Abstract: A catheter adapted to measure a contact force includes a proximal segment, a distal segment, a spring segment extending from the proximal segment to the distal segment, and at least one inductive sensor. The at least one inductive sensor includes a first plate of high magnetic permeability material disposed on the proximal segment, a second plate of high magnetic permeability material disposed on the distal segment opposite the first plate, at least one first coil disposed adjacent to the first plate between the first plate and the second plate, and at least one second coil disposed adjacent to the second plate opposite the first coil between the first plate and the second plate. The second coil is electrically connected in series with the first coil. The first coil and the second coil are configured to output a signal indicative of displacement between the first coil and the second coil.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and systems for disease condition prediction from images of a patient. The system may include a communication interface configured to receive a sequence of images acquired of the patient by an image acquisition device. The sequence of images are acquired at a sequence of prior time points during progression of a disease. The system may include a processor, configured to determine regions of interest based on the sequence of images. The processor applies a progressive condition prediction network to the regions of interest to predict a level of disease progression at a future time point during the progression of the disease. The progressive condition prediction network predicts the level of disease progression based on the regions of interest and disease conditions at the sequence of prior time points. The processor further provides a diagnostic output based on the predicted level of disease progression.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and systems for determining a disease condition from a 3D image of a patient. The exemplary system may include a communication interface configured to receive the 3D image acquired of the patient by an image acquisition device. The system may further include a processor, configured to determine a 3D region of interest from the 3D image and apply a detection network to the 3D region of interest to determine the disease condition and a severity of the disease condition. The detection network is a multi-task learning network that determines the disease condition based on one or more lesion masks determined from the 3D region of interest and determines the severity of the disease condition from the 3D region of interest. The processor is further configured to provide a diagnostic output based on the disease condition and the severity of the disease condition.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of documenting breast tissue in an area of interest in a subject in need thereof using automated breast ultrasound. The methods comprise using surface markers that can clearly identify the area of interest in a resulting 3-D image without introducing artifacts that obscure the tissue intended for examination.

Abstract: A medical imaging system comprises a teleoperational assembly configured to control the movement of a medical instrument including an instrument tip and a processing unit including one or more processors. The processing unit is configured to determine an instrument tip position and determine a position error associated with the instrument tip position. The processing unit is also configured to determine at least one instrument tip bounding volume based upon the position error and determine if the instrument tip is within a field of view of an imaging instrument.

Abstract: Described herein are technologies for facilitating reconstruction of flow data. In accordance with one aspect, the framework receives a four-dimensional projection image dataset and registers one or more pairs of temporally adjacent projection images in the image dataset. Two-dimensional flow maps may be determined based on the registered pairs. The framework may then sort the two-dimensional flow maps according to heart phases, and reconstruct a three-dimensional flow map based on the sorted two-dimensional flow maps.

Abstract: An insertion needle 15 has a photoacoustic wave generating portion that generates a photoacoustic wave by absorbing light emitted from a laser unit 13. A photoacoustic image generation unit 25 generates a photoacoustic image based on the detection signal of the photoacoustic wave emitted from the insertion needle 15. The sound source position detection unit 30 detects the photoacoustic wave generating source from the photoacoustic image. A first signal acquisition unit 31 acquires an S value, and a second signal acquisition unit 32 acquires an N value. A light emission control unit 33 controls the number of light emissions and the light emission interval of the laser unit 13 for one photoacoustic image generation based on the ratio between the S value and the N value. The photoacoustic image generation unit 25 generates a photoacoustic image by at least adding the detection signals of photoacoustic waves corresponding to the number of light emissions.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems, devices, assemblies, and methods for localization of one or more tags in a patient.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a patient during MRI imaging to prevent patient burns. The system includes a barrel to provide an MRI image of a patient and an infrared camera to image the patient separately from the MRI image. The infrared camera includes an adjustable field of view and is positionable at a plurality of viewing angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The infrared camera is coupled to a processor adapted to monitor the surface temperature of the patient based on the output of the infrared camera. The processor is further adapted to control at least one of the field of view of the infrared camera and/or the viewing angle of the camera during MRI imaging of the patient. The system further includes a patient gown formed of an infrared transmissive material that provides visual concealment for the patient.

Abstract: Reference data relating to a portion of a patient anatomy during patient motion can be acquired from a magnetic resonance imaging system (MRI) to develop a patient motion library. During a time of interest, tracking data is acquired that can be related to the reference data. Partial volumetric data is acquired during the time of interest and at approximately the same time as the acquisition of the tracking data. A volumetric image of patient anatomy that represents a particular motion state can be constructed from the acquired partial volumetric data and acquired tracking data.

Abstract: An ultrasound needle positioning system includes an ultrasound probe and a processor. The ultrasound probe is used to capture a plurality of sets of needle insertion images. Each set of needle insertion images includes a plurality of needle insertion images corresponding to a needle body at a predetermined insertion angle. The processor is coupled to the ultrasound probe, and is used to train a first convolutional neural network according to at least one set of needle insertion images in the plurality of sets of needle insertion images to generate needle body positioning information after the needle body is inserted. The needle body positioning information includes a reference position, a length, and/or a width corresponding to the needle body at at least one predetermined insertion angle.

