Abstract: A method, a computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for displaying signal values of a combined magnetic resonance positron emission tomography device. In at least one embodiment, the spatial correspondence of signal values, which result from a magnetic resonance measurement, and of signal values, which result from a positron emission tomography measurement, are used and the corresponding signal values are arranged in matrix form and displayed graphically as a multi-dimensional scatter plot.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating an organ timing signal relating to an inspected organ within the body of a patient, including a medical positioning system, and a processor The medical positioning system includes at least one reference electromagnetic transducer placed at a reference location, at least one inner electromagnetic transducer attached to a surgical tool inserted in a blood vessel in the vicinity of the inspected organ, and a medical positioning system processor coupled with the transducers. The medical positioning system processor generates medical positioning system data sets, each of which includes a collection of three-dimensional position coordinate readings demonstrating the motion trajectory of the surgical tool over time, the processor generating the organ timing signal from the data sets by detecting and identifying periodic motion frequencies in the data sets, and filtering the periodic motion frequencies from the data sets.

Abstract: A method and system for non-ablative acne treatment and prevention is disclosed. The method utilizes ultrasound energy which is targeted at a region of interest to treat existing acne and prevent future acne from forming. The application of ultrasound energy causes numerous physiological effects that treat acne. Some of these physiological effects comprise reducing sebum, increasing perfusion at the region of interest, denaturing proteins at the region of interest, creating an uninhabitable environment at the region of interest, initiating programmed cell death at the region of interest and the initiation of mechanical effects at the region of interest.

Abstract: Systems and methods which operate to identify interventional instruments and/or other objects in images are shown. Embodiments operate to extract relevant information regarding interventional instruments from a multi-dimensional volume for presenting the information to a user in near real-time with little or no user interaction. Objects may be identified by segmenting a multi-dimensional volume, identifying a putative object of interest in multiple multi-dimensional volume segments, and determining a position of the object of interest within the multi-dimensional volume using the putative object of interest segment identifications. Identification of objects of interest according to embodiments may be utilized to determine an image plane for use in displaying the objects within a generated image, to track the objects within the multi-dimensional volume, etc., such as for medical examination, interventional procedures, diagnosis, treatment, and/or the like.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to acquiring multiple sets of positron emission tomography (PET) data for different areas of a subject concurrently with acquiring portions of a single magnetic resonance field of view. Positron emission tomography (PET) images and magnetic resonance (MR) images can be acquired using a combined PET-MRI scanner, wherein, for example, a first portion of MR data from a MR field of view can be acquired concurrently with a first acquisition of PET data, a position of the MR field of view can be adjusted in response to a change in a location of a bed in the combined PET-MRI scanner, and a second portion of MR data from the MR field of view can be acquired concurrently with a second acquisition of PET data.

Abstract: A method of evaluating tissue stiffness of a target area includes positioning an ultrasound elasticity imaging apparatus adjacent a surface of an area of tissue where the target area is located and applying a dynamic range of force to the tissue. A plurality of ultrasound beams can be directed at the tissue and a plurality of ultrasound echoes can be acquired from the strained tissue in the target area to calculate an amount of developed strain within the target area.

Abstract: A detection unit and a method for detecting an implanted medical device in an MRI environment employ a telemetry transmission from the implanted medical device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for treating a volume of material by concurrently conveying acoustic energy and depositing thermal energy using a unipolar RF (radio-frequency) field. Also disclosed are devices suitable for concurrently conveying acoustic energy and depositing thermal energy using a unipolar RF (radio-frequency) field into the same volume of material. In some embodiments, the disclosed methods and devices are implemented for the treatment of subcutaneous fat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for preventing metal artifacts computer tomography scans made during biopsy taking, when a metal needle is present in the field of view of a scan. The direction of the metal needle and the direction of the electro-magnetic field are determined in advance. For the determination of the electro-magnetic field a position of a source of the electro-magnetic field a position of a detector are considered. The user may be warned, when the determined direction of the electro-magnetic field and of the direction of the metallic needle correspond to each other.

Abstract: A medical apparatus (300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (302). The medical apparatus further comprises a heating system (320, 502, 601) operable for heating a target zone (321) and a processor (326). Execution of machine readable instructions causes the processor to receive (100, 200, 700, 800) a treatment plan (340). Execution of the instructions further cause the processor to repeatedly: control (102, 204, 704, 804, 900, 1002) the heating system, using the treatment plan, to heat the target zone during alternating heating periods and cooling periods; acquire (104, 208, 702, 706, 802, 806, 902, 906, 1000, 1004) magnetic resonance data using the magnetic resonance imaging system, and modify (110, 214, 712, 812, 1008) the treatment plan using the magnetic resonance data. The instructions cause the processor to acquire the magnetic resonance data during a cooling period selected from at least one of the cooling periods.

