Abstract: An equipment includes an excitation source (1), elements for injecting (2) an excitation signal produced by the source in an ordered bundle (3) of flexible optical fibers, elements for analyzing (21, 22) an emitted autofluorescence signal. The equipment also includes at the output of the optical fiber bundle (3) an optical head (4) designed to be placed in contact with the biological tissue (6), the optical head being equipped with optical elements adapted to cause the excitation signal output from the bundle (3) to converge into a subsurface analyzing zone (5), the same optical fiber(s) used for excitation of the bundle (3) being used for detecting the signal emitted by the subsurface analyzing zone, elements (D) placed upstream of the injection elements (2) being further provided to separate the wavelength of the excitation signal and the wavelength of the autofluorescence signal.

Abstract: An apparatus includes acquiring means for acquiring echo data of a plurality of views in which a phase difference between water and fat is 2?/m with spins within a subject brought to the SSFP state and repeating the acquisition for k=0 through M?1 with a step difference in a phase of an RF pulse of 2?·k/M; transforming means for conducting Fourier transformation on the echo data based on the phase step difference; separating means for separating water data and fat data respectively in F(0) term and F(1) term of the Fourier-transformed data using the phase difference between water and fat; adding means for obtaining a sum of absolute values of at least the water data or fat data in the F(0) term and F(1) term; and image producing means for producing an image based on the sum data.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmitting and receiving apparatus for performing the multibeam transmission capable of suppressing the increase in withstand voltage of the ultrasonic transducers and power consumption with increase of the number of transmission beams.

Abstract: Evaluating tissue characteristics including identification of injured tissue or alteration of the ratios of native tissue components such as shifting the amounts of normal myocytes and fibrotic tissue in the heart, identifying increases in the amount of extracellular components or fluid (like edema or extracellular matrix proteins), or detecting infiltration of tumor cells or mediators of inflammation into the tissue of interest in a patient, such as a human being, is provided by obtaining a first image of tissue including a region of interest from a first acquisition, for example, after administration of a contrast agent to the patient, and obtaining a second image of the tissue including the region of interest during a second, subsequent acquisition, for example, after administration of a contrast agent to the patient. The subsequent acquisition may be obtained after a period of time to determine if injury has occurred during that period of time.

Abstract: In fluorescent endoscopic examinations, excitation light and light adjusted by an adjuster filter are alternately projected to an object under observation, the fluorescence light is received by one channel out of three channels by disposing barrier filters before a black-and-white CCD, or received without any filter by the channel of a color CCD which does not react with excitation light but with the fluorescent light, the light adjusted by an adjuster filter is received by the other two channels to capture the background image, the signals sent through the three channels are combined, and the fluorescent image is superimposed on the background image on a monitor. Thus, a sharp fluorescent image and bright field of view are formed and viewed on the same screen simultaneously, and the portions where fluorescence is emitted can be easily specified in the background.

Abstract: A self-occluding catheter includes a body portion for connection to extracorporeal equipment. An elongated tubular extension is provided for insertion into a body cavity. The body portion includes a resiliently biased spool supported therein which is slidable between an open and a closed position for alternately permitting and stopping the flow of blood through the catheter during a given medical procedure. The biasing device for resilient biasing the spool preferably comprises one or more magnets fixed within the body portion which generate a magnetic force for urging the magnetically polarized spool to its closed position.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for classifying plaque in a blood vessel of a living subject using magnetic resonance imaging, a first magnetic resonance image is produced with a first intensity distribution of a cross-section of a vessel containing plaque, and a contrast agent is injected into the vascular system and a second magnetic resonance image of the cross-section of the vessel is produced with a second intensity distribution after a first time duration following the contrast agent injection, and a third magnetic resonance image of the cross-section of the vessel is produced with a third intensity distribution after a second time duration following the injection of the contrast agent, and the plaque is classified dependent on the respective intensity distributions of the magnetic resonance images.

Abstract: A perfusion image is produced by acquiring a series of time course MR images from an imaging slice. During the acquisition spins flowing into the slice are repeatedly tagged with an RF tagging pulse having a flip angle that is modulated according to a tagging pattern. Voxels in the series of reconstructed MR images having signals which vary according to the tagging pattern indicate perfusion. Perfusion images indicating either flow or velocity are produced.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for the imaging of structures in deep tissue within biological specimens, using spectral imaging to provide highly sensitive detection. By acquiring data that provides a plurality of images of the sample with different spectral weightings, and subsequent spectral analysis, light emission from a target compound is separated from autofluorescence in the sample. With the autofluorescence reduced or eliminated, an improved measurement of the target compound is obtained.

Abstract: A localization device display method and apparatus for displaying different views, e.g., of different magnification, based on the proximity of the tip of a pointer tracked by the localization device to a reference location identified by the localization device. The display method and apparatus may be incorporated into a surgical navigation system for use in identifying a location for drilling a femoral tunnel in an ACL repair procedure.

Abstract: A capsule endoscope is disclosed that includes a light source, an objective optical system that forms an image of an object that is illuminated by the light source, an image pickup device that receives the image formed by the objective optical system; and a transparent cover that is positioned in front of the objective optical system. Specified conditions are satisfied by the objective optical system so that objects having a shape that conforms with the shape of the transparent cover at the periphery of the field of view, as well as more distant objects on-axis, are within the depth of field of the objective optical system's field of view. The transparent cover itself is purposely kept from being within the depth of field of the objective optical system's field of view.

