Abstract: The invention refers to a packaging system (1) for a medical device, comprising a frame (2) for supporting the device (15) in a laid-down position, said frame being provided with means for assisting in positioning the device towards an essentially upright position during unpacking thereof. The invention also refers to a method of packing the packaging system (1), comprising the steps of: packing the device (15) in an essentially laid-down position on the frame (2); and preparing the assisting means to assist in unpacking on demand. Furthermore a method of unpacking the packaging system (1) is proposed, comprising the steps of: activating the assisting means; and unpacking the device packed in the essentially laid-down position with the help of the assisting means towards its essentially upright position. The method of packing and the method of unpacking are combined into a method of transporting.

Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus and method are described in which a volumetric region of the body is imaged by biplane images. One biplane image has a fixed planar orientation to the transducer, and the plane of the other biplane image can be varied in relation to the fixed reference image. In a preferred embodiment one image can be rotated relative to the other, and can be tilted relative to the other. An image orientation icon is shown on the display screen together with the two biplane images depicting the relative orientation of the two planar images.

Abstract: A micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) substrate that reduces or eliminates the lateral propagation of acoustic energy includes holes, commonly referred to as vias, formed in the substrate and proximate to a MUT element. The vias in the MUT substrate reduce or eliminate the propagation of acoustic energy traveling laterally in the MUT substrate. The vias can be doped to provide an electrical connection between the MUT element and circuitry present on the surface of an integrated circuit substrate over which the MUT substrate is attached.

Abstract: The invention relates to an X-ray examination apparatus in which the X-ray detector 1 and the X-ray source 2 are subject to keeping the temperature constant and to cooling by way of a common cooling circuit. To this end, a cooling medium of constant temperature is applied to the X-ray detector 1 in order to make the X-ray detector 1 operate at uniform ambient temperatures. The temperature of the cooling medium, thus increased a first time, still suffices to perform cooling of the X-ray source 2. Consequently, the heated cooling medium, after application to the X-ray detector 1, is applied to the X-ray source 2 where a second exchange of heat takes place, so that at the same time the X-ray source 2 is cooled without utilizing an additional cooling circuit.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the heat of an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. The presently preferred embodiments of the present invention control the temperature of the transducer face by changing the imaging modes of the system. In a preferred embodiment, feedback from temperature sensing elements placed in the transducer is used to determine when to switch from a higher power imaging mode to a lower power imaging mode. In another preferred embodiment, the system switches from a higher power imaging mode to a lower power imaging mode after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. In yet another preferred embodiment, the system switches to a “mixed” imaging mode, where the system cycles rapidly between a higher power imaging mode and a lower power imaging mode, and the resulting data is combined to form a single image.

Abstract: A method of deriving geometrical data of a structure from an image of the structure comprises the selection of marker points in the image. A typical contour is associated with the marker points and the geometrical data is calculated from the typical contour. According to the invention, correctness values are associated with the marker points. The correctness values indicate the reliability of the correspondence of the marker points to typical (anatomical) features in the structure. Furthermore, a cost function is associated with a typical contour, which cost function is dependent on the correctness values of the marker points. The typical contour is arranged in such a manner that the cost function reaches an optimum value, such as a local maximum or minimum value. The method is particularly suitable for deriving geometrical data, such as angles and distances concerning the spinal column of a patient.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling the heat of an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. In the presently preferred embodiments, the operator selects one or more mutable system parameters of the ultrasound system which will be changed if either the temperature becomes too great, or at the operator's command, or both.

Abstract: An X-ray detector that includes a sensor matrix and a scintillator arrangement and in which wire elements are spaced apart in layers A and B in order to reduce the crosstalk in neighboring detector elements. Scintillators are inserted at least partly in the grid openings formed.

Abstract: The X-ray system includes a patient table (1, 2, 3) and a radiation module with a radiation source (6) and a radiation receiver (7) and can be universally used for the examination of a plurality of organs by means of a wide variety of methods. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with one of the novel digital flat detectors which can thus be economically used despite their high price. This is achieved essentially in that the radiation module includes a carrier (4, 5, 51 to 55) on which the X-ray source (6) and the radiation receiver (7) are mounted so as to face one another and which is attached to the patient table so as to be pivotable in such a manner that the X-ray system can be used in the overtable technique as well as in the undertable technique.

