A method for estimating a measure of cardiovascular health of a subject (102) comprises: receiving (302) an electrocardiogram, ECG, signal (202); receiving (304) an artery signal (210) representative of pressure pulse wave propagation at a location in an artery; determining (306) a fiducial point in time based on the ECG signal (202) providing an indication of onset of isovolumetric contraction; determining (308) a pre-systolic pressure pulse arrival point in time (212) based on the artery signal (210) to correspond to the onset of the isovolumetric contraction being reflected in the artery signal (210), determining (310) a time period between the onset of the isovolumetric contraction and the pre-systolic pressure pulse arrival point in time, said time period representing a vascular transit time; and determining (312) a pulse wave velocity of the subject (102) based on a physical distance between an aortic valve and the location in the artery and on the vascular transit time.

A self-contained ultrasound patch assembly for detecting fluid flow in a vessel includes piezo elements that can transmit ultrasonic energy and detect echo signals. A flex module has two support portions connected to respective ones of the elements with a hinged portion coupled to the support portions, allowing them to be positioned angularly relative to each other. Electronics that direct the elements to transmit ultrasonic energy and process detected echo signals are in communication with the elements through the flex module. A transducer frame includes an alignment portion engaging a flex module alignment portion to retain the flex module in an aligned position. The frame supports the elements at a fixed angular position with respect to each other. A housing encloses the electronics and frame, and fixedly retains the frame to position the elements to transmit toward a bottom surface and away from a top surface of the housing.

A wearable patch (10) is disclosed comprising an ultrasound transducer (30) mounted on the patch and a fluid reservoir (50) for containing a coupling agent (60) for the ultrasound transducer, said fluid reservoir being delimited by a portion (20) of the patch and a seal ring (40) extending from the patch, said seal ring surrounding the ultrasound transducer and comprising a plurality of fluid conduits (43, 45) extending from the fluid reservoir at least partially through the seal ring. Also disclosed are a wearable patch kit, assembly and application method.

An ultrasound data processor for assessing reliability of ultrasound data for determining blood flow values for a patient. The processor is adapted to apply at least a spectral analysis procedure and a wavelet decomposition procedure to input ultrasound data (or data or signals derived therefrom), and to feed the output(s) of said procedures to a classifier algorithm configured to generate a reliability indicator based on these input information. Both spectral analysis and wavelet decomposition are signal analysis techniques which assess periodic properties of data and signals, this being particularly suited to detecting background noise artefacts (such as those generated by electrical knives used in surgery) which do not change the morphology or shape of the signals but do impose a background distortion.

A method for diagnosing a joint condition includes in one embodiment: creating a 3d model of the patient specific bone; registering the patient's bone with the bone model; tracking the motion of the patient specific bone through a range of motion; selecting a database including empirical mathematical descriptions of the motion of a plurality actual bones through ranges of motion; and comparing the motion of the patient specific bone to the database.

An ultrasound transducer array is incorporated in a light-weight, conformable, and wearable patch that may be used to deliver, monitor, and control localized transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS). The patch may include full-duplex transmit-receive circuitry that may be used for continuous monitoring of transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) application. The circuitry may include a circulator. The ultrasound transducer array may be coupled to an aperture interface having irregularly sized or shaped channel conductors to provide a coarse aperture for the array. The coarse aperture may be designed using a method that provides a reduced channel count.

An ultrasound patch includes one or more transmit and receive piezoelectric transducer elements. In some embodiments, the transducer elements are positioned on a ramp on a patient pad of the patch that is configured to fit within an anatomic space between the trachea and the sternocleidomastoid muscle to orient the transducer elements toward a carotid artery. In some embodiments, a flexible phased array transducer includes a number of pillar piezoelectric elements joined by a flexible adhesive with metal electrodes deposited thereon. The phased array transducer is mounted to a flexible circuit board that allows the transducer to bend and conform to a subject's anatomy.

Systems and methods are provided for on-person wearable electronic devices configured for extended periods of wear. A couplant may be provided that is made of a soft anti-dehydrating, and hydrogel-elastomer hybrid material. A bioadhesive may connect the couplant the electronic devices and the person. The couplant may serve as a coupling and transmission for information to or from the electronic device.

A system and method for non-invasively sensing a blood vessel are provided. The system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor has an array of ultrasound transducers that includes at least a first ultrasound transducer and a second ultrasound transducer. The controller is in communication with the first ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions when executed cause the controller to: a) control the first ultrasound transducer to produce a first ultrasonic beam, to receive reflected first ultrasonic signals, and to communicate first sensed signals to the controller; b) control the second ultrasound transducer to produce a second ultrasonic beam, to receive reflected second ultrasonic signals, and to communicate second sensed signals to the controller; c) determine a first vessel diameter value; d) determine a second vessel diameter value; and e) determine a pulse wave velocity value.

Internal bleeding systems, devices, and methods are disclosed that include a sensing module and a processing module. The sensing module has an ultrasound module and a communication module. The ultrasound module emits and receives ultrasound energy to and reflected from tissue in a patient and generates a reflected energy signal. The communication module transmits the reflected energy signal to the processing module. The processing module analyzes the reflected energy signal to determine if it indicates the presence of blood from internal bleeding in the patient.