A61B8/5269

DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR HEMISPHERIC BREAST IMAGING
20230210494 · 2023-07-06 ·

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.

Apparatus and methods for detecting increase in brain swelling and/or shifting
11690591 · 2023-07-04 · ·

The disclosed subject matter related to methods and apparatus for determining brain swelling and brain shifting in a patient as well as predicting a possible resultant increase in intracranial pressure in the patient. The apparatus can include a transducer such as an ultrasound transducer communicatively connected to a controller via wires or via wireless communications device(s). A monitor and/or alarm device can be provided to notify a practitioner when the controller has determined brain swelling is occurring and/or when an imminent increase in intracranial pressure is likely to occur.

Ultrasonic cardiac assessment of hearts with medial axis curvature and transverse eccentricity

An ultrasonic imaging system produces more diagnostic cardiac images of the left ventricle by plotting the longitudinal medial axis of the chamber between the apex and mitral valve plane as a curved line evenly spaced between the opposite walls of the myocardium. Transverse image planes are positioned orthogonal to the curved medial axis with control points positioned in the short axis view on lines evenly spaced around and emanating from the medial axis. If the short axis view is of an oval shaped chamber the transverse image is stretched to give the heart a more rounded appearance resulting in better positioning of editing control points.

Re-training a model for abnormality detection in medical scans based on a re-contrasted training set

A method includes generating first contrast significance data for a first computer vision model generated from a first training set of medical scans. First significant contrast parameters are identified based on the first contrast significance data. A first re-contrasted training set is generated based on performing a first intensity transformation function on the first training set of medical scans, where the first intensity transformation function utilizes the first significant contrast parameters. A first re-trained model is generated from the first re-contrasted training set, which is associated with corresponding output labels based on abnormality data for the first training set of medical scans. Re-contrasted image data of a new medical scan is generated based on performing the first intensity transformation function. Inference data indicating at least one abnormality detected in the new medical scan is generated based on utilizing the first re-trained model on the re-contrasted image data.

ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND RECORDING MEDIUM
20230000470 · 2023-01-05 · ·

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment is configured to implement an ultrasound beamforming method by which, among a plurality of reception signals output from a plurality of elements, reception signals from mutually-different elements are multiplied by each other, so that signals obtained as results of the multiplications are added together. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to the embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate a weight coefficient on the basis of a correlation between the multiplied reception signals. The processing circuitry is configured to apply the weight coefficient to the signals obtained as the results of the multiplications.

Ultrasound system and method for correcting motion-induced misalignment in image fusion

The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods, which may enable the automatic identification of an image plane in a pre-operative volume corresponding to a real-time image of a moving region of interest. An example method includes receiving real-time ultrasound image data from a probe associated with a position-tracking sensor, generating real-time images based on the real-time ultrasound data and deriving a motion model from the real-time ultrasound image data. The method may further include automatically identifying an image plane in a pre-operative data set to correspond to the real-time ultrasound image by correcting for motion-induced misalignment between the real-time data and the pre-operative data.

Shear wave amplitude reconstruction for tissue elasticity monitoring and display

The present disclosure describes ultrasound systems and methods configured to determine the elasticity of a target tissue. Systems can include an ultrasound transducer configured to acquire echoes responsive to ultrasound pulses transmitted toward the tissue, which may include a region of increased stiffness. Systems can also include a beamformer configured to control the transducer to transmit a push pulse into the tissue, thereby generating a shear wave in the region of increased stiffness. The beamformer can be configured to control the transducer to emit tracking pulses adjacent to the push pulse. Systems can further include a processor configured to determine a displacement amplitude of the shear wave and based on the amplitude, generate a qualitative tissue elasticity map of the tissue. The processor can combine the qualitative map with a quantitative map of the same tissue, and based on the combination, determine a boundary of the region of increased stiffness.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVE CONTRAST IMAGING

Systems and methods for generating adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images are disclosed. A point spread function thinning/skeletonization technique may be performed on contrast enhanced image frames. An aggressiveness parameter of the technique may be adapted temporally and/or spatially. The aggressiveness parameter may be adapted based on various factors, including, but not limited to, time since injection of the contrast agent, signal intensity, and/or vessel size. The images may be temporally accumulated to generate a final sequence of adaptive contrast accumulation imaging images.

RECONSTRUCTING A 4D SHELL OF A VOLUME OF AN ORGAN USING A 4D ULTRASOUND CATHETER
20220409172 · 2022-12-29 ·

A medical system includes an ultrasound probe and a processor. The ultrasound probe is configured for insertion into an organ of a body and includes (i) a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array, and (ii) a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ. The processor is configured to (a) using the signals output by the sensor, register multiple ultrasound image sections, acquired by the 2D ultrasound transducer array, with one another, (b) produce a union of the multiple registered ultrasound image sections, to form a rendering of at least a portion of the organ, and (c) present the rendering to a user.

ULTRASOUND IMAGING APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, AND SIGNAL PROCESSING PROGRAM
20220414836 · 2022-12-29 ·

The invention provides an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of highly accurately extracting a blood flow in a fine blood vessel in a short time. N pieces of frame data is generated by receiving ultrasound waves reflected by a subject with a plurality of transducers. A correlation matrix is generated based on a vector in which data at a corresponding position of the frame data is arranged for N frames, and a singular value and a singular vector for each of N ranks are calculated. A first filter element is calculated based on a variance between data at a corresponding position zx among a plurality of blood flow component frame data obtained by multiplying a plurality of the frame data by singular vectors at a threshold rank k or more. The second filter element is calculated based on the tissue component frame data obtained by multiplying the frame data by a singular vector at a rank 1. The frame data is weighted by the first filter element and/or the second filter element to generate a clutter reducing image.