Ultrasound imaging methods for identifying an anatomical feature of a spine are described. In an embodiment, the method comprises: receiving a transverse ultrasound image of a portion of the spine; extracting features of the portion of the spine from the image based on a distinct pattern associated with the anatomical feature of the spine; identifying a midline of the portion of the spine in the image; extracting midline features using pixel intensity values of the image; and identifying, based on a combination of the extracted features of the portion of the spine and the extracted midline features, the anatomical feature in the image. In another embodiment, the method comprises: receiving a paramedian sagittal ultrasound image of a portion of the spine; identifying morphological features of the image; and determining if the portion of the spine includes a sacrum using a Support Vector Machine classifier.

A method for intraoperatively planning and facilitating a revision arthroplasty procedure. The method includes capturing positions of a tracked probe as the tracked probe contacts an interface area between a bone and a primary implant component implanted on the bone, intraoperatively generating a virtual boundary corresponding to a portion of the interface area to be removed to detach the primary implant component from the bone using the positions of the tracked probe and without use of pre-operative medical imaging, facilitating removal of the primary implant component from the bone by providing a constraint on operation of a cutting tool while the cutting tool removes the portion of the interface area, the constraint based on a relationship between the cutting tool and the virtual boundary.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe medical device placement, including devices, systems and methods for placing catheters, such as epidural catheters, or other medical devices, such as needles, using a guide on a sterile ultrasound sheath.

Disclosed is a method for characterising an object, comprising: emission of ultrasonic waves that enter an object by passing through an external interface, then reflect off an internal interface, then exit the object by passing through the external interface again, the ultrasonic waves comprising first waves having a mode that varies according to a first variation during their propagation in the object, and second waves having a mode that varies according to a second variation during their propagation in the object; reception of echo signals comprising first signals representing echoes of the first waves, and second signals representing echoes of the second waves, construction of a plurality of images showing the object, the plurality of images being constructed from the echo signals, under the assumption that two characteristics of the object are equal to two candidate values, and comprising a first image constructed from the first signals, and a second constructed from the second signals; construction of a composite image from the plurality of images; calculation of a focus metric in the composite image and, depending on the metric, selection or not of the two candidate values as values of the two characteristics. These characteristics can be used, in particular, to estimate a thickness of the object between the two interfaces.

Described herein is an implantable device configured to detect impedance characteristic of a tissue. In certain exemplary devices, the implantable device comprises (a) an ultrasonic transducer configured to emit an ultrasonic backscatter encoding information relating to an impedance characteristic of a tissue based on a modulated current flowing through the ultrasonic transducer; (b) an integrated circuit comprising (i) a variable frequency power supply electrically connected to a first electrode and a second electrode; (ii) a signal detector configured to detect an impedance, voltage, or current in a circuit comprising the variable frequency power supply, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the tissue; and (iii) a modulation circuit configured to modulate the current flowing through the ultrasonic transducer based on the detected impedance, voltage, or current; and the first electrode and the second electrode configured to be implanted into the tissue in electrical connection with each other through the tissue. Further described are systems including one or more implantable devices and an interrogator for operating the implantable device, methods of measuring impedance characteristic of a tissue in a subject, and methods of monitoring or characterizing a tissue in a subject.

During acquisition of an ultrasound image feed, ultrasound control data frames are acquired that may be interspersed amongst the ultrasound data frames. The control data frames may use consistent reference scan parameters, irrespective of the scanner settings, and may not need to be converted to image frames. The control data frames can be passed to an artificial intelligence model, which predicts the suitable settings for scanning the anatomy that is being scanned. The artificial intelligence model can be trained with a dataset containing different classes of ultrasound control data frames for different settings, where substantially all the ultrasound control data frames in the dataset are consistently acquired using the reference scan parameters.

A dual-mode ultrasound system provides real-time imaging and therapy delivery using a transducer array. The system may use various imaging modes to provide image data that may be used to select control points within an imaging field of view. The control points along with the image data may be used to solve an optimization problem to achieve desired focusing gains at one or more of the control points. The optimized solution may be used to produce excitation waveforms to generate new image data. The focusing gains may be evaluated and the optimization problem may be iterated until desired focusing gains are achieved. Virtual arrays may be defined and cascaded to provide flexibility in solving the optimization problem.

A computer-implemented method for visualization of an elongated anatomical structure (20), for example of a fetal spine using ultrasound is provided. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of 3D ultrasound image volumes, each image volume depicting at least a portion of an elongated anatomical structure (20); on each 3D ultrasound image volume, automatically or semi-automatically fitting a parametric curve (30) to the depicted portion of the elongated anatomical structure, the parametric curve being defined by curve parameters; reformatting each 3D ultrasound image volume by applying a transformation which straightens the parametric curve along at least one axis, so as to generate a plurality of reformatted image volumes and reformatted parametric curves (32, 34); registering the reformatted image volumes with one another by determining the joining point of their respective parametric curves; and fusing the reformatted image volumes with one another to yield a fused image depicting the whole elongated anatomical structure or a larger portion thereof than the 3D ultrasound image volumes.

A probe includes a working channel, at least one optical element provided in the working channel and configured to acquire a spectral image of surface information of an object, and an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the working channel and configured to acquire an ultrasonic image of depth information of the target and move with respect to the at least one optical element.

The present disclosure provides implants, sensor modules, networks, and methods configured to establish transcutaneous power and transcutaneous bidirectional data communication using ultrasound signals between two or more medical devices located on and within a body of a patient.