The present disclosure provides a needle free delivery system, which includes a handheld device and a signal switching device. The signal switching device is electrically connected to the handheld device, and the handheld device includes an ultrasonic probe. The signal switching device provides a burst wave capable of generating a resonant carrier wave through piezoelectric material to the handheld device, so that an ultrasonic wave of the handheld device can perform a needleless delivery on a carrier.

Systems and methods are provided for thermally conductive shock absorbers for medical imaging probes. An example medical imaging probe may have, at least, a transducer disposed underneath a contact surface of the medical imaging probe, with the transducer configured to transmit and receive signals based on a medical imaging technique; a support structure disposed underneath the transducer; and a thermally conductive shock absorber (TCSA) layer disposed between the transducer and the support structure, with the thermally conductive shock absorber (TCSA) layer is configured to facilitate both of thermal transfer in a direction from the contact surface into the support structure, and absorbing at least a portion of impact force applied to at least the contact surface. The support structure may include a heat sink.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes: a plurality of channels configured to transmit and receive signal with a plurality of transducer elements comprised in a probe; a beamformer configured to perform beamforming a signal received from a preset number of active channel among the plurality of channels; a switch configured to connect the probe and the plurality of channels; and a controller configured to determine a faulty channel among the plurality of channels, compare whether the number of the plurality of channels is greater than or equal to the number of the plurality of transducer elements and control the switch based on the comparison result when the faulty channel is comprised in the active channel.

An imaging device includes a two dimensional array of piezoelectric elements. Each piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric layer; a bottom electrode disposed on a bottom side of the piezoelectric layer and configured to receive a transmit signal during a transmit mode and develop an electrical charge during a receive mode; and a first top electrode disposed on a top side of the piezoelectric layer; and a first conductor, wherein the first top electrodes of a portion of the piezoelectric elements in a first column of the two dimensional array are electrically coupled to the first conductor.

The invention relates to ultrasound imaging method and apparatus suitable for minimally invasive ultrasound diagnostic devices in cardiac ablation monitoring and in tumor ablation monitoring. The present invention proposes an assembly of forward and side-facing transducers and a system of embedded forward and side-facing transducers in apertures on surfaces of the assembly. This provides control of the acoustic properties of the transducer and improved ablation monitoring when the assembly is incorporated in a medical device.

Imaging devices, systems, and methods are provided. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly directed to imaging a region of interest in tissue with photoacoustic and ultrasound modalities. In some embodiments, a medical sensing system (100) includes a measurement apparatus (102) configured to be placed within a vascular pathway. The measurement apparatus may include a sensor array (106) comprising two or more sensor modalities. The sensor array may be configured to receive sound waves created by the interaction between emitted optical pulses and tissue, transmit and receive ultrasound signals, and rotate around a longitudinal axis of the measurement device. The medical sensing system may also include a processing engine operable to produce images of the region of interest and a display configured to visually display the image of the region of interest.

The invention provides an ultrasound system including an ultrasound transducer array and a processor. The ultrasound transducer array comprises a plurality of transducer elements adapted to conform with a subjects body. Further, at least two ultrasound transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements are adapted to acquire a plurality of ultrasound signals from a region of interest at different orientations relative to said region of interest. The processor is adapted to receive ultrasound signals acquired by the ultrasound transducer array. The processor is further adapted to partition the plurality of ultrasound signals according to a signal depth and, for each ultrasound signal partition, calculate a Doppler power. For each ultrasound signal, the processor identifies a depth of a fetal heartbeat based on the Doppler power of each ultrasound signal partition and identifies a fetal heart region based on the identified fetal heartbeat and a location of the at least two ultrasound transducers.

According to one embodiment, an analysis apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry configured to generate a harmonic signal and a fundamental wave signal based on a reception signal that is collected by an ultrasound probe, the harmonic signal corresponding to a harmonic component of a reflected wave of a ultrasound generated in the subject, the fundamental wave signal corresponding to a fundamental wave component of the reflected wave, calculate a first index value indicating tissue properties of the subject based on the harmonic signal, and calculate a second index value indicating the tissue properties based on the fundamental wave signal, and display an analysis result based on the first index value and the second index value.

Provided is a flex-PCB catheter device that is configured to be inserted into a body lumen. The flex-PCB catheter comprises an elongate shaft, an expandable assembly, a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB) substrate, a plurality of electronic components and a plurality of communication paths. The elongate shaft comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The expandable assembly is configured to transition from a radially compact state to a radially expanded state. The plurality of electronic elements are coupled to the flex-PCB substrate and are configured to receive and/or transmit an electric signal. The plurality of communication paths are positioned on and/or within the flex-PCB substrate. The communication paths selectively couple the plurality of electronic elements to a plurality of electrical contacts configured to electrically connect to an electronic module configured to process the electrical signal. The flex-PCB substrate can have multiple layers, including one or more metallic layers. Acoustic matching elements and conductive traces can be includes in the flex-PCB substrate.

A device (10) is provided for ultrasound-based reflection and transmission tomography. The device (10) comprises: a transducer holder (14) configured to hold a plurality of ultrasonic transducers around an imaging volume (30) to be filled with an ultrasonic coupling medium, the transducer holder (14) having an opening for inserting, into the imaging volume (30), at least one part of a body to be imaged, wherein the transducer holder (14) is configured to move, during imaging of the at least one part of the body to be imaged, with respect to the body to be imaged; a support member (11) configured to support, during imaging, the body to be imaged, the support member (11) having a support-member-opening allowing access to the transducer holder (14) by the at least one part of the body to be imaged; a diaphragm (12) having a diaphragm-opening (13), the diaphragm (12) being arranged across the support-member-opening such that a center of the diaphragm-opening (13) is placed substantially at a predetermined position, wherein the diaphragm (12) comprises a material that has a higher transmissivity of ultrasound than a material of the support member (11); an outlet (15) for the ultrasonic coupling medium to flow out of the imaging volume (30) when the at least one part of the body to be imaged is inserted into the imaging volume (30) filled with the ultrasonic coupling medium and/or during imaging; and an elastic membrane (16) comprising a fluidtight material connecting the transducer holder (14) and the outlet (15) in order to guide the ultrasonic coupling medium flowing out of the imaging volume (30) towards the outlet (15).