Abstract: A system and method of ultrasound imaging includes a beamformer including a plurality of channels, a two-dimensional transducer array including a plurality of elements, and a plurality of signal pathways linking the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels. The system and method also include a plurality of switches positioned along the plurality of signal pathways. The plurality of switches being configured to actively connect a subset of the plurality of elements to the plurality of channels in order to form a receive aperture. The plurality of switches are further configured to control an aspect ratio of the receive aperture by changing which of the plurality of elements are actively connected to the plurality of channels.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking a guidewire in a fluoroscopic image sequence is disclosed. In order to track a guidewire in a fluoroscopic image sequence, guidewire segments are detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The guidewire in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence is then detected by rigidly tracking the guidewire from a previous frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence based on the detected guidewire segments in the current frame. The guidewire is then non-rigidly deformed in each frame based on the guidewire position in the previous frame.

Abstract: An intravascular ultrasound probe is disclosed, incorporating features for utilizing an advanced transducer technology on a rotating transducer shaft. In particular, the probe accommodates the transmission of the multitude of signals across the boundary between the rotary and stationary components of the probe required to support an advanced transducer technology. These advanced transducer technologies offer the potential for increased bandwidth, improved beam profiles, better signal to noise ratio, reduced manufacturing costs, advanced tissue characterization algorithms, and other desirable features. Furthermore, the inclusion of electronic components on the spinning side of the probe can be highly advantageous in terms of preserving maximum signal to noise ratio and signal fidelity, along with other performance benefits.

Abstract: A biological observation apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a sound wave radiating unit that radiates a sound wave into an object to be examined, a light radiating unit that radiates first light having a predetermined wavelength and second light different from the first light into a portion of the object influenced by the sound wave, a detector that detects reflected light of the first light and reflected light of the second light, and a calculation unit that calculates characteristic information of the object based on the reflected light of the first light and the reflected light of the second light.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting and tracking an ablation catheter tip in a fluoroscopic image sequence is disclosed. Catheter tip candidates are detected in each frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence using marginal space learning. The detected catheter tip candidates are then tracked over all the frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence in order to determine an ablation catheter tip location in each frame.

Abstract: A volumetric method for 2-D flow imaging is provided in medical diagnostic ultrasound. Flow data for a volume is acquired. For more rapid acquisition, broad beam transmission and reception along many scan lines distributed in the volume is used. The volumetric flow data is filtered, such as by calculating statistical information, to generate a planar/2-D flow image. The statistical information from the three-dimensional flow data is used to determine the display values for the flow imaging.

Abstract: A device for determining a person's health that uses a body scanner to obtain a three-dimensional model of a person. The device calculates the volume of at least a first part of the person's body and a second part of a person's body from the three-dimensional model. An indication of the person's health is calculated based on the volume of the first part and volume of the second part of the person's body.

Abstract: A method to derive anatomical structures from non-invasive imaging technologies is provided. Non-invasive imaging technologies are computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), surface scans and others. Imaging data obtained by a non-invasive technology is used to create a surface contour. The imaging data is transmitted to a rapid prototyping apparatus as readable data. With this readable data the rapid prototyping apparatus establishes a positive or negative surface model, such as a fixation device, a mask, or a prosthesis, or other instruments for medical purposes.

Abstract: A system for managing a patient is disclosed and can include a patient interface adapted to obtain ultrasound information about the patient, a provider interface adapted to facilitate communication between the system and a provider, and a controller in communication with the patient interface and the provider interface, the controller including a clinical management module adapted to receive the ultrasound information and to recommend a clinical management strategy based upon the ultrasound information. A method of presenting a clinical management strategy is also described including obtaining information regarding a condition of a patient, developing a determinant reflecting the condition, and presenting a user with a clinical management strategy on an output device.

Abstract: The present invention improves projection displays of volume data. Using the Minimum Intensity Projection (MinIP), fluid filled regions or other regions of hyporeflective tissue are displayed. By limiting the projection to partial volumes within the volume, differences in the scattering intensity within specific regions are isolated. In this way, hyperreflectivity of weakly scattering tissue can be assessed.

