An imaging system is provided comprising an imaging probe and at least one delivery device. The imaging probe comprises an elongate shaft, a rotatable optical core and an optical assembly. The elongate shaft comprises a proximal end, a distal portion, and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal portion. The rotatable optical core is positioned within the lumen of the elongate shaft and comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The rotatable optical core is configured to optically and mechanically connect with an interface unit. The optical assembly is positioned in the elongate shaft distal portion and proximate the rotatable optical core distal end. The optical assembly is configured to direct light to tissue and collect reflected light from the tissue. The imaging probe is constructed and arranged to collect image data from a patient site. The at least one delivery device is constructed and arranged to slidingly engage the imaging probe. Methods of introducing the imaging probe and the at least one delivery catheter into a patient are also provided.

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured: to generate a piece of reflected-wave data by performing a phased addition process while using reflected-wave signals generated by transmitting an ultrasound wave with respect to mutually the same scanning line; to speculate a degree of saturation of the reflected-wave signals observed before the phased addition process on the basis of a relationship between signals and noise in a data sequence represented by a set made up of pieces of the reflected-wave data; and to output a result of the speculation. The processing circuitry is configured to cause a display to display data based on the result of the speculation.

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured: to generate a piece of reflected-wave data by performing a phased addition process while using reflected-wave signals generated by transmitting an ultrasound wave with respect to mutually the same scanning line; to speculate a degree of saturation of the reflected-wave signals observed before the phased addition process on the basis of a relationship between signals and noise in a data sequence represented by a set made up of pieces of the reflected-wave data; and to output a result of the speculation. The processing circuitry is configured to cause a display to display data based on the result of the speculation.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including a hardware processor that: calculates a plurality of eigenvectors by performing principal component analysis on a time-series reflection wave data group; calculates a principal frequency component of a time direction represented by the plurality of eigenvectors; determines a reduction rate of each of the plurality of eigenvectors on a basis of the principal frequency component of each of the plurality of eigenvectors and a clutter component reduction condition that defines a reference frequency for reduction of a clutter component; calculates a filter coefficient for reduction of the clutter component on a basis of the plurality of eigenvectors, and the reduction rate corresponding to each of the plurality of eigenvectors; and generates blood flow image data by applying the filter coefficient to the time-series reflection wave data group.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including a hardware processor that: calculates a plurality of eigenvectors by performing principal component analysis on a time-series reflection wave data group; calculates a principal frequency component of a time direction represented by the plurality of eigenvectors; determines a reduction rate of each of the plurality of eigenvectors on a basis of the principal frequency component of each of the plurality of eigenvectors and a clutter component reduction condition that defines a reference frequency for reduction of a clutter component; calculates a filter coefficient for reduction of the clutter component on a basis of the plurality of eigenvectors, and the reduction rate corresponding to each of the plurality of eigenvectors; and generates blood flow image data by applying the filter coefficient to the time-series reflection wave data group.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for contrast enhanced ultrasound quantification imaging are provided. One of the methods includes: obtaining, for each location in a region of interest, a time-dependent ultrasound signal with respect to the region of interest for a time period; determining, for the each location, a processed time-dependent ultrasound signal based at least on the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal, wherein: the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal maps one or more portions of the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal that each locally increase over a threshold, and the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal flattens one or more portions of the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal that do not each locally increase over the threshold; and generating a sequence of images of the region of interest based at least on the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal of the each location, wherein the generated sequence of images displays signal variations of the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal in one or more structures in the region of interest to render the one or more structures.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for contrast enhanced ultrasound quantification imaging are provided. One of the methods includes: obtaining, for each location in a region of interest, a time-dependent ultrasound signal with respect to the region of interest for a time period; determining, for the each location, a processed time-dependent ultrasound signal based at least on the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal, wherein: the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal maps one or more portions of the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal that each locally increase over a threshold, and the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal flattens one or more portions of the obtained time-dependent ultrasound signal that do not each locally increase over the threshold; and generating a sequence of images of the region of interest based at least on the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal of the each location, wherein the generated sequence of images displays signal variations of the processed time-dependent ultrasound signal in one or more structures in the region of interest to render the one or more structures.

A Doppler waveform generation unit 30 obtains Doppler information from a reception signal collected from a diagnosis region and generates a Doppler waveform. An initial time-phase setting unit 40 sets a beginning initial time-phase and an ending initial time-phase of the Doppler waveform. In the setting, an electrocardiographic waveform signal obtained from a subject using an electrocardiograph or the like and learned data stored in a learned data storage unit 60 are used. A measurement time-phase search unit 50 searches for a beginning time-phase of the Doppler waveform near the beginning initial time-phase, and searches for an ending time-phase of the Doppler waveform near the ending initial time-phase. In the search process, the learned data stored in the learned data storage unit 60 is used.

A Doppler waveform generation unit 30 obtains Doppler information from a reception signal collected from a diagnosis region and generates a Doppler waveform. An initial time-phase setting unit 40 sets a beginning initial time-phase and an ending initial time-phase of the Doppler waveform. In the setting, an electrocardiographic waveform signal obtained from a subject using an electrocardiograph or the like and learned data stored in a learned data storage unit 60 are used. A measurement time-phase search unit 50 searches for a beginning time-phase of the Doppler waveform near the beginning initial time-phase, and searches for an ending time-phase of the Doppler waveform near the ending initial time-phase. In the search process, the learned data stored in the learned data storage unit 60 is used.

Provided herein are methods for in-vivo assessment of intraventricular flow shear stress, risk of hemolysis, also the location and extent of blood flow stasis regions and inside a cardiac chamber or blood vessel. Also provided herein are systems for performing such methods. Also provided herein are methods for assessing hemolysis and/or thrombosis risk in patients implanted with an LVAD. LVAD positioning and/or speed may be adjusted based on the results obtained by using methods described herein, and the risk for hemolysis and/or thrombosis can be minimized.