An imaging device for imaging a portion of a patient's vasculature with an imaging element may include a proximal portion having a relatively higher stiffness that provides rigidity for pushing the imaging device through a patient's vasculature, and may include a distal portion having a relatively lower stiffness that enables threading through a curved vasculature of the patient. The imaging device also may include a transition region disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion.

A technique is disclosed for helping prevent image quality of a three-dimensional image from becoming poor due to fluctuations in the rotation speed of an imaging core. For this purpose, if data is obtained from the imaging core by moving and rotating the imaging core, a cross-sectional image is generated at each movement position. Then, a direction where a guidewire is present in each of the cross-sectional images is detected. An angular difference between the direction of the detected guidewire and a preset direction is obtained so as to rotate each of the cross-sectional images in accordance with the angular difference. Then, the cross-sectional images which are previously rotated in this way are connected to one another, thereby generating the three-dimensional image.

Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for portable medical ultrasound imaging. Preferred embodiments utilize a hand portable, battery powered system having a display and a user interface operative to control imaging and display operations. A keyboard control panel can be used alone or in combination with touchscreen controls to actuate a graphical user interface. The system includes a transducer assembly to image, measure and monitor a condition of a patient

Disclosed is a high resolution intravascular ultrasound imaging system including a catheter with a rotatable imaging assembly and an image processor. The image processor in turn features a pulser configured to energize the ultrasound transducer of the rotatable imaging assembly with a multi-frequency ultrasound waveform signal. The image processor further contains a receiver configured to decompose received ultrasound energy as reflected by the target vessel into a plurality of individual subband signals, individually process these signals and reconstitute these signals into a high resolution image of the blood vessel. The IVUS system of the invention may be useful in characterizing cap thickness of vulnerable plaques or other detailed studies of blood vessels.

An ultrasound probe of the present disclosure includes an ultrasound element unit 1, to which a flexible substrate 7 is connected, the flexible substrate 7 including lamination of a ground layer 7e and a signal layer 7a via an insulation layer 7c. The flexible substrate 7 includes a bending part and a flat part. The signal layer 7a includes a linear first signal line and a linear second signal line that are adjacent to each other. The ground layer 7e at the bending part includes a linear first ground line and a linear second ground line that are adjacent to each other. The first signal line and the first ground line are opposed to each other, and the second signal line and the second ground line are opposed to each other.

Estimation of vibration amplitude of intra-capillary micro-bubbles driven to vibrate with an incident ultrasound wave with amplitude and frequency to adjust the drive amplitude of the incident wave to obtain specified vibration amplitude of extra-capillary tissue. Estimation uses transmission of M groups of pulse complexes having low frequency pulse (LF) at bubble drive frequency, and high frequency (HF) pulse with angular frequency ω.sub.H>˜5ω.sub.L, and pulse duration shorter than π/4ω.sub.L along HF beam. The phase between HF and LF pulses is ω.sub.Lt.sub.m for each group, where t.sub.m varies between the groups. Within each group, LF pulse varies between pulse complexes in amplitude and/or, where the LF pulse can be zero for a pulse complex, and LF pulse is different from zero for pulse complex within each group. HF receive signals are processed to obtain a parameter relating to bubble vibration amplitude when the HF pulse hits bubble.

Systems, methods, and devices that perform flow scan sequences are provided. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system includes an intraluminal catheter or guidewire, an annular array of acoustic elements positioned around a circumference of the catheter or guidewire, and a processor in communication with the annular array. The processor is configured to activate a first subaperture of the annular array at a first time, thereafter, activate a second interleaving subaperture, and activate the first subaperture again at a different, second time such that the scan sequence moves around the circumference of the catheter or guidewire. Temporal differences between the received ultrasound signals obtained by the first subaperture at the first and second times are determined to detect motion around the annular array. By interleaving subaperture firings, the total number of firings to form an image frame can be reduced.

Systems and methods for producing ultrasound images are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, ultrasound image data are acquired in discrete time increments at one or more positions relative to a subject. Control points are added by a user for two or more image frames and a processor interpolates the location of the control points for image frames obtained at in-between times.

An ultrasound endoscope includes: an ultrasound transducer; a balloon groove in which a balloon band is fitted; a contact portion that constitutes a bottom surface of the balloon groove; a first wall portion that constitutes a proximal end side of the balloon groove and in which a first distance that is a distance from a center of a cross section orthogonal to an extension direction of the insertion portion to an outer circumference of the first wall portion is larger than a second distance that is a distance from the center of the cross section to the bottom surface; and a second wall portion that constitutes a distal end side of the balloon groove, in which a distance from the center of the cross section to an outer circumference of the second wall portion is larger than the second distance, and that includes a notch portion.

Provided is a device that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from an entire periphery of a specimen while preventing a movement of the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmission and reception device includes: an oscillator array that is arrayed with an oscillator, the oscillator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a fixing tool that is disposed between the oscillator array and the specimen and retains the specimen; and a drive mechanism that presses at least a part of the fixing tool against the specimen as to retain the specimen. An ultrasonic wave transmitted by the oscillator array passes through the fixing tool and irradiates on the specimen, and as for the oscillator array, the oscillator array and the fixing tool are disposed in a positional relationship such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by and/or passing through by the specimen and passing through the fixing tool is received.