An ultrasonic transducer having a flexible printed circuit board with a thick metal layer and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The ultrasonic transducer, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: an active element that generates an ultrasonic signal, wherein the active element has a thickness of or less at the center frequency of the generated ultrasonic signal; and a flexible printed circuit board that includes a metal layer with a predetermined thickness, which is formed on one surface of the active element and is electrically connected to the active element, wherein the metal layer blocks ultrasonic waves that propagate in an opposite direction to a predetermined travel path of the ultrasonic waves.

A processor in an ultrasound imaging system identifies faults or errors in the system. In one embodiment, fault or error conditions are detected by monitoring system parameters during a self-test. In another embodiment, a processor provides ultrasound image data to a trained neural network to identify fault conditions in a transducer or the imaging system. In some embodiments, the processor makes adjustments to one or more operating parameters to compensate for the identified fault conditions so that the system continues to operate and produce images with the detected fault condition.

An ultrasound imaging system includes a processor that is programmed to operate the system in a normal operating state and two or more lesser power states. The processor lowers the operating power state to a lesser power state upon detecting one or more operating conditions such as no tissue been imaged in a predetermined time limit or that the imaging system or transducer has not been moved in a time limit. Upon awakening from a power off state, the processor implements a lesser power state before operating at the normal operating state to avoid undue power use until the transducer is positioned to image tissue.

Ultrasound imaging systems for automatically identifying and saving ultrasound images relevant to a needle injection procedure, and associated systems and methods, are described herein. For example, an ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer for transmitting/receiving ultrasound signals during a needle injection procedure, and receive circuitry configured to convert the received ultrasound signals into ultrasound image data. The image data can be stored in a buffer memory. A processor can analyze the image data stored in the buffer memory to identify image data that depicts a specified injection event of the needle injection procedure, and the identified image data can be stored in a memory for archival purposes.

Described are various embodiments of an ultrasonic structural health monitoring device, system and method. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic structural health monitoring device is described to monitor a structure. The device comprises a bottom electrode disposable on the structure; a piezoelectric medium disposed on the bottom electrode; a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric medium; an acoustic insulation layer; and a connector to bring electrical excitation for the piezoelectric medium and to collect a generated electric response therefrom representative of structural health.

An ultrasound imaging system enhances the display of an ultrasound image by applying a selected style to the content of the ultrasound image. The style may be of anatomic illustrations of a particular anatomical feature such as tissue type or may be the style of a previously obtained ultrasound image that shows tissue well. The style of other imaging modes can also be applied. In some embodiments, a training mode of the ultrasound imaging system implements a style transfer technique to enhance the appearance of captured ultrasound image data.

An ultrasonic probe includes: a piezoelectric element that is used for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a signal electrode that is disposed at a rear surface side of the piezoelectric element; and a backing that is disposed at a rear surface side of the signal electrode, wherein the backing has a thermal resistance of 8 K/W or less, and the backing attenuates an ultrasonic wave with the lowest frequency by 10 dB or more, among frequencies at which transmittance and reception sensitivity of the ultrasonic probe is decreased from the maximum value thereof by 20 dB.

An ultrasonic device that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves includes: ultrasonic elements having first and second surfaces from which the ultrasonic waves are emitted; and a backing unit that supports the second surfaces of the ultrasonic elements and attenuates the ultrasonic waves emitted to the second surface side. The backing unit includes microlenses, which are arranged on the second surface side of the ultrasonic elements so as to be located corresponding to the ultrasonic elements, and a backing member having slits through which the ultrasonic waves transmitted through the microlenses pass. The ultrasonic elements are arranged in the shape of an array, and the microlenses are arranged in the shape of an array corresponding to the ultrasonic elements.

Provided is a piezoelectric element containing no lead therein and having a satisfactory piezoelectric constant and a small dielectric loss tangent at room temperature (25 C.) In order to attain this, the piezoelectric element includes a substrate, a first electrode, a piezoelectric film, and a second electrode. The piezoelectric film contains barium zirconate titanate, manganese, and trivalent bismuth. The piezoelectric film satisfies 0.02x0.13, where x is a mole ratio of zirconium to the sum of zirconium and titanium. A manganese content is 0.002 moles or more and 0.015 moles or less for 1 mole of barium zirconate titanate, and a bismuth content is 0.00042 moles or more and 0.00850 moles or less for 1 mole of barium zirconate titanate.

Disclosed is a method and device for detecting a viscoelastic parameter of a viscoelastic medium. The method comprises: applying a mechanical vibration at a single predetermined frequency to the viscoelastic medium to generate a shear wave in the viscoelastic medium (101); emitting ultrasonic waves to the viscoelastic medium, and receiving ultrasonic echo signals (102); acquiring maximum displacement data of the shear wave at various depths according to the ultrasonic echo signals (103), each of the maximum displacement data representing a maximum oscillation amplitude of the shear wave when the shear wave propagates to different depths in the viscoelastic medium; fitting each of the maximum displacement data to obtain a maximum displacement attenuation curve (104); and determining the viscoelastic parameter of the viscoelastic medium according to the maximum displacement attenuation curve (105). The method and device can provide a more accurate measurement result of tissue fibrosis.