Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing effective line density of volume compound ultrasound images while maintaining the frame rate, penetration depth, and other image characteristics are provided. The method includes acquiring a first lateral plane at a first elevational position. The first lateral plane includes a first set of receive lines at a first set of lateral positions. The method includes acquiring a second lateral plane at a second elevational position adjacent the first elevational position. The second lateral plane includes a second set of receive lines at a second set of lateral positions laterally offset from the first set of lateral positions. The method includes combining the first lateral plane and the second lateral plane to generate a compound image and presenting the compound image at a display system. The compound image may be a volume compound image in an A-plane generated based on volume compound imaging rendering algorithms.

Abstract: An N-M tomography system comprising: a carrier for the subject of an examination procedure; a plurality of detector heads; a carrier for the detector heads; and a detector positioning arrangement operable to position the detector heads during performance of a scan without interference or collision between adjacent detector heads to establish a variable bore size and configuration for the examination. Additionally, collimated detectors providing variable spatial resolution for SPECT imaging and which can also be used for PET imaging, whereby one set of detectors can be selectably used for either modality, or for both simultaneously.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus according to an embodiment includes an extraction unit, a calculation unit, and an evaluation unit. The extraction unit extracts a detection value in a tumor region, a blood region, and a muscle region from a nuclear medicine image of a subject administered with a drug containing a radiolabeled anticancer drug that works by accumulating in a tumor. The calculation unit calculates a first comparison value that is a comparison result between the detection value in the blood region and the detection value in the tumor region, and a second comparison value that is a comparison result between the detection value in the muscle region and the detection value in the tumor region. The evaluation unit evaluates an accumulation of the drug in the tumor, based on the first comparison value and the second comparison value calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging systems for automatically identifying and saving ultrasound images relevant to a needle injection procedure, and associated systems and methods, are described herein. For example, an ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer for transmitting/receiving ultrasound signals during a needle injection procedure, and receive circuitry configured to convert the received ultrasound signals into ultrasound image data. The image data can be stored in a buffer memory. A processor can analyze the image data stored in the buffer memory to identify image data that depicts a specified injection event of the needle injection procedure, and the identified image data can be stored in a memory for archival purposes.

Abstract: An endoscope observation method includes irradiating first and second narrowband light to an observation object. The first and second narrowband light have wavelengths at which absorbances of first and second characteristic substances related to a predetermined state of the observation object and contained in the observation object are mutually different. The method also includes performing imaging by use of reflected light of the first and second narrowband light from the observation object to obtain first and second image data, and forming a characteristic substance presence image regarding the presence of the first and second characteristic substance, on the basis of characteristic amounts of the first and second characteristic substances contained in the first and second image data.

Abstract: A method of removing microvessels includes applying a burst of acoustic energy at a target location, applying a pulse of optical energy at the target location, and promoting cavitation at the target location. The burst of acoustic energy has a pressure below 5.0 MPa. The pulse of optical energy at the target location has a fluence less than 100 mJ/cm2. At least a portion of the pulse is concurrent with the burst and the optical energy has an optical area that is overlapping with an acoustic area of the acoustic energy at the target location.

Abstract: A method for directing therapeutic nanoparticle-labeled cells to selected locations within the body and/or for retaining therapeutic nanoparticle-labeled cells at selected locations within the body, the method comprising: providing an article comprising a body of material configured to be secured about the body of a patient and having a plurality of pockets thereon, wherein each pocket is sized to receive and retain one or more magnets therein; injecting therapeutic USPIO nanoparticle-containing cells into a target therapy site; securing the article to the body of the patient; and inserting at least one magnet into at least one pocket so as to provide a desired magnetic field for further directing therapeutic nanoparticle-labelled cells to a target therapy site and/or for retaining therapeutic nanoparticle-labeled cells at the target therapy site.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a two-dimensional (2D) transducer array in which a plurality of transducers that transmit/receive an ultrasound signal to/from an object are arranged in two dimensions; an analog beamformer configured to perform analog beamforming in a first direction, and perform analog beamforming in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on signals respectively received by the plurality of transducers; and a digital beamformer configured to perform digital beamforming on the signals that are analog-beamformed in the first direction, and perform digital beamforming on the signals that are analog-beamformed in the second direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a probe head-cover applicator and method for applying a probe-head cover to a probe head of an ultrasound probe. A probe head-cover applicator can include a tray including a cavity, an insert of a compressible material suspended over the cavity, and a probe-head cover adhered to the insert. The insert can include a first adhesive on an outward-facing surface of the insert facing away from the cavity. The probe-head cover can be adhered to the insert by the first adhesive. The probe-head cover can include a second adhesive on an outward-facing surface of the probe-head cover facing away from the insert. The second adhesive can be configured to adhere the probe-head cover to a probe head of an ultrasound probe when the probe head is inserted into the cavity.

Abstract: An ultrasound-detectable marker, ultrasound system, and methods for monitoring vascular flow and patency is disclosed. The ultrasound-detectable marker comprises one or more resorbable polymers, one or more non-resorbable polymers, one or more non-polymeric materials, or any combinations thereof. The ultrasound-detectable marker is adapted for placement underneath, adjacent to, or above one or more vessels at a postoperative site, such as a vascular anastomosis site. Further, the ultrasound imaging system includes certain user guiding software and/or health analysis software for use with the ultrasound-detectable marker.

