Various embodiments include methods and systems having detection apparatus operable to cancel or reduce leakage signal originating from a source signal being generated and transmitted from a transmitter. A leakage cancellation signal can be generated digitally, converted to an analog signal, and then subtracted in the analog domain from a received signal to provide a leakage-reduced signal for use in detection and analysis of objects. A digital cancellation signal may be generated by generating a cancellation signal in the frequency domain and converting it to the time domain. Optionally, an estimate of a residual leakage signal can be generated and applied to reduce residual leakage remaining in the leakage-reduced signal. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods can be implemented in a variety of applications.

A vibro-acoustography imaging system that that generates a map of the mechanical response of a target to an acoustic radiation force, usually in low kHz range by a confocal geometry. The system generates two focused sinusoidal beams to produce a stress field at the beat frequency, which is a function of vibration and acoustic emissions field in terms of mechanical properties. A highly sensitive hydrophone is then used for detection of the acoustic emissions field, the amplitude of which may be correlated to the mechanical properties of the target tissue.

Various embodiments include methods and systems having detection apparatus operable to cancel or reduce leakage signal originating from a source signal being generated and transmitted from a transmitter. A leakage cancellation signal can be generated digitally, converted to an analog signal, and then subtracted in the analog domain from a received signal to provide a leakage-reduced signal for use in detection and analysis of objects. A digital cancellation signal may be generated by generating a cancellation signal in the frequency domain and converting it to the time domain. Optionally, an estimate of a residual leakage signal can be generated and applied to reduce residual leakage remaining in the leakage-reduced signal. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods can be implemented in a variety of applications.

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

Saturation of received signals and generation of artifacts that are associated with tap concentration are prevented from occurring even if the differences in the delay amount between each of transducers are small. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus comprises a plurality of ultrasound transducers, a plurality of taps, a delay amount calculator, a channel distributor, and a delay processor. The delay amount calculator calculates a first delay amount. The channel distributor specifies the minimum delay amount and the maximum delay amount from the first delay amount. Further, the channel distributor divides the range from the minimum delay amount to the maximum delay amount by the number of taps, and relates each to a tap. The channel distributor also inputs a signal output from an ultrasound transducer to the tap related to the divided range including the corresponding first delay amount. The delay processor relates the tap to a previously set second delay amount, and conducts delay processing on the signal input in each of the taps based on the related second delay amount.

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

An ultrasound system includes a transducer array configured to generate analog ultrasound signals. The system includes one or more analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in communication with the transducer array. The ADCs is configured to convert the analog ultrasound signals to digital ultrasound signals. The system includes a processor circuit in communication with the ADCs. The processor circuit includes digital in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) mixers configured to generate digital continuous wave (CW) Doppler signals based on the digital ultrasound signals. The processor circuit is configured to process the digital CW Doppler signals, generate a graphical representation of a distribution of blood flow velocities over a plurality of cardiac cycles, and output the graphical representation to a display in communication with the processor circuit.

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array. The plurality of transducer elements are organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of summing nodes. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a set of receive switches associated with each of the transducer elements in the receive aperture. Each set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes.

An ultrasound (US) imaging system (100) is disclosed. The US imaging system (100) includes an ultrasound imaging device (110) comprising a transducer; and a digital transducer interface (DTI (206)). The DTI (206) includes a plurality of transducer ports (309) each comprising a plurality of digital data streams adapted to transmit digitized echo output data from the ultrasound imaging device (110). The transducer ports (309) are adapted to connect to the ultrasound imaging device (110). The US system also includes: a switching circuit (301) connected to each of the plurality of transducer ports (309); and a controller (102) adapted to control switches (24) of the switching circuit (301) to transmit digital input data to and the digital echo output data from one of the plurality of transducer ports (309) at a time.