Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090048519 | Hybrid Dual Layer Diagnostic Ultrasound Transducer Array - An ultrasound transducer array having a transmit transducer element comprising a transmit transducer material interposed between a transmit electrode and a reference electrode, wherein voltages applied across the transmit electrode and reference electrode induce an acoustic wave to emanate from the transmit transducer material; and a plurality of receive transducer elements positioned in an array on the transmit transducer element, each of the plurality of the receive transducer elements comprising a receive electrode and a receive transducer material interposed between the receive electrode and the reference electrode, and wherein acoustic waves applied to the plurality of receive transducer elements induces receive voltage signals on the receive electrodes with respect to the reference electrode. | 02-19-2009 |
20100063399 | FRONT END CIRCUITRY FOR IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE - Pulse-echo imaging systems and methods are provided, including a transmit code sequencer and a pulse generation circuit, The transmit code sequencer is configured to input a transmit code sequence to the pulse generation circuit. A transducer is configured to receive electrical signals provided as pulses using coded excitation according to the transmit code sequence, and to transduce the electrical signals to pulses of energy other than electrical signals. The transducer is further configured to receive echoes of the pulses of energy other than electrical signals and convert the echoes to received electrical signals generate using coded excitation. A receive circuit is configured to receive the received electrical signals generate using coded excitation, perform analog sampling of the received electrical signals generate using coded excitation, and provide a weighted, summed digital signal by processing the analog samples. At least one example of a pulse imaging system described is configured for ultrasonic pulse-echoes. At least one example of a pulse imaging system described is a medical diagnostic imaging system. | 03-11-2010 |
20100168578 | System and Method for Combined ECG-Echo for Cardiac Diagnosis - A system and related method for obtaining volumetric cardiac data of a subject. The data is generated by forming a plurality of focused ultrasound images corresponding to a series of ranges, generating myocardial boundary data for each of the plurality of ultrasound images, calculating the area of the region defined by said myocardial boundary data for each of the plurality of ultrasound images, multiplying the area for each of the plurality of ultrasound images by a slice depth corresponding to said ultrasound image to obtain the slice volume of each slice, and summing the slice volumes to obtain a total volume. In an alternative embodiment the system and related method combine an automated volumetric ultrasound system for finding chamber volumes and myocardial thicknesses, with a diagnostic electrocardiogram system to enable simultaneous diagnosis of mechanical and electrical cardiac problems. | 07-01-2010 |
20100268086 | Intuitive Ultrasonic Imaging System and Related Method Thereof - A hand held ultrasonic instrument ( | 10-21-2010 |
20100331686 | System for Treatment and Imaging Using Ultrasonic Energy and Microbubbles and Related Method Thereof - A method and related system for providing therapy to a treatment site, such as stenosis or other vasculature disease, at one or more locations of a subject, such as the vasculature. The method includes: advancing an ultrasound catheter to or in proximity to the subject's treatment site; infusing microbubbles into or proximal to the treatment site; and delivering ultrasonic energy from the ultrasound catheter. The ultrasonic energy may be adapted for: imaging the treatment site, translating the microbubbles into or in the vicinity of the treatment site and/or rupturing the microbubbles. | 12-30-2010 |
20110137175 | TRACKED ULTRASOUND VESSEL IMAGING - A medical imaging apparatus, such as including a processor circuit, can be used to construct a first image of a plane parallel to the surface of an ultrasonic imaging transducer, the plane corresponding to a locus at a specified depth within a first region of tissue. The apparatus can obtain information about a location of a vessel in the first image, then obtain, from a second region of tissue, imaging information corresponding to loci in planes parallel to the surface of the transducer, the planes at depths automatically determined at least in part using the obtained information about the location of the vessel in the first image. In an example, the apparatus can automatically determine an adjusted depth corresponding to the location of the vessel in the second region, and construct a second image of a plane corresponding to the adjusted depth within the tissue. | 06-09-2011 |
