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: Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for automatically selecting first and last frames for a sequence of frames from which an accumulation contrast image may be generated. In some examples, statistical distributions of groups of pixels of the image frames may be analyzed to generate parametric maps. The parametric maps may be analyzed to select the first and last image frames of the sequence. In some examples, an image frame corresponding to the parametric map having a value above a threshold value may be selected as a first frame. In some examples, an image frame corresponding to the parametric map having a maximum value of all the parametric maps may be selected as the last frame. In some examples, the parametric maps may be used to segment features, such as a tumor, from the image frame.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system for needle insertion guidance uses a curved array transducer to scan an image field with unsteered beams as a needle is inserted into the image field. Due to differences in the angle of incidence between the radially directed beams and the needle, echoes will return most strongly from only a section of the needle. This section is identified in an image, and the angle of incidence producing the strongest returns is identified. Beams with this optimal angle of incidence are then steered in parallel from the curved array transducer to produce the best needle image. The steep steering angles of some of the steered beams can give rise to side lobe clutter artifacts, which can be identified and removed from the image data using dual apodization processing of the image data.

Abstract: An ultrasound system produces persisted images in response to both persistence coefficients and noise bias coefficients. The persistence coefficients control the degree of persistence, which reduces noise variance by persistence processing. The noise bias coefficients are produced in correspondence with the likelihood that an image pixel is noise, and operate to reduce the noise floor of the persisted images. A single user control enables a user to control both the noise variance and the noise level of images in tandem or, alternatively, dedicated controls can become available to adjust noise variance and noise level separately.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes imaging systems configured to generate index information to indicate which image frames in a plurality of image frames include one or more target anatomical features, such as a head or femur of a fetus. The confidence levels of the presence of the target anatomical features are also determined. The system may be configured to determine if the target anatomical feature is present in an image frame by implementing at least one neural network. Merit levels based on the quality of the image frames may also be determined. Measurements of the one or more items of interest may be acquired. Visual representations (500) of the index information (502), confidence levels, merit levels, and/or measurements may be provided via a user interface. A user interface may receive user inputs based on the visual representations to navigate to specific image frames (508) of the plurality of image frames.

Abstract: A system, method and a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium adapted to be executed by a processor for providing contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images is described. The CEUS system includes an ultrasound probe adapted to provide the ultrasound images; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to: determine out-of-plane frames of the ultrasound images; remove the out-of-plane frames from the ultrasound images based on a criterion to provide an optimized set of frames; and a display in communication with the processor and configured to display the optimized set of frames.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium includes shear wave imaging operations to acquire sets of shear wave propagation parameters, and determining a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is used to measure volume flow. An ultrasound probe operating in the biplane mode is used to acquire a vessel in a long axis view in a first Doppler image, and simultaneously in a transverse view in a second Doppler image. Volume flow is calculated from the transverse view of the vessel. The plane of the second image is aligned with the Doppler angle of the first image so that angle correction determined for the first image can be used for angle correction in the volume flow calculation.

Abstract: A method for performing shear wave elastography imaging of an observation field in a medium, the method comprising a plurality of shear wave imaging steps (30) to acquire a plurality of sets of shear wave propagation parameters, the method further comprising a reliability indicator determining step (40) during which a reliability indicator of the shear wave elastography imaging of the observation field is determined.

Abstract: In some examples, color Doppler data may be separated into luminance data and chrominance data. The luminance data may be modified without modifying the chrominance data. In some examples, the luminance data may be adjusted based, at least in part, on power Doppler data. The adjusted luminance data may be recombined with the chrominance data to provide augmented color Doppler data. In some examples, the power Doppler data may be enhanced by filtering, for example, by applying a Frangi vesselness filter, prior to being used to adjust the luminance data of the color Doppler data.

