General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Nuvera Medical, Inc.

Bruno Hans Haider

Kjell Kristoffersen

Douglas Glenn Wildes

Krishnakumar Sundaresan

Robert Gideon Wodnicki

Shinichi Amemiya

Ralph Thomas Hoctor

Charles Edward Baumgartner

Rayette Ann Fisher

Robert Stephen Lewandowski

Kenneth Wayne Rigby

Reinhold Bruestle

Christopher Robert Hazard

Steinar Bjaerum

Geir Ultveit Haugen

Jean-Francois Gelly

Thomas Halvorsrod

Harald Weichenberger

Reinhold Brüstle

Lowell Scott Smith

Robert John Filkins

Richard Yung Chiao

Naresh Kesavan Rao

Matthew Christian Nielsen

Samhita Dasgupta

Steven Charles Miller

Min-Yi Shih

Todd Ryan Tolliver

Petrus Joannes Joseph Moeleker

Thomas Halvorsroed

Anton Hörl

John Erik Hershey

Alan K Schaer

Thomas James Batzinger

Nick Andrew Van Stralen

Glen Peter Koste

Robert S Gilmore

Richard Louis Frey

Kai Erik Thomenius

William Thomas Hatfield

Edward James Nieters

Flavien Daloz

Alexander Sokulin

James Norman Barshinger

Tunc Icoz

Richard Eugene Klaassen

Wei Li

George Charles Sogoian

Edouard Da Cruz

Frederic Lanteri

S M Shajedul Hasan

Armin Schoisswohl

Mark Kane

Todor Jeliaskov

Scott D Cogan

Carl Lawrence Chalek

Chester Frank Saj

Rupak Bardhan Roy

Mirsaid Seyed Bolorforosh

Johan Kirkhorn

Svein Bergstoel

Kieran Andrew Wall

Robert John McElligott

David Charles Franklin

Anders R Sørnes

Srihari Mukesh Tirumalai

Edouard DaCruz

Boris Constantine Joesaar

Christopher Stephen Yetter

Stephen Royal Kaiser

Jean Bulte

Gilles Thouret

Julia Labrune

Delphine Cotta

Ryan Rindler

Rene Hechtfischer

Robert Snee Gilmore

Eugene Klaassen Richard

Robert John Mceilligott

Methods and systems are provided for an ultrasound probe including a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer including a first top electrode, a second top electrode, and a bottom electrode. The ultrasound probe further includes a transmitter/receiver configured to apply a single drive signal to the bottom electrode and a bias circuit configured to apply a first voltage bias to the first top electrode and to apply a second voltage bias to the second top electrode.

Dual bias micromachined ultrasonic transducers

A deployable ultrasound imaging device is operably connected to an ultrasound imaging system including a processing unit configured to operate the transducer and the individual segments in order to emit ultrasound signals from the segments and to receive ultrasound signals from the structures surrounding the segments. The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit can process the transmitted and received signals by beamforming to direct the ultrasound signals emitted from the segments in order to provide data for an ultrasound image of the desired structure(s). The ultrasound imaging system/processing unit mechanically or acoustically determines the position of the individual segments with regard to one another to determine the angular position of the segments with regard to one another. Using the angular position, the ultrasound imaging system/processing unit can apply a beamforming correction to the ultrasound signals emitted from and/or received by the segments in order to produce an accurate ultrasound image.

System and method of signal processing for ultrasound arrays with mechanically adjustable transducer shapes

Methods and systems are provided for ultrasound imaging. In one example, a method includes receiving ultrasound signals of a region of interest with a wireless hand-held probe assembly, generating a plurality of received digital signals based on the received ultrasound signals within the wireless hand-held probe assembly, generating each of a larger dataset and a smaller dataset from the plurality of received digital signals, transmitting the smaller dataset from the wireless hand-held probe assembly to a hub via a lower bandwidth wireless connection, transmitting the larger dataset from the wireless hand-held probe assembly to the hub via a higher bandwidth wireless connection, generating each of a low resolution image from the smaller dataset and a high resolution image from the larger dataset at the hub, and transmitting the low resolution image from the hub to a first display and the high resolution image from the hub to an electronic device.

Methods and system for data transfer for ultrasound acquisition with multiple wireless connections

A capacitive transducer comprising a top electrode and a bottom electrode, and a sidewall between the top electrode and the bottom electrode. The sidewall is configured to separate the top electrode and the bottom electrode by a gap. There is a high contact resistance part on one or both of a bottom side of the top electrode or a top side of the bottom electrode.

Capactive micromachined transducer having a high contact resistance part

Medical tool positioning and control devices, systems, and methods. Handle assemblies that allow a steerable shaft to be steered, while allowing the separate movement of a medical tool. The handle assemblies can allow for rotation and axial movement of the medical tool, and optionally with an actuator disposed distal to a second actuator that controls steering of the steerable shaft.

