A system for delivering drugs or other molecules to the brain comprises an ultrasound imaging transducer configured to image structures such as the circle of Willis within a patient's head by way of a low attenuation acoustic window. The system includes a processor configured to register the ultrasound images to previously obtained images which also include the structures. The system includes ultrasound transducer elements operable to deliver ultrasound energy to a target region to cause the blood brain barrier to open. The system may include a drug delivery system that may be operated to deliver a drug to the patient in coordination with opening the blood brain barrier. Coordinates of the target region relative to the ultrasound imaging transducer are determined using registration information.

A control device of a mammography apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a radiographic image as radiography information in a case in which the radiographic image of the breast is captured and a generation condition setting unit that sets generation conditions in a case in which an ultrasound image of the breast is generated, on the basis of the radiographic image acquired by the acquisition unit. The generation condition setting unit analyzes the radiographic image to detect the amount of mammary glands in the breast and sets, as the generation conditions, an amplification factor of an ultrasound image signal and a dynamic range which is a width of a grayscale value of the ultrasound image assigned to a value of the ultrasound image signal, according to the detected amount of mammary glands.

The present invention provides scanning mechanisms for imaging probes using for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and/or optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes include adjustable rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to an imaging assembly containing either optical or ultrasound transducers which emit energy into the surrounding area. The imaging assembly includes a scanning mechanism having including a movable member configured to deliver the energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward and side viewing capability of the imaging assembly. The movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of the angular velocity of the imaging assembly.

The medical imaging apparatus of the present invention includes a bath tank for accommodating a test subject, the test subject being at least a portion of a body of a human subject; a measurement device movable in a predetermined direction, the measurement device including ab group of elements to emit a radiation wave into the bath tank and receive a scattered radiation wave; and a control unit for measuring by the measurement device when at least one of a location of the test subject within a plane orthogonal to the predetermined direction, a location of the test subject in the predetermined direction, and continuity of data measured by the measurement device satisfies a predetermined condition. Because of this configuration, the medical imaging apparatus is able to acquire data covering the entire measurement target site.

A system and method for acquiring standard ultrasound scan plane views is provided. The method includes acquiring a scan plane by an ultrasound probe positioned at a scan position over a region of interest. The method includes identifying the scan plane as a first standard view. The method includes automatically adjusting a scan acquisition angle until a second standard view is determined. The adjusting the scan acquisition angle includes rotating and/or tilting the scan acquisition angle. The method includes acquiring, by the ultrasound probe positioned at the scan position, an additional scan plane at the adjusted scan acquisition angle until the second standard view is determined. The method includes automatically determining whether the additional scan plane is the second standard view. The method includes presenting the additional scan plane having the second standard view at a display system.

A system for operating an ultrasound probe that is provided with sensor operation portions for operating the ultrasound probe that acquires ultrasound echo images of a blood vessel, and a control portion that controls operations of the sensor operation portions. The control portion may switch the arrangement of the ultrasound probe using the sensor operation portions between a first arrangement for acquiring an image of a cross section in the transverse direction of the blood vessel and a second arrangement for acquiring an image of a cross section in the longitudinal direction of the blood vessel.

For deploying a stent at a coronary ostium, an integrated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) ostial stent delivery apparatus can include a balloon catheter and an elongate shaft defining (1) a longitudinal inflation lumen and (2) a longitudinal IVUS lumen. A balloon can be located at and about the distal shaft portion and inflated with the inflation lumen. The shaft further defines a longitudinal guidewire lumen, extending at least through the distal shaft portion underlaying the balloon for at least a length of the balloon along the shaft. The IVUS lumen can include removable IVUS ultrasound imaging transducer with a signal conduit to external processing and display componentry. The imaging can help ensure proper stent location before placement and deployment, or for post-placement and stent deployment confirmation, without requiring removal of the stent delivery device to deploy a separate IVUS imaging probe.

An adaptor for adjusting electrical signals propagated along an electrically-conductive path between a drive unit and a catheter of an intravascular ultrasound imaging system includes a catheter connector disposed along a first end of a housing and configured to receive the catheter. A drive-unit connector is disposed along a second end of the housing and is configured to couple the adaptor to the drive unit. A catheter-conductor interface electrically-couples to a transducer conductor of the catheter. A drive-unit-conductor interface electrically-couples to an electrical conductor of the drive unit. An adaptor conductor electrically-couples the catheter-conductor interface to the drive-unit-conductor interface. A tuning element is electrically-coupled to the adaptor conductor and is configured to adjust electrical signals propagating along the adaptor conductor based, at least in part, on an operational frequency of a transducer disposed in the catheter.

An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided. The ultrasound system includes a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction. A bipolar transmit circuit is configured to generate a transmit signal having first and second polarity segments. The first and second polarity segments have corresponding first and second peak amplitudes. A bias generator is configured to generate a bias signal in a direction of the poling direction. The bias signal is combined with the transmit signal to form a biased transmit signal that is shifted in the direction of the poling direction and still includes both of positive and negative voltages over a transmit cycle.

An ultrasound probe and method for using the same are described. In one embodiment, the ultrasound probe comprises: a probe array assembly having a probe tip; a first enclosure disposed around a portion of the probe array assembly, where the first enclosure has first and second openings and comprises a thermally conductive material; and one or more thermally conductive fins contained within the first enclosure, each of the one or more thermally conductive fins having one end enclosed within the probe array assembly and a portion extending away from the probe array assembly and in thermal contact with an inner surface of the first enclosure to create a thermal path from the first opening to the second opening in the first enclosure.