566 results about "Ultrasonic beam" patented technology

A system for generating and controlling a variably displayable virtual keypad includes a mobile device with a screen on which is displayable selected content, holographic projectors, from image generating data retrievable from a memory, a virtual keypad appearing to be free-floating and suspended in mid-air. An input identification unit identifies a virtual key pressing operation performed in conjunction with the generated virtual keypad, determining which key of the virtual keypad has been virtually pressed, and transmitting an input command in response to the virtual key pressing operation by which the displayed content is modifiable. The input identification unit includes a 3D camera capturing gestures of a user hand and transmitting a signal indicative of gesture related data to a microprocessor for translating the gesture related data into the input command by instructions stored in the memory device. The microprocessor generates feedback in response to the virtual key pressing operation to indicate which key has been virtually pressed and to modify a visualization parameter of the generated virtual keypad. The feedback may be in the form of an ultrasonic beam propagatable to the initiating finger.

An external focused ultrasonic beam, non-destructive, open-air, inspection method of sheet metal spot and seam weldments using a probe in combination with motion measurement of the probe over the weldments during inspection without immersion of the material. Reflected ultrasonic waves are received and signals produced and processed or displayed as A-scan, B-scan and C-scan images that are easily recognized. An A-Scan is based on the time-of-flight difference between the outer surface, the weldment and inner and opposite surfaces of the component. B-scan and C-scan indicate the degree of weld fusion and provide data relative to fused thickness and defects sheet metal or welds. A special purpose scanner that enables ultrasonic examination welds. Scanner is pencil like ultrasonic probe with bearing face and position sensing device disposed adjacent a weld position. Scanner collects data for method to determine various characteristics of welded items.

The mass flow rate sensor includes a waveguide disposed in a flow passage having a bluff body facing in an upstream direction. Waves are pulsed along the waveguide for interaction with the fluid. A receiver is coupled to the waveguide to detect a propagated wave and provides a first output signal proportional to the transit time of the propagated wave for determining fluid density. The receiver also provides a second output signal proportional to the shedding frequency of vortices from the waveguide to determine velocity. An electronics module calculates mass flow rate from the velocity times density times area of the flow passage and a constant. In other forms, the velocity is ascertained by transmitting an ultrasonic beam through the shedding vortices to determine vortex frequency which is proportional to velocity.

An ultrasonic image processing apparatus in which image quality of ultrasonic images can be improved by performing image processing that utilizes image characteristics of the original image. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus processes image data generated based on a signal obtained by scanning an object to be inspected by using an ultrasonic beam and respectively representing pixel values of the plurality of pixels within the ultrasonic image. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes a morphology processing unit for processing the image data to reduce speckles appearing in the ultrasonic image, and a DSC for converting a scan format of the image data processed by the morphology processing unit.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe which performs transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams using a transducer array according to a mode selected by an operator from a low image quality mode and a high image quality mode, and which processes reception signals outputted from the transducer array in reception signal processors to generate digital reception data; a diagnostic apparatus body for producing an ultrasound image based on the reception data transmitted from the ultrasound probe and displaying the produced ultrasound image on a monitor; a temperature detecting unit for detecting an internal temperature of the ultrasound probe, and an uptime manager for calculating an uptime in the high image quality mode based on the internal temperature of the ultrasound probe detected by the temperature detecting unit to display the calculated uptime on the monitor.

A dispenser for dispensing paper or non-woven sheet product for wiping, wherein the level of sheet product contained in the dispenser decreases as the sheet product is dispensed, the dispenser comprising an ultrasonic level sensor for determining the level of the sheet product contained in the dispenser, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is arranged to direct the ultrasonic beam toward a surface associated with the sheet product, wherein a distance that the beam travels to the surface changes progressively as the level of the sheet product in the dispenser changes from a full condition to an empty condition.

