An ultrasonic probe includes: a piezoelectric element that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave; a housing that accommodates the piezoelectric element; and an acoustic medium liquid that contains an aryl group-containing siloxane compound, has an attenuation factor of ultrasonic waves of 5 MHz of less than 1.5 dB/cm, and fills a space between the piezoelectric element and the housing.

A three-dimensional imaging ultrasonic scanning method applicable to ultrasonic diagnostic instruments is disclosed. The three-dimensional imaging ultrasonic scanning method can simultaneously satisfy different requirements for images during three-dimensional ultrasonic scanning, so that with just one time of scanning, a series of B-mode ultrasound images corresponding to each of the ultrasonic arrays can be obtained, and further three-dimensional images for the tested object can be constructed by a main body portion of ultrasonic diagnosis, laying a better foundation for ultrasonic diagnosis.

Described are embodiments of devices and methods for imaging a body conduit, such as a blood vessel. In particular embodiments, the catheter has a chamber within which is a transducer mounted to a pivot mechanism. A coil provides a pivot force to the transducer. A magnet is attached to the transducer and is receptive of a torque applied by a magnetic field produced by energizing of the coil. A driving mechanism receives an impact from the pivot member and causes the pivot mechanism to rotate about a rotation axis.

A three-dimensional (3D) mechanical probe for ultrasonic imagining is disclosed.

Devices, systems, and methods for controlling an intravascular imaging device are provided. For example, in one embodiment a method includes communicating a control signal to an actuator of the intravascular imaging device to cause oscillation of an imaging element of the intravascular imaging device, wherein the intravascular imaging device further includes an acoustic marker; receiving imaging data from the imaging element of the intravascular imaging device; identifying the acoustic marker in the imaging data by determining a correlation between the imaging data and a template representative of the acoustic marker; adjusting an aspect of the control signal based on identifying the acoustic marker; and communicating the adjusted control signal to the actuator of the intravascular imaging device.

An ultrasound observation device includes a controller. The controller is configured to: calculate feature data of an ultrasound signal by analyzing the ultrasound signal; divide an area of interest preliminarily set on an ultrasound image into a plurality of sections; and set an attenuation rate for each of the sections; correct the attenuation rate in a range including at least a boundary between adjacent sections in a manner smoothly changing across the adjacent sections; and perform attenuation correction on the feature data using the corrected attenuation rate to calculate correction feature data.

Provided is a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonic probe that may diagnose all regions of an object to be diagnosed without being limited by a rotation angle by allowing a rotation axis of a driving unit to be directly connected to an ultrasonic transducer.

An ultrasound probe to be connected to an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus body, including an acoustic element that mutually converts an electrical signal and an ultrasonic signal, a motor that causes the acoustic element to perform rocking rotation, a frame that is formed from a resin with thermal conductive properties and that holds the acoustic element so as to allow rocking thereof, and an acoustic window that is formed from an ultrasound-transmitting material and that forms, together with the frame, a closed space that contains the acoustic element and a coupling liquid such that the motor is disposed outside the closed space.

Methods and systems are provided for an ultrasound probe including a small-angle adjustment element. In one embodiment, the small-angle adjustment element includes a piezoelectric actuator configured to rotate a transducer array of the ultrasound probe in response to electrical signals transmitted to the piezoelectric actuator. In this way, an amount of angle spanned by the transducer array during a scan of a region of interest may be reduced, thereby increasing a precision of the ultrasound probe.

A device for endoluminal therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasound procedures includes a motor which rotates a drive shaft and ultrasound transducer. In one example, conductors attach to the transducer and extend through a hollow drive shaft. In another example, a bias member conducts electric signals and stores energy. The device includes an operational state in which the motor rotates the drive shaft alternatingly between a first direction and an opposite second direction.