A device, system, and method for volumetric ultrasound imaging is described. The device and system include an array of transducer elements grouped in triangular planar facets and substantially configured in the shape of a hemisphere to form a cup-shaped volumetric imaging region within the cavity of the hemisphere, A plurality of data-acquisition assemblies are connected to the transducers, which are configured to collect ultrasound signals received from the transducers and transmit image data to a network of processors that are configured to construct a volumetric image of an object within the imaging region based on the image data received from the data-acquisition assemblies.

An ultrasound device (1) for carrying out a breast diagnostic examination for breast cancer diagnosis, comprising two ultrasound probes, characterized in that each of said probes comprises: a first array of piezoelectric transducers with a first nominal frequency (f1), and a second array of piezoelectric transducers with a second nominal frequency (f2), the probes being arranged opposite to each other, being configured to rotate along a circular trajectory having for center the midpoint of the segment connecting them and to slide to each other along said straight line connecting them, coming in contact with the breast of the patient from diametrically opposite portions, in that the arrays comprise each a plurality of piezoelectric transducers, positioned so that acquisitions are carried out on a plane of acquisition orthogonal to the plane of the circular trajectory.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a control method of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that enable a user to easily use information stored in a tag of an ultrasound image are provided. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (1) displays an ultrasound image on which a breast schema image showing a position of an ultrasound probe (2) in imaging is superimposed, and includes a text information conversion unit (17) that converts the position of the ultrasound probe (2) plotted on the breast schema image into text information, and a text information storage unit (18) that stores the text information converted by the text information conversion unit (17) in a tag attached to the ultrasound image.

In an ultrasonic CT device for breast examination, unevenness of an ultrasonic image due to a distribution of inclination angles of a breast is reduced. The distribution of the inclination angles of a surface of a subject in a contour of the subject is obtained from a tomographic image, and a signal level of a reception signal or a pixel value of the tomographic image is corrected using the distribution of the inclination angles.

An acoustic wave apparatus is used, the apparatus comprising: a supporting member supporting an examinee and having insertion opening; a subject holding member holding the subject; a transducer array including transducers and being distant from the subject holding member; a load acquiring unit acquiring a load value applied between the supporting member and the subject holding member based on an amount of deformation of the subject holding member; a memory unit storing a first load reference value determined based on the amount of deformation of the subject holding member and an area applied with the load when the subject holding member and the transducer array come into contact with each other; a comparing and determining; and an interlock controlling unit.

To provide an ultrasonic CT apparatus that can change an inclination of a side surface of a breast such that an ultrasonic wave is incident on a surface of an entire circumference of the breast at an angle close to perpendicular, and that has less psychological burden on a subject. A container provided with an opening to which the breast is inserted is disposed below a bed provided with a through hole to which the breast of the subject is inserted. In the container, a member that propagates or transmits the ultrasonic wave is disposed, and the member is relatively pressed against a side surface or a nipple portion of the breast such that an inclination of the side surface of the breast is close to perpendicular. A transducer array emits the ultrasonic wave around the breast with the inclination of the side surface being close to perpendicular.

A tissue positioning system for contouring a patient tissue volume includes an axially displaceable interface having a surface configured to engage a breast or other tissue volume. A low pressure source applies a partial low pressure to the surface of the displaceable interface to secure the tissue volume to the surface, and the axially displaceable interface is biased to pull and contour the tissue volume when the tissue volume is secured to the surface. The axially displaceable interface is typically mounted on a telescoping support and the biasing is provided by the same low pressure used to secure the tissue volume.

An ultrasonic photoacoustic tomography system includes a mirror arrangement configured to redirect an incoming light beam defining a central axis such that the mirror arrangement reflects the incoming light beam to form a converging ring-shaped light beam. This converging ring-shaped light beam directs light originating from the incoming light beam radially inward covering a 360 circumferential range around the central axis. A closed-geometry acoustic detector is configured to pick up reactive sound waves from tissue irradiated by the converging ring-shaped light beam over the 360 circumferential range.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and a control method of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that enable a user to clearly check whether or not a breast of a subject is sufficiently scanned are provided. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a sensor 4 that detects an inclined angle or a height position of the ultrasound probe 2, an image generation unit 13 that generates an ultrasound image based on a reception signal obtained by scanning a subject using, a scanning detection unit 16 that detects a start point and an end point of scanning of the breast of the subject with the ultrasound probe along one direction based on the inclined angle or the height position of the ultrasound probe 2, and a scanning completion determination unit 17 that determines whether scanning complying with a determined scanning pattern is completed or not completed by performing image analysis on an ultrasound image generated from a reception signal at the start point and on an ultrasound image generated from a reception signal at the end point.

Breast imaging ultrasound systems and methods are described. In an embodiment, a method for ultrasound imaging of a body includes: scanning a target volume in the body with an ultrasound transducer having a fixed focal number (FN); acquiring ultrasonic images of portions of the target volume, wherein the acquired images have the same voxel resolution; processing the ultrasonic images; and determining a 3D image of the target volume.