Abstract: An ultrasound transducer probe with multi-row array acoustic stacks comprises an central acoustic stack and two side acoustic stacks, the central acoustic stack has an inverted trapezoidal shape backing, and the two side acoustic stacks are mounted on each of the two elevation direction sides of the central acoustic stack with an outward tilted angle ?, this angle ? ranges from 0 to 30 degrees. When all the acoustic stacks are electronically powered in the same time, an acoustic field with enlarged elevation section will be created to facilitate needle imaging.

Abstract: This invention discloses an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic imaging system and their detail usage for biopsy needle visualization enhancement. The invention adds new lateral element arrays in the elevation direction of a center element array of a conventional linear/curve linear array probe, and allows a clinician to control the lateral element arrays to be turned on or off manually, or by a system analysis unit through intelligent judgment. During imaging, when the lateral element arrays are turned on, they will substantially enlarge the effective range of an ultrasonic field created by this probe in a needle body searching mode, so that the needle body is more easily captured and displayed in an image. By turning off the lateral arrays after the needle body is captured, a high-resolution imaging mode is recovered, thus the image quality will still be good enough for conventional clinical usage.

Abstract: Jittering in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging is reduced, such as in steered spatial compounding. A pattern of decorrelation is used to detect motion between component frames, register component frames, and/or reduce jitter in the motion correction. The ultrasound imaging adapts as a function of the pattern.

Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system employs a mechanically focused multi-element circular annular transducer that is mechanically scanned using a motor. Received echoes are processed to form two dimensional gray scale B mode images or two dimensional color tissue flow images which are displayed on a display unit. In case of color flow imaging, a high pulse repetition frequency imaging sequence is employed for a reasonable frame rate and special down-sampling techniques are applied to achieve an effective low pulse repetition frequency for flow estimation with enough signal to noise ratio. The system also includes a docking subsystem which charges a system battery and transfers patient and image data between a PACS system, workstation or other information system and the portable ultrasound imaging system.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system that can automatically adjust the imaging parameters based on the original or processed received echoes from the target is presented in this disclosed technology. The adjustment is done through a closed loop negative feedback control system iteratively. Imaging performance evaluation parameters calculated from the received echoes, original or processed, are compared with preset thresholds that represent desired optimal imaging performances. The differences are used to calculate the adjustment for the imaging parameters. The system reaches to an optimal system image quality for the current target or stops when a maximum number of iterations is reached.

Abstract: A portable ultrasound imaging system employs a mechanically focused multi-element circular annular transducer that is mechanically scanned using a motor. Received echoes are processed to form two dimensional gray scale B mode images or two dimensional color tissue flow images which are displayed on a display unit. In case of color flow imaging, a high pulse repetition frequency imaging sequence is employed for a reasonable frame rate and special down-sampling techniques are applied to achieve an effective low pulse repetition frequency for flow estimation with enough signal to noise ratio. The system also includes a docking subsystem which charges a system battery and transfers patient and image data between a PACS system, workstation or other information system and the portable ultrasound imaging system.

Abstract: Diagnostic ultrasound flow imaging is performed with coded excitation pulses. Due to the use of frequency coded excitation pulses, flow information may suffer from spatial misregistration and estimate errors. Spatial position shift in flow data is offset for alignment with B-mode or other imaging. The flow estimates are compensated for the imaging center frequency variation with depth. The wide bandwidth information available due to coded excitation may allow anti-aliasing by estimating velocities from two frequency bands.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system that can automatically adjust the imaging parameters based on the original or processed received echoes from the target is presented in this disclosed technology. The adjustment is done through a closed loop negative feedback control system iteratively. Imaging performance evaluation parameters calculated from the received echoes, original or processed, are compared with preset thresholds that represent desired optimal imaging performances. The differences are used to calculate the adjustment for the imaging parameters. The system reaches to an optimal system image quality for the current target or stops when a maximum number of iterations is reached.

Abstract: Methods and system for controlling an ultrasound system are described. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data relating to an object and iteratively adjusting acoustic power output of the ultrasound system based on the acquired ultrasound data.

Abstract: Jittering in medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging is reduced, such as in steered spatial compounding. A pattern of decorrelation is used to detect motion between component frames, register component frames, and/or reduce jitter in the motion correction. The ultrasound imaging adapts as a function of the pattern.

