Abstract: The invention related to an ultrasound system comprising: an ultrasound array including at least one capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer device comprising a membrane coupled to a first electrode, a substrate opposing the membrane with a gas or vacuum cavity there between and coupled to a second and a third electrodes, wherein the second electrode opposes the first electrode in a peripheral region and the third electrode opposes the first electrode in a central region; at least one drive circuit coupled to the array. The system further comprises a high impedance resistor, which electrically couples to the second electrode and the third electrode and has an impedance value higher than an AC impedance between the first and the second electrodes, when the membrane of the CMUT device is in the collapsed state and the CMUT devices is activated at operating frequency.

Abstract: Vessel roadmapping systems and methods that generate a display of live fluoroscopic imaging of an intravascular device within vessels of a patient and a pre-generated vessel roadmap. The systems and methods pan the vessel roadmap in coordination with movement of a field of view of an image acquisition machine obtaining the live fluoroscopic imaging so that registration of the live fluoroscopic imaging and the vessel roadmap is preserved in the displayed overlay.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detector arrangement for an X-ray phase contrast system (5), the detector arrangement (1) comprising: a scintillator (11); an optical grating (12); and a detector (13); wherein the optical grating (12) is arranged between the scintillator (11) and the detector (13); wherein the scintillator (11) converts X-ray radiation (2) into optical radiation (3); wherein the IN optical grating (12) is configured to be an analyzer grating being adapted to a phase-grating (21) of an X-ray phase contrast system (5); wherein the optical path between the optical grating (12) and the scintillator (11) is free of focussing elements for optical radiation. The present invention further relates to a method (100) for performing X-ray phase contrast imaging with a detector arrangement (1) mentioned above. The invention avoids the use of an X-ray absorption grating as G2 grating in an X-ray phase contrast interferometer system.

Abstract: The invention provides a humidifier apparatus (100) comprising (i) a first chamber (110) for containing water (101), (ii) a humidifying element (120) configured to facilitate evaporation and/or nebulization of water (101) contained in the first chamber (110), wherein the humidifying element (120) comprises a wick element (130), (iii) a replaceable or refillable unit (230) for containing an immobilized phosphate removing material (150), wherein the phosphate removing material (150) is configured to reduce a concentration of phosphate in water (101) before evaporation and/or nebulization of the water (101), and wherein the wick element (130) comprises the phosphate removing material (150), wherein the phosphate removing material (150) is comprised by the wick element (130) as one or more of impregnated phosphate removing material (150) and coated phosphate removing material (150), and wherein the wick element (130) is configured as the replaceable unit (230).

Abstract: A method (300) for localizing an oral cleaning device within a user's mouth. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing (310) an oral cleaning device (10) with a motion identifier (28); (ii) estimating (335), based on sensor information received from the motion identifier, a probability of a first location of the oral cleaning device within the user's mouth; (iii) receiving (340) information from the motion identifier regarding a completed transition to a second state within the user's mouth; (iv) comparing (350) the completed transition to a defined set of possible transitions between each of a plurality of possible states within the user's mouth to determine a transition probability; and (v) determining (350), using a probabilistic graphical model comprising the first location probability and the transition probability, a probability of the location of the second state.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to generate a triangle mesh for a three dimensional image. The apparatus includes a depth map source (101) which provides a depth map and a tree generator (105) generates a k-D tree from the depth map. The k-D tree representing a hierarchical arrangement of regions of the depth map satisfying a requirement that a depth variation measure for undivided regions is below a threshold. A triangle mesh generator (107) positions an internal vertex within each region of the k-D tree. The triangle mesh is then generated by forming sides of triangles of the triangle mesh as lines between internal vertices of neighboring regions. The approach may generate an improved triangle mesh that is suitable for many 3D video processing algorithms.

Abstract: A method of authorizing a limited use intravascular device can include determining if the intravascular device is in communication with a clinical system; determining if the intravascular device is authorized for clinical operation without providing the clinical system access to intravascular device data stored on the intravascular device; and providing an authorization signal to the clinical system. An intravascular device can include a flexible elongate member including a sensing component at a distal portion and a connector at a proximal portion, the connector including: a memory component configured to store a parameter value; a processing component; and a charge storage component configured to power the memory component and/or the processing component; wherein the processing component is configured to determine if the flexible elongate member is authorized for clinical operation using the parameter value without providing the parameter value to a clinical system.

Abstract: Power loss is calculated in an inductive power transfer system comprising a power transmitter for transmitting power inductively to a power receiver via transmitter coil and receiver coil. The power transmitter obtains time information for time alignment to enable the power transmitter to align the time of calculating the power loss with the power receiver. Power loss is calculated during power transfer according to the obtained time information and received power parameter communicated from the power receiver.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mammography, e.g. tomosynthesis mammography. In order to provide a mammography X-ray imaging with improved data quality, a mammography X-ray imaging system (10) for tomosynthesis mammography is provided that comprises an X-ray source (12), an X-ray detector (14), a support structure (22), and a breast support (18) with a breast support surface (20). The X-ray source and the X-ray detector are mounted on an upwardly extending scan arm (24); the X-ray source is mounted on the scan arm above the breast support and the X-ray detector is mounted below the breast support. The scan arm is movably mounted to the support structure to perform a swivelling motion about a rotation axis (26) located below the breast support. During the swivelling motion, the scan arm swivels about the rotation axis such that the X-ray source and the X-ray detector perform a scan motion and an object on the breast support is radiated from different angular directions.

