1. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:
a memory configured to store a single copy of beam forming parameters for each beam that can be created by the ultrasound system, and
a hierarchy of sequencers including a frame sequencer configured to store parameters for a number of lines for a frame of ultrasound data to be created and an address sequencer configured to compute an address in the memory where beam forming parameters for a current line of the frame can be retrieved, wherein the frame sequencer is configured to provide parameters for a current line in the frame to the address sequencer and wherein the address sequencer is configured to compute an address in the memory for retrieving the beam forming parameters for each line in the frame on a line by line basis based on the parameters received from the frame sequencer.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory stores information that includes information other than been forming parameters.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said information stored in said memory comprises pointer information identifying where the beam forming parameters which are used in creating the beams are stored.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame sequencer is initialized for use in different imaging modes by providing parameters thereto.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said address is determined as an offset from a base address in at least one dimension of an array in said memory.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein said hierarchy of sequencers are implemented in one or more application specific circuits.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein said ultrasound imaging system comprises a portable diagnostic ultrasound instrument.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein said memory stores the beam forming parameters in at least a three dimensional array.
9. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the address sequencer is configured to compute the address for the beam forming parameters for the current line based on offsets to a base address that are associated with an imaging mode, an imaging zone and a current line in the frame of ultrasound data to be created.
10. The ultrasound system of claim 9, further comprising front end circuitry, configured to access the memory and wherein the base address is a register address space of the front end circuitry.
11. A method performed by a processor of an ultrasound system to access beam forming parameters to be used in ultrasound imaging system beam forming, said method comprising:
sending parameters for a current line to be created in a frame of ultrasound data from a frame sequencer to an address sequencer, wherein the parameters are indicative of a zone to be imaged and an imaging mode for the current line, and
computing an address in the address sequencer from which beam forming parameters are to be retrieved from a memory that stores a single copy of the beam forming parameters for each beam that can be created by the ultrasound system, wherein the address sequencer computes an address of the beam forming parameters for a current line on a line-by-line basis based on one or more of the parameters received from the frame sequencer; and
retrieving the beam forming parameters for the current line from the computed address.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said memory is configured as a multi-dimensional array that stores beam forming parameters at locations that can be accessed based on at least an image mode and an image zone.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising retrieving information from said multi-dimensional array that comprises information other than beam forming parameters.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising retrieving pointer information from the multi-dimensional array that identifies where the beam forming parameters for a line are stored.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said multi-dimensional array comprises at least a three dimensional array.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An implantable device, comprising a coating deposited thereon that comprises a polymer derived from lactide (LA), glycolide (GA), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG),
wherein the LA is D,L-lactide (DLLA), L-lactide (LLA), D-lactide (DLA), meso-lactide (mLA) or combinations thereof,
wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 50 KD to about 200 KD and comprises:
a content of GA from about 10% to about 50% by weight; and
a content of PEG from about 5% to about 50% by weight, and
wherein the coating is capable of fully absorbed within 12 months upon exposure to a physiological environment.
2. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the polymer has a molecular weight of about 100 KD or above.
3. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a block selected from poly(DLLA-co-GA), poly(LLA-co-GA), poly(DLA-co-GA), or poly(mLA-co-GA).
4. The implantable device of claim 3, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 991 to about 199.
5. The implantable device of claim 3, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 9010 to about 1090.
6. The implantable device of claim 3, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 7030 to about 3070.
7. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the content of PEG is about 20-80% by weight.
8. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the content of PEG is about 30% or about 40% by weight.
9. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the polymer breaks into fragments upon exposure of the coating to a physiological environment.
10. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the coating further comprises a bioactive agent.
11. The implantable device of claim 10, wherein the bioactive agent is selected from paclitaxel, docetaxel, estradiol, 17-beta-estradiol, nitric oxide donors, super oxide dismutases, super oxide dismutases mimics, 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO), biolimus, tacrolimus, dexamethasone, rapamycin, rapamycin derivatives, 40-O-(2-hydroxy)ethyl-rapamycin (everolimus), 40-O-(3-hydroxy)propyl-rapamycin, 40-O-2-(2-hydroxy)ethoxyethyl-rapamycin, and 40-O-tetrazole-rapamycin, 40-epi-(N1-tetrazolyl)-rapamycin (ABT-578), \u03b3-hiridun, clobetasol, pimecrolimus, imatinib mesylate, midostaurin, feno fibrate, prodrugs thereof, co-drugs thereof, and combinations thereof.
12. The implantable device of claim 1, which is a stent.
13. The implantable device of claim 1, which is a bioabsorbable stent.
14. A method, comprising depositing a coating over the implantable device, the coating comprising a polymer derived from lactide (LA), glycolide (GA), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG),
wherein the LA is D,L-lactide (DLLA), L-lactide (LLA), D-lactide (DLA), meso-lactide (mLA) or combinations thereof,
wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 50 KD to about 200 KD and comprises:
a content of GA from about 10% to about 50% by weight; and
a content of PEG from about 5% to about 50% by weight, and
wherein the coating is capable of fully absorbed within 12 months upon exposure to a physiological environment.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer has a molecular weight of about 50 KD or above.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer comprises a block selected from poly(DLLA-co-GA), poly(LLA-co-GA), poly(DLA-co-GA), or poly(mLA-co-GA).
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 991 to about 199.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 9010 to about 1090.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the block has a LAGA ratio from about 7030 to about 3070.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein the content of PEG is about 20-80% by weight.
21. The method of claim 14, wherein the content of PEG is about 30% or about 40% by weight.
22. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymer breaks into fragments upon exposure of the coating to a physiological environment.
23. The method of claim 14, wherein the polymeric matrix further comprises a bioactive agent.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bioactive agent is selected from paclitaxel, docetaxel, estradiol, 17-beta-estradiol, nitric oxide donors, super oxide dismutases, super oxide dismutases mimics, 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO), biolimus, tacrolimus, dexamethasone, rapamycin, rapamycin derivatives, 40-O-(2-hydroxy)ethyl-rapamycin (everolimus), 40-O-(3-hydroxy)propyl-rapamycin, 40-O-2-(2-hydroxy)ethoxyethyl-rapamycin, and 40-O-tetrazole-rapamycin, 40-epi-(N1-tetrazolyl)-rapamycin (ABT-578), \u03b3-hiridun, clobetasol, pimecrolimus, imatinib mesylate, midostaurin, feno fibrate, prodrugs thereof, co-drugs thereof, and combinations thereof.
25. A method, comprising implanting in a patient an implantable device according to claim 1, wherein the disorder is selected from the group consisting of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, restenosis, hemorrhage, vascular dissection or perforation, vascular aneurysm, vulnerable plaque, chronic total occlusion, patent foramen ovale, claudication, anastomotic proliferation for vein and artificial grafts, bile duct obstruction, ureter obstruction, tumor obstruction, and combinations thereof.