Methods and apparatuses for modifying the location of an ultrasound imaging plane

An ultrasound system, comprising:

• a smartphone or tablet in operative communication with an ultrasound device, wherein the smartphone or tablet is configured to:
• receive, from the ultrasound device, a longitudinal ultrasound image collected with a longitudinal ultrasound imaging plane and a transverse ultrasound image collected with a transverse ultrasound imaging plane, wherein the longitudinal ultrasound imaging plane is longitudinal to a vessel and the transverse ultrasound imaging plane is transverse to the vessel;
• operate an ultrasound transducer array to alternatively have a first subset of ultrasound transducers form a first aperture to collect ultrasound images with the longitudinal ultrasound imaging plane and have a second subset of ultrasound transducers form a second aperture to collect ultrasound images with the transverse ultrasound imaging plane,
• simultaneously display, on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the smartphone or tablet:
• the longitudinal ultrasound image;
• the transverse ultrasound image, wherein the transverse ultrasound image comprises a first imaging plane identifier line;
• and
• a transverse imaging plane visualization superimposed on the longitudinal ultrasound image and comprising a second imaging plane identifier line;
• wherein:
• the second imaging plane identifier is sized as to reveal substantially the longitudinal ultrasound image, and wherein
• the transverse imaging plane visualization illustrates a slice through the longitudinal ultrasound image representing a location of the transverse ultrasound imaging plane;
• and
• a location of the second imaging plane identifier line corresponds to a location of the first imaging plane identifier line, such that regions of the transverse ultrasound image depicted adjacent to the first imaging plane identifier line were collected from regions of the transverse imaging plane depicted adjacent to the second imaging plane identifier line of the transverse imaging plane visualization;
• receive a user selection to modify a location of the transverse ultrasound imaging plane;
• and
• configure the ultrasound device with a configuration to modify the location of the transverse ultrasound imaging plane based on the user selection;
• and the ultrasound device, wherein the ultrasound device is configured to:
• receive the configuration from the smartphone or tablet and modify the location of the transverse ultrasound imaging plane based on the configuration by changing between a plurality of apertures of the ultrasound device and/or by changing beamforming parameters of the ultrasound device,
• wherein the ultrasound device is configured, when modifying the location of the transverse ultrasound imaging plane based on the configuration by changing between the plurality of apertures of the ultrasound device and/or by changing the beamforming parameters of the ultrasound device, to translate the transverse ultrasound imaging plane when an imaging depth of detection is less than a first threshold depth value and tilt the transverse ultrasound imaging plane when the imaging depth of detection is greater than the first threshold depth value.