An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 includes: a data acquisition unit 3 that repeatedly transmits an ultrasound beam to a subject a plurality of times in a range over a plurality of scanning lines to acquire a time-series data string of reflected waves from the subject; an analysis target data selection unit 7 that estimates the amount of relative positional deviation of a scatterer of the subject which is included in the time-series data string and excludes time-series data satisfying an exclusion condition based on the amount of positional deviation of the scatterer from the time-series data string to select analysis target data; an MTI filter unit 8 that removes a clutter component from the analysis target data; and a blood flow information estimation unit 9 that analyzes the analysis target data from which the clutter component has been removed to estimate blood flow information of the subject.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging devices, systems, and method are provided. In one embodiment, an IVUS imaging device includes a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a lumen of a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion; and an imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The imaging assembly includes a first ultrasound transducer operating at a first center frequency; and a second ultrasound transducer operating at a second center frequency different from the first center frequency.

Disclosed is an ultrasonic blood perfusion imaging method for a single blood vessel, comprising: setting an ultrasound focusing label point in a blood vessel contour of a blood vessel to be measured in a region to be measured; obtaining a preactivated ultrasound image of the region to be measured when an ultrasound contrast agent is in an inactive state; activating the ultrasound contrast agent; obtaining an activated ultrasound image of the region to be measured when the ultrasound contrast agent is in an activated state; obtaining an activation map of the ultrasound contrast agent in the blood vessel to be measured; and obtaining a blood flow perfusion distribution map of the blood vessel to be measured. The ultrasound contrast agent is activated at the ultrasound focusing label point causing liquid-to-gas conversion, and the ultrasound signal changes from dark to bright.

A three-dimensional geometric image of an anatomical region is generated from a plurality of two-dimensional echographic image slices of the region. The image slices are filtered using a reaction-diffusion partial differential equation model before being arranged into a voxel space. Each voxel is then assigned a voxel value to create a volumetric data set from which the volumetric image can be rendered. The image is rendered from far to near, relative to a preset viewing direction, by an alpha-blending process. The alpha value at any given voxel can be determined using the magnitude of the density gradient vector at that voxel. Similarly, the direction of the density gradient vector at a given voxel can be used as a surface normal vector for shading purposes at that voxel.

Disclosed is an intravascular imaging system, including a processor circuit configured for communication with an intravascular imaging catheter that is sized and shaped for positioning within a lumen of a blood vessel. The processor circuit configured to receive a plurality of intravascular images obtained by the intravascular imaging catheter while the intravascular imaging catheter is positioned within the lumen, wherein the plurality of intravascular images corresponds to a plurality of locations along a length of the blood vessel. The processor is further configured to determine a measurement associated with the lumen for each image of the plurality of intravascular images, generate a curve representative of a change in the measurement along the length of the blood vessel, detect a condition of the blood vessel based on the curve, and display a graphical representation of the condition.

Disclosed are an elasticity imaging method, a system and a storage medium. The method comprises: controlling an ultrasonic probe to transmit first ultrasound waves to a target object to generate shear waves propagating in a region of interest of the target object; controlling the ultrasonic probe to transmit second ultrasonic waves to the ROI to track the shear waves propagating in the ROI and receive echoes of the second ultrasonic waves, and acquiring second ultrasonic echo data based on the echoes of the second ultrasonic waves; generating a shear wave elasticity image and a strain elasticity image based on the second ultrasonic echo data; and displaying the shear wave elasticity image and the strain elasticity image. As such, the strain elasticity data is calculated according to the shear wave detection data, to enable the combination of shear wave elasticity imaging and strain elasticity imaging.

Ultrasound-based estimation of disease activity, such as for NAS or other activity index for NAFLD for liver disease, is provided. Ultrasound measures acoustic scatter and shear wave propagation parameters, such as measuring acoustic backscatter coefficient, shear wave velocity, and shear wave damping ratio. A score for the disease activity is determined from these scatter and shear wave propagation parameters. The physician may be assisted by relatively inexpensive and rapid ultrasound as compared to biopsy or MRI based scoring in scoring activity of a disease, such as NAFLD. Ultrasound imaging is more readily available and less expensive and MRI, and is non-invasive.

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is used to acquire a fetal image in a sagittal view for the performance of a nuchal translucency measurement. After a fetal image has been acquired, a zoom box is positioned over the image, encompassing a region of interest. The size of the zoom box is automatically set for the user in correspondence with gestational age or crown rump length. The system automatically tracks the region of interest within the zoom box in the presence of fetal motion in an effort to maintain the region of interest within the zoom box despite movement by the fetus.

Systems and methods of ultrasound imaging of an object that includes multiple depth zones. Each of the zones can be imaged using a different frequency, or the same frequency as another zone. A method includes imaging a first zone using plane wave imaging, imaging a second zone using tissue harmonic imaging, and imaging a third zone using fundamental and subharmonic deep imaging. The depth of each zone can vary based on the ultrasonic array, and correspondingly, the F # used for imaging the zone. In an example, zones can be imaged at different F #'s, for example, at F #1 for the first zone, at F #2, F #3, or F #6 for one or more zones that extend deeper into the object than the first zone. The method can also include forming an image based on the received signals from the multiple zones, and blending the transitions between the zones.

This method, for determining the local intensity (I.sub.0) of an acoustic field propagating in a target region of a soft solid, at a position located within said target region, includes at least the following steps: determining (102) a value of an ultrasound attenuation coefficient (α) of the soft body in the target region; determining (104) a value of the shear modulus (μ) of the soft body in the target region; determining (106) a value of the speed of sound (c) in the target region of the soft body; and building (110), with the values determined in steps a), b) and c), a viscoelastic model (M) of a steady-state displacement induced by an acoustic field having a time invariant shape or a viscoelastic model of a difference between two steady-state displacements induced by an acoustic field having a time invariant shape. Moreover, this method also includes the following steps: applying (112) to the target region the acoustic field emitted by an ultrasound source, for a duration such that the acoustic field induces a steady-state localized deformation (Formula (I)) of the soft body in the target region; measuring (114) at least one steady state displacement induced by the acoustic field at a given position in the target region; and computing (116) the amplitude of the intensity of the acoustic field at said given position by inverting the viscoelastic model (M) at said given position, for the displacement(s) measured at step f).