Abstract: A system and method for determining bone characteristic data is provided. The system combines a biochemical bone measuring unit with a densitometric bone measuring unit to determine the bone characteristic data. Once the bone characteristic data is ascertained, a determination of whether bone formation or bone resorption is occurring is made and future bone characteristics can be projected.

Abstract: An ultrasonometer having opposed ultrasonic transducers with bladders containing a coupling fluid, controls the geometry of the bladder so as to provide immobilization of the patient as well as coupling of the ultrasound to the patient member. The coupling fluid may be hermetically enclosed in sealed chambers slideable toward the patient member or may be fixed in position and use a collar distending the membrane outward by compressing other portions of the membrane inward. A rolling diaphragm-type pump allows inflation of the membranes in an alternative embodiment without exposure of the acoustic coupling liquid to outside contamination. Temperature sensors and heaters communicating with the acoustic coupling fluid to reduce error caused by changes in the fluid's temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus to measure the physical characteristic of an object. There is a main body to receive the object. There is a device to enable the operator to determine when the object is correctly on the body. A piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitter sends a signal through the object. The transmitter comprise a first hollow container slidably received in the main body and a piezoelectric ceramic transmitter resiliently mounted in the first container. Transmitter is urged towards the object but its movement is restricted. A piezoelectric ultrasonic receiver spaced from the transmitter also projects towards the body. The receiver comprise a second hollow container slidably received in the main body. A ceramic transducer is resiliently mounted in the second hollow container. A signal is generated to be transmitted. The signal can be amplified. In a preferred embodiment the object is a foot and the device is useful in determining the presence of a osteoporosis.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for providing a measurement of the characteristic behavior of an acoustic wave in a bone of a subject. A preferred embodiment has a first assembly containing mounting means for mounting two transducers in spaced relationship with respect to the bone, and a second, hand-holdable assembly containing a display for displaying an output characterizing the behavior of the acoustic wave in the bone. In other embodiments of the invention, an acoustic signal propagated along a path through the bone is processed to determine the proximity of the path to an edge of the bone.

Abstract: The invention provides for ultrasonic methods, compositions and devices. particularly methods, compositions and devices that provide for reproducible positioning of the ultrasonic transducer(s) over an anatomic region using anatomic landmarks. The invention provides for improved interrogation devices that reproducibly position transducer(s) over an interrogation site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining important histological characteristics of tissue, including a determination of the tissue's health. Electrical pulses are converted into meaningful numerical representations through the use of Fourier Transforms. These numerical representations are then used to determine important histological characteristics of tissue. This novel invention does not require rectification and thus provides for detailed information from the ultrasonic scan.

Abstract: An ultrasonic bone testing apparatus has a foot well assembly and a shin guide assembly which are mechanically coupled to secure a foot and lower leg of patient. The shin guide assembly includes a molded form lined with contoured foam lining. An instep support guide having sliding blocks is mounted on the molded form. The sliding blocks attach the shin guide assembly to the foot well assembly. The apparatus further includes a transducer drive mechanism for positioning a pair of transducer assemblies. A controller automatically modifies the positioning of the transducer assemblies until ultrasonic coupling is achieved and a receiving transducer receives a signal of a predetermined quality. The distance between the transducers is continuously measured by a position encoder. The controller uses temperature readings from a temperature sensor to improve the accuracy of the position encoder measurements and correct for temperature dependent inaccuracy in the ultrasound measurement.

Abstract: At a measuring time, when at least one desired measurement category is selected from among a plurality of measurement categories associated with an ultrasonic image, at least one measurement item is selected from among a plurality of measurement items under the selected measurement category. Measurements corresponding to the selected measurement items are made sequentially. A title of those selected measurement items is inserted in a report. Since the title of those not-selected measurement items is not inserted in the report, there never occurs a situation in which the actually measured items and measurement results are buried in a vast number of measurement items, making it difficult to find them. That is, it is possible to minimize the number of pages and, by doing so, easily review the full actual measurement items one at a time on one screen or on one page and simply do this while being scrolled fewer times on a display screen or eye-scanning the pages of the report as required.

