Patents Examined by Carolyn Pehlke
  • Patent number: 11529114
    Abstract: A control device of a mammography apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a radiographic image as radiography information in a case in which the radiographic image of the breast is captured and a generation condition setting unit that sets generation conditions in a case in which an ultrasound image of the breast is generated, on the basis of the radiographic image acquired by the acquisition unit. The generation condition setting unit analyzes the radiographic image to detect the amount of mammary glands in the breast and sets, as the generation conditions, an amplification factor of an ultrasound image signal and a dynamic range which is a width of a grayscale value of the ultrasound image assigned to a value of the ultrasound image signal, according to the detected amount of mammary glands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Matsuura, Ayako Muramoto, Takeyasu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11517214
    Abstract: A method of identifying and locating tissue abnormalities in a biological tissue includes irradiating an electromagnetic signal, via a probe defining a transmitting probe, in the vicinity of a biological tissue. The irradiated electromagnetic signal is received at a probe, defining a receiving probe, after the signal is scattered/reflected by the biological tissue. Blood flow information pertaining to the biological tissue is provided. Based on the received irradiated electromagnetic signal and the blood flow information, tissue properties of the biological tissue are reconstructed. A tracking unit determines the position of at least one of the transmitting probe and the receiving probe while the step of receiving is being carried out, the at least one probe defining a tracked probe. The reconstructed tissue properties are correlated with the determined probe position so that tissue abnormalities can be identified and spatially located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EMTensor GmbH
    Inventor: Serguei Y Semenov
  • Patent number: 11503991
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention may be used to perform measurement of surfaces, such as external and internal surfaces of the human body, in full-field and in 3-D. Embodiments of the present invention may include an electromagnetic radiation source, which may be configured to project electromagnetic radiation onto a surface. The electromagnetic radiation source may be configured to project the electromagnetic radiation in a pattern corresponding to a spatial signal modulation algorithm. The electromagnetic radiation source may also be configured to project the electromagnetic radiation at a frequency suitable for transmission through the media in which the radiation is projected. An image sensor may be configured to capture image data representing the projected pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Virtual 3-D Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Robert Zeien
  • Patent number: 11497465
    Abstract: A method for treatment of a vascular lesion. A biomarker insertion device introduces a biomarker into a vascular region. The biomarker binds to a lesion type of a plurality of lesion types. Under ultrasound imaging, an image brightness of an imaged biomarker differs based on the lesion type of the plurality of lesion types to which the biomarker binds. An ultrasound imaging probe of an ultrasound imaging system images the biomarker and produces an image brightness of the imaged biomarker. The lesion type is determined based on the image brightness of the imaged biomarker. A frequency of a high intensity focused ultrasound emission of a non-invasive high intensity focused ultrasound device is tuned based on the determined lesion type. The tuned frequency is applied to the vascular lesion, resulting in the destruction of the vascular lesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
    Inventor: Ranjani Sampath Kumaran
  • Patent number: 11471131
    Abstract: A system and a method of ultrasound imaging includes acquiring ultrasound data, acquiring a quality parameter while acquiring the ultrasound data, determining an acquisition quality level based on the quality parameter, displaying an image generated based on the ultrasound data and displaying an ROI on the ultrasound image, where a color of the ROI represents the acquisition quality level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tanya Specht, Menachem Halmann, Alexander Sokulin, Peter Lysyansky, Cynthia Owen, Sergey Ogurtsov
  • Patent number: 11471219
    Abstract: A probe navigation methods and devices for use in medical diagnoses and procedures are provided. A probe that is inserted in a walled area within a subject has a distal end on which at least first and second opposing transducers are mounted. The transducers track movement of the probe end with respect to the walls of the walled area. The distal end of the probe may closely approach a wall to enter an area such that the first transducer is no longer able to properly sense it, commonly referred to as a blanking region. Tracking information of the movement of the probe away from an opposing wall generated by the second transducer is then used to provide tracking of the distal end of the probe relative to the wall the first transducer is no longer able to sense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD.
