Abstract: A radiofrequency receive coil assembly can include a first conductive loop and a second conductive loop electrically connected at a node. The first and second conductive loops can extend into a treatment beam region of the radio frequency receive coil assembly through which one or more beams of ionizing radiation pass. The first conductive loop and the second conductive loop can overlap each other to provide electromagnetic isolation and/or can use a common conductor combined with a shared capacitor to provide electromagnetic isolation, with the shared capacitor or other electrical components, as well as any conductive loop overlaps, being positioned outside of the treatment beam region. These features can, among other possible advantages, minimize and homogenize attenuation of the beams of ionizing radiation by the radiofrequency receive coil assembly.

Abstract: Provided is a technique capable of preventing a deterioration of a frame rate or a temporal resolution and estimating a blood flow velocity in a wide velocity range. A method is based on an unequal interval transmission method, and calculates a blood flow velocity by using a temporally adjacent received signal set and a temporally discontinuous received signal set, among a plurality of received signals obtained via a plurality of times of transmission in one transmission direction. When a number of the adjacent received signal set and a number of the temporally discontinuous received signal set are the same, an expansion of the velocity range similar to an unequal interval transmission in related art can be realized and the frame rate can be improved.

Abstract: A system includes a manipulator and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to receive, from a position sensor system, a collected set of spatial information for a distal portion of a medical instrument collected at locations within anatomic passageways as a rigid instrument body is moved in an insertion or retraction direction. The processing unit is further configured to receive, from a position measuring device, a set of position information related to a position of the rigid instrument body when the distal portion is at the locations. The processing unit is further configured to, based at least in part on the set of position information, determine a subset of the set of spatial information relative to the environment coordinate space and, based on the subset of spatial information, determine an initial transform for registering the set of spatial information with anatomical model information in a model coordinate space.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is for determining stroke volume and/or cardiac output. The imaging system may include a transducer unit for acquiring ultrasound data of a heart of a subject (or an input for receiving the acquired ultrasound data), and a controller. The controller is adapted to implement a two-step procedure, the first step being an initial assessment step, and the second being an imaging step having two possible modes depending upon the outcome of the assessment. In the initial assessment procedure, it is determined whether regurgitant ventricular flow is present. This is performed using Doppler processing techniques applied to an initial ultrasound data set. If regurgitant flow does not exist, stroke volume is determined using segmentation of 3D ultrasound image data to identify and measure the volume of the left or right ventricle at each of end systole and end-diastole, the difference between them giving a measure of stroke volume.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring micro-architectural properties of vascular networks are described herein. An example method can include injecting an ultrasound contrast agent into a medium, and transmitting a plurality of acoustic pulses into the medium using a ultrasound transducer array. Each respective acoustic pulse can be transmitted from one or more elements of the ultrasound transducer array. The method can also include receiving a plurality of backscattered signals with the ultrasound transducer array in response to each respective acoustic pulse, and obtaining a response matrix including the backscattered signals. The method can further include extracting a coherent or incoherent contribution to the backscattered signals from the response matrix, and quantifying a property of a vascular network based on the coherent or incoherent contribution to the backscattered signals.

Abstract: A system for determining peripheral artery disease and method of use for determining the presence or absence of peripheral vascular disease and the severity of the disease in particular vascular segments. The System for determining peripheral artery disease and method of use includes a continuous wave Doppler transceiver which generates a digitized version of quadrature detected stereo audio and is coupleable to a waveform converter and processor. The waveform converter and processor provides filtering, time domain to frequency domain conversion, gain control, and statistical processing of the converted Doppler Stereo audio and is operationally coupled to a display for presenting results to a technician.

Abstract: An embodiment includes analyzing a body part perfused with a contrast agent, which has been pre-administered as a bolus to circulate through the body-part with at least a first passage during an analysis interval. The analyzing includes providing at least one input signal indicative of a response to an interrogation signal of a corresponding location of the body part during the analysis interval, and fitting each input signal over the analysis interval by an instance of a combined bolus function of time, based on a combination of a first simple bolus function of time modeling the first passage of the contrast agent and at least one second simple bolus function of time each one modeling a corresponding second passage of the contrast agent.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: a transmitter; a receiver; a Doppler processor that detects a Doppler shift frequency resulting from a blood flow in a subject, based on a reception signal corresponding to a reflected wave from a sample gate position in the subject; and a velocity scale adjuster that adjusts a velocity scale determining a pulse repetition frequency, based on a Doppler waveform corresponding to the Doppler shift frequency during an observation target period. In a case where a recommendation value of the velocity scale calculated based on the Doppler waveform is larger than a critical value of the velocity scale at which a measurement state calculated based on the sample gate position transitions from a non-high-pulse-repetition-frequency state to a high-pulse-repetition-frequency state, the velocity scale adjuster sets the critical value as the velocity scale to be used in measurement.

