Ultrasound systems having a computing device, a steering mechanism, and an ultrasound transducer are disclosed. The ultrasound transducer is configured to generate angularly discrete signals over a scan region of the ultrasound system in response to inputs from the steering mechanism. The computing device is communicatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer. The computing device includes a processor configured to receive angularly discrete ultrasound signals from the ultrasound transducer over the scan region, determine a scan line count corresponding to each of the received angularly discrete ultrasound signals, associate a TGC curve with each of the scan line counts, apply a TGC curve to each of the angularly discrete ultrasound signals as associated with the scan line count of each angularly discrete ultrasound signal, where each of the applied TGC curves defines a gain that maintains, increases, or decreases the angularly discrete ultrasound signal to which it is applied, over time.

A system and method for predicting an ultrasound image depth selection is provided. The method may include presenting, at a display system, ultrasound image data acquired according to an initial depth setting. The method may include receiving a user input adjusting a zoom level of the ultrasound image data presented at the display system. The method may include processing the ultrasound image data presented at the display system to instantaneously and smoothly transition to the adjusted zoom level in response to the user input. The method may include receiving a user input selecting a selected zoom level of the ultrasound image data presented at the display system. The method may include determining a modified depth setting corresponding to the selected zoom level. The method may include acquiring updated ultrasound image data based on the modified depth setting for display at the display system.

A system and method for tracking an anatomical structure over time based on Pulsed-Wave (PW) Doppler signals of a Multi-Gated Doppler (MGD) signal is provided. The method may include identifying a gate corresponding with a selected anatomical structure. The method may include analyzing an MGD signal to track the selected anatomical structure over an extended period of time by selecting, at a plurality of sample times during the extended period of time, a PW Doppler signal from a plurality of PW Doppler signals of the MGD signal. Each of the selected PW Doppler corresponds with the selected anatomical structure at the particular sample time. The method may include presenting a continuous PW Doppler signal generated from each of the PW Doppler signals selected at each of the sample times during the extended period of time at a display system.

A system and method for automatically providing artifact warnings in Pulsed-Wave (PW) Doppler imaging is provided. The method includes acquiring, by an ultrasound system at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF), Pulsed-Wave (PW) Doppler signals from a selected gate position in a high PRF mode. The method includes determining, by a processor of the ultrasound system based on the PRF, a position of a virtual gate along a PW line in a B-mode image. The method includes presenting, at a display, the virtual gate at the determined position along the PW line in the B-mode image. The method includes analyzing, by the processor, B-mode image intensity values at the virtual gate in the B-mode image to determine whether the B-mode image intensity values exceed an intensity threshold. The method includes providing, by the at least one processor, a virtual gate warning when the B-mode image intensity values exceed the intensity threshold.

Systems and methods for triggering the acquisition of elastography measurements based on motion data are disclosed. Motion data may be acquired by Doppler mode imaging in some embodiments. The motion data may be used to generate a trigger signal. The trigger signal may be provided to a transmit controller. The transmit controller may cause an ultrasound transducer to acquire elastography measurements responsive to the trigger signal.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe, a reference image holding unit that holds an ultrasound image acquired by fixing the position of the ultrasound probe as a reference image, a movement vector calculation unit that calculates a movement vector between two ultrasound images, a movement vector integration unit that integrates the movement vectors from the time when the reference image is held until the current time, a deformed image generation unit that generates a deformed image in which the reference image is moved and changed on the basis of an integration result, a tomographic plane determination unit that compares the deformed image with the current ultrasound image, to determine whether or not tomographic planes of the reference image and the current ultrasound image are the same as each other, and a determination result notification unit that notifies a user of a determination result.

For clutter reduction in ultrasound elasticity imaging, the contribution of clutter to different frequency components (e.g., the transmit fundamental and the propagation generated second harmonic) is different. As a result, a difference in displacements determined at the different frequency bands is used to reduce clutter contribution to displacements used for elasticity imaging.

A method for measuring an ultrasonic attenuation parameter guided by harmonic elastography including applying, using a vibrator included in a probe in contact with a viscoelastic medium, of a continuous low frequency vibration, the continuous low frequency vibration generating an elastic wave within the viscoelastic medium and generating, during the propagation of the elastic wave, using an ultrasonic transducer in contact with the viscoelastic medium, a series of ultrasonic acquisitions, the series of ultrasonic acquisitions including groups of ultrasonic acquisitions, the groups of ultrasonic acquisitions being generated with a repetition rate, each group of ultrasonic acquisitions including at least one acquisition; the ultrasonic attenuation parameter being measured from the ultrasonic acquisitions realised during the application of the continuous low frequency vibration.

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array in which a plurality of transducers that transmit/receive an ultrasound signal to/from an object are arranged in two dimensions; an analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a first direction, and perform analog beamforming in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on signals respectively received by the plurality of transducers; and a digital beamformer configured to perform digital beamforming on the signals that are analog-beamformed in the first direction, and perform digital beamforming on the signals that are analog-beamformed in the second direction.

Changes in tissue stiffness have long been associated with disease. Systems and methods for determining the stiffness of tissues using ultrasonography may include a device for inducing a propagating shear wave in tissue and tracking the speed of propagation, which is directly related to tissue stiffness and density. The speed of a propagating shear wave may be detected by imaging a tissue at a high frame rate and detecting the propagating wave as a perturbance in successive image frames relative to a baseline image of the tissue in an undisturbed state. In some embodiments, sufficiently high frame rates may be achieved by using a ping-based ultrasound imaging technique in which unfocused omni-directional pings are transmitted (in an imaging plane or in a hemisphere) into a region of interest. Receiving echoes of the omnidirectional pings with multiple receive apertures allows for substantially improved lateral resolution.