Abstract: A system (10) for treating tissue within a body is configured to deliver a first level of ultrasound energy to a target tissue region (42) for a first duration resulting in the generation of micro-bubbles (56) in the target tissue region, determine one or more characteristics of the target tissue region in the presence of the micro-bubbles, and deliver a second level of ultrasound energy to the target tissue region for a second duration, wherein one or both of the second energy level and the second duration are based, at least in part, on the determined one or more characteristics of the target tissue region.

Abstract: A method of measuring a characteristic of a skin, including varying an air pressure in a chamber positioned adjacent to a skin, in which the chamber has an opening that exposes the skin to changes in the air pressure in the chamber. A plurality of measurements of surface profiles of the skin are made over a period of time as the surface profile of the skin varies in response to changes in the air pressure.

Abstract: A forward-imaging optical coherence tomography probe is provided, comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing comprising: a longitudinal axis; an interior side; a distal end that is optically transparent; and a mirror located at the interior side, adjacent the distal end; an optical fiber located inside the cylindrical housing along the longitudinal axis; a wedge lens located inside the cylindrical housing, adjacent the distal end, the wedge lens configured to receive light from the fiber, and direct the light towards the mirror; and, at least one motor configured to both: rotate the fiber and the wedge lens about the longitudinal axis and inside the cylindrical housing; and, linearly displace the fiber and the wedge lens along the longitudinal axis and inside the cylindrical housing; the mirror configured to: receive light from the wedge lens and reflect the light out of the distal end as the wedge lens moves linearly and rotationally.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic equipment has at least one rechargeable ultrasound probe with a built-in battery, and a diagnostic equipment body connected to the at least one ultrasound probe in a wireless manner, wherein the diagnostic equipment body includes a power supply unit which supplies power to the battery of the at least one ultrasound probe, and a power supply controller which causes the battery of the at least one ultrasound probe to selectively perform refresh charging and top-up charging using the power supply unit on the basis of power supply information to the battery of the at least one ultrasound probe and the examination situation in the diagnostic equipment body.

Abstract: Vascular conditions are detected non-invasively in the human body using a collection of information from small local regions of the vasculature, or from a specific signature or “BrainPulse” that can be derived from a patient's heartbeat-induced cranium movements. An array of accelerometers or other sensors are engaged against the head of a patient and skull movements, preferably under 100 Hz, are recorded. Vibration signatures of vessel structures such as branches, aneurysms, stenosis, etc. using random, periodic, band limited or transient analysis provides a library for further processing. The signature library is used to localize the origin of the recognized vascular feature, and the localized feature is presented to the physician in a clinically relevant manner.

Abstract: Vascular conditions are detected non-invasively in the human body using a collection of information from small local regions of the vasculature. An array of accelerometers are attached to the head and blood flow sounds are recorded. Vibration signatures of vessel structures such as branches, aneurysms, stenosis, etc. using random, periodic, band limited or transient analysis provides a signature library for further processing. The signature library is used to localize the origin of recognized vascular features and the localized feature is presented to the physician in a clinically relevant manner.

Abstract: Devices and method are provided for ultrasound transmission without the need for external couplants, such as gels, which are typically used in conventional ultrasound procedures. In particular, ultrashields are provided for use with ultrasound probes, wherein the ultrashields have specialized layers to provide an uninterrupted pathway of acoustic conductance from the probe to the surface of the body throughout the procedure while introducing minimal to no attenuation of ultrasound wave transmission. In addition, combinations of ultrashields and probe covers are provided to provide additional features such as a microbial barrier.

Abstract: Motion artifacts are suppressed for three-dimensional parametric ultrasound imaging. Motion tracking is performed so that the parameter values derived over time are based on return from the same locations. Distortion due to the scan pattern is accounted for in the results of the motion tracking, such as by re-sampling the results to deal with discontinuity in time between data from adjacent sub-volumes and/or by aligning the scan pattern based on a direction of motion.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that measures an elastic modulus of a vascular wall, the apparatus allowing selection of a heartbeat suitable for the measurement of the elastic modulus. The problem is solved by storing M-mode images at predetermined intervals in the azimuth direction in a B-mode image, selecting a position in the azimuth direction in the B-mode image, and displaying the M-mode image of the selected position together with the B-mode image.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods for current monitoring in ultrasound powered neurostimulation. The apparatus may include an ultrasound transmitter configured to emit an ultrasound output directed at a piezoelectric device implanted in biological tissue. The apparatus may also include a detector configured to detect an induced current in response to the ultrasound output in the biological tissue. The piezoelectric device may include a piezoelectric material and a diode. The apparatus may include a feedback mechanism to control the amount of induced current in the biological tissue.