Abstract: A system for estimating the volume of fluid in the bladder sequentially scans the bladder with ultrasonic beams that section the bladder into a number of transverse planes. The system determines, from the scan lines associated with a given plane, a plurality of points on each of the front and back walls of the bladder. It then fits a curve to the set of front wall points and another curve to the set of back wall points, to determine an outline of the bladder in the plane. The system next calculates the cross sectional area of the bladder in the plane based on the two curves. After determining the area in each of the planes, the system determines the volume of the bladder by summing weighted version of the planar areas. The system includes a transducer that consists of a plurality of piezo-electric elements held in a relatively thin elastomeric pad and/or substrate that is acoustically impedance matched to skin.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a lateral locking hole of an intramedurally nail includes a targeting device. The targeting device has a support lever having a slider attached thereto. An ultrasonic probe is mounted at an lower end of the support lever. An ultrasonic wave is transmitted and received by a transceiver of the ultrasonic probe while moving the slider in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the intramedullary nail by a screw. The lateral locking hole of the intramedullary nail is detected of position by a height of echo of the ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of measuring layer thickness in an object comprising 1) transmitting at least a first and a second ultrasound pulse from at least a first and second position, 2) measuring at least one reflective distance from the first pulse and at least one reflective distance from the second pulse, wherein the reflective distance is from the object's external surface (or probe) to a reflective interface of at least one layer, 3) selecting the reflective distance having the shortest reflective distance to indicate the distance between the external surface (or probe surface) and the reflective interface of at least one layer, wherein the selecting of the shortest reflective distance reduces ultrasound transmission parallax of the first and second pulses relative to a plane in the object. Other ultrasound methods and devices are disclosed for measuring layer thickness in patients or subjects in need thereof, particularly subjects in need of fat or muscle measurement.

Abstract: A bone assessment apparatus for diagnosing bone by transmitting and receiving measuring waves (in particular ultrasonic waves) is provided. A body part (e.g. a foot) is gripped by a pair of transducer assemblies, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in this state. Each transducer assembly comprises an ultrasonic transducer and a coupler. The transverse cross-sectional area of the ultrasonic wave beam is adjusted by adjusting the contact area of the coupler on the body part, by changing the vibrating area of the ultrasonic transducer, or by fitting an attachment which narrows the ultrasonic wave beam to the transducer assembly. The transverse cross-sectional area of the ultrasonic wave beam may be changed depending on the size of the body part to be measured.

Abstract: A method of calibrating an ultrasound bone analysis apparatus having a pair of transducer assemblies. Each transducer assembly has a transducer and a coupling pad, and is movable relative to the other so that a face of each pad can be moved to a position in which they mutually contact and to a position where the faces contact body parts. The method according to the present application includes transmitting an ultrasound signal from one transducer and receiving a signal corresponding to the transmitted ultrasound signal through the other transducer when the transducer assemblies are in the first position and the second position. A time for the ultrasound signal to pass through the body part is determined, and a width of the body part based on positions of the transducers is determined. Then, using the time and width values a speed of sound of the ultrasound signal passing through the body part with squish compensation is calculated.

Abstract: A bone assessment apparatus for diagnosing bone by transmitting and receiving measuring waves (in particular ultrasonic waves) is provided. A body part (e.g. a foot) is gripped by a pair of transducer assemblies, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received in this state. Each transducer assembly comprises an ultrasonic transducer and a coupler. The transverse cross-sectional area of the ultrasonic wave beam is adjusted by adjusting the contact area of the coupler on the body part, by changing the vibrating area of the ultrasonic transducer, or by fitting an attachment which narrows the ultrasonic wave beam to the transducer assembly. The transverse cross-sectional area of the ultrasonic wave beam may be changed depending on the size of the body part to be measured.

Abstract: A method for the assessment of various properties of bone is provided. The method includes applying a pair of ultrasound transducers to skin on opposite sides of the bone and generating an ultrasound signal and directing the signal through both the bone and a known medium to obtain a bone output signal and a reference signal. The method further includes establishing a set of parameters associated with the bone output signal and a set of parameters associated with the reference signal and then subjecting the two sets of parameters to comparative analysis in order to obtain the desired bone property. An apparatus for the assessment of various properties of bone is also provided. The apparatus includes a pair of ultrasound transducers which may be single-element transducers or array transducers in any combination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring characteristics of meat, such as beef. More particularly, the invention uses quantitative analysis of ultrasonic A scan signals to measure the following characteristics of meat in real time: the percentage of intramuscular fat, the quality grade, the merit number, the depth of back fat and the approximate size of a predetermined rib eye area. The ultrasonic A scan signals are measured above the twelfth rib, above the thirteenth rib and between the twelfth and thirteenth ribs. The invention can be used with either live or processed animals.

