A method (40) for determining a target speed of sound inside a target region of a medium using an ultrasound imaging system. The method comprises the steps of determining a position of an interface in the medium, determining a first speed of sound of an intermediate region above the interface, and determining a target speed of sound inside a target region below the interface based on at least some of sensed signals and taking into account the position of the interface and the first speed of sound.

Various methods and systems are provided for a guided at-home ultrasound imaging session. In one example, a system for ultrasonically scanning a tissue sample includes a hand-held ultrasound probe including a transducer array of transducer elements, a probe position tracking device including one or more position sensors coupled to the ultrasound probe, and a controller. The controller is configured to, during an imaging session, determine a position of the ultrasound probe relative to a target position based on position data collected by the probe position tracking device, and responsive to an indication that the ultrasound probe is at the target position, acquire image data with the transducer array.

Methods and systems for treating skin, such as stretch marks through deep tissue tightening with ultrasound are provided. An exemplary method and system comprise a therapeutic ultrasound system configured for providing ultrasound treatment to a shallow tissue region, such as a region comprising an epidermis, a dermis or a deep dermis. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a therapeutic ultrasound system can be configured to achieve depth with a conformal selective deposition of ultrasound energy without damaging an intervening tissue. In addition, a therapeutic ultrasound can also be configured in combination with ultrasound imaging or imaging/monitoring capabilities, either separately configured with imaging, therapy and monitoring systems or any level of integration thereof.

Provided is a non-invasive system and method of determining pennation angle and/or fascicle length based on image processing. An ultrasound scan image is processed to facilitate distinguishing of muscle fiber and tendon. The processed ultrasound scan image is then analyzed. The pennation angle and/or fascicle length is determined based on the analysis. An example method includes receiving an ultrasound scan image of at least a portion of a skin layer as disposed above one or more additional tissue layers, the image provided by a plurality of pixels. The method continues by introducing noise into the pixels of the image and thresholding the pixels of the image to provide a binary image having a plurality of structural elements of different sizes. The method continues with morphing the structural elements of the binary image to remove small structural elements and connect large structural elements. With this resulting image, the method distinguishes muscle fiber and tendon from remaining elements and determines the pennation angle and/or the fascicle length from the muscle fiber and the tendon. Associated apparatuses and computer program products are also disclosed.

A method for quantifying viscoelasticity of a medium includes: obtaining a position-time graph of vibration propagation after the medium is subjected to a vibration excitation, determining an angle with maximum signal energy in the position-time graph by using angle projection, where the angle with the maximum signal energy corresponds to a slope of the position-time graph and the slope of the position-time graph is the propagation velocity of the vibration in the medium. Since the propagation velocity of the vibration in the medium is related to the viscoelasticity of the medium, a viscoelasticity parameter of the medium can be quantitatively calculated after the slope of the position-time graph is obtained. The method does not need to select a feature point from the position-time graph to calculate the slope of the position-time graph, and can efficiently and accurately quantifies viscoelasticity of the medium.

Ablation apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an ablation electrode shaped to define a cavity thereof, and comprising a metallic distal face that is shaped to define a plurality of apertures. A fluid-delivery channel is configured to deliver fluid to the apertures. At least one ultrasound transducer is disposed within the cavity of the ablation electrode, the transducer being configured to transmit an ultrasound wave through the apertures. Other embodiments are also described.

A method for assisted reading of automated ultrasound image volumes includes receiving a plurality of scan images generated from an imaging device, wherein the plurality of scan images comprises a chest wall region. The method further includes determining a chest wall model representative of the chest wall region based on the plurality of scan images. The method also includes determining a plurality of segmented scan images segmented along the chest wall region based on the chest wall model. In addition, the method includes determining lesion information using an automated lesion detection technique applied to the plurality of segmented scan images. The method also includes displaying the plurality of scan images along with at least one of the lesion information and the chest wall model.

Methods for treating skin and subcutaneous tissue with energy such as ultrasound energy are disclosed. In various embodiments, ultrasound energy is applied at a region of interest to affect tissue by cutting, ablating, micro-ablating, coagulating, or otherwise affecting the subcutaneous tissue to conduct numerous procedures that are traditionally done invasively in a non-invasive manner. Methods of lifting sagging tissue are described.

A method for diagnosing a joint condition includes in one embodiment: creating a 3d model of the patient specific bone; registering the patient's bone with the bone model; tracking the motion of the patient specific bone through a range of motion; selecting a database including empirical mathematical descriptions of the motion of a plurality actual bones through ranges of motion; and comparing the motion of the patient specific bone to the database.

An ultrasound imaging system for guiding a user to acquire ultrasound image data sets that can be analyzed for the presence of atherosclerosis. In one embodiment, the processor is programmed to analyze ultrasound image data for a vessel of interest and to control a user interface that suggests how an operator should move a transducer to acquire ultrasound image data with the vessel of interest in a desired location. The processor stores multiple ultrasound image data sets taken along a length of the vessel of interest to be analyzed for the presence of an atheroma.