The invention provides a flexible ultrasonic transducer array, which comprises at least two ultrasonic transducer units and flexible layer medium. The ultrasonic transducer is arranged in the flexible layer medium or on the surface of the flexible layer medium in the form of array; an ultrasonic device comprises at least two ultrasonic transducer units, an ultrasonic emitter / ultrasonic transceiver, ultrasonic coupling medium, a microprocessor and flexible layer medium, and the ultrasonic transducer unit is arranged in or on the surface of flexible layer medium in the form of array to form flexible ultrasonic transducer array; ultrasonic transducer array and the ultrasonic device also comprises a shape scanner / shape sensor which is used for measuring superficial shape information of flexible ultrasonic transducer array and helping ultrasonic beam focus and orient. As flexible ultrasonic transducer array can attach to body position with different superficial shapes, the technical proposal provided by the invention can realize the effect of ultrasonic treatment / ultrasonic imaging which can be realized by the prior art.

An accurate real-time measurement of a displacement vector is achieved on the basis of the proper beamforming that require a short time for obtaining one echo data frame without suffering affections by a tissue motion. The displacement measurement method includes the steps of: (a) yielding ultrasound echo data frames by scanning an object laterally or elevationally using an ultrasound beam steered electrically and / or mechanically with a single steering angle over an arbitrary three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system involving existence of three axes of a depth direction, a lateral direction, and an elevational direction; and (b) calculating a displacement vector distribution by implementing a block matching on the predetermined ultrasound echo data frames yielded at more than two phases.

A multiple ultrasonic beam is transmitted from an ultrasonic probe, and a velocity of blood flow, azimuth and elevation angle of a sample such as a blood flow are acquired by a three-dimensional information acquisition section, as three-dimensional fluid information in a range gate, based on a Doppler signal output from the ultrasonic probe.

A phased array ultrasonic testing system is for examining turbine disc bores and blade attachments for discontinuities, such as stress corrosion cracking. The system is particularly suited to perform an accurate and efficient inspection of components despite their having a relatively complex geometry, such as axial entry blade attachments and bores of associated discs. The system includes a control system with a computer and a controller for programming, emitting, and steering an ultrasonic beam via at least one two-dimensional phased array probe, thereby precisely inspecting the area of interest while simultaneously accommodating the aforementioned complex geometry of the disc or blade attachment. Computer control of the beam permits the number of inspection locations and the number of different probe wedges to be reduced providing for an efficient, timely inspection. Methods of profiling and examining turbine components of known and unknown geometries, are also disclosed.

A region-of-interest setting unit sets a region of interest to be included in an ultrasound image. A first movement-amount calculating unit sequentially calculates a movement amount of the set region of interest between reception data along the time sequence as a first movement amount. A transmitting-receiving delay-amount computing unit computes a delay amount for sequentially shifting a scan region of an ultrasonic beam based on the sequentially calculated first movement amount. A computation / control circuit performs control so as to generate a high voltage pulse based on the computed delay amount. A second movement-amount calculating unit sequentially calculates a movement amount of the region of interest between image data along the time sequence as a second movement amount. A display-position correcting unit performs a correction such that the region of interest included in the image data is to be displayed at the same display position, based on the second movement amount.

A technique is provided for imaging based on localization of fluorescence in a medium. The technique includes illuminating the medium with an excitation light to excite fluorescence, scanning the medium at a plurality of locations via an ultrasonic beam, modulating a portion of the emitted light from the fluorescence via the ultrasonic beam at each of the plurality of locations, differentially detecting the modulated light at a boundary of the medium, and reconstructing an image from the detected signal.

There is provided a capacitive fingerprint sensing device for sensing a fingerprint pattern of a finger, the capacitive fingerprint sensing device comprising: a protective dielectric top layer having an outer surface forming a sensing surface to be touched by the finger; at least one electrically conductive sensing structure arranged underneath the top layer; readout circuitry coupled to the at least one electrically conductive sensing structure to receive a sensing signal indicative of a distance between the finger and the sensing structure; and a plurality of individually controllable electroacoustic transducers arranged underneath the top layer and configured to generate a focused ultrasonic beam, and to transmit the ultrasonic beam through the protective dielectric top layer towards the sensing surface to induce an ultrasonic vibration potential in a ridge of finger placed in contact with the sensing surface at the location of the ultrasonic beam.

