An ultrasound probe in combination with at least an operating unit such as a tracking sensor or receiver and/or a keypad and/or a surgical tool support, wherein the probe and the at least one operating unit are each one provided with one of two parts of a releasable joint, the said two parts of the joint being releasably engageable one with the other by magnetic force and by mechanical coupling.

A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging system and methods of use are provided with any number of features. In some embodiments, a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit and receive ultrasound energy to and from separate physical ultrasound apertures. In some embodiments, a transmit aperture of a multi-aperture ultrasound imaging system is configured to transmit an omni-directional unfocused ultrasound waveform approximating a first point source through a target region. In some embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with a single receiving aperture. In other embodiments, the ultrasound energy is received with multiple receiving apertures. Algorithms are described that can combine echoes received by one or more receiving apertures to form high resolution ultrasound images. Additional algorithms can solve for variations in tissue speed of sound, thus allowing the ultrasound system to be used virtually anywhere in or on the body.

A needle assembly for use with an ultrasound imaging system includes a needle having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is adapted to be inserted into a patient. The needle assembly also includes a transducer mounted to an exterior surface of the needle at the distal end. Further, the needle assembly includes a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the exterior surface of the needle from the proximal end to the distal end. As such, the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the transducer to a power source.

A wireless handheld ultrasound system an ultrasound front end to transmit ultrasonic waves into a subject and convert received ultrasonic echoes into digital data; an image processor coupled to the ultrasound front end to convert the digital data into an image; and a power section coupled to the ultrasound front end and the image processor. The power section may include a battery; a charging circuit to charge the battery; and a wireless power transducer coupled to the charging circuit to convert wireless power received from an external source into electrical energy for the charging circuit.

Systems and methods of transmitting heat away from an ultrasound probe are disclosed within. In one embodiment, a handheld ultrasound probe includes a transducer, electronics configured to drive the transducer, and a housing surrounding the transducer assembly and the electronics. A slot extending from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing and can allow air to pass adjacent transducer and the electronics. The slot can be sized to inhibit accessibility of an operator’s finger to an inner surface of slot.

An ultrasonic endoscope includes: an ultrasonic transducer having an ultrasonic vibrator; a distal end portion body disposed continuously with a proximal end side of the ultrasonic transducer; an erecting base housing portion that is disposed in the distal end portion body and has an opening which opens toward one side in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the distal end portion body; a treatment tool lead-out port that communicates with the inside of the erecting base housing portion; an erecting base that is disposed in the inside of the erecting base housing portion and changes a lead out direction of a treatment tool led out from the treatment tool lead-out port; and a cleaning communication hole that is formed in a wall surface on a side opposite to a side where the opening of the erecting base housing portion is disposed and communicates with an outside.

The invention relates to a cardiotocography girdle. It is in the form of a spherical cap and comprises at least nineteen ultrasound transducers, denoted USTs, which are positioned on a first support layer (23) made of an elastic material, each UST being positioned in a support cavity (20), said girdle comprising a second support layer (24), likewise made of an elastic material and which encapsulates said USTs housed in the support cavities (20) with the first support layer (23), assembly being performed by adhesively bonding the first support layer (23) to the second support layer (24).

A method and system may be used for tracking a medical instrument. The method may include capturing image data. The method may include capturing ultrasound data. The ultrasound data may be captured via an ultrasound probe. The method may include dewarping the image data. The method may include searching for a marker in the dewarped image data. If it is determined that the marker is found, the method may include extracting an identification. The method may include comparing fiducials with a known geometry. The method may include determining a pose. The method may include determining a location of the medical instrument relative to the ultrasound probe. The method may include overlaying a three-dimensional projection of the medical instrument onto the ultrasound data.

An ultrasound-imaging system includes an ultrasound probe and a console. The ultrasound probe includes (i) an array of ultrasonic transducers, activated ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic transducers configured to emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals of the ultrasound signals for processing into an ultrasound image, and (ii) a secondary data collection module. The console includes one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon logic, when executed by the one or more processors, causes operations that can include: receiving and processing the electrical signals to generate the ultrasound image, receiving secondary data from the secondary data collection module, wherein the secondary data is data other than the electrical signals corresponding to reflected ultrasound signals, and providing a notification to administrator that includes the secondary data.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for automatically updating scan patterns used during ultrasound imaging. A handheld ultrasound system may include an ultrasound device with a two-dimensional array of ultrasound transducers, and a smartphone or tablet that configures the ultrasound device to obtain a first ultrasound image frame using a scan pattern defining an acoustic beam. The system then updates the scan pattern to optimize a view of the desired anatomy. When the system is operating in cardiac imaging mode, the scan pattern may be updated by adjusting the azimuthal tilt and/or the elevational tilt of the acoustic beam. When the system is operating in lung imaging mode, the scan pattern may be updated by adjusting the elevational tilt and/or the translation of the aperture of the array of ultrasound transducers. The system then configures the ultrasound device to obtain a second ultrasound image frame using the updated scan pattern.