Abstract: Retreating stop ultrasound needle guide systems are disclosed. In one example approach, a needle guide system includes a guiding component which can be positioned at different locations and angles on a mounting component, where the mounting component can be coupled to a distal end of an ultrasound probe. When positioned at the different locations and angles on the mounting component, the guiding component can guide a needle through the skin of a patient at a constant point and when the needle is advanced so that a hub of the needle reaches a stop of the guiding component, a tip of the needle is positioned directly underneath the ultrasound at a pre-selected depth.

Abstract: In a method, apparatus and medical imaging system to generate image data based on magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry data, planning data of a region of an examination subject that is to be depicted thermometrically are provided to a processor. Through the processor, segmentation data based on the planning data are generated MR thermometry data are provided to the processor, which generates image data on the basis of the MR thermometry data, using the segmentation data.

Abstract: A method for providing positional relationship data, which represent the position of a marker device relative to a bone which it is affixed to, to a medical navigation system, comprising the steps of: a) receiving bone registration data which represent locations of points on the surface of the bone; b) calculating, from the bone registration data, the current relative position between the bone and a medical instrument which bears the marker device; c) determining an offset between the current relative position and a desired relative position; d) outputting indication information which is based on the calculated offset; e) receiving bone re-registration data which represent locations of points on the surface of the bone; and f) calculating the positional relationship data from the bone re-registration data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for navigating an instrument relative to a subject. A reference device can be associated with the subject. The reference device can be moved while maintaining or allowing registration with an image space.

Abstract: A method of contrast enhanced breast imaging, comprising injecting a contrast agent in a breast of a patient, imaging at the same time both said breast and a reference insert containing at least one known concentration of said contrast agent, quantifying enhancement of contrast enhanced breast image by comparing said breast image and reference insert image.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound system which can correct a positive-negative asymmetry in pulse inversion (PI) and obtain a high-image quality ultrasound image. To carryout an asymmetry correction of a transmission assembly circuit comprising an oscillation adjustment amplifier (10) and an ultrasound oscillator array (90), correction data obtained in a calibration mode is stored in a correction memory (46), and positive-negative asymmetry of an overall receiving assembly circuit comprising a computation unit (45) is corrected in a diagnostic mode of the device using the correction data.

Abstract: A portable ultrasonic imaging probe that is adapted to connect to a host computer via a passive interface cable. The probe includes an array of ultrasound transducers, a high voltage pulser for energizing transducers to emit an ultrasound pulse, analog signal processing circuitry that combines echoes detected by transducers into a single analog echo signal, am analog-to-digital converter that converts the analog echo signal into a digital echo signal; and interface circuitry that transfers the digital echo signal across the passive interface cable to the host computer. The probe includes transmit switches configured to selectively connect sets of ultrasound transducers to the HV pulser and a plurality of receive switches configured to selectively connect sets of ultrasound transducers to the analog signal processing circuitry.

Abstract: Arrangements described herein relate to systems, apparatuses, and methods for an enclosure for a device having a probe supported by a housing. The housing defines a cavity through which the probe protrudes. The probe is configured to move within the cavity. The enclosure includes a removable enclosure body. The enclosure body is configured to enclose at least a portion of the housing while covering an entirety of the cavity. The enclosure further includes a probe interaction portion in the enclosure body. The probe interaction portion is configured to be operatively engaged with the probe such that the probe is configured to transmit acoustic energy to a subject from within the enclosure.

Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter is intended to correctly determine an ambient sound velocity at each level of pixels or line images constituting an ultrasound image, and construct a high-precision ultrasound image. A region-of-interest setting unit sets a region of interest on an ultrasound image. A transmission focus control unit gives a transmission focus instruction, so that a transmitting circuit performs transmission focusing on the region of interest. A set sound velocity specification unit specifies a set sound velocity used to perform reception focusing on RF data. A focus index calculation unit performs reception focusing on the RF data for each of a plurality of set sound velocities to calculate the focus index of the RF data. An ambient sound velocity determination unit determines the ambient sound velocity of the region of interest on the basis of the focus index for each of the plurality of set sound velocities.

Abstract: A system for determining the resistance of peripheral vasculature including a sensor configured to generate output signals proportional to the amount of blood in the peripheral vasculature over time, and a computer subsystem configured to determine the resistance of the peripheral vasculature in response to the output signals.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic method are provided. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: a transducer for performing interconversion between an acoustic wave and an electric signal; and a transmitter for controlling the transducer so as to allow a plurality of plane waves to be transmitted through a plurality of sub-apertures.