Disclosed is a twin-robot testing apparatus for non-destructive testing. The apparatus comprises two robots (1) for detecting a workpiece (3) from front and back sides thereof; a water circulating unit, comprising a pressure pump, two water ejection coupling probes (2) and water pipes, for providing a coupled water column; an ultrasonic transmitting / receiving device, comprising two ultrasonic transducers, a pulse transmitting / receiving card, and a high-speed data acquisition card, wherein the two ultrasonic transducers are respectively attached at the end-effector of the two robots (1), for transmitting ultrasound and receiving ultrasound respectively, the ultrasonic pulse transmitting / receiving card and the high-speed data acquisition card are mounted on the robot controller mechanism for transmitting and receiving, and acquiring pulse signals, the two robots perform a synchronous transmission testing, with ultrasound transmitted by one robot being received by the other robot, and the ultrasonic transducers are adjusted in position and gesture with the change in the surface shape of the workpiece (3) such that the incidence direction of ultrasonic beam is always in coincidence with the normal direction of the curved surface. The apparatus is used for automatic non-destructive testing of a curved-surface workpiece made of a composite material, and can improve the accuracy, sensitivity and efficiency of the testing.

Each of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising image acquisition means for acquiring image data by scanning a patient into whom an ultrasonic contrast medium has been injected, with ultrasonic beams, same-part correspondence means for bringing same parts into correspondence with each other, between a plurality of images concerning the same parts of the identical patient and acquired by the image acquisition means, arithmetic operation means for arithmetically operating image information items on changes of intensities between the plurality of images by using the intensities of those corresponding pixels of the plurality of images which have been brought into correspondence by the pixel correspondence means, and display means for displaying results operated by the arithmetic operation means. According to the construction, it is possible to provide the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and the image processing apparatus which can compare the images before and after injection of a vasodilator drug, more accurately in contrast echo imaging.

An ultrasonographic method includes: a first encoding transmission / reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by an encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which at least two are in complementary relationship and demodulating reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a first synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulation signals demodulated by the first encoding transmission / reception step; a second encoding transmission / reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by a reverse encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which the arrangement order of modulation codes of the encoding set is reversed and demodulating the reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a second synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulated signals demodulated by the second encoding transmission / reception step; a step for obtaining a third synthesis signal by synthesizing the first synthesis signal and the second synthesis signal; and a step for reconstructing the ultrasonograph according to the third synthesis signal.

An apparatus and method for injecting a drug into a precisely selected location in a patient's body which is a combination scanner and drug injector. The scanner is a planar array of ultrasonic transducers which transmits a focused ultrasonic beam over the entire region of interest. The injector is preferably a hypodermic syringe mounted with the array on a base. The syringe is mounted to slide between one position where the injector conduit is retracted from the patient and another position where the adjustably positioned exit end of the conduit is in the desired location for injection of the drug. As the operator holds the scanner-injector against the patient's body with injector conduit retracted, he views on a monitor screen a virtual image of the conduit which is the image of the conduit after the conduit is injected into the body. The operator electronically adjusts the length of the virtual image and adjusts the position of the scanner-injector so that the exit tip of the virtual image is located at the desired location of the image of the region on the screen. Then the conduit is inserted into the body up to a length where the exit tip of the injector is at the desired location. Then the drug is injected into the patient. In another application of the apparatus and methods of the invention, a vacuum source is attached to the injector conduit and the device is used to aspirate fluids. instead of a drug In another embodiment, a portion of the ukltrasonic beam is focused on the region of interest before and during insertion of the conduit and drug to facilitate entry of the drug into the region of interest.

A phased array ultrasonic testing system is for examining turbine disc bores and blade attachments for discontinuities, such as stress corrosion cracking. The system is particularly suited to perform an accurate and efficient inspection of components despite their having a relatively complex geometry, such as axial entry blade attachments and bores of associated discs. The system includes a control system with a computer and a controller for programming, emitting, and steering an ultrasonic beam via at least one two-dimensional phased array probe, thereby precisely inspecting the area of interest while simultaneously accommodating the aforementioned complex geometry of the disc or blade attachment. Computer control of the beam permits the number of inspection locations and the number of different probe wedges to be reduced providing for an efficient, timely inspection. Methods of profiling and examining turbine components of known and unknown geometries, are also disclosed.