Abstract: A method and system for determining fractional flow reserve (FFR) for a coronary artery stenosis of a patient is disclosed. In one embodiment, medical image data of the patient including the stenosis is received, a set of features for the stenosis is extracted from the medical image data of the patient, and an FFR value for the stenosis is determined based on the extracted set of features using a trained machine-learning based mapping. In another embodiment, a medical image of the patient including the stenosis of interest is received, image patches corresponding to the stenosis of interest and a coronary tree of the patient are detected, an FFR value for the stenosis of interest is determined using a trained deep neural network regressor applied directly to the detected image patches.

Abstract: The present invention is a guide wire imaging device for vascular or non-vascular imaging utilizing optic acoustical methods, which device has a profile of less than 1 mm in diameter. The ultrasound imaging device of the invention comprises a single mode optical fiber with at least one Bragg grating, and a piezoelectric or piezo-ceramic jacket, which device may achieve omnidirectional (360°) imaging. The imaging guide wire of the invention can function as a guide wire for vascular interventions, can enable real time imaging during balloon inflation, and stent deployment, thus will provide clinical information that is not available when catheter-based imaging systems are used. The device of the invention may enable shortened total procedure times, including the fluoroscopy time, will also reduce radiation exposure to the patient and to the operator.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing the presence of a vulvovaginal disorder is provided. The method uses a source of cross-polarized light to detect subsurface irritation in the vulvovaginal area. The presence of subsurface irritation is then used to diagnose the presence of a vulvovaginal disorder.

Abstract: Methods for non-invasive fat reduction can include targeting a region of interest below a surface of skin, which contains fat and delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest. The ultrasound energy generates a thermal lesion with said ultrasound energy on a fat cell. The lesion can create an opening in the surface of the fat cell, which allows the draining of a fluid out of the fat cell and through the opening. In addition, by applying ultrasound energy to fat cells to increase the temperature to between 43 degrees and 49 degrees, cell apoptosis can be realized, thereby resulting in reduction of fat.

Abstract: Robotic, telerobotic, and/or telesurgical devices, systems, and methods take advantage of robotic structures and data to calculate changes in the focus of an image capture device in response to movement of the image capture device, a robotic end effector, or the like. As the size of an image of an object shown in the display device varies with changes in a separation distance between that object and the image capture device used to capture the image, a scale factor between a movement command input may be changed in response to moving an input device or a corresponding master/slave robotic movement command of the system. This may enhance the perceived correlation between the input commands and the robotic movements as they appear in the image presented to the system operator.

Abstract: A method for non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (“MRA”) that has a short scan time and is insensitive to patient motion is provided. More particularly, the method provides significant arterial conspicuity and substantial venous signal suppression. A two-dimensional single shot acquisition is employed and timed to occur a specific time period after the occurrence of an R-wave in a contemporaneously recorded electrocardiogram. In this manner, k-space data is acquired that is substantially insensitive to variations in arterial flow velocity, or heart rate, and that further substantially suppresses unwanted venous signal in a prescribed imaging slice.

Abstract: A method and system for providing ultrasound treatment to a tissue that contains a lower part of dermis and proximal protrusions of fat lobuli into the dermis. An embodiment delivers ultrasound energy to the region creating a thermal injury and coagulating the proximal protrusions of fat lobuli, thereby eliminating the fat protrusions into the dermis. An embodiment can also include ultrasound imaging configurations using the same or a separate probe before, after or during the treatment. In addition various therapeutic levels of ultrasound can be used to increase the speed at which fat metabolizes. Additionally the mechanical action of ultrasound physically breaks fat cell clusters and stretches the fibrous bonds. Mechanical action will also enhance lymphatic drainage, stimulating the evacuation of fat decay products.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope including an image pickup section that picks up an image of a subject lumen organ, a recording section that records three-dimensional image information of a lumen organ acquired from a medical diagnosis apparatus, a position estimating section that estimates a distal end position of the endoscope, a lumen-diameter acquiring section that acquires a lumen diameter of the organ in the estimated position of the distal end, a condition determining section that determines whether the acquired lumen diameter is smaller than the reference lumen diameter, an image-change-amount detecting section that detects a change amount of a predetermined parameter in an endoscopic image picked up by the image pickup section, a virtual-endoscopic-image generating section that generates a virtual endoscopic image from any visual point position, and an information recording section that records a position of a distal end of an insertion section and the virtual endoscopic image.

Abstract: There are provided embodiments for providing a compound image of Doppler spectrum images corresponding to at least two sample volumes. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: a processing unit configured to form at least two Doppler spectrum images corresponding to at least two sample volumes based on ultrasound data corresponding to the at least two sample volume, the processing unit being further configured to perform an image process for forming a compound image upon the at least two Doppler spectrum images to form the compound image.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is provided. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a physical quantity data generating unit configured to generate physical quantity data by calculating a physical quantity related to elasticity of parts in a living tissue based on an echo signal obtained by transmission and reception of an ultrasound wave to and from the living tissue, an elasticity image data generating unit configured to generate elasticity image data including information indicative of a display form corresponding to the calculated physical quantity, and a display unit configured to display an elasticity image generated based on the elasticity image data and having a display form corresponding to the physical quantity, wherein the elasticity image is generated based on physical quantity data for a plurality of frames within a predetermined time period having a length that includes a plurality of heartbeats.