Abstract: In an embodiment, a system and method are provided for determining position and orientation of an optical delivery unit relative to an acoustic receiving unit, in the field of opto-acoustic imaging, wherein the optical delivery unit comprises a first fiducial marker site configured to emit acoustic responses and a second fiducial marker site configured to emit acoustic responses. A plurality of acoustic signals from a volume of a subject are sampled and recorded, each of the plurality of acoustic signals being collected at a different data collection position relative to a coordinate reference frame. The system is configured to identify in each of the plurality of acoustic signals a response of a first fiducial marker and a response of a second fiducial marker. Each identified response indicates a separation between a fiducial marker site and a data collection position of an acoustic signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasound inspection device, an ultrasound image data generation method, and a computer-readable recording medium in which is stored a program, which determine for each of data calculation points whether or not the distance to a transmission focal point is with a predetermined range, and when the distance from the data calculation point to the transmission focal point is outside the predetermined range, superimposition of a plurality of first element data is carried out assuming an ultrasonic beam to be a convergent wave, and when the distance from the data calculation point to the transmission focal point is within the predetermined range, the superimposition of the plurality of first element data is carried out assuming an ultrasonic beam to be a planar wave to thereby generate second element data corresponding to the data calculation points.

Abstract: The present invention teaches minimally invasive apparatuses and methods for stabilizing and/or guiding medical instruments used in a variety of medical procedures, including (a) introducing one or more substances into a subject's body, (b) removing one or more substances from a subject's body, (c) manipulating a region of a subject's body, or (d) combinations thereof. Among the many advantages of the inventive apparatuses are their simplicity and adaptability to attach to a variety of retractors.

Abstract: A system (10) can localize an object in a patient's body. The system (10) can include a pulse generator (18 or 30) configured to provide a localization signal to at least one electrode that is fixed to the object in the patient's body. A sensor array (22) can be configured to detect an electrical field produced in response to the localization signal and provide respective sensor signals. A map generator (42) can be configured to reconstruct electrical signals based on the respective sensor signals and geometry data representing a geometric relationship between patient anatomy and the sensor array. A location calculator (50) can determine a location where the localization signal was applied based on the reconstructed electrical signals.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking an invasive device includes a localization system configured to be externally attached to a patient. The localization system includes a transducer module including a plurality of transducer elements. The system and method includes an invasive device including at least one device transducer element. The invasive device is configured to either transmit ultrasound position signals to the transducer module or receive ultrasound position signals from the transducer module.

Abstract: A radiographic imaging device comprising an imaging platform that includes an imaging surface on which a breast of a test subject is to be rested; a radiation irradiation section disposed to face the imaging surface and irradiates radiation at the imaging surface; a main radiation protection portion that is disposed at the side of a region between the radiation irradiation section and the imaging surface and that is adapted to protect the test subject from the radiation; and an auxiliary radiation protection portion disposed at a side portion of the main radiation protection portion, and that is movable between a protecting position, at which the auxiliary radiation protection portion is adapted to protect the test subject, and a non-protecting position, at which the auxiliary radiation protection portion is withdrawn from the protecting position.

Abstract: A device and methods for performing a simulated CT biopsy on a region of interest on a patient. The device comprises a gantry configured to mount an x-ray emitter and CT detector on opposing sides of the gantry, a motor rotatably coupled to the gantry such that the gantry rotates horizontally about the region of interest, and a high resolution x-ray detector positioned adjacent the CT detector in between the CT detector and the x-ray emitter.

Abstract: Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

Abstract: A computer implemented method comprises activating a control mechanism on a catheter handle in a first direction with respect to a user to steer a distal end of a catheter within a body in a second direction while the catheter handle is in a first rotational position. The control mechanism includes a first indicator associated with the first direction. The computer implemented method also includes obtaining an image from the distal end of the catheter of a tissue region of interest within the body and calibrating a first rotational motion of the catheter handle with a rotational motion of the image. With the catheter handle in a second rotational position that is different than the first rotational position, the control mechanism activated in the first direction with respect to the user moves the distal end of the catheter in the second direction.