Abstract: In a method for automatic determination of the actual speed interval of a flowing medium in flow measurements in magnetic resonance imaging, an overview image (localizer) is acquired displayed on a screen, a scout flow measurement is performed by acquiring an image series during a motion cycle at a pre-determined speed interval in a tissue-area to be measured, the peak speed of the medium in the tissue area to be measured is determined on the basis of the scout flow measurement, an optimized flow measurement is performed by acquiring the same images from the acquired image series on the basis of the determined peak speed, and the speed-resolved tissue area obtained by means of the optimized flow measurement is displayed on the screen.

Abstract: The methods comprise detection of gadolinium in human tissues and organs by refining the position of malignant neoplasm and radiation treatment of the neoplasm in order to damage its cells. Refined position of the malignant neoplasm is determined by introducing gadolinium into the patient body and scanning part of the patient body in which the neoplasm is located. The scanning is performed by displacement of zone of radiation concentration created by intersection of several X-ray beams having radiation energy corresponding to K-edge of gadolinium atoms absorption. The refined information is acquired using detectors sensitive to K?-radiation of gadolinium atoms, to which secondary radiation is transported arising in zone of concentration. Scanning is performed of the region of the malignant neoplasm location utilizing the same means as in the first stage. Sources of X-ray radiation are switched with control means into elevated intensity mode, sufficient for radiation damage of the malignant neoplasm tissues.

Abstract: A multi-slice double inversion recovery (DIR) pulse sequence with read out of a signal for imaging successive slices implemented on a magnetic resonance image scanner. In the method, when the DIR pulse sequence is applied before imaging each slice, a slab-selective inversion re-inverts the entire slab that includes all of the slices. All slices are imaged within a predefined repetition time (TR). The number, N, of slices acquired per TR controls the inversion time to execute the read out of the signal for imaging each slice at a zero-crossing point of blood. In a test, multi-slice DIR images of carotid arteries were obtained with N ranging from 2-8, for four subjects. The results were compared with those for both standard single-slice DIR, and inflow saturation techniques. Multi-slice DIR with N=2-6 provided blood flow suppression in carotid arteries similar to that of single-slice DIR, and significantly better than inflow saturation.

Abstract: A system for identifying vulnerable plaque includes an illumination subsystem for passing an illumination beam, modulated by a first modulation waveform, through a catheter. A receiving subsystem detects a collection beam, which is modulated by a second modulated waveform, from the catheter. A processing subsystem in communication with the receiving subsystem determines a relative phase difference between the first and second modulation waveforms.

Abstract: A stereotactic navigation system for navigating an instrument to a target within a patient may include a stereotactic head frame, an imaging device, a tracking device, a controller and a display. The stereotactic head frame is coupled to the patient and is used to assist in guiding the instrument to the target. The imaging device captures image data of the patient and of the stereotactic head frame. The tracking device is used to track the position of the instrument relative to the stereotactic head frame. The controller receives the image data from the imaging device and identifies the stereotactic head frame in the image data and automatically registers the image data with navigable patient space upon identifying the stereotactic head frame, while the display displays the image data.

Abstract: A mammography apparatus has a bracket having one of its arms fitted with an X-ray tube head. The X-ray tube head is formed of an X-ray tube for producing X-radiation and a collimator for collimating the X-radiation. The bracket arm opposite the X-ray tube head is fitted with an image forming element. The bracket is further provided with a compression means for compressing a breast during an imaging procedure. The image forming element has a digital full field detector. The mammography apparatus has integrable therewith a biopsy device with a biopsy needle. The detector required in a biopsy imaging process for imaging the volume space of biopsy is formed of a desired element of the full field detector. A needle guiding unit is provided for a guided movement of the biopsy needle in the volume space of biopsy on the basis of three-dimensional information compiled in the biopsy imaging process.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging technique provides adequate MT effects by applying a shortened MT pulse and scan time. An MT pulse whose frequency is off-resonance to a region to be imaged of an object is first applied to he object, a spoiler pulse is applied to the object, and an echo signal is acquired from the region to be imaged. The duration of the MT pulse is set to a relatively shorter time than conventional. Preferably, the duration is less than 10 ms. The area of the MT pulse waveform is set to a specified value equivalent to the conventional. The MT pulse is preferably applicable to a two-dimensional scan using the multislice technique but can also be used in a three-dimensional scan.

Abstract: A method for quantifying cardiac desynchrony of the right and left ventricles includes obtaining cardiac acquisition data from a medical imaging system, and determining a movement profile from the cardiac acquisition data. The movement profile is directed toward identifying at least one of a time-based contraction parameter for a region of the left ventricle (LV), and a displacement-based contraction parameter for a region of the LV. The determined movement profile is visually displayed by generating a 3D model therefrom.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for the three-dimensional presentation of an examination region of a patient in the form of a 3D reconstruction image, a preoperatively acquired 3D image dataset of the examination region is employed in a medical procedure, datasets representing a number of 2D ultrasound images of the examination region are acquired, the preoperative 3D image dataset is updated using the datasets representing 2D ultrasound images, and the 3D reconstruction image is generated on the basis of the updated 3D image dataset.