Abstract: A method of medical image processing is presented. The method proposes to apply different noise filtering algorithms to an input image, so as to yield a plurality of output images based on the same input image. The output images may be displayed at a higher frame rate than the input frame rate, which leads to a perception by a user of reduced noise in the images. Additionally, the motion fluency of the images may appear to be improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for monitoring vital signs of a subject. In particular, the device for monitoring vital signs comprises, an imaging unit for obtaining image data of said subject, an interface for receiving motion data of said subject and/or said imaging unit, a processing unit for extracting vital signs of said subject from said image data, and a control unit for adapting parameters of said imaging unit and/or said processing unit based on the received motion data. A further aspect of the invention relates to a fitness device comprising a device for monitoring vital signs and a motion detection unit for providing said device for monitoring vital signs with motion data.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument (200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (204) operable for acquiring magnetic resonance data (266) from a subject (236) within an imaging zone (232) and an external beam radiotherapy system (202) operable for irradiating a target zone (238) within the imaging zone. The medical instrument further has a radiation beam generation system (208, 302, 302?, 302?) operable for generating a radiation beam (242, 304, 304?, 304?) and a radiation beam detection system (243, 502, 502?) operable for acquiring radiation beam detection data (270) descriptive of the radiation beam. Instructions cause a processor (248) controlling the instrument to receive (100) planning data (260) descriptive of a spatially dependent radiation dose and generate (102) external beam radiotherapy control commands (264) using the radiation dose.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for generating an estimate of a photon attenuation map for an object on the basis of single-scattered coincidences measured in a PET scanner. The system comprises a simulation module configured to calculate single-scattered coincidences by a numerical model calculation based on a preliminary attenuation map, where the estimate of the photon attenuation map is generated by adapting at least some attenuation values. The model calculation is made on the basis of a grid covering the object, the grid comprising grid elements (61) to which attenuation values are assigned, and the simulation module is further configured to determine at least one set of adjacent grid elements (61) in order to form a merged image element (63) including the set of adjacent grid elements (61) and to assign a single attenuation value to the merged image element in the model calculation.

Abstract: An object tracking device for a medical imaging system tracks a predetermined movable object such as a medical instrument and/or a patient. The object tracking device includes primary and secondary imagers. The primary imager is configured to provide first image data of a patient's body including the interior of a patient's body. The primary imager is movable between imaging and parking modes. The secondary imager is configured to provide second image data of a patient's body including the exterior of a patient's body. The object tracking device further includes a position monitoring arrangement configured to monitor a position of the secondary imager relative to the position of a reference point. As a result, the medical instrument and/or the patient is traceable in the imaging mode based on the image data of the primary imager, and in the parking mode based on the image data of the secondary imager.

Abstract: A method for determining a surrogate respiratory signal for four-dimensional computed tomography using ultrasound data includes acquiring computed tomography data with a computed tomography imaging system (402), acquiring ultrasound data with an ultrasound probe of an ultrasound imaging system (404) concurrently with acquiring the computed tomography data during one or more respiratory cycles, wherein the ultrasound probe is aligned to acquire an image of a diaphragm of a subject, synchronizing the acquired computed tomography data and the acquired ultrasound data, and determining a surrogate respiratory signal from the acquired ultrasound data.

Abstract: A method includes combining a plurality of different types of spectral images into a first single blended image based on a first blend point of a first spectral image data blend map. The first blend point includes a first set of weight values. The first set of weight values includes a weight value for each of the plurality of different types of spectral images. The plurality of different types of spectral images is combined based on the first set of weight values. The method further comprising displaying the first single blended image via a display device.

Abstract: A segmentation system and method include defining (14) a search region by selecting two locations in an image of a structure to be segmented and sampling the search region to provide an unwrapped image. The unwrapped image is edge filtered (20) to determine likely boundary pixels in the image. A directed graph is constructed (22) for the unwrapped image by determining nodes of the graph by computing (24) a lowest cost between boundary pixels. A potential segmentation is generated (26) for user approval using live images. In accordance with a trace by the user, nodes are connected (32) for a final segmentation of the image of the structure to be segmented.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for tracking hand and/or wrist rotation of a user performing exercise. An aspect of the present invention proposes a method of tracking hand and/or wrist rotation of a user performing an exercise, wherein the user wears a marker on his/her hand, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a first image and a second image of the marker by means of a camera when the hand is in a first posture and a second posture respectively; deriving the angle change of the hand and/or wrist from the change from the first posture to the second posture, based on the first image and the second image and the type of the exercise that the user is performing; and outputting the angle change of the hand and/or wrist, wherein the marker approximates a rectangular block, the marker has an opening for accommodating the palm(s) of the user and the side of the marker along the direction perpendicular to the palm is substantially shorter than two other sides.