Suspension of gas-filled microvesicles comprising a targeting ligand for binding to KDR or VEGF/KDR complex. The suspension is obtained by reconstituting a freeze-dried residue with a carbohydrate-containing solution in the presence of a physiologically acceptable gas and is stabilized by the presence of histidine.

A system and method that allows the capture of a series of images to create a single linear panoramic image is disclosed. The method includes capturing an image, dynamically comparing a previously captured image with a preview image on a display of a capture device until a predetermined overlap threshold is satisfied, generating a user interface to provide feedback on the display of the capture device to guide a movement of the capture device, and capturing the preview image with enough overlap with the previously captured image with little to no tilt for creating a linear panorama.

The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for monitoring an ablation procedure. The monitoring apparatus comprises an ultrasound signal providing unit for providing an ultrasound signal that depends on received echo series of an object that is ablated. The monitoring apparatus further comprises an ablation depth determination unit for determining an ablation depth from the provided ultrasound signal. The ablation depth can be determined directly from the ultrasound signal and is an important parameter while performing an ablation procedure. For example, it can be used for determining the progress of ablation within the object and for determining when the ablation has reached a desired progression.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for ultrasound imaging using a modified variable sampling beamforming technique. Unlike conventional methods of variable sampling beamforming, in which in-phase and quadrature samples are obtained for each pixel location, in various example embodiments of the present disclosure, the pixel locations are quadrature-spaced such that for each 5 sample point, an adjacent sample point along an A-line is employed as the quadrature sample. The samples at each array element may be triggered according to the time of flight between a first pixel location and the location of the array element, such that successive samples, corresponding to successive pixel locations along the selected A-line, are obtained such that adjacent samples are spaced by a 10 time interval corresponding to a quarter of an odd number of wavelenghths of the beamformed transmit pulse, and such that only one sample is acquired per pixel.

Systems and methods for network-based ultrasound imaging are provided, which can include a number of features. In some embodiments, an ultrasound imaging system images an object with three-dimensional unfocused pings and obtains digital sample sets from a plurality of receiver elements. A sub-set of the digital sample sets can be electronically transferred to a remote server, where the sub-set can be beamformed to produce a series of two-dimensional image frames. A video stream made up of the series of two-dimensional images frames can then be transferred from the remote server to a display device.

Ultrasound signal processing device including: transmitter performing transmission events while varying a focal point; receiver generating, for each transmission event, receive signal sequences for transducer elements; delay-and-sum calculator generating, for each transmission event, a sub-frame acoustic line signal including an acoustic line signal for each measurement point located on target lines passing through the focal point and composing a target line group; and synthesizer combining sub-frame acoustic line signals to generate a frame acoustic line signal. The target lines are straight lines, and any measurement point, on any target line, that is spaced away from the focal point by a predetermined distance or more satisfies a condition that distance between the measurement point and a most nearby measurement point on the same target line is smaller than distance between the measurement point and a most nearby one among measurement points on an adjacent target line.

An apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first obtaining unit configured to obtain an ultrasound image generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from an object, a display control unit configured to control a display unit to display the ultrasound image, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a photoacoustic signal generated by receiving photoacoustic waves generated from light irradiated to the object, and a saving control unit configured to obtain information representing a save instruction given when the ultrasound image is being displayed, and configured to save in a storage unit the ultrasound image corresponding to a time point of the save instruction and information derived from the photoacoustic signal based on the information representing the save instruction.

Embodiments described herein include apparatus that includes an electrical interface and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, via the electrical interface, a first signal that indicates a time-varying force that was applied to a portion of tissue, and one or more second signals that are derived from ultrasound reflections received from the portion of tissue. The processor is further configured to learn, from the first signal and the second signals, a dependency of a thickness of the portion of tissue on the force applied to the portion of tissue. Other embodiments are also described.

Various methods and systems are provided for ultrasound imaging. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring, with an ultrasound transducer of a scanning apparatus during an ultrasound scan of a patient, an ultrasound image, detecting, with an artificial intelligence model, a region of interest within the ultrasound image including a possible tumor, acquiring, with the ultrasound transducer, an elastic image of tissue within the region of interest, and displaying, with a display device, the elastic image. In this way, shear wave elastography may be automatically targeted to a region of interest, thereby reducing the processing load for the analysis and enabling a higher elasticity imaging frame rate for three-dimensional ultrasound imaging.

Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate obtaining two dimensional (2D) ultrasound images, using two or more ultrasound imaging modes or modalities, to generate 2D multi-parametric ultrasound (mpUS) images and/or to generate a three-dimensional (3D) mpUS image. The different ultrasound imaging modes acquire images in a common frame of reference during a single procedure to facilitate their registration. The mpUS images (i.e., 2D or 3D) may be used for enhanced and/or automated detection of one or more suspicious regions. After identifying one or more suspicious regions, the mpUS images may be utilized with a real-time image to guide biopsy or therapy the region(s). All these processes may be performed in a single medical procedure.