Abstract: The invention relates to a method of calculating a displacement of an object of interest comprising a step of calculating (101) a displacement model of said object of interest from adjacent images of a set of pre-acquired images of said object of interest, said displacement model reflects the position of said object of interest along the time. The method is characterized in that the method further comprises the following. A step of determining (102) a first sub-set of images (S1) from said set of pre acquired images within one periodical time cycle of said set of pre-acquired images on the basis of the displacement model.

Abstract: A system for boundary identification includes a memory (42) to store shear wave displacements through a medium as a displacement field including a spatial component and a temporal component. A directional filter (206, 208) filters the displacement field to provide a directional displacement field. A signal processing device (26) is coupled to the memory to execute a boundary estimator (214) to estimate a tissue boundary in a displayed image based upon a history of the directional displacement field accumulated over time.

Abstract: Bubbles (118-122) are utilized in some embodiments as part of a photoacoustic contrast agent (162) and, in some embodiments, to localize one or more locations (126-38) of a source of acoustic energy. The bubbles, such as microbubbles, can be used in proximity of nanoparticles of a first photoacoustic contrast agent, thereby affording a second photoacoustic contrast agent. The bubbles can intercept and re-radiate acoustic energy emitted by light-based activation of the first photoacoustic contrast agent in the immediate vicinity of the bubbles. As a further option, if the nanoparticles permeate further to tissue structures but remain in close enough proximity, their positions can be triangulated by the nearby bubbles, based on direction (144-148) and time delays (150-160) of ultrasound received by a transducer array.

Abstract: An ultrasonic intracranial sonothrombolysis pressure amplitude is pre-quantified by using an ultrasound-scanner control unit (110) having an increasing and/or decreasing mode and designed for: with respect to a current mode, interrogating a blockage site iteratively so as to progressively and respectively increase or decrease a pressure amplitude of ultrasound being emitted to the site at which bubbles (144) for oscillating that is caused by the emitted ultrasound are present; iteration to iteration, deriving, from echoes of the emitted ultrasound, a magnitude of an energy of a signal; and automatically identifying, for the quantifying, an iteration that, in comparison with a just-previous iteration, fails to increase the magnitude. The interrogating may span a region that contains or goes through: the obstruction; another part of the blood vessel; and bubble circulation within a neighboring vessel and a neighboring capillary (136).

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which can diagnose, treat, or monitor the cranial vasculature for obstructions such as blood clots causing ischemic stroke. The system has a headset which maintains two transducer arrays in contact with acoustic windows through the temporal bones on opposite sides of the head. The clinician is aided in properly positioning the arrays over the best acoustic windows through the bone by a signal produced by one of the arrays in response to transmission through the cranium by the other array, which passes through the temporal bones on both sides of the head. The amplitude of this through- transmission signal is detected and displayed to the clinician, either qualitatively or quantitatively, as the arrays are positioned.

Abstract: A head frame for a medical patient includes support for a probe and a neck support. The frame wraps around the head of the patient and can be used in the supine position. The support may include a probe holder slidable under the head and configured to contact or engage the neck support. In some embodiments, conformal shaping to the head and/or neck of the patient, the frame's rigid construction, the alignment of the optionally separable holder to the neck support, the weight of the head, or a combination thereof serve to keep the distal tip of the ultrasound probe in place against the temporal region of the head without need for attaching the frame to the head as by straps, which may provide an arrangement robust against patient/vehicle movement in an emergency medical services setting.

Abstract: An apparatus for patient-specific adjusting of ultrasound output pressure includes a controller (118) configured for adjusting, based on an estimate of thickness of a temporal bone (140) in a head of a medical treatment recipient, a pressure setting. It may also be based on treatment depth (134). Ultrasound at the adjusted pressure setting is applied. A user interface may be provided for user entry of the estimate, the user interface being further configured for user indication of the treatment depth. Both the entered estimate and the indicated treatment depth may be used in calculating ultrasound attenuation (148). The user indication can be interactive by virtue of designating, on a display, a location of a treatment target. The calculated attenuation may be a value, in decibels, that is in a range from 0.9×(2.70×0.1+16.60×T+0.87×(D?T?0.1)+3.02) to 1.1×(2.70×0.1+16.60×T+0.87×(D?T?0.1)+3.02), where T is the estimate in centimeters and D is the treatment depth in centimeters.

Abstract: A therapeutic ultrasound system transmits a staggered or interleaved pattern of therapy beams for use in sonothrombolysis and other Vascular Acoustic Resonators (VAR) mediated therapy. The inventive technique minimizes VAR, e.g. microbubble, destruction due to adjacent beams, ensures uniform sonication of the targeted region by filling in the spaces between the beams in subsequent passes, and further provides a means for bubble replenishment to maximize the clot lysis from ultrasound. The technique is also applicable to diagnostic ultrasound, VAR mediated drug delivery and blood brain barrier opening.

