An ultrasound imaging device includes: a first transmitter configured to transmit a transmission signal to at least one piezoelectric element; a receiver configured to receive a reception signal from the at least one piezoelectric element; a second transmitter configured to transmit a given signal to the at least one piezoelectric element; a timing controller configured to control a transmitting timing at which the first transmitter transmits the transmission signal and a receiving timing at which the receiver receives the reception signal; and a signal controller configured to cause the second transmitter to transmit the given signal to a first area to which the first transmitter does not transmit the transmission signal at the transmitting timing or cause the second transmitter to transmit the given signal to a second area from which the receiver does not receive the reception signal at the receiving timing.

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).

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes: a plurality of channels configured to transmit and receive signal with a plurality of transducer elements comprised in a probe; a beamformer configured to perform beamforming a signal received from a preset number of active channel among the plurality of channels; a switch configured to connect the probe and the plurality of channels; and a controller configured to determine a faulty channel among the plurality of channels, compare whether the number of the plurality of channels is greater than or equal to the number of the plurality of transducer elements and control the switch based on the comparison result when the faulty channel is comprised in the active channel.

An ultrasonic method for quantifying the nonlinear shear wave elasticity of a medium, the method comprising the following steps: A1.—collecting a temporal succession of shear wave elasticity data from the medium, A2.—applying, to the medium, a deformation that successively changes according to a predetermined sequence of deformations, during the collection of the shear waves, A3.—observing the actual evolution of deformation, and B.—quantifying the nonlinear elasticity of the medium depending on the temporal succession of data and the evolution of deformation.

An ultrasound imaging system includes a processor that is programmed to operate the system in a normal operating state and two or more lesser power states. The processor lowers the operating power state to a lesser power state upon detecting one or more operating conditions such as no tissue been imaged in a predetermined time limit or that the imaging system or transducer has not been moved in a time limit. Upon awakening from a power off state, the processor implements a lesser power state before operating at the normal operating state to avoid undue power use until the transducer is positioned to image tissue.

Techniques for operating an ultrasonic sensor array, the ultrasonic sensor array disposed under a platen, include making a determination whether or not to recalibrate the ultrasonic sensor array based on whether a first screen protector disposed above the platen has been removed or replaced by a second screen protector; and recalibrating the ultrasonic sensor array, when the determination is to recalibrate the ultrasonic sensor array. In some cases, the techniques include prompting a user to indicate whether or not the screen protector has been changed or removed, and recalibrating the ultrasonic sensor array only after confirmation from the user.

An intraluminal sensing system is provided, which includes an intraluminal device. The intraluminal device includes a flexible elongate member that can be positioned within a body lumen of a patient, and an ultrasound sensor at a distal portion of the flexible elongate member and configured to emit an ultrasound pulse in a longitudinal direction and to receive ultrasound echoes from the pulse. The system also includes a processor circuit in communication with the ultrasound sensor. The processor circuit is configured to compute a velocity spectrum of particles moving within the body lumen based on the received ultrasound echoes and, based on the velocity spectrum, compute a skew index indicative of a position or alignment of the ultrasound sensor within the body lumen. The processor circuit is also configured to output an indication of the skew index.

Sensors coupled to a vehicle are calibrated, optionally using a dynamic scene with sensor targets around a motorized turntable that rotates the vehicle to different orientations. One vehicle sensor captures a representation of one feature of a sensor target, while another vehicle sensor captures a representation of a different feature of the sensor target, the two features of the sensor target having known relative positioning on the target. The vehicle generates a transformation that maps the captured representations of the two features to positions around the vehicle based on the known relative positioning of the two features on the target.

Apparatus for calibration includes a mount and one or more acoustic targets. The mount, which is adapted to hold a medical probe, includes an acoustic imaging device that emits ultrasonic beam in a plane, while permitting an orientation of the plane of the ultrasonic beam to be adjusted. The one or more acoustic targets are arranged to continuously intersect the plane of the ultrasonic beam over a given range of orientation angles.

Described herein are methods and systems for testing transducers and associated integrated circuits. In some cases, a method or system described herein can comprise modulating a bias voltage using a test signal in order to produce a modulated bias voltage signal useful in testing a plurality of transducers of a transducer array in parallel.