    Inventor: Andres Claudio Altmann
  • Patent number: 11464463
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating a three-dimensional X-ray computed tomography system with an independent sound wave system to determine mechanical properties of tissue using signals from the sound wave system. Methods are disclosed that generate a numerical simulation and take the transmitted wave signals as the optimization objective to estimate modulus distribution of the tissue. Further, the mechanical properties of the tissue are reconstructed based on an inverse algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Lizhi Sun, Dongxu Liu, Zhijian Hu, Ge Wang
  • Patent number: 11457890
    Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for imaging blood flow in a subject's vasculature, which may include small blood vessels, using ultrasound without the need for a contrast agent. A locally implemented low-rank matrix decomposition is used together with adaptive cutoff values to provide noninvasive ultrasound blood flow imaging capable of imaging the subject's vasculature with very high spatial and temporal resolution, and without the administration of contrast agents such as microbubble contrast agents. Thus, in some instances the systems and methods can be used to image blood flow in small vessels and tissue microvasculature with high spatial and temporal resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
    Inventors: Pengfei Song, Armando Manduca, Shigao Chen, Joshua Trzasko
  • Patent number: 11439365
    Abstract: Various methods and systems for displaying cine loops during a periodic imaging session are disclosed. In one example, a method includes acquiring, with an ultrasound probe, a first set of images of an imaging subject during a first imaging period, displaying the first set of images as a first cine loop at a first display area of a display, acquiring, with the ultrasound probe, a second set of images of the imaging subject during a second imaging period different than the first imaging period, and displaying the second set of images as a second cine loop at a second display area of the display, different than the first area, while maintaining display of the first cine loop at the first display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Carmit Shiran, Antonio Fabian Fermoso, Cynthia Owen, Menachem Halmann, Mor Vardi
  • Patent number: 11432804
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for generating an ultrasound image. In a method, the generation of an ultrasound image comprises: obtaining channel data, the channel data defining a set of imaged points; for each imaged point: isolating the channel data; performing a spectral estimation on the isolated channel data; and selectively attenuating the spectral estimation channel data, thereby generating filtered channel data; and summing the filtered channel data, thereby forming a filtered ultrasound image. In some examples, the method comprises aperture extrapolation. The aperture extrapolation improves the lateral resolution of the ultrasound image. In other examples, the method comprises transmit extrapolation. The transmit extrapolation improves the contrast of the image. In addition, the transmit extrapolation improves the frame rate and reduces the motion artifacts in the ultrasound image. In further examples, the aperture and transmit extrapolations may be combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Jun Seob Shin, Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon, Man Nguyen, Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert
  • Patent number: 11426257
    Abstract: A surgical clamp comprising two halves, each halve with an upper (2) and a lower portion (3), the lower portions forming two jaws (3) adapted to be in contact with a surgical site, one of the upper portions (2) being provided with a kinematic coupling mechanism (4, 5) and a passive circuit with a predetermined impedance value such that it is possible to identify different clamps because of their different impedances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Cyber Surgery, S.L.
    Inventors: Jon Oñativia Bravo, Jorge Presa Alonso, Álvaro Escudero Martínez De Ibarreta, Alfonso Urzainqui Glaria, Álvaro Bertelsen Simonetti
  • Patent number: 11412987
    Abstract: The present application provides a personal hand-held monitor for the measurement of a subject's blood pressure and, optionally, one or more other vital signs, comprising a housing located on a personal hand-held computing device or a hand-held component of a computing system; a blood flow occlusion means located in the housing; a pressure sensor adapted to provide an electrical signal indicative of the pressure applied; a means for detecting the flow of blood in the body part of the subject when pressure is applied; and means for receiving electrical signals from the pressure sensor and the blood flow detecting means and for transmitting electrical signals indicative of the pressure and blood flow to the processor of the personal hand-held computing device or the computing system, wherein the processor of the personal hand-held computing device or computing system provide at least a measurement of the blood pressure of a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Leman Micro Devices SA
    Inventors: Christopher Elliott, Mark-Eric Jones, Mikhail Nagoga, Shady Gawad, Mark Bennett
  • Patent number: 11413017
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods provide a solid-state intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging system that includes an array of ultrasound transducers mounted on a structural uni-body made of a polymeric substance doped with acoustic dampening material. The use of the polymeric substance doped with acoustic dampening material to fabricate the uni-body assists in improving the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the IVUS imaging signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeremy Stigall, Maritess Minas, Gloria Robinson
