Abstract: In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to Raman imaging devices (e.g., Raman endoscope probes), methods of using Raman agents and Raman imaging devices to image or detect a signal, and the like.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technology that prevents a part of a touch panel-equipped display displaying an ultrasonic tomographic image from getting dirty with a fingerprint or scratch when using a drag operation to change the content of the ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the touch panel-equipped display. According to this technology, the display screen is divided into an ultrasonic image area A1 which displays an ultrasonic image P and an operating part display area A2 which displays buttons (Fov, Pos, ROI, and Dop) for selecting a change to be made in the ultrasonic image P. The operating part display area A2 has a touch panel, and when a finger F selectively touches one of the displayed buttons and is dragged, the displayed image P of the ultrasonic image area A1 is changed on the apparatus side according to the selected changes and drag direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for designing parallel transmission radiofrequency (RF) pulses for use in a RF treatment. The methods include selecting a target region in a subject, and providing a plurality of specific absorption rate (SAR) matrices for estimation of SAR at locations within the subject. The methods also include determining a first set of SAR matrices for locations in the target region using the provided SAR matrices, and determining a second set of SAR matrices for locations not in the target region using the provided SAR matrices. The methods further include designing a plurality of RF pulses for achieving a target power deposition in the target region by using the first set of SAR matrices and the second set of SAR matrices in an optimization that determines a set of RF waveforms that produce a target average local SAR using the first set of SAR matrices while minimizing a local SAR and a global SAR using the second set of SAR matrices.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method for diagnosis acquiring information of an inside of a blood vessel and reconstructing a vascular image are disclosed, wherein when acquiring data through a rotation position and a movement of an imaging core, X-ray images at a fixed viewpoint position are synchronized so as to be continuously input along a time axis. Then, timing when vascular activity such as a cardiac beat can occur is determined based on the X-ray images. A plurality of vascular cross-sectional images on a plane orthogonal to a vascular axis acquired through the rotation and the movement of the imaging core are acquired. Then, a vascular image along the vascular axis is generated from the vascular cross-sectional image or the vascular cross-sectional images in series, and when performing a display, a site having vascular activity is displayed in a discriminable manner.

Abstract: A dermatoscope has a generally circular viewing opening, a plurality of light sources including first and second groups of light sources arranged about the viewing opening, a first polarizer for polarizing light passing through the viewing opening, and a second polarizer for polarizing light emitted from the first group of light sources, wherein the first and second groups of light sources are arranged at different distances from a center of the viewing opening so that light from the second group of light sources is not polarized by the second polarizer. A further dermatoscope has a head portion including a generally circular viewing opening, and at least one light source arranged proximate to the viewing opening; and a body portion including an image capture device, wherein the head portion is pivotally attached to the body portion selectively allowing alignment of the center of the viewing opening with the center of the field of view of the image capture device.

Abstract: The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer, for use in imaging the subcutaneous veins of a target area of a patient by a practitioner. The miniature vein enhancer includes a Miniature Projection Head, a base, and apparatus for securing the base of the miniature vein enhancer to the practitioner. The Miniature Projection Head includes a housing, and apparatus that images subcutaneous veins of the target area, and projects the image of the veins onto the target area to overlie the subcutaneous veins, which aids the practitioner in pinpointing a vein for an intravenous drip, blood test, and the like. The housing and the base may contain a ball and socket or other mechanical arrangement so that the housing may be rotatable with respect to the base to adjustably direct an optical path of the imaging onto various regions of the patient.

Abstract: Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer (pMUT) arrays for ultrasonic imaging, and related apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic imaging assembly comprises a substrate and a plurality of array elements arranged on the substrate in an array. Each array element comprises at least one pMUT disposed on the substrate each having a geometry configured to accept a predetermined fundamental mode vibration. The plurality of array elements are configured to transmit and receive at least one ultrasound beam based on the predetermined fundamental mode vibration. By sizing the pMUTs to correspond to a desired fundamental mode vibration, the pMUT array has improved sensitivity, and can be produced relatively cheaply compared to conventional dicing methods.

Abstract: In an acoustic image generation apparatus with a probe having an ultrasonic transducer, providing a scanning length setting part that sets a target scanning length in a scanning process of the probe, a coordinate obtaining part that sequentially obtains a coordinate of the probe in real space, a scanned length calculation part that calculates a scanned length based on the coordinate obtained by the coordinate obtaining part, a progress level display generation part that generates a progress level display that indicates progress of the scanning process based on the target scanning length and the scanned length, and a display part that displays the progress level display.

Abstract: A laser based vascular illumination system utilizing a FPGA for detecting vascular positions, processing an image of such vasculature positions, and projecting the image thereof onto the body of a patient.