Abstract: Means for measuring and evaluating a dynamic property of a blood flow in a superficial blood vessel of a living body are constructed. A physical stimulus is given to the blood flow, and an ultrasonic response from the blood flow to the physical stimulus is measured and evaluated, which allows the blood property to be evaluated noninvasively and dynamically. Therefore, a medical check and a lifestyle-related diseases prevention effect are promising.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system transmits a plurality of focused beams normal to the plane of a transducer aperture and receives multiple receive lines in response to each transmitted beam. Sub-apertures of the transducer aperture are defined by apodization and signals of the sub-apertures are aligned and combined to produce signals exhibiting the effect of transmit steering at different angles with respect to the sub-apertures. The steered signals are detected and the detected signals relating to common points in an image field are combined. The combined detected signals are used to produce an ultrasound image with reduced speckle.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces an image with an extended focal range and reduced speckle by transmitting a plurality of beams spaced along an array for multiline reception. The receive multilines of a plurality of transmit beams are spatially aligned with phase adjustment between the respective receive multilines to effect signal alignment, detected and combined. The combined multilines produce the effect of an extended transmit focus so that an image produced using the combined multilines exhibits an extended focal range. Speckle is reduced by nonlinearly combining received multilines produced by different transmit apertures.

Abstract: Examples for filtering clutter signals from receive signals obtained in a Doppler mode in an ultrasound system are disclosed. The signal processing unit processes received echoes to provide 2-dimensional image data of the target object, the 2-dimensional image data being representative of a 2-dimensional image. A region of interest (ROI) is set on the 2-dimensional image of the target object, The signal processing unit obtains a Doppler mode image pixel data corresponding to the ROI. The signal processing unit sets filter cutoff frequencies based on characteristics of the Doppler mode image pixel data and filter the Doppler mode image pixel data with the set filter cutoff frequencies to output filtered pixel data with clutter signals filtered.

Abstract: A catheter assembly for an intravascular ultrasound system includes an imaging core configured and arranged for inserting into a distal end of a lumen of a catheter. The imaging core includes at least one transducer mounted to a driveshaft and configured and arranged for transforming applied electrical signals to acoustic signals and also for transforming received echo signals to electrical signals. A motor is coupled to the driveshaft between the one or more transducers and the transformer. The motor includes a rotatable magnet and at least two magnetic field windings disposed around at least a portion of the magnet.

Abstract: A system and method for producing an image of a functional tissue slip interface using MRI. The method includes applying an external stimulus to a subject to impart relative shearing motion at a tissue interface. NMR signals are then acquired from a ROI including the slip interface using a motion encoding gradient to sensitize the acquired NMR signals to the shearing motion. MR images indicative of the degree of mechanical shear connectivity at the tissue interface are reconstructed from the acquired NMR signals in which low-friction shearing motion at the tissue interface is characterized by a loss of magnitude signal due to intravoxel phase dispersion.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a first navigator data processor that generates a first phase profile based on first navigator data acquired by executing a first navigator sequence, generates a position profile indicative of a relationship between a plurality of region positions and time at which the first navigator sequence is executed, and detects a specific position in the position profile. A second navigator data processor generates a second phase profile based on second navigator data acquired by executing a second navigator sequence, detects the position of each region with respect to each second phase profile within a reference range set so as to contain the specific position, based on each second phase profile, and acquires the same as its corresponding position data.

Abstract: A frame averaging circuit adapted for a color blood flow frame in a medical ultrasound imaging system. The frame averaging circuit comprises two sections, i.e., a recursive calculation section and a non-recursive section. The recursive calculation section employs an IIR filter in combination with a look-up table, and is adapted for dealing with the cases where no change occurs to the blood flow velocity direction. The non-recursive section compares the blood flow velocity, the energy and the energy prior to wall filtering of the color blood flow echo signal to various threshold values. Different from the recursive calculation section, the non-recursive section is employed when a change occurs to the blood flow velocity direction.

Abstract: A method of measuring blood velocity includes obtaining a first velocity image by illuminating a tissue surface with a light source for a first exposure time, obtaining a second velocity image by illuminating the tissue surface with the light source for a second exposure time, computing a first average intensity of a first pixel block at a first predetermined location of the first velocity image and a second average intensity of a second pixel block at a second predetermined location of the second velocity image, identifying mid-range velocities of the first and second pixel blocks, computing an optimal optical coherence parameter based on the mid-range velocity of the first pixel block and the mid-range velocity of the second pixel block, and iteratively re-computing the first velocity image and the second velocity image using the optimal optical coherence parameter.

Abstract: A method for monitoring left ventricular (LV) myocardial wall thickness. The method includes: obtaining real time images of a periodically spatially changing myocardium and segmenting the myocardium in such images; calculating wall thickness of the myocardium from each one of the obtained images; and performing a dynamic harmonic analysis of the calculated thickness to determine spatial changes in the thickness of the wall of the myocardium. The method applies the calculated wall thickness to a predictor to determine changes in the thickness of the wall of the myocardium. The method applies the calculated wall thickness to a predictor to determine the periodicity the myocardium.