Abstract: Continuously transmitting, with a transducer array, an ultrasound signal in one direction beamforming, with a beamformer, an echo signal received by the transducer array using on a predetermined apodization function, wherein the echo signal is generated in response to an interaction of the ultrasound signal with flowing structure estimating, with a velocity processor, a vector velocity of the flow, including velocity components, as a function of depth and time from the beamformed echo signals using transverse oscillation vector velocity estimation, generating, with a measurement processor, a quantitative measurement from the velocity components, and visually displaying, with a display monitor, the quantitative measurement.

Abstract: At least a portion of a body (10) is placed in a main magnetic field Bo within the examination volume of a MR device. The portion of the body (10) is subject to an imaging sequence including one or more RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients to acquire imaging signals. The portion of the body (10) is subject to a navigator sequence applied at least once before, during, or after the imaging sequence. The navigator sequence includes one or more RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients controlled to acquire navigator signals with a single-point or multi-point Dixon technique. Translation and/or rotation and/or shear data reflecting motion of the body are derived from the navigator signals during the acquisition of the imaging signals. The translation and/or rotation and/or shear data are used for adapting the imaging sequence and/or for motion correction during reconstruction of an MR image.

Abstract: A system and a related method extract physiological information from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes an interface configured for receiving a data stream including image data representing an observed overall region of at least one subject of interest. A partitioning unit defines a plurality of sub regions in the overall region. A classifier classifies the plurality of sub regions into at least one indicative type of region and at least one auxiliary type of region. The at least one indicative type of region includes at least one indicative region of interest at least partially representing the subject of interest. The at least one auxiliary type of region includes at least one reference region. The system further comprises a data processor configured for processing at least one sub region classified as region of interest, thereby obtaining vital information.

Abstract: A method for inducing a cellular or hormonal response includes using a wave-generating device to emit sound waves through an individual's skin and onto a target organ, and vibrating the target organ or a portion thereof at a frequency in resonance with the sound waves. The sound waves have a frequency of less than 200 Megahertz (MHz).

Abstract: A medical instrument includes an insertion portion, first transmitting coils, second transmitting coils, a signal control unit, a position detection unit, a memory, and a position estimating unit. The signal control unit controls the first transmitting coils to transmit magnetic fields during a first predetermined period and controls the second transmitting coils to transmit magnetic fields during a second predetermined period. The position detection unit detects positions of the first transmitting coils during the first predetermined period and detects positions of the second transmitting coils during the second predetermined period. The memory stores the positions of the first transmitting coils. The position estimating unit estimates a shape of the insertion portion based on the positions of the second transmitting coils and the positions of the first transmitting coils stored in the memory.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire volume data for a head of an object; an image processor configured to detect a mid-sagittal plane (MSP) from the volume data, generate an MSP image corresponding to the MSP, detect at least one measurement plane based on the MSP, and generate at least one measurement plane image corresponding to the at least one measurement plane; and a display configured to display the MSP image and the at least one measurement plane image on a single screen.

Abstract: An optoacoustic imaging system includes a hand-held imaging probe having a light emitting portion and an array of ultrasonic transducers. The probe includes an acoustic lens having an optically reflective material that operates to avoid image artifacts associated with light interactions with the acoustic lens. The optically reflective material may be a thin, highly optically reflective metallic layer. The acoustic lens may be formed from a material such as silicone rubber filled with titanium dioxide or barium sulfate that allows it to reflect and scatter light from illumination components with substantially no absorption of such light, and yet be optically opaque. The probe may include a housing that provides hypo-echoic encapsulation of the probe. An assembly of the array of ultrasonic transducers may include a hypo-echoic material. The probe may include optical windows, each comprising one or more anti-reflection coated plates with acoustic impedance matching that of tissues to be imaged.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an image of shear wave velocities by transmitting push pulses to generate shear waves. A plurality of tracking lines are transmitted and echoes received by a focusing beamformer adjacent to the location of the push pulses. The tracking lines are sampled in a time-interleaved manner. The echo data acquired along each tracking line is processed to determine the time of peak tissue displacement caused by the shear waves at points along the tracking line, and the times of peaks at adjacent tracking lines compared to compute a local shear wave velocity. The resultant map of shear wave velocity values is color-coded and displayed over an anatomical image of the region of interest.

Abstract: Black blood time to inversion (BBTI) tag-on and tag-off images acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are analyzed to produce difference magnitude 3D images as a function of time (BBTI values) representing blood perfusion in a region of interest (ROI). Perfusion data of the ROI having values which are different for normal and abnormal myocardial tissues are displayed for plural slices of a 3D image and for plural BBTI values in a single display panel.