Abstract: An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue sample are described, the apparatus comprising an ultrasound transducer and a membranous sheet, the membranous sheet compressing the tissue sample, the ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet and ultrasonically scanning the tissue sample therethrough, wherein the membranous sheet has a generally arcuate shape and the ultrasound transducer is movable in a generally arcuate trajectory therealong during the ultrasonic scan. Also described is an apparatus for facilitating a medical procedure, comprising a membranous sheet compressing a tissue sample, an ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet to ultrasonically scan the tissue sample therethrough, and a biopsy guide operably coupled to the ultrasound transducer for maintaining a biopsy instrument in a scan plane of the ultrasound transducer to facilitate a percutaneous biopsy of a lesion located in the scan plane.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for fast 2D blood flow velocity ultrasound imaging. In embodiments, this includes generating beam data representing a plurality of beams formed in a plurality of transmit events, wherein each of the plurality of transmit events is associated with a transmit event index, each beam is associated with a beam index, and the beam data is associated with the transmit event index, the receiving beam index, and a repeat index; calculating positions within a region of interest based on the beam data; processing the beam data to derive velocities, wherein each of the velocities is associated with the transmit event index and the receiving beam index; grouping the velocities; and for each group, calculating an angle component of a 2D velocity vector, and calculating an amplitude component of the 2D velocity vector.

Abstract: A system for measuring the displacements of a vertebral column having a segment comprising at least one vertebra having a body delimited by an upper vertebral end plate and a lower vertebral end plate, and each vertebra in the segment having a location marker associated, attached thereto and providing a location system with an orientation of the location marker, the system including a localizer configured to detect the initial orientations of the location markers, and a microprocessor configured to determine, for each vertebra, an initial orientation of a vertebral plane parallel to at least one end plate of the vertebra, and to determine the current orientation of the vertebral plane of the vertebra from the current orientation of the location marker associated and the geometrical transformation associated with the vertebra.

Abstract: A method for measuring the displacements of a vertebral column, a vertebra of the column including a location marker attached thereto and providing a location system with an orientation of the location marker, the method including: a detection of an initial orientation of the location marker associated with a vertebra, a determination of an initial orientation of a vertebral plane parallel to at least one end plate of the vertebra, and a calculation of a geometric transformation associated with the vertebra correlating the initial orientation of the vertebral plane with the initial orientation of the location marker, a detection of the current orientation of the location marker, and a calculation of the current orientation of the vertebral plane of the vertebra from the current orientation of the location marker and the geometrical transformation associated with the vertebra.

Abstract: A system and method for system for performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) process using an MRI system is provided. A coil system includes a substrate configured to follow a contour of a portion of a subject to be imaged by the MRI system and at least one coil coupled to the substrate and forming a spiral pattern.

Abstract: A portable vein viewer apparatus may be battery powered and hand-held to reveal patient vasculature information to aid in venipuncture processes. The apparatus comprises a first laser diode emitting infrared light, and a second laser diode emitting only visible wavelengths, wherein vasculature absorbs a portion of the infrared light causing reflection of a contrasted infrared image. A pair of silicon PIN photodiodes, responsive to the contrasted infrared image, causes transmission of a corresponding signal. The signal is processed through circuitry to amplify, sum, and filter the outputted signals, and with the use of an image processing algorithm, the contrasted image is projected onto the patient's skin surface using the second laser diode. Revealed information may comprise vein location, depth, diameter, and degree of certainty of vein locations. Projection of vein images may be a positive or a negative image. Venipuncture needles may be coated to provide visibility in projected images.

Abstract: Shear wave characteristics are estimated from analytic data. Measures of displacement are converted into complex representations. The magnitude and/or phase components of the complex representation may be used for estimating various characteristics, such as velocity, center frequency, attenuation, shear modulus, or shear viscosity. The zero-phase of the phase component represents an occurrence of the shear wave at that location.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus including: a display unit that displays a first screen including at least one marker; a user interface unit for receiving a selection of a predetermined marker among the at least one marker; and a controller that controls the display unit to display a first screen including a second ultrasound image that represents an object and has a view which is changed according to the predetermined marker. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may provide an ultrasound image screen that allows a user to easily and conveniently diagnose an object.

Abstract: It is known in the art to use an apparatus to enhance the visual appearance of the veins and arteries in a patient to facilitate insertion of needles into those veins and arteries. This application discloses a number of inventions that add additional data collection and presentation capabilities to a handheld vein enhancement apparatus and a set of processes for the collection of blood and the delivery of IV medicines that use the handheld device to mediate the process.

Abstract: Various embodiments include a system and method that provide sequential needle recalibration by correlating a sequence of calibration data for a tracking system to a plurality of corresponding ultrasound probe positions during a calibration sequence such that the appropriate calibration data is retrieved and applied based on the position of the ultrasound probe during a procedure. The method can include acquiring a sequence of calibration data for a tracking system at a plurality of different ultrasound probe positions. The sequence of calibration data may be acquired from a tracking sensor attached to or within the ultrasound probe. The tracking system can include the tracking sensor and a tracking emitter attached to or within a surgical instrument. The method may include generating, by a processor of the ultrasound system, an index correlating each of the sequence of calibration data to a corresponding one of the plurality of different ultrasound probe positions.

Abstract: The present invention is a Miniature Vein Enhancer that includes a Miniature Projection Head. The Miniature Projection Head may be operated in one of three modes, AFM, DBM, and RTM. The Miniature Projection Head of the present invention projects an image of the veins of a patient, which aids the practitioner in pinpointing a vein for an intravenous drip, blood test, and the like. The Miniature projection head may have a cavity for a power source or it may have a power source located in a body portion of the Miniature Vein Enhancer. The Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to one of several improved needle protectors, or the Miniature Vein Enhancer may be attached to a body similar to a flashlight for hand held use. The Miniature Vein Enhancer of the present invention may also be attached to a magnifying glass, a flat panel display, and the like.