Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 includes: a data acquisition unit 3 that repeatedly transmits an ultrasound beam to a subject a plurality of times in a range over a plurality of scanning lines to acquire a time-series data string of reflected waves from the subject; an analysis target data selection unit 7 that estimates the amount of relative positional deviation of a scatterer of the subject which is included in the time-series data string and excludes time-series data satisfying an exclusion condition based on the amount of positional deviation of the scatterer from the time-series data string to select analysis target data; an MTI filter unit 8 that removes a clutter component from the analysis target data; and a blood flow information estimation unit 9 that analyzes the analysis target data from which the clutter component has been removed to estimate blood flow information of the subject.

Abstract: A force sensor apparatus is provided including a tube portion having a plurality of radial ribs and at least one fiber optic strain gauge positioned over each rib of the plurality of radial ribs. A proximal end of the tube portion is operably couplable to a shaft of a surgical instrument that is operably couplable to a manipulator arm of a robotic surgical system, and a distal end of the tube portion is proximally couplable to a wrist joint coupled to an end effector. A thermal shunt shell is over an outer surface of the tube portion.

Abstract: Ablation visualization and monitoring systems and methods are provided. In some embodiments, such methods comprise applying ablation energy to a tissue to form a lesion in the tissue, illuminating the tissue with a light to excite NADH in the tissue, wherein the tissue is illuminated in a radial direction, an axial direction, or both, monitoring a level of NADH fluorescence in the illuminated tissue to determine when the level of NADH fluorescence decreases from a base level in the beginning of the ablating to a predetermined lower level, and stopping ablation of the tissue when the level of NADH fluorescence reaches the predetermined lower level.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the field of laser treatment of tissue, and particularly, to a system and method for creating microablated channels in skin. The present invention is more particularly directed to treating subsurface tissue through the created channels.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to obtain quantitative values of a plurality of types of tissue properties relating to a region of interest of a subject, and generate a diagram of the region of interest based on the quantitative values.

Abstract: A multi-frequency ultrasound therapy apparatus is configured to operate at its center frequency and at the higher harmonic of its center frequency. The center frequency can be for the entire apparatus or for each ultrasound source element. At least one source element can generate ultrasound energy at its center frequency while, simultaneously, at least another source element can generate ultrasound energy at the higher harmonic of its center frequency. In addition, the same source element can generate ultrasound energy at its center frequency and the higher harmonic of its center frequency, respectively, but at different times. A data storage unit that stores encrypted and encoded data is disposed on the apparatus. The encoded data includes a unique identification code of the apparatus, the condition of use of the apparatus, the center frequency of each source element, the ultrasound efficiency of each source element, and/or other parameters relating to the apparatus.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasound imaging apparatus and a method of generating an ultrasound image. The method includes: transmitting ultrasound signals to an object; receiving ultrasound echo signals from the object; generating ultrasound image data based on the received ultrasound echo signals; identifying a fetus's skull from the ultrasound image data; identifying, based on the identified fetus's skull, a caput succedaneum region corresponding to caput succedaneum occurring in the fetus; and displaying information about the caput succedaneum region.

Abstract: Methods and system perform tool tracking during minimally invasive robotic surgery. Tool states are determined. using triangulation techniques or a Bayesian filter from either or both non-endoscopically derived and endoscopically derived tool state information, or from either or both non-visually derived and visually derived tool state information. The non-endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from sensor data provided either by sensors associated with a mechanism for manipulating the tool, or sensors capable of detecting identifiable signals emanating or reflecting from the tool and indicative of its position, of external cameras viewing an end of the tool extending out of the body. The endoscopically derived tool state information is derived from image data provided by an endoscope inserted in the body so as to view the tool.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model for a patient fixation device that serves to immobilize at least a portion of a particular patient when capturing CT image information of that patient is accessed and then registered with the pixels that correspond to the patient fixation device in the CT image. The model can specify rules of movement for each of a plurality of structural elements that comprise the patient fixation device and that are capable of movement relative to one another. By one approach the aforementioned registration occurs on a part-by-part basis for each of the structural elements. Following registration, the CT image can be automatically segmented.

Abstract: A needle assembly for use with an ultrasound imaging system includes a needle having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is adapted to be inserted into a patient. The needle assembly also includes a transducer mounted to an exterior surface of the needle at the distal end. Further, the needle assembly includes a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the exterior surface of the needle from the proximal end to the distal end. As such, the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the transducer to a power source.