Abstract: A method of real-time determination of variations in effective diameter of cranial blood vessels, thereby to provide an indication of migraine activity, which includes determining the blood flow rate to the brain of a subject; determining the intracranial blood flow rate in selected blood vessels; and comparing the intracranial blood flow rate with the determined blood flow rate to the brain thereby to determine a change in the intracranial blood flow rate relative to the blood flow rate to the brain, indicating a corresponding change in the effective diameter of the preselected blood vessel.

Abstract: A method for extracting anatomical M-Mode displays of tissue velocity information along arbitrary curved polygons that can track curved organs such as myocard is described. The generated images can display the temporal velocity variations in a curved organ such as myocard in a single view. Time delays between events can be measured from these images. Furthermore, the invention describes how the time delay of characteristic events in temporal velocity evolutions and information derived from these velocity evolutions can be integrated into spatial time delay images that show the spatial propagation of the selected phenomenon. The characteristic events include switch in velocity direction, peak velocity, peak acceleration and similar aspects of tissue thickening. These characteristic events will be almost angle independent even if the tissue velocity is estimated with a Doppler technique along the propagation direction of the ultrasound beam.

Abstract: A bone assessment apparatus for assessing bone by ultrasonic waves. A slider mechanism for supporting a platform is provided such that it is free to be given a parallel displacement. When a foot is placed on the platform and a pair of measuring units are brought close together, the platform starts to slide from when one of the units comes in contact with the foot. When the contact pressures of the two units are identical, the sliding motion stops. The center line of the foot is thereby made to coincide with the center line between transducers, and in this situation, ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received.

Abstract: An ultrasound system automatically measures fetal head size from ultrasound images. An ultrasound image of the fetal head is detected. A radial maxima point is identified on each of a plurality of radii extending from a substantially common vertex point within the fetal head image. Each radial maxima point corresponds to an ultrasound sample along its corresponding radius, and has a maximum ultrasound echo strength. Outlier points are removed and the curve filtered to derive an initial fetal head boundary. An inner fetal head boundary and outer fetal head boundary are derived from the initial fetal head boundary and a predetermined fetal skull thickness, and fetal head size is computed from the inner fetal head boundary and the outer fetal head boundary. Processing is allocated among multiprocessors and performed in pipeline fashion to enable real-time interactive imaging and measuring.

Abstract: A method for assessment of bone properties utilizing a new set of ultrasound parameters comprises passing ultrasonic signal through a bone tissue, modeling an output signal and a reference output signal and subjecting said parameters of the models to comparative analysis. Some of the new ultrasound parameters can be determined using analog processing techniques. An apparatus is also disclosed for practicing this method with one embodiment utilizing multi-element, two-dimensional array transducers. In conjunction with said array transducers, a synthetic aperture array mode is also disclosed.

Abstract: Osterporosis apparatus for measuring ultrasonic characteristic(s) of a patient's bone includes two ultrasonic transducers spacedly arranged in a respective head in the apparatus for ultrasonic transmission from one to the other; circuitry for controlling transmission from the one transducer, measuring the reception at the other and providing an output indicative of the ultrasonic characteristic(s), the apparatus including a fluid system having two diaphragms arranged in the respective heads so that there is a fluid path from each transducer to its diaphragm and a gap between the diaphragms which is occupied in use by the patient's bone.

Abstract: A method of ultrasonic bone-therapy subjects a bone to an ultrasonic excitation pulse signal of finite duration, supplied to a transducer next to the bone, and involving a sinusoidal signal in the ultrasonic region to approximately 2 MHz peculiarly modulated by a sinusoidal signal with frequency between about 0 Hz and about 25 kHz; the excitation signal is repeated in the range of 1 to 5000 Hz. The exposure time for therapy is chosen to be in the range of 5 minutes to 1 hour, for 1 to 3 times a day, for a period of days as necessary for healing or for promoting bone growth and ingrowth. An apparatus for implementing the above method for ultrasonic bone therapy is disclosed comprising a transducer having a transmitting and a receiving element, a special waveform signal generator, and a computer for performing the necessary operations defining a preferred treatment regime.