Abstract: A computing device for use in a system for mapping brain activity of a subject includes a processor. The processor is programmed to select a plurality of measurements of brain activity that is representative of at least one parameter of a brain of the subject during a resting state. Moreover, the processor is programmed to compare at least one data point from each of the measurements with a corresponding data point from a previously acquired data set from at least one other subject. The processor is also programmed to produce at least one map for each of the measurements based on the comparison of the resting state data point and the corresponding previously acquired data point. The processor may also be programmed to categorize the brain activity in a plurality of networks in the brain based on the map.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical apparatus which includes a motion mechanism which has at least one degree of freedom, an actuator configured to drive the motion mechanism and a control unit configured to control the actuator, and which operates in a magnetic field environment of an MRI, the medical apparatus including: a data storage unit in which data related to magnetic susceptibility of the actuator is stored; a calculating unit configured to calculate information related to an influence which the actuator exerts upon the magnetic field environment by calculation based on the magnetic susceptibility; and a communication unit configured to output the information to the MRI. An influence which an apparatus which operates in a strong magnetic field environment exerts upon an MR image can be reduced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for super-resolution ultrasound imaging of microvessels in a subject are described. Ultrasound data are acquired from a region-of-interest in a subject who has been administered a microbubble contrast agent. The ultrasound data are acquired while the microbubbles are moving through, or otherwise present in, the region-of-interest. The region-of-interest may include, for instance, microvessels or other microvascuiature in the subject. By isolating, localizing, tracking, and accumulating the microbubbles in the ultrasound data, super-resolution images of the microvessels can be generated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a multi-angulated catheter and methods of using the multi-angulated catheter. The multi-angulated catheter is so dimensioned as to facilitate accessing the left ventricle from an arm of a patient. The multi-angulated catheter generally includes in order: (a) a coiled end; (b) a first straight portion having a first straight portion length; (c) a first shaft including a distal end connected to the first straight portion and a proximal end opposite the distal end, the first shaft and the first straight portion defining a first obtuse angle, the first shaft having a first shaft length; and (d) a second shaft connected to the first shaft on said proximal end. The catheter is flexible so as to afford being straightened when it is advanced over a guide wire. The catheter resiliently returns to a multi-angulated position after the guide wire is withdrawn.

Abstract: An ultrasound system including: a scanner module including a housing including a first fastener element, an ultrasound transducer, a rotational actuator, and an electronics module; and a positioner module including a second fastener element; operable between a first mode, wherein the first and second fastener elements cooperatively couple the scanner module to the positioner module, and a second mode, wherein the scanner module and positioner modules are separate. An ultrasound system including: a housing including a handle region and a membrane; an ultrasound transducer; a reservoir; a rotational actuator; and an electronics module.

Abstract: A method of evaluating tissue stiffness of a target area includes positioning an ultrasound elasticity imaging apparatus adjacent a surface of an area of tissue where the target area is located and applying a dynamic range of force to the tissue. A plurality of ultrasound beams can be directed at the tissue and a plurality of ultrasound echoes can be acquired from the strained tissue in the target area to calculate an amount of developed strain within the target area.

Abstract: There is provided a tissue elasticity measurement device 100 and a measurement method that allow for quantitative evaluation of biological changes related to tissue elasticity such as liver fibrosis. The tissue elasticity measurement device 100 has a supersonic wave measuring instrument 100a that measures a pulse waveform corresponding to a blood flow velocity by a pulse wave Doppler method, and an information processor 100b that calculates a deviation index value corresponding to a coefficient of variation from a pulse waveform obtained by the supersonic wave measuring instrument 100a.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an image processing circuit and a processing circuit. The image processing circuit generates an ultrasound image. The processing circuit receives a medical image acquired by another medical image diagnosis apparatus, and aligns the ultrasound image and the medical image. The processing circuit has a function of recognizing identification information held by the medical image when the ultrasound image and the medical image are displayed side by side on a display. The processing circuit also has a function of retrieving diagnostic protocol information corresponding to the identification information and displaying it on the display, and a function of performing examinations and processes based on the diagnostic protocol information displayed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for aiding users in viewing, assessing and analyzing images, especially images of lumens and medical devices contained within the lumens. Systems and methods for interacting with images of lumens and medical devices, for example through a graphical user interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for tracking, localization or controlling an elongate instrument or other medical instrument in an image or patient.

Abstract: A magnetic marker for marking a site in tissue in the body. In one embodiment, the marker comprises a magnetic metallic glass. In another embodiment, the marker is in a non-spherical configuration having an anisotropy ratio less than 9. In yet another embodiment, the marker is in a non-spherical configuration having an anisotropy ratio less than 6. In yet another embodiment, the marker is in a non-spherical configuration having an anisotropy ratio less than 3.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for extracting or determining subject motion from multi-channel electrical coupling in imaging of the subject, in particular in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the subject. The motion can be of a region of interest of the subject (such as an organ or specific tissue). Changes in the position of the subject and the subjects organs can be monitored by measuring how external coils, such as RF coils, couple to the subject and to one another and change the scattering of the RF coils, for example scattering of RF pulses transmitted by the coils. Changes in position influence this coupling and the scattering and can be detrimental to the quality of the imaging The present methods and systems address and overcome this problem.