The present invention provides improved methods and systems for generating enhanced images of a volume of tissue. In an aspect, the method comprises receiving from a transducer, a plurality of acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms transmitted through the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a first reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the first reflection rendering comprising a first distribution of reflection values across a region of the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a sound speed rendering that characterizes sound speed, the sound speed rendering comprising a distribution of sound speed values across the region; generating from the sound speed rendering, a second reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the second reflection rendering comprising a second distribution of reflection values across the region; and rendering one or more combined images, based on the first reflection rendering and the second reflection rendering.

The present invention provides improved methods and systems for generating enhanced images of a volume of tissue. In an aspect, the method comprises receiving from a transducer, a plurality of acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms transmitted through the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a first reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the first reflection rendering comprising a first distribution of reflection values across a region of the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a sound speed rendering that characterizes sound speed, the sound speed rendering comprising a distribution of sound speed values across the region; generating from the sound speed rendering, a second reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the second reflection rendering comprising a second distribution of reflection values across the region; and rendering one or more combined images, based on the first reflection rendering and the second reflection rendering.

Synthetic-aperture ultrasound tomography systems and methods using scanning arrays and algorithms configured to simultaneously acquire ultrasound transmission and reflection data, and process the data for improved ultrasound tomography imaging, wherein the tomography imaging comprises total-variation regularization, or a modified total variation regularization, particularly with edge-guided or spatially variant regularization.

Synthetic-aperture ultrasound tomography systems and methods using scanning arrays and algorithms configured to simultaneously acquire ultrasound transmission and reflection data, and process the data for improved ultrasound tomography imaging, wherein the tomography imaging comprises total-variation regularization, or a modified total variation regularization, particularly with edge-guided or spatially variant regularization.

Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for acquiring and providing information about orthopedic features of a body using acoustic energy. In some aspects, an acoustic orthopedic tracking system includes portable acoustic transducers to obtain orthopedic position information for feeding the information to an orthopedic surgical system for surgical operations.

Provided is an ultrasound system including an ultrasound probe and an image display device. The ultrasound probe includes: a transducer array, a transmitting and receiving unit that generates a sound ray signal on the basis of a reception signal from the transducer array; an image information data generation unit that generates image information data from the sound ray signal; and a probe-side wireless communication unit that transmits the image information data to the image display device. The image display device includes: an operating state acquisition unit that acquires an operating state of the image display device; and a display-device-side wireless communication unit that transmits the operating state to the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe includes at least one of an ultrasound transmission and reception control unit that controls transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves on the basis of the operating state of the image display device or an output format setting unit that sets an output format of the image information data on the basis of the operating state of the image display device.

Provided is an ultrasound system including an ultrasound probe and an image display device. The ultrasound probe includes: a transducer array, a transmitting and receiving unit that generates a sound ray signal on the basis of a reception signal from the transducer array; an image information data generation unit that generates image information data from the sound ray signal; and a probe-side wireless communication unit that transmits the image information data to the image display device. The image display device includes: an operating state acquisition unit that acquires an operating state of the image display device; and a display-device-side wireless communication unit that transmits the operating state to the ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe includes at least one of an ultrasound transmission and reception control unit that controls transmission and reception of the ultrasonic waves on the basis of the operating state of the image display device or an output format setting unit that sets an output format of the image information data on the basis of the operating state of the image display device.

An ultrasonic imaging system including an array transducer that includes a plurality of elements each performing at least one of emission or reception of ultrasonic waves, at least some of the plurality of elements being disposed so as to face each other. The ultrasonic imaging system performs malfunction inspection including specifying one emitting element among emitting elements that emit ultrasonic waves and a group of receiving elements that are at least some of the plurality of elements and that receive transmitted waves emitted from the emitting element and transmitted through an imaging region; collecting measurement data of the transmitted waves via the group of receiving elements while switching the emitting element; calculating transfer characteristic values from the measurement data; and detecting a malfunctioning element among the plurality of elements on the basis of the transfer characteristic values.

Method for ultrasonic characterization of a medium, comprising generating a series of incident ultrasonic waves, generating an experimental reflection matrix R.sub.ui(t) defined between the emission basis (i) as input and a reception basis (u) as output, and determining a focused reflection matrix RFoc(r.sub.in, r.sub.out, δt) of the medium between an input virtual transducer (TV.sub.in) calculated based on a focusing as input to the experimental reflection matrix and an output virtual transducer (TV.sub.out) calculated based on a focusing as output from the experimental reflection matrix, the responses of the output virtual transducer (TV.sub.out) being obtained at a time instant that is shifted by an additional delay δt relative to a time instant of the responses of the input virtual transducer (TV.sub.in).

Method for ultrasonic characterization of a medium, comprising generating a series of incident ultrasonic waves, generating an experimental reflection matrix R.sub.ui(t) defined between the emission basis (i) as input and a reception basis (u) as output, and determining a focused reflection matrix RFoc(r.sub.in, r.sub.out, δt) of the medium between an input virtual transducer (TV.sub.in) calculated based on a focusing as input to the experimental reflection matrix and an output virtual transducer (TV.sub.out) calculated based on a focusing as output from the experimental reflection matrix, the responses of the output virtual transducer (TV.sub.out) being obtained at a time instant that is shifted by an additional delay δt relative to a time instant of the responses of the input virtual transducer (TV.sub.in).