Disclosed are an imaging system (10) or an interventional tool, such as a catheter (20), having a first ultrasound transducer array (23) and a second ultrasound transducer array (21) spaced by a fixed distance (D) from each other; wherein both arrays may be used to generate diagnostic images; and a processing arrangement (31, 32) to process a first sensor signal indicative of the first array imaging a reference location (X) at a first point in time, and to process a second sensor signal indicative of the second array imaging the reference location at a second point in time; and determine a translation (pullback) speed of the catheter from the set distance and the difference between the first point in time and the second point in time. Alternatively, a catheter may be provided comprising an ultrasound transducer array at a distal end of the catheter, and two pressure sensors for determining the translation speed.

In one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a probe configured to be equipped with plural transducers arranged in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and be able to perform a two-dimensional scan in the first and second directions; a moving device configured to support the probe and mechanically move the probe in the second direction; a receiving circuit configured to generate first reception signals for respective moving positions of the probe in the second direction by performing receiving phase-compensation and summation processing on respective reflected signals received by the plurality of transducers at each of the moving positions; and processing circuitry configured to generate a second reception signal by performing moving aperture synthesis on the first reception signals generated for the respective moving positions of the probe based on positional information of the probe and generate image data from the second reception signal.

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging using spread-spectrum, wide instantaneous band, coherent, coded waveforms. In one aspect, a method includes synthesizing a composite waveform formed of a plurality of individual orthogonal coded waveforms that are mutually orthogonal to each other, correspond to different frequency bands and including a unique frequency with a corresponding phase; transmitting an acoustic wave based on the composite waveform toward a target from one or more transmitting positions; and receiving at one or more receiving positions acoustic energy returned from at least part of the target corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waveforms, in which the transmitting and receiving positions each include one or both of spatial positions of an array of transducer elements relative to the target and beam phase center positions of the array, and the transmitted acoustic waveforms and the returned acoustic waveforms produce an enlarged effective aperture.

Methods including determining a measurement plan, having acoustic measurements, and lowering in a borehole penetrating a subsurface formation a toolstring having phased array modules. Each phased array module includes acoustic transducers operable to emit an acoustic excitation signal and receive an echo signal, as well as a programmable circuit for setting one or more variables of the phased array module. The phased array modules are configured, including programming the programmable circuit to set variables of the phased array modules according to the measurement plan. The acoustic measurements of the measurement plan are performed using the configured phased array modules. One or more of the formation, a casing disposed in the borehole, and/or an annulus between the casing and the formation are characterized using results of the performed acoustic measurements.

A device and method used to image wells and other fluid-carrying tubulars having localized features of interest. The device scans large areas of the tubular first in a low-resolution mode, then identifies areas that contain those localized features with some probability. The device images the identified areas in a high-resolution mode and stores the images for further image processing. The device may comprise two sensors axially spaced-apart on the device, which sensors may be electromagnetic, acoustic, or cameras.

A method, apparatus and system for locating external apparatus mounted to a tubular in a wellbore. The identification of apparatus, such as cable clamps, enables other tools in the string to operate more precisely. A computer model is used to locate the apparatus from acoustic images, which images are acquired using a downhole device having an acoustic sensor or acoustic array. The model may be a classifier, which may be machine trained to classify whether an apparatus is present, its location and its orientation. Automating this locating enables very long wellbores to be processed quickly.

Systems and methods for tracking the location of a non-destructive inspection (NDI) scanner using scan data converted into images of a target object. Scan images are formed by aggregating successive scan strips acquired using one or two one-dimensional sensor arrays. An image processor constructs and then compares successive partially overlapping scan images that include common features corresponding to respective structural features of the target object. The image processor is further configured to compute a change in location of the NDI scanner relative to a previous location based on the respective positions of those common features in the partially overlapping scan images. This relative physical distance is then added to the previous (old) absolute location estimate to obtain the current (new) absolute location of the NDI scanner.

In an ultrasonic CT device for breast examination, unevenness of an ultrasonic image due to a distribution of inclination angles of a breast is reduced. The distribution of the inclination angles of a surface of a subject in a contour of the subject is obtained from a tomographic image, and a signal level of a reception signal or a pixel value of the tomographic image is corrected using the distribution of the inclination angles.

An apparatus and method for converting localized laser absorption in lipid-rich biological tissue into ultrasonic waves through thermoelastic expansion to image the entire arterial wall with chemical selectivity and depth resolution. The apparatus including a sensitive quasi-collinear dual-mode photoacoustic/ultrasound catheter with elaborately selected sheath material.

The ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment includes a first transducer set, a second transducer set and a transducer set supporter. The first transducer set arranges transducers in a direction parallel with an axis of the ultrasonic probe. The second transducer set arranges transducers on a plane substantially orthogonal to the axis. The transducer set supporter supports the first transducer set and the second transducer set, and is configured to pivot around the axis.