Abstract: A surgical instrument operable to sever tissue includes a body assembly and a selectively coupleable end effector assembly. The end effector assembly may include a transmission assembly and an end effector. The body assembly includes a trigger and a casing configured to couple with the transmission assembly. An information transmission system transmits instrument information received from a sensor, for example, to a secure server via a secure gateway connected to the instrument. The instrument may be previously tested on a calibration kit to pre-determine and load surgeon-specific settings onto the instrument prior to use.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to generate ultrasound images in a time series on the basis of data acquired by transmitting and receiving an ultrasound wave. Every time an ultrasound image satisfying a predetermined condition is generated, the processing circuitry is configured to perform a position aligning process between the ultrasound image satisfying the predetermined condition and a reference image obtained in advance. The processing circuitry is configured to identify, within the ultrasound image satisfying the predetermined condition, a region of interest set in the reference image, on the basis of a result of the position aligning process and to track the region of interest in ultrasound images in a time series that are newly generated by the image generating unit during or after the position aligning process.

Abstract: Provided are an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a method of operating the same, which are capable of providing a guide for improving quality of an ultrasound image according to a relative position between a transducer and an object. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a probe configured to transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object; a display configured to display a state of contact between the object and the probe; and a processor configured to determine, based on the ultrasound echo signals, whether the probe is brought into contact with the object and the state of contact between the object and the probe, and to control the display to display an indicator indicating a result of the determining.

Abstract: An ultrasound transmitter device for treating a patient is provided. The ultrasound transmitter device includes an imaging probe; an imaging array; and a therapeutic ultrasound device, wherein the imaging probe is configured to guide the therapeutic ultrasound device to the patients treatment site by use of ultrasound imaging with the imaging array, wherein the therapeutic ultrasound device is configured to produce a controlled intensity of ultrasound energy for treating the patients treatment site, and wherein the imaging probe and the therapeutic ultrasound device are configured to work in conjunction with one another to apply therapeutic ultrasound to tissue or bone graft sites in the patient.

Abstract: Systems can include at least one friction wheel configured to engage a catheter of an intravascular system such that proximal or distal motion of the catheter causes the friction wheel to rotate. A position sensor can include a reference element and a movable element, wherein the movable element is configured to move relative to the reference element in response to rotation of the at least one friction wheel. The position sensor can provide a position signal representative of the rotation of the at least one friction wheel. An intravascular processing engine can receive both the position signal from the position sensor and an intravascular signal from the catheter.

Abstract: When imaging an imaging subject, a pixel value is maintained in a state of small fluctuation of the pixel value over an entire expected duration. A generation device includes: an imaging information acquiring unit acquiring information of an imaging site of an imaging subject; a subject information acquiring unit acquiring information of the imaging subject; and a protocol generation unit generating an injection protocol for a contrast medium based on the information of the imaging site and the information of the imaging subject, wherein the protocol generation unit generates the injection protocol including a first phase in which an injection rate decreases with a first acceleration, and a second phase which follows the first phase and in which the injection rate decreases with a second acceleration, and the injection rate at a start of the second phase is higher than the injection rate at an end of the first phase.

Abstract: A system and method of correlating or coregistering medical images is disclosed herein that includes acquiring a surface image of the patient's skin surface using a surface detector assembly comprising a surface frame and a camera system registered to the surface frame. Positional coordinates of one or more surface landmarks in the surface image are determined and a medical image of the patient is acquired having the surface frame depicted therein. A second surface image of the patient's skin surface is acquired that at least partially overlaps the previously acquired surface image. Positional coordinates of one or more surface landmarks in the second surface image are determined and compared with surface landmarks in the previous surface image. Common surface landmarks are determined based on the comparison and the medical images are coregistered based on positional coordinates of the common surface landmarks.

Abstract: Provided are a diagnosis assisting device that facilitates a user to grasp a difference of an affected area to perform a highly precise diagnosis assistance, an image processing method in the diagnosis assisting device, and a program. An image processing method in a diagnosis assisting device that diagnoses lesions from a picked-up image includes (A) performing an image processing on the picked-up image. In (A), a peripheral area other than a diagnosis area that has a high probability as diseases in the picked-up image is set to be a measuring area when an image correction is performed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging for analyzing shear wave characteristics utilizes a background motion compensation subsystem which acts as a spatial filter of pulse-to-pulse autocorrelation phases over the ROI of tracking pulse vectors to compensate for background motion. The subsystem is configured to compute the sum of all lag-1 autocorrelations of tracking line ensemble data over the tracking ROI, for each PRI. The inventive technique does not significantly reduce sensitivity to shear waves, because the shear wave is spatially smaller than the ROI.

Abstract: Surgical tools having a two degree-of-freedom wrist, wrist articulation by linked tension members, mechanisms for transmitting torque through an angle, and minimally invasive surgical tools incorporating these features are disclosed. An elongate intermediate wrist member is pivotally coupled with a distal end of an instrument shaft so as to rotate about a first axis transverse to the shaft, and an end effector body is pivotally coupled with the intermediate member so as to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. Linked tension members interact with attachment features to articulate the wrist. A torque-transmitting mechanism includes a coupling member, coupling pins, a drive shaft, and a driven shaft. The drive shaft is coupled with the driven shaft so as to control the relative orientations of the drive shaft, the coupling member, and the driven shaft.