An ultrasound system including: a scanner module including a housing including a first fastener element, an ultrasound transducer, a rotational actuator, and an electronics module; and a positioner module including a second fastener element; operable between a first mode, wherein the first and second fastener elements cooperatively couple the scanner module to the positioner module, and a second mode, wherein the scanner module and positioner modules are separate. An ultrasound system including: a housing including a handle region and a membrane; an ultrasound transducer; a reservoir; a rotational actuator; and an electronics module.

A cannula insertion system includes: a contact sensor positioning system arranged to determine a suitable location for insertion of the cannula, where the contact sensor positioning system includes: a contact sensor having a contact surface to be placed at least partially on the human or animal body to enable measurement with the contact sensor, a positioning device configured to support and position the contact sensor, and a control device arranged to control the positioning device to position the contact sensor in a desired position. The contact sensor positioning system includes one or more sensors to determine a position and/or contact force related parameter representative for a position and/or contact force of the contact sensor, and a processing device to process the position and/or contact force related parameter and to provide a position control signal to the control device, where the contact sensor is an imaging sensor.

An ultrasound probe includes: an acoustic matching layer having a sheet-shaped member whose both ends are bonded together by adhesive to define a cylindrical shape and configured to adjust acoustic impedance of ultrasound; piezoelectric elements arranged along a circumferential direction on an inner periphery of the acoustic matching layer and configured to emit ultrasound in response to an input signal and configured to convert ultrasound from outside into an echo signal; a disc-shaped structural member provided on one end side of the acoustic matching layer in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction, a part of an outer side surface of the structural member being fixed inside the acoustic matching layer. The structural member has a water repellent portion on a part of the outer side surface such that the water repellent portion faces, in a radial direction, a gap between the both ends of the acoustic matching layer.

Couplers for ultrasound probes can have a solid coupler body and a probe attachment member that is secured to a coupler body. The probe attachment member may extend upwardly from the coupler body. The probe attachment member may frictionally and/or adhesively engage with an ultrasound probe, thereby attaching and/or holding the coupler body to an end of the ultrasound probe. The coupler body may include at least one open channel that that extends through the coupler body to define a fluid path. The at least one open channel may be sized to hold and/or contain a fluid and/or gel in and/or on the coupler body and only release the fluid and/or gel when a force is exerted at a top surface of the coupler body. A coupler may be provided in a package in an orientation and easy to use fashion that may aid in attaching the coupler to an end of an ultrasound probe.

A biopsy device includes an ultrasonic probe, a display, an actuator, and a needle assembly. The display is associated with the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic probe is configured to send a signal to the display to generate an image on the display. The needle assembly is coupled to the actuator and is at least partially disposed within a channel defined in the ultrasonic probe. The actuator is configured to move the needle assembly in a distal direction relative to the ultrasonic probe and through the channel of the ultrasonic probe from a retracted position to a deployed position.

A device is provided for automatically assessing functional hemodynamic properties of a patient is provided, the device comprising: a housing; an ultrasound unit coupled to the housing and adapted for adducing ultrasonic waves into the patient at a vessel; a detector adapted to sense signals obtained as a result of adducing ultrasonic waves into the patient at the vessel and to record the ; and a processor adapted for receiving the recorded signals as data and transforming the data for output at an interface. Other devices, systems, methods, and/or computer-readable media may be provided in relation to assessing functional hemodynamics of a patient.

A method of non-invasively monitoring the respiration of a patient comprises: transmitting ultrasound into the body toward an internal structure of the patient's body, the internal structure being one of the liver, the spleen or a kidney; selecting a depth range; measuring the phase of ultrasound echo signals from the internal structure at multiple points along the depth range for at least a first and a second echo signal, the first and second echo signals being received at different times; detecting the motion of the internal structure within the patient's abdomen by reference to differences in the measured phase between the first and the second echo signals; and thereby monitoring the respiration of the patient by associating movement of the internal structure with movement caused by respiration.

Provided is a wireless ultrasound probe configured to detect a state in which the wireless ultrasound probe is detached from a charging terminal of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, causing supply of the charging power to the wireless ultrasound probe to be discontinued, and the wireless ultrasound probe is paired with the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus by using a wireless communication scheme when supply of the charging power is discontinued. Also provided are an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and an operating method of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus configured to be automatically paired with a wireless ultrasound probe in a state in which the wireless ultrasound probe is detached from a charging terminal of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, causing supply of the charging power to the wireless ultrasound probe to be discontinued.

An attachment for ultrasound probe, an ultrasound probe, an ultrasound inspecting apparatus, and an ultrasound inspecting method are provided. The attachment for ultrasound probe includes an acoustic matching element provided on a transceiver of an ultrasound probe and deformed based on a surface of an inspection target when the ultrasound probe scans the surface of the inspection target; a medium supplier provided near the acoustic matching element and configured to provide a medium between the inspection target and the acoustic matching element, based on the deformation of the acoustic matching element; and a body configured to fix the acoustic matching element and the medium supplier to the ultrasound probe.

An ultrasound probe of the present invention includes: a piezoelectric element configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave; a casing that houses the piezoelectric element; and an acoustic medium liquid that fills a space between the piezoelectric element and the casing, and contains an aromatic compound or a substituted derivative thereof