  • Patent number: 11406498
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to devices and methods that provide for guided delivery of a heart replacement valve or other implant into the vasculature. In certain embodiments, a delivery device of the invention includes an outer sheath and an inner sheath moveably disposed within the outer sheath. The outer sheath includes a first imaging element and defining a center lumen that leads to an opening. The outer sheath is further configured to releasably hold an implant within the center lumen. The first imaging element is configured to at least partially surround the center lumen such that the implant is deployable through the first imaging element. The inner sheath is configured to engage with and deploy the implant out of the opening of the elongate body and into a body lumen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeremy Stigall, Chris LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 11406278
    Abstract: A medical method and system include a medical imaging system configured to generate images of an interventional procedure. An overlay generator is configured to generate an overlay image on the images of the interventional procedure. An interventional device tracking system is configured to track a three-dimensional position, orientation and shape of the interventional device during the procedure, wherein the overlay image is dynamically updated in response to deformations caused to an organ of interest by the interventional device during the procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Maya Ella Barley, Adrien Emmanuel Desjardins, Raymond Chan, Gert Wim 'T Hooft
  • Patent number: 11399751
    Abstract: The endoscope system (10) includes a light source unit (20) that emits correction illumination light to be used for the correction in the correction mode in which the biological information observation mode is corrected and emits white light at least once; a compensation amount calculation unit (76) that calculates a compensation amount of data to be used in the biological information observation mode using correction images obtained using the correction illumination light; a correction unit (77) that corrects the biological information observation mode by compensating for the data using the compensation amount; and a display control unit (66) that displays a white light image, which is obtained by imaging the observation object using the white light, on a display unit in the correction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Norimasa Shigeta
  • Patent number: 11395602
    Abstract: A system and method for non-invasively estimating an absolute blood flow of a vascular region in a subject using optical data are provided. In some aspects, the method includes acquiring optical data from the vascular region using one or more optical sensors placed about the subject, and determining, using the optical data, an index of blood flow and. a blood volume associated with the vascular region. The method also includes computing a blood inflow and a blood outflow using the index of blood flow and the blood volume, and estimating an absolute blood flow using the blood inflow and blood outflow. The method further includes generating a report indicative of the absolute blood flow of the vascular region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Sutin, Maria Angela Franceschini, David Boas
  • Patent number: 11389135
    Abstract: A breast imaging ultrasound system for ultrasound imaging of a body includes: scanning uniform sub-volumes of a mammalian breast with an ultrasound transducer having a fixed focal number (FN), acquiring ultrasonic images of portions of the target volume, the acquired images having the same voxel resolution, and processing the ultrasonic images, thereafter providing a 2D or 3D image of the target volume using constant size volume pixels (Voxels).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Inventor: Kenneth N. Bates
  • Patent number: 11375979
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasonic probe having an improved heat radiation capability. The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer module configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic signal, a housing configured to accommodate the transducer module, a cable connected to the transducer module inside the housing and drawn from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing through an end of the housing, a bending device configured to cover the cable and connected to the end of the housing to receive heat, a strain relief configured to surround the bending device and including a heat radiation groove extending along a circumferential direction of the cable, and a heat radiation fin inserted into the heat radiation groove such that one end thereof is in contact with the bending device and the other end thereof is in contact with outside air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gil Ju Jin, Ji Ho Gu
  • Patent number: 11369278
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and system for determining a lumen volume of a target blood vessel. The method may include acquiring a temporal sequence of angiography images of the target blood vessel after a contract agent is injected in the target blood vessel. The method may further include identifying a region of interest containing the target blood vessel, by a processor, in each angiography image in the temporal sequence of angiography images. The method may also include integrating, by the processor, pixel values in each region of interest, and determining the lumen volume, by the processor, based on the integrated values of the regions of interest and a predetermined correlation between the integrated values and volumes of the contrast agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING KEYA MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bin Ma, Shubao Liu, Xiaoxiao Liu, Bin Ouyang, Qi Song