Acuson Corporation

Other

Jay Sterling Plugge

Amin M Hanafy

Vaughn R Marian

Samuel H Maslak

David Joseph Rosa

John W Eaton

Ismayil M Guracar

John I Jackson

J Nelson Wright

David J Finger

Donald R Langdon

D Grant Fash, Iii

Brian M Normand

John W Sliwa, Jr

Edward A Gardner

Jason Carl Plugge

Michael G Curley

Richard A Lyon

Donald R Mullen

Jodi L Schwartz

A method and system for contrast agent imaging with a catheter transducer is provided. The catheter transducer may comprise an intra-vascular, intra-cardiac or other transducer for insertion into or through a small space. The catheter transducer is inserted within the heart or other portion of a patient. Contrast agents, such as micro-spheres, are injected into the patient. Using the catheter transducer, ultrasonic acoustic energy is transmitted, and reflected energy is received. The reflected energy is responsive to the contrast agents. An image processor generates an image of the tissue and contrast agents as a function of the reflected energy. The image provides an indication of perfusion. Alternatively, the ultrasound system calculates perfusion. By generating intra-vascular images or data, interference from other tissues is avoided. Therefore, the perfusion information obtained may have higher resolution. Images with better resolution better assist doctors in medical diagnosis.

Diagnostic medical ultrasound image and system for contrast agent imaging

An automobile sound processor containing prerecorded or synthesized sound signatures of vintage automobiles and motorcycles or other sounds, along with other audio processing components, is integrated with an automobile's on-board stereo sound system. A mode selector allows the user to select the desired classic car sound signature to be replicated. Sensors or transducers located in the engine compartment measure engine RPM and manifold vacuum. The sensors communicate instantaneous measurements of engine RPM and manifold vacuum to the sound processor and other audio processing components. The output of the sound processor is a composite audio replication of a selected sound signature. The sound signature is reproduced through the vehicle's on-board stereo sound system and modulated by the driving dynamics of the driver's car, as if the car were producing these sounds by responding to acceleration and deceleration dynamics.

Classic automobile sound processor

An ultrasonic transducer includes an elongated catheter that carries a phased linear array of ultrasonic transducer elements at a distal end. This array is aligned with the azimuthal axis of the array oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the catheter near the distal end. Two sets of steering lines are carried by the catheter and coupled to the catheter near the distal end. The first set of steering lines is effective to steer the distal end in a first plane, and the second set of steering lines is effective to steer the distal end in a second plane, transverse to the first plane.

Steering mechanism and steering line for a catheter-mounted ultrasonic transducer

A method and system for obtaining ultrasound data with a sparse array of transducer elements is provided. About one wavelength of a highest operating frequency separates the center of each transducer element from any adjacent transducer element. While this spacing may generate grating lobes, the beamformer of the ultrasound system is configured to filter and isolate information at a harmonic of a fundamental transmit frequency. The resultant two-way beam pattern is less effected by the grating lobes. The image generated as a function of the harmonic information has few artifacts created as a function of the sparse spacing of the transducer elements. Given a set number of beamformer transmit channels, the sparse spacing may allow for a larger aperture width with few artifacts as a result of sparse element spacing. The larger aperture width generates a narrower beam in the azimuthal dimension of a one-dimensional transducer. By generating a narrower beam, better azimuthal resolution may be obtained. Alternatively, the number of transmit channels may be reduced to provide a beam width that is the same or similar to a beam generated with a conventional phased array where transducer elements have a one-half of the wavelength spacing of the fundamental frequency. By using fewer transmit channels to obtain the same beam width, the space required by electrical traces connecting the transducer elements to the beamformer is reduced. The reduced required space is beneficially used on catheter or intravascular transducers.

Diagnostic medical ultrasound system and method for using a sparse array

There is provided a transducer array with a plurality of piezoelectric elements having a minimum and maximum thickness. In one embodiment, the maximum thickness is less than or equal to 140 percent of the minimum thickness. In an alternate embodiment, the maximum thickness is greater than 140 percent of the minimum thickness and the transducer array is capable of simulating the excitation of a wider aperture two-dimensional transducer array. One or more matching layers may be used to further increase bandwidth performance. In addition, a two crystal transducer element as well as a composite transducer structure may be formed using the principles of this invention.

