1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd pulsed waves (103, 104) with 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd center frequencies are transmitted along 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd transmit beams so that the 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd pulsed waves overlap at least in an overlap region (Z) to produce nonlinear interaction scattering sources in said region. The scattered signal components from at least the nonlinear interaction scattering sources are picked up by a receiver (102) and processed to suppress other components than said nonlinear interaction scattered signal components, to provide nonlinear interaction measurement or image signals. At least a receive beam is scanned in an azimuth or combined azimuth and elevation direction to produce 2D or 3D images of said nonlinear interaction scattering sources.

A device, system, and method for volumetric ultrasound imaging is described. The device and system include an array of transducer elements grouped in triangular planar facets and substantially configured in the shape of a hemisphere to form a cup-shaped volumetric imaging region within the cavity of the hemisphere, A plurality of data-acquisition assemblies are connected to the transducers, which are configured to collect ultrasound signals received from the transducers and transmit image data to a network of processors that are configured to construct a volumetric image of an object within the imaging region based on the image data received from the data-acquisition assemblies.

An image with the sound speed in reception beamforming being changed is generated with a small amount of calculation. A conversion unit 41 converts first real space image data into first wave number space data in a wave number space. A remapping processing unit 42 processes the first wave number space data to generate data equivalent to second wave number space data. A reconversion unit 43 generates a second real space image by inversely converting data equivalent to the second wave number space data.

A device, system, and method for volumetric ultrasound imaging is described. The device and system include an array of transducer elements grouped in triangular planar facets and substantially configured in the shape of a hemisphere to form a cup-shaped volumetric imaging region within the cavity of the hemisphere, A plurality of data-acquisition assemblies are connected to the transducers, which are configured to collect ultrasound signals received from the transducers and transmit image data to a network of processors that are configured to construct a volumetric image of an object within the imaging region based on the image data received from the data-acquisition assemblies.

Synthetic-aperture ultrasound tomography systems and methods using scanning arrays and algorithms configured to simultaneously acquire ultrasound transmission and reflection data, and process the data for improved ultrasound tomography imaging, wherein the tomography imaging comprises total-variation regularization, or a modified total variation regularization, particularly with edge-guided or spatially variant regularization.

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging using a beamformer that incorporates a model of the object. In some aspects, a system includes an array of transducers to transmit and/or receive acoustic signals at an object that forms a synthetic aperture of the system with the object, an object beamformer unit to (i) beamform the object coherently as a function of position, orientation, and/or geometry of the transducers with respect to a model of the object, and (ii) produce a beamformed output signal including spatial information about the object derived from beamforming the acoustic echoes; a data processing unit to process data and produce an image of the object based on a rendition of the position, the orientation, the geometry, and/or the surface properties of the object, relative to the coordinate system of the array, as determined by the data processing unit.

The present invention had disclosed an embedded processor based 3D acoustic imaging real-time signal processing device of modularized design; the system comprises an embedded GPU signal processing subsystem, a signal interaction subsystem and a signal acquisition subsystem. The system takes Tegra K1 embedded GPU processor as the core; Tegra K1 embedded GPU processor is provided with features of OpenGL4.4, OpenGL ES 3.1 and CUDA, which has high parallel image processing capability and abundant high-speed data interconnection interface; it is especially applicable to high-speed data transmission and effective calculation of image algorithm for 3D acoustic imaging real-time signal processing device. Meanwhile, it can realize high-speed data interaction between signal processing subsystem and numerous signal acquisition subsystems; the whole system has powerful data interaction capability and real-time parallel processing capability.

A Multiple Aperture Ultrasound Imaging (MAUI) probe or transducer is uniquely capable of simultaneous imaging of a region of interest from separate apertures of ultrasound arrays. Some embodiments provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound probes having continuous arrays of ultrasound transducers which may have a substantially continuous concave curved shape in two or three dimensions (i.e., concave relative to an object to be imaged). Other embodiments herein provide systems and methods for designing, building and using ultrasound imaging probes having other unique configurations, such as adjustable probes and probes with variable configurations.

Systems, methods, and mechanisms for sound beam focal point determination within an acoustic medium may include propagating a first sound beam to intersect a second sound beam, where the second sound beam converges at a focal point. Signals representative of sound pressure in the acoustic medium may be received from one or more sensors. A direction and/or focal length of the first sound beam within the acoustic medium may be adjusted, based, at least in part, on the received signals, to produce a maximum amplitude of signals generated from nonlinear mixing of the first sound beam and the second sound beam, where the maximum amplitude may correspond to the intersection of the first sound beam with the focal point of the second sound beam. A location of the intersection may be determined, at least in some instances, using a time-of-arrival analysis on the received signals.

Systems, methods, and mechanisms for sound beam focal point determination within an acoustic medium may include propagating a first sound beam to intersect a second sound beam, where the second sound beam converges at a focal point. The first and second sound beams may originate from known locations. A direction of the first sound beam within the acoustic medium may be adjusted to produce a maximum amplitude of signals generated from nonlinear mixing of the first sound beam and the second sound beam, where the maximum amplitude may correspond to the intersection of the first sound beam with the focal point of the second sound beam. A location of the intersection may be determined, at least in some instances, based on the known locations, the adjusted direction of the first sound beam, and a direction of the second sound beam.