Abstract: The invention relates to an X-ray detector for converting X-rays (27) into electric charges, including a scintillator arrangement (21) and a photosensor arrangement (28) which is situated therebelow; the light that is incident in openings Z between the pixels P is reflected to the photosensor D by means of a reflector arrangement (23) so that it contributes to an increased signal without degrading the spatial resolution of the X-ray detector.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging method is provided in which the magnetic resonance signals are acquired by sampling a selected region in the k-space. The selected region in the k-space is chosen in dependence on the object or structure to be imaged. In particular an anisotropic central sector in the k-space is chosen, its axis being dependent on the spatial orientation of the object or structure to be imaged. The magnetic resonance imaging method in accordance with the invention is particularly suitable for imaging arteries separately from veins in magnetic resonance angiography.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for suppressing the interferences in a measuring signal with a substantially periodic wanted signal. According to the method, first a transformation, preferably a wavelet transformation, of the measuring signal to a summation of aperiodic basic logic functions is carried out, wherein each element of the sum has a coefficient. Those coefficients that exceed a predetermined threshold value are characterized as interference coefficients that are presumably influenced by interferences and the interference coefficients are manipulated to suppress the interferences. The manipulated summation is then retransformed to an interference-suppressed measuring signal. An undisturbed base signal is shown as curve 300 (thin) and the disturbed signal as curve 310 (extra-bold). The curve 320 (bold) shows the signal screened according to the invention, by starting from curve 310 and carrying out the embodiment presented in the invention.

Abstract: The insulation piercing electrical contact in accordance with the invention consists of a first contact element (20) for establishing an electrical contact with a second contact element (30), a contacting member (50) piercing an electrical conductor (60, 63) when the two contact elements (20, 30) are joined. The first contact element is provided with a molding (20) that encloses the electrical conductor (60, 63) at the contact side and electrically insulates it.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor and a method of operating a sensor with includes a plurality of sensor elements (10), each of which includes a radiation-sensitive conversion element (1) which generates an electric signal in dependence on the incident radiation, and also with means (21 to 26) for amplifying the electric signal in each sensor element (10) and a read-out switching element (30) in each sensor element (10) which is connected to a read-out line (8) in order to read-out the electric signal.

Abstract: A system and method for fundamental real-time imaging of the non-linear response of tissue perfused with a contrast agent are disclosed. An image with increased sensitivity to non-linear responses can be achieved by detecting the ultrasound response at the fundamental frequency from tissue perfused with a contrast agent and excited by multiple excitation levels. The responses detected from the multiple excitation levels may be gain corrected in an amount corresponding to the difference in magnitude of the excitation levels, then mathematically combined. The mathematical manipulation serves to remove linear responses to the fundamental excitation from the detected image. An ultrasonic contrast agent and tissue imaging system can be implemented with a transducer, first and second transmitters, a receiver, a control system, a processing system and a display.

Abstract: The invention concerns an ultrasonic image processing method for displaying a composite sequence of images of an artery segment with indication of blood flow velocity and wall movements in function of the cardiac cycle, comprising steps of: forming, at a first rate, a first sequence (131) of blood flow velocity color-coded images and forming, at a second rate, a second sequence (231) of images with wall movement graphics; and constructing said composite image sequence (361) by determining a first set of temporal markers (n1,n2), related to the cardiac cycle, in the first image sequence as the minimum points of a curve (P(n)) of the number of the colored points per image in function of the image instants, determining a second set of temporal markers (k1,k2), related to the same cardiac cycle, in the second image sequence as the minimum points of a curve (D(k)) of the arterial mean dilation in function of the image instants, and by superposing the first and second image sequences by synchronizing the respecti

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhanced color-flow imaging of contrast-agent perfused blood vessels and other tissues within a patient's body are disclosed. The method generally comprises, introducing one or more contrast agents into the body, power-modulating transmit pulses into the body, receiving echoes from the body, processing the received echoes to reduce tissue-generated echoes and echoes from stationary contrast agent, using a color-flow processor to generate a color-encoded display responsive to contrast-agent motion. The method may be implemented by a system with a an excitation-signal source, a transducer, an ultrasound-processing system having multiple image processors including a color-flow processor, as well as, a clutter filter, and an arbiter, and a display-processing system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for scatter correction while forming a computed X-ray tomogram. The distribution of the scattered radiation is determined by detector cells (7′) which, because of the measuring method carried out, are shielded from direct irradiation in a two-dimensional, multi-cell detector field (3). This distribution is used to perform a scatter correction in the neighboring, directly irradiated detector cells (7). Furthermore, scatter correction can be performed by computer simulation of the scatter processes. To this end, use is preferably made of a Monte Carlo method and the effect of the geometry and the material composition of the measuring arrangement, of the patient size, of the irradiated tissue and the like, is taken into account.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of imaging contrast agents within a patient's body. The apparatus includes an imaging system transmitting at multiple frequencies to elicit a response from the contrast agent at corresponding multiple frequencies, forms images corresponding to each frequency, and the combines the formed images.

Abstract: Acoustic imaging systems are provided. A preferred system includes a transducer lens configured to mate with a transducer body. The transducer lens is configured to propagate acoustic energy. Preferably, the transducer lens is formed, at least partially, of an acoustic-matching material, which exhibits acoustic properties corresponding to acoustic properties of a body to be imaged. Methods also are provided.