Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including an image processor configured to generates an ultrasound image on the basis of an ultrasound signal, an image outputter configured to display the ultrasound image generated by the image processor on the basis of a plurality of parameters, a sound outputter configured to output Doppler sound of the ultrasound image, and a controller configured to control a volume of the Doppler sound on the basis of at least one of the plurality of parameters.

An intravascular ultrasound probe is disclosed, incorporating features for utilizing an advanced transducer technology on a rotating transducer shaft. In particular, the probe accommodates the transmission of the multitude of signals across the boundary between the rotary and stationary components of the probe required to support an advanced transducer technology. These advanced transducer technologies offer the potential for increased bandwidth, improved beam profiles, better signal to noise ratio, reduced manufacturing costs, advanced tissue characterization algorithms, and other desirable features. Furthermore, the inclusion of electronic components on the spinning side of the probe can be highly advantageous in terms of preserving maximum signal to noise ratio and signal fidelity, along with other performance benefits.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for preclinical ultrasound imaging of subjects are provided. In one aspect, the apparatus can include a platform on which a subject is positionable and at least one motion stage for controlling a spatial position of at least one ultrasound transducer relative to the platform in order to acquire ultrasound image data of the subject. Methods for preclinical ultrasound raster scanning of at least one organ or tissue in a subject are also provided, where the at least one organ or tissue is a heart.

Ultrasound devices are disclosed. The ultrasound devices have an elevational dimension. Different percentages of the aperture of the ultrasound device corresponding to different percentages of the elevational dimension are utilized in different applications. The resolution of imagine may be adjusted in connection with usage of different percentages of the aperture.

The present invention related to an ultrasound imaging system win which the scan head includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When using a hierarchical two-stage or three-stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated in real-time. The invention further relates to flexible printed circuit boards in the probe head. The invention furthermore related to the use of coded or spread spectrum signaling in ultrasound imagining systems. Matched filters based on pulse compression using Golay code pairs improve the signal-to-noise ratio thus enabling third harmonic imaging with suppressed sidelobes. The system is suitable for 3D full volume cardiac imaging.

An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a sensor which guides a decision that acoustic coupling quality is insufficient, the apparatus issuing a user alert upon the decision.

Methods for acquiring ultrasonic data from a scanner constructed for B-mode scans are disclosed. An image-acquiring system is provided. A three-dimensional target region is selected. A model of the target region comprising a plurality of target locations representing a plurality of planned locations in the target region at which ultrasonic data is to be acquired is created, and a visual representation of the model comprising a plurality of graphical elements is displayed. Ultrasonic data at each of the planned locations is acquired. A transformation of the visual representation is executed, comprising: performing a data quality test at each target location; for any target location that fails the data quality test, altering a graphical element corresponding to the failed target location to indicate failure of the data quality test at that location; and displaying a transformed visual representation comprising updated graphical elements on the visual display

A method of generating a 3D ultrasound image includes acquiring a 3D volumetric data set corresponding to a 3D imaging volume of an ultrasound probe in a 3D detection volume; acquiring a position of the ultrasound probe with respect to the 3D detection volume; acquiring a position of an interventional medical device with respect to the 3D detection volume; determining a position of the interventional medical device relative to the 3D imaging volume of the ultrasound probe; determining an interventional medical device-aligned plane that intersects with a longitudinal axis of the interventional medical device; extracting a texture slice from the 3D imaging volume for a corresponding interventional medical device-aligned plane positional and rotational orientation; mapping the texture slice onto the interventional medical device-aligned plane; and rendering the interventional medical device-aligned plane as a 3D ultrasound image and displaying the rendered 3D ultrasound image on a display screen.

A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds. An integrated interface program allows such ultrasonic data to be invoked by a variety of such external applications having access to the integrated interface program via a standard, predetermined platform such as visual basic or c++.

The present disclosure provides an ultrafast Doppler ultrasound method for estimating a blood flow velocity through repetitive compounding of multi-angle plane waves. The method includes: controlling an ultrasonic transducer to cyclically transmit plane waves (101) according to a sequence of deflection angles of {0, −β, β, −β}; receiving echo signals (102) of the plane waves reflected by an area to be scanned; searching for three consecutive frames of signals with deflection angles in a sequence of {0, −β, β} and {β, −β, 0} in the echo signals to obtain multiple frame groups (103); compounding the three consecutive frames of signals of each frame group to obtain a compounded radio frequency (RF) signal (105); calculating a blood flow velocity (106) according to the compounded RF signal; and performing color coding on the blood flow velocity to generate a two-dimensional (2D) blood flow velocity image (107).