A portable ultrasound imaging system includes a scan head coupled by a cable to a portable battery-powered data processor and display unit. The scan head enclosure houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.

Portable ultrasound imaging system

An ultrasound system and method are provided for improving resolution and operation. The system applies different imaging parameters within and outside a region of interest in an ultrasound image to improve spatial and/or temporal resolution inside a region of interest. The system also increases an apparent frame rate within a region of interest in an ultrasound-image frame by generating a motion-compensated interpolated image based on measured motion. The ultrasound imaging system also performs a method for automatically adjusting ultrasound imaging parameters in at least a portion of an ultrasound image in response to transducer or image motion to improve spatial or temporal resolution. With the measured motion, the system can also alter an operating mode of an ultrasound transducer array in response to an absence of transducer motion. Further, the system corrects distortion in an acquired ultrasound image caused by transducer or image motion.

Ultrasound imaging system and method for improving resolution and operation

Processing a group of accounts corresponding to different products. A group of accounts are linked together to create a group so that group processing can be performed at the group level while independent processing of the accounts is performed at the account level. Typically, a group includes a key account and one or more dependent accounts. The relationships between the accounts and the group are flexible to accommodate changes in the status of the group cardholders. Group level processing includes authorizing transactions, applying group payments, creating group statements, creating cardholder communications, and administering reward programs. Each dependent account has an associated dependent strategy that specifies group level processing options for the dependent account.

Methods for processing a group of accounts corresponding to different products

An endovascular access and guidance system (100) has an elongate body (105) with a proximal end (110) and a distal end (115); a non-imaging ultrasound transducer (120) on the elongate body configured to provide in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the vasculature of the patient; an endovascular electrogram lead (130) on the elongate body in a position that, when the elongate body is in the vasculature, the endovascular electrogram lead electrical sensing segment provides an in vivo electrogram signal of the patient; a processor (140) configured to receive and process a signal from the non-imaging ultrasound transducer and a signal from the endovascular electrogram lead; and an output device configured to display a result of information processed by the processor.

Apparatus and method for endovascular device guiding and positioning using physiological parameters

A medical system incorporates a perforated flexible web conformable to a patient, at least one electroacoustic transducer attached to the web, an a-c current source being operatively connected to the transducer for energizing the transducer with an electrical signal of a pre-established ultrasonic frequency to produce a first pressure wave. At least one acoustoelectric transducer is attached to the web, while an analyzing component is operatively connected to the acoustoelectric transducer for determining three-dimensional shapes of internal organs of the patient by analyzing signals generated by the acoustoelectric transducer in response to second pressure waves produced at internal organs of the patient in response to the first pressure wave. An image of internal organic structures derived through the ultrasonic signal analysis is displayed on a video monitor for enabling direct observation of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic operations. Instruments are inserted into the patient through apertures in the flexible ultrasonic sensor web.

Ultrasonic medical system and associated method

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus including ultrasonic transducers for emitting acoustic wave beams of various apertures, apparatus for directing two acoustic wave beams of substantially different focusing distances on the same beam direction, circuitry for receiving the reflected waves corresponding to the beam directions, apparatus for modulating the scanning lines corresponding to the beam position directions of the reflected acoustic waves, and apparatus for composing the scanning lines corresponding to the two acoustic beams directed on the same beam direction into a single scanning line for display

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus

PURPOSE:To accurately and promptly execute an operation test by executing processing for a testing signal by a blood flow imaging processing part and judging that the operation of the blood flow imaging processing part is normal when the processed result of the blood flow imaging processing part coincides with an expected value within prescribed tolerance. CONSTITUTION:A selector 21 selects the output of a testing signal generating means 26 by the control of a selection control means 24, and a selector 23 selects the output of a line buffer memory 8. An operation part 13 executes prescribed arithmetic processing for a speed, dispersion, and power based on the taken in testing signal and sends the operational result to an operation quality discriminating means 28. On the other hand, an expected value calculating means 27 calculates the expected value of the arithmetic processing result of the operation part 13 based on the testing signal and sends the calculated expected value to the operation quality discriminating means 28. Thereupon, the operation quality discriminating means 28 compares this expected value with the arithmetic output of the operation part 13. Further, when the arithmetic output of the operation part 13 coincides with the expected value within the prescribed tolerance in the comparison, it is judged that the operation of the operation part 13 is normal, and when the arithmetic output and the expected value never coincide with each other, it is judged that the operation of the operation part 13 is abnormal.

Ultrasonic diagnosing device

In an ultrasonic imaging apparatus using pulsed Doppler signal, the amplitudes of the reflected echo signals are decreased in accordance with a depth of the body. The echo signals received by the transducer are detected in the phase detectors in such a manner that the echo signals are mixed with the reference signals whose amplitudes vary in accordance with the distances between the portions in the body and the transducer, over which the reflected echo signals are propagated.

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus using pulsed Doppler signal

An ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus is provided with a plurality of phased array transducer elements arranged in a row The number of simultaneously driven transducer elements is changed in response to a rate pulse to increase the ultrasonic scanning line density without increasing the number of the transducer elements, while the position of the focal point is adjusted to maintain the minimum width position of the ultrasonic beam provided by the group of the simultaneously driven transducer elements substantially constant irrespective of the change of the number of the simultaneously driven transducer elements by controlling the phase of transmitted and received ultrasonic waves by means of delay elements

Toshio Shirasaka

Papers

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus

Ultrasonic diagnosing device

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus using pulsed Doppler signal

Ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus

Ultrasoniccwave reflection device