A probe, in particular for ultrasound, having a cooling chamber which is fluidtight and at least partially filled with a dielectric heat-transfer fluid. An interface unit associated with an emitting and/or receiving element of the probe is located at least partially inside or in contact with the cooling chamber. The probe includes a dry chamber separated from the cooling chamber by a fluidtight wall, and a porous heat sink arranged at least partially inside the cooling chamber.

A shared-housing ultrasound transducer and machine-vision camera system is disclosed for registering the transducer's x, y, z position in space and pitch, yaw, and roll orientation with respect to an object, such as a patient's body. The position and orientation are correlated with transducer scan data, and scans of the same region of the object are compared in order to reduce ultrasound artifacts and speckles. The system can be extended to interoperative gamma probes or other non-contact sensor probes and medical instruments. Methods are disclosed for computer or remote guiding of a sensor probe or instrument with respect to saved positions and orientations of the sensor probe.

Techniques, systems, and devices are described for implementing for implementing computation devices and artificial neurons based on nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) systems. In one aspect, a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) based computing element includes: a substrate; two electrodes configured as a first beam structure and a second beam structure positioned in close proximity with each other without contact, wherein the first beam structure is fixed to the substrate and the second beam structure is attached to the substrate while being free to bend under electrostatic force. The first beam structure is kept at a constant voltage while the other voltage varies based on an input signal applied to the NEMS based computing element.

The invention provides an improved acoustic energy generating apparatus that includes an improved backing structure. The improved backing structure employs protrusions that are not located in a uniform pattern along a forward side surface of the backing structure, to realize improved re-direction of acoustic energy towards a forward direction relative to the acoustic energy generating apparatus.

An acoustic wave receiving apparatus is used, which includes: a holding member; a reception transducer array; a liquid vessel to which the reception transducer array is fixed and configured to store an acoustic matching liquid; a liquid supplying unit; a controlling unit configured to control a supplying rate of the acoustic matching liquid; and a scanning unit, wherein the controlling unit is configured to reduce the supply of the acoustic matching liquid into the liquid vessel when the reception transducer array detects an acoustic wave.

Systems and methods for tracking the location of a non-destructive inspection (NDI) scanner using scan data converted into images of a target object. Scan images are formed by aggregating successive scan strips acquired using one or two one-dimensional sensor arrays. An image processor constructs and then compares successive partially overlapping scan images that include common features corresponding to respective structural features of the target object. The image processor is further configured to compute a change in location of the NDI scanner relative to a previous location based on the respective positions of those common features in the partially overlapping scan images. This relative physical distance is then added to the previous (old) absolute location estimate to obtain the current (new) absolute location of the NDI scanner.

Volume scanning along different planes is provided using angling of the elements. Rather than orthogonal dicing of the slab, kerfs are formed at non-parallel and non-perpendicular angles to the azimuth axis of the array or longitudinal axis of the slab. Apertures formed from selected groups of the angled elements and/or parts of angled elements may be used to steer along planes that extend at an angle of 5 degrees or more away from the azimuth or longitudinal axis. By walking the aperture, different parallel planes are scanned with a one-dimensional array of elements.

An ultrasonic probe apparatus includes an ultrasound transceiver adapted to receive ultrasonic echo signals reflected after transmitting unfocused or defocused ultrasonic signals having a first frame rate; a converter adapted to convert ultrasonic echo signals received by the ultrasound transceiver into digital signals; an image processor adapted to generate a plurality of image data by processing the digital signals; a combiner adapted to combine the plurality of image data having a first frame rate into a plurality of composite image data having a second frame rate; and a transmitter adapted to transmit the plurality of composite image data having the second frame rate.

An ultrasound probe includes a casing, a first transmitting unit, a second transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The first transmitting unit is used for transmitting a first push beam and the first push beam has a first transmitting frequency. The second transmitting unit is used for transmitting a second push beam and the second push beam has a second transmitting frequency. The receiving unit has a receiving frequency and is used for selectively receiving a reflective wave of the first push beam and the second push beam, wherein the receiving frequency is covered with the first transmitting frequency and the second transmitting frequency. The receiving unit, the first transmitting unit and the second transmitting unit are disposed in the casing side by side.

Systems and methods for ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) are described. According to examples, an ultrasound SWE system includes an ultrasound probe (120), an actuation assembly (130) coupled to the probe and configured to apply an external force against a subject for generating a shear wave within a target region, a controller (140) coupled to the actuation assembly to control the actuation assembly to apply the force responsive to a trigger signal, and ultrasound scanner (110) configured to generate the trigger signal, and further configured to generate an elastography image based at least in part on echo signals received from the target region.