An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring an image with an ultrasound probe, displaying the image on a touch screen, and detecting a first touch gesture inputted via the touch screen. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes selecting a region of the image based on the first touch gesture, detecting a second touch gesture inputted via the touch screen, and adjusting a value of an ultrasound parameter for the region of the image based on the second touch gesture.

For longitudinal monitoring of a patient using quantitative ultrasound (QUS), one or more indicators of region of interest (ROI) position relative to the patient and one or more images from a past QUS imaging for the patient are stored. The indicator is in addition to an image with the ROI. For subsequent QUS imaging of the patient, the indicator is used to position the ROI. In QUS monitoring, a same or fixed anatomy is monitored from examination-to-examination based on placement of the ROI using a displayed indicator for the previous placement.

A volume of interest is ultrasonically imaged. An object of interest is automatically located from a volume scan. In one approach, a geometric bounding box surrounding the object is found by a classifier. In another approach, an option for zooming to the object is indicated to the user. A scan region is defined around the object or the bounding box automatically, whether in response to user selection of the option or not. The scan region is shaped based on the ultrasound scan format, but is smaller than the volume. The volume of interest defined by the scan region is used to generate images with a greater temporal and/or spatial resolution than scanning of the entire original volume.

A processor in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus controls an ultrasonic probe 2 to transmit a first ultrasonic beam to a first region A1, transmit a second ultrasonic beam to a second region A2, and transmit a third ultrasonic beam to a third region A3, wherein the first and third ultrasonic beams are focused ultrasonic beams having focus points F, and the second ultrasonic beam is an ultrasonic beam formed by a plane wave. The processor produces an ultrasonic image comprised of a first ultrasonic image for the first region A1, a second ultrasonic image for the second region A2, and a third ultrasonic image for the third region A3 based on first, second, and third echo signals obtained from said first, second, and third regions A1, A2, A3.

An ultrasonic signal processing apparatus includes: a push wave transmitter that causes the ultrasonic probe to transmit a push wave for causing displacement in a subject; a detection wave transmitter that causes the ultrasonic probe to transmit a detection wave after the transmission of the push wave; a detection wave receiver that receives an ultrasonic wave reflected from the region of the interest by using the ultrasonic probe and converts the ultrasonic wave into a reception signal; a phasing adder that sets a plurality of observation points in the region of the interest and performs phasing addition for each of the plurality of the observation points to generate an acoustic line signal; and a mechanical property calculator that calculates a mechanical property of the subject in the region of the interest based on an acoustic line signal for each of the plurality of the observation point.

A multiple aperture ultrasound imaging system may be configured to store raw, un-beamformed echo data. Stored echo data may be retrieved and re-beamformed using modified parameters in order to enhance the image or to reveal information that was not visible or not discernible in an original image. Raw echo data may also be transmitted over a network and beamformed by a remote device that is not physically proximate to the probe performing imaging. Such systems may allow physicians or other practitioners to manipulate echo data as though they were imaging the patient directly, even without the patient being present. Many unique diagnostic opportunities are made possible by such systems and methods.

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method enable the automatic acquisition of standard view planes of the heart in real time, such as the AP4, AP3, and AP2 views. A 3D image of the heart is acquired and the processed in conjunction with a geometrical heart model. The heart model is fitted to the heart in its acquired pose to segment the desired image planes from the 3D image data. During successive image acquisition intervals the image planes are tracked through successive image data as a multi-plane system to update a display of the multiple images. The successive image acquisitions can be volume image acquisitions or multi-plane acquisitions of just the tracked image planes during each acquisition interval.

A shear wave velocity is accurately measured. Time change data of a displacement of a tissue due to a shear wave generated in a test object is calculated from a reception signal obtained by transmitting an ultrasonic wave to the test object and receiving a reflected wave. The time change data of the displacement is converted into spectrum data indicating a displacement distribution in a frequency space having a spatial frequency and a time frequency as two axes. Spectrum data in a predetermined region is extracted by rotating the spectrum data by a predetermined angle in the frequency space, and filtering the rotated spectrum data. A velocity of the shear wave is calculated based on the extracted spectrum data in the predetermined region.

A sensor device includes: a probe body having a first end and a second end, the probe body defining a probe cavity within the probe body; a sensor located at the first end of the probe body, the sensor having a sensor surface in sensory communication with the probe cavity defined within the probe body; a permanent magnet located adjacent the second end of the probe body and at least partially circumscribing the probe cavity defined within the probe body; an isolating boundary portion located between the permanent magnet and a surface of the object of interest and having a passage formed therethrough, the passage in communication with the probe cavity defined within the probe body.

A multiple aperture ultrasound imaging system may be configured to store raw, un-beamformed echo data. Stored echo data may be retrieved and re-beamformed using modified parameters in order to enhance the image or to reveal information that was not visible or not discernible in an original image. Raw echo data may also be transmitted over a network and beamformed by a remote device that is not physically proximate to the probe performing imaging. Such systems may allow physicians or other practitioners to manipulate echo data as though they were imaging the patient directly, even without the patient being present. Many unique diagnostic opportunities are made possible by such systems and methods.