20120029356 | Efficient architecture for 3D and planar ultrasonic imaging - synthetic axial acquisition and method thereof - An improved device and method for collecting data used for ultrasonic imaging. The data is gathered over numerous transmit and echo receive cycles, or iterations and combined into a synthetic acquisition representing a complete echo characteristic acquisition. At each iteration, only a portion, or subset, of the echo characteristic is sampled and stored. During the iterations, the portion of the echo characteristic that is measured and sampled is varied by changing the relative sampling instants. That is, the time offset from the transmission to the respective sampling instant is varied. The sample sets representative of the entire echo characteristic are then compiled from the multiple subsets of the ultrasonic transmissions. | 02-02-2012 |
20120209116 | Systems and Methods for Ultrasound Imaging and Insonation of Microbubbles - A catheter system including an elongate tubular member having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and a lumen extending through at least a portion of a length of the elongate tubular member. The distal end portion of the elongate member is dimensioned and adapted to advance to or in proximity to a treatment site of a subject. A microbubble device is in fluid communication with the lumen. The microbubble device includes at least one input port for receiving a flow of material into the device and an output port configured to output microbubbles from the microbubble device. A second tubular member is in fluid communication with one of the at least one input ports. A pressure fitting arrangement is adapted to maintain a seal between the second tubular member and the input port. | 08-16-2012 |
20130094729 | SINGULAR VALUE FILTER FOR IMAGING OR DETECTION - Apparatus or techniques can include obtaining information indicative of energy, such as ultrasonic energy, reflected from a tissue region, forming respective input matrices representative of the obtained information, the input matrices respectively comprising an ensemble-of-interest and at least one ensemble corresponding to a spatial location nearby a spatial location corresponding to the ensemble-of-interest, performing respective singular value decompositions on the respective input matrices to obtain respective sets of singular values corresponding to respective sets of singular vectors, obtaining respective output matrices including weighting a respective projection of a respective ensemble-of-interest onto at least one of the singular vectors included in a respective set of singular vectors, and, using the respective output matrices, at least one of determining a characteristic, or constructing an image, of at least a portion of the tissue region. | 04-18-2013 |
20140046186 | BONE SURFACE IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION USING ULTRASOUND - An ultrasonic transducer element can configured to generate ultrasonic energy directed into tissue of a subject and configured to receive a portion of the ultrasonic energy reflected by a target located within the tissue. The ultrasonic transducer can include a surface configured to provide or receive the ultrasonic energy, the surface including an area of greater than or equal to about 4λ | 02-13-2014 |
20140142468 | System for Treatment and Imaging Using Ultrasonic Energy and Microbubbles and Related Method Thereof - A method and related system for providing therapy to a treatment site, such as stenosis or other vasculature disease, at one or more locations of a subject, such as the vasculature. The method includes: advancing an ultrasound catheter to or in proximity to the subject's treatment site; infusing microbubbles into or proximal to the treatment site; and delivering ultrasonic energy from the ultrasound catheter. The ultrasonic energy may be adapted for: imaging the treatment site, translating the microbubbles into or in the vicinity of the treatment site and/or rupturing the microbubbles. | 05-22-2014 |
20150025387 | EFFICIENT ARCHITECTURE FOR 3D AND PLANAR ULTRASONIC IMAGING-SYNTHETIC AXIAL ACQUISITION AND METHOD THEREOF - An improved device and method for collecting data used for ultrasonic imaging. The data is gathered over numerous transmit and echo receive cycles, or iterations and combined into a synthetic acquisition representing a complete echo characteristic acquisition. At each iteration, only a portion, or subset, of the echo characteristic is sampled and stored. During the iterations, the portion of the echo characteristic that is measured and sampled is varied by changing the relative sampling instants. That is, the time offset from the transmission to the respective sampling instant is varied. The sample sets representative of the entire echo characteristic are then compiled from the multiple subsets of the ultrasonic transmissions. | 01-22-2015 |