Abstract: In the ultrasound diagnosis, a probe performs transmission of an ultrasonic beam a plurality of times so as to form predetermined transmission focus points, the analog reception data output by the probe is A/D converted to turn into a first element data, a plurality of first element data is used to generate a second element data corresponding to any one of the plurality of first element data, and a sound velocity is determined using the first element data in a case where the position for determining the sound velocity is in a vicinity of the transmission focus point and using the second element data in a case where the position is not in a vicinity of the transmission focus point. In this manner, the sound velocity of the ultrasound waves in an inspection object can be accurately determined without decreasing the frame rate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a combined imaging detector (110) for the detection of x-ray and gamma quanta. The combined imaging detector (110) is adapted for simultaneous detection of gamma and x-ray quanta. The combined imaging detector (110) includes an x-ray anti-scatter grid (111), a layer of x-ray scintillator elements (112), a first photodetector array (113), a layer of gamma scintillator elements (114), and a second photodetector array (115) that are arranged in a stacked configuration along a radiation-receiving direction (116). The x-ray anti-scatter grid (111) comprises a plurality of septa (117A, B, C) that define a plurality of apertures (118) which are configured to collimate both x-ray quanta and gamma quanta received from the radiation receiving direction (116) such that received gamma quanta are collimated only by the x-ray anti-scatter grid (111). The use of the x-ray anti-scatter grid as a collimator for received gamma quanta results in a significantly lighter combined imaging detector.

Abstract: A system for supplementing ultrasound image needle guidance with magnetically detected needle position and tissue impedance measurements. The system comprises an ultrasound imaging system with the ultrasound probe being provided with a magnetometric detector for detecting the position of a magnetized needle, cannula, catheter or other tissue-penetrating tool. The tissue penetrating tool is provided with an electrode at or near its tip which is connected to a power source and impedance meter, the impedance measuring circuit being completed by use of a skin electrode or second electrode on the tool so that the electrical impedance of the patient's tissue can be measured. The measured impedance values and the magnetically detected position of the tool are superimposed on the ultrasound image so that the clinician can easily confirm the needle position in relation to the imaged anatomy.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for emitting ultrasound waves to an examination object and obtaining an ultrasound image is provided. The apparatus includes a touch display configured to display a screen that includes the ultrasound image, and a controller configured to receive a touch input associated with the ultrasound image, and set a focus or depth of the ultrasound image to be displayed based on a touched position.

Abstract: A surgical port assembly for use with surgical instruments includes a body including an exterior surface and an interior space defined by an interior surface of the body. The surgical port assembly includes a control interface including a plurality of drive members coupled to the body and controllable to apply a force to a different portion of a shaft of an surgical instrument, when the shaft is disposed within the interior space, to move a distal portion of the surgical instrument to a desired position within a body cavity.

Abstract: This invention relates to ultrasound delivery apparatus comprising flexible arrays of transducers and to methods and topical compositions for the treatment of skin, in particular for the treatment of cosmetic skin conditions and to improve the appearance of sun damaged and/or aged skin; the invention further relates to the use of such apparatus and compositions in methods of treating skin, which methods may incorporate the application of ultrasound. The composition may comprise one or more anti-gfycation agent, one or more anti-oxidant, a dermatologically acceptable excipient and optionally one or more substance capable of inducing expression of a molecular chaperone.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus disclosed herein use a filtering technique to improve the accuracy of the results achieved when processing data provided by a physiological sensor. The disclosed filtering technique corrects many of the accuracy problems associated with physiological sensors, particularly PPG sensors. Broadly, the filtering technique adjusts a current filtered estimate of a physiological metric as a function of a rate limit based on a comparison between an instantaneous estimate of the physiological metric and the current filtered estimate.

Abstract: A method and system for motion estimation modeling for cardiac and respiratory motion compensation is disclosed. Specifically, a coronary sinus catheter is tracked in a plurality of frames of a fluoroscopic image sequence; and cardiac and respiratory motion of a left atrium is estimated in each of the plurality of frames based on tracking results of the coronary sinus catheter using a trained motion estimation model.

Abstract: A medical system for locating a catheter distal tip within a body using a plurality electrical position sensors and a magnetic position sensor in conjunction with an acceleration sensor or rotational encoder. The system locates the catheter by using signals from the acceleration sensor or rotational encoder and magnetic sensors to compensate for positioning errors associated with electric positioning sensors.

Abstract: Prior to the radiotherapy, an MR guided radiotherapy device acquires MR data and tracks structures relevant to the radiotherapy treatment. These MR data are displayed to a user. Furthermore, these data are used to calculate a quality factor for the treatment.

Abstract: A method for determining and graphically marking a position within a lumen of the body of a patient indicative of occlusion includes providing a user interface, using a processor, configured to allow a user to select an occlusion percentage threshold, determining, using the processor, a percentage of occlusion in the lumen, comparing, using the processor, the determined percentage of occlusion with the selected occlusion percentage threshold and identifying a region of the lumen that is occluded more than the selected occlusion percentage threshold, and designating, using the processor, the identified region on an image of the lumen with at least one mark.