to combine acoustic lines acquired by a receiver to create a beam pattern.

Abstract: A system and method of ultrasound imaging includes a beamformer including a plurality of channels, a two-dimensional transducer array including a plurality of elements, and a plurality of signal pathways linking the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels. The system and method also include a plurality of switches positioned along the plurality of signal pathways. The plurality of switches being configured to actively connect a subset of the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels in order to form a receive aperture. The plurality of switches are further configured to control an aspect ratio of the receive aperture by changing which of the plurality of elements are actively connected to the plurality of channels.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array. The plurality of transducer elements are organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of summing nodes. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a set of receive switches associated with each of the transducer elements in the receive aperture. Each set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes.

Abstract: A system and method of ultrasound imaging includes a beamformer including a plurality of channels, a two-dimensional transducer array including a plurality of elements, and a plurality of signal pathways linking the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels. The system and method also include a plurality of switches positioned along the plurality of signal pathways. The plurality of switches being configured to actively connect a subset of the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels in order to form a receive aperture. The plurality of switches are further configured to control an aspect ratio of the receive aperture by changing which of the plurality of elements are actively connected to the plurality of channels.

Abstract: A beamformer for an ultrasound system and a method for developing a beamformer are provided. The beamformer includes an RF interface configured to be connected to receiver boards that are connected to a probe. The method includes providing receiver boards, wherein each of the receiver boards is capable of conveying a common number of channels per board and has substantially similar circuit components and layouts. The method also includes selecting a number of channels per probe to be conveyed in parallel between a probe and the receiver boards, wherein the channels per probe is an integer multiple of the channels per board. The method further includes determining a combination of the receiver boards to use in the beamformer based on the number of channels per probe, wherein the receiver boards are capable of being used in at least first and second different combinations that support first and second different numbers of channels per probe.

Abstract: A method of performing a scanning sequence for an ultrasound scan includes establishing a number of ultrasound beams to be transmitted during an ultrasound scan, establishing a pulse repetition interval to be used for performing the ultrasound scan, and establishing a number of firings of each of the ultrasound beams to be performed during the ultrasound scan. The method further includes performing a scanning sequence based on a processing of one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of the number of ultrasound beams, the pulse repetition interval, and the number of firings of the ultrasound beams, wherein the processing of the one or more parameters is configured to provide a continuous interleaving in the transmitted beams thereby avoiding a generation of beam interleaving discontinuities and a formation of artifacts in a resulting image.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe comprises a probe housing that has an inner surface and an outer surface. An array of transducer elements are within the probe housing. At least one sensor is formed between the inner and outer surfaces of the probe housing. The at least one sensor is configured to detect at least one parameter associated with an object in contact with the outer surface proximate the at least one sensor.

Abstract: A method for correcting a time delay between at least two signals in ultrasound systems is provided. The ultrasound system comprises a beamformer processor comprising a summer coupled to the transducer array and configured for performing a complex operation on a first plurality of receive signals to generate a beamsum signal; wherein each of the receive signals comprise a corresponding beamforming delay and a complex filter coupled to the summer and configured to transform the beamsum signal to an analytical signal. The beamformer processor further comprises a plurality of correlator processors coupled to at least one respective transducer element and the complex filter, each correlator processor configured to calculate a correlation sum for at least one receive signal and at least one time delay estimator adapted to receive the correlation sum of at least one receive signal and configured to estimate the corresponding time delay using the correlation sum.

Abstract: A method for operating a medical imaging system is provided. The method includes receiving an image data set of a region of interest in a first dimensional representation, reducing the dimensionality of the image data set to a second dimensional representation, selecting a feature of interest in the second dimensional representation, and generating an image of the selected feature in the first dimensional representation.

Abstract: A method of performing a scanning sequence for an ultrasound scan includes establishing a number of ultrasound beams to be transmitted during an ultrasound scan, establishing a pulse repetition interval to be used for performing the ultrasound scan, and establishing a number of firings of each of the ultrasound beams to be performed during the ultrasound scan. The method further includes performing a scanning sequence based on a processing of one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of the number of ultrasound beams, the pulse repetition interval, and the number of firings of the ultrasound beams, wherein the processing of the one or more parameters is configured to provide a continuous interleaving in the transmitted beams thereby avoiding a generation of beam interleaving discontinuities and a formation of artifacts in a resulting image.

Abstract: A method of imaging. The method includes determining imaging parameters. Further, the method includes acquiring image data from a patient. Additionally, the method includes storing the imaging parameters with the acquired image data. The method also includes retrieving the stored imaging parameters for use in a subsequent examination. Systems and computer-readable medium that afford functionality of the type defined by this method are also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique.

Abstract: A medical imaging system is provided that includes a plurality of circuit boards configured to be tested using boundary scan test vectors. A controller of the medical imaging system is configured to test the plurality of circuit boards. The controller is further configured to access test profiles to perform boundary scan tests on the plurality of circuit boards based on the test profiles.

Abstract: A method of medical ultrasonic imaging is provided. The method includes transmitting a plurality of ultrasonic waves into a volume such that each successive wave is transmitted into the volume at a steering angle different than each preceding transmitted wave, receiving a plurality of ultrasonic echoes for each of the plurality of transmitted ultrasonic waves, each received echo is indicative of a density interface within the volume, each set of received echoes that corresponds to a single transmitted wave defines a steering frame, combining steering frames into a compound image, and identifying distal shadows in each steering frame.