20150133788 | ULTRASOUND IMAGING OF SPECULAR-REFLECTING TARGET - Ultrasound apparatus or techniques can include obtaining reflected ultrasound echo information, which can be used to construct a two-dimensional or three-dimensional representation of an at least approximately specular reflected target, such as bone. In an example, echo information can be obtained from spatially-overlapping tissue regions, such as using one or more of an array of ultrasonic transducers, or mechanically-scanning one or more ultrasonic transducers. In an example, one or more of a deformable housing or a deformable coupling pad can be used, such as to couple ultrasonic energy between one or more transducers and a tissue region. | 05-14-2015 |
20150150534 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BINDING DYNAMICS OF TARGETED MICROBUBBLES - An ultrasound system and method that can include: a receive beamformer configured to receive signals from a transducer; a processor coupled to the receive beamformer, the processor configured to: analyze echo data reflected from a region of interest, the echo data elicited by a transmitted pulse sequence; using the echo data, determine a central tendency of a signal magnitude from regions of adherent microbubbles over time within the region of interest; determine a time series of the signal magnitude; using the time series, determine an initial signal magnitude parameter; obtain a saturated signal parameter and a residual signal parameter using the time series; and determine a relative indication of information indicative of the residual signal magnitude versus the saturated signal magnitude. | 06-04-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100179426 | ULTRASOUND CATHETER WITH ROTATABLE TRANSDUCER - An ultrasound catheter assembly having a rotatable transducer assembly is disclosed. The ultrasound catheter assembly includes an elongate flexible shaft having a lumen and a proximal end and a distal end. The catheter assembly further includes a drive member that engages the transducer assembly at a distal end of the catheter. Rotation of the drive member in a first direction causes the transducer assembly to rotate in an oscillatory fashion in a second direction. | 07-15-2010 |
20120130250 | Pleated Bag for Interventional Pullback Systems - The present invention provides for pleated bags used with interventional pullback systems, including imaging catheters such as IVUS catheters, as well as for use with other catheters. An exemplary pleated bag of the present invention may be an elongate, sterile bag, having a plurality of pleats near the distal end, and including an orifice proximal to the pleats designed to allow passage of a catheter into the bag. The present invention also provides for a system that includes a pullback device, catheter, and pleated bag. The present invention allows for improved imaging catheter procedures at reduced costs. | 05-24-2012 |
20130331706 | Devices, Systems, and Methods for Forward Looking Imaging - Devices, systems, and methods for forward looking imaging are provided. A system for imaging a vessel of a patient comprises an elongated sheath having a proximal and a distal end. The sheath includes a flexible body with a first lumen in communication with a distal opening at the distal end. The system further comprises an imaging core disposed within the first lumen. The imaging core includes a transducer subassembly sized to extend within the first lumen. The transducer subassembly is adapted to transmit a beam, distally of the elongated sheath, through the distal opening. | 12-12-2013 |
20140180120 | Ultrasound Imaging Catheters with Reciprocating Phased Array Transducers - In one embodiment, a catheter imaging device includes an elongated catheter shaft having a forward looking ultrasonic transducer disposed at a distal end thereof. A first device is coupled to the transducer for sweeping an ultrasonic beam produced by the transducer in a first plane and through a first angle therein, and a second device is coupled to the transducer for sweeping the ultrasonic beam in a second plane and through a second angle therein, the second plane being disposed orthogonal to the first plane. In one aspect, the ultrasonic transducer includes a plurality of transducer elements. | 06-26-2014 |
20140257102 | Devices, Systems, and Methods for Dual Image Intravascular Ultrasound - A system for imaging a vessel of a patient comprises an elongated sheath with proximal and distal ends. The elongated sheath includes a flexible body with a first lumen in communication with a distal opening at the distal end. The system further includes an imaging core disposed within the first lumen and rotatable about an axis of rotation. The imaging core includes a first transducer subassembly adapted to transmit a first beam, distally of the flexible body, through the distal opening. The imaging core also includes a second transducer subassembly adapted to transmit a second beam through the flexible body in a transverse direction to the axis of rotation. | 