Abstract: A system for detecting/quantifying the conductance of a right-to-left cardiac shunt includes a mouthpiece assembly, a solenoid-driven vacuum/pressurization assembly; a controller for operating the solenoid-driven vacuum/pressurization assembly; and a monitor for displaying the instructions from the controller. A microbubble counting cell and digital image sensor are combined with software-based image analysis to determine a number of microbubbles contained in a microbubble counting zone. A monitor enables operator specification of total volume of contrast agent to be injected into the patient. One or more first Doppler ultrasound transducer arrays are positioned adjacent to targeted intracranial arteries at one side of the skull or a pair of first Doppler ultrasound transducer arrays positioned adjacent to targeted intracranial arteries at both sides of the skull.

Abstract: A system for providing multi-wavelength laser includes an optical splitter arranged to split light received from a pulsed laser source into at least a first light beam and a second light beam; a first optical regulator arranged to adjust a wavelength of the first light beam and to output the adjusted first light beam; a second optical regulator arranged to introduce a time delay to the second light beam and to output the delayed second light beam; and an optical combiner arranged to combine the adjusted first light beam and the delayed second light beam, and to output a combined light beam.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for treating and monitoring conditions such as rhinitis are disclosed herein. The technology utilizes ultrasound scans to identify target treatment sites, and monitor the treatment of a patient undergoing a treatment. The treatment may be an ablation treatment of a nasal nerve, for example the PNN for the treatment of nasal conditions, such as rhinitis. The ultrasound scans are performed within the nasal cavity with an ultrasound probe or a combined ultrasound and ablation probe and may use Doppler, A-mode, B-mode, M-mode or other ultrasound and non-ultrasound modalities to detect and monitor the target treatment sites.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an ultrasound imaging method and system, the method may include transmitting a plurality of plane wave ultrasound beams to a scan target and acquiring corresponding plane wave echo signals; transmitting focused ultrasound beams to the scan target and acquiring corresponding focused beam echo signals; acquiring a plurality of velocity components of a target point in the scan target using the plane wave echo signals, and acquiring velocity vectors of the target point according to the plurality of velocity components; acquiring an ultrasound image of the scan target using the focused beam echo signals; and displaying the velocity vector and the ultrasound image.

Abstract: There is provided a surgical instrument for navigated surgeries and systems and methods using such a surgical instrument. The surgical tool comprises a tip; a tool interface, separate from the tip; and an optically trackable target. The tip is configured to probe positions in a space and identify the positions using optical information from the optically trackable target. The tool interface is configured to mate with a surgical tool such that the optical trackable target then provides optical information with which to determine positional information for the surgical tool in the space. In one example, the system provides navigational information during surgery using the surgical instrument, namely, a single integrated tracker instrument with two or more mechanical interfaces for coupling the tracker instrument with anatomical features and/or surgical tools.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe device includes a sealed housing, a spiral-track plate, a driving arm, an ultrasonic probe and a first shaft. The spiral-track plate, disposed inside the sealed housing, includes a pivotal hole and a spiral groove, in which the spiral groove is extended outward from a center of the spiral-track plate. The driving arm, adjacent to the spiral-track plate, includes a first slot and a rotational shaft hole. The ultrasonic probe includes a follower pillar, a detection side and a connection side opposing to the detection side. The follower pillar, connected with the connection side, penetrates through the first slot and enters the spiral groove. The spiral groove provides a planar motion track to the detection side of the ultrasonic probe. The first shaft orderly penetrates through the sealed housing, the pivotal hole of the spiral-track plate, and the rotational shaft hole of the driving arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical registration apparatus (1), comprising •two flanks (2a, 2b); •a pivot portion (3) around which at least one of the flanks (2a, 2b) is rotatable with respect to a rotation centre (3c, 3d) (FIG. 1, FIG. 3); •a contacting portion (4a, 4b) on each of the flanks (2a, 2b), each contacting portion (4a, 4b) being spaced apart from the rotation centre (3c, 3d); and •a sensor (5, 6) being arranged with an offset (r, FIG. 4 A) to a line (a) connecting the contacting portions (4a, 4b). The invention also relates to a data processing method for use with the medical registration apparatus.

Abstract: A method for display processing of 3D image data includes obtaining 3D volume data of the head of a target body; detecting a transverse section at an anatomical position from the 3D volume data according to image characteristic of the head of the target body in a transverse section related to the anatomical position; and displaying the transverse section.

Abstract: A measuring system for measuring elasticity of biological tissue includes a mobile device and a measuring apparatus including a conducting seat and a measuring device. The conducting seat is for detachable mounting of the mobile device therein, and is adapted to abut against the biological tissue for conducting vibrations produced by the mobile device to the biological tissue to cause the biological tissue to vibrate. The measuring device includes an ultrasonic transducer to emit an ultrasound signal to the biological tissue and an elasticity analyzer to analyze an ultrasound echo signal that results from reflection of the ultrasound signal by the biological tissue which is vibrating to obtain an elasticity data of the biological tissue.