An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a drive circuit configured to transmit a drive signal to an ultrasound transducer, a receiving circuit configured to receive an echo signal from the ultrasound transducer, and a processor. The processor obtains, based on the echo signal or a user input, target information containing at least one of a distance from the ultrasound transducer to a target region containing liquid or a size of the target region, and sets, based on the target information, a drive condition under which an acoustic streaming generating ultrasound transmitted by the ultrasound transducer generates acoustic streaming in the liquid in the target region.

A medical system includes an ultrasound probe configured for insertion into an organ of a body, and a processor. The probe includes a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array, and a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position, direction and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ. The processor is configured to (a) using the signals output by the sensor, register multiple ultrasound images of a tissue region, acquired over a given time duration by the 2D ultrasound transducer array, with one another, (b) estimate, based on the ultrasound images acquired over the given time duration, three-dimensional displacements as a function of time for one or more locations in the tissue region, (c) estimate respective mechanical strains of the one or more locations in the tissue region, based on the three-dimensional displacements, and (d) present a time-dependent rendering of the mechanical strains to a user.

A medical system includes an ultrasound probe for insertion into an organ of a body and a processor. The ultrasound probe includes (i) a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array, and (ii) a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position, direction and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ. The processor is configured to (a) using the signals output by the sensor, register multiple ultrasound images of a tissue region, acquired over a given time duration by the 2D ultrasound transducer array, with one another, and (b) generate a map of the tissue region indicative of respective amounts of motion of tissue locations in the tissue region.

A medical system includes an ultrasound probe and a processor. The ultrasound probe is configured for insertion into an organ of a body and includes (i) a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound transducer array, and (ii) a sensor configured to output signals indicative of a position and orientation of the 2D ultrasound transducer array inside the organ. The processor is configured to (a) using the signals output by the sensor, register multiple ultrasound image sections, acquired by the 2D ultrasound transducer array, with one another, (b) produce a union of the multiple registered ultrasound image sections, to form a rendering of at least a portion of the organ, and (c) present the rendering to a user.

A transducer device may include an active layer having a proximal surface and a backing layer having a distal side and a proximal side, the distal side being adjacent to the proximal surface. The proximal side may include (1) at least one first reflective surface approximately parallel to the proximal surface and positioned a first distance from the proximal surface, and (2) at least one second reflective surface approximately parallel to the proximal surface and positioned a second distance from the proximal surface, the second distance being different than the first distance.

Described herein are methods and systems for testing transducers and associated integrated circuits. In some cases, a method or system described herein can comprise modulating a bias voltage using a test signal in order to produce a modulated bias voltage signal useful in testing a plurality of transducers of a transducer array in parallel.

Provided is an ultrasound imaging apparatus capable of reducing examination time with optimizing parameters on an examination basis. A subject is irradiated with an ultrasound wave, and a plurality of ultrasound transducers receives the ultrasound wave from the subject to obtain received signals. A feature value is calculated from the received signals, the feature value indicating a frequency-dependent characteristic of attenuation of the ultrasound wave, associated with propagation of the ultrasound wave through the subject. A predetermined processing is performed on the received signals using one or more received-signal processing parameters to generate an image. An image processing is performed on the generated image using one or more image processing parameters. Values of the received-signal processing parameter and the image processing parameter are determined based on the feature value.

A system and method from improving the image quality achievable with an ultrasound transducer by using a composite aperture for receiving ultrasound echoes. By using two receive cycles per vector, twice as many transducers may be used for receiving ultrasound imaging data than there are physical channels available in the ultrasound probe. An ultrasound probe utilizing a composite aperture can achieve high image quality from a system have reduced power, size, cost and complexity.

The invention provides for a method and an apparatus (300) for positioning an ultrasound patch on a surface of a subject. The apparatus includes a first fixing unit (210) and a second fixing unit (310) adapted to be fixed to a surface of the subject at a first location and second location, respectively, with a space of exposed surface of the subject between them. The apparatus further comprises a holding unit (260) for positioning on the exposed surface of the subject within the space between the fixing units, the holding unit being adapted to receive the ultrasound patch. The holding unit is adapted to be coupled with the first and second fixing units at the surface of the subject and, when the holding unit is coupled to the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit, the position of the holding unit is adjustable relative to the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit.

A transducer array for ultrasound applications includes a plurality of transducer elements that are provided with self-aligned connections to a flexible cable. The array is easy to manufacture and suited for wearable, wireless, and other small ultrasound devices. A simple and efficient method of producing a robust transducer array involves at least partially separating the transducer elements after their connection to their respective conductors.