09-11-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110172543 | Multipurpose Host System for Invasive Cardiovascular Diagnostic Measurement Acquisition and Display - An ultrasound catheter is described herein for insertion into a cavity such as a blood vessel to facilitate imaging within a vasculature. The catheter comprises an elongate flexible shaft, a capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer, and a sonic reflector. The elongate flexible shaft has a proximate end and a distal end. A capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is mounted to the shaft near the distal end. The reflector is positioned such that a reflective surface redirects ultrasonic waves to and from the transducer. In other embodiments, the catheter comprises a plurality of cMUT elements and operates without the use of reflectors. In further embodiments, integrated circuitry is incorporated into the design. | 07-14-2011 |
20110270091 | Apparatus and Method for Use of RFID Catheter Intelligence - A method and system is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, methods and devices for identifying information about the imaging element used to gather the backscattered data are provided in order to permit an operation console having a plurality of Virtual Histology classification trees to select the appropriate VH classification tree for analyzing data gathered using that imaging element. In order to select the appropriate VH database for analyzing data from a specific imaging catheter, it is advantageous to know information regarding the function and performance of the catheter, such as the operating frequency of the catheter and whether it is a rotational or phased-array catheter. The present invention provides a device and method for storing this information on the imaging catheter and communicating the information to the operation console. In addition, information related to additional functions of the catheter may also be stored on the catheter and used to further optimize catheter performance and/or select the appropriate Virtual Histology classification tree for analyzing data from the catheter imaging element. | 11-03-2011 |
20130030302 | Capacitative Microfabricated Ultrasound Transducer-Based Intravascular Ultrasound Probes - An ultrasound catheter is described herein for insertion into a cavity such as a blood vessel to facilitate imaging within a vasculature. The catheter comprises an elongate flexible shaft, a capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer, and a sonic reflector. The elongate flexible shaft has a proximate end and a distal end. A capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is mounted to the shaft near the distal end. The reflector is positioned such that a reflective surface redirects ultrasonic waves to and from the transducer. In other embodiments, the catheter comprises a plurality of cMUT elements and operates without the use of reflectors. In further embodiments, integrated circuitry is incorporated into the design. | 01-31-2013 |
20130060145 | Ultrasound Catheter With Rotatable Transducer - An ultrasound catheter assembly having a rotatable transducer assembly is disclosed. The ultrasound catheter assembly includes an elongate flexible shaft having a lumen and a proximal end and a distal end. The catheter assembly further includes a drive member that engages the transducer assembly at a distal end of the catheter. Rotation of the drive member in a first direction causes the transducer assembly to rotate in an oscillatory fashion in a second direction. | 03-07-2013 |
20130274609 | Pleated Bag for Interventional Pullback Systems - The present invention provides for pleated bags used with interventional pullback systems, including imaging catheters such as IVUS catheters, as well as for use with other catheters. An exemplary pleated bag of the present invention may be an elongate, sterile bag, having a plurality of pleats near the distal end, and including an orifice proximal to the pleats designed to allow passage of a catheter into the bag. The present invention also provides for a system that includes a pullback device, catheter, and pleated bag. The present invention allows for improved imaging catheter procedures at reduced costs. | 10-17-2013 |
20130281864 | Method of Manufacturing a Rotational Intravascular Ultrasound Probe - A rotational intravascular ultrasound probe for insertion into a vasculature and a method of manufacturing the same. The rotational intravascular ultrasound probe comprises an elongate catheter having a flexible body and an elongate transducer shaft disposed within the flexible body. The transducer shaft comprises a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, a drive shaft extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, an ultrasonic transducer disposed near the distal end portion for obtaining a circumferential image through rotation, and a transducer housing molded to the drive shaft and the ultrasonic transducer. | 10-24-2013 |