Methods and apparatuses for ultrasound imaging of lungs

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing device in operative communication with an ultrasound device, the processing device configured to:

receive a user selection of a lung imaging preset option and a user-selected imaging depth for the ultrasound device;

define a threshold imaging depth based on a shallow lung imaging mode and a deep lung imaging mode, wherein the threshold imaging depth is between approximately 4 cm and 8 cm;

after receiving the user selection of the user-selected imaging depth, compare the user-selected imaging depth with the threshold imaging depth; and

automatically configure the ultrasound device to switch between the shallow lung imaging mode and deep lung imaging mode, depending upon a result of the comparison of the user-selected imaging depth with the threshold imaging depth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing device comprises a smartphone or a tablet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises a receive frequency between approximately 5 MHz and 10 MHz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises a receive frequency between approximately 2 MHz and 5 MHz.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises a virtual apex greater than or equal to approximately 10 cm above a skin line of a subject being imaged.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises a virtual apex between approximately 0 cm and 5 cm above a skin line of a subject being imaged.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises an image field of view angle between approximately 0 and 20 degrees around a virtual apex.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises an image field of view angle between approximately 40 degrees and 90 degrees around a virtual apex.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises an instantaneous transmit aperture between approximately 4 mm and 8 mm.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises an instantaneous transmit aperture between approximately 12 mm and 20 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises a linear ultrasound image format.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung 1 magmg mode comprises a sector ultrasound image format.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises time gain compensation gain values of approximately 0 dB, −8 dB, and −2 dB at respective control points of approximately 0 cm, 3 cm, and 6 cm.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises time gain compensation gain values of approximately 0 dB, 0 dB, and 5 dB at respective control points of approximately 0 cm, 3 cm, and 6 cm.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode is optimized for imaging lung sliding.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode is optimized for imaging A lines and B lines.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user-selected imaging depth is a depth of a B-mode image.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shallow lung imaging mode comprises a peak frequency of transmitted ultrasound between approximately 5 MHz and 10 MHz.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deep lung imaging mode comprises a peak frequency of transmitted ultrasound between approximately 2 MHz and 5 MHz.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound device comprises exactly a single transducer array.