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer is configured for one-way only beamforming of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: A system for performing ablation includes an ablation device (102) configured to ablate tissue in accordance with control parameters and configured to make measurements during the ablation process. An imaging system (104) is configured to measure an elastographic related parameter to monitor ablation progress. A parameter estimation and monitoring module (115) is configured to receive the measurements from the ablation device and/or the elastographic related parameter to provide feedback to adaptively adjust imaging parameters of the imaging device at different times during an ablation process.

Abstract: A medical imaging probe (102) for contact with an imaging subject includes an indicium placement apparatus for, while the probe is in contact, selectively performing an instance of marking the subject so as to record a position of the probe. The device may further include a feedback module for determining whether an orientation, with respect to a the mark, that currently exists for a medical imaging probe of the device meets a criterion of proximity to a predetermined orientation. Responsive to the determination that the criterion is met, a quantitative evaluation may be made automatically and without need for user intervention, via live imaging via the probe, of a lesion that was, prior to the determination, specifically identified for the evaluation. Change, such as growth (116), in the lesion, like a brain lesion, may thereby be tracked over consistent sequential imaging acquisitions, such as through ultrasound.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system with a two dimensional array transducer performs microbubble-mediated therapy such as sonothrombolysis. The array is formed by dicing into rectilinear elements with the corner elements absent to provide a generally rounded shape that accommodates the temporal windows of the head for cranial therapeutic energy delivery. In several described implementations additional transducer elements are optimized for other specialized functions such as A-line imaging, Doppler flow detection, temporal bone thickness estimation, or cavitation detection. Preferably there are 128 therapeutic elements so that the array probe can be used with standard ultrasound systems having 128-channel beamformers.

Abstract: An ultrasonic intracranial sonothrombolysis pressure amplitude is pre-quantified by using an ultrasound-scanner control unit (110) having an increasing and/or decreasing mode and designed for: with respect to a current mode, interrogating a blockage site iteratively so as to progressively and respectively increase or decrease a pressure amplitude of ultrasound being emitted to the site at which bubbles (144) for oscillating that is caused by the emitted ultrasound are present; iteration to iteration, deriving, from echoes of the emitted ultrasound, a magnitude of an energy of a signal; and automatically identifying, for the quantifying, an iteration that, in comparison with a just-previous iteration, fails to increase the magnitude. The interrogating may span a region that contains or goes through: the obstruction; another part of the blood vessel; and bubble circulation within a neighboring vessel and a neighboring capillary (136).

Abstract: An apparatus for deriving tissue temperature from thermal strain includes a thermal strain measuring module. The module uses ultrasound (156, 158) to measure thermal strain in a region, within a subject, that surrounds a location (166a, 166f) where a temperature sensor is disposed. Also included is a temperature measurement module configured for, via the sensor, measuring a temperature at the sensor while the sensor is inside the subject. Further included is a patient-specific thermal-strain-to-temperature-change proportionality calibration module. The calibration module is configured for calibrating (S238) a coefficient and for doing so based on a measurement of a temperature parameter at that location derived from output of the temperature measurement module and on a measurement of thermal strain at that location obtained via the strain measuring module.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of calculating a displacement of an object of interest comprising a step of calculating (101) a displacement model of said object of interest from adjacent images of a set of pre-acquired images of said object of interest, said displacement model reflects the position of said object of interest along the time. The method is characterized in that the method further comprises the following. A step of determining (102) a first sub-set of images (S1) from said set of pre acquired images within one periodical time cycle of said set of pre-acquired images on the basis of the displacement model.

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer (212) is configured for one-way only beamforming (112) of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer is configured for one-way only beamforming of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: Ultrasonic sonothrombolysis systems to produce two acoustic pressure levels of insonation during stroke therapy, mid/high acoustic pressure insonation directed to the site of a blood clot where microbubbles are present to induce microbubble-mediated blood clot lysis, and low acoustic insonation directed to the region surrounding the site of the blood clot where microbubbles are present to stimulate microvascular reperfusion of the surrounding tissue. The systems simultaneously produce blood clot lysis at the site of an occlusion and stimulate reperfusion of tissue affected by the occlusion.

Abstract: An apparatus for ultrasound irradiation of a body part (208) includes a first ultrasound transducer (216), and a second ultrasound transducer (212) mounted oppositely, and is configured: a) such that at least two ultrasound receiving elements, for determining a relative orientation of the first to the second transducer, are attached to the first transducer; b) for a beam, from the first transducer, causing cavitation, and/or bubble destruction of systemically circulating microbubbles, within the body part; or c) both with the attached elements and for the causing. The apparatus registers, with said first transducer, the second transducer, by using as a reference respectively the features a) and/or b).

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer (212) is configured for one-way only beamforming (112) of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.