Devices, systems, and methods are provided for image-guided interventional procedures and other uses. Nested articulated catheter shaft systems may have an imaging catheter with an ultrasound transducer supported by a fluid-driven articulated sheath portion. Drive fluid can be transmitted distally along an asymmetric sheath via eccentric passages to an articulated portion of the imaging catheter distal of a port. An articulated shaft supporting a therapeutic tool can be advanced within a working lumen of the imaging sheath to the port so that the tool is within a field of view of the transducer. The fluid transmission channels may take much less cross-sectional area of the sheath than a mechanical pull-wire system, allowing the nested sheath/shaft system to provide safer access to a chamber of the heart and to facilitate precise independent control over 3D ultrasound imaging and image-guided structural heart therapies or the like.

A system and method is provided for obtaining ultrasound images of an interior of an object that includes an image processing unit that receives and processes acquired ultrasound scan data to create ultrasound images derived from ultrasound image data, a motion detection system configured to detect a pattern of inactivity time frames within movement cycles of the object and an ultrasound imaging probe operably connected to the image processing unit to acquire the ultrasound scan data for use by the image processing unit to form the ultrasound images. The motion detection system detects a pattern of one or more inactivity time frames within a first cycle of movement of the object, obtains ultrasound volumetric scan data of the object during the inactivity time frame within a second cycle of movement of the object, and calibrates a location of a scan plane of the ultrasound image within the volumetric ultrasound image.

A method of generating a 3D ultrasound image includes acquiring a 3D volumetric data set corresponding to a 3D imaging volume of an ultrasound probe in a 3D detection volume; acquiring a position of the ultrasound probe with respect to the 3D detection volume; acquiring a position of an interventional medical device with respect to the 3D detection volume; determining a position of the interventional medical device relative to the 3D imaging volume of the ultrasound probe; determining an interventional medical device-aligned plane that intersects with a longitudinal axis of the interventional medical device; extracting a texture slice from the 3D imaging volume for a corresponding interventional medical device-aligned plane positional and rotational orientation; mapping the texture slice onto the interventional medical device-aligned plane; and rendering the interventional medical device-aligned plane as a 3D ultrasound image and displaying the rendered 3D ultrasound image on a display screen.

The present disclosure describes an ultrasound imaging system configured to identify a scan line pattern for imaging an object or feature thereof. The system may include a controller that controls a probe for imaging a volume of a subject by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals in accordance with a plurality of scan line patterns. One or more processors communicating with the probe may generate a plurality of image data sets based on the signals received at the probe, each data set corresponding to a discrete scan line pattern. These data sets are assessed for a target characteristic specific to the object targeted for imaging. One the data set that includes the target characteristic is identified, the one or more processors select the scan line pattern that corresponds the identified image data set. This scan line pattern may then be used for subsequent imaging of the volume to view the object.

A device and system for and methods of using an ultrasound probe housing containing ultrasound probes configured to produce images inside the body of a patient for procedures requiring needle or probe insertion. The ultrasound probe housing can be configured with a guide channel cut-out or aperture between the ambient side and body side of a patient. A needle guide assembly may be pivotally connect internal to the guide channel cut-out or aperture of the ultrasound probe housing at a pivot point such that during use the needle enters the patient through the needle guide assembly within the ultrasonic probe housing so that the needle can be visualized by the ultrasonic probes in real time. The ultrasound probe housing may also provide an adhesion or suction quality to the body side of the device to facilitate aspects of the invention.

The present disclosure includes a method of diagnosing a condition of bodily tissue using a computer, the method comprising comparing, using a computer, a 3D tissue model derived from an ultrasound scan of the bodily tissue with at least one 3D tissue model having common tissue with the bodily tissue, and diagnosing a condition of the bodily tissue responsive to comparing the 3D tissue models.

A system and method for capturing ultrasound signals from a hemispheric imaging region (e.g., by a stationary array of transducer elements arranged in the shape of a faceted hemisphere) and estimating scattering measurements that would be made by a virtual array in the opposite hemisphere (e.g., by a network of processors that receive and process the transmitted ultrasound signals in parallel) by forming an initial estimate of a medium variation for each of a plurality of subvolumes in the scattering object to form an estimated object, calculating residual scattering by using a difference between a scattering response calculated for the estimated object and measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object, forming an initial three-dimensional image of the scattering object, and extrapolating a difference between the scattering response calculated for the estimated object and the measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object.

Provided are a CEUS imaging method, an ultrasound imaging apparatus and a storage medium. The method includes: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit an ultrasonic wave to a target tissue containing a contrast agent, receive an echo of the ultrasonic wave, and acquire a first contrast data and a first tissue data in real time based on the echo of the ultrasonic wave, the first contrast data and the first tissue data being volumetric data; rendering a second contrast data and a second tissue data in real time to acquire a hybrid rendered image of the second contrast data and the second tissue data, the second contrast data containing all or part data of the first contrast data, and the second tissue data containing all or part data of the first tissue data; and displaying the hybrid rendered image in real time. The CEUS imaging method and the ultrasound imaging apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure help users more intuitively understand and observe the real-time spatial position relationship of a contrast agent in tissues, and further acquire more clinical information.

A method is provided for measuring or estimating stress distributions on heart valve leaflets by obtaining three-dimensional images of the heart valve leaflets, segmenting the heart valve leaflets in the three-dimensional images by capturing locally varying thicknesses of the heart valve leaflets in three-dimensional image data to generate an image-derived patient-specific model of the heart valve leaflets, and applying the image-derived patient-specific model of the heart valve leaflets to a finite element analysis (FEA) algorithm to estimate stresses on the heart valve leaflets. The images of the heart valve leaflets may be obtained using real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography (rt-3DTEE). Volumetric images of the mitral valve at mid-systole may be analyzed by user-initialized segmentation and 3D deformable modeling with continuous medial representation to obtain, a compact representation of shape. The regional leaflet stress distributions may be predicted in normal and diseased (regurgitant) mitral valves using the techniques of the invention.

A system and method for automatically setting an elevational tilt angle of a mechanically wobbling ultrasound probe is provided. The method includes acquiring, by a mechanically wobbling ultrasound probe of an ultrasound system, an ultrasound volume of a region of interest. The method includes analyzing, by at least one processor of the ultrasound system, the ultrasound volume to identify an ultrasound image slice depicting an anatomical object of interest. The ultrasound image slice corresponds with an elevational tilt angle. The method includes setting, by the at least one processor, the mechanically wobbling ultrasound probe to the elevational tilt angle corresponding with the ultrasound image slice depicting the anatomical object of interest. The method includes acquiring, by the mechanically wobbling ultrasound probe, a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image at the elevational tilt angle. The method includes causing, by the at least one processor, a display system to present the 2D ultrasound image.