Embodiments may include an attachable fastener, which may include a bondable material that may be secured to the end of an end effector. Vibration may be tuned to occur at a distal end of the fastener. Accordingly, the fastener may be used to generate heat at a distal point of contact. If the contact surface contains bondable material, that material may be softened. If the fastener includes bondable material at the point of contact, that material may also be softened by heat produced by vibration at the contact area. A hard implant or another polymeric material may function as the anvil.

Apparatus and methods for deactivating bronchial nerves extending along the secondary bronchial branches of a mammalian subject to treat asthma and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (11) is inserted into the bronchus as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (10) bearing the transducer into the secondary bronchial section to be treated. The ultrasonic transducer emits circumferential ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout circular impact volume (13) as, for example, at least about 1 cm.sup.3 encompassing the bronchus to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual bronchial nerves. The apparatus and methods utilized for lung tumor ablation.

An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring ultrasound image data of an object while translating the ultrasound probe, where the ultrasound probe includes a scanning surface. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes displaying an acquisition view during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes automatically determining acoustic contact of the scanning surface with the object while acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data and displaying a color-coded indicator at the same time as the acquisition view, where the color-coded indicator represents the acoustic contact of the scanning surface in real-time during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data.

An ultrasound system employs an ultrasound probe (31), a strain sensor (33) and a workstation (20). The ultrasound probe (31) includes an ultrasound transducer for acquiring ultrasound images (40) of an anatomical region. The strain sensor (33) is arranged on the ultrasound probe (31) to measure a longitudinal strain applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe (31) as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images (40) of the anatomical region. The strain sensor (33) encircles a longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31) and is spaced from the ultrasound transducers relative to the longitudinal axis of the ultrasound probe (31). The workstation (20) reconstructs an ultrasound volume (41) from the ultrasound images (40) acquired by ultrasound transducer, and responsive to the longitudinal strain measured by strain sensor (33), determines an axial force and/or 36 a bending force applied by the anatomical region to the ultrasound probe (31) as the ultrasound transducer acquires ultrasound images (40) of the anatomical region.

Methods and systems for treating skin, such as stretch marks through deep tissue tightening with ultrasound are provided. An exemplary method and system comprise a therapeutic ultrasound system configured for providing ultrasound treatment to a shallow tissue region, such as a region comprising an epidermis, a dermis or a deep dermis. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a therapeutic ultrasound system can be configured to achieve depth with a conformal selective deposition of ultrasound energy without damaging an intervening tissue. In addition, a therapeutic ultrasound can also be configured in combination with ultrasound imaging or imaging/monitoring capabilities, either separately configured with imaging, therapy and monitoring systems or any level of integration thereof.

System for non-invasive measuring of an intracranial reserve space (ICRS) parameter of a mammalian subject, comprising a multi-frequency ultrasound probe configured, beginning at a start time, to emit and receive ultrasound waves into and from the subject's head and to produce a signal of brain tissue pulsation; an instrument configured to non-invasively partially occlude an internal jugular vein (IJV) starting at the start time and including a second ultrasound probe producing a second signal; and a computer system configured to receive the signal, the second signal and the start time, the computer system also configured, using one or more processors, to derive from the signal an intracranial brain tissue pulsation waveform and from the second signal images of the IJV, and to determine a length of time from the start time to a subsequent time at which the waveform is sufficiently compressed so as to exhibit a predefined decline in variability.

An ultrasound patch may conform to a curved surface of a large, curvilinear part of a human body, and may capture ultrasound images of underlying tissue for detection of disease. The patch may comprise a flexible, elastomeric substrate, in which phased arrays of piezoelectric ultrasound transducers are embedded. The phased arrays may steer ultrasound beams through a wide angle to image a large volume of tissue. Mechanical deformation of the flexible substrate as it conforms to a curvilinear body part may change the relative 3D positions of the phase arrays. However, localization may be performed to detect these 3D positions. Data captured by the phased arrays may be processed, to create an ultrasound image of the underlying tissue. A semi-flexible, intermediate layer may partially encapsulate each phased array, to distribute stress at an interface between the rigid phased array and more flexible substrate.

A system and method for providing guidance in an ultrasound imaging procedure involves presenting graphical user interface elements overlaid onto an external image of the subject's body. The system includes at least one camera for capturing the external image of the subject. The system may utilize trained artificial neural network(s) to identify locations in the external image that correspond to scanning zones of a scanning protocol. A probe placement marker is overlaid at each identified location to indicate the position of the probe's face onto the subject's body for acquiring a target view of the internal anatomy. Additional graphical elements may be presented via the guidance interface and results findings may optionally be overlaid onto the external image of the subject at the completion of the scan. In embodiments herein, imaging guidance is provided solely via the external images of the subject without displaying the ultrasound image data.

A method for measuring viscoelastic properties of a viscoelastic medium, the method including positioning a probe in contact with the viscoelastic medium, the probe extending along a longitudinal axis and being adapted to carry out transient elastography measurements and including a casing, at least one ultrasound a transducer arranged at a tip of the probe and adapted to generate ultrasounds, a force sensor configured to measure a force applied by the tip of the probe, and a vibrator arranged in the casing and adapted to generate a low-frequency wave, measuring a contact force by the force sensor; generating a measurement ready signal by the probe when the measured contact force is higher than a minimum measurement force threshold, and when the measurement ready signal has been generated, triggering a transient elastography measurement.

A method of fetal ultrasound monitoring includes detecting contact of a first ultrasound transducer to a mother’s abdomen based on input from a contact sensor in the first ultrasound transducer. A first transducer identifier is received from the first ultrasound transducer, and then the first transducer identifier is correlated with a first transducer label. A first heart rate is measured based on output of an ultrasound device in the first ultrasound transducer, and a heart rate indicator is displayed accordingly. A position of the first ultrasound transducer is identified in a two-dimensional plane, and the first transducer label is displayed on an abdomen image based on the first position.