Abstract: A probe including a catheter sheath, a shaft inserted inside the catheter sheath, and an attachment portion detachably attached to a rotational drive unit, wherein the attachment portion includes an isolation member isolating the inside of the attachment portion into a first area in which a member for transmitting the drive force generated by the rotational drive unit to the shaft is rotatably held and a second area in which the catheter sheath is fixedly held; the isolation member includes: an insertion hole through which the shaft is inserted between the first area and the second area and an ejection hole provided in a surface to which an end portion on the rotational drive unit side of the catheter sheath is connected and which is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the shaft; and the ejection hole defines a flow path extending to the outside of the isolation member.

Abstract: A system and an imaging method for using photoacoustic effect are provided in the present invention. The system includes a light source for generating a light beam, a wave-guide probe and an ultrasound receiving device. The wave-guide probe further has a reception portion and at least one transmission portion. The reception portion receives the light beam and then triggers a photoacoustic effect inside the reception portion so as thereby to generate at least one sound wave thereinside to be further transmitted to the at least one transmission portion. The transmission portion is merged into the organic medium. When the sound wave is transmitted to the transmission portion, an ultrasound area is generated inside the organic medium. The ultrasound receiving device is located adjacent to the organic medium, receives the ultrasound generated in the ultrasound area to form an ultrasound image of the organic medium, so as to achieve the imaging method.

Abstract: An image-guided system includes an X-ray imaging device for generating one or more X-ray images illustrating a tool within an anatomical region, and an ultrasound imaging device for generating an ultrasound image illustrating the tool within the anatomical region. The image-guided system further includes a tool tracking device for visually tracking the tool within the anatomical region. In operation, the tool tracking device localizes a portion of the tool as located within the ultrasound image responsive to an identification of the portion of the tool as located within the X-ray image(s), and executes an image segmentation of an entirety of the tool as located within the ultrasound image relative to a localization of the portion of the tool as located within the ultrasound image.

Abstract: An optical heart rate sensor stores data indicating the timing of heart beats in a first-in-first-out rolling buffer. During a first condition, new data is added to the rolling buffer and adjusted such that a duration preceding a newly detected heart beat is closer to an average duration between each pair of consecutive heart beats stored in the rolling buffer if the duration preceding the newly detected heart beat differs from the average duration by more than a duration threshold. The rolling buffer is cleared when a number of data adjustments over a predetermined time period exceeds a counting threshold. The rolling buffer is then repopulated such that the duration between each pair of consecutive heart beats is equal to a most recent duration between consecutive heart beats that did not differ from the average duration by more than the duration threshold.

Abstract: System and method for diagnosing brain conditions including evaluating fiber pathways of white matter tracts using a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) process, tracking the propagation of waves traveling at specific angles to the fiber pathways by performing a 3D magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) process at the same spatial resolution and voxel position as the DTI, analyzing the viscoelastic properties using an inversion having at least nine elastic coefficients, determining the curvature along the pathways, differentiating the spatial-spectral filter twice with respect to arc length along the pathways, and diagnosing a brain condition based on the viscoelastic properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for assessing data from digital images of psoriasis lesion for said psoriasis lesion thickness by utilizing a developed computer vision system to obtain Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) parameters in particular.

Abstract: A method includes dynamically varying a data acquisition sample rate between at least two data acquisition sample rates during a contrast enhanced perfusion scan based on a level of contrast in image data generated during the scan. A system includes a computed tomography scanner and a console that controls the scanner based on a scan protocol, wherein the console dynamically varies a data acquisition sample rate of scanner during a contrast enhanced perfusion scan based on a level of contrast in the image data generated during the scan. A method for optimizing dose of a scan includes reducing a data acquisition sampling rate during at least a sub-portion of the scan in which a state of interest is not being scanned.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical work station which has a medical instrument which is intended to be inserted at least partially into the interior of a lying being for treating the latter, an imaging device which is set up to create image data records of the interior of the living being during the treatment, and a robot. The robot includes a robot arm having a plurality of members situated one after another, on which the imaging device or the medical instrument may be situated, and a control device intended for moving the robot arm, which is set up to move the robot arm in such a way that the imaging device attached to the robot arm follows a motion of the medical instrument, or the medical instrument attached to the robot arm follows a motion of the imaging device.

Abstract: Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) cause a large number of deaths annually. Ruptures occur even in people who are already diagnosed with AAA and are being monitored. The reason is that the interval between tests is too long because of the need to visit a pathological facility with imaging equipment. It is preferable to estimate the progress of AAA frequently, once detected, in a non-invasive manner, preferably at the subject's home, without the need for the subject to visit a pathological facility. A device is disclosed for detecting a state of a vascular pathology of a subject, comprising a sensor signal unit (103) for providing a signal representative of a blood volume in a body part of a subject, a comparator (107) for comparing the sensor signal with a reference signal, and a user interface (109) for conveying a result based on the comparison to a user of the device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, apparatus for facilitating ultrasound-assisted needle placement for drug delivery includes an ultrasound probe cover adapted to receive an ultrasound probe, the cover comprising a first wall and a needle guide associated with the first wall, the needle guide comprising an element adapted to guide a needle into a patient adjacent the cover.