The invention provides an ultrasound system including an ultrasound transducer array and a processor. The ultrasound transducer array comprises a plurality of transducer elements adapted to conform with a subjects body. Further, at least two ultrasound transducer elements of the plurality of transducer elements are adapted to acquire a plurality of ultrasound signals from a region of interest at different orientations relative to said region of interest. The processor is adapted to receive ultrasound signals acquired by the ultrasound transducer array. The processor is further adapted to partition the plurality of ultrasound signals according to a signal depth and, for each ultrasound signal partition, calculate a Doppler power. For each ultrasound signal, the processor identifies a depth of a fetal heartbeat based on the Doppler power of each ultrasound signal partition and identifies a fetal heart region based on the identified fetal heartbeat and a location of the at least two ultrasound transducers.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment has transmitting and receiving circuitry that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and processing circuitry. The transmitting and receiving circuitry is configured to perform first beamforming processing on reflected wave signals output from a plurality of transducer elements that receive reflected waves and perform second beamforming processing different from the first beamforming processing on the reflected wave signals. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate an evaluation value of spatial correlation of the reflected wave signals and perform third beamforming processing based on a first processing result that is a processing result of the first beamforming processing, a second processing result that is a processing result of the second beamforming processing, and the evaluation value.

A fully automated ultrasound apparatus includes a sensor or probe which can be initially manually attached to a side of the neck of a patient, an ultrasound interface to control the sensor and periodically acquire raw ultrasound data, a signal and image processing system to autonomously convert the raw ultrasound data into a measurement that is useful to physicians, and a display to relay the current measurements and measurement history to provide data trends. The sensor can include one or more ultrasound transducers built into a housing. A disposable component can serve to secure the sensor to the neck of the patient and to provide a coupling medium between the sensor and the skin of the patient.

According to one embodiment, an analysis apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry configured to generate a harmonic signal and a fundamental wave signal based on a reception signal that is collected by an ultrasound probe, the harmonic signal corresponding to a harmonic component of a reflected wave of a ultrasound generated in the subject, the fundamental wave signal corresponding to a fundamental wave component of the reflected wave, calculate a first index value indicating tissue properties of the subject based on the harmonic signal, and calculate a second index value indicating the tissue properties based on the fundamental wave signal, and display an analysis result based on the first index value and the second index value.

Disclosed is an ultrasound imaging system that includes a remote server configured for communication with a first ultrasound imaging console and a second ultrasound imaging console. The server is configured to receive, from the first ultrasound imaging console, an upload request for a custom image setting, receive and store the custom image setting. The server is further configured to output, to the second ultrasound imaging console, data representative of the custom image setting; receive a request for the custom image setting; retrieve and send, to the second ultrasound imaging console, the custom image setting such that the second ultrasound imaging console can generate an image with the custom image setting.

Provided is a flex-PCB catheter device that is configured to be inserted into a body lumen. The flex-PCB catheter comprises an elongate shaft, an expandable assembly, a flexible printed circuit board (flex-PCB) substrate, a plurality of electronic components and a plurality of communication paths. The elongate shaft comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The expandable assembly is configured to transition from a radially compact state to a radially expanded state. The plurality of electronic elements are coupled to the flex-PCB substrate and are configured to receive and/or transmit an electric signal. The plurality of communication paths are positioned on and/or within the flex-PCB substrate. The communication paths selectively couple the plurality of electronic elements to a plurality of electrical contacts configured to electrically connect to an electronic module configured to process the electrical signal. The flex-PCB substrate can have multiple layers, including one or more metallic layers. Acoustic matching elements and conductive traces can be includes in the flex-PCB substrate.

An intraluminal sensing system is provided that includes an intraluminal device. The intraluminal device has a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient, and an ultrasound sensor at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The ultrasound sensor is configured to emit an ultrasound pulse in a longitudinal within the body lumen, and to receive Doppler-shifted echoes from the ultrasound pulse. A processor circuit in communication with the ultrasound sensor is configured to: compute a velocity spectrum of particles moving within the body lumen based on the Doppler-shifted echoes; identify features in the velocity spectrum indicative of a lateral position or angular alignment of the ultrasound sensor within the body lumen; and output, to a display in communication with the processor circuit, positioning guidance for the intraluminal device based on the identified features in the velocity spectrum.

There is provided a thickness measurement device for measuring a thickness of a measurement target by using an ultrasonic wave, the thickness measurement device being to be attached to an object including the measurement target therein. The thickness measurement device includes a plurality of ultrasonic elements each configured to transmit the ultrasonic wave to the measurement target from a surface of the object, receive a reflected wave reflected by the measurement target, and output a reception signal, and a controller configured to control the ultrasonic elements. The plurality of ultrasonic elements transmit the ultrasonic waves in directions different from one another, and the controller compares a signal intensity of the reception signal with a predetermined threshold, and measures the thickness of the measurement target based on the reception signal having a signal intensity larger than the threshold.

An elastography device includes a probe with a single ultrasound transducer; or a plurality of ultrasound transducers, and a low frequency vibrator arranged to induce a displacement of said single ultrasound transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers towards a tissue. The device is configured to emit a sequence of ultrasound pulses and to acquire echo signals received in response to track how elastic waves, induced by the displacement, travel in the tissue. The device is configured to generate, for one or more of the ultrasound pulses emitted a temporal offset upon emission, and/or a temporal offset upon reception, so that a difference thereof varies as a function of 2.d/.sub.Vus, where d is the displacement of the single transducer or plurality of ultrasound transducers, and where .sub.Vus is the speed of ultrasound in said tissue.

The present disclosure includes a method of diagnosing a condition of bodily tissue using a computer, the method comprising comparing, using a computer, a 3D tissue model derived from an ultrasound scan of the bodily tissue with at least one 3D tissue model having common tissue with the bodily tissue, and diagnosing a condition of the bodily tissue responsive to comparing the 3D tissue models.