An apparatus that acquires information on an object includes an element that converts an acoustic wave propagating from the object through a holding member into a reception signal at an element position and an information processor that uses the reception signal to generate characteristic information on the object. The information processor determines, for each unit region of the object, whether the unit region is a unit region for numerical analysis in which the delay time of the acoustic wave is acquired by numerical analysis, or a unit region for interpolation in which the delay time is acquired by interpolation processing; performs numerical analysis on the unit region for numerical analysis.

The current disclosure provides methods and systems for navigating among display panels and graphical elements of a user interface of a medical imaging system via controls of a handheld imaging device. In one embodiment, the current disclosure provides for a method comprising, in response to an operator of the medical imaging system adjusting one or more controls arranged on a control handle of a handheld ultrasound device of the medical imaging system, adjusting a focus of a user interface (UI) of the medical imaging system among a plurality of graphical control elements displayed in the UI; and in response to the operator selecting a graphical control element of the plurality of graphical control elements at a location of the focus of the UI via the one or more controls, executing an action of the medical imaging system associated with the selected graphical control element.

An imaging catheter assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the imaging catheter assembly includes a flexible elongate member including a distal portion and a proximal portion; a crown element coupled to the distal portion, wherein the crown element includes an annular ring, a first post and, a second post, and wherein the first post and the second post extend from the annular ring; a first pullwire anchored to the annular ring at the first post and extending along the flexible elongate member from the crown element to the proximal portion of the flexible elongate member; a second pullwire anchored to the annular ring at the first post and extending along the flexible elongate member from the crown element to the proximal portion of the flexible elongate member; and an imaging component coupled to the distal portion.

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 intravascular Doppler ultrasonic device comprises a tip region forming a fraction of a catheter body at a distal end thereof and carrying an ultrasound probe. The tip region is bendable in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction. An actuator is provided in the tip region, which is configured to receive actuation drive power provided through the catheter body and to exert to the tip region a bending moment of a controllable amount. An actuation controller is configured to control actuation drive power delivery to the actuator so as to control the amount of the bending moment. A Doppler spectrum analysis unit is configured to receive Doppler spectrum data and to determine from it a Doppler signal quality measure indicative of a signal quality of the Doppler spectrum. The actuation controller is configured to determine the actuation drive power in dependence on the determined Doppler signal quality measure.

According to various embodiments, there is provided a headset mountable on a head, the headset including a probe for emitting energy into the head. The headset further includes a support structure coupled to the probe. The support structure includes translation actuators for translating the probe along two axes generally parallel to a surface of the head.

An ultrasonic endoscope includes an ultrasonic vibrator unit provided at a distal end part, the ultrasonic vibrator unit being composed of at least an ultrasonic vibrator array and a first thermally conductive member, the ultrasonic vibrator array having the plurality of ultrasonic vibrators that are arranged in a cylindrical form, the first thermally conductive member being disposed thermally in contact with the ultrasonic vibrator array; a plurality of cables that are electrically connected to the ultrasonic vibrator array; and an electrically conductive structural body that is disposed to extend from a distal end side toward a proximal end side of the ultrasonic endoscope. The ultrasonic vibrator unit and the electrically conductive structural body are connected to each other via an electrically insulating second thermally conductive member. Thus, the ultrasonic endoscope that has a heat release structure which transmits the heat generated from the ultrasonic vibrator to the electrically conductive endoscopic structure housed in a distal end part and which can efficiently release the heat therefrom while electric safety is secured; and that can prevent a burn of an alimentary canal by suppressing a temperature rise of surfaces of the ultrasonic vibrators is provided.

A method includes registering a region of interest in 3-D imaging data with an initial ultrasound image so that the region of interest is in an imaging plane of the initial ultrasound image. The method further includes acquiring a subsequent ultrasound image with a transducer array. The method further includes comparing the initial ultrasound image and the subsequent ultrasound image. The method further includes steering at least one of the transducer array or an instrument based on a result of the comparing so that at least one of the region of interest or the instrument is in the imaging plane.

Methods and apparatus are provided for electrically addressing multiple ultrasonic transducers that are connected to a common electrical channel and housed within an imaging probe. An imaging probe may comprise an imaging ultrasonic transducer and a moveable element for controlling the direction of an emitted imaging beam, and an angle sensing ultrasonic transducer, where the angle sensing ultrasonic transducer is configured for determining the direction of an ultrasonic imaging beam. The angle-sensing transducer may be configured to direct an angle sensing ultrasonic beam towards an acoustically reflective substrate and provide a signal by detecting a reflected ultrasonic beam reflected from the acoustically reflective substrate, where the acoustically reflective substrate is positioned relative to the movable element such that motion of the movable element produces a change in the signal.

An ultrasound imaging system includes a biplane ultrasound probe and a console. The biplane ultrasound probe includes a sagittal array and a transverse array. The console includes a transmit circuit, a receive circuit, and an image generator. The transmit circuit is configured to control the sagittal and transverse arrays to emit ultrasound signals while the probe is manually rotated and translated. The receive circuit is configured to receive electrical signal produced by the sagittal and transverse arrays in response to the sagittal and transverse arrays receiving echoes produced in response to the corresponding ultrasound signals interreacting with structure. The image generator is configured to construct a three-dimensional image with the electrical signals from the sagittal or transverse array using the electrical signals from both the sagittal and transverse arrays to track the motion of the probe and align scanplanes.