An ultrasonic transducer device for producing ultrasonic beams comprises a body vibratable at ultrasonic frequencies and an extensive surface for beam emanation, the device configured to produce an unfocused, or alternatively a focused, power beam for tissue ablation, the power beam being produced by vibration over the body of the transducer and emanating from the extent of the surface, whereby the extensive surface becomes subject to convective cooling when immersed in a fluid by a chimney effect set up by said unfocused beam.

An ultrasonic transceiver device for producing ultrasonic beams comprises a body vibratable at ultrasonic frequencies and an extensive surface for beam emanation, the device configured to produce an unfocused, or alternatively a focused, power beam for thermal tissue damage, the power beam being produced by vibration over the body of the transceiver and emanating from the extent of the surface, whereby the extensive surface becomes subject to convective cooling when immersed in a fluid by a chimney effect set up by said unfocused beam.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: an ultrasound probe that has a transducer array transmitting an ultrasonic beam toward a subject and receiving an ultrasonic echo by the subject to output reception signals; a diagnostic apparatus body that is connected to the ultrasound probe by wireless communication and generates an ultrasound image on the basis of the reception signal output from the transducer array; at least one power receiving terminal that is arranged at the ultrasound probe and electrically connected to respective parts in the ultrasound probe; and a power supply unit that is capable of being attached to an operator's body and is detachably connected to the power receiving terminal so as to perform power supply to the respective parts in the ultrasound probe.

A lightweight apparatus for performing ultrasonic immersion inspection of a workpiece in an arbitrary orientation that uses significantly less couplant and has a reduced footprint size while providing ultrasonic performance levels comparable to those typically reached using immersion tanks, bubblers, or Dripless Bubblers™ while accommodating large and small ultrasonic beamwidths. The apparatus can be used with manual, automated, or electronic scanning techniques. The apparatus provides a quickly enabled ultrasonic coupling means that minimizes the area of the part wetted, and also can recover spent couplant. As a result, this reduces the number and type of contaminates to which the workpiece is exposed when used when compared to prior art immersion tanks and bubblers.

The invention relates to a system and method for the removal of wrinkles and / or provide the rejuvenation of the human skin by use of ultrasound. The method comprises determining a 3D image of a region of the skin using ultrasound, determining a focal depth of the ultrasonic beam for different locations of the skin based on the 3D image, performing the treatment by heating the skin at different locations using an ultrasonic beam, and adjusting the focal depth of the ultrasonic beam according to the determined focal depths during the process of heating the skin at different locations.

An ultrasonographic method includes: a first encoding transmission / reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by an encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which at least two are in complementary relationship and demodulating reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a first synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulation signals demodulated by the first encoding transmission / reception step; a second encoding transmission / reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by a reverse encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which the arrangement order of modulation codes of the encoding set is reversed and demodulating the reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a second synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulated signals demodulated by the second encoding transmission / reception step; a step for obtaining a third synthesis signal by synthesizing the first synthesis signal and the second synthesis signal; and a step for reconstructing the ultrasonograph according to the third synthesis signal.

A method for sensing flow within a pipe having an internal passage disposed between a first wall portion and a second wall portion is provided, comprising the steps of: 1) providing a flow meter having at least one ultrasonic sensor unit that includes an ultrasonic transmitter attached to the first wall portion and an ultrasonic receiver attached to the second wall portion and aligned to receive ultrasonic signals transmitted from the transmitter; 2) selectively operating the ultrasonic transmitter to transmit a beam of ultrasonic signal, which beam has a focal point such that within the pipe, the beam is either colliminated, divergent or convergent; and 3) receiving the ultrasonic signals within the beam using the ultrasonic receiver. An apparatus operable to perform the aforesaid method is also provided.