Broadband phased array transducer design with frequency controlled two

A steering mechanism for an ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a housing having a longitudinal axis that extends generally parallel to the proximal end of a catheter. An annular steering ring is mounted to the housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis, and a steering hub is mounted for rotation in the housing and coupled to the steering ring such that rotation of the steering ring with respect to the housing causes rotation of the steering hub. A steering line is secured adjacent the steering hub and extends to the distal end of the catheter such that rotation of the steering hub alters the effective length of the steering line to steer the distal end. The steering line is preferably formed of a stranded polymer such as a gel spun polyethylene.

Steering mechanism and steering line for a catheter-mounted ultrasonic

A phased array transducer and method for the manufacture thereof having a design that allows the array to focus in a near field of interest and a far field of interest. The array includes a plurality of even and odd numbered transducer elements where the even and odd numbered elements have an active region of particular widths. The width of the active region of the odd numbered elements is different than the width of the active region of the even numbered elements so that the odd numbered elements can be used to image in one field of interest while the even numbered elements can be used to image in another field of interest.

Phased array transducer design and method for manufacture thereof

The invention provides a method and system for adaptive persistence processing in an ultrasound imaging system. Acoustic signals are temporally filtered using an adaptive persistence filter, having a recursive stage followed by a nonrecursive stage. A set of filtering coefficients for each stage are supplied by a look-up table in a memory, addressed or indexed in response to a plurality of input or output pixel values. The look-up table may therefore embody any selected function of its input variables. The input variables for the look-up table function are a current input pixel value X.sub.n and a previous intermediate pixel value W.sub.n-1, and the function embodied by the look-up table includes a relative first difference function for selecting a filter coefficient. A recursive filtering coefficient .alpha. is held constant over time, while a nonrecursive filtering coefficient .gamma.is adjusted dynamically in response to the current input pixel value X.sub.n and the previous intermediate pixel value W.sub.n-1. The non-recursive stage filter has a frequency response that attenuates higher frequency components without attenuating a broad range of lower frequency components, relative to the recursive stage frequency response. The step response or settling time of the non-recursive stage filter always spans one frame interval, independent of the nonrecursive filtering coefficient, while the step response or settling time for the recursive stage filter is generally longer and is dependent on the recursive filtering coefficient.

Adaptive persistence processing

The invention provides a method and system for adaptive persistence processing in an ultrasound imaging system. Acoustic signals are temporally filtered using an adaptive persistence filter, having a recursive stage followed by a nonrecursive stage. A set of filtering coefficients for each stage are supplied by a look-up table in a memory, addressed or indexed in response to a plurality of input or output pixel values. The look-up table may therefore embody any selected function of its input variables. The input variables for the look-up table function are a current input pixel value X.sub.n and a previous intermediate pixel value W.sub.n-1, and the function embodied by the look-up table includes a relative first difference function for selecting a filter coefficient. A recursive filtering coefficient .alpha. is held constant over time, while a nonrecursive filtering coefficient .gamma. is adjusted dynamically in response to the current input pixel value X.sub.n and the previous intermediate pixel value W.sub.n-1. The nonrecursive stage filter has a frequency response that attenuates higher frequency components without attenuating a broad range of lower frequency components, relative to the recursive stage frequency response. The step response or settling time of the nonrecursive stage filter always spans one frame interval, independent of the nonrecursive filtering coefficient, while the step response or settling time for the recursive stage filter is generally longer and is dependent on the recursive filtering coefficient.

An ultrasound transducer assembly having a housing, a transducer array mounted in the housing, and active cooling mechanism positioned adjacent to the transducer array for actively removing heat generated by the array by transport of heat energy from the affected site. The active cooling mechanism may comprise a heat exchanger including a closed loop circulating coolant system circulating coolant, or a single-pass flowed coolant, passing through the heat exchanger, a heat pipe, a thermoelectric cooler, an evaporative/condenser system, and/or a phase change material. One or more heat exchangers may be used having gas or liquid coolants flowing therethrough. The heat exchangers and coolant pumps may be located in various components of the transducer assembly, including the array housing, the connector assemblies or the ultrasound console.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Jay Sterling Plugge