University of Washington

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Other

Neil R Owen

Michael R Bailey

Peter John Kaczkowski

Bryan Cunitz

Changhong Hu

Barbrina Dunmire

John Kucewicz

Francesco P Curra

Oleg Sapozhinikov

Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon

Sheng-Wen Huang

Jun Seob Shin

Oleg A Sapozhnikov

Unmin Bae

Wei Lu

Paul Illian

Anup Shah

Marla Paun

James Hossack

Peter Kaczkowski

Systems and methods for reducing speckle while maintaining frame rate are disclosed. Multiple sub-images associated with different receive angles are acquired for a single transmit/receive event at an observation angle. The sub-images are compounded to generate a final image with reduced speckle. In some examples, multiple sub-images from multiple transmit/receive events are compounded to generate the final image. The observation angle and/or the receive angles may vary between transmit/receive events in some examples.

Methods and systems for speckle reduction in ultrasound images by compounding sub-images associated with different receive angles

An ultrasound system includes a transducer array having three or more rows of transducer elements extending in the azimuth dimension and located adjacent to each other in the elevation dimension. The rows have different mechanical foci in the elevation dimension, with an inner row elevationally focused in the near field and outer rows elevationally focused in the far field. When the user is imaging a subject in the near field, the system beamformer transmits with the inner row with a near field elevation focus. When imaging in the far field a plurality of rows elevationally focused in the far field are used for transmission. When the user is imaging in the mid-range, the beamformer uses both the inner row and the plurality of outer rows to provide an extended mid-range elevation focus.

Ultrasound imaging system with depth-dependent transmit focus

During shock wave therapy, a determination is made that a kidney stone has begun to fracture, and then a progress of its fragmentation is assessed. This determination can reduce the number of shock waves used to disintegrate kidney stones, and thereby reduce dose-dependent tissue damage. The identification of fracture is possible through the detection and analysis of resonant acoustic scattering, which is the radiation caused by reverberations within a stone particle that is struck by a shock wave. The scattering frequency can provide both an indication that the kidney stone has fragmented, and an indication of the relative sizes of the fragments. Related concepts employ displacement measurements of kidney stones/fragments to provide both an indication that the kidney stone has fragmented, and an indication of the relative sizes of the fragments. Such techniques can be combined with vibro-acoustography based gating that better targets the stone.

Method and apparatus to detect the fragmentation of kidney stones by measuring acoustic scatter

Described herein are methods and apparatus for detecting stones by ultrasound, in which the ultrasound reflections from a stone are preferentially selected and accentuated relative to the ultrasound reflections from blood or tissue. Also described herein are methods and apparatus for applying pushing ultrasound to in vivo stones or other objects, to facilitate the removal of such in vivo objects.

Ultrasound based method and apparatus for stone detection and to facilitate clearance thereof

Ultrasound systems and methods for real-time noninvasive spatial temperature estimation are disclosed herein. A method for noninvasive temperature estimation in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, propagating ultrasound waves into tissue and detecting echoes of the ultrasound waves. The ultrasound waves can become nonlinear as they propagate into the tissue. The method can further include monitoring changes in tissue temperature in real-time using a spectral-based temperature estimation approach, which correlates nonlinear acoustic effects with changes in tissue temperature.

Ultrasound systems and methods for real-time noninvasive spatial temperature estimation

Multilayer ultrasound transducer devices for high power transmission and wide-band reception and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. An ultrasound transducer device in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology, for example, can include a first array of first transducers and a second array of second transducers that are oriented substantially parallel to one another. The first transducers can include a first piezoelectric material that is configured to transmit acoustic waves, and the second transducers can include a second piezoelectric material that is configured to receive echoes from the acoustic waves. The ultrasound transducer device can further include an electrical connection layer between the first and second arrays that is electrically coupled to the first and second transducers.

Multilayer ultrasound transducer devices for high power transmission and wide-band reception and associated systems and methods

Interference in ultrasound imaging when used in connection with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is avoided by employing a synchronization signal to control the HIFU signal. Unless the timing of the HIFU transducer is controlled, its output will substantially overwhelm the signal produced by ultrasound imaging system and obscure the image it produces. The synchronization signal employed to control the HIFU transducer is obtained without requiring modification of the ultrasound imaging system. Signals corresponding to scattered ultrasound imaging waves are collected using either the HIFU transducer or a dedicated receiver. A synchronization processor manipulates the scattered ultrasound imaging signals to achieve the synchronization signal, which is then used to control the HIFU bursts so as to substantially reduce or eliminate HIFU interference in the ultrasound image. The synchronization processor can alternatively be implemented using a computing device or an application-specific circuit.

Method and system to synchronize acoustic therapy with ultrasound imaging

The apparatus includes three 1.5 volt D-size batteries and two electric motors with arms and/or shafts extending to the head and tail area. The apparatus is mounted inside a commercial duck decoy and provides vertical head movement and propulsion with resulting water splashing and rippling actions when the decoy is afloat. These motions enhance the attraction of the decoys to flying waterfowl.

Growing community of inventors

Bothell, WA, United States of America

Neil R Owen