A hierarchical workflow is configured to associate examination information captured using an imaging platform with contextual metadata. The examination information may include ultrasound image data, which may be associated with annotations, measurements, pathology, body markers, and/or the like. The hierarchical workflow may comprise templates associated with respective anatomical regions, locations, volumes, and/or surfaces. A template may define configuration data to automatically adapt the imaging platform to capture imaging data in the corresponding anatomical region. The template may further include guidance information for the operator, including processing steps for capturing relevant examination information. Additional examination information may be captured and included in the hierarchical workflow.

An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes: a probe including a plurality of elements; a transmission unit that transmits an ultrasonic beam by performing transmission focusing in a first direction from the plurality of elements; a reception unit that generates element data by processing reception signals output from the plurality of elements that has received an ultrasonic echo generated by the transmitted ultrasonic beam; an element data processing unit that generates reflection component removal data by removing a reflection component generated from the first direction from the element data; an image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image by performing reception focusing for the element data; and a control unit that controls the image generation unit to generate an image signal along a second direction different from the first direction by performing reception focusing in the second direction for the reflection component removal data generated by the element data processing unit.

The invention relates to a system (1) for image based guidance of treatment delivery to a patient. The system is adapted to determine spatial parameters defining a position and orientation of an ultrasound probe (8) on the basis of a reference image which has been used for preparing a treatment plan. This can provide a certain degree of automation in arranging the ultrasound probe, in order to decrease user dependence and improve the usability for relatively untrained operators. Moreover, since the reference image is also used for generating the treatment plan, i.e. since the same image is used for generating the treatment plan and for determining the position and orientation of the ultrasound probe, it is not necessarily required to acquire an additional image. This can allow for a reduced radiation dose applied to the parts of the patient not being the target to be treated.

A registration system includes a controller (160). The controller (160) includes a memory (162) that stores instructions; and a processor (161) that executes the instructions. When executed, the instructions cause the controller (160) to execute a process that includes obtaining a fluoroscopic X-ray image (S810) from an X-ray imaging system (190), and a visual image (S820) of a hybrid marker (110) affixed to the X-ray imaging system (190) from a camera system (140). A transformation between the hybrid marker (110) and the X-ray imaging system (190) is estimated (S830) based on the fluoroscopic X-ray image. A transformation between the hybrid marker (110) and the camera system (140) is estimated (S840) based on the visual image. Ultrasound images from an ultrasound system (156) are registered (S850) to the fluoroscopic X-ray image from the X-ray imaging system (190) based on the transformation estimated between the hybrid marker (110) and the X-ray imaging system (190), so as to provide a fusion of the ultrasound images to the fluoroscopic X-ray image.

A surface property measurement technology by which a surface property of a substance can be evaluated with high accuracy, is provided. A surface property measurement method includes radiating an ultrasonic wave to a measurement target and acquiring a reflected signal from the measurement target; calculating, by a measurement apparatus, a maximum value of a cross-correlation function between the reflected signal from the measurement target and a reference reflected signal from a reference substance acquired in advance; calculating a reflection component at an interface, by using the maximum value of the cross-correlation function; and outputting, as a measurement value, one of an acoustic impedance of the measurement target or an acoustic impedance of the reference substance, according to a result of comparing the reflection component with the reference reflected signal.

An ultrasonic diagnostic device includes: a probe including a plurality of elements; a transmission unit that transmits an ultrasonic beam by performing transmission focusing in a first direction from the plurality of elements; a reception unit that generates element data by processing reception signals output from the plurality of elements that has received an ultrasonic echo generated by the transmitted ultrasonic beam; an element data processing unit that generates reflection component removal data by removing a reflection component generated from the first direction from the element data; an image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image by performing reception focusing for the element data; and a control unit that controls the image generation unit to generate an image signal along a second direction different from the first direction by performing reception focusing in the second direction for the reflection component removal data generated by the element data processing unit.

A shared-housing ultrasound transducer and machine-vision camera system is disclosed for registering the transducer's x, y, z position in space and pitch, yaw, and roll orientation with respect to an object, such as a patient's body. The position and orientation are correlated with transducer scan data, and scans of the same region of the object are compared in order to reduce ultrasound artifacts and speckles. The system can be extended to interoperative gamma probes or other non-contact sensor probes and medical instruments. Methods are disclosed for computer or remote guiding of a sensor probe or instrument with respect to saved positions and orientations of the sensor probe.

An image diagnosis catheter includes: an outer tube; a support tube provided radially inside of the outer tube; a spacer integrally connecting the outer tube with the support tube; and an inner tube provided radially inside of the outer tube and radially outside of the support tube and movable relative to the outer tube and the support tube in an axial direction, in which a communication passage causing a flow passage between the outer tube and the support tube to communicate with an inside of the support tube is formed by the spacer.

The present invention provides an imaging probe for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes structures using high resolution imaging use combined high frequency ultrasound (IVUS) and optical imaging methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to accurate co-registering of images obtained from ultrasound image signals and optical image signals during scanning a region of interest.

Disclosed herein are computer-implemented medical ultrasound imaging methods, and systems for performing the methods, that comprise forming a first frame of an ultrasound image sequence with high image quality; forming at least one frame of the ultrasound image sequence with reduced image quality; forming a second frame of the ultrasound image sequence with high image quality; and improving the quality of the at least one frame of the ultrasound image sequence with reduced image quality using the first and/or the second frames of the ultrasound image sequence with high quality. In some cases, the improvement of the quality of the at least one frame of the ultrasound image sequence with reduced image quality is achieved by application of machine learning.