A method for detecting a defect of a metal plate includes selecting N controllable emitting electromagnetic acoustic transducers EMATs as excitation transducers, and selecting M omnidirectionally receiving EMATs as receiving transducers, exciting an ultrasonic guided wave in a metal plate by a n.sup.th controllable emitting EMAT with a predetermined emission angle; determining whether each of M1 omnidirectionally receiving EMATs and the n.sup.th controllable emitting EMAT form a scattering group; for the scattering group, solving a position of a scattering point and a direction of a scattering side according to a distance between T.sub.n and R.sub.ml, the emission angle and a travel time of the ultrasonic guided wave; performing a curve fitting on all the scattering points in directions of respective scattering sides to obtain a contour image of the defect.

Embodiments provide an ultrasound treatment system and method. In some embodiments, the system includes a removable transducer module having an ultrasound transducer. In some embodiments, the system can include a hand wand with at least one finger activated controller and a control module that is coupled to the hand wand and has a graphical user interface for controlling the removable transducer module, and an interface coupling the hand wand to the control module. The interface may provide power to the hand wand or may transfer a signal from the hand wand to the control module. In some embodiments, the treatment system may be used in cosmetic procedures on at least a portion of a face, head, neck, and/or other part of a patient.

Embodiments of a dermatological cosmetic treatment and/or imaging system and method can include use of transducer to create a linear thermal treatment zone at a focal depth to form a band shaped treatment area. The system can include one or more ultrasound transducers, a cylindrical transduction element, an imaging element, a hand wand, a removable transducer module, a control module, and/or graphical user interface. In some embodiments, a coated transducer may be used to provide more consistent treatment in cosmetic procedures, including brow lifts, fat reduction, sweat reduction, and treatment of the dcolletage. Skin tightening, lifting and amelioration of wrinkles and stretch marks are provided. Treatment may include heating of tissue for a duration to deactivate a percentage of cells in the treatment region.

Methods and apparatus are provided for electrically addressing multiple ultrasonic transducers that are connected to a common electrical channel and housed within an imaging probe. An imaging probe may comprise an imaging ultrasonic transducer and a moveable element for controlling the direction of an emitted imaging beam, and an angle sensing ultrasonic transducer, where the angle sensing ultrasonic transducer is configured for determining the direction of an ultrasonic imaging beam. The angle-sensing transducer may be configured to direct an angle sensing ultrasonic beam towards an acoustically reflective substrate and provide a signal by detecting a reflected ultrasonic beam reflected from the acoustically reflective substrate, where the acoustically reflective substrate is positioned relative to the movable element such that motion of the movable element produces a change in the signal.

An ultrasound probe includes: an ultrasound transducer provided on a distal end side of an outer tube; an actuator including a movable portion configured to perform a reciprocating motion; and a conversion mechanism. The conversion mechanism is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube in series with the actuator in the longitudinal direction, arranged in parallel to the ultrasound transducer in the longitudinal direction, and configured to convert the reciprocating motion of the movable portion to a swing motion of the ultrasound transducer. A working point in the mechanism is positioned off a center axis of the outer tube and a center axis of driving force of the reciprocating motion in the movable portion, and the center axis of the driving force of the reciprocating motion in the movable portion is displaced to the working point side by a predetermined distance relative to the center axis.

Apparatuses and methods for generating therapeutic compressed acoustic waves (e.g., shock waves) with an improved acoustic wavefront. In the apparatuses, a housing is defined by a chamber and a shockwave outlet, the chamber is configured to be filed with liquid, a plurality of electrodes defining one or more spark gaps and an acoustic reflector can disposed in the chamber, and a pulse generation system configured to apply voltage pulses to the electrodes at a rate of between 10 Hz and 5 MHz. The improved acoustic wavefront is achieved via a free-form acoustic reflector and/or a stable spark gap location. The free-form acoustic reflector is designed according to a disclosed method including iterating reflector shape using spline interpolation based on defined variables. Additionally, a stable spark gap location is achieved via a single servomotor that adjusts both electrodes simultaneously.

An example sonar transducer assembly is provided including at least one transducer element and a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) including at least one set of electrical connections for the at least one transducer element. The electrical connections include flex tabs configured to flex out of a PCB plane. The sonar transducer assembly also includes a support structure including an aperture for the at least one transducer element. The support structure is configured to support the body of the PCB, allow flexion of the flex tabs into the aperture, and retain the at least one transducer element in the at least one aperture. The transducer element is installed in a direction that is perpendicular to the PCB plane causing the flex tabs to flex outwardly from the PCB plane, thereby creating an elastic force of the flex tabs applied against opposing ends of the at least one transducer element.

Embodiments of the invention provide a dermatological cosmetic treatment and imaging system and method. In some embodiments, the system (20) includes a hand wand (100) with at least one finger activated controller (150, 160), and a removable transducer module (200) having an ultrasound transducer (280). In some embodiments, the system (20) can include a control module (300) that is coupled to the hand wand (100) and has a graphical user interface (310) for controlling the removable transducer module (200), and an interface (130) coupling the hand wand (100) to the control module (300). The interface (130) may provide power to the hand wand or may transfer a signal from the hand wand to the control module. In some embodiments, the cosmetic treatment system (20) may be used in cosmetic procedures on at least a portion of a face, head, neck, and/or other part of a patient.

Disclosed is a linear scanning mechanical volume probe comprising a bracket on which a drive wheel, a first reverse wheel and a second reverse wheel are provided, an axis of the drive wheel, an axis of the first reverse wheel and an axis of the second reverse wheel are parallel; a guide rod is further provided on the bracket, and the axis of the guide rod is perpendicular to the axis of the drive wheel, a slider which can slide axially along the guide rod is provided on the guide rod, a transducer is fixedly connected to the slider; the first reverse wheel and the second reverse wheel are respectively provided near opposite ends of the guide rod, and further comprise a first rope and a second rope. The linear scanning mechanical volume probe can ensure that a high resolution image can be obtained at a distance from the transducer.

There is provided an assembly for hands-free ultrasonic monitoring and imaging via a suprasternal notch of a target individual, comprising: a cradle comprising: a lower portion having a surface shaped according to a surface of an anatomical region including a suprasternal notch of sample individual(s), and a holding portion connected to the lower portion, the holding portion shaped to fit a housing component, the holding portion including at least one elongated slot elongated at a predefined angle relative to the surface of the lower portion, and a housing component comprising: an ultrasound transducer, a multi-directional mechanism for adjusting the position of the ultrasound transducer within the housing component along at least two degrees of freedom, and a securing mechanism set at a location within housing component for engaging the at least one elongated slot of the cradle when housing component is fitted within the holding portion of the cradle.