In 1987 Esaote SpA began marketing its products in the United States through Biosound Inc.. In 1990 Esaote SpA acquired Biosound Inc.. Biosound Esaote today also distributes the veterinarian derivates from Esaote Pie Medical in the United States.

'BIOSOUND ESAOTE is an ISO9001/EN46001 certified major medical corporation operating as part of the international Esaote Group. With its parent company, Esaote, S.p.A. based in Genoa, Italy, ISO-9000 certified research and development and manufacturing facilities in Florence and Genoa, and North American headquarters in Indianapolis, the Esaote Group develops diagnostic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment for the worldwide medical community.'

Ultrasound Related Product Lines:

Ultrasound Systems:

Ultrasound at the microbubble resonance frequency can cause bubble rupture at high acoustic power (mechanical index (MI) greater than 0.5). The result is a transient high-amplitude, broadband signal containing all frequencies, not only the harmonics. It will create a strong signal in B-mode or a short-lasting multicolored, mosaic-like effect in color Doppler sonography.
Several terms for this typical signal have been used, e.g. induced or stimulated acoustic emission, loss of correlation imaging and sono-scintigraphy.

(HIFU / FUS) High intensity focused ultrasound is used in thermotherapy or thermoablation e.g., for the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia or under study for the treatment of cancer.
An applied ultrasound probe (see transrectal sonography) focuses sound waves at one spot, elevating the tissue temperature to a point that the tissue destroys. Generally, lower frequencies (from 250 kHz to 2000 kHz) are used than for medical diagnostic ultrasound, but significantly higher time-averaged intensities.

See also Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound, Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound, and Lithotripsy.

In June 2007 Tyco International Ltd. completed the separation of its healthcare business, which is named Covidien. Mallinckrodt, Inc. is now part of Covidien Ltd. The company makes and distributes products for respiratory care; bulk and dosage pharmaceuticals, primarily for pain relief and addiction therapy; and imaging agents for magnetic resonance, ultrasound, x-ray, and nuclear medicine applications. With worldwide manufacturing and distribution facilities and sales offices, Mallinckrodt, Inc. sells its products worldwide.
Albunex was one of the first marketed ultrasound contrast agents. Currently, Mallinckrodt discontinued the manufacturing and development of ultrasound contrast agents.

Ultrasound Contrast Agents:

Standard scanners allow visualizing microbubbles on conventional gray scale imaging in large vascular spaces. In the periphery, more sensitive techniques such as Doppler or non-linear gray scale modes must be used because of the dilution of the microbubbles in the blood pool. Harmonic power Doppler (HPD) is one of the most sensitive techniques for detecting ultrasound contrast agents.
Commonly microbubbles are encapsulated or otherwise stabilized to prolong their lifetime after injection. These bubbles can be altered by exposure to ultrasound pulses. Depending on the contrast agent and the insonating pulse, the changes include deformation or breakage of the encapsulating or stabilizing material, generation of free gas bubbles, reshaping or resizing of gas volumes.
High acoustic pressure amplitudes and long pulses increase the changes. However, safety considerations limit the pressure amplitude and long pulses decrease spatial resolution. In addition, lowering the pulse frequency increases destruction of contrast bubbles. However, at low insonation power levels, contrast agent particles resist insonation without detectable changes. Newer agents are more reflective and will usually allow gray scale imaging to be used with the advantages of better spatial resolution, fewer artifacts and faster frame rates.

Feasible imaging methods with advantages in specific acoustic microbubble properties:
Resonating microbubbles emit harmonic signals at double their resonance frequency. If a scanner is modified to select only these harmonic signals, this non-linear mode produces a clear image or trace. The effect depends on the fact that it is easier to expand a bubble than to compress it so that it responds asymmetrically to a symmetrical ultrasound wave. A special array design allows to perform third or fourth harmonic imaging. This probe type is called a dual frequency phased array transducer.

See also Bubble Specific Imaging.