An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a transmitting and receiving circuitry, an input circuitry, and a processing circuitry. The transmitting and receiving circuitry transmits a first ultrasound wave used for changing the shape of a tissue in the body of a patient and transmits/receives a second ultrasound wave that is transmitted/received with timing different from that of the first ultrasound wave. The input circuitry receives an input of a request indicating that the first ultrasound wave should be transmitted. When the input circuitry has received the input of the request indicating that the first ultrasound wave should be transmitted, the processing circuitry controls the transmission of the first ultrasound wave in accordance with the strength of a reflected-wave signal of the second ultrasound wave or one or more pixel values of an image resulting from an imaging process performed by using the reflected-wave signal of the second ultrasound wave.

A medical diagnostic apparatus acquires a signal to generate images of an observation target, sequentially generates observation images based on the acquired signal, and causes a display to continuously display the observation images. The apparatus includes: a first storage for storing the observation images in chronological order; input units for receiving a command signal for freezing the observation images on the display; and a second storage for storing correction information for each input unit so as to associate the correction information with each input unit. The apparatus is configured to: identify an input unit that has received the command signal among the input units; determine a correction amount based on a result of identification by the identification unit and the correction information; and select an observation image generated before or after receiving the command signal according to the correction amount, from among the observation images, based on the correction amount.

In viscoelastic imaging with ultrasound, the shear wave speed or other viscoelastic parameter is measured by tracking at the ARFI focal or other high-intensity location relative to the ARFI transmission. Rather than tracking the shear wave, the tissue response to ARFI is measured. A profile of displacements over time or a spectrum thereof is measured at the location. By finding a scale of the profile resulting in sufficient correlation with a calibration profile, the shear wave speed or other viscoelastic parameter may be estimated.

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.

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.

A processing system and a confocal processing method for confocally emitting and receiving ultrasound. Firstly, a first driving electrical signal is generated. Then, at least one first ultrasound signal having a main frequency is emitted to a reflection position according to the first driving electrical signal. With an object at the reflection position, the first ultrasound signal is reflected to form at least one second ultrasound signal. Then, a first analyzed signal whose frequency lower than the main frequency is retrieved from the second ultrasound signal, and other signals are eliminated from the second ultrasound signal, and the first analyzed signal is converted into at least one first analogous signal. Finally, first energy of a first fixed bandwidth of the first analyzed signal is retrieved by the first analogous signal. The method stops generating the first driving electrical signal when the first energy is larger than a predetermined value.

The present invention relates to method and system for automatic control of image quality in imaging of an object using, for example, an ultrasound system. The method comprises transmitting image generating signals into the object using selected system parameter sets of the imaging system. The imaging system has a number of different system parameter sets based on an image ranking measure reflecting a subjective expert opinion of a pre-defined set of images. The captured images are analyzed with respect to at least one image quality feature to determine an image quality metric for each image. The respective image quality metric for each image are analyzed to identify an image associated with a highest image quality metric and the system parameter set used for generating the image associated with the highest image quality metric can be selected as system parameter set for imaging of the object.

Techniques for operating an ultrasonic sensor array, the ultrasonic sensor array disposed under a platen, include making a determination whether or not to recalibrate the ultrasonic sensor array based on whether a first screen protector disposed above the platen has been removed or replaced by a second screen protector; and recalibrating the ultrasonic sensor array, when the determination is to recalibrate the ultrasonic sensor array. In some cases, the techniques include prompting a user to indicate whether or not the screen protector has been changed or removed, and recalibrating the ultrasonic sensor array only after confirmation from the user.

A percutaneously delivered medical device and its method of use includes a catheter, at least two electromagnetic sensing coils located within the distal tip of the catheter, and at least one within the proximal handle, and a multi-element planar ultrasound transducer array located within the distal tip of the catheter and configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy in at least two imaging modes. The device also includes an imaging system coupled to the ultrasound transducer and is used for creating an image of tissue in a first target plane that extends orthogonally from the catheter body. The medical device also includes a backscatter evaluation system for use in receiving and evaluating the acoustic spectral characteristics of tissues within a second target area within the first target plane.

The present invention relates to an ultrasound calibration device comprising a body portion having at least one echogenic fiducial; a marker portion having at least one tracking marker which can be detected by a medical tracking system; and a hook-shaped mounting portion extending from the body portion.

The present invention also relates to a method for calibrating an ultrasound probe, comprising the steps of filling a container with a fluid, in particular a physiologic salt solution; placing an ultrasound calibration device in accordance with the invention into the container; comparing, with the aid of a medical navigation system, a calculated position of at least one fiducial with a determined position of the at least one fiducial which is determined using a tracked ultrasound probe.