Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Advanced Technology Laboratories, Inc.

Atl Ultrasound, Inc.

Other

Bracco Suisse Sa

Philips Ultrasound, Inc.

Jeffry E Powers

Michalakis Averkiou

William Tao Shi

David N Roundhill

Matthew Bruce

Ralf Seip

John Douglas Fraser

Danny M Skyba

Clifford R Cooley

Brent Stephen Robinson

Robert Randall Entrekin

Gary Allen Schwartz

Thanasis Loupas

Paul Sheeran

Charles Tremblay-Darveau

Juin-Jet Hwang

Claudia Errico

Shiying Wang

Peter N Burns

Thomas Gauthier

Terrence James Sweeney

Patrick Ren&eacute; Pesque

Yannick Bohren

Emmanuel Jean-Marie Gaud

Jean-Marc Paul Robert Hyvelin

Theodore J Browning

Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon

Feng Yan

James Robertson Jago

Hua Xie

David Hope Simpson

Marcel Arditi

Ronald Elvin Daigle

Keith William Johnson

Jonathan Thomas Sutton

Rohit Garg

Scott William Dianis

Roy B Peterson

Wendy Swan

Michael Schauf

Damien Dolimier

Helle Ullerup

Jeremy D Wiggins

Donn D Franklin

Jonathon Thomas Sutton

Davy Maria Willibrordus Schaeken

Philip A DesJardins

Patrick Rene' Pesque

Cyrille Villet

Dan Skyba

Juliana Pauline Kelly

Maarten Johan Frido Rincker

Ebeline Bihel

Francois Tranquart

Sarah Rhoades Baxter

Sonia Souza

Philip A Desjardins

Edward J Browning

Systems and methods for multi-level vascular imaging for construction and display of vasculature from large to small vessels and micro-vessels using a combination of varying resolution contrast enhanced ultrasound flow imaging modalities are disclosed. While one or more resolution flow imaging modes may be employed for imaging large to small vessels of a vascular tree within a large region of interest, a high resolution mode, such as super resolution imaging, constructed for delineation of the microvascular morphology and directional microcirculation is provided within one or more small ROIs placed in selected locations within the larger ROI.

Systems and methods for vascular imaging

Systems and methods for time-varying two-dimensional (2D) color maps for visualizing images or sequences of images are disclosed. The 2D color map may include brightness values of a hue corresponding to different intensities that changes over time. In some 2D color maps, the hue used for the intensity scale may change over time while the brightness of a pixel may not. In some 2D color maps, both the hue and the brightness may change relative to intensity over time.

Systems and methods for color mappings of contrast images

A particular sequence of ultrasound transmissions and corresponding echo receptions enables the production of Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Amplitude Modulated Phase Inverted (AMPI) signals that are temporally balanced. Temporal balancing significantly reduces tissue artifacts caused by movement of tissue during acquisition of the ultrasound echoes. Additionally, in combining the selected echo signals to produce the AM5 and AMPI signals, and optionally a Phase Inverted (PI) signal, each of the echo signals is equally weighted to facilitate an amplitude balance that avoids different echoes affecting the produced AM, AMPI, and PI signals differently.

Temporally balanced multi-mode master imaging sequence for ultrasonic contrast imaging

A therapeutic ultrasound method configured to adaptively transmit ultrasound pulses toward microbubbles in a treatment region to remove an occlusion is described. In some examples, the system may include a treatment pulse unit configured to transmit an ultrasound pulse to a treatment region of a subject, the treatment region including a plurality of microbubbles. An echo detection unit may be configured to receive one or more echoes responsive to the ultrasound pulse. In some examples, the method may also include a data processor configured to identify, using data associated with the echoes, at least one echo signature indicative of a dynamic state of the microbubbles in response to the ultrasound pulse. A controller may be configured to adjust one or more parameters of an additional ultrasound pulse transmitted to the treatment region via the treatment pulse unit based on the at least one echo signature.

Adaptive pulsing for sonothrombolysis treatment

A therapeutic ultrasound system transmits a staggered or interleaved pattern of therapy beams for use in sonothrombolysis and other Vascular Acoustic Resonators (VAR) mediated therapy. The inventive technique minimizes VAR, e.g. microbubble, destruction due to adjacent beams, ensures uniform sonication of the targeted region by filling in the spaces between the beams in subsequent passes, and further provides a means for bubble replenishment to maximize the clot lysis from ultrasound. The technique is also applicable to diagnostic ultrasound, VAR mediated drug delivery and blood brain barrier opening.

Interleaved beam pattern for sonothhrombolysis and other vascular acoustic resonator mediated therapies

The present disclosure describes a therapeutic ultrasound system configured to adaptively transmit ultrasound pulses toward microbubbles in a treatment region to remove an occlusion. In some examples, the system may include a treatment pulse unit configured to transmit an ultrasound pulse to a treatment region of a subject, the treatment region including a plurality of microbubbles. An echo detection unit may be configured to receive one or more echoes responsive to the ultra sound pulse. In some examples, the system may also include a data processor configured to identify, using data associated with the echoes, at least one echo signature indicative of a dynamic state of the microbubbles in response to the ultrasound pulse. A controller may be configured to adjust one or more parameters of an additional ultrasound pulse transmitted to the treatment region via the treatment pulse unit based on the at least one echo signature.

