A photoacoustic image generation apparatus includes: a puncture needle that generates photoacoustic waves; an ultrasound probe that detects the photoacoustic waves and reflected ultrasonic waves reflected by the transmission of ultrasonic waves; a processor that generates a color Doppler signal of a region of interest as a color Doppler measurement target, generates a photoacoustic image on the basis of the photoacoustic waves, and detects the position of a tip portion of the puncture needle on the basis of the photoacoustic image; and a controller that sets the region of interest such that the position of the tip portion of the puncture needle and a center position of the region of interest are separated from each other by a predetermined distance and sets the region of interest, following the movement of the tip portion of the puncture needle, in a state in which the distance is maintained.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer-readable program, which, when executed by a processor, will cause a computer to execute a method of processing an image, wherein the method includes receiving a 2-D color Doppler image. The method additionally includes extracting a single component velocity field of a 2-D plane from the 2-D color Doppler image. Further, the method includes receiving a geometrical boundary of a region of interest within the 2-D color Doppler image. Moreover, the method includes applying a plurality of boundary conditions to the geometrical boundary, an at least one inlet, and an at least one outlet, of the single component velocity field of a 2-D plane. The method additionally includes solving a streamfunction vorticity formulation to reconstruct a transverse velocity component. Further, the method includes outputting a reconstructed 2-D 2-component velocity based on the transverse velocity component.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer-readable program, which, when executed by a processor, will cause a computer to execute a method of processing an image, wherein the method includes receiving a 2-D color Doppler image. The method additionally includes extracting a single component velocity field of a 2-D plane from the 2-D color Doppler image. Further, the method includes receiving a geometrical boundary of a region of interest within the 2-D color Doppler image. Moreover, the method includes applying a plurality of boundary conditions to the geometrical boundary, an at least one inlet, and an at least one outlet, of the single component velocity field of a 2-D plane. The method additionally includes solving a streamfunction vorticity formulation to reconstruct a transverse velocity component. Further, the method includes outputting a reconstructed 2-D 2-component velocity based on the transverse velocity component.

Methods and systems are provided for color flow ultrasound imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring color flow data, detecting, with a neural network, a flash artifact in the color flow data, adjusting an adaptive filter cutoff of a clutter filter based on a classification result of the neural network, filtering, with the clutter filter, the flash artifact from the color flow data, and displaying a color flow image generated from the filtered color flow data. In this way, strong flash artifacts caused by strong tissue movement or probe movement may be dynamically suppressed during color flow ultrasound imaging.

Systems and methods are disclosed for informing and monitoring blood flow calculations with user-specific activity data, including sensor data. One method includes receiving or accessing a user-specific anatomical model and a first set of physiological characteristics of a user; calculating a first value of a blood flow metric of the user based on the user-specific anatomical model and the first set of physiological characteristics; receiving or calculating a second set of physiological characteristics of the user by accessing or receiving sensor data of the user's blood flow and/or sensor data of the user's physiological characteristics; and calculating second value of the blood flow metric of the user based on the user-specific anatomical model and the second set of physiological characteristics of the user.

Systems and methods are disclosed for informing and monitoring blood flow calculations with user-specific activity data, including sensor data. One method includes receiving or accessing a user-specific anatomical model and a first set of physiological characteristics of a user; calculating a first value of a blood flow metric of the user based on the user-specific anatomical model and the first set of physiological characteristics; receiving or calculating a second set of physiological characteristics of the user by accessing or receiving sensor data of the user's blood flow and/or sensor data of the user's physiological characteristics; and calculating second value of the blood flow metric of the user based on the user-specific anatomical model and the second set of physiological characteristics of the user.

The invention provides an ultrasound system comprising an ultrasound probe, adapted to transmit and receive ultrasound signals, and an interventional device for insertion into a vessel of a subject. The interventional device includes an ultrasound transducer adapted to acquire a first set of ultrasound data at a first ultrasound frequency, wherein the first set of ultrasound data relates to flow data. The ultrasound system is further adapted exchange a second set of ultrasound data between the ultrasound probe and the interventional device at a second ultrasound frequency different from the first ultrasound frequency, wherein the second ultrasound data relates to interventional device positioning data.

The invention provides an ultrasound system comprising an ultrasound probe, adapted to transmit and receive ultrasound signals, and an interventional device for insertion into a vessel of a subject. The interventional device includes an ultrasound transducer adapted to acquire a first set of ultrasound data at a first ultrasound frequency, wherein the first set of ultrasound data relates to flow data. The ultrasound system is further adapted exchange a second set of ultrasound data between the ultrasound probe and the interventional device at a second ultrasound frequency different from the first ultrasound frequency, wherein the second ultrasound data relates to interventional device positioning data.

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.