Abstract: A distributed patient monitoring system comprises at least one standalone portable ultrasound imaging unit configured to be fixed to a stable position against the skin on a patient's body and capable of prolonged ultrasound data acquisition, including an ultrasound imaging array, transmit-receive circuitry, a beamformer, backend signal and image processing subsystem, power and communication subsystems, and a monitoring workstation connected to each standalone portable ultrasound imaging unit configured to request and receive ultrasound imaging information from each standalone portable ultrasound imaging unit, and configured to analyze and display acquired ultrasound information.

Abstract: A device and method for detecting cerebral microbleeds use magnetic resonance images. The disclosed device includes a preprocessing unit that normalizes an SWI image and a phase image, respectively, of the magnetic resonance images, and performs phase image conversion for inverting a code of the normalized phase image, a YOLO neural network module that receives a two-channel image in which the preprocessed SWI image and phase image are concatenated and detects a plurality of candidate regions for the cerebral microbleeds, and a cerebral microbleeds determination neural network module that receives patch images of candidate regions of the SWI image and phase image based on the candidate regions and determines whether the patch images of each candidate region are an image with a symptom of the cerebral microbleeds through a neural network operation.

Abstract: An ultrasound (US) system is discloses and includes a plurality of transducer elements forming a one-dimensional array and a plurality of bias voltage circuits. Each bias voltage circuit is in communication with a respective first set of the transducer elements and configured to apply a bias voltage to its respective first set of the transducer elements. The US system also included a second plurality of transmit and receive circuits. Each transmit and receive circuit is in communication with a respective second set of transducer elements and configured to stimulate signal transmission or reception of the respective second set of transducer elements.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (1) comprises an ultrasound transducer array (100) comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer tiles (101a-d), each of said tiles having an independently adjustable orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface to a region of a body (50) including a foreign object such as a pacemaker, a stent, or an interventional tool (200). Using a known spatial arrangement of a plurality of features (201-204) of the foreign object (200), the respective ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound transducer tiles are registered in order to generate a composite image, in which the position and orientation of the foreign object in the individual images is superimposed. The position and orientation of an interventional tool may be determined for each image using object recognition algorithms or using acoustic feedback information provided by at least three ultrasound sensors (201-204) arranged in a known spatial arrangement on the interventional tool.

Abstract: A radiation finder tool assists in locating tissue of interest within a patient. The radiation finder tool includes a body and a plurality of radiation detectors. The body has a distal end, a proximal end. A lengthwise axis of the radiation finder tool extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the body. The plurality of radiation detectors is oriented serially along the lengthwise axis, e.g., stacked one after the other along the lengthwise axis. Each radiation detector of the plurality of radiation detectors has a different field of view for radiation detected by that radiation detector. Each field of view of the plurality of radiation detectors has the lengthwise axis at its center.

Abstract: Methods, devices, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for performing mammography, such as utilizing tomosynthesis in combination with breast biopsy.

Abstract: A blood vessel cross-section function, a blood vessel pressure difference, and blood vessel stress may be established. A method for establishing a blood vessel cross-section function may include: obtaining image data in at least one cardiac cycle; selecting multiple feature times during the one cardiac cycle; generating spatial models of a target region blood vessel corresponding to each of the feature times according to the image data; establishing a first cross-section model of the target region blood vessel at each position along an axial direction of the target region blood vessel according to each of the spatial models; and establishing a corresponding first cross-section function according to each first cross-section model. Actual conditions of blood vessels may be reflected more accurately, and may provide an intermediate variable with less error for subsequent analysis operations, so that the later calculated value is closer to the actual value.

Abstract: A universal ultrasound device having an ultrasound probe includes a semiconductor die; a plurality of ultrasonic transducers integrated on the semiconductor die, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers configured to operate a first mode associated with a first frequency range and a second mode associated with a second frequency range, wherein the first frequency range is at least partially non-overlapping with the second frequency range; and control circuitry configured to: control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the first frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the first mode; and control the plurality of ultrasonic transducers to generate and/or detect ultrasound signals having frequencies in the second frequency range, in response to receiving an indication to operate the ultrasound probe in the second mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods to assist a practitioner to confirm location of a distal tip of a needle within a patient include confirming tactile feedback from a needle insertion to a point of loss of resistance of fluid flow and by viewing a display showing color of a tissue plane at the distal tip of the needle at the point of loss of resistance.

Abstract: In some embodiments, spinal disc degeneracy is diagnosed according to a decay variance map generated by determining a variance in T2 decay over time within each pixel or pixel subset of an MRI image. A region of interest may be defined as including nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) areas, and excluding cartilaginous endplate (EP) areas of a disc. A decay variance for a pixel or groups of pixels is calculated by determining ratios between consecutive intensity values of the T2 signal, determining differences between consecutive ratios, and summing the absolute values of the determined differences. Decay variance mapping may be used to diagnose degeneracy in other tissues, such as in joints.