An apparatus for patient-specific adjusting of ultrasound output pressure includes a controller () configured for adjusting, based on an estimate of thickness of a temporal bone () in a head of a medical treatment recipient, a pressure setting. It may also be based on treatment depth (). Ultrasound at the adjusted pressure setting is applied. A user interface may be provided for user entry of the estimate, the user interface being further configured for user indication of the treatment depth. Both the entered estimate and the indicated treatment depth may be used in calculating ultrasound attenuation (). The user indication can be interactive by virtue of designating, on a display, a location of a treatment target. The calculated attenuation may be a value, in decibels, that is in a range from 0.9&#xd7;(2.70&#xd7;0.1+16.60&#xd7;T+0.87&#xd7;(D&#x2212;T&#x2212;0.1)+3.02) to 1.1&#xd7;(2.70&#xd7;0.1+16.60&#xd7;T+0.87&#xd7;(D&#x2212;T&#x2212;0.1)+3.02), where T is the estimate in centimeters and D is the treatment depth in centimeters.

Setting of sonothromobolysis ultrasound output power

An apparatus for ultrasound irradiation of a body part () includes a first ultrasound transducer (), and a second ultrasound transducer () mounted oppositely, and is configured: a) such that at least two ultrasound receiving elements, for determining a relative orientation of the first to the second transducer, are attached to the first transducer; b) for a beam, from the first transducer, causing cavitation, and/or bubble destruction of systemically circulating microbubbles, within the body part; or c) both with the attached elements and for the causing. The apparatus registers, with said first transducer, the second transducer, by using as a reference respectively the features a) and/or b). A detachable subsystem includes either a therapy or imaging transducer, to form a combination imaging and therapy system, the subsystem being configured for removable coupling to correspondingly an imaging or therapy subsystem comprising a head frame () to which is mounted an imaging or therapy transducer, the imaging or therapy subsystem for registering the imaging or therapy transducer, one to the other, by the above method.

Transducer placement and registration for image-guided sonothrombolysis

Ultrasonic sonothrombolysis systems to produce two acoustic pressure levels of insonation during stroke therapy, mid/high acoustic pressure insonation directed to the site of a blood clot where microbubbles are present to induce microbubble-mediated blood clot lysis, and low acoustic insonation directed to the region surrounding the site of the blood clot where microbubbles are present to stimulate microvascular reperfusion of the surrounding tissue. The systems simultaneously produce blood clot lysis at the site of an occlusion and stimulate reperfusion of tissue affected by the occlusion.

Devices and methods for the ultrasound treatment of ischemic stroke

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which utilizes one or more transducer arrays affixed to the head of a patient to diagnose and treat stroke victims. The transducer headset produces a two or three dimensional image of the vasculature inside the cranium, preferably assisted by a microbubble contrast agent. A vascular flow map is produced by the system which may be diagnosed for signs of a blood clot. If a blood clot is detected, a therapeutic beam is transmitted while the contrast agent is present to break up the blood clot by the disruption of microbubbles. The headset may also be used in a monitoring application to detect the recurrence of blood clots in a stroke victim.

Ultrasound system for cerebral blood flow imaging and microbubble-enhanced blood clot lysis

A head frame for a medical patient includes support for a probe and a neck support. The frame wraps around the head of the patient and can be used in the supine position. The support may include a probe holder slidable under the head and configured to contact or engage the neck support. In some embodiments, conformal shaping to the head and/or neck of the patient, the frame's rigid construction, the alignment of the optionally separable holder to the neck support, the weight of the head, or a combination thereof serve to keep the distal tip of the ultrasound probe in place against the temporal region of the head without need for attaching the frame to the head as by straps, which may provide an arrangement robust against patient/vehicle movement in an emergency medical services setting.

Ultrasound head frame for emergency medical services

A combined ultrasound imaging and therapy transducer () includes a linear array of imaging transducer elements (). First and second linear arrays of therapy transducer elements () extend longitudinally along respective first and second sides of the imaging transducer elements and are canted inwardly toward each other. The imaging and therapy transducer is used with an ultrasound imaging system to locate clots in a region of interest. After the region of interest has been perfused with a microbubble contrast agent, the therapy transducer elements are driven by an amplifier located in the transducer to dissolve the clot. The use of the imaging transducer elements and the therapy transducer elements can be interleaved so that the therapy can be conditioned on an ultrasound image showing substantial destruction of the contrast agent microbubbles, re-perfusion of microbubbles in the region of interest, or the continued presence of the clot.

Combination imaging and therapy transducer with therapy transducer amplifier

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system and method are described which produce tissue harmonic images containing both fundamental and harmonic frequency components. Such a blended image takes advantage of the performance possible with the two types of ultrasonic echo information and can advantageously reduce near field clutter while improving signal to noise performance in the far field of the image.

System and method for three dimensional harmonic ultrasound imaging

Ultrasound system for cerebral blood flow monitoring

Growing community of inventors

Bainbridge Is., WA, United States of America

Jeffry E Powers