Medical tool positioning devices, systems, and methods of use and manufacture

An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided. The ultrasound system includes a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction. A bipolar transmit circuit is configured to generate a transmit signal having first and second polarity segments. The first and second polarity segments have corresponding first and second peak amplitudes. A bias generator is configured to generate a bias signal in a direction of the poling direction. The bias signal is combined with the transmit signal to form a biased transmit signal that is shifted in the direction of the poling direction and still includes both of positive and negative voltages over a transmit cycle.

Method and system to prevent depoling of ultrasound transducer

An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided that comprise a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction, wherein over time one or more of the transducer elements possibly exhibit a depoling effect; and one or more drive circuits configured to: i) generate a transmit signal having at least first polarity segments, the first segments having corresponding first peak amplitudes; ii) generate a repoling signal having a repoling pattern configured to at least partially revert the depoling effect exhibited by the one or more transducer elements; and iii) generate a bias signal in the poling direction, the bias signal combined with the at least one of the transmit signal or the repoling signal to form a corresponding at least one of a biased transmit signal or a bias repoling signal, that is shifted in the poling direction.

Method and system to revert a depoling effect exhibited by an ultrasound transducer

A system and method for monitoring ultrasound probe health is provided. The method includes acquiring test data from a plurality of elements of an ultrasound probe by, for each of the plurality of elements, transmitting an ultrasonic signal from one of the elements and receiving a signal on two or more of the elements based on the transmitted ultrasonic signal. The method includes automatically analyzing the test data from the elements to determine a health report for the ultrasound probe. The health report includes a health status for each of a plurality of components of the ultrasound probe. At least one of the components is not part of a transducer array. The method includes automatically displaying the health report on a display device. The health report includes information for at least one of the components.

Method and system for monitoring ultrasound probe health

Methods and systems are provided for ultrasound multiplexing. In one embodiment, a system comprises: an ultrasound probe comprising a transducer array and a multiplexer, wherein for a first signal and a second signal originating at the transducer array, the multiplexer multiplexes a sum signal and a difference signal formed from the first and the second signals into a multiplexed signal; and a console coupled to the ultrasound probe via a cable, the console including a processor, wherein the console receives the multiplexed signal via the cable, and wherein the processor generates an image from the first signal and the second signal recovered from the multiplexed signal. In this way, the number of processing channels can be reduced, thereby enabling a smaller ultrasound device with less hardware, while also avoiding signal degradation from channel crosstalk and transmission variation.

Systems and methods for ultrasound multiplexing

A transducer array for an ultrasound probe is provided. The transducer array includes a plurality of transducer elements. Each of the transducer elements have an acoustic stack configured to generate ultrasound signals. The transducer array includes a front layer having a base and a transmission surface. The front layer is mounted to the acoustic stacks of the plurality or transducer elements. The transmission surface includes a linear incline. The transmission surface is configured to emit the ultrasound signals.

Ultrasound transducer for imaging systems

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a 2D transducer array including a plurality of transducer elements organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture, where the transmit aperture and the receive aperture do not overlap with each other. The probe and system include a plurality of distribution nodes and a plurality of sets of transmit switches. Each set of transmit switches includes a plurality of transmit switches and each set of transmit switches is associated with a different one of the plurality of transducer elements in the transmit aperture. Each set of transmit switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of distribution nodes when in a continuous-wave Doppler mode.

Ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system

An ultrasound probe and an ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of transducer elements arranged in an array. The plurality of transducer elements are organized to form a transmit aperture and a receive aperture. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a plurality of summing nodes. The ultrasound probe and ultrasound imaging system include a set of receive switches associated with each of the transducer elements in the receive aperture. Each set of receive switches is configured to selectively connect the associated transducer element to any one of the plurality of summing nodes.

An ultrasonic transducer driving circuit configured to supply an output current and/or an output voltage to an output line for driving an ultrasonic transducer is provided. The ultrasonic transducer driving circuit includes a first current discharge circuit configured to allow a current arising from electric charges accumulated in the ultrasonic transducer to flow from the output line to ground when the output line is at a positive voltage, and a second current discharge circuit configured to allow the current arising from the electric charges accumulated in the ultrasonic transducer to flow from ground to the output line when the output line is at a negative voltage. The first current discharge circuit and the second current discharge circuit are controlled based on the output current and/or the output voltage.

Ultrasonic transducer driving circuit and ultrasonic image display apparatus

An ultrasound probe analog to digital converter includes an input successive approximation register (SAR) first stage; and an output SAR second stage in communication with the input SAR first stage. The input SAR first stage includes a programmable preamplifier integrated therein for residue amplification. The preamplifier is programmed to alternate between a linear amplifier operating mode and a comparator operating mode.

Analog to digital converter for digital ultrasound probe

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Rehoboth Beach, DE, United States of America

Bruno Hans Haider