Abstract: A parameterising method and system integrated within a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment device. The parameterising system includes a real-time simulation unit that makes it possible to predict, on the basis of geometric and physiological parameters of tissue regions in the area to be treated, and treatment parameters, the distribution of the ultrasonic field within the area. The computation is performed in real time by means of a metamodel: the ultrasonic field is estimated from an interpolation of maps of the ultrasonic field which are pre-computed and stored in a database, the maps being associated with different values of the geometric and physiological parameters of the tissue regions in question. The thermal dose applied at each point during treatment is subsequently computed and the tissue response is estimated.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a tubular object by ultrasonic imaging includes: acquiring a plurality of ultrasonic signals originating from the reflection of an ultrasonic field transmitted by the transducer in a region of interest in a transverse cross-sectional plane of the object, for different positions of the transducer relative to the region, all of the ultrasonic signals forming an ultrasonic image of the region; for each signal corresponding to a vector of the image, applying a predetermined first filter to the signal; selecting, from all of the signals, the signal for which the result of the filter contains the extremum with the highest absolute value, and plotting the abscissa of this extremum; and determining the centre of the object from the abscissa plotted and the velocity of the ultrasonic signal.

Abstract: A method for characterising an object using an ultrasound probe, the method including the following steps of: carrying out several iterations of the following steps of: i. transmitting an ultrasound field having an aperture with a given size; ii. measuring an echo of the ultrasound field following reflection on a zone of interest of an object to be imaged; iii. modifying, for each new iteration, the size of the aperture of the ultrasound field; recording, for at least one point of interest in the zone of interest, the associated time-of-flight on the measurement of the echo; determining, based on the time-of-flight measurements, a variation model of the times-of-flight as a function of the size of the aperture of the ultrasound field; extrapolating the time-of-flight of the point of interest for an aperture size tending towards 0 based on said model.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a tubular object by ultrasonic imaging includes: acquiring a plurality of ultrasonic signals originating from the reflection of an ultrasonic field transmitted by the transducer in a region of interest in a transverse cross-sectional plane of the object, for different positions of the transducer relative to the region, all of the ultrasonic signals forming an ultrasonic image of the region; for each signal corresponding to a vector of the image, applying a predetermined first filter to the signal; selecting, from all of the signals, the signal for which the result of the filter contains the extremum with the highest absolute value, and plotting the abscissa of this extremum; and determining the centre of the object from the abscissa plotted and the velocity of the ultrasonic signal.

Abstract: A method for characterising an object using an ultrasound probe, the method including the following steps of: carrying out several iterations of the following steps of: i. transmitting an ultrasound field having an aperture with a given size; ii. measuring an echo of the ultrasound field following reflection on a zone of interest of an object to be imaged; iii. modifying, for each new iteration, the size of the aperture of the ultrasound field; recording, for at least one point of interest in the zone of interest, the associated time-of-flight on the measurement of the echo; determining, based on the time-of-flight measurements, a variation model of the times-of-flight as a function of the size of the aperture of the ultrasound field; extrapolating the time-of-flight of the point of interest for an aperture size tending towards 0 based on said model.

Abstract: A parameterising method and system integrated within a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment device. The parameterising system includes a real-time simulation unit that makes it possible to predict, on the basis of geometric and physiological parameters of tissue regions in the area to be treated, and treatment parameters, the distribution of the ultrasonic field within the area. The computation is performed in real time by means of a metamodel: the ultrasonic field is estimated from an interpolation of maps of the ultrasonic field which are pre-computed and stored in a database, the maps being associated with different values of the geometric and physiological parameters of the tissue regions in question. The thermal dose applied at each point during treatment is subsequently computed and the tissue response is estimated.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging method for imaging a part (1), characterized by the implementation of the following steps: selecting a first sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}) of the part from a first image (IA(Z)) of a region (Z) of the part (1), determining, for each point of the first selected sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}), the times of flight (TijA({tilde over (Z)})) corresponding to the paths according to a first reconstruction mode (A) going through the point from a transmitter i to a receiver j for a set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples of an ultrasound signal; determining a second sub-region of the part, a point (P) of the region belonging to the second sub-region when a time of flight (TijB(P)) of the path according to a second reconstruction mode (B) going through the point (P) from a transmitter i to a receiver j of said set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples coincides with a time of flight (TA({tilde over (Z)})) of a path according to the first reconstruction mode from a transmitt

Abstract: A method for reconstructing a profile of a piece, by using an emitter/receiver device comprising N elements, the device being adapted for emitting a wave propagating in a medium, comprises at least the following steps: A) gathering the signals Si,j reflected by the piece subjected to the wave, B) measuring the flight time of the surface echo tj for several emitter-receiver pairs {Ei, Rj}, C) constructing the family of ellipses ?c associated with these emitter pairs {Ei, Rj}, D) calculating the envelope of the family of ellipses ?c, E) determining on the basis of this envelope the points Pi constituting the profile of the piece.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound imaging method for imaging a part (1), characterised by the implementation of the following steps: selecting a first sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}) of the part from a first image (IA(Z)) of a region (Z) of the part (1), determining, for each point of the first selected sub-region ({tilde over (Z)}), the times of flight (TijA({tilde over (Z)})) corresponding to the paths according to a first reconstruction mode (A) going through the point from a transmitter i to a receiver j for a set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples of an ultrasound signal; determining a second sub-region of the part, a point (P) of the region belonging to the second sub-region when a time of flight (TijB(P)) of the path according to a second reconstruction mode (B) going through the point (P) from a transmitter i to a receiver j of said set of M*N transmitter-receiver couples coincides with a time of flight (TA({tilde over (Z)})) of a path according to the first reconstruction mode from a transmitt

Abstract: This transducer comprises means (16 to 24, 56 to 60) for determining the respective positions of ultrasound emitting elements (6) with respect to an object to be inspected (8) during displacement of the transducer. Means (62) generate pulses exciting emitting elements, and create delay laws starting from determined positions enabling emitting elements to generate a focused ultrasonic beam (F), and apply these laws to the excitation pulses. Ultrasound receiving elements provide signals used to form images related to the object. Application to medicine and nondestructive testing.