Data is communicated from an implanted section to an external location. The implanted section includes a transducer such as a piezoelectric element with an ultrasound reflecting surface that moves in response to an applied driving signal. A sensor generates an output signal that depends on a sensed parameter, and a control circuit drives the transducer based on the sensor's output. The transducer's response to the driving signal is repeatable such that the value of the output signal can be determined by measuring the variations in the velocity of the surface using externally applied Doppler ultrasound, and computing the value of the sensor's output from the measured variations in velocity.

The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus (10), in particular for analyzing a fetus (62). An ultrasound data interface (66) is configured to receive 3D (three dimensional) ultrasound data from an object (12). The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus further comprises a measurement unit (70) for measuring anatomical structures of the object based on the segmentation data and a calculation unit (72) configured to calculate at least one biometric parameter based on the 3D ultrasound data.

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.

A method for delivering therapeutic ultrasound to a patient to ensure full treatment of targeted tissue can include performing preoperative imaging of a first volume of targeted tissue of a patient using an ultrasound probe and creating a first treatment plan. Energy can be delivered into at least a distal portion of the first volume. The amount of energy delivered can be sufficient to produce swelling of tissue in the first volume. The first volume can be reimaged to identify if any changes have occurred in at least one of a size, shape and location of the first volume of the targeted tissue. A second treatment plan can be designed to treat a second volume of tissue equivalent to the changed first volume of targeted tissue. Energy can be delivered into the second volume of the targeted tissue.

A method for performing spectral analysis and determining a safety marker includes an assembly via which: regularly, during shot Bb, at a series of times ta, the variation as a function of time in the spectral lines corresponding to the subharmonic and ultra-harmonic frequencies of a received acoustic-response signal of the microbubbles is measured, and the variation as a function of time, over the times ta, in a safety marker is determined and quantified, the safety marker being defined, at each time ta, by a number MDDa equal to the ratio of the sum of the areas of the spectral lines, measured at the time ta and corresponding to the subharmonic and/or ultra-harmonic frequencies of the received acoustic-response signal of the microbubbles, to the sum of the areas of the spectral lines, measured at the first time t1 and corresponding to the subharmonic and/or ultra-harmonic frequencies of the acoustic-response signal of the microbubbles. A system for performing spectral analysis and determining a safety marker implements said method.

A portable ultrasonic imaging probe that is adapted to connect to a host computer via a passive interface cable. The probe includes an array of ultrasound transducers, a high voltage pulser for energizing transducers to emit an ultrasound pulse, analog signal processing circuitry that combines echoes detected by transducers into a single analog echo signal, am analog-to-digital converter that converts the analog echo signal into a digital echo signal; and interface circuitry that transfers the digital echo signal across the passive interface cable to the host computer.

A camera is disposed on a display. A camera image is analyzed to determine a representative coordinate of an operator. The orientation of the display is controlled such that the representative coordinate is within a target area of the camera image. The position and attitude of the display may be controlled, based on the camera image, to avoid illumination reflection.

Aspects of the technology described herein relate to techniques for guiding an operator to use an ultrasound device. Thereby, operators with little or no experience operating ultrasound devices may capture medically relevant ultrasound images and/or interpret the contents of the obtained ultrasound images. For example, some of the techniques disclosed herein may be used to identify a particular anatomical view of a subject to image with an ultrasound device, guide an operator of the ultrasound device to capture an ultrasound image of the subject that contains the particular anatomical view, and/or analyze the captured ultrasound image to identify medical information about the subject.

Provided are an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of appropriately highlighting a blood vessel in an ultrasound image depending on an insertion situation of an insert, and a method of controlling the same.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a transducer array 2, an image acquisition unit 11 that acquires an ultrasound image, a display device 8 that displays the ultrasound image, an image analysis unit 9 that analyzes the ultrasound image to detect a blood vessel and an insert in the ultrasound image, a highlighting unit 10 that highlights the blood vessel detected by the image analysis unit 9 in displaying the ultrasound image, and an apparatus controller 13 that controls the highlighting unit 10. The apparatus controller 13 performs control such that the highlighting unit 10 changes a form in highlighting the blood vessel depending on a relative positional relationship between the blood vessel and the insert.

An ultrasonic device includes: a plurality of oscillation elements to generate ultrasonic waves toward a subject, and generate voltages according to ultrasonic waves reflected by the subject; a data generator to generate a predetermined number of sets of time-series data, each of the sets indicating change in time in a plurality of voltages generated by a predetermined number of oscillation elements, among the voltages generated by the plurality of oscillation elements; a data accumulator to accumulate the sets of time-series data generated by the data generator; a selector to select time-series data from among those generated by the data generator or those accumulated in the data accumulator; a data processor to generate image data by processing a predetermined number of sets of the selected time-series data; and a controller to cause the data generator to stop generating time-series data while the selector selects the accumulated time-series data.