A transmit/receive system for an imaging device includes a transmit circuit configured to generate and output test pulses to a transducer of a probe to cause the probe to propagate an ultrasonic wave through an object. A receive circuit is configured to receive, from the transducer, a composite signal that includes the test pulses output by the transmit circuit and a reflected signal corresponding to reflected waves sensed by the transducer in response to the ultrasonic wave propagated through the object and filter the test pulses from the composite signal and output the reflected signal in accordance with a predetermined minimum frequency of the reflected signal.

Method for characterizing an object by means of distance measurement, the method comprising the following steps: determining, in particular line-wise, elevation profiles using distance measurement, and evaluating the determined elevation profiles for a characterization of the object, wherein the characterization comprises the position and/or at least one object-specific parameter of the object.

Apparatus for generating accurate 3-dimensional images of objects immersed in liquids including optically opaque liquids which may also have significant sound attenuation, is described. Sound pulses are caused to impinge on the object, and the time-of-flight of the reflected sound is used to create a 3-dimensional image of the object in almost real-time. The apparatus is capable of creating images of objects immersed in fluids that are optically opaque and have high sound attenuation at resolutions less than about 1 mm. The apparatus may include a piezoelectric transducer for generating the acoustic pulses; a high-density polyethylene compound acoustic lens, a 2-dimensional segmented piezoelectric detecting array positioned behind the lens for receiving acoustic pulses reflected by the object, the electric output of which is directed to digital signal processing electronics for generating the image.

An ultrasonic device includes a base in which a base layer of a vibrating film is formed in every opening that is disposed in an array; an interconnect layer, which is a conductor, formed on the base layer; an insulating film that is formed on the interconnect layer, and forms a laminated structure with respect to the base layer; a plurality of piezoelectric elements that are separated from the interconnect layer by the insulating film, the piezoelectric elements each including a first electrode and a second electrode that sandwich a piezoelectric film on the insulating film; and a through conductor that passes through the insulating film, and connects at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode to the conductor constituting the interconnect layer.

A transmit circuit outputs test pulses to a probe including a transducer to generate an image of a test object. A composite signal including the test pulses and a reflected signal is output by the transducer. A receive circuit receives the composite signal including the test pulses and the reflected signal and includes a filter circuit that filters the test pulses from the composite signal and passes the reflected signal. An impedance of the filter circuit is equal to substantially zero when the reflected signal is within a predetermined frequency range. A clipper circuit limits a magnitude of an output of the filter circuit. An amplifier amplifies the output of the filter circuit and that outputs an amplified voltage. A processing module generates a signal for displaying the image of the test object based on the amplified voltage.

A motion processor (118) includes a motion estimator (306) that iteratively estimates a motion between a pair of consecutive frames of pre-processed echoes, wherein the motion estimator (306) generates the estimated motion based on at least on one iteration. A method includes iteratively estimating tissue motion between a pair of consecutive frames of pre-processed echoes over at least one iteration.

Provided are an ultrasonic measurement apparatus, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus and an ultrasonic measurement method that achieve an increase in processing speed together with an increase in resolution and are user friendly. An image is generated by adding together, with a weight having a fixed value, reception signals obtained by ultrasonic echoes being received by an ultrasonic element array, and an area of interest is set within the area in which the generated image is to be displayed. When an area of interest is acquired, the reception signals received by the ultrasonic element array are added together with weights that depend on the reception signals, with respect to data forming the basis of the image to be displayed in the area of interest, and image generation is performed.

An elongate probe (204) including a probe head (214) with a transducer array (216), a shaft (210) and an articulating member (212). The articulating member is located between the probe head and the shaft. The articulating member is configured to articulate between a position in which the probe head extends along a longitudinal axis of the probe and at least one articulated position in which the probe head extends at a non-zero angle from the longitudinal axis of the probe. The probe further includes a stiffener (224) configured to controllably move from a retracted position to an extended position at which the stiffener inhibits articulation of the articulating member.

Techniques describe structures and methods for generating larger output signals and improving image quality of ultrasonic sensors by inclusion of an acoustic cavity in the sensor stack. In some embodiments, an ultrasonic sensor unit may be tuned during manufacturing or during a provisioning phase to work with different thicknesses and materials. In some embodiments, a standing wave signal may be generated using an acoustic cavity in the ultrasonic sensor unit for capturing an ultrasonic image of an object placed on a sensor surface. In some implementations, the ultrasonic sensor may include an ultrasonic transmitter, a piezoelectric receiver, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer and a TFT substrate positioned between the transmitter and the receiver, one or more adhesive layers, and optional cover materials and coatings. The thickness, density and speed of sound of the sensor materials and associated adhesive attachment layers may be used to attain the desired acoustic cavity and improved performance.

Circuitry for ultrasound devices is described. A multilevel pulser is described, which can provide bipolar pulses of multiple levels. The multilevel pulser includes a pulsing circuit and pulser and feedback circuit. Symmetric switches are also described. The symmetric switches can be positioned as inputs to ultrasound receiving circuitry to block signals from the receiving circuitry.