Abstract: Certain embodiments include a system and method for improved compound imaging using a plurality of imaging modes. In an embodiment, a plurality of echo signals are received in response to a plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles, such as steered or non-steered angles. The plurality of echo signals is compounded to form a compound image. In an embodiment, the imaging mode includes at least one of harmonic, fundamental, coded harmonic, and variable frequency imaging. Parameters may be generated for the plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles. Additionally, the parameters may be stored. The echo signals may be filtered. Imaging mode may be controlled based on steering angle. Employing different imaging modes based on steering angles for spatial compound imaging helps reduce grating lobe artifacts while improving speckle reduction effect.

Abstract: Raw data reprocessing is provided for ultrasound imaging systems. Clip storing and review functions are more versatile by storing ultrasound data with phase information, such as RF or IQ data. Thorough and ad hoc reanalysis of the acquired data may be performed after the patient has left. The ultrasound imaging system provides the reanalysis without or with export of the ultrasound data. Additionally, a regular PACS system with specially installed software and hardware may also provides the reanalysis with the storing ultrasound data with phase information.

Abstract: Diagnostic ultrasound flow imaging is performed with coded excitation pulses. Due to the use of frequency coded excitation pulses, flow information may suffer from spatial misregistration and estimate errors. Spatial position shift in flow data is offset for alignment with B-mode or other imaging. The flow estimates are compensated for the imaging center frequency variation with depth. The wide bandwidth information available due to coded excitation may allow anti-aliasing by estimating velocities from two frequency bands.

Abstract: Methods and system for controlling an ultrasound system are described. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data relating to an object and iteratively adjusting acoustic power output of the ultrasound system based on the acquired ultrasound data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus providing tissue harmonic imaging using an ultrasound machine. Coded pulses and the phase inverted version of the said coded pulses with time bandwidth greater than 1 are transmitted into the tissue. Backscattered echoes are received and filtered before or after coherent summation. Decoding/compressing of the received echoes of the coded pulses is implemented naturally through the propagation of the specially designed ultrawide band (>80%) waveforms inside tissue and pulse inversion. Costly decoding/compression filter are not necessary.

Abstract: A halo surrounding the ultrasonic image of a liver tumor is automatically evaluated by detecting the boundary of the tumor and defining two annular regions around that boundary. The brightness of pixels in the two annular regions are compared to determine if a halo of darker pixels surround the tumor. Presence of this halo is indicative of a malignant tumor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that enhances the contrast-to-tissue ratio and signal-to-noise ratio of contrast imaging using stepped-chirp waveforms. The first waveform component is employed with a first frequency optimized to initiate the bubble dynamics and the second waveform component is employed with a second frequency optimized to produce an enhanced bubble nonlinear response. The first waveform component and the at least a second waveform component are transmitted as a single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. At least one of a center frequency, an amplitude, a starting phase, and a bandwidth of the waveform components are adjusted to generate the single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. A relative phase, a switch time, and a time delay between the waveform components are also adjusted for maximal enhancement of bubble nonlinear response.

Abstract: Certain embodiments include a system and method for improved compound imaging using a plurality of imaging modes. In an embodiment, a plurality of echo signals are received in response to a plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles, such as steered or non-steered angles. The plurality of echo signals is compounded to form a compound image. In an embodiment, the imaging mode includes at least one of harmonic, fundamental, coded harmonic, and variable frequency imaging. Parameters may be generated for the plurality of beams formed based on different imaging modes corresponding to different steering angles. Additionally, the parameters may be stored. The echo signals may be filtered. Imaging mode may be controlled based on steering angle. Employing different imaging modes based on steering angles for spatial compound imaging helps reduce grating lobe artifacts while improving speckle reduction effect.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for improved ultrasound imaging using single transmission coded excitation. Certain embodiments include encoding a first ultrasound beam with a first code, transmitting the first ultrasound beam on a first path, encoding a second ultrasound beam with a second code, transmitting the second ultrasound beam on a second path and receiving echo signals from the first and second ultrasound beams. The codes may be complimentary Golay codes or other complimentary codes. The first and second paths may be adjacent scan lines. The method may also include match filtering the echo signals with corresponding matched filters. Match filtered echo signals along adjacent scan lines may be filtered, such as with a lateral averaging filter or other finite impulse response filter. Alternate complementary code transmission helps preserve or improve frame rate while maintaining signal-to-noise ratio improvement and range lobe cancellation.

Abstract: A method for implementing a speckle reduction filter are described. The method includes receiving a processed data stream from a processor, dividing the processed data stream into data subsets, simultaneously filtering the data subsets by using a speckle reduction filter to produce filtered data subsets, and producing an image data stream based on the filtered data subsets.