Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (100) for producing spatially compounded 3D ultrasound image data, comprising: —an ultrasound acquisition unit (16) for acquiring a plurality of 3D ultrasound image data having different but at least partially overlapping field of views, —a tracking unit (62) adapted to determine a relative spatial position of each of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data with respect to each other, and —a stitching unit (64) adapted to compound the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data by stitching them to each other in order to generate compounded 3D ultrasound image data, wherein the stitching unit (64) is adapted to calculate a stitching order of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data based on the determined relative spatial position of the 3D ultrasound image data by minimizing an overlapping area of the different field of views of the plurality of 3D ultrasound image data, and wherein stitching unit (64) is adapted to stitch the plurality of 3D ultraso

Abstract: The invention presents assessing and improving the quality of a predicted ablation zone generated from data obtained during an ablation treatment. In particular, the present invention proposes to compare an ablation zone generated during an ablation treatment to an ablation zone generated after a treatment has taken place.

Abstract: A processing device (1) and method for determining a position and/or orientation for a multi-hole grid template in a medical interventional procedure is disclosed. An anatomical spatial information processing unit (2) receives and/or processes data representative of a target spatial volume in the body, and a grid position sampler (4) generates candidate positions of the grid template. A quality calculator (5) calculates, for each candidate, a quality metric indicating the suitability of the candidate position of the grid template for the interventional procedure. A position selector (6) selects the position and/or orientation from the candidates based on the quality metric. For each candidate, an spatial relationship between each grid hole trajectory and the target volume is determined, and the quality metric takes, at least, this spatial relationship into account.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of operating a medical instrument (100, 200, 400, 500). The medical instrument comprises a user interface (108) with a display. The method comprises receiving (300) an anatomical segmentation (122) identifying a location of an anatomical structure (416) and receiving (302) a target zone segmentation (124) identifying a location of a volume (416) at least partially within the anatomical segmentation. The method further comprises displaying (304) a planning graphical user interface (112) using the display. The planning graphical user interface comprises a first panel (130) configured for rendering a cross sectional view of the anatomical segmentation (136) and the target zone segmentation (138). The planning graphical user interface comprises a second panel (132) configured for displaying a first three-dimensional model (140) of the anatomical segmentation and the target zone segmentation.

Abstract: A system for assisting in performing an interventional procedure includes a first subsystem (1) and a second subsystem at different places, especially in different rooms. At a first place the first subsystem a) generates a first image of a subject (22) while an interventional device (12) is introduced into the subject and b) determines the position of the interventional device within the subject. At a second place the second subsystem a) generates a second image of the subject with the introduced interventional device and b) plans and/or monitors a treatment based on the second image and the already determined position of the interventional device, i.e. the second subsystem does not need to start a completely new position determination procedure, thereby reducing technical efforts. Moreover, the first and second images are generated by different imaging modalities which allows for, for instance, improved image guidance, planning and/or monitoring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for assisting in planning a focal therapy treatment of a structure (1) within a patient body (2) by applying a treatment quantity using one or more devices (4a,b,c) operated in one or more device positions. The system comprises a unit (10) configured to generate a constraint function representing clinical objectives relating to the treatment quantity, a selection unit (11) configured to determine, for each of at least some non-selected candidate device positions, a sum of negative derivatives of the constraint function with respect to the treatment parameter associated with the respective device position and to select a device position for use in the treatment based on a comparison of the determined sums, and an optimization unit (12; 408) configured to determine at least one optimized treatment parameter for the selected device position based on the constraint function.

Abstract: A device (10) configured to detect the presence of metal artifacts in a patient's eye includes a head mount (14) configured to receive at least a portion of the patient's head. At least one inductor coil (12) is disposed on or in the head mount and positioned to inductively couple with at least one eye of the patient's head received into the head mount. An inductance meter (18) is operably connected to the at least one inductor coil to measure an inductance as a change of frequency of the at least one inductor coil. A processor (22) is programmed to: determine whether the inductance is greater than an inductance threshold value; and generate an indication of at least one metal artifact when the inductance is greater than the inductance threshold value. A display component (24) is configured to display the indication.

Abstract: An efficient direct parameter optimization (DPO) approach is provided, in which a dosimetry gradient-based iterative greedy technique is applied to determine positioning assistance information for catheter insertion in focal radiation therapy, by toggling between optimization of candidate catheter positions and candidate radiation source dwelling times. In the specific case of free hand delivered catheters, the insertion point may be directly selected by the human expert. Using monitoring of the catheter position by additional imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound imaging, the method enables real-time orientation guidance and adaptive dose correction in the course of treatment delivery.

Abstract: The invention refers to an apparatus allowing to determine a planned position of a temperature probe during a planning for an ablation procedure. The apparatus comprises an ablation plan providing unit (121) for providing an ablation plan, wherein the ablation plan comprises geometric information of an ablation region and of a protection region. The protection region should be protected from ablation. The geometric information comprises information on a position and shape of a respective region. A temperature probe position determination unit (122) is adapted to determine a planned position of the temperature probe, wherein the planned position of the temperature probe is determined based on the geometric information of the ablation region and of the protection region. The apparatus allows to increase the protection of regions that should be protected, like a specific organ, such that the security of an ablation procedure for a patient can also be increased.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a system allowing to provide improved template treatment parameters for ablation treatment allowing an optimized ablation treatment. A system for assisting in providing template treatment parameters is presented. The system comprises a treatment parameter providing unit (101) providing treatment parameters, a patient data providing unit (102) providing technical patient outcome data and/or clinical patient outcome data, a template treatment parameter determining unit (104) for determining template treatment parameters based on a relation between any of the treatment parameters, the technical patient outcome data and/or the clinical patient outcome data. Thus, the template treatment parameters can be optimized in accordance with the technical and/or clinical outcome of the treatment applied using the treatment parameters.