Abstract: A medical diagnostic imaging system and method for adjusting image gain compensation when changing from a first imaging state to a second imaging state, where a first image power value is determined from an image acquired in a first imaging state with a first image gain compensation, a second image power value is determined from an image acquired in a second imaging state with an initial second image gain compensation, an image power change value is determined from the first image power value and the second image power value, and an adjusted second image gain compensation calculated from the initial second image gain compensation and the image power change value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-level vascular imaging for construction and display of vasculature from large to small vessels and micro-vessels using a combination of varying resolution contrast enhanced ultrasound flow imaging modalities are disclosed. While one or more resolution flow imaging modes may be employed for imaging large to small vessels of a vascular tree within a large region of interest, a high resolution mode, such as super resolution imaging, constructed for delineation of the microvascular morphology and directional microcirculation is provided within one or more small ROIs placed in selected locations within the larger ROI.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images are disclosed. A point spread function thinning/skeletonization technique may be performed on contrast enhanced image frames. An aggressiveness parameter of the technique may be adapted temporally and/or spatially. The aggressiveness parameter may be adapted based on various factors, including, but not limited to, time since injection of the contrast agent, signal intensity, and/or vessel size. The images may be temporally accumulated to generate a final sequence of adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide ultrasound systems and devices that provide for reduction of reverberation artifacts in ultrasound images by automatically changing imaging settings such as PRI or transmit/receive configuration based on detected amounts of reverberation in ultrasound images. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a processor circuit in communication with an ultrasound probe. The processor circuit obtains a plurality of ultrasound images obtained using a plurality of different PRIs and/or pulse sequences, calculates an amount of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, selects a pulse repetition interval and/or pulse sequence based on the amounts of reverberation artifacts in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, and controls the ultrasound transducer to obtain a reduced-reverberation ultrasound image using the selected pulse repetition interval or pulse sequence. The reduced-reverberation ultrasound image is then output to a display.

Abstract: Systems and methods for time-varying two-dimensional (2D) color maps for visualizing images or sequences of images are disclosed. The 2D color map may include brightness values of a hue corresponding to different intensities that changes over time. In some 2D color maps, the hue used for the intensity scale may change over time while the brightness of a pixel may not. In some 2D color maps, both the hue and the brightness may change relative to intensity over time.

Abstract: An ultrasound system acquires and displays contrast-enhanced ultrasound images as a bolus of contrast agent washes into and out of a region of interest in the body. During the wash-in, wash-out cycle the operation of the ultrasound system is changed to optimize system performance for different portions of the contrast cycle. The ultrasound transmission, receive signal processing, and image processing are among the operations of the ultrasound system which may be changed. The changes in system operation are invoked automatically at predetermined times or event occurrence during the wash-in, wash-out cycle.

Abstract: A particular sequence of ultrasound transmissions and corresponding echo receptions enables the production of Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Amplitude Modulated Phase Inverted (AMPI) signals that are temporally balanced. Temporal balancing significantly reduces tissue artifacts caused by movement of tissue during acquisition of the ultrasound echoes. Additionally, in combining the selected echo signals to produce the AM5 and AMPI signals, and optionally a Phase Inverted (PI) signal, each of the echo signals is equally weighted to facilitate an amplitude balance that avoids different echoes affecting the produced AM, AMPI, and PI signals differently.

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: An ultrasound system performs duplex colorflow and spectral Doppler imaging, with the spectral Doppler interrogation performed at a sample volume location shown on the colorflow image. The colorflow image is displayed in a color box overlaid on a co-registered B mode image. A color box position and steering angle processor analyzes the spatial Doppler data and automatically sets the color box angle and location over a blood vessel for optimal Doppler sensitivity and accuracy. The processor may also automatically set the flow angle correction cursor in alignment with the direction of flow. In a preferred embodiment these optimization adjustments are made automatically and continuously as a user pauses at points for Doppler measurements along a length of the blood vessel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preprocessing three dimensional (3D) data prior to generating inverted renders are disclosed herein. The preprocessing may include segmenting the 3D data to remove portions of the data associated with noise such that those portions do not appear in the generated render. The segmentation may include applying a mask to the 3D data. The mask may be generated by sorting data points in the 3D data set into a first set or a second set. In some examples, the 3D data may be filtered prior to generating the mask. In some examples, the mask may be adjusted based on feature recognition. The preprocessing may allow the visualization of hypoechoic regions of interest in a volume.