Apparatuses, systems, and methods for preclinical ultrasound imaging of subjects are provided. In one aspect, the apparatus can include a platform on which a subject is positionable and at least one motion stage for controlling a spatial position of at least one ultrasound transducer relative to the platform in order to acquire ultrasound image data of the subject. Methods for preclinical ultrasound raster scanning of at least one organ or tissue in a subject are also provided, where the at least one organ or tissue is a heart.

Intelligent multi-scale image parsing determines the optimal size of each observation by an artificial agent at a given point in time while searching for the anatomical landmark. The artificial agent begins searching image data with a coarse field-of-view and iteratively decreases the field-of-view to locate the anatomical landmark. After searching at a coarse field-of view, the artificial agent increases resolution to a finer field-of-view to analyze context and appearance factors to converge on the anatomical landmark. The artificial agent determines applicable context and appearance factors at each effective scale.

Embodiments described herein include apparatus that includes an electrical interface and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, via the electrical interface, a first signal that indicates a time-varying force that was applied to a portion of tissue, and one or more second signals that are derived from ultrasound reflections received from the portion of tissue. The processor is further configured to learn, from the first signal and the second signals, a dependency of a thickness of the portion of tissue on the force applied to the portion of tissue. Other embodiments are also described.

A framework for image-based probe positioning is disclosed herein. The framework receives a current image from a probe. The current image is acquired by the probe within a structure of interest. The framework predicts a position of the probe and generates a recommendation of a next maneuver to be performed using the probe by applying the current image to a trained classifier. The framework then outputs the predicted position and the recommendation of the next maneuver.

Disclosed are devices, systems, and methods for determining the dipole densities on heart walls. In particular, a triangularization of the heart wall is performed in which the dipole density of each of multiple regions correlate to the potential measured at various located within the associated chamber of the heart. To create a database of dipole densities, mapping information recorded by multiple electrodes located on one or more catheters and anatomical information is used. In addition, skin electrodes may be implemented. Additionally, one or more ultrasound elements are provided, such as on a clamp assembly or integral to a mapping electrode, to produce real time images of device components and surrounding structures.

The disclosure herein relates to systems, methods, and devices for medical image analysis, diagnosis, risk stratification, decision making and/or disease tracking. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are configured to analyze non-invasive medical images of a subject to automatically and/or dynamically identify one or more features, such as plaque and vessels, and/or derive one or more quantified plaque parameters, such as radiodensity, radiodensity composition, volume, radiodensity heterogeneity, geometry, location, perform computational fluid dynamics analysis, facilitate assessment of risk of heart disease and coronary artery disease, enhance drug development, determine a CAD risk factor goal, provide atherosclerosis and vascular morphology characterization, and determine indication of myocardial risk, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are further configured to generate one or more assessments of plaque-based diseases from raw medical images using one or more of the identified features and/or quantified parameters.

An ultrasound catheter and an ultrasound catheter system that can acquire an image of an observation target with high accuracy when inserted into a large inner lumen. An ultrasound catheter includes: an outer sheath having an accommodation lumen; an inner sheath that can move along an axis; a drive shaft that can rotate in the inner sheath and the outer sheath; and a transducer that is disposed in the accommodation lumen and fixed to a distal end of the drive shaft. The outer sheath includes a first bent portion bent and shaped in advance at a predetermined angle on a proximal side of a most distal end of the accommodation lumen, and a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion positioned on a distal side of the first bent portion and on the proximal side of the most distal end of the accommodation lumen.

A system for ablating or monitoring a zone of the heart, includes a system to measure the heart electrical activity; a phased array for generating a beam of focussed ultrasound signals on a targeted zone of the heart; an imaging system determining an image of a transcostal wall projected in an image plane of the phased array by taking into consideration a position and direction of the phased array and making it possible to deactivate elements of the phased array in accordance with the position of the elements with regard to the position of the projected image of the transcostal wall; a positioning system to control the position of a focussed zone of a beam of focussed ultrasound signals on the targeted zone, a monitoring system to measure a temperature and tissue deformation in the targeted zone; and a device for measuring a level of cavitation in the targeted zone.

A medical image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry configured to generate an output data set apparently expressing a second data set obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound wave, for each scanning line, as many times as a second number that is larger than a first number, by inputting a first data set to a trained model that generates the output data set on a basis of the first data set obtained by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound wave as many times as the first number for each scanning line.

An imaging device includes a two dimensional array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric layer; a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer and configured to receive a transmit signal during a transmit mode and develop an electrical charge during a receive mode; and a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and a first conductor, wherein the first top electrodes of a portion of the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the two dimensional array are electrically coupled to the first conductor.