Abstract: A brachytherapy afterloader device, comprises at least one transmit wire that is suitable for being inserted and driven in an advance or retract motion in an external first delivery channel and for delivering drive energy to a test field source, which is arranged at a distal end region of the transmit wire, for generating a magnetic test field; at least one receive wire that is suitable for being inserted and driven in an advance or retract motion in an external second delivery channel for a measurement of the magnetic test field, the receive wire having a transducer that is configured to detect magnetic-field changes in the magnetic test field; and a wire driving unit which is configured to controllably advance or retract the transmit wire and the receive wire in response to a corresponding test drive control signal.

Abstract: A system and a method for medical therapy, particularly ablation treatment, are provided in which diagnostic data may be processed and represented as a function of therapy time. This allows to appropriate plan and dynamically monitor thermal ablation therapy which significantly reduces the risks to damage organs and tissue outside the target area.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide for a system that can be used to improve a cancer related clinical workflow compared to the current cancer related clinical workflow. This object is achieved by an image guided system configured for supporting a combined biopsy and treatment procedure using image guidance to bring a needle from a defined location to a predetermined end location in a subject of interest. The image guidance system comprises a medical imaging system configured for acquisition of medical images of a region of interest in the subject of interest, wherein the medical images are used to determine a current position of the predetermined end location. The image guidance system further comprises needle guidance system configured for defining a needle position in space and thereby defining the defined location and configured for guiding a biopsy and treatment needle into the region of interest.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to improve the patient safety during thermal ablation. This object is achieved by an ablation therapy planning system, configured to carry out the steps of: receiving a medical image of a patient, and receiving an input defining an intended treatment location for one or more thermal applicators relative to a skin location and one or more intended treatment parameters and determining a location of a skin of the patient and estimating a temperature or thermal dose at the skin location resulting from the intended treatment location and one or more intended treatment parameters and raising an alarm if the calculated temperature or thermal dose at the skin location is above or below a certain threshold.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide for a system that can be used to improve a cancer related clinical workflow compared to the current cancer related clinical workflow. This object is achieved by an image guided system configured for supporting a combined biopsy and treatment procedure using image guidance to bring a needle from a defined location to a predetermined end location in a subject of interest. The image guidance system comprises a medical imaging system (580) configured for acquisition of medical images of a region of interest (403) in the subject of interest, wherein the medical images are used to determine a current position of the predetermined end location (404). The image guidance system further comprises needle guidance system (402, 403) configured for defining a needle position in space and thereby defining the defined location (405, 406) and configured for guiding a biopsy and treatment needle into the region of interest.

Abstract: The invention relates to a delivery assistance device for assisting in a brachytherapy procedure. The invention provides for an output of an optimized treatment plan, taking into considering the portions of the procedure already carried out. The invention provides for an update of the sequence and the dosing after, for example, each needle insertion. The sequence of the treatment plan is determined such that, for example, steps of the procedure in which an error may have a larger impact, which needs to be corrected by modifying later steps, are provided earlier than steps in which an error is less likely and/or may have a lesser impact.

Abstract: A system and a method for brachytherapy treatment are provided, in which tracking data is used to reconstruct one or more guide wires employed for positioning one or more in vivo dosimetry (ID) measurement devices used to measure the radiation emitted by one or more sources of radioactive radiation. The reconstruction enables a positioning of the measurement device without the necessity of tracking the measurement device directly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for assisting in planning a radiation therapy treatment, the treatment being delivered on the basis of a treatment plan including error-prone parameter values of first treatment parameters. In the system, a robustness evaluation unit (10) obtains planned parameter values of the first treatment parameters, generates perturbed parameter configurations including perturbed values of the first treatment parameters, the perturbed parameter values deviating from the planned parameter values by possible error values of the first treatment parameters occurring during the treatment, and estimates for each perturbed parameter configuration a radiation dose distribution resulting from a treatment delivered on the basis of the perturbed parameter configuration and/or determines the treatment plan on the basis of the perturbed parameter configurations.

Abstract: A system and a method for brachytherapy treatment are provided, in which a plurality of drive wires are driven inside a plurality of guiding tubes by a drive unit. The plurality of drive wires comprises at least one source wire for driving at least one source of radioactive radiation and at least one measurement wire for driving at least one measurement device for measuring radiation data. The drive unit is controlled by a control unit, whereby the controlling is comprises receiving source position data and measurement position data indicating the position of the source and the measurement device respectively, thereby allowing to control the driving in accordance with these positions. The control unit is configured to drive the at least one source wire and the at least one measurement wire independently from each other.

Abstract: A brachytherapy after loader device (100), comprises at least one transmit wire (102) that is suitable for being inserted and driven in an advance or retract motion in an external first delivery channel (103) and for delivering drive energy to a test field source (104), which is arranged at a distal end region of the transmit wire, for generating a magnetic test field; at least one receive wire (106) that is suitable for being inserted and driven in an advance or retract motion in an external second delivery channel (105) for a measurement of the magnetic test field, the receive wire having a transducer (108) that is configured to detect magnetic-field changes in the magnetic test field; and a wire driving unit (110) which is configured to controllably advance or retract the transmit wire and